TEXT: Dungeon World
  The Bard
  1
  1
  Dungeon
  World
  Dungeon World is a world of fantas-
  tic adventure. A world of magic, gods,
  demons, Good and Evil. Brave heroes
  ventureintothemostdangerouscorners
  of the land in search of gold and glory.
  You are those heroes. You go where oth-
  ers can’t or won’t. You conquer the un-
  beatable and laugh in the face of Death.
  There are monstrous things lurking in
  the world. Are you ready to face them?
  The Bard
  Sure,anadventurer’slifeisallopenroads
  and the glory of coin and combat. Those
  tales that are told in every farmhand-
  ﬁlled inn have to have some ring of truth
  tothem,don’tthey? Thesongstoinspire
  peasantry and royals alike—to soothe
  the savage beast or drive men to a frenzy
  have to come from somewhere.
  Enter the Bard. You, with your smooth
  tongue and quick wit. You teller-of-tales
  and singer-of-songs.
  It takes a mere
  minstrel to retell a thing but a true Bard
  to live it. Strap on your boots, noble ora-
  tor. Sharpenthathiddendaggerandtake
  up the call. Someone’s got to be there,
  ﬁghting shoulder-to-shoulder with the
  goons and the thugs and the soon-to-be-
  heroes. Who better than you to write the
  tale of your own heroism?
  Nobody. Get going.
  The Cleric
  The lands of Dungeon World are a gods-
  forsaken mess. They’re lousy with the
  walking dead, beasts of all sorts, and the
  vast unnatural spaces between safe and
  temple-blessed civilizations. It is a god-
  less world out there. That’s why it needs
  you.
  Bringing the glory of your god to the
  heathens isn’t just in your nature—it’s
  your calling. It falls to you to prosely-
  tize with sword and mace and spell. To
  cleave deep into the witless heart of the
  wildsandplanttheseedofdivinitythere.
  Some say that it is best to keep god close
  to your heart. You know that’s rubbish.
  Godlivesattheedgeofablade. Showthe
  world who is lord.
  The Fighter
  It’s a thankless job—living day to day by
  your armor and the skill of your arm. To
  dive heedlessly into danger. They won’t
  be playing golden horns for the time you
  took that knife to the ribs for them in the
  bar in Bucksberg. No ﬂock of angels to
  sing of the time you dragged them, still
  screaming, from the edge of the Pits of
  Madness, no.
  Forget them.
  You do this for the guts and the glory.
  The scream of battle and the hot hot
  blood of it.
  You are a beast of iron.
  Your friends may carry blades of forged
  steel but, Fighter, you are steel. While
  your traveling companions might moan
  about their wounds over a campﬁre in
  the wilderness, you bear your scars with
  pride.
  You are the wall—let every danger
  smash itself to nothing on you. In the
  end, you’ll be the last one standing.
  The Paladin
  Hell awaits. An eternity of torment in
  ﬁre or ice or whatever best suits the
  sins of the damned throngs of Dungeon
  World. All that stands between the pits
  of that grim torture and salvation is you.
  Holy man, armored war machine, tem-
  plar of the Good and the Light, right?
  TheClericmaysayhisprayersatnightto
  the gods, dwelling in their heavens. The
  Fighter may wield his sharp sword in the
  name of “good” but you know. Only you.
  Eyes, hands, and sweet killing blow of
  the gods, you are. Yours is the gift of
  righteousness and virtue. Of justice. Vi-
  sion, too. A purity of intent that your
  companions do not have. So guide these
  fools, Paladin. Take up your holy cause
  and bring salvation to the wastrel world.
  Vae victis, right?
  The Ranger
  These city-born folk you travel with.
  Havetheyheardthecallofthewolf? Felt
  thewindshowlinthebleakdesertsofthe
  East? Have they hunted their prey with
  the bow and the knife like you? Hell no.
  That’s why they need you.
  Guide. Hunter. Creature of the wilds.
  Youarethesethingsandmore. Yourtime
  inthe wildernessmayhavebeen solitary
  until now, the call of some greater thing
  – call it fate if you like, has cast your
  lot with these folk. Brave, they may be.
  Powerful and strong, too. You know the
  secrets of the spaces-between, though.
  Without you, they’d be lost. Blaze a trail
  through the blood and dark, strider.
  The Thief
  You’ve heard them, sitting around the
  campﬁre. Bragging about this battle or
  that. About how their gods are smiling
  on your merry band.
  You count your
  coins and smile to yourself—this is the
  thrill above all. You alone know the se-
  cret of Dungeon World: ﬁlthy ﬁlthy lu-
  cre.
  Sure, they give you lip for all the times
  you’ve snuck off alone but without you,
  who among them wouldn’t have been
  dissected by a ﬂying guillotine or poi-
  soned straight to death by some an-
  cientneedle-trap? Soletthemcomplain.
  When you’re done with all this delving
  you’ll toast their heroes’ graves.
  
  The Wizard
  Dungeon World
  2
  Fromyourcastle. Fullofgold. Yourogue.
  The Wizard
  Dungeon World has rules. Not the laws
  of men or the rule of some petty tyrant.
  Bigger, better rules.
  You drop some-
  thing—it falls.
  You can’t make some-
  thingoutofnothing. Thedeadstaydead,
  right?
  Oh, the things we tell ourselves to feel
  better about the long, dark nights.
  You’ve spent so very long poring over
  those tomes of yours. The experiments
  that nearly drove you mad and all the
  botched summonings that endangered
  your very soul. For what? For power.
  What else is there? Not just the power
  of King or Country but the power to boil
  a man’s blood in his veins. To call on the
  thunder of the sky and the churn of the
  roiling earth. To shrug off the rules the
  world holds so dear.
  Let them cast their sidelong glances. Let
  them call you “warlock” or “diabolist.”
  Whoamongthemcanhurlﬁreballsfrom
  their eyes?
  Yeah. We didn’t think so.
  
  Setting Up
  Using Dice
  3
  2
  Setting Up
  To play Dungeon World, you’ll need to
  gather yourself and 2–5 friends. A group
  of 4 to 5, including you, is best. Choose
  one person to be the GameMaster (here-
  after: GM).Everyoneelsewillbeplayers,
  taking the role of the characters in the
  game. The players get to say what their
  characters say, think, and do. The GM
  describes everything else in the world.
  You can play a single session or string
  together multiple sessions into a cam-
  paign. Plan accordingly. Each session
  will usually be a few hours and you’ll be
  able to start playing right away within
  the ﬁrst session.
  You’ll need to print some materials. Be-
  fore you start a new game, print off at
  least:
  •
  A few copies of the basic and special
  moves
  •
  One copy of each class sheet
  •
  One copy each of the cleric and wiz-
  ard spell sheets
  •
  One copy of the adventure sheet and
  GM moves
  Everyone at the table will need some-
  thing to write with and some six-sided
  dice. Two dice is the minimum but two
  dice per player is a good idea.
  You’ll also need some specialized dice:
  four-sided, eight-sided, and ten-sided.
  One of each is enough but more is better;
  you won’t have to pass them around so
  much.
  Using Dice
  When talking about dice, dX means a
  dice with X sides (d4, d6, d8, etc.).
  A
  number before the dice size means "roll
  this many and add them together," so
  2d6 means "roll two six-sided dice and
  add them together." Sometimes you’ll
  add something to the roll, maybe a static
  number or the result of another roll, add
  that to the total. If there’s a "·b" at the
  end instead of adding them together you
  takethebestone(’b’for’best’),so2d6·b+1
  means "roll two six-sided dice and take
  the best one and add one to it." A "·w" at
  the end means you take the worst result,
  so 2d6·w means "roll two six-sided dice
  and take the worst one."
  
  Moves
  The Flow of Play
  4
  3
  The Flow
  of Play
  Playing Dungeon World is a conversa-
  tion of sorts; I say something, then you
  reply, maybe someone else chimes in.
  We talk about the ﬁction, what’s hap-
  pening to the characters we imagine and
  the world around them.
  We also talk
  about the rules, how they come from and
  lead back to the ﬁction.
  There are no
  turns or rounds in Dungeon World, no
  forced order of when people talk, but a
  conversation means taking turns. Dun-
  geon World is never a monologue, al-
  ways a conversation.
  The rules shape the conversation. While
  theGMandtheplayersarehavingacon-
  versation the rules and the ﬁction are
  having a conversation too. The rules af-
  fect the game when the ﬁction triggers
  themandarulewillalwaystellyouwhen
  it’s meant to trigger.
  Moves
  ThebasicunitofrulesinDungeonWorld
  is the Move . A move looks like this:
  Whenyouattackanenemyinmelee
  , roll+Str. On a 10+ you deal your damage
  totheenemyandavoidtheirattack. Atyour
  option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage
  butexposeyourselftotheenemy’sattack. On
  a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy
  andtheenemy makes anattack against you.
  Moves are rules that describe when they
  trigger and what effect they have.
  A
  move always depends on a ﬁctional ac-
  tionandalwayshassomeﬁctionaleffect.
  "Fictional" means that the action and ef-
  fect come from the shared imaginative
  space we’re describing, not from us di-
  rectly. In the move above, the trigger
  is "when you attack an enemy in melee."
  The effect is what follows: a roll to be
  madeanddifferingﬁctionaleffectsbased
  on the outcome of the roll. Most moves
  rely on one of a character’s stats which
  representthecharacter’sinnateabilities.
  When a player says their character
  does something that triggers a move
  that move happens and its rules apply.
  Moves and dealing damage are the only
  times dice are rolled. The move will tell
  you what dice to roll.
  The basic rule of moves is: take the ac-
  tion to gain the effect . To make the
  mechanical aspect of a move happen the
  character has to do something that trig-
  gersthatmove. Likewise,ifthecharacter
  does something that triggers a move the
  mechanical portion happens.
  Moves Are Indivisible
  Acharactercan’ttaketheﬁctionalaction
  that triggers a move without that move
  occurring.
  For example, if Isaac tells
  the GM that his character dashes past a
  crazed,axe-wieldingorctotheopendoor
  he makes the Defy Danger move because
  its trigger is "when you act despite an
  imminent threat". Isaac can’t just have
  his character run past the orc without
  making the Defy Danger move and he
  can’t make the Defy Danger move with-
  out acting despite an imminent threat.
  The moves and the ﬁction go hand-in-
  handtomakeupthegame. Whenamove
  is made it falls to the GM and players to
  make sure that both of these things (ﬁc-
  tion and rules) happen.
  Takingaﬁctionalactionthatshouldtrig-
  ger a move and not applying it looks like
  this: Ben says "I run past the orc to the
  door," but doesn’t make the Defy Danger
  move. In this case, the GM should sug-
  gest that the move applies: "So you’re
  Defying the Danger of the crazed orc as
  he swings at you?" Ben then has to be
  a real adventurer and Defy Danger or
  back off and do something else; he can’t
  take action that triggers the move with-
  out making the move. He can’t "just" run
  past the orc without making the move
  that applies.
  Trying to apply a move without taking
  the action that makes the move occur
  happens when a player jumps straight
  to the effects of the move. The Hack and
  Slash move has damage as one of its ef-
  fects.
  Dan can’t just say "I’m Hacking
  and Slashing!
  I rolled +Str and got a
  10, I do 1d8 damage." That doesn’t work
  because his character hasn’t taken any
  ﬁctional action. "Hack and Slash" isn’t
  something a character does—it’s a rule
  that happens when the character fulﬁlls
  its trigger. The GM’s response should
  be "okay, how do you do that?" or "what
  does that look like?"
  The GM’s questions are there to reﬁne
  the action, not to deny it. It’s still a con-
  versation. The GM asks to make sure the
  everyoneunderstandswhat’shappening
  and the moves involved.
  Somemovesworkalittledifferently—they
  just provide a bonus all the time. These
  movesarestillsayingsomethingﬁction-
  ally and mechanically. They’re saying
  something the character is or has. For
  example, the Thief move Cautious gives
  a constant bonus.
  That’s still a move,
  it’s just one that’s always happening; the
  Thief is particularly careful when look-
  ing for signs of traps.
  Maybe they’ve
  learned their lesson from being caught
  in a trap before.
  Rolls and Results
  Once a move applies, it’s time to look
  at the effects.
  Most moves tell you to
  roll+something. The roll part means to
  take two d6s, roll them, and add them
  together. The +something part means
  to add the modiﬁer associated with that
  stat. So, a character with Dex modiﬁer of
  +2 who launches a Volley rolls two d6s,
  
  The Flow of Play
  Terminology
  5
  adds them together, and adds two. Easy.
  The result of the roll falls into three cat-
  egories: a 10+ is a strong hit . A 7–9 is a
  weak hit . A 6- is a miss .
  Strong hits and weak hits are both hits
  . A hit means the character does what
  they set out to, more or less. A strong hit
  meanstheydoitwithoutmuchtroubleor
  complications. A weak hit means com-
  plications and unpleasantries.
  Some-
  times, a weak hit will mean you need to
  make a hard decision about what to do
  next. The move will always say what to
  do for a strong and weak hit.
  A miss means that the character’s action
  is unsuccessful or carries major conse-
  quences. Unless the move tells you what
  to do, all moves work the same on a
  miss—the GM takes action, doing some-
  thing dangerous to the characters.
  Terminology
  Some moves use the phrase "deal dam-
  age."Dealingdamagemeansyourollthe
  damage dice for your class and modify it
  based on the weapon you were using for
  that move. You have to be wielding a
  weapon to use your class’s damage dice.
  Default damage without a weapon is 1.
  Somemovessay"take+1forward."That
  means to take +1 to your next move roll
  (not damage). The bonus can be greater
  than +1, or even a penalty, like -1. There
  also might be a condition, such as "take
  +1 forward to Hack and Slash," in which
  case the bonus applies only to the next
  time you roll Hack and Slash, not any
  other move.
  Somemovessay"take+1ongoing."That
  means to take +1 to all move rolls (not
  damage). The bonus can be larger than
  +1, or it can be a penalty, like -1. There
  also might be a condition, such as "take
  +1 ongoing to Volley." An ongoing bonus
  also says what causes it to end, like "until
  you dismiss the spell" or "until you atone
  to your deity."
  Some moves give you hold .
  Hold is
  currency that allows you to make some
  choices later on by spending the hold as
  themovedescribes. Holdisalwayssaved
  up for the move that generated it; you
  can’t spend your hold from Defend on
  Trap Sense or vice versa.
  There are some moves that all the play-
  ers have access to. These are the Basic
  and Special moves. Basic moves are the
  things that happen often—players will
  roll these a lot. Special moves are moves
  that come up less frequently, but every-
  one has access to them.
  Each class also has some of its own
  moves. Some of these moves are start-
  ing moves that the class starts with.
  Others are advanced moves that the
  player may choose as their character
  grows.
  Stats
  The basic stats are:
  Strength (Str). The character’s physi-
  cal force and muscle. Used for moves in
  melee combat and breaking things.
  Dexterity (Dex). The character’s preci-
  sion and aim. Used for moves in ranged
  combat and avoiding things.
  Constitution (Con).
  The character’s
  health and ability to take a beating. Used
  formovesthatendurethingsandsurviv-
  ing dangers.
  Intelligence (Int). The character’s ac-
  cumulated knowledge and logical think-
  ing.
  Used for moves that rely on re-
  membered facts and casting some kinds
  of spells.
  Wisdom (Wis).
  The character’s keen
  senses and mental defenses.
  Used for
  moves that rely on noticing things and
  casting some kinds of spells.
  Charisma (Cha). The character’s force
  ofpersonalityandcharm. Usedforsocial
  moves.
  Each basic stat has a score from 3 to 18
  and a modiﬁer from -3 to +3. When
  a stat is spelled out (like "Strength") that
  refers to the score, when the three letter
  abbreviation (like "Str") is used it refers
  to the modiﬁer. The stat’s modiﬁer de-
  pends on the stat’s score:
  Score
  Modiﬁer
  1-3
  -3
  4-5
  -2
  6-8
  -1
  9-11
  0
  12-15
  +1
  16-17
  +2
  18
  +3
  There are also a few special stats:
  Bond is how well your character knows
  another character. You use Bond to aid
  another character or interfere with their
  actions. Bond is about knowledge and
  not about how well you get along or how
  similar you are. Bond may also be asym-
  metrical: the Fighter might know the
  Wizardverywell,buttheWizarddoesn’t
  pay much attention to the Fighter. Your
  Bond with someone starts based on your
  history with them. Each class has start-
  ing bonds with blanks to ﬁll in names.
  When you roll+Bond, count the number
  of Bonds you have with that person and
  add that to the roll.
  Level reﬂects how your character has
  grown. Your character starts at level 1,
  and may advance all the way to level 10.
  Your level tracks how far you’ve grown.
  As you advance in level you gain new
  moves.
  Equipment
  Every adventurer needs stuff: weapons,
  spellbooks,armor,holysymbols,andthe
  like.
  Each item says what it does.
  In
  general, weapons deﬁne the way a char-
  acter deals damage with it and at what
  range they can do that damage. Armor
  and shields reduce damage taken. Other
  items have various effects.
  Items say what they do through their
  tags . A tag is a word or phrase that indi-
  catessomecommonabilitytheitempos-
  sess. The Messy tag, for example, means
  theweapondoesdamageinaparticularly
  devastating way.
  All items, unless otherwise noted, are
  mundane . They’re not magical in any
  way. Some items are enchanted—they
  work through arcane or divine tricks.
  These magic items are tougher to get,
  tougher to destroy, and more powerful
  to use.
  Charactersarelimitedinhowmuchthey
  can carry by their Load . Load is deter-
  mined by class. Carrying items whose
  total weight is more than your load
  causes problems.
  Some classes have other speciﬁc tools at
  their disposal like custom gear or ties to
  powerful entities or organizations. The
  rules for these are detailed with each
  class.
  Damage and HP
  Dungeon World is a dangerous place in
  many ways, not least of which are the
  physicalperilsthatawaitintheforgotten
  halls where adventurers explore. Each
  character has HP . HP is short for hit
  points; it’s a number which reﬂects a
  character’s condition.
  The character’s
  HPvalueisdeterminedbytheirclassand
  Constitution score. Your HP doesn’t au-
  tomaticallygoupasyoulevel, butifyour
  Constitution score changes you update
  your HP as well.
  Whenacharactertakesdamagetheyre-
  duce their current HP by that amount. If
  their current HP falls to zero it means
  they’re dying and must immediately
  make the Last Breath move. HP never
  goes negative; if damage would take a
  character’s HP below zero set it to zero
  instead.
  Depending on the outcome of the Last
  Breath move a character may be stable
  at0HP.Stablemeansthecharacterwon’t
  get worse on their own but they won’t
  get better without care or time. If a sta-
  ble character takes damage they stay at 0
  HP but must make the Last Breath move
  again immediately.
  Armorpreventsdamage. Whenyoutake
  damage you subtract your armor from
  the damage dealt.
  
  Advancement
  The Flow of Play
  6
  The Cleric is all about healing HP. With-
  out the Cleric’s healing magics, adven-
  turers are left at the mercies of ban-
  dages, poultices, and other crude med-
  icines, plus the odd healing potion.
  HP tracks the assorted bruises and cuts
  that accumulate but some wounds go
  deeper. These are debilities . Debil-
  ities give you a -1 to your modiﬁer for
  one stat. They don’t effect the base score
  (so being Weak won’t effect your Load,
  just your Str modiﬁer). They’re tougher
  to heal than HP, your best bet is to get
  somewhere safe and spend a few days
  resting to get rid of them.
  Advancement
  Adventurers in Dungeon World grow
  and learn from their experiences. Even-
  tually, with time and luck, they survive
  to level up.
  Experience is tracked via XP . Players
  mark XP by keeping a tally on their char-
  acter sheet. When they have XP marks
  equal to their current level + 7 they are
  readytolevelup,buttheydonotactually
  level up until they have some downtime
  (usually in camp or in a nearby village).
  Gaining a new level means choosing a
  new move from your class. If your new
  level is 3rd, 6th, or 9th you also get to in-
  crease one stat by 2, adjusting the modi-
  ﬁer to reﬂect the new score.
  There are two times when you mark XP:
  when you roll a miss (6-) and when you
  make the End of Session move.
  Whenever you roll a miss (a 6 or lower)
  whenmakingamoveyoumarkXP.These
  are the tough lessons of the adventuring
  life.
  At the end of each session one of your
  Bonds may resolve. When a Bond is no
  longer applicable it can be resolved if the
  person you share that Bond with agrees.
  When a Bond is resolved you mark XP
  and write a new bond.
  You also look back at your alignment
  over the session you just concluded. If
  youfulﬁlledyouralignmentatleastonce
  in the session you’ll get XP.
  The End of Session move also has three
  questions that all the players answer as
  a group. For each "yes" answer everyone
  gains XP.
  Sessions
  A session of Dungeon World is one time
  you sit down to play. A session usually
  runs a few hours and may be a single
  adventure or part of a larger campaign.
  The ﬁrst session of a game starts off a lit-
  tle different. First you’ll need to choose
  a GM. Once the GM is settled, everyone
  else will need to make characters. See
  the character creation chapter for more
  on that.
  During character creation, the GM will
  be asking questions and making plans
  for how to start the game.
  A game of
  Dungeon World always starts with ac-
  tion, either action already underway or
  impending.
  Such a situation will lead to the charac-
  tersmakingmoves,whichwillcausefur-
  ther moves. Moves lead to more moves.
  This snowballing action from move to
  move is what builds an exciting game.
  Onceafewmoveshavebeenmade,you’ll
  ﬁnd it easy to keep going. The moves
  will keep giving you ideas and prompts
  for further action which leads to more
  moves.
  Why?
  Why play Dungeon World?
  First, to see the characters do amazing
  things . To see them explore the un-
  explored, slay the undying, and go from
  the deepest bowels of the world to the
  highest peaks of the heavens.
  To see
  them caught up in momentous events
  and grand tragedies.
  Second, to see them play off each
  other : to stand together as a united
  front against their foes or to bicker and
  argue over treasure.
  To unite and fall
  apart and reunite again.
  Third, because the world still has
  so many places to explore . There
  are unlooted tombs and dragon hordes
  dotting the countryside just waiting for
  quick-ﬁngered and strong-armed ad-
  venturers to discover them.
  That un-
  explored world has plans of its own. We
  play to see what they are and how they’ll
  change the lives of our characters.
  
  Character Creation
  1. Choose a Class
  7
  4
  Character
  Creation
  Making Dungeon World characters is
  quick and easy.
  You should all create
  your ﬁrst characters together at the be-
  ginning of your ﬁrst session. Character
  creation is, just like play, a kind of con-
  versation—everyone should be there for
  it. It’s somewhat likely your character
  may die along the way. if they do, no
  worries, the character creation process
  helps you make a new character that ﬁts
  into the group in just a few minutes.
  If you’re the GM, your role during char-
  acter creation is to help everyone, ask
  questions,andtakenotes. Whenaplayer
  makes a choice—particularly for their
  Bonds—ask them about it.
  Get more
  detail. Think about what these details
  mean.
  TheGMshouldalsosetexpectations: the
  players are to play their characters as
  people. Skilled adventurers delving into
  dangerous places, but real people. The
  GM’s role is to play the rest of the world
  as a dynamic, changing place.
  Somequestionscommonlycomeupdur-
  ing character creation:
  Are the characters friends?
  No, not nec-
  essarily, but they do work together as a
  team for common goals. Their reasons
  for pursuing those goals may be differ-
  ent, but they generally manage to work
  together.
  Are there other Wizards? Not really. There
  are other workers of arcane magic, and
  the common folk may call them wizards,
  but they’re not like you. They don’t have
  the same abilities, though they may be
  similar. Same goes for any class: there’s
  only one Cleric, though there are many
  with similar powers of divine servitude.
  There’sonlyoneThief, butthereareoth-
  ers that ﬁght from the shadows and steal
  things.
  What’s coin? Coin’s the currency of the
  realm.
  It’s good pretty much every-
  where. It’ll buy you mundane stuff, like
  steel swords and wooden staves, but the
  special stuff, like magic weapons, isn’t
  for sale.
  Is the GM trying to kill us? Nope. The GM
  represents the world. It’s a dangerous
  place, and yeah, you might die. But she’s
  not trying to kill you.
  Most everything you need to create
  a character you’ll ﬁnd on the charac-
  ter sheets.
  These steps will walk you
  through ﬁlling out a character sheet.
  1. Choose a Class
  Look over the character classes and
  choose one that interests you. Everyone
  choosesadifferentclass; therearen’ttwo
  Wizards. If two people want the same
  class, talk it over like adults and com-
  promise.
  I sit down with Paul and Shannon to play a
  game run by John. I’ve got some cool ideas
  for a Wizard, so I mention that would be
  my ﬁrst choice. No one else was thinking of
  playing one, so I take the playbook.
  2. Choose a Race
  Every class has a few race options.
  Chooseone. Yourracegivesyouaspecial
  move.
  IliketheideaofsummoningupThingsFrom
  Beyond, so I choose Human, since that gives
  me a bonus to Summoning spells. I thought
  about being an Elf, but Shannon’s playing
  the Cleric so I don’t think we’ll need more
  Cleric spells.
  3. Choose a Name
  Choose your character’s name from the
  list.
  Avon sounds good.
  4. Choose Look
  Your look is your physical appearance.
  Choose one item from each list.
  Haunted eyes sound good, since I’ve seen
  Things From Beyond. No good Wizard has
  timeforhairstyling,wildhairitis. Myrobes
  arestrange,andImentiontoeveryonethatI
  think maybe they came from Beyond as part
  of one of my summonings. No time to eat
  with all that magic: thin body.
  5. Choose Stats
  Look over the basic moves and the start-
  ing moves for your class. Pick out the
  move that interests you the most: some-
  thing you’ll be doing a lot, or something
  that you excel at. Put your 17 in the stat
  for that move. Look over the list again
  and pick out the next most important
  move to your character, maybe some-
  thingthatsupportsyourﬁrstchoice. Put
  your 15 in the stat for that move. Repeat
  this process for your remaining scores:
  13, 11, 9, 8.
  Alternatively, if everyone wants a lit-
  tle more randomness then you can roll
  stats. Roll 3d6 and assign the total to a
  stat—repeat this until you have all your
  stats.
  If you want something really random
  you can roll for stats in order (Str, Dex,
  Con, Int, Wis, Cha). If you choose this
  method you get to roll before you choose
  your class.
  
  6. Figure Out Modiﬁers
  Character Creation
  8
  It looks like I need Intelligence to cast spells,
  which are my thing, so my 17 goes there. The
  Defy Danger option for Dexterity looks like
  something I might be doing to dive out of
  the way of a spell, so that gets my 15. A
  13 Wisdom will help me notice important
  details (and maybe keep my sanity, based on
  the Defy Danger move). Charisma might be
  useful is dealing with summoned creatures
  so I’ll put my 11 there. Living is always nice,
  so I put my 9 in Constitution for some extra
  HP. Strength gets the 8.
  6. Figure Out Modiﬁers
  Next you need to ﬁgure out the modi-
  ﬁers for your stats. The modiﬁers are
  what you use when a move says +Dex or
  +Cha.
  You won’t actually use the raw
  scores much.
  Score
  Modiﬁer
  1-3
  -3
  4-5
  -2
  6-8
  -1
  9-11
  0
  12-15
  +1
  16-17
  +2
  18
  +3
  7. Set Starting HP
  Your starting HP is equal to your class’s
  base HP+Constitution score.
  Base4plus9congivesmeawhopping13HP.
  I guess Summoning takes a toll on the body.
  8. Choose Starting Moves
  Some classes, like the Fighter, have
  choices to make as part of one of their
  moves. Make these choices now. The
  Wizard will need to choose spells for
  their spellbook. Both the Cleric and the
  Wizard will need to choose which spells
  they have prepared to start with.
  ASummoningspellisaneasychoice,soItake
  Contact Spirits. Magic Missile will allow
  me to deal more damage than my pitiful d4
  damagedice,sothat’sintoo. IchooseAlarm
  for my last spell, since I can think of some
  interesting uses for it.
  9. Choose Alignment
  Your alignment is a few words that de-
  scribe your character’s moral outlook.
  These are general and tend to guide your
  character’s outlook rather than dictate
  their actions. Usually alignment is a sin-
  gle term declaring the character’s alle-
  giance to the forces of good, the hordes
  of evil, or the path of neutrality between.
  The alignments are Good, Evil, and Neu-
  tral. Some classes may only be certain
  alignments. Choose your alignment—it
  gives you more ways to earn XP.
  Avon is all about the magical mysteries,
  which makes the Neutral alignment stand
  out. I’ll go with that one.
  10. Choose Gear
  Each class has choices to make for start-
  ing gear. Keep your Load in mind—it
  limits how much you can easily carry.
  Make sure to total up your armor and
  note it on your character sheet.
  I’m worried about my HP, so I take armor
  over books. A dagger sounds about right
  for rituals, I choose that over a staff. It’s a
  toss up between the healing potion and the
  antitoxin, but healing wins out. I also end
  up with some rations.
  11. Introduce Your Character
  Now that you know who your character
  is, it’s time to introduce them to every-
  one else. Wait until everyone’s ﬁnished
  choosing their name. Then go around
  the table; each player gets to share their
  look, class and anything else about their
  character. Youcanshareyouralignment
  now or keep it a secret if you prefer.
  This is also the time for the GM to ask
  questions. The GM’s questions should
  help establish the relationships between
  characters ("What do you think about
  that?") and draw the group into the ad-
  venture ("Does that mean you’ve met
  Grundloch before?").
  The GM should
  listen to everything in the description
  and ask about anything that stands out.
  Establish where they’re from, who they
  are,howtheycametogether,oranything
  else that seems relevant or interesting.
  "ThisisAvon,summonerofThingsFromBe-
  yond! He’s a human wizard with haunted
  eyes, wild hair, strange robes, and a thin
  body. Like I mentioned before his robes are
  strange because they’re literally not of this
  world: they came through as part of a sum-
  moning ritual."
  12. Choose Bonds
  Once everyone has described their char-
  acters you can choose your Bonds. You
  must ﬁll in one bond but it’s in your best
  interest to ﬁll in more. For each blank
  ﬁll in the name of one character. You can
  usethesamecharacterformorethanone
  statement.
  Once everyone’s ﬁlled in their bonds
  readthemouttothegroup. Whenamove
  hasyouroll+bondsyou’llcountthenum-
  ber of Bonds you have with the character
  in question and add that to the roll.
  With everyone introduced I choose which
  character to list in each Bond, I have Paul’s
  Fighter Gregor and Shannon’s Cleric Brin-
  ton to choose from.
  The Bond about
  prophecy sounds fun, so I choose Gregor for
  it and end up with "Gregor will play an im-
  portant role in the events to come. I have
  foreseen it!" It seems like The Wizard who
  contactsThingsFromBeyondandtheCleric
  might not see eye to eye, so I add Shannon’s
  character and get "Brinton is woefully mis-
  informed about the world; I will teach them
  all that I can." I leave my last Bond blank,
  I’ll deal with it later. Once everyone is done
  I read my Bonds aloud and we all discuss
  what this means about why we’re together
  and where we’re going.
  
  Basic Moves
  Hack and Slash
  9
  5
  Basic Moves
  Hack and Slash
  Whenyouattackanenemyinmelee,
  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 en-
  emy’s attack. On a 7–9, you deal your
  damage to the enemy and the enemy
  makes an attack against you.
  Volley
  When you take aim and shoot at an
  enemy at range , roll+Dex. On a 10+
  you have a clear shot—deal your dam-
  age. On a 7–9, choose one (whichever
  you choose you deal your damage):
  •
  Youhavetomovetogettheshotplac-
  ing you in danger of the GM’s choice
  •
  You have to take what you can get:
  -1d6 damage
  •
  Youhavetotakeseveralshots,reduc-
  ing your ammo by one.
  Defy Danger
  When you act despite an imminent
  threat or suffer a calamity , say how
  you deal with it and roll. If you do it. . .
  •
  . . .by powering through, +Str
  •
  . . .by getting out of the way or acting
  fast, +Dex
  •
  . . .by enduring, +Con
  •
  . . .with quick thinking, +Int
  •
  . . .through mental fortitude, +Wis
  •
  . . .using charm and social grace,
  +Cha
  On a 10+, you do what you set out to,
  the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a
  7–9, you stumble, hesitate, or ﬂinch: the
  GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard
  bargain, or ugly choice.
  Defend
  When you stand in defense of a per-
  son, item, or location under attack,
  roll+Con. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7–9,
  hold 1. So long as you stand in defense,
  when you or the thing you defend is at-
  tacked you may spend hold, 1 for 1, to
  choose an option:
  •
  Redirectanattackfromthethingyou
  defend to yourself
  •
  Halve the attack’s effect or damage
  •
  Open up the attacker to an ally giv-
  ing that ally +1 forward against the
  attacker
  •
  Deal damage to the attacker equal to
  your level
  Spout Lore
  When you consult your accumu-
  lated knowledge about something
  , roll+Int. On a 10+ the GM will tell you
  something interesting and useful about
  thesubjectrelevanttoyoursituation. On
  a7–9theGMwillonlytellyousomething
  interesting—it’s on you to make it use-
  ful. The GM might ask you "How do you
  know this?" Tell them the truth, now.
  Discern Realities
  When you closely study a situation
  or person , roll+Wis. On a 10+ ask the
  GM 3 questions from the list below. On
  a 7–9 ask 1. Take +1 forward when acting
  on the answers.
  •
  What happened here recently?
  •
  What is about to happen?
  •
  What should I be on the lookout for?
  •
  Whathereisusefulorvaluabletome?
  •
  Who’s really in control here?
  •
  What here is not what it appears to
  be?
  Parley
  WhenyouyouhaveleverageonaGM
  character and manipulate them ,
  roll+Cha.
  Leverage is something they
  need or want.
  On a hit they ask you
  for something and do it if you make
  them a promise ﬁrst.
  On a 7–9, they
  need some concrete assurance of your
  promise, right now.
  Aid or Interfere
  When you help or hinder someone
  youhaveaBondwith,roll+Bondwith
  them. On a 10+ they take +1 or -2, your
  choice. Ona7–9youalsoexposeyourself
  to danger, retribution, or cost.
  
  Last Breath
  Special Moves
  10
  6
  Special
  Moves
  Last Breath
  Whenyou’redyingyoucatchaglimpse
  of what lies beyond the Black Gates of
  Death’s Kingdom (the GM will describe
  it), then roll (just roll, +nothing—yeah,
  Deathdoesn’tcarehowtoughorcoolyou
  are). On a 10+ you’re stable. On a 7–9
  Death will offer you a bargain—take it
  and stabilize or refuse and pass beyond
  theBlackGatesintowhateverfateawaits
  you. On a miss, you are dead.
  Encumbrance
  When you make a move while car-
  rying weight up to or equal to Load,
  you’re ﬁne.
  When you make a move
  while carrying weight equal to load+1 or
  load+2, you take -1. When you make a
  movewhilecarryingweightgreaterthan
  load+2, you have a choice: drop at least
  1 weight and roll at -1, or automatically
  fail.
  Make Camp
  When you settle in to rest consume
  a ration. If you’re somewhere danger-
  ous decide the watch order as well. If
  you have enough XP you may Level Up.
  When you wake from at least a few un-
  interrupted hours of sleep heal damage
  equal to half your max HP.
  Take Watch
  When you 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, the
  camp takes +1 forward.
  On a 7–9 you
  react just a moment too late; the camp
  is awake but hasn’t had time to prepare.
  You have weapons and armor but little
  else. On a miss whatever lurks outside
  the campﬁre’s light has the drop on you.
  Undertake a Perilous Journey
  When you travel through hostile terri-
  tory, choose one member of the party to
  act as trailblazer, one to scout ahead, and
  one to be quartermaster (the same char-
  acter cannot have two jobs). If you don’t
  have enough party members or choose
  not to assign a job, treat that job as if
  it had rolled a 6. Each character with a
  job to do rolls+Wis. On a 10+ the quar-
  termaster reduces the number of rations
  required by one. On a 10+ the trailblazer
  reduces the amount of time it takes to
  reach your destination (the GM will say
  by how much). On a 10+ the scout will
  spot any trouble quick enough to let you
  get the drop on it. On a 7–9 each roles
  performs their job as expected: the nor-
  malnumberofrationsareconsumed,the
  journey takes about as long as expected,
  noonegetsthedroponyoubutyoudon’t
  get the drop on them either.
  Level Up
  When you have downtime (hours or
  days) and XP equal to (or greater
  than) your current level + 7 , subtract
  your current level +7 from your XP, in-
  crease your level by 1, and choose a new
  advanced move from your class. If you
  are the Wizard, you also get to add a new
  spell to your spellbook.
  If your new level is 3, 6, or 9, you also
  get to increase a stat by 2. Increase the
  base score of the stat of your choice by
  2, adjust the modiﬁer to reﬂect the new
  score. Changing your Constitution in-
  creases your maximum and current HP.
  Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.
  End of Session
  When you reach the end of a session
  , choose one your bonds that you feel is
  resolved(completelyexplored,nolonger
  relevant,orotherwise). Asktheplayerof
  the character you have the bond with if
  theyagree. Iftheydo, markXPandwrite
  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 ques-
  tions as a group:
  •
  Did we learn something new and im-
  portant about the world?
  •
  Did we overcome a notable monster
  or enemy?
  •
  Did we loot a memorable treasure?
  For each "yes" answer everyone marks
  XP.
  Carouse
  When you return triumphant and
  throw a big party , spend 100 coin and
  roll + extra 100s of coin 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.
  •
  You befriend a useful NPC
  •
  You hear rumors of an opportunity
  •
  You gain useful information
  •
  You are not entangled, ensorcelled,
  or tricked
  Supply
  When you go to buy something with
  gold on hand , if it’s something read-
  ily available in the settlement you’re in,
  you can buy it at market price.
  If it’s
  something special, beyond what’s usu-
  ally 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
  similar.
  
  Special Moves
  Recover
  11
  Recover
  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 in-
  stead.
  Recruit
  When you put out word that you’re
  lookingtohirehelp,roll. Ifyoumake
  it known. . .
  •
  . . .that your pay is generous, take +1
  •
  . . .what you’resettingouttodo, take
  +1
  •
  . . .thatthey’llgetashareofwhatever
  you ﬁnd, take +1
  If you have a useful reputation around
  these parts take an additional +1. 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 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.
  Outstanding Warrants
  When you return to a civilized place
  in which you’ve caused trouble be-
  fore , roll+Cha.
  On a hit, word has
  spread of your deeds and everyone rec-
  ognizes you. On a 7–9, that, and, the GM
  chooses a complication:
  •
  The local constabulary has a warrant
  out for your arrest
  •
  Someonehasputapriceonyourhead
  •
  Someone important to you has been
  put in a bad spot as a result of your
  actions
  Bolster
  When you spend your leisure time
  in study, meditation, or hard prac-
  tice, you gain preparation. If you pre-
  pare for a week or two, 1 preparation.
  If you prepare for a month or longer,
  3 preparation. When your preparation
  pays offspend 1preparationfor+1toany
  roll. Youcanonlyspendonepreparation
  per roll.
  
  Names
  The Bard
  12
  7
  The Bard
  Sure,anadventurer’slifeisallopenroads
  and the glory of coin and combat. Those
  tales that are told in every farmhand-
  ﬁlled inn have to have some ring of truth
  tothem,don’tthey? Thesongstoinspire
  peasantry and royals alike—to soothe
  the savage beast or drive men to a frenzy
  have to come from somewhere.
  Enter the Bard. You, with your smooth
  tongue and quick wit. You teller-of-tales
  and singer-of-songs.
  It takes a mere
  minstrel to retell a thing but a true Bard
  to live it. Strap on your boots, noble ora-
  tor. Sharpenthathiddendaggerandtake
  up the call. Someone’s got to be there,
  ﬁghting shoulder-to-shoulder with the
  goons and the thugs and the soon-to-be-
  heroes. Who better than you to write the
  tale of your own heroism?
  Nobody. Get going.
  Names
  Elf : Astrafel,Daelwyn,Feliana,Damarra,
  Sistranalle,Pendrell,Melliandre,Dagoliir
  Human :
  Baldric,
  Leena,
  Dunwick,
  Willem,
  Edwyn,
  Florian,
  Seraphine,
  Quorra, Charlotte, Lily, Ramonde, Cas-
  sandra
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  KnowingEyes,FieryEyes,orJoyousEyes
  Fancy Hair, Wild Hair, or Stylish Cap
  Finery,
  Traveling Clothes,
  or Poor
  Clothes
  Fit Body, Well-fed Body, or Thin Body
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 6+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d6.
  Starting Moves
  Choose a racial move:
  Elf
  When you enter an important location
  (your call) you can ask the GM for one
  fact from the history of that location.
  Human
  When you ﬁrst enter a civilized settle-
  ment someone who respects the custom
  of hospitality to minstrels will take you
  in as their guest.
  You start with these moves:
  Arcane Art (Cha)
  When you weave a performance into a
  basic spell, choose an ally and an effect:
  •
  Heal 1d8 damage
  •
  +1d4 forward to damage
  •
  Their mind is shaken clear of one en-
  chantment
  •
  The next time the target is Aided, on
  a hit they get +2 instead of +1
  Then roll+Cha. On a hit, the ally gets the
  selected effect. On a 7-9, you also draw
  unwantedattentionoryourmagicrever-
  berates to other targets affecting them as
  well, GM’s choice.
  Bardic Lore
  Choose an area of expertise:
  •
  On Spells and Magicks
  •
  The Dead and Undead
  •
  Grand Histories of the Known World
  •
  A Bestiary of Creatures Unusual
  •
  The Planar Spheres
  •
  Legends of Heroes Past
  •
  Gods and Their Servants
  When you ﬁrst encounter an important
  creature,location,oritem(yourcall)cov-
  ered by your Bardic Lore you can ask
  the GM any one question about it, the
  GM will answer truthfully. The GM may
  then ask you what tale, song, or legend
  you heard that information in.
  Charming and Open
  When you speak frankly with someone,
  you can ask their player a question from
  thelistbelow. Iftheyanswerittruthfully
  they then get to ask you a question from
  the list below.
  •
  Whom do you serve?
  •
  What do you wish I would do?
  •
  How can I get you to
  ?
  •
  What are you really feeling right
  now?
  •
  What do you most desire?
  A Port in the Storm
  When you return to a civilized settle-
  ment you’ve visited before, tell the GM
  when you were last here. They’ll tell you
  how its changed since then.
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Good
  Perform your art to aid someone else
  Neutral
  Avoid a conﬂict or defuse a tense situa-
  tion
  
  The Bard
  Gear
  13
  Chaotic
  Spurotherstosigniﬁcantandunplanned
  decisive action
  Gear
  Your Load is 5+Str. You have dungeon
  rations (5 uses, 1 weight).
  Choose one
  instrument:
  •
  Your father’s mandolin, repaired
  •
  A ﬁne lute, a gift from a noble
  •
  The pipes with which you courted
  your ﬁrst love
  •
  A stolen horn
  •
  A ﬁddle, never before played
  •
  A songbook in a forgotten tongue
  Choose your clothing:
  •
  Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight)
  •
  Ostentatious clothes
  Choose your armament:
  •
  Dueling rapier (Close, Precise, 2
  weight)
  •
  Wornbow(Near,2weight),bundleof
  arrows (3 ammo, 1 weight), and short
  sword (Close, 1 weight)
  Choose one:
  •
  Adventuring Gear (1 weight)
  •
  Bandages (0 weight)
  •
  Halﬂing pipeleaf (1 weight)
  •
  3 coin
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  This is not my ﬁrst adventure with
  .
  I sang stories of
  long before I ever met them in person.
  is often the butt of my jokes.
  I am writing a ballad about the adven-
  tures of
  .
  trusted me with a secret.
  does not trust me, and for good reason.
  Advanced Moves
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves.
  Healing Song
  WhenyouhealwithArcaneArt,youheal
  +1d8 damage.
  Vicious Cacophony
  When you grant bonus damage with Ar-
  cane Art, you grant an extra +1d4 dam-
  age.
  It Goes To Eleven
  Whenyouunleashacrazedperformance
  (arighteouslutesolo, mightybrassblast,
  confusing interpretive dance) choose a
  target who can hear you and roll+Cha.
  On a 10+ the target ﬂails in confusion
  dealing its damage to a creature of your
  choosing. On a 7–9 it deals its damage,
  but then takes +1d4 damage ongoing as
  the music invigorates it.
  Metal Hurlant
  When you shout with great force or play
  a shattering note choose a target and
  roll+Con. On a hit the target takes 2d6
  damage and is deafened for a few min-
  utes. On a 7–9 it’s out of control: the GM
  will choose an additional target nearby.
  A Little Help From My Friends
  WhenyousuccessfullyAidsomeoneyou
  take +1 forward as well.
  Eldritch Tones
  When you use Arcane Art, you choose
  two effects instead of one.
  Duelist’s Parry
  When you Hack and Slash, you take +1
  armor forward.
  Bamboozle
  When you Parley with someone, on a hit
  you also take +1 forward with them.
  Multiclass Dabbler
  Get one move from another class. Treat
  your level as one lower for choosing the
  move.
  Multiclass Initiate
  Get one move from another class. Treat
  your level as one lower for choosing the
  move.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Healing Chorus
  Replaces: Healing Song
  WhenyouhealwithArcaneArt,youheal
  +2d8 damage.
  Vicious Blast
  Replaces: Vicious Cacophony
  When you grant bonus damage with Ar-
  cane Art, you grant an extra +1d4 dam-
  age.
  Unforgettable Face
  When you meet someone you’ve met be-
  fore (your call) after some time apart you
  take +1 forward against them.
  Reputation (Cha)
  When you ﬁrst meet someone who’s
  heard songs about you, roll+Cha. On a
  10+,telltheGMtwothingsthey’veheard
  aboutyou. Ona7-9,telltheGMonething
  they’ve heard, and the GM tells you one
  thing.
  Eldritch Chord
  Replaces: Eldritch Tones
  When you use Arcane Art, you choose
  two effects. You also get to choose one of
  those effects to double.
  An Ear For Magic
  When you hear an enemy cast a spell the
  GMwilltellyouthenameofthespelland
  its effects. Take +1 forward when acting
  on the answers.
  Devious
  When you use Charming and Open you
  may also ask "How are you vulnerable
  to me?" Your subject may not ask this
  question of you.
  
  Advanced Moves
  The Bard
  14
  Duelist’s Block
  Replaces: Duelist’s Parry
  When you Hack and Slash, you take +2
  armor forward.
  Con
  Replaces: Bamboozle
  When you Parley with someone, on a hit
  you also take +1 forward with them and
  gettoasktheirplayeronequestionwhich
  they must answer truthfully.
  Multiclass Master
  Get one move from another class. Treat
  your level as one lower for choosing the
  move.
  
  The Cleric
  Names
  15
  8
  The Cleric
  The lands of Dungeon World are a gods-
  forsaken mess. They’re lousy with the
  walking dead, beasts of all sorts, and the
  vast unnatural spaces between safe and
  temple-blessed civilizations. It is a god-
  less world out there. That’s why it needs
  you.
  Bringing the glory of your god to the
  heathens isn’t just in your nature—it’s
  your calling. It falls to you to prosely-
  tize with sword and mace and spell. To
  cleave deep into the witless heart of the
  wildsandplanttheseedofdivinitythere.
  Some say that it is best to keep god close
  to your heart. You know that’s rubbish.
  Godlivesattheedgeofablade. Showthe
  world who is lord.
  Names
  Dwarf :
  Durga, Aelfar, Gerda, Rur-
  gosh,Bjorn,Drummond,Helga,Siggrun,
  Freya
  Human :
  Wesley, Brinton, Jon, Sara,
  Hawthorn, Elise, Clarke, Lenore, Piotr,
  Dahlia, Carmine
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  Kind Eyes, Sharp Eyes, or Sad Eyes
  Tonsure, Strange Hair, or Bald
  Flowing Robes, Habit, or Common Garb
  ThinBody,KnobbyBody,orFlabbyBody
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 8+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d6.
  Starting Moves
  Choose a racial move:
  Dwarf
  You are one with stone. When you Com-
  mune you are also granted a special ver-
  sion of Words of the Unspeaking which
  only works on stone as a Rote.
  Human
  Yourfaithisdiverse. ChooseoneWizard
  spell. You can cast and be granted that
  spell as if it was a Cleric spell.
  You start with these moves:
  Deity
  You serve and worship some deity or
  power which grants you spells.
  Give
  your god a name (maybe Helferth, Su-
  cellus, or Zorica) and choose your deity’s
  domain:
  •
  Healing and Restoration
  •
  Bloody Conquest
  •
  Civilization
  •
  Knowledge and Hidden Things
  •
  The Downtrodden and Forgotten
  •
  What Lies Beneath
  Choose one precept of your religion:
  •
  Yourreligionpreachesthesanctityof
  suffering, add Petition: Suffering
  •
  Your religion is cultish and insular,
  add Petition: Gaining Secrets
  •
  Your religion has important sacriﬁ-
  cial rites, add Petition: Offering
  •
  Yourreligionbelievesintrialbycom-
  bat, add Petition: Personal Victory
  Divine Guidance
  When you fulﬁll your religion’s peti-
  tion your deity grants you some useful
  knowledge or boon related to their do-
  main. The GM will tell you what.
  Turn Undead
  When you hold your holy symbol aloft
  and pray aloud for protection, roll+Wis.
  On a hit so long as you continue to pray
  and brandish your holy symbol no un-
  dead may come within reach of you. On
  a 10+ intelligent undead are momentar-
  ily dazed by the radiance of your god and
  mindless undead ﬂee. If you move ag-
  gressively towards an undead creature
  while Turning them it breaks the effects
  and they are able to act as normal. Intel-
  ligent undead, vampires and so on, may
  still ﬁnd ways to harry you from afar.
  They’re clever like that.
  Commune
  When you spend uninterrupted time (an
  hour or so) in quiet communion with
  your deity, you lose any spells already
  grantedtoyouandaregrantednewspells
  of your choice whose total levels don’t
  exceed your own+1.
  You also prepare
  your rotes; they don’t count against your
  limit. You can’t prepare spells that are
  higher level than you.
  Cast a Spell
  When you unleash a spell granted to you
  by your deity, roll+Wis. On a 10+, the
  spell is successfully cast and your deity
  doesnotrevokethespell,soyoumaycast
  it again. On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but
  choose one:
  •
  You draw unwelcome attention or
  put yourself in a spot (the GM will
  describe it).
  •
  Yourcastingdistancesyoufromyour
  deity—take -1 ongoing to Cast a Spell
  until you Commune.
  •
  After you cast it, the spell is revoked
  by your deity. You cannot cast the
  spell again until you Commune and
  
  Alignment
  The Cleric
  16
  have it granted to you.
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Good
  Endanger yourself to heal another
  Lawful
  Endanger yourself following the pre-
  cepts of your church or god
  Evil
  Harmanothertoprovethesuperiorityof
  your church or god
  Gear
  Your Load is 7+Str. You carry dungeon
  rations (1 weight, 5 uses) and some sym-
  bol of the divine, describe it (weight 0).
  Choose your defenses:
  •
  Chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight)
  •
  Shield (+1 armor, 2 weight)
  Choose your armament:
  •
  Warhammer (Close, 1 weight)
  •
  Mace (Close, 1 weight)
  •
  Staff (Close, Two-handed, 1 weight)
  and bandages
  Choose one:
  •
  Adventuringgear(1weight)anddun-
  geon rations (1 weight)
  •
  Healing potion (1 weight)
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  has insulted my deity; I do not trust
  them.
  is a good and faithful person; I trust
  them implicitly.
  is in constant danger, I will keep them
  safe.
  I am working on converting
  to my faith.
  Advanced Moves
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves.
  Chosen One
  Choose one spell. You are granted that
  spell as if it was one level lower.
  Invigorate
  When you heal someone they take +2
  damage forward.
  The Scales of Life and Death
  When someone takes their Last Breath
  in your presence they take +1 to the roll.
  Serenity
  You are able to divide your power effec-
  tively. When you cast a spell you ignore
  the ﬁrst -1 penalty from ongoing spells.
  First Aid
  Cure Light Wounds does not count
  against your limit of granted spells.
  Divine Intervention
  When you Commune you get 1 hold and
  lose any hold you already had. Spend
  that hold when you or an ally takes dam-
  age to call on your deity, they intervene
  in an appropriate idiom (a sudden gust
  of wind, a lucky slip, a burst of light) and
  negate the damage.
  Penitent
  When you take damage and embrace the
  pain, you may take +1d4 damage (ignor-
  ing armor). If you do, take +1 forward to
  Cast a Spell.
  Empower
  When you Cast a Spell, on a 10+ you have
  the option of choosing from the 7-9 list.
  If you do, you may choose one of these
  effects as well:
  •
  The spell’s effects are doubled
  •
  The spell’s targets are doubled
  Orison for Guidance
  When you sacriﬁce something of value
  to your deity and pray for guidance your
  deitytellsyouwhatitwouldhaveyoudo.
  If you do it, mark experience.
  Divine Protection
  When you wear no armor or shield you
  get 2 armor.
  Devoted Healer
  When you heal someone else of damage,
  heal +your level damage.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Anointed
  Requires: Chosen One
  Choose one spell. You are granted that
  spell as if it was one level lower.
  Vicious
  Requires: Inquisitor
  When you do damage with a spell, you
  deal +1d4 damage.
  Reaper
  When you take time after a conﬂict to
  dedicate your victory to your deity and
  deal with the dead, take +1 forward.
  Providence
  Replaces: Serenity
  Youignorethe-1penaltyfromtwospells
  you maintain.
  Greater First Aid
  Requires: First Aid
  Cure Moderate Wounds does not count
  against your limit of granted spells.
  Divine Invincibility
  Replaces: Divine Intervention
  When you Commune you get 2 hold and
  lose any hold you already had. Spend
  that hold when you or an ally takes dam-
  age to call on your deity, they intervene
  in an appropriate idiom (a sudden gust
  of wind, a lucky slip, a burst of light) and
  negate the damage.
  Martyr
  Replaces: Penitent
  When you take damage and embrace the
  pain, you may take +1d4 damage (ignor-
  ing armor). If you do, take +1 forward
  to Cast a Spell and add your level to any
  damage done or healed by the spell.
  
  The Cleric
  Advanced Moves
  17
  Divine Armor
  Replaces: Divine Protection
  When you wear no armor or shield you
  get 3 armor.
  Greater Empower
  Replaces: Empower
  When you Cast a Spell, on a 10-11 you
  have the option of choosing from the 7-9
  list. If you do, you may choose one of
  these effects as well. On a 12+ you get to
  choose one of these effects for free.
  •
  The spell’s effects are doubled
  •
  The spell’s targets are doubled
  Multiclass Dabbler
  Get one move from another class. Treat
  your level as one lower for choosing the
  move.
  
  Rotes
  Cleric Spells
  18
  9
  Cleric Spells
  Rotes
  Light Rote
  An item you touch glows with divine
  light, about as bright as a torch. It gives
  off no heat or sound and requires no fuel
  but is otherwise like a mundane torch.
  You have complete control of the color
  of the ﬂame. The spell lasts as long as it
  is in your presence.
  Sanctify Rote
  Food or water you hold in your hands
  while you cast this spell is consecrated
  by your deity. In addition to now being
  holy or unholy the affected substance is
  puriﬁed of any mundane spoilage.
  Guidance Rote
  The symbol of your deity appears before
  you and gestures towards the direction
  orcourseofactionyourdeitywouldhave
  you take then disappears. The message
  is through gesture only; your communi-
  cation through this spell is severely lim-
  ited.
  1st Level Spells
  Bless Level 1 Ongoing
  You deity smiles on the target in com-
  bat. They take +1 ongoing so long as bat-
  tle continues and they stand and ﬁght.
  While this spell is ongoing you take -1 to
  Cast a Spell.
  Cure Light Wounds Level 1
  At your touch wounds scab and bones
  ceasetoache. Healanallyof1d8damage.
  Detect Alignment Level 1
  Whenyoucastthisspellchooseanalign-
  ment: Good, Evil, or Neutral.
  One of
  your senses is brieﬂy able to detect that
  alignment. The GM will tell you what
  here is of that alignment.
  Cause Fear Level 1 Ongoing
  Choose an intelligent target you can see
  and a nearby object. The target is afraid
  of the object so long as you maintain the
  spell. Their reaction is up to them: ﬂee,
  panic, beg, panic, ﬁght. While this spell
  is ongoing you take -1 to Cast a Spell.
  Magic Weapon Level 1 Ongoing
  The weapon you hold while casting does
  +1d4damageuntilyoudismissthisspell.
  Until you dismiss this spell you take -1 to
  Cast a Spell.
  Sanctuary Level 1
  You make an area holy to your deity.
  Walk the perimeter of the area.
  So
  long as you stay within that area you
  are alerted whenever someone acts with
  malice within the sanctuary (including
  entering with harmful intent). Anyone
  who receives healing within a Sanctuary
  heals +1d4 HP.
  Speak With Dead Level 1 Death
  A corpse converses with you brieﬂy. It
  willansweranythreequestionsyoupose
  to it to the best of the knowledge it had in
  lifeandtheknowledgeitgainedindeath.
  3rd Level Spells
  Animate Dead Level 3 Ongoing
  You invoke a hungry spirit to possess a
  recently-dead body and act for you. This
  forms a zombie that follows your orders
  to the best of its limited abilities. Treat
  the zombie as your character, but with
  access to only the basic moves. It has a
  +1 modiﬁer for all stats and 1 HP. While
  this spell is ongoing you take -1 to Cast a
  Spell. You get 1d4 of these effects:
  •
  The zombie is talented. Give one stat
  a +2 modiﬁer.
  •
  The zombie is durable. It has +2 HP
  for each level you have.
  •
  The zombie has a functioning brain
  and can complete complex tasks.
  •
  The zombie is restored by magic—it
  does not appear obviously dead, at
  least for a day or two.
  Cure Moderate Wounds Level 3
  You staunch bleeding and set bones
  through magic. Heal an ally of 2d8 dam-
  age.
  Darkness Level 3 Ongoing
  Choose an area you can see: it’s ﬁlled
  withsupernaturaldarknessandshadow.
  While this spell is ongoing you take -1 to
  Cast a Spell.
  Resurrection Level 3
  Tell the GM you would like to resurrect
  a corpse whose soul has not yet fully
  departed this world.
  The GM will tell
  you "yes, you can resurrect them, but
  ﬁrst. . ." or "yes, you can resurrect them
  now, butitwon’tbepermanentuntil. . ."
  andthenonetoallofthethingsfromthis
  list:
  •
  It’sgoingtotakedays/weeks/months
  •
  You must ____
  •
  You must get help from ____
  •
  It will require a lot of money
  •
  You must sacriﬁce ____ to do it
  Hold Person Level 3
  Choose a creature you can see. Until you
  Cast a Spell or leave their presence they
  cannot act except to speak.
  If they’re
  harmed this effect ends.
  5th Level Spells
  Revelation Level 5
  Your deity answers your prayers with a
  moment of perfect understanding. The
  GMwillexplaintherootcauseofthecur-
  rentsituation. Whenactingontheinfor-
  mation, you take +1 Forward.
  Cure Critical Wounds Level 5
  Heal an ally of 3d8 damage.
  Divination Level 5
  Name a person, place, or thing you want
  to learn about.
  Your deity grants you
  
  Cleric Spells
  7th Level Spells
  19
  visions of the target, as clear as if you
  were there.
  Contagion Level 5 Ongoing
  While this spell is ongoing a target you
  can see suffers from the disease of your
  choice and you take -1 to Cast a Spell.
  Words of the Unspeaking Level 5
  With a touch you speak to the spirits
  withinthings. Thenon-livingobjectyou
  touch responds to three questions you
  pose, answering them as best it can.
  True Seeing Level 5 Ongoing
  While this spell is ongoing your vision is
  opened to the true nature of everything
  you lay your eyes on and you take -1 to
  Cast a Spell. You pierce illusions and see
  things that have been hidden. The GM
  willdescribetheareabeforeyouignoring
  any illusions and falsehoods, magical or
  otherwise.
  Trap Soul Level 5
  When cast in the presence of a ghost or
  recently dead body this spell traps the
  soulinagemyouprovide. Whiletrapped
  thesoulanswerseveryquestionposedto
  it and can not resist your requests. Once
  releasedthesoulislikelytoholdagrudge
  against its captor.
  7th Level Spells
  Word of Recall Level 7
  Choose a word. The ﬁrst time after cast-
  ing this spell that you speak the chosen
  word, you and any allies touching you
  when you cast the spell are immediately
  returned to the exact spot you cast the
  spell at. Casting Word of Recall again
  before speaking the word replaces the
  earlier recall.
  Heal Level 7
  Touch an ally and you may restore up to
  your maximum HP to them.
  Harm Level 7
  Touch an enemy and strike them with
  divine wrath—deal 2d8 damage to them
  and 1d6 damage to yourself (ignores ar-
  mor).
  Sever Level 7 Ongoing
  Choose an appendage on the target such
  as an arm, tentacle, or wing.
  The ap-
  pendage is magically severed from their
  body, causing no damage but consider-
  able pain. Missing an appendage may,
  for example, keep a winged creature
  from ﬂying, or a bull from goring you
  on its horns.
  While you maintain the
  spell you take -1 to Cast a Spell.
  Mark of Death Level 7
  Choose a creature who’s true name you
  know. Thisspellinscribesrunesthatwill
  killthatcreature, shouldtheyreadthem.
  Control Weather Level 7
  Pray for rain—or sun, wind, or snow.
  Within a day or so, your god will an-
  swer. Theweatherwillchangeaccording
  to your will and last a handful of days.
  9th Level Spells
  Command Elements Level 9
  A mass of one element (earth, air, water,
  or ﬁre) that you touch as you cast this
  spell takes on a form similar to yours
  and carries out one command you give
  it. Once the command is completed or
  a day passes the element retakes its old
  form.
  Repair Level 9
  Choose one event in the target’s past. All
  effects of that event, including damage,
  poison, disease, and magical effects, are
  ended and repaired. HP and diseases are
  healed, poisons are neutralized, magical
  effects are ended.
  Divine Presence Level 9 Ongoing
  Everycreaturemustaskyourleavetoen-
  ter your presence, and you must speak
  permission for them to enter. Any crea-
  ture that you deny permission takes an
  extra 1d10 damage whenever they take
  damage in your presence.
  While this
  spellisongoingyoutake-1toCastaSpell.
  Consume Unlife Level 9
  The mindless undead creature you touch
  is destroyed and you steal its death en-
  ergy to heal yourself or the next ally you
  touch of damage equal to its current HP.
  Peace Level 9
  Chooseonetraumaticmemoryinthetar-
  get’s past. The target’s memory of that
  event is calmly erased. If the target is a
  PC, they must be willing.
  
  Names
  The Fighter
  20
  10
  The Fighter
  It’s a thankless job—living day to day by
  your armor and the skill of your arm. To
  dive heedlessly into danger. They won’t
  be playing golden horns for the time you
  took that knife to the ribs for them in the
  bar in Bucksberg. No ﬂock of angels to
  sing of the time you dragged them, still
  screaming, from the edge of the Pits of
  Madness, no.
  Forget them.
  You do this for the guts and the glory.
  The scream of battle and the hot hot
  blood of it.
  You are a beast of iron.
  Your friends may carry blades of forged
  steel but, Fighter, you are steel. While
  your traveling companions might moan
  about their wounds over a campﬁre in
  the wilderness, you bear your scars with
  pride.
  You are the wall—let every danger
  smash itself to nothing on you. In the
  end, you’ll be the last one standing.
  Names
  Dwarf : Ozruk, Surtur, Brunhilda, An-
  nika, Janos, Greta, Dim, Rundrig, Jarl,
  Xotoq
  Elf : Elohiir, Sharaseth, Hasrith, She-
  varal, Cadeus, Eldar, Kithracet, Thelian
  Halﬂing :
  Finnegan, Olive, Randolph,
  Bartleby, Aubrey, Baldwin, Becca
  Human : Hawke, Rudiger, Gregor, Bri-
  anne, Walton, Castor, Shanna, Ajax, Hob
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  Hard Eyes, Dead Eyes, or Eager Eyes
  Wild Hair, Shorn Hair, or Battered Helm
  Calloused Skin, Tanned Skin, or Scarred
  Skin
  Built Body, Lithe Body, or Ravaged Body
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 10+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d10.
  Starting Moves
  Choose a racial move:
  Dwarf
  When you share a drink with someone,
  you may Parley with them with Con in-
  stead of Cha.
  Elf
  Choose one weapon—you can always
  treat weapons of that type as if they had
  the Precise tag.
  Halﬂing
  When you Defy Danger and use your
  small size to your advantage, take +1.
  Human
  Onceperbattleyoumaychooseadamage
  roll (yours or someone else’s) and reroll
  it.
  You start with these moves:
  Bend Bars, Lift Gates (Str)
  When you use pure strength to destroy
  aninanimateobstacle, roll+Str. Ona10+
  choose 3. On a 7-9 choose 2.
  •
  It doesn’t take a very long time
  •
  Nothing of value is damaged
  •
  Itdoesn’tmakeaninordinateamount
  of noise
  •
  You can ﬁx the thing again without a
  lot of effort
  Armored
  You ignore the Clumsy tag on armor you
  wear.
  Signature Weapon
  Thisisyourweapon. Therearemanylike
  it, but this one is yours. Your weapon is
  your best friend.
  It is your life.
  You
  master it as you master your life. Your
  weapon, without you, is useless. With-
  out your weapon, you are useless. You
  must wield your weapon true.
  Choose a base description, all are 2
  weight:
  •
  Sword
  •
  Axe
  •
  Hammer
  •
  Spear
  •
  Flail
  •
  Fists
  Choose the range that best ﬁts your
  weapon:
  •
  Hand
  •
  Close
  •
  Reach
  Choose two enhancements:
  •
  Hooks and spikes. +1 damage, but +1
  weight.
  •
  Sharp. +2 piercing.
  •
  Perfectly weighted. +precise.
  •
  Serrated edges. +1 damage.
  •
  Glows in the presence of one type of
  creature, your choice.
  •
  Huge. +messy, +forceful.
  •
  Versatile. Choose another range.
  •
  Well-crafted. -1 weight.
  Choose a look:
  
  The Fighter
  Alignment
  21
  •
  Ancient
  •
  Unblemished
  •
  Ornate
  •
  Blood-stained
  •
  Sinister
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Good
  Defend those weaker than you
  Neutral
  Defeat a worthy opponent
  Evil
  Kill a defenseless or surrendered enemy
  Gear
  Your Load is 9+Str. You carry your sig-
  nature weapon and dungeon rations (1
  weight, 5 uses). Choose your defenses:
  •
  Chainmail(1armor,1weight)andAd-
  venturing gear (1 weight)
  •
  Scale armor (2 armor, 3 weight)
  Choose two:
  •
  2 Healing potions (2 weight)
  •
  shield (+1 armor, 2 weight)
  •
  Antitoxin,dungeonrations(1weight),
  and poultices and herbs (1 weight)
  •
  22 Gold
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  owes me their life, whether they admit
  it or not.
  I have sworn to protect
  .
  I worry about the ability of
  to survive in the dungeon.
  is soft, but I will make them hard like
  me.
  Advanced Moves
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves.
  Merciless
  When you deal damage, deal +1d4 dam-
  age.
  Heirloom
  When you consult the spirits of that
  reside within your signature weapon,
  roll+Cha.
  The spirits will give you an
  insight relating to the current situation,
  and might ask you some questions in re-
  turn. Ona10+,theGMwillgiveyougood
  detail. On a 7-9, the GM will give you an
  impression.
  Armor Mastery
  When you take damage you can choose
  to let your armor take the brunt of it.
  Thedamageisnegatedbutyourarmoror
  shield (your choice) is -1 armor until you
  get it repaired at a smithy or workshop.
  Improved Weapon
  Choose one extra enhancement for your
  signature weapon.
  Seeing Red
  WhenyouDiscernRealitiesduringcom-
  bat, you take +1.
  Interrogator
  When you Parley using threats of im-
  pending violence as leverage you may
  use Str instead of Cha.
  Scent of Blood
  WhenyouHackandSlashanenemy,you
  take +1d4 damage forward against that
  enemy.
  Multiclass Dabbler
  Get one move from another class. For
  the purposes of Multiclass Dabbler the
  Wizard’s Spellbook, Prepare Spells, and
  Cast a Spell moves count as one move.
  The Cleric’s Commune and Cast a Spell
  moves also count as one move. If you
  gain the ability to cast spells you cast
  them as if you were one level lower.
  Iron Hide
  You gain +1 armor.
  Blacksmith
  When you have access to a forge you can
  graft the magical powers of a weapon
  onto your signature weapon.
  This
  process destroys the magical weapon.
  Your signature weapon gains the mag-
  ical powers of the destroyed weapon.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Bloodthirsty
  Replaces: Merciless
  When you deal damage, deal +1d8 dam-
  age.
  Armored Perfection
  Replaces: Armor Mastery
  When you take damage you can choose
  toletyourarmortakethebruntofit. The
  damage is negated and you take +1 for-
  wardagainsttheattackerbutyourarmor
  or shield (your choice) is -1 armor until
  you get it repaired at a smithy or work-
  shop.
  Evil Eye
  Requires: Seeing Red
  When you go into a dangerous situation,
  roll+Cha. On a 10+, hold 2. On a 7-9,
  hold1. Spendyourholdtomakeeyecon-
  tact with an NPC present, who freezes or
  ﬂinches and can’t act until you break it
  off. On a miss, your enemies immedi-
  ately identify you as their biggest threat.
  Taste of Blood
  Replaces: Scent of Blood
  WhenyouHackandSlashanenemy,you
  take +1d8 damage forward against that
  enemy.
  Multiclass Initiate
  Required: Multiclass Dabbler
  Get one move from another class. Treat
  your level as one lower for choosing the
  move.
  Steel Hide
  Replaces: Iron Hide
  You gain +2 armor.
  Through Death’s Eyes
  When you go into battle, roll+Wis. On
  a 10+, name someone who will live and
  someone who will die. On a 7-9, name
  someone who will live or someone who
  will die. Name NPCs, not player char-
  acters. The GM will make your vision
  come true, if it’s even remotely possible.
  On a 6- you see your own death and con-
  sequentlytakea-1throughoutthebattle.
  
  Advanced Moves
  The Fighter
  22
  Eye for Weaponry
  Whenyoulookoveranenemy’sweaponry,
  ask the GM how much damage they do.
  Superior Warrior
  When you Hack and Slash on a 12+ you
  dealyourdamage,avoidtheirattack,and
  impress, dismay, or frighten your en-
  emy.
  
  The Paladin
  Names
  23
  11
  The Paladin
  Hell awaits. An eternity of torment in
  ﬁre or ice or whatever best suits the
  sins of the damned throngs of Dungeon
  World. All that stands between the pits
  of that grim torture and salvation is you.
  Holy man, armored war machine, tem-
  plar of the Good and the Light, right?
  TheClericmaysayhisprayersatnightto
  the gods, dwelling in their heavens. The
  Fighter may wield his sharp sword in the
  name of “good” but you know. Only you.
  Eyes, hands, and sweet killing blow of
  the gods, you are. Yours is the gift of
  righteousness and virtue. Of justice. Vi-
  sion, too. A purity of intent that your
  companions do not have. So guide these
  fools, Paladin. Take up your holy cause
  and bring salvation to the wastrel world.
  Vae victis, right?
  Names
  Thaddeus,
  Augustine,
  Lux,
  Cassius,
  Hadrian, Lucia, Octavia, Regulus, Vale-
  ria, Sanguinus, Titanius
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  Kind Eyes, Fiery Eyes, or Glowing Eyes
  Helmet, Styled Hair, or Bald
  Worn Holy Symbol or Fancy Holy Sym-
  bol
  Fit Body, Bulky Body, or Thin Body
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 10+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d10.
  Starting Moves
  You are human, so you get this move.
  Human
  When you pray, even for a moment, to
  your deity and ask "What here is evil?"
  the GM will tell you, honestly.
  You start with these moves:
  Lay on Hands (Cha)
  When you touch someone, skin to skin,
  and pray for your deity to cure them,
  roll+Cha. On a 10+ you heal 1d8 damage
  or remove one disease. On a 7-9, they
  are healed, but the damage or disease is
  transferred to you.
  Armored
  You ignore the Clumsy tag on armor you
  wear.
  I Am the Law
  When you give an NPC an order based
  on your divine authority, roll+Cha. On a
  hit, they choose one:
  •
  They do it
  •
  They back away cautiously, then ﬂee
  •
  They attack you
  Ona10+,youalsotake+1forwardagainst
  them. On a miss, they do as they please
  and you take -1 Forward against them.
  Quest
  When you dedicate yourself to a mission
  throughprayerandritualcleansingstate
  what you set out to do:
  •
  Slay
  , a great blight on the land
  •
  Defend
  from the inequities that beset them
  •
  Discover the truth of
  Then choose up to two boons:
  •
  An unwavering sense of direction to
  .
  •
  Invulnerability to
  (ex: edged weapons, ﬁre,
  enchantment, etc.)
  •
  A mark of divine authority
  •
  Senses that pierce lies
  •
  A voice that transcends language
  •
  A freedom from hunger, thirst, and
  sleep
  The GM will then tell you what vow or
  vows is required of you to maintain your
  blessing:
  •
  Honor (forbidden: cowardly tactics
  and tricks)
  •
  Temperance (forbidden: gluttony in
  food, drink, and pleasure of the ﬂesh)
  •
  Piety (required: observance of daily
  holy services)
  •
  Valor (forbidden: suffering an evil
  creature to live)
  •
  Truth (forbidden: lies)
  •
  Hospitality (required:
  comfort to
  those in need, no matter who they
  are)
  
  Alignment
  The Paladin
  24
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Lawful
  Deny mercy to a criminal or unbeliever
  Good
  Endanger yourself to protect someone
  weaker than you
  Gear
  Your Load is 8+Str. You start with dun-
  geon rations (1 weight, 5 uses), scale ar-
  mor (2 armor, 3 weight), and some mark
  of faith, describe it (0 Weight). Choose
  your weapon:
  •
  Halberd (Reach, +1 damage, two-
  handed, 2 weight)
  •
  Long sword (Close, +1 damage, 1
  weight) and shield (+1 armor,
  2
  weight)
  Choose one:
  •
  Adventuring gear (1 weight)
  •
  dungeon rations (1 weight) and heal-
  ing potion
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  ’s misguided behavior endangers their
  very soul!
  has stood by me in battle and can be
  trusted completely.
  I respect the beliefs of
  but hope they will someday see the true
  way.
  is a brave soul, I have much to learn
  from them.
  Advanced Moves
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves.
  Divine Favor
  You gain the Commune and Cast a Spell
  Cleric move.
  Your level for the pur-
  poses of that move is 1 + the levels you’ve
  gained since you took Divine Favor.
  Bloody Aegis
  When you take damage you can use your
  body to deﬂect the blow. If you do you
  take no damage but instead suffer a de-
  bility of your choice. If you already have
  all six debilities you can’t use this move.
  Smite
  While on a Quest you deal +1d4 damage.
  Exterminatus
  When you speak aloud your promise to
  defeat an enemy, you deal +2d4 dam-
  age against that enemy and -4 damage
  against anyone else. This effect lasts un-
  til the enemy is defeated or you admit
  your failure and prove your worth.
  Charge!
  When you lead the charge into combat,
  those you lead take +1 forward.
  Staunch Defender
  WhenyouDefendyoualwaysget+1hold.
  Even on a failure you get 1 hold.
  Setup Strike
  When you Hack and Slash, choose an
  ally. Their next attack against your tar-
  get does +1d4 damage.
  Holy Protection
  You get +1 armor while on a Quest.
  Voice of Authority
  Take +1 to Order Hirelings.
  Hospitaller
  When you heal an ally, you heal +1d8
  damage.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Evidence of Faith
  Requires: Divine Favor
  Whenyouseedivinemagicasithappens,
  you can ask the GM which deity granted
  the spell and its effects. Take +1 when
  acting on the answers.
  Holy Smite
  Replaces: Smite
  While on a Quest you deal +1d8 damage.
  Ever Onward
  Replaces: Charge!
  When you lead the charge into combat,
  those you lead take +1 forward and +2
  armor forward.
  Impervious Defender
  Replaces: Staunch Defender
  WhenyouDefendyoualwaysget+1hold.
  Even on a failure you get 1 hold. When
  you get a 12+ to Defend instead of get-
  ting hold the nearest attacking creature
  is stymied giving you a clear advantage,
  the GM will describe it.
  Tandem Strike
  Replaces: Setup Strike
  When you Hack and Slash, choose an
  ally. Their next attack against your tar-
  get does +1d4 damage and they take +1
  forward against them.
  Divine Protection
  Replaces: Holy Protection
  You get +2 armor while on a Quest.
  Divine Authority
  Replaces: Voice of Authority
  Take +1 to Order Hirelings. When you
  roll a 12+ to Order Hirelings the hireling
  transcends their moment of fear and
  doubt to perform at the peak of poten-
  tial.
  Perfect Hospitaller
  Replaces: Hospitaller
  When you heal an ally, you heal +2d8
  damage.
  Indomitable
  Whenyousufferadebility(eventhrough
  Bloody Aegis) take +1 forward against
  whatever caused it.
  Perfect Knight
  When you Quest you choose three boons
  instead of two.
  
  The Ranger
  Names
  25
  12
  The Ranger
  These city-born folk you travel with.
  Havetheyheardthecallofthewolf? Felt
  thewindshowlinthebleakdesertsofthe
  East? Have they hunted their prey with
  the bow and the knife like you? Hell no.
  That’s why they need you.
  Guide. Hunter. Creature of the wilds.
  Youarethesethingsandmore. Yourtime
  inthewildernessmayhavebeen solitary
  until now, the call of some greater thing
  – call it fate if you like, has cast your
  lot with these folk. Brave, they may be.
  Powerful and strong, too. You know the
  secrets of the spaces-between, though.
  Without you, they’d be lost. Blaze a trail
  through the blood and dark, strider.
  Names
  Elf : Throndir, Elrosine, Aranwe, Celion,
  Dambrath, Lanethe
  Human : Jonah, Halek, Brandon, Emory,
  Shrike, Nora, Diana
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  Wild Eyes, Sharp Eyes, or Animal Eyes
  Hooded Head, Wild Hair, or Bald
  Cape, Camouﬂage, or Traveling Clothes
  Lithe Body, Wild Body, or Sharp Body
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 8+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d8.
  Starting Moves
  Choose a racial move:
  Elf
  When you undertake a Perilous Journey
  through wilderness whatever role you
  take you succeed as if you rolled a 10+.
  Human
  When you Make Camp in a dungeon or
  city, you don’t need to consume a ration.
  You start with these moves:
  Hunt and Track (Wis)
  When you follow a trail of clues left be-
  hind by passing creatures, roll+Wis. On
  a hit, you follow the creature’s trail until
  there’s a signiﬁcant change in its direc-
  tion or mode of travel. On a 10+, you also
  choose 1:
  •
  Gainausefulbitofinformationabout
  your quarry, the GM will tell you
  what
  •
  Determine what caused the trail to
  end
  Called Shot
  When you attack a defenseless or sur-
  prised enemy at range, you can choose
  to deal your damage or name your target
  and roll+Dex.
  •
  Head – 10+: As 7–9, plus your dam-
  age; 7-9: They do nothing but stand
  and drool for a few moments.
  •
  Arms – 10+: As 7-9, plus your dam-
  age; 7-9: They drop anything they’re
  holding.
  •
  Legs – 10+: As 7-9, plus your dam-
  age; 7-9: They’re hobbled and slow
  moving.
  Animal Companion
  Youhaveasupernaturalconnectionwith
  a loyal animal. You can’t talk to it per se
  but it always acts as you wish it to. Name
  your animal companion and choose a
  species:
  Wolf, cougar, bear, eagle, dog, hawk, cat,
  owl, pigeon, rat, mule
  Choose a base:
  •
  Ferocity +2, Cunning +1, 1 Armor, In-
  stinct +1
  •
  Ferocity +2, Cunning +2, 0 Armor,
  Instinct +1
  •
  Ferocity +1, Cunning +2, 1 Armor, In-
  stinct +1
  •
  Ferocity +3, Cunning +1, 1 Armor, In-
  stinct +2
  Choose as many strengths as its ferocity:
  Fast, burly, huge, calm, adaptable, quick re-
  ﬂexes,tireless,camouﬂage,ferocious,intim-
  idating, keen senses, stealthy
  Your animal companion is trained to
  ﬁght humanoids. Choose as many ad-
  ditional trainings as its cunning:
  Hunt, search, scout, guard, ﬁght monsters,
  perform, labor, travel
  Choose as many weaknesses as its in-
  stinct:
  Flighty, savage, slow, broken, frightening,
  forgetful, stubborn, lame
  Command
  When you work with your animal com-
  panion on something it’s trained in. . .
  •
  . . .and you attack the same target,
  add its ferocity to your damage
  
  Alignment
  The Ranger
  26
  •
  . . .and you track, add its cunning to
  your roll
  •
  . . .and you take damage, add its ar-
  mor to your armor
  •
  . . .and you discern realities, add its
  cunning to your roll
  •
  . . .and you parley, add its cunning to
  your roll
  •
  . . .and someone interferes with you,
  add its instinct to your roll
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Chaotic
  Free someone from literal or ﬁgurative
  bonds
  Good
  Endanger yourself to combat an unnat-
  ural threat
  Neutral
  Help an animal or spirit of the wild
  Gear
  Your Load is 6+Str. You start with dun-
  geon rations (1 weight, 5 uses), leather
  armor (1 armor, 1 weight), and a bundle
  or arrows (3 ammo, 2 weight). Choose
  your armament:
  •
  Hunter’s bow (Near, Far, 1 weight)
  and short sword (Close, 1 weight)
  •
  Hunter’s bow (Near, Far, 1 weight)
  and spear (Reach, 1 weight)
  Choose one:
  •
  Adventuringgear(1weight)anddun-
  geon rations (1 weight)
  •
  adventuring gear (1 weight) and bun-
  dle of arrows (3 ammo, 2 weight)
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  I have guided
  before and they owe me for it.
  is a friend of nature, so I will be their
  friend as well.
  has no respect for nature, so I have no
  respect for them.
  does not understand life in the wild, so I
  will teach them.
  Advanced Moves
  Take this move only if it is your first
  advancement
  Half-Elven
  Somewhere in your lineage lies mixed
  blood and it begins to show its presence.
  YougaintheElfstartingmoveifyoutook
  the Human one at character creation or
  vice versa.
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves.
  Wild Empathy
  You can speak with and understand ani-
  mals.
  Familiar Prey
  When you Spout Lore about a monster
  you use Wis instead of Int.
  Viper’s Strike
  Whenstrikeanenemywithtwoweapons
  atonce,addanextra1d4damageforyour
  off-hand strike.
  Camouﬂage
  When you’re still in natural surround-
  ings, enemies never spot you until you
  make a movement.
  Man’s Best Friend’
  When you take damage and you allow
  your animal companion to take the blow
  the damage is negated and your animal
  companion’s Ferocity becomes 0. If its
  Ferocity was already 0 you can’t use this
  ability. When you have a few hours of
  rest with your animal companion its Fe-
  rocity returns to normal.
  Blot out the Sun
  When you Volley you may spend extra
  ammo before rolling, for each point of
  ammo spent you may choose an extra
  target. Roll once and apply damage to all
  targets.
  Well Trained
  Choose another training for your animal
  companion.
  God Amidst the Wastes
  You gain the Commune and Cast a Spell
  Cleric move.
  Your level for the pur-
  poses of that move is 1 + the levels you’ve
  gained since you took God Amidst the
  Wastes.
  Follow Me
  When you Undertake a Perilous Journey
  you can take two roles. You make a roll
  for each.
  A Safe Place
  When you set the watch for the night
  everyone takes +1 to Take Watch.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Wild Speech
  Replaces: Wild Empathy
  You can speak with and understand any
  non-magical non-planar creature.
  Hunter’s Prey
  Replaces: Familiar Prey
  When you Spout Lore about a monster
  you use Wis instead of Int. On a 12+ you
  gettoasktheGManyonequestionabout
  the subject.
  Viper’s Fangs
  Replaces: Viper’s Strike
  Whenstrikeanenemywithtwoweapons
  atonce, addanextra1d8damageforyour
  off-hand strike.
  Smaug’s Belly
  When you know your target’s weakest
  point your arrows have 2 piercing.
  Strider
  Replaces: Follow Me
  When you Undertake a Perilous journey
  you can take two roles. Roll twice and
  use the better result for both roles.
  A Safer Place
  Replaces: A Safe Place
  When you set the watch for the night
  everyone takes +1 to Take Watch. After
  a night in camp when you set the watch
  everyone takes +1 forward.
  
  The Ranger
  Advanced Moves
  27
  Observant
  When you Hunt and Track, on a hit you
  mayalsoaskonequestionaboutthecrea-
  ture you are tracking from the Discern
  Realities list for free.
  Special Trick
  Choose a move from another class. So
  longasyouareworkingwithyouranimal
  companionyouhaveaccesstothatmove.
  Unnatural Ally
  Youranimalcompanionisamonster,not
  an animal. Describe it. Give it +2 Feroc-
  ity and +1 Instinct, plus a new training.
  
  Names
  The Thief
  28
  13
  The Thief
  You’ve heard them, sitting around the
  campﬁre. Bragging about this battle or
  that. About how their gods are smiling
  on your merry band.
  You count your
  coins and smile to yourself—this is the
  thrill above all. You alone know the se-
  cret of Dungeon World—ﬁlthy ﬁlthy lu-
  cre.
  Sure, they give you shit for all the times
  you’ve snuck off alone but without you,
  who among them wouldn’t have been
  dissected by a ﬂying guillotine or poi-
  soned straight to death by some ancient
  needle-trap?
  So, let them complain.
  When you’re done all this delving you’ll
  toast their hero’s graves.
  Fromyourcastle. Fullofgold. Yourogue.
  Names
  Halﬂing : Felix, Rook, Mouse, Sketch,
  Trixie, Robin, Omar, Brynn, Bug
  Human : Sparrow, Shank, Jack, Marlow,
  Dodge, Rat, Pox, Humble, Farley
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  Shifty Eyes or Criminal Eyes
  Hooded Head, Messy Hair, or Cropped
  Hair
  Dark Clothes, Fancy Clothes, or Com-
  mon Clothes
  Lithe Body, Knobby Body, or Flabby
  Body
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 6+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d8.
  Starting Moves
  Choose a racial move:
  Halﬂing
  When you attack with a ranged weapon,
  deal +1 damage.
  Human
  You are a professional. When you Spout
  Lore or Discern Realities about criminal
  activities, take +1.
  You start with these moves:
  Trap Expert
  When you spend a moment to survey a
  dangerousarea, roll+Dex. Ona10+, hold
  3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your hold as
  you walk through the area to ask these
  questions:
  •
  Is there a trap here and if so, what
  activates it?
  •
  What does the trap do when acti-
  vated?
  •
  What else is hidden here?
  Tricks of the Trade
  When you pick locks or pockets or dis-
  able traps, roll+Dex. On a 10+, you do it,
  no problem. On a 7-9, the GM will of-
  fer you two options between suspicion,
  danger, or cost.
  Backstab
  When you attack a surprised or defense-
  lessenemywithameleeweapon,youcan
  choose to deal your damage or roll+Dex.
  If you roll, on a 10+ choose two, on a 7-9
  choose one.
  •
  You don’t get into melee with them
  •
  You deal your damage+1d6
  •
  You create an advantage, +1 forward
  to you or an ally acting on it
  •
  Reduce their armor by 1 until they
  repair it
  Flexible Morals
  Whensomeonetriestodetectyouralign-
  ment you can tell them any alignment
  you like.
  Poisoner
  You’vemasteredthecareanduseofapoi-
  son. Chooseapoisonfromthelistbelow;
  that poison is no longer Dangerous for
  you to use. You also start with three uses
  of the poison you choose. Whenever you
  have time to gather materials and a safe
  place to brew you can make three uses
  of the poison you choose for free. Note
  that some poisons are Applied, mean-
  ing you have to carefully apply it to the
  target or something they eat or drink.
  Touch poisons just need to touch the tar-
  get, they can even be used on the blade
  of a weapon.
  •
  Oil of Tagit (Applied): The target falls
  into a light sleep
  •
  Bloodweed (Touch): The target deals
  -1d4 damage ongoing until cured
  •
  Goldenroot (Applied):
  The target
  treats the next creature they see as
  a trusted ally, until proved otherwise
  •
  Serpent’s Tears (Touch):
  Anyone
  dealing damage against the target
  rollstwiceandtakesthebetterresult.
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Chaotic
  Leap into danger without a plan
  Neutral
  
  The Thief
  Gear
  29
  Avoid detection or inﬁltrate a location
  Evil
  Shift danger or blame from yourself to
  someone else
  Gear
  Your Load is 5+Str.
  You start with
  one dungeon rations (1 weight, 5 uses),
  leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight), 3
  uses of your chosen poison, and 10 coin.
  Chose your arms:
  •
  Dagger (Hand, 1 weight) and short
  sword (Close, 1 weight)
  •
  Rapier (close, precise, 1 weight)
  Choose a ranged weapon:
  •
  3 throwing daggers (Thrown, Near, 0
  weight)
  •
  Ragged Bow (Near, 2 weight) and
  bundle of arrows (5 ammo, 1 weight)
  Choose one:
  •
  Adventuring gear (1 weight)
  •
  Healing potion
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  Istolesomethingfrom_______________.
  _______________ has my back when
  things go wrong.
  _______________ knows incriminat-
  ing details about me.
  _______________andIhaveaconrun-
  ning.
  Advanced Moves
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves.
  Cheap Shot
  When using a Precise or Hand weapon,
  your Backstab deals an extra +1d6 dam-
  age.
  Cautious
  When you use Trap Expert you always
  get +1 hold (even on a failure you get 1
  hold).
  Wealth and Taste
  When you make a show of ﬂashing
  around your most valuable possession,
  choose someone present. They will do
  anything they can to obtain your item or
  one like it.
  Shoot First
  You’re never caught by surprise. When
  anenemywouldgetthedroponyou, you
  get to act ﬁrst instead.
  Poison Master
  After you’ve used a poison once it’s no
  longer Dangerous for you to use.
  Envenom
  You can apply even complex poisons
  with a pinprick. When you apply a poi-
  son that’s not Dangerous for you to use
  to your weapon it’s Touch instead of Ap-
  plied.
  Brewer
  When you have you have time to gather
  materials and a safe place to brew you
  can create three doses of any one poison
  you’ve used before.
  Underdog
  When you’re outnumbered, you have +1
  armor.
  Connections
  When you put out word to the criminal
  underbellyaboutsomethingyouwantor
  need, roll+Cha. On a 10+ someone has
  it, just for you.
  On a 7–9 you’ll have
  to settle for something close or it comes
  with strings attached, your call.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Dirty Fighter
  Replaces: Cheap Shot
  When using a Precise weapon, your
  Backstab deals an extra +1d10 damage
  and all other attacks deal +1d6 damage.
  Extremely Cautious
  Replaces: Cautious
  When you use Trap Expert you always
  get +1 hold (even on a failure you get 1
  hold). On a 12+ you get 3 hold and the
  next time you discover a trap the GM
  will immediately tell you what it does,
  what triggers it, who set it, and how you
  can use it to your advantage.
  Alchemist
  Replaces: Brewer
  When you have you have time to gather
  materialsandasafeplacetobrewyoucan
  create three doses of any poison you’ve
  used before.
  Alternately you can de-
  scribe the effects of a poison you’d like
  to create. The GM will tell you can create
  it, but with one or more caveats:
  •
  It will only work under speciﬁc cir-
  cumstances
  •
  The best you can manage is a weaker
  version
  •
  It’ll take a while to take effect
  •
  It’ll have obvious side effects
  Serious Underdog
  Replaces: Underdog
  You have +1 armor. When you’re out-
  numbered, you have +2 armor instead.
  Evasion
  When you Defy Danger on a 12+ you
  transcend the danger. You not only do
  what you set out to but you the GM will
  offer you a better outcome, true beauty,
  or a moment of grace.
  Strong Arm, True Aim
  You can throw any melee weapon, using
  it to Volley.
  A thrown melee weapon
  is gone, you can never choose to reduce
  ammo on a 7-9.
  Escape Route
  When you’re in too deep and need a
  way out, name your escape route and
  roll+Dex.
  On a 10+ you’re gone.
  On
  a 7-9 you can stay or go, but if you go
  it costs you: leave something behind or
  take something with you, the GM will
  tell you what.
  Disguise
  When you have time and materials you
  can create a disguise that will fool any-
  one into thinking you’re another crea-
  ture of about the same size and shape.
  Your actions can give you away but your
  appearance won’t.
  Heist
  When you take time to make a plan to
  steal something, name the thing you
  want to steal and ask the GM these ques-
  tions. When acting on the answers you
  and your allies take +1 forward.
  •
  Who will notice it’s missing?
  •
  What’s its most powerful defense?
  •
  Who will come after it?
  •
  Who else wants it?
  
  Names
  The Wizard
  30
  14
  The Wizard
  Dungeon World has rules. Not the laws
  of men or the rule of some petty tyrant.
  Bigger, better rules.
  You drop some-
  thing—it falls.
  You can’t make some-
  thingoutofnothing. Thedeadstaydead,
  right?
  Oh, the things we tell ourselves to feel
  better about the long, dark nights.
  You’ve spent so very long poring over
  those tomes of yours. The experiments
  that nearly drove you mad and all the
  botched summonings that endangered
  your very soul. For what? For power.
  What else is there? Not just the power
  of King or Country but the power to boil
  a man’s blood in his veins. To call on the
  thunder of the sky and the churn of the
  roiling earth. To shrug off the rules the
  world holds so dear.
  Let them cast their sidelong glances. Let
  them call you “warlock” or “diabolist.”
  Whoamongthemcanhurlﬁreballsfrom
  their eyes?
  Yeah. We didn’t think so.
  Names
  Elf : Galadiir, Fenfaril, Lilliastre, Phiros-
  alle, Enkirash, Halwyr
  Human : Avon, Morgan, Rath, Ysolde,
  Ovid, Vitus, Aldara, Xeno, Uri
  Look
  Choose one for each:
  HauntedEyes, SharpEyes, orCrazyEyes
  Styled Hair, Wild Hair, or Pointed Hat
  Worn Robes, Stylish Robes, or Strange
  Robes
  Pudgy Body, Creepy Body, or Thin Body
  Stats
  Assign these scores to your stats:
  17 (+2), 15 (+1), 13 (+1), 11 (+0), 9 (+0), 8 (-1)
  You start with 4+Constitution HP.
  Your base damage is d4.
  Starting Moves
  Choose a racial move:
  Elf
  Magic is as natural as breath to you. De-
  tect Magic is a rote for you.
  Human
  Choose one cleric spell, you can cast it as
  if it was a wizard spell.
  You start with these moves:
  Spellbook
  You have mastered several spells and in-
  scribed them in your spellbook.
  You
  start out with three ﬁrst level spells in
  your spellbook as well as the cantrips.
  Whenever you gain a level, you add a
  new spell of your level or lower to your
  spellbook. You spellbook is 1 weight.
  Prepare Spells
  When you spend uninterrupted time (an
  hour or so) in quiet contemplation of
  your spellbook, you lose any spells you
  already have prepared and prepare new
  spells of your choice from your spell-
  bookwhosetotallevelsdon’texceedyour
  own+1. You also prepare your cantrips;
  they don’t count against your limit.
  Cast a Spell (Int)
  When you release a spell you’ve pre-
  pared, roll+Int.
  On a 10+, the spell is
  successfully cast and you do not forget
  the spell—you may cast it again later.
  On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but choose one:
  •
  You draw unwelcome attention or
  put yourself in a spot (the GM will
  describe it)
  •
  The spell disturbs the fabric ofreality
  as it is cast—take -1 ongoing to Cast a
  Spell until you Prepare Spells again.
  •
  After it is cast, the spell is forgotten.
  You cannot cast the spell again until
  you Prepare Spells.
  Spell Defense
  When you craft an ongoing spell into a
  makeshift shield of arcane energy to de-
  ﬂect an attack, the spell is ended and you
  subtract the spell’s level from the dam-
  age done to you.
  Ritual
  When you draw on a place of power to
  create a magical effect, tell the GM what
  you’retryingtoachieve. TheGMwilltell
  you "yes, you can do that, but..." and then
  1 to 4 of the following:
  •
  It’sgoingtotakedays/weeks/months
  •
  First you must ____
  •
  You’ll need help from ____
  •
  It will require a lot of money
  •
  Thebestyoucandoisalesserversion,
  unreliable and limited
  •
  You and your allies will risk danger
  from ____
  •
  You’ll have to disenchant ____ to do
  it
  Alignment
  Choose an alignment:
  Good
  Use magic to directly aid another
  Neutral
  
  The Wizard
  Gear
  31
  Discover something about a magical
  mystery
  Evil
  Use magic to cause terror and fear
  Gear
  Your Load is 5+Str. You start with your
  spellbook(1weight)anddungeonrations
  (1 weight, 5 uses). Choose your defenses:
  •
  Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight)
  •
  Bag of books (5 uses, 2 weight) and 3
  healing potions
  Choose your weapon:
  •
  Dagger (Hand, 1 weight)
  •
  staff (Close, two-handed, 1 weight)
  Choose one:
  •
  healing potion
  •
  three antitoxin
  Bonds
  Fill in the name of one of your compan-
  ions in at least one:
  will play an important role in the events
  to come. I have foreseen it!
  is keeping an important secret from me.
  is woefully misinformed about the
  world; I will teach them all that I can.
  Advanced Moves
  When you gain a level from 2-5,
  choose from these moves. You also
  add a new spell to your spellbook at
  each level.
  Prodigy
  Choose a spell. You prepare that spell as
  if it were one level lower.
  Empowered Magic
  When you Cast a Spell, on a 10+ you have
  the option of choosing from the 7-9 list.
  If you do, you may choose one of these as
  well:
  •
  The spell’s effects are maximized
  •
  The spell’s targets are doubled
  Fount of Knowledge
  When you Spout Lore about something
  no one else has any clue about, take +1.
  Know-It-All
  When another player’s character comes
  to you for advice and you tell them what
  you think is best, they get +1 forward
  when following your advice and you
  mark experience if they do.
  Expanded Spellbook
  Add a new spell from any class to your
  spellbook.
  Enchanter
  When you have time and safety with a
  magic item you may ask the GM what it
  does, the GM will answer you.
  Logical
  When you use strict deduction to ana-
  lyze your surroundings, you can Discern
  Realities with Int instead of Wis.
  Arcane Ward
  As long as you have at least one prepared
  spell, you have +2 armor.
  Counterspell
  When you are affected by arcane magic
  you may attempt to counter the spell.
  Stake one of your prepared spells of
  equal or higher level on the defense and
  roll+Int. On a 10+, the spell is countered
  and has no effect on you. On a 7-9, the
  spelliscounteredandyouforgetthespell
  you staked. If the spell has other targets
  they are effected as usual.
  Quick Study
  When you see the effects of an arcane
  spell, ask the GM the name of the spell
  and its effects. You take +1 when acting
  on the answers.
  When you gain a level from 6-10,
  choose from these moves or the level
  2-5 moves.
  Master
  Requires: Prodigy
  Choose a spell. You prepare that spell as
  if it were one level lower.
  Greater Empowered Magic
  Replaces: Empowered Magic
  When you Cast a Spell, on a 10-11 you
  have the option of choosing from the 7-9
  list. If you do, you may choose one of
  these effects as well. On a 12+ you get to
  choose one of these effects for free.
  •
  The spell’s effects are doubled
  •
  The spell’s targets are doubled
  Enchanter’s Soul
  Requires: Enchanter
  When you have time and safety with a
  magic item in a place of power you can
  empower that item so that the next time
  you use it its effects are ampliﬁed, the
  GM will tell you exactly how.
  Highly Logical
  Replaces: Logical
  Whenyouusestrictdeductiontoanalyze
  your surroundings, you can Discern Re-
  alities with Int instead of Wis. On a 12+
  you get to ask the GM any three ques-
  tions, not limited by the list.
  Arcane Armor
  Replaces: Arcane Ward
  As long as you have at least one prepared
  spell, you have +4 armor.
  Protective Counter
  Requires: Counterspell
  When an ally within sight of you is af-
  fectedbyanarcanespell,youcancounter
  it as if it effected you. If the spell affects
  multiplealliesyoumustcounterforeach
  ally separately.
  Ethereal Tether
  When you have time with a willing or
  helpless subject you can craft an ethe-
  real tether with them.
  You perceive
  what they perceive and can Discern Re-
  alities about someone tethered to you or
  their surroundings no matter the dis-
  tance.
  Someone willingly tethered to
  you can communicate with you over the
  tether as if you were in the room with
  them.
  
  Advanced Moves
  The Wizard
  32
  Mystical Puppet Strings
  Whenyouusemagictocontrolaperson’s
  actions they have no memory of what
  you had them do and bear you no ill will.
  Spell Augmentation
  When you deal damage to a creature
  you can shunt a spell’s energy into
  them—end one of your ongoing spells
  and add the spell’s level to the damage
  dealt.
  Self-Powered
  When you have time, arcane materials,
  andasafespace, youcancreateyourown
  place of power. Describe to the GM what
  kind of power it is and how you’re bind-
  ing it to this place, the GM will tell you
  one kind of creature that will have an in-
  terest in your workings.
  
  Wizard Spells
  Cantrips
  33
  15
  Wizard
  Spells
  Cantrips
  Light Cantrip
  An item you touch glows with arcane
  light, about as bright as a torch. It gives
  off no heat or sound and requires no fuel,
  but it is otherwise like a mundane torch.
  Youhavecompletecontrolofthecolorof
  the ﬂame. The spell lasts as long as it is
  in your presence.
  Unseen Servant Cantrip
  You conjure a simple invisible construct
  that can do nothing but carry items. It
  hasLoad2andcarriesanythingyouhand
  to it. It cannot pick up items on its own
  and can only carry those you give to it.
  Items carried by an unseen servant ap-
  pear to ﬂoat in the air a few paces behind
  you. An unseen servant that takes dam-
  age or leaves your presence is immedi-
  ately dispelled.
  Prestidigitation Cantrip
  You perform minor tricks of true magic.
  If you touch an item as part of the cast-
  ing you can make cosmetic changes to
  it: clean it, soil it, cool it, warm it, ﬂa-
  vor it, or change its color. If you cast
  the spell without touching an item you
  caninsteadcreateminorillusionsnobig-
  ger than yourself. Prestidigitation illu-
  sionsarecrudeandclearlyillusions;they
  won’t fool anyone, but they might enter-
  tain them.
  1st Level Spells
  Contact Spirits Level 1 Summoning
  Name the spirit you wish to contact (or
  leaveittotheGM).Youpullthatcreature
  through the planes, just close enough to
  speak to you. It is bound to answer any
  one question you ask to the best of its
  ability.
  Detect Magic Level 1 Divination
  One of your senses is brieﬂy attuned to
  magic. The GM will tell you what here is
  magical.
  Telepathy Level 1 Divination
  Youformatelepathicbond,allowingyou
  to speak to the person you touch with
  this spell through your thoughts. You
  can only have one telepathic bond at a
  time.
  Charm Person Level 1 Enchantment
  The person (not beast or monster) you
  touch while casting this spell counts you
  as a friend until they take damage or you
  prove otherwise.
  Invisibility Level 1 Illusion
  Touch an ally: nobody can see them.
  They’re invisible! The spell persists un-
  til the target attacks or you dismiss the
  effect. While the spell is ongoing, you
  can’t cast another spell.
  Magic Missile Level 1 Evocation
  Projectiles of pure magic spring from
  your ﬁngers. Deal 2d4 damage to one
  target.
  Alarm Level 1
  Walk a wide circle. Until you prepare
  spells again your magic will alert you if a
  creature crosses that circle. Even if you
  are asleep, the spell will shake you from
  your slumber.
  3rd Level Spells
  Dispel Magic Level 3
  Choose a spell or magic effect in your
  presence: this spell rips it apart. Lesser
  spells are ended, powerful magic is just
  reduced or dampened so long as you are
  nearby.
  Visions Through Time Level 3 Div-
  ination
  Cast this spell and gaze into a reﬂective
  surfacetoseeintothedepthsoftime. The
  GM will reveal the details of a Grim Por-
  tent to you—a bleak event that will come
  topassifnotdirectlystopped. They’lltell
  you something useful about how you can
  interfere with the Grim Portent’s dark
  outcomes. RareisthePortentthatclaims
  "You’ll live happily ever after." Sorry.
  Fireball Level 3 Evocation
  You evoke a mighty ball of ﬂame that en-
  velops your target and everyone nearby,
  inﬂicting 2d6 damage which ignores ar-
  mor.
  Mimic Level 3
  You take the form of someone you touch
  while casting this spell. Your physical
  characteristics match theirs exactly but
  yourbehaviormaynot. Thischangeper-
  sists until you take damage or choose to
  returntoyourownform. Whilethisspell
  is ongoing, you lose access to all your
  wizard moves.
  Mirror Image Level 3 Illusion
  You create an illusory image of yourself.
  The next attack against you effects the
  illusory image, not you. The image then
  dissipates.
  Sleep Level 3 Enchantment
  1d4 enemies you can see of the GM’s
  choice fall asleep. Only creatures capa-
  ble of sleeping are effected. They awake
  as normal: loud noises, jolts, pain.
  5th Level Spells
  Cage Level 5 Evocation
  The target is held in a cage of magical
  force. Nothing can get in or out of the
  cage.
  The cage remains until you cast
  another spell or dismiss it.
  While the
  spell is ongoing, the caged creature can
  hear your thoughts and you cannot leave
  sight of the cage.
  Contact Other Plane Level 5 Divina-
  tion
  You send a request to another plane.
  Specify what you’d like to contact by
  location, type of creature, name, or ti-
  tle. You open a two-way communication
  
  7th Level Spells
  Wizard Spells
  34
  withthatcreature. Yourcommunication
  can be cut off at any time by you or the
  creature you contacted.
  Polymorph Level 5 Enchantment
  Your touch reshapes a creature entirely,
  they stay in the form you craft until you
  Cast a Spell.
  Describe to the GM the
  new shape you craft, including any stat
  changes, signiﬁcant adaptations, or ma-
  jor weaknesses. The GM will then tell
  you one or more of these:
  •
  The form will be unstable and tem-
  porary
  •
  The creature’s mind will be altered as
  well
  •
  The form has an unintended beneﬁt
  or weakness
  Summon Monster Level 5 Summon-
  ing
  A monster appears and aids you as best
  it can.
  Treat it as your character, but
  with access to only the basic moves. It
  has +1 modiﬁer for all stats and 1 HP.
  Choose the type of monster by choosing
  1d6 statements from the list below. The
  GM will tell you the type of monster you
  get based on your choices:
  •
  The monster has +2 instead of +1 to
  one stat
  •
  The monster is not reckless
  •
  The monster does 1d8 damage
  •
  The monster’s bond to your plane is
  strong, +3 HP for each level you have
  •
  The monster has some useful adapta-
  tion
  The creature remains on this plane until
  it dies or you dismiss it. While the spell
  is ongoing, you take -1 to Cast a Spell.
  7th Level Spells
  Dominate Level 7 Enchantment
  Yourtouchpushesyourmindintosome-
  one else’s. You gain 1d4 hold. Spend one
  hold to make the target take one of these
  actions:
  •
  Speak a few words of your choice
  •
  Give you something they hold
  •
  Make a concerted attack on a target
  of your choice
  •
  Truthfully answer one question
  If you run out of hold the spell ends. If
  the target takes damage you lose 1 hold.
  While the spell is ongoing you cannot
  Cast a Spell.
  True Seeing Level 7 Divination
  You see all things as they truly are. This
  effect persists until you tell a lie or dis-
  miss the spell. While this spell is ongo-
  ing, you take -1 to Cast a Spell.
  Shadow Walk Level 7 Illusion
  The shadows you target with this spell
  become a portal for you and your al-
  lies. Namealocation,describingitwitha
  number of words up to your level. Step-
  pingthroughtheportaldepositsyouand
  anyalliespresentwhenyoucastthespell
  at the location you described. The portal
  may only be used once by each ally.
  Contingency Level 7 Evocation
  Choose a 5th level or lower spell you
  know. Describeatriggerconditionusing
  a number of words equal to your level.
  The chosen spell is held until you choose
  to unleash it or the trigger condition is
  met, whichever happens ﬁrst. You don’t
  have to roll for the held spell, it just takes
  effect. Whileyouhaveacontingentspell,
  you can’t gain another one.
  Cloudkill Level 7 Summoning
  A cloud of fog drifts into this realm from
  beyond the Black Gates of Death, ﬁlling
  the immediate area. Whenever a crea-
  ture in the area takes damage it takes an
  extra 1d6 damage which ignores armor.
  This spell persists so long as you can see
  the affected area, or until you dismiss it.
  9th Level Spells
  Antipathy Level 9 Enchantment
  Choose a target and describe a type of
  creature or an alignment. Creatures of
  the speciﬁed type or alignment cannot
  come within sight of the target. If a crea-
  ture of the speciﬁed type does ﬁnd it-
  self within site of the target, it immedi-
  ately ﬂees.
  This effect continues until
  you leave the target’s presence or you
  dismiss the spell. While the spell is on-
  going, you take -1 to Cast a Spell.
  Alert Level 9 Divination
  Describe an event. The GM will tell you
  whenthateventoccurs, nomatterwhere
  you are or how far away the event is. If
  you choose, you can view the location
  of the event as though you were there
  in person. You can only have one Alert
  active at a time.
  Soul Gem Level 9
  You trap the soul of a dying creature
  within a gem. The trapped creature is
  aware of its imprisonment but can still
  be manipulated through spells, Parley,
  and other effects. All moves against the
  trapped creature are at +1. You can free
  the soul at any time but it can never be
  recaptured once freed.
  Shelter Level 9 Evocation
  Youcreateastructureoutofpuremagical
  power. It can be as large as a castle or
  as small as a hut, but is impervious to
  all non-magical damage. The structure
  endures until you leave it or you end the
  spell.
  Perfect Summons Level 9 Summon-
  ing
  You teleport a creature to your presence.
  Name a creature or give a short descrip-
  tion of a type of creature. If you named
  a creature, that creature appears before
  you. Ifyoudescribedatypeofcreature, a
  creature of that type appears before you.
  
  Equipment
  Tag Glossary
  35
  16
  Equipment
  The musty tombs and forgotten treasure
  troves of the world are ﬁlled with useful
  items. The Fighters can ﬁnd a sharp new
  sword or the Thief might stumble across
  a deadly poison. Most items are mun-
  dane; not magical or intrinsically unique
  in any way.
  Any item that is magical
  or one-of-a-kind is not mundane for the
  purposes of moves. The Fighter’s signa-
  ture weapon is never mundane.
  Weapons don’t kill monsters, people do.
  That’s why weapons don’t have damage
  listed. A weapon is useful primarily for
  its tags which describe what the weapon
  is useful for. A dagger is not useful be-
  cause it does more or less damage than
  some other blade. It’s useful because its
  small and easy to strike with at close dis-
  tance. A dagger in the hands of a Wizard
  is not nearly so dangerous as one in the
  hands of a skilled Fighter.
  The stats below are for typical items.
  There are, of course, variations. A dull
  long sword might be -1 damage instead
  while a masterwork dagger could be +1
  damage.
  Consider the following to be
  stats for a typical weapon of that type—a
  speciﬁcweaponcouldhavedifferenttags
  to represent its features.
  Tag Glossary
  n Ammo : It counts as n ammo for appro-
  priate ranged weapons.
  Applied : It’s only useful when carefully
  appliedtoapersonorsomethingtheyeat
  or drink.
  n Armor : It protects you from harm and
  absorbs damage. When you take dam-
  age, subtract your armor from the total.
  If you have more than one item with n-
  armor, only the highest value counts.
  +nArmor : Itprotectsyouandstackswith
  other armor. Add its value to your total
  armor.
  Awkward: It’sunwieldyandtoughtouse.
  +Bonus : It modiﬁes your effectiveness in
  someparticularsituation. Itmightbe"+1
  forward to Spout Lore" or "-1 ongoing to
  Hack and Slash."
  Clumsy : It’s tough to move around with.
  -1 ongoing while using it.
  n coins : How much it costs to buy, nor-
  mally. If the cost includes "-Charisma" a
  little negotiation subtracts the haggler’s
  Charisma score (not modiﬁer) from the
  price.
  +n Damage : It is particularly harmful to
  your enemies. When you deal damage,
  you add n to it.
  Dangerous : It’s easy to get in trouble with
  it. If you interact with it without proper
  precautions the GM may freely invoke
  theconsequencesofyourfoolishactions.
  Forceful : It can knock someone back a
  pace, maybe even off their feet.
  Ignores Armor :
  Don’t subtract armor
  from the damage taken.
  Messy :
  It does damage in a particu-
  larlydestructiveway,rippingpeopleand
  things apart.
  n Piercing : It goes right through armor.
  When you deal damage with n piercing,
  you subtract n from the enemy’s armor
  for that attack.
  Precise : It rewards careful strikes. You
  use Dex to Hack and Slash with this
  weapon, not Str.
  Ration : It’s edible, more or less.
  Reload : After you attack with it, it takes
  more than a moment to reset for another
  attack.
  Requires : It’s only useful to certain peo-
  ple. If you don’t meet the requirements
  it works weakly, if at all.
  Slow : It takes minutes or more to use.
  Thrown : Throw it at someone to hurt
  them. If you Volley with this weapon,
  you can’t choose to mark off ammo on a
  7–9. Once you throw it, it’s lost until you
  can recover it.
  Touch : It’s used by touching it to the
  target’s skin.
  Two-handed : It takes two hands to use it
  effectively.
  Stun : When you attack with it, it does
  stun damage instead of normal damage.
  n Uses : It can only be used n times.
  n Weight :
  Count the listed amount
  against your Load. Something with no
  listed weight isn’t designed to be carried.
  100 coins in standard denominations is 1
  weight. The same value in gems or ﬁne
  art may be lighter or heavier.
  Worn : To use it, you have to be wearing
  it.
  Range Tags (From Closest to Furthest)
  Hand: It’susefulforattackingsomething
  within your reach, no further.
  Close : It’s useful for attacking something
  at arm’s reach plus a foot or two.
  Reach : It’s useful for attacking some-
  thingthat’sseveralfeetaway—maybeas
  far as ten.
  Near : It’s useful for attacking if you can
  see the whites of their eyes.
  Far : It’s useful for attacking something
  in shouting distance.
  Weapons
  Ragged Bow Near, 15 coins, 2 Weight
  Fine Bow Near, Far, 60 coins, 2 Weight
  Hunter’s Bow Near, Far, 100 coins, 1
  Weight
  CrossbowNear, +1 damage, Reload, 35
  
  Armor
  Equipment
  36
  coins, 3 Weight
  Bundle of Arrows 3 Ammo, 1 coin, 1
  Weight
  Elven Arrows 4 Ammo, 20 coins, 1
  Weight
  Club,ShillelaghClose, 1 coins, 2 Weight
  Staff Close, Two-handed, 1 coins, 1
  Weight
  Dagger, Shiv, Knife Hand, 2 coins, 1
  Weight
  ThrowingDaggerThrown, Near, 1 coin,
  0 Weight
  Short Sword, Axe, Warhammer, Mace
  Close, 8 coins, 1 Weight
  Spear Reach, Thrown, Near, 5 coins, 1
  Weight
  Long Sword, Battle Axe, Flail Close, +1
  damage, 15 coins, 2 Weight
  Halberd Reach,
  +1
  damage,
  Two-
  handed, 9 coins, 2 Weight
  Rapier Close,
  Precise,
  25 coins,
  1
  Weight
  Dueling Rapier Close, 1 piercing, Pre-
  cise, 50 coins, 2 Weight
  Armor
  Leather, Chainmail 1 Armor, Worn, 10
  coins, 1 Weight
  Scale Mail 2 Armor, Worn, Clumsy, 50
  coins, 3 Weight
  Plate 3 Armor, Worn, Clumsy, 350
  coins, 4 Weight
  Shield +1 Armor, 15 coins, 2 Weight
  Dungeon Gear
  Adventuring Gear 5 Uses, 20 coins, 1
  Weight
  Adventuring gear is a collection of use-
  ful mundane items such as chalk, poles,
  spikes, ropes, etc. When you rummage
  through your adventuring gear for some
  useful mundane item, you ﬁnd what you
  need and mark off a Use.
  Bandages 3 Uses, Slow, 5 coins, 0
  Weight
  Whenyouhaveafewminutestobandage
  someone else’s wounds, heal them of 4
  damage and expend a use.
  Poultices and Herbs 2 Uses, Slow, 10
  coins, 1 Weight
  When you carefully treat someone’s
  wounds with poultices and herbs, heal
  them of 7 damage and expend a use.
  Healing Potion 50 coins
  Whenyoudrinkanentirehealingpotion,
  healyourselfof10damageorremoveone
  debility, your choice.
  KegofDwarvenStout10 coins, 4 Weight
  When you open a keg of dwarven stout
  and let everyone drink freely, take +1 to
  your Carouse roll. If you drink a whole
  keg yourself, you are very very drunk.
  Bag of Books 5 Uses, 10 coins, 2 Weight
  Whenyourbagofbookscontainsjustthe
  right book for the subject you’re Spout-
  ing Lore on, consult the book, mark off a
  use, and take +1 to your roll.
  Antitoxin 10 coins
  When you drink antitoxin, you’re cured
  of one poison affecting you.
  Dungeon Rations Ration, 5 Uses, 3
  coins, 1 Weight
  Not tasty, but not bad either.
  Personal Feast Ration, 1 Use, 10 coins,
  1 Weight
  Ostentatious to say the least.
  Dwarven Hardtack Requires Dwarf, Ra-
  tion, 7 Uses, 3 coins, 1 Weight
  Dwarves say it tastes like home. Every-
  one else says it tastes like home, on ﬁre,
  in a hog farm.
  Elven Bread Ration, 7 Uses, 10 coins, 1
  Weight
  Only the greatest of elf-friends are
  treated to this rare delicacy.
  Halﬂing Pipeleaf 5 Uses, 5 coins, 1
  Weight
  When you share halﬂing pipeleaf with
  someone, expend two uses and take +1
  forward to Parley with them.
  Poisons
  Oil of Tagit Dangerous, Applied, 15
  coins, 0 Weight
  The target falls into a light sleep
  BloodweedDangerous, Touch, 12 coins,
  0 Weight
  The target deals -1d4 damage ongoing
  until cured
  Goldenroot Dangerous, Applied, 20
  coins, 0 Weight
  The target treats the next creature they
  see as a trusted ally, until proved other-
  wise
  Serpent’s Tears Dangerous, Touch, 10
  coins, 0 Weight
  Anyone dealing damage against the tar-
  getrollstwice and takes the better result.
  Services
  A week’s stay at a peasant inn 14-
  Charisma coins
  A week’s stay at a civilized inn 30-
  Charisma coins
  A week’s stay at the fanciest inn in town
  43-Charisma coins
  A week’s unskilled mundane labor 10
  coins
  A month’s pay for enlistment in an army
  30 coins
  A custom item from a blacksmith Base
  Item + 50 coins
  Anight’s"companionship"20-Charisma
  coins
  An evening of song and dance 18-
  Charisma coins
  Escort for a day along a bandit-infested
  road 20 coins
  Escortforadayalongamonster-infested
  road 54 coins
  A run-of-the-mill killing 5 coins
  An assassination 120 coins
  Healing from a Chirurgeon 5 coins
  A month’s prayers for the departed 1
  coins
  Repairs to a mundane item 25% of the
  item’s cost
  Meals
  A hearty meal for one 1 coins
  A poor meal for a family 1 coins
  A feast 15 coins per person
  Transport
  Cart and Donkey 50 coins, Load 20
  This donkey is sworn to carry your bur-
  dens.
  Horse 75 coins, Load 10
  Warhorse 400 coins, Load 12
  Wagon 150 coins, Load 40
  Barge 50 coins, Load 15
  River boat 150 coins, Load 20
  Merchant Ship 5,000 coins, Load 200
  War Ship 20,000 coins, Load 100
  Passage on a safe route 1 coins
  Passage on a tough route 10 coins
  Passage on a dangerous route 100 coins
  
  Equipment
  Land and Buildings
  37
  Land and Buildings
  A hovel 20 coins
  A cottage 500 coins
  A house 2,500 coins
  A mansion 50,000 coins
  A keep 75,000 coins
  A castle 250,000 coins
  A grand castle 1,000,000 coins
  A month’s upkeep 1% of the cost
  Bribes
  A peasant dowery 20-Charisma coins
  "Protection" for a small business 100-
  Charisma coins
  A government bribe 50-Charisma coins
  A compelling bribe 80-Charisma coins
  An offer you can’t refuse 500-Charisma
  coins
  Gifts and Finery
  A peasant gift 1 coins
  A ﬁne gift 55 coins
  A noble gift 200 coins
  A ring or cameo 75 coins
  Finery 105 coins
  A ﬁne tapestry 350+ coins
  A crown ﬁt for a king 5,000 coins
  Hoards
  A goblin’s stash 2 coins
  A lizardman’s trinkets 5 coins
  A priceless sword 80 coins
  An orc warchief’s tribute 250 coins
  A dragon’s mound of coins and gems
  130,000 coins
  
  Magic Items
  38
  17
  Magic Items
  There are stranger things in the world
  than swords and leather. Magic items
  are the non-mundane, items that have
  intrinsic power.
  Magic items are for you to make for your
  game.
  Players can make magic items
  through the Wizard’s ritual and simi-
  lar moves. The GM can introduce magic
  items in the spoils of battle or the bounty
  of reward. This list provides some ideas,
  but magic items are ultimately for you to
  decide.
  When making your own magic items
  keep in mind that magic items are mag-
  ical. +1 damage is the realm of the mun-
  dane, magic items should provide more
  interesting bonuses.
  Argo-Thaan, Holy Avenger Close, 2
  Weight
  Therearemanyswordsinthisworld, but
  thereisonlyoneArgo-thaan. Itisablade
  of gold, silver and light, revered as a holy
  relicbyallordersandreligionsforwhom
  Good rings true. Its touch is a blessing
  and to many, the sight of it brings tears
  of joy.
  In the hands of a Paladin, it strikes true
  and strong; his damage die becomes 1d12
  and he has access to every Paladin move.
  As well, Argo-thaan can harm any crea-
  ture of Evil, regardless of any defenses
  it may have.
  No Evil creature may
  touch it without suffering agony. In the
  hands of any non-Paladin, it is merely
  a sword, heavier and more cumbersome
  than most.
  Argo-thaan, while not intelligent, will
  foreverbedrawntoacauseofTrueGood,
  like iron to a magnet.
  Arrows of Acheron 1 Ammo, 1 Weight
  Crafted in darkness by a blind ﬂetcher,
  thesearrowscanﬁndtheirtargetineven
  thedeepestdarkness. Anarchermayﬁre
  them blind, in the dark, with his eyes
  boundbyheavyclothandstillbeassured
  of a clean shot. If the light of the sun ever
  touches the arrows, however, they come
  apart like shadows and dust.
  Axe of the Conqueror-King Close, 1
  Weight
  Itiscraftedofshiningsteel,glowingwith
  a golden light and imbued with mythical
  powers of authority. The bearer of the
  Axe becomes a beacon of inspiration to
  all she leads. Any Henchmen in her em-
  ploy have +1 Loyalty, no matter whether
  she is a benevolent Princess or wicked
  Queen.
  Barb of the Black Gate 0 Weight
  A nail or spike, twisted and forever cold,
  said to have been pried from the Gates
  of Death himself. When hammered into
  a corpse, it disappears and ensures that
  corpse will never be risen again—no
  magic short of that of Death himself can
  reignite the ﬂame of life (natural or oth-
  erwise) in the body.
  Bag of Holding 0 Weight
  A bag of holding is larger on the inside
  than the outside, it can contain an in-
  ﬁnite number of items, and its weight
  never increases.
  When you try to re-
  trieve an item from a bag of holding,
  roll+Wis. On a 10+, it’s right there. On a
  7-9, choose one:
  •
  You get the exact item, but it takes a
  while
  •
  You get a similar item of the GM’s
  choice, but it only takes a moment
  No matter how many items it contains, a
  bag of holding is always 0 weight.
  The Burning Wheel 2 Weight
  An ancient wooden wheel, as might ap-
  pear on a war-wagon, banded with steel.
  On a glance, it appears to be nothing
  special—many spokes are shattered and
  the thing seems mundane.
  Under the
  scrutinyofmagicortheeyesofanexpert,
  its true nature is revealed; the Burning
  Wheel is a gift from the God of Fire and
  burns with his authority.
  When you hold The Burning Wheel and
  speak a god’s name, roll+Con. On a 7+,
  thegodyounametakesnoticeandgrants
  you an audience.
  An audience with a
  god is not without a price: on a 10+, you
  choose one of your stats and reduce it to
  the next lowest modiﬁer (for example, a
  14is+1, soitwouldbereducedto11,a+0).
  On a 7–9, the GM chooses which stat to
  reduce.
  Once used, the Burning Wheel ignites
  andburnswithbrilliantlight. Itdoesnot
  conferanyprotectionfromthoseﬂames,
  nor does it provide any bonus to swim-
  ming.
  Captain Bligh’s Cornucopia 1 Weight
  A brass naval horn, curled and ornate,
  carved with symbols of the gods of
  Plenty. Sounded, the horn spills forth
  not sound but food.
  Enough to feed a
  meal to everyone who hears its sound.
  The Carcosan Spire Reach, Thrown, 3
  Weight
  None know from whence this spear of
  twisted white coral comes. Those who
  bear it too long ﬁnd their minds full
  of alien dreams and begin to hear the
  strange thoughts of the Others.
  None
  are impervious. Used against any “nat-
  ural” target (men, goblins, owlbears and
  the like) the Spire acts as a mere mortal
  spear.
  Its true purpose is to do harm
  to those things whose strange natures
  protectthemagainstmundaneweapons.
  Used thus, the Spire can wound foes
  otherwise invulnerable to harm.
  The
  wielder will recognize these twisted foes
  on sight—the Spire knows its own.
  Cloak of Silent Stars 1 Weight
  
  Magic Items
  39
  A cape of rich black velvet outside
  and sparkling with tiny points of light
  within, the Cloak bends fate, time and
  reality around it to protect the wearer,
  who may Defy Danger with whatever
  stat he likes. To do this, the wearer in-
  vokes the cloak’s magic and his player
  describeshowthecloakhelpshim"break
  the rules." He can deﬂect a ﬁreball with
  his Cha by convincing it he deserves to
  liveoreludeafallbyapplyingthemighty
  logicofhisInttoprovethefallwon’thurt
  him. TheCloakmakesitso. Itcanbeused
  once for each stat before losing its magic.
  Coin of Remembering 0 Weight
  What appears, at a glance, to be a sim-
  ple copper coin is, in truth, an enchanted
  coin. Its bearer can, at any time, redeem
  it to know immediately one fact that has
  been forgotten. Thecoinvanishesthere-
  after. It does not have to be a thing for-
  gotten by the bearer, but it cannot be
  “known”. Interpretation of this stipula-
  tion is left to the Gods. If the coin is un-
  successful, it will still paint an image in
  the minds eye of someone or something
  that does remember what was sought.
  Common Scroll 1 Use, 0 Weight
  A common scroll has a spell inscribed on
  it. The spell must be castable by you or
  on your class’s spell list for you to be able
  to cast it. When you cast a spell from a
  scroll, the spell has effect, simple as that.
  Devilsbane Oil 1 Use, 0 Weight
  A holy oil, created in limited supply by
  a mute sect of mountain-monks whose
  orderprotectedhumanityfromthepow-
  ers of the Demon Pits in ancient epochs.
  Only a few jars remain. When applied to
  any weapon and used to strike a denizen
  of any outer plane, the oil undoes the
  magic that binds that creature. In some
  cases, this will return it to its home. In
  others, it merely undoes any magic con-
  trolling it. The oil stays on the weapon
  for a few hours before it dries and ﬂakes
  away.
  If applied to the edges of a doorway or
  drawn in a circle, the oil will repel crea-
  tures whose home is any of the outer
  planes. They cannot pass across it. The
  oil lasts for one full day before it soaks in
  or evaporates.
  Earworm Wax 1 Use, 0 Weight
  A yellowish candle. Seems never to burn
  out and the light it casts is strange and
  weak. Its wax is always cool, too. Drip
  the wax into the ear of a target and gain 3
  hold. Spendthatholdandaskyourtarget
  a question. They ﬁnd themselves telling
  you the whole truth, despite themselves.
  The consequences, after the fact? Those
  are up to you to deal with.
  The Echo 0 Weight
  Aseeminglyemptybottle. Onceunstop-
  pered, the whispers of another plane re-
  sound once and fall silent. In the silence,
  the bearer learns in his soul the com-
  ing of one great danger and how he can
  avoid it. At any point after the Echo is
  used, the wielder can ignore the results
  of any single die roll—hers or another
  player—and roll again.
  Once opened,
  the Echo is released and gone forever.
  The Epoch Lens 1 Weight
  An archmage, old and too frail to leave
  his tower, crafted this intricate and frag-
  iledeviceofglassandgoldtoexaminethe
  histories and relics he so loved. Looking
  at an object through the lens reveals vi-
  sions of who made it and where it came
  from.
  Farsight Stone 1 Weight
  Swirling clouds ﬁll this smoky orb and
  those in its presence often hear strange
  whispers. In ancient times, it was part of
  a network of such stones, used to com-
  municate and surveil across great dis-
  tances. When you gaze into the stone,
  name a location and roll+Wis. On a hit,
  you see a clear vision of the location and
  can maintain it as long as you concen-
  trate on the orb. On a 7–9, you draw the
  attentionofsomeotherthing(anangel, a
  demon, or the holder of another Farsight
  stone) that uses the stone to surveil you,
  as well.
  The Fiasco Codex 0 Weight
  A thick tome, said to be penned in the
  blood of poor fools and robber-barons
  by some demon prince possessed of
  dark humor, the Codex details tales and
  stories of those whose ambition over-
  whelmed their reason.
  Reading from
  this tome teaches one the value of clear-
  headedness but leaves a sense of dread
  behind. When you read from the Codex,
  Roll+Wis. On a 10+, ask two. On a 7–9,
  just one.
  •
  What is my greatest opportunity,
  right now?
  •
  Who can I betray to gain an advan-
  tage?
  •
  Who is an ally I should not trust?
  TheCodexgivesupitsanswersonlyonce
  to each reader and takes 2 to 3 hours to
  read.
  Flask of Breath 0 Weight
  A simple thing, but useful when you
  need a breath of fresh air. The ﬂask ap-
  pears empty but cannot be ﬁlled, any-
  thing added to it simply spills out. This
  is because the ﬂask is eternally full of air.
  If placed underwater, it will bubble for-
  ever. If pressed to the mouth, one can
  breath normally—smoke is no concern,
  for example. I’m sure you’ll ﬁnd all sorts
  of unusual uses for it.
  FollyHeldAloft,TheWaxWings,AHuge
  Mistake 1 Weight
  Who hasn’t always wanted to soar the
  pretty blue sky?
  In an attempt to
  grant the wishes of land-bound folk,
  these great magical wings were created.
  Known by many names and crafted by
  as many mages, they commonly take
  the shape of the wings of whatever local
  birds hold affection. Worn by means of a
  harness or, in some dire cases, a surgical
  procedure.
  Whenyoutaketotheairwiththesemagi-
  cal wings, roll+Dex. On a 10+ your ﬂight
  is controlled and you may stay aloft as
  long as you like. On a 7–9, you make it
  aloftbutyourﬂightisshortorerraticand
  unpredictable, your choice. On a 6- you
  make it aloft, but the coming-down part
  and everything between is up to the GM.
  Immovable Rod 0 Weight
  A funny metal rod with a button on it.
  Press the button and the rod just sticks.
  It freezes in place—in mid air, standing
  up or lying down. It can’t be moved. Pull
  it, push it, try as hard as you like, the
  rod stays.
  Maybe it can be destroyed,
  maybeitcan’t. Pushthebuttonagainand
  it’s free—take it along with you. Might
  be useful to have such a stubborn thing
  along.
  Inﬁnite Book 1 Weight
  This book contains an inﬁnite number of
  pages in a ﬁnite space. With no limit to
  the pages, everything that ever was, is,
  or will be is contained somewhere in the
  book. Luckily the index is great.
  When you Spout Lore while consulting
  the book you gain an extra clause. On
  a 12+ the GM will give a solution to a
  problem or situation you’re in.
  Inspectacles 0 Weight
  Rough-hewn glass in wooden frames.
  Dinged up and barely held together,
  they somehow allow the wearer to see
  much more than their mere eyes might.
  When you Discern Realities wearing
  these gifted lenses, you get to bend the
  rules a little. On a roll of 10+, ask any
  threequestionsyoulike. Theydon’thave
  to be on the list. As long as sight could
  give you answers, the GM will tell you
  what you want to know.
  The Ku’meh Maneuver and Other Strat-
  agem 1 Weight
  A great leathery tome worn shiny by the
  hands of a hundred great generals, this
  bookisoftenpassedfromwarriortowar-
  rior, from son to father along the great
  battle lines that have divided Dungeon
  World’s past.
  Anyone reading it may,
  uponﬁnishingfortheﬁrsttime,roll+Int.
  On a 10+ hold 3, on a 7–9 hold 1. You may
  spend your hold to advise a companion
  on some matter of strategic or tactical
  signiﬁcance. This advice allows you to,
  atanytime, regardlessofdistance, rollto
  Aid them on any one roll. On a miss, the
  
  Magic Items
  40
  GM can hold 1 and spend it to apply -2
  to any roll of yours or the poor sap who
  listened to your advice.
  Lamented Memento 0 Weight
  Taking the form of a single lock of bright
  red hair, bound in a black ribbon and
  immune to the ravages of time, the
  Lamented Memento bears a grim en-
  chantment. In it are the memories and
  emotions of a girl who dealt with Death
  at the Black Gates so many times that,
  in the end, they fell in love and she left
  the world to be with him for a time. Her
  memory protects the wielder. If he ﬁnds
  himself at the Gates, the Memento can
  be traded for an automatic result of 10+
  on the Last Breath move.
  Lodestone Shield +1 armor, 1 Weight
  What mixed-up dummy made this?
  Shields are meant to repel metal, not
  draw it in!
  Emblazoned with a lion
  rampant, the Lodestone Shield has the
  power to pull blades and arrows to it.
  When you Defend against enemies us-
  ing metal weapons you can spend one
  hold, per target, to disarm them. Also,
  sometimes you’ll ﬁnd a handful of loose
  change stuck to it.
  Map of the Last Patrol 0 Weight
  An ancient order of brave rangers once
  patrolled the land, protecting villages
  and warning kings and queens of en-
  croaching danger.
  They’re long gone,
  now,buttheirlegacyremains. Thismap,
  when marked with the blood of a group
  of people, will always show their loca-
  tion—so long as they remain within the
  bounds of the map.
  Ned’s Head 1 Weight
  An old skull,
  missing its jaw and
  very much worse-for-wear.
  The skull
  remembers the folly of its former
  owner—a man with more honor than
  sense. Once per night, the owner of the
  skull can ask “Who has it in for me?” and
  the skull will give up one name in a sad,
  lonely voice. If the owner of the skull is
  ever killed, it disappears surreptitiously.
  No-one knows where it might turn up
  next.
  Nightsider’s Key 0 Weight
  This key unlocks any door, provided the
  owner of the key does not belong where
  she intends to go. So long as the intruder
  does nothing that would alert another
  to her presence (remaining unheard, un-
  seen and unnoticed) and takes nothing
  more than her memories out with her,
  the key’s magic will prevent her intru-
  sion from ever being discovered. It’s like
  she was never there at all.
  Sacred Herbs 0 Weight
  Thesacredherbs, collectedandprepared
  by an order of lost wizard-monks, can
  be found in bundles with two or three
  uses to them.
  Kept dry, they last in-
  deﬁnitely. When smoked in a pipe or
  consumed in an incense burner and the
  thick, blue smoke inhaled, these herbs
  will grant strange visions of far away
  places and distant times. If the imbiber
  focuses his will on a particular person,
  place or thing, the herbs will respond:
  roll+Wis.
  On a 10+ the vision is clear
  and useful—some valid information is
  gained. On a 7–9 the vision is of the fo-
  cus, but unclear, fraught with metaphor
  or somehow difﬁcult to understand. On
  a miss, the GM will ask you “What is it
  you fear most?” You must answer hon-
  estly, of course.
  The Sartar Duck 0 Weight
  An odd, hand-carved wooden duck.
  Who would make such a funny thing?
  Whoever bears it ﬁnds himself an ex-
  ceptionally gifted storyteller—no mat-
  ter the language, he can make himself
  and his story clear to any audience. They
  will understand his meaning, if not his
  words.
  Tears of Annalise 0 Weight
  Cloudy red gemstones the size of a
  thumbnail, the Tears of Annalise are
  always found in pairs.
  When swal-
  lowed, they bind the swallowers to-
  gether—when either feels strong emo-
  tions (particularly sadness, loss, fear or
  desire) the other feels it, as well. The ef-
  fects last until one spills the blood of the
  other.
  Teleportation Room Slow
  James Nineﬁngers,
  eccentric genius
  mage, created these room-sized magi-
  cal apparati. A stone room etched with
  runes and scribblings, glowing with a
  faint blue light. When you enter and say
  aloud the name of a location, roll+Int.
  On a 10+, you arrive exactly where you’d
  intended. On a 7–9, the GM chooses a
  safe location nearby. On a miss, you end
  up someplace. Maybe it’s nearby? It’s
  deﬁnitelynotsafe. Strangethingssome-
  timeshappentothosewhobendtimeand
  space with these devices.
  Timunn’s Armor 1 Armor, 1 Weight
  A stealthy suit of armor, it appears as
  many things to many people and blends
  in with appropriate apparel. The wearer
  alwaysseemstheheightoffashiontoany
  who gaze upon him.
  Titus’ Truthful Tallow 0 Weight
  A candle of ivory-and-copper colored
  tallow with a wick of spun silver. When
  lit, none upon whom its light falls is able
  to tell a lie. They may keep silent or dis-
  semble but when asked a question di-
  rectly, they can speak naught but truth.
  Tricksy Rope 1 Weight
  A rope that listens. Does tricks, too, like
  a smart and more obedient snake might.
  Tell it “coil” or “slack” or “come here,
  rope” and it will.
  The Sterling Hand 0 Weight
  Crafted by dwarven whitesmiths, this
  mirrored-metal hand is deeply scored
  with runes of power and rejuvenation.
  Meant to replace wounded or destroyed
  limbs from mining accidents, the Ster-
  ling Hand bonds to the wound, old or
  new, and is strong and stout.
  It can
  be used as a weapon (near range) and
  is made of pure enough silver to harm
  creatures affected by such.
  Vellius’s Gauntlets 1 Weight
  Crafted in the name of Vellius the
  Clumsy, Vellius the Butter-Fingered,
  Vellius the Clod, these gloves of simple
  cloth prevent the wearer from dropping
  any object she does not intent to. She
  cannot be disarmed nor fall from any
  rope or ladder, for example. This item
  can get very messy if you have some-
  thing strong pulling at your legs while
  you grip onto something solid.
  Violation Glaive Reach, 2 Weight
  A legendary blade, said to have been
  thrust backwards in time from some
  grim future,
  the violation glaive is
  crafted of strange green iron. The blade
  strikes at the mind of those it wounds,
  as well as the body. When you Hack &
  Slashona10+youhaveanadditionalop-
  tion: you can deal your normal damage,
  let them counter attack you, and instill
  the emotion of your choice (maybe fear,
  reverence, or trust)
  Vorpal Sword Close,
  3 Piercing,
  2
  Weight
  Snicker-snackandallthat. Sharpasany-
  thing,thissimple-seemingswordmeans
  to separate one thing from another—the
  limb from the body or folk from their
  lives. When you deal damage with the
  Vorpal Sword, your enemy must choose
  something (an item, an advantage, a
  limb) and lose it, permanently.
  
  The GM
  Always Say
  41
  18
  The GM
  This section is about the art and rules
  of being the Game Master or GM. There
  are many styles of GMing epic fantasy
  games with things like dragons and dun-
  geons and brave adventurers but Dun-
  geon World is designed for one of those
  styles in particular. These rules will help
  you run a game in that style.
  Just because the rules are mechanical
  doesn’t mean they’re removed from the
  ﬁction of what’s actually happening in
  the game or that you’re playing to win.
  You’ll be refereeing, adjudicating, and
  narrating your part the game much like
  you would any other game. You’ll just
  have a framework that helps you deter-
  mine what to say, at what time.
  The GM’s rules are rules, just like the
  rules for moves and character creation
  and all the rest. Just like every other rule
  in the game, they are designed to help
  you play a game of exploration and epic
  fantasy. You will of course be making
  your own rules, in the form of custom
  moves, but the GM’s rules are as impor-
  tant to playing Dungeon World as the
  rules for rolling dice. Play with the rules
  as written before making any changes,
  and think carefully about any changes
  you do make.
  The Basics
  Dungeon World is built on a frame-
  work: the GM’s agenda , principles
  , and moves .
  The GM’s agenda is
  what they set out to do when they sit
  down at the table. The principles are the
  guides that keep the GM focused on their
  agenda. The GM’s moves are the con-
  crete, moment-to-moment things the
  GM does to drive the game forward. The
  GM’s moves aren’t like player moves,
  they aren’t triggered by the ﬁction. In-
  steadtheyareactionsthatdrivethegame
  onward.
  The GM’s agenda, principles, and moves
  are rules just like damage or stats or HP.
  Youshouldtakethesamecareinaltering
  them or ignoring them that you would
  with any other rule. Changing a princi-
  ple may have just as much of an effect
  on your game as changing the Fighter’s
  damage dice or giving the Cleric access
  to Wizard spells.
  Always Say
  When running Dungeon World as the
  GM you say these things:
  •
  What the rules demand
  •
  What the adventure demands
  •
  What honesty demands
  •
  What the principles demand
  The players have it easy—they just say
  what their characters say, think and do.
  You have it a bit harder.
  You have to
  say everything else. So what do you say?
  Say what the rules tell you to . If a
  movehastriggered,yoursortheplayers’,
  then say what the rules tell you to say.
  Embellish and expand but use the rules
  to give you a start. The rules will always
  give you material to work with.
  Say what the adventure demands
  .
  You’ll know some things before you
  sit down at the table. You might know
  wherethegoblinsarehidingorwhenthe
  reinforcementsaregoingtoarrive. Ifthe
  players haven’t done anything to change
  those things, stick with them.
  Always be honest . If the rules tell you
  to give out information, like the Spout
  Lore and Discern Realities moves, do it.
  Don’t lie or give half truths; be open
  and honest—generous, even. The player
  characters have risked something to get
  that information just by rolling so make
  it worth their while. If you don’t know
  theanswermakeoneuporturntheques-
  tionbacktotheplayers. Onceyoutellthe
  players it’s set in stone, no going back on
  it.
  This applies in general to the players’
  actions, too.
  If they have worked to
  achieve something, you should give it to
  them fully. You’re not here to ﬁght back
  against the players; you’re not opposed
  to them at all. You are playing the game
  with them.
  At all times, use your principles and
  agenda as a ﬁlter or inspiration.
  If
  something falls ﬂat it’s usually because
  you ignored one of your principles or
  acted on a different agenda. If you’re un-
  sure of what you’re about to say just take
  a moment and look at your agenda and
  principles to make sure you’re abiding
  by them.
  Agenda
  The GM’s agenda is what they sit down
  at the table to do:
  •
  Make the world fantastic
  •
  Fill the characters’ lives with adven-
  ture
  •
  Play to ﬁnd out what happens
  Everything you say, create, and do at the
  table and away from the table is to ac-
  complishthesethreegoalsandnoothers.
  Things that aren’t on this list aren’t your
  goals. You’re not trying to beat the play-
  ers or test their ability to solve complex
  traps. You’re not here to give the players
  a chance to explore your ﬁnely crafted
  setting. You’re most certainly not here
  to tell everyone a planned story.
  That one deserves repeating: you are
  not here to tell everyone a planned
  story . Don’t ever plan a storyline. You
  do not know what will happen to the
  players’ characters any more than they
  do.
  Your job is to portray a fantastic
  world, not provide a canned plot.
  
  Principles
  The GM
  42
  To that end, Dungeon World adventures
  never presume player actions. A Dun-
  geon World adventure describes a lo-
  cation in motion, someplace important
  with creatures pursuing their own goals.
  As the players come into conﬂict with
  that location, it will snowball into ac-
  tion. You’ll honestly portray the reper-
  cussions of their actions.
  When you play this way you get to share
  in the fun of ﬁnding out what happens
  to the characters and the world around
  them. You’re not a frustrated novelist
  trying to organize your unruly charac-
  ters. You’re a participant in a great story
  that’s unfolding. So really—don’t plan
  thestory. Therulesofthegamewillﬁght
  you.
  Fill the character’s life with adven-
  ture means helping the players create
  a world that’s exciting and full of epic
  foes to battle, strange places to explore,
  and glorious treasure to discover. Ad-
  venturers are always caught up in some
  plot or world-threatening danger or an-
  other—encourageandfosterthatkindof
  action in the game.
  The players have an agenda too, but it’s
  probably something they’ll do by de-
  fault: portray their characters.
  Principles
  •
  Draw maps, leave blanks
  •
  Address the characters, not the play-
  ers
  •
  Embrace the fantastic
  •
  Make a move that follows
  •
  Never speak the name of your move
  •
  Give every monster life
  •
  Name every person
  •
  Ask questions and use the answers
  •
  Be a fan of the characters
  •
  Think Dangerous
  •
  Begin and end with the ﬁction
  •
  Think offscreen, too
  Your principles are your guides. Often,
  when it’s time to make a move, you’ll
  already have an idea.
  Quickly run it
  pastyourprinciplesandmakesureitﬁts,
  then go with it.
  Draw maps, leave blanks
  Dungeon World is mostly in our imagi-
  nations, but we can actually see it when
  we draw a map. So, make use of maps.
  Youwon’talwaysbedrawingthemyour-
  self, but any time there’s a new location
  draw it on a map (or make a new map for
  it).
  When you draw a map, it doesn’t have to
  be complete. Leave blanks, places that
  are unknown to you. As you play you’ll
  get more ideas or the players will give
  you inspiration to work with.
  Address the characters, not the players
  Addressing the characters, not the play-
  ers, means that you don’t say "Whit,
  is Dunwick doing something about that
  wight?" Instead you say "Dunwick, what
  are you doing about the wight?" Talking
  thiswaykeepsthegamerootedintheﬁc-
  tion and not at the table. It’s important
  to the ﬂow of the game, too. If you talk to
  theplayersyoumayleaveoutdetailsthat
  are important to what moves the charac-
  tersmake. Since movesare always based
  on the actions of the character you need
  tothinkaboutwhat’shappeninginterms
  of characters—not players.
  Embrace the fantastic
  The fantastic is the core of fantasy:
  magic, strange vistas, gods, demons, and
  abominations. The player characters al-
  ready have these kind of abilities, so you
  should reﬂect them in the world.
  Make a move that follows
  When you make a move what you’re ac-
  tually doing is taking some element of
  the ﬁction and bringing it to bear against
  the characters.
  Your move should al-
  ways follow from the ﬁction, and you
  never speak its name. Instead describe
  theﬁctionalactionsthattakeplacewhich
  follow from the situation established.
  Never speak the name of your move
  There is no quicker way to ruin the con-
  sistency of Dungeon World than to tell
  the players what move you’re making.
  Your moves are prompts to you, not
  things you say directly.
  You never show the players that you’re
  picking a move from a list. You know
  the reason the slavers dragged off Omar
  was because you made the "Put someone
  in a spot" move, but you show it to the
  players as a straightforward outcome of
  their actions.
  Give every monster life
  Monsters are nameless hordes of crea-
  tures that stand between the players and
  what they want. Give each monster de-
  tails that bring it to life: smells, sights,
  sounds. Your monsters are arrows, ﬁred
  en masse at the players.
  Give each
  enough detail to make it real, but don’t
  cry when it gets slain by intrepid adven-
  turers.
  Name every person
  Every person gets a name. You’ll have
  a name list to work from on your ad-
  venture sheet, so don’t worry too much
  about it. Anyone that the players inter-
  act with has a name. They probably have
  a personality and some goals or opinions
  too, but you can ﬁgure that out as you
  go. Start with a name. The rest can ﬂow
  from there.
  How do you know if someone gets a
  name? If you start dealing with them
  as an individual (not just "a member of
  the Knob Street gang" or "a goblin am-
  busher") it’s time for a name.
  Ask questions and use the answers
  You don’t have to know everything. If
  you don’t know, or you don’t have an
  idea, just ask the players and use what
  they say.
  The easiest question to use is "What do
  you do?" Whenever you make a move,
  end with "What do you do?" You don’t
  even have to ask the person you made
  the move against. Take that chance to
  shift the focus elsewhere: "Rath’s spell
  is torn apart with a ﬂick of the mage’s
  wand. Finnegan, that spell was aiding
  you. What are you doing now that it’s
  gone?"
  Be a fan of the characters
  Treat the players’ characters like charac-
  ters you watch on TV. You want to see
  how things turn out for them. You’re not
  here to make them lose, or to make them
  win, and deﬁnitely not to guide them to
  your story. You’re here to portray the
  interesting world around them and see
  how interacting with that world changes
  everything.
  Think Dangerous
  Thinking Dangerous means that every-
  thing in the world is a target.
  You’re
  thinking like an evil overlord: no sin-
  gle life is worth anything, there is noth-
  ing sacrosanct. Everything can be put
  in danger, everything can be destroyed.
  Nothing you create is ever protected.
  Whenever your eye falls on something
  you’ve created, think dangerous. Think
  how it can be put in danger, fall apart,
  crumble.
  Begin and end with the ﬁction
  Everything you and the players do in
  Dungeon World comes from and leads to
  ﬁctional events. When the players make
  a move, they always take a ﬁctional ac-
  tion to trigger it, apply the rules, and get
  aﬁctionaleffect. Whenyoumakeamove
  it always comes from the ﬁction.
  You can apply this to everything you
  say.
  Start with the ﬁction ("The
  ogre’s axe comes sailing down into your
  shoulder. . ."), apply the rules (". . .you
  take 12 damage. . ."), go back to the ﬁc-
  tion (". . .as your collar bone cracks be-
  neath your armor. What do you do?").
  
  The GM
  Moves
  43
  Think offscreen too
  Justbecauseyou’reafanofthecharacters
  doesn’t mean everything happens right
  in front of them. Sometimes your best
  moveisinthenextroom, oranotherpart
  of the dungeon, or even back in town.
  Makeyourmoveelsewhereandshowthe
  effects later.
  Moves
  •
  Use a monster, danger, or location
  move
  •
  Reveal an unwelcome truth
  •
  Show signs of doom
  •
  Deal damage
  •
  Use up their resources
  •
  Turn their move back on them
  •
  Separate them
  •
  Give an opportunity that ﬁts a class’
  abilities
  •
  Show a downside to their class, race,
  or equipment
  •
  Offer an opportunity, with or with-
  out cost
  •
  Put someone in a spot
  •
  Tell them the requirements or conse-
  quences and ask
  Whenever everyone looks to you to see
  what happens choose one of these. Each
  move is something that occurs in the ﬁc-
  tionofthegame—theyaren’tcodewords
  orspecialterms. "Useuptheirresources"
  literally means to expend the resources
  of the characters.
  Of course you don’t say that to the play-
  ers. You never speak the name of your
  move (it’s one of your principles). You
  makeitarealthingthathappenstothem:
  "As you dodge the hulking ogre’s club,
  you slip and land hard.
  Your sword
  goes sliding away into the darkness. You
  think you saw where it went but the ogre
  is lumbering your way.
  What do you
  do?"
  No matter what move you make al-
  ways follow up with "What do you do?"
  Your move is a way of fulﬁlling your
  agenda—part of which is to ﬁll the char-
  acter’s lives with adventure.
  When a
  spellgoeswildortheﬂoordropsoutfrom
  under them adventurers react.
  When to Make a Move
  You make a move when everyone looks
  to you to ﬁnd out what happens. When
  it’s your turn to say something in the
  conversation you make a move. In par-
  ticular, you make a soft move: a move
  that sets up a future move.
  Making a soft move just means that you
  puteventsinmotion,thenlettheplayers
  react. If they don’t do anything about it
  you follow through with the full conse-
  quences, making another (harder) move.
  Showing signs of doom is your most ver-
  satile soft move since the doom you por-
  tend is a move waiting to happen.
  Of course your moves apply when the
  players undertake something that’s not
  a player move. In that case the players
  will say something, like "I lay my case
  before the king, pleading for aid," and
  look to you to ﬁnd out what happens.
  Since they haven’t made a move (there’s
  no leverage to make a Parley) you just
  respond with a soft move of your own as
  setup by the ﬁction.
  You also make a move when the play-
  ers give you a golden opportunity.
  A
  golden opportunity is any time they ig-
  nore a threat or when they fail a roll (6-).
  When they give you a golden opportu-
  nity, you can make your move just as
  hard as you like. A hard move is one that
  is irrevocable and immediate. The play-
  ers immediately feel the consequences
  of the move and have to deal with them.
  Dealingdamageisahardmove, sincethe
  damage is immediately applied.
  Soft moves are useful to setup future
  hardermoves. Whenthedoomyoushow
  signs of is an onslaught of goblin arrows,
  if the players don’t so something to get
  out of the way, you can follow through
  with damage as a hard move. Ignoring
  the oncoming arrows is a golden oppor-
  tunity.
  Choosing a Move
  To choose a move, start by looking at the
  obvious consequences of the action that
  triggered it. If you already have an idea,
  thinkonitforasecondtomakesureitﬁts
  your agenda and principles and then do
  it. Let your moves snowball . Build
  onthesuccessorfailureofthecharacters
  moves and on your own previous moves.
  You can choose to save up your moves
  instead. Use this option sparingly, only
  when you’re sure the consequences of
  their action occurred off screen and that
  you’ll be able to come up with those con-
  sequences later. The saved move should
  alwaysbeusedinthesamephysicalarea,
  such as a dungeon complex or sprawling
  swamp. Your players will come to ex-
  pect you to make hard moves on the tail
  oftheirfailedrolls—thiswillthrowthem
  off. Their actions will instead come back
  to bite them later. Be careful with it.
  Making your Move
  When making a move, keep your princi-
  ples in mind. In particular, "never speak
  the name of your move" and "address
  the characters, not the players." Your
  moves are not mechanical actions hap-
  pening around the table. They are con-
  crete events happening to the characters
  in the ﬁctional world you are describing.
  Note that "Deal damage" is a move, but
  othermovesmayincludedamageaswell.
  When an ogre ﬂings you against a wall
  you take damage as surely as if he had
  smashed you with his ﬁsts. If a monster
  deals damage incidentally as part of an-
  other move, like charging past Titanius
  slamming her to the ground, the dam-
  age dealt is equal to half the monster’s
  normal damage.
  If a move causes damage not related to a
  monster, like a collapsing tunnel or fall
  into a pit, use the damage rules on page
  X (Blood and Guts chapter).
  After every move you make, always ask
  "What do you do?" The players’ charac-
  ters are the stars, remember.
  Use a monster, danger, or location move
  Eachmonsterinanadventurehasmoves
  associated with it, as do many locations.
  A monster or location move is just a de-
  scription of what that location or mon-
  sterdoes, maybe"hurlsomeoneaway"or
  "bridge the planes." If a move (like Hack
  and Slash) says that a monster gets to
  make an attack, make a move with that
  monster.
  The overarching dangers of the adven-
  ture also have moves associated with
  them.
  Use these moves to bring that
  danger into play, which may mean more
  monsters.
  Reveal an unwelcome truth
  An unwelcome truth is a fact the players
  wish wasn’t true: that the room’s been
  trapped, maybe, or that the helpful gob-
  lin is actually a spy. You never make up
  an unwelcome truth when making this
  move—you just bring one to light. Re-
  vealtotheplayersjusthowmuchtrouble
  they’re in.
  Show signs of doom
  This is one of your most versatile moves.
  ’Doom’ is anything bad that’s coming.
  With this move, you just show them that
  something’sgoingtohappenunlessthey
  do something about it. Remember to ask
  "What do you do?"
  
  Dungeon Moves
  The GM
  44
  Deal damage
  When you deal damage you choose
  one source of damage that’s ﬁctionally
  threatening a character and apply it. In
  combat with a lizard man?
  It stabs
  you. Running from a collapsing tunnel?
  Some rocks catch your ankle.
  The amount of damage is decided by the
  source. In some cases, this move might
  involve trading damage both ways, with
  theplayercharacteralsodealingdamage.
  Most damage is based on a dice roll.
  When a player takes damage, tell them
  what to roll, you never need to touch the
  dice. If the player is too cowardly to ﬁnd
  out their own fate, they can ask another
  player to roll for them.
  Dealing damage is a hard move. Use it
  carefully.
  Use up their resources
  Surviving in a dungeon, or anywhere
  dangerous, often comes down to sup-
  plies. With this move, something hap-
  pens to use up some resource: weapons,
  armor, healing, ongoing spells.
  You
  don’t always have to use it up perma-
  nently. A sword might just be ﬂung to
  the other side of the room, not shattered.
  Offer an opportunity, with or without cost
  Showthemsomethingtheywant: riches,
  power, glory. If you want, you can asso-
  ciate some cost with it too, of course.
  Remember to lead with the ﬁction. You
  don’t say "This area isn’t dangerous so
  you can make camp here, if you’re will-
  ing to take the time." You make it a solid
  ﬁctional thing and say "Helferth’s bless-
  ingsstillhangaroundtheshatteredalter.
  It’s clearly been untouched, the goblins
  don’t come here. It’s a nice safe spot, but
  the chanting from the ritual chamber is
  getting louder. What do you do?"
  Put someone in a spot
  A spot is someplace where they have to
  make tough, ugly choices. Put them in
  the path of destruction.
  Put someone
  or something they care about in a dan-
  gerous situation. Whatever you do, just
  make sure they’re someplace where they
  have to take action and then ask "What
  do you do?"
  Tell them the requirements or consequences and
  ask
  This move is particularly good when
  they’ve done something that’s not a
  move, or failed a move.
  They can do
  it, sure, but they’ll have to meet the
  requirements.
  Or, they can do it, but
  there will be consequences. Maybe they
  can swing across the chasm, fully ar-
  mored, and leap into battle, but the rope
  will be stressed beyond usefulness after-
  wards. Maybe they can swim through
  the crocodilian-infested moat before be-
  ing devoured, but they’ll need a distrac-
  tion.
  Of course this is made clear to
  the characters, not just the players: the
  crocodilians are slavering hungry and
  starved, or the rope already has danger-
  ous give.
  Dungeon Moves
  Dungeon Moves are a special subset that
  areusedtomakeoralteradungeononthe
  ﬂy. Use these if your players are explor-
  ing a hostile area that you don’t already
  have planned all the way through.
  Map out the area being explored as you
  make these moves. Most of them will
  requireyoutoaddanewroomorelement
  to your map.
  •
  Change the environment
  •
  Point to a looming threat
  •
  Introduce a new faction or type of
  creature
  •
  Use a threat from an existing faction
  or type of creature
  •
  Make them backtrack
  •
  Present riches at a price
  •
  Presentachallengetooneofthechar-
  acters
  You can make these moves whenever
  everyone looks to you to say something,
  when the players present you an oppor-
  tunity, or when the players miss on a
  roll. They’re particularly well-suited for
  when the players look at you to ﬁnd out
  what a new room or area is like.
  Change the environment
  The environment is the general feel of
  the area the players are in: carved tun-
  nels, warped trees, safe trails, or what-
  ever else.
  This is your opportunity to
  introduce them to a new environment:
  the tunnels gradually become naturally
  carved, the trees are dead, or the trails
  are lost and the wilderness takes over.
  Use this move to vary the types of areas
  and creatures the players will face.
  It’s an opportunity for you to interject
  with a change in scenery and play up
  the themes and dangers that are to come.
  Snowball this move with itself over time
  to gradually shift the dungeon to some-
  thing new and exciting by using one or
  two elements at a time. First the scent of
  brimstone ﬁlls the tunnels, then hellish
  sigils mar the walls, then the moans of
  the damned and before the players know
  it, they’re not in a cavern at all—they’re
  in the pit of a demon lord!
  Point to a looming threat
  If you know that something lurking and
  waiting for the players to stumble upon
  it, this move shows them the signs and
  clues. This move is the dragon’s foot-
  prints in the mud or the slimy trail of the
  gelatinous cube.
  This move means that when the players
  ﬁnallycomeface-to-facewiththethreat,
  they’ll have some ideas and fear about
  what awaits them. Use it to build ten-
  sion or, in some cases, provide hints that
  prove to be a surprise. It’s not a wicked
  red dragon like the players expected, it’s
  a wounded silver drake who needs their
  help.
  Introduce a new faction or type of creature
  A type of creatures is a broad grouping:
  orcs, goblins, lizardmen, golems, etc.
  A faction is a group of creatures united
  by a similar goal. Once you introduce
  them you can begin to make moves and
  cause trouble for the players with those
  creatures or NPCs.
  Introducing means giving some clear
  sensory evidence or substantiated infor-
  mation. Don’t be coy, the players should
  have some idea what you’re showing the
  presence of. You can, however, be sub-
  tle in your approach. No need to have
  the cultistoverlord wavinga placard and
  screaming in the infernal tongue every
  single time.
  You don’t have to warn the players about
  this move.
  A hard application of this
  move will snowball directly into a com-
  bat scene or ambush.
  Use a threat from an existing faction or type of
  creature
  Once the characters have some been in-
  troducedtothepresenceafactionortype
  of creature you can use monsters of that
  type.
  Use the factions and types broadly. Orcs
  are accompanied with their hunting
  worgs. A mad cult probably has some
  undead servants or maybe a few beasts
  summoned from the deepest pits. This
  is a move that, often, you’ll be making
  subconsciously—it’s just implementing
  the tools you’ve set out for yourself in a
  clear and effective manner.
  
  The GM
  Dungeon Moves
  45
  Make them backtrack
  Look back at the spaces you’ve added to
  the map. Is there anything useful there
  as yet undiscovered? Can you add a new
  obstacle that can only be overcome by
  going back there? Is there a locked door
  here and now whose key lies in an earlier
  room?
  When backtracking, take the opportu-
  nity to show the effect the players have
  had on the areas they’ve left behind.
  Whatnewthreatshavesprungupintheir
  wake?
  What didn’t they take care of
  that’s waiting for their return?
  Use this move the make the dungeon a
  living, breathingplace. Thereisnostasis
  in the wake of the characters’ passing.
  Add reinforcements, cave in walls, cause
  chaos. Make the dungeon evolve in the
  wake of the characters’ actions.
  Present riches at a price
  What do the players want? What might
  they give something up for?
  Putsomedesirableitemjustoutofreach.
  Find something they’re short on: time,
  HP, gear, whatever. Find a way to make
  what they want available if they give up
  what they have.
  The simplest way to use this move is the
  promise of gold out of the way of the
  main objective. Will they stop to pry the
  ruby eyes from the idol when they know
  that the virgin sacriﬁce looms closer and
  closer? Use this move and you can ﬁnd
  out.
  Present a challenge to one of the characters
  Challenge a character by looking at what
  they’re good at. Give the Thief a lock to
  pick, show the Cleric evil gods to battle
  against. Give the Wizard magical mys-
  teries to investigate. Show the Fighter
  some skulls he can crack. Give someone
  a chance to shine.
  As an alternative, challenge a character
  by looking at what they’re bad at or what
  they’ve left unresolved. If the Bard has a
  long con running what steps will he take
  to cover it up when someone ﬁgures him
  out? If the Wizard has been summoning
  demons then what happens when word
  gets out?
  This move can give a character the spot-
  light—even if just for a moment. Try to
  give everyone a chance to be the focus
  of play using this move from session to
  session.
  
  Prep
  First Session
  46
  19
  First
  Session
  The ﬁrst session of a game of Dungeon
  World begins with character creation.
  Charactercreationisalsoworldcreation,
  the details on the character sheets and
  thequestionstheGMasksestablishwhat
  Dungeon World is like—who lives in it
  and what’s going on.
  This section is for the GM so it’s ad-
  dressed to you—the GM. For the play-
  ers, the ﬁrst session is just like every
  other. They just have to play their char-
  acters like real people and explore Dun-
  geon World. The GM has to do a little
  more in the ﬁrst session. They establish
  theworldandthethreatstheplayerswill
  face. Don’t worry, it’s fun.
  Prep
  Before the ﬁrst session, you’ll need to
  print some stuff. Print off:
  •
  A few copies of the basic moves and
  special moves (double sided, basic on
  one side and special on the other).
  You’ll want about one per player.
  •
  One copy of each class sheet, double
  sided.
  •
  One copy each of the cleric and wiz-
  ard spell sheets, double sided.
  •
  A few copies of the equipment sheet.
  •
  The GM moves.
  •
  The GM worksheets.
  You’ll also need to read this whole book,
  especially the sections on GMing (GM
  moves) and the basic moves.
  It’s a
  good idea to be acquainted with the class
  moves too, so you can be prepared for
  them. Beespeciallysuretoreadtherules
  for Fronts, but don’t create any yet.
  Think about fantastic worlds, strange
  magic, and foul beasts. If you’ve played
  other fantasy games like Dungeons and
  Dragons think back to what made your
  old games so much fun. Remember the
  games you played and the stories you
  told. They can all provide inspiration for
  yourDungeonWorldgame. Watchsome
  movies, read some comics; get heroic
  fantasy into your brain.
  Whatyoubringtotheﬁrstsession,ideas-
  wise, is up to you. At the very least bring
  your head full of ideas. That’s the bare
  minimum.
  If you like you can plan a little more.
  Maybe think of an evil plot, or who’s be-
  hind it, or some monsters you’d like to
  use.
  If you’ve got some spare time on your
  hands you can even draw some maps
  (but remember, from your Principles:
  leave blanks) and imagine speciﬁc loca-
  tions. Flexibility is key when planning:
  what happens during character creation
  trumps anything you wrote ahead of
  time.
  The one thing you absolutely can’t bring
  to the table is a planned storyline or plot.
  You don’t know the heroes or the world
  before you sit down to play so planning
  anything concrete is just going to frus-
  trate you.
  It also conﬂicts with your
  Agenda: play to ﬁnd out what happens.
  Don’t use the Fronts rules (in the next
  chapter) for the ﬁrst session either.
  Thosewillcomewithtimebutintheﬁrst
  session you need to be able to focus more
  on getting the game rolling. The big pic-
  turedoesn’tmattersomuch,yet. Instead
  focus on getting the players into action,
  interacting with each other, and using
  the rules.
  Getting Started
  When everyone shows up for the ﬁrst
  session brieﬂy introduce anyone who
  hasn’t played before to Dungeon World.
  Coverthemechanicalbasisofmoves. In-
  troduce the character classes, help play-
  ers pick their classes, and walk them
  through character creation.
  During this entire process, especially
  character creation, ask questions. Look
  for interesting facts established by the
  characters’ Bonds, moves, classes, and
  descriptions and ask about those things.
  Be curious!
  When someone mentions
  the demons that slaughtered their vil-
  lage ﬁnd out more about them. After all,
  you don’t have anything (except maybe
  a dungeon) and everything they give you
  is fuel for future adventures.
  Also pay attention to the players’ ques-
  tions. When mechanical questions come
  up answer them. When questions of set-
  ting or ﬁction come up your best bet is
  to turn those questions around. When a
  player says "Who is the King of Torsea"
  say "I don’t know. Who is it? What is
  he like?" Collaborate with your players.
  Asking a question means it’s something
  that interests them so work with them
  to make the answers interesting. Don’t
  be afraid to say "I don’t know" and ask
  them the same questions; work together
  toﬁndafantasticandinterestinganswer.
  Share the ideas you’ve brought to the ta-
  ble (either general ones or even a speciﬁc
  dungeon). If you’re interested in start-
  ing with the players hunting for a lost
  wizard, tell them that. Until the players
  agree, it’s just your idea. Once they nod
  their heads, it’s part of the game.
  Once everyone has their characters cre-
  ated you can take a deep breath. Look
  backoverthequestionsyou’veaskedand
  answered so far. You should have some
  notes that will point you towards what
  the game might look like. Look at what
  the players have brought to the table.
  Look at the ideas that’ve been stewing
  away in your head. It’s time for the ad-
  venture to begin!
  
  First Session
  Prep
  47
  The First Adventure
  The ﬁrst adventure is really about ﬁnd-
  ing out what future sessions will deal
  with.
  Throughout the ﬁrst adventure
  keepyoureyeoutforunresolvedthreats;
  note dangerous things that are men-
  tioned but not dealt with. These will be
  fuel for future sessions.
  Start the session with a group of player
  characters (maybe all of them) in a tense
  situation.
  Use anything that demands
  action: outside the entrance to a dun-
  geon, ambushed in a fetid swamp, peek-
  ing through the crack in a door at the
  orcguards,orbeingsentencedbeforethe
  King. Ifthesituationstemsdirectlyfrom
  thecharactersandyourquestions,allthe
  better.
  Here’s where the game starts. The play-
  ers will start saying and doing things,
  whichmeansthey’llstartmakingmoves.
  For the ﬁrst session you should watch
  especially carefully for when moves ap-
  ply, until the players get the hang of it.
  Often, in the early sessions, the players
  will be most comfortable just narrating
  their actions—this is ﬁne. When a move
  triggers let them know. Say "It sounds
  like you’re trying to. . ." and then walk
  them through the move. Players looking
  for direction will look to their character
  sheet. Be quick to ask "so what are you
  actually doing?" when a player just says
  "I Hack and Slash him." Ask, too, "how?"
  or "with what?".
  For the ﬁrst session, you have a few spe-
  ciﬁc goals:
  •
  Establish details, describe
  •
  Use what they give you
  •
  Ask questions
  •
  Leave blanks
  •
  Look for interesting facts
  •
  Help the players understand the
  moves
  •
  Give each character a chance to shine
  •
  Introduce NPCs
  Establish details, describe
  All the ideas and visions in your head
  don’t really exist in the ﬁction of the
  game until you share them, describe
  them and detail them. The ﬁrst session
  is the time to establish the basics of what
  things look like, who’s in charge, what
  they wear, what the world is like, what
  the immediate location is like. Describe
  everythingbutkeepitbriefenoughtoex-
  pandonlater. Useadetailortwotomake
  a description really stand out as real.
  Use what they give you
  The best part of the ﬁrst session is
  you don’t have to come with anything
  concrete.
  You might have a dungeon
  sketched out but the players provide the
  real meat—use it. They’ll emerge from
  the darkness of that ﬁrst dungeon and
  when they do and their eyes adjust to
  the light, you’ll have built up an exciting
  world to explore with their help. Look at
  their Bonds, their moves, how they an-
  swer your questions and use those to ﬁll
  in the world around the characters.
  Ask questions
  You’re using what they give you, right?
  Whatifyouneedmore? That’swhenyou
  drawitoutbyaskingquestions. Pokeand
  prod about speciﬁc things. Ask for reac-
  tions "what does Lux think about that?"
  "is Avon doing something about it?"
  If you ever ﬁnd yourself at a loss, pause
  for a second and ask a question.
  Ask
  one character a question about another.
  When a character does something, ask
  how a different character feels or re-
  acts. Questions will power your game
  and make it feel real and exciting. Use
  theanswersyouﬁndtoﬁllinwhatmight
  happen next.
  Leave blanks
  This is one of your Principles, but it’s
  especially true during the ﬁrst session.
  Everyblankisanothercoolthingwaiting
  tohappen,leaveyourselfastockofthem.
  Look for interesting facts
  There are some ideas that, when you
  hear them, just jump out at you. When
  you hear one of those ideas, just write
  it down. When a player mentions the
  DukeofSorrowsbeingthedemonhebar-
  gained with, note it. That little fact is the
  seed for a whole world.
  Help the players understand the moves
  You’ve already read the game, the play-
  ers may not have, so it’s up to you to
  help them if they need it. The fact is,
  they likely won’t need it much. All they
  have to do is describe what their charac-
  ter does, the rules take care of the rest.
  Theoneplacetheymayneedsomehelpis
  remembering the triggers for the moves.
  Keep an ear out for actions that trigger
  moves, like attacking in melee or con-
  sulting their knowledge.
  After a few
  moves the players will likely remember
  them on their own.
  Give each character a chance to shine
  As a fan of the heroes (remember your
  Agenda?) you want to see them do what
  they do best.
  Give them a chance at
  this, not by tailoring every room to their
  skills,butbyportrayingafantasticworld
  (Agenda again) where there isn’t one so-
  lution to everything.
  Introduce NPCs
  NPCs bring the world to life. If every
  monster does nothing more than attack
  andeveryblacksmithsetsouttheirwares
  for simple payment the world is dead.
  Instead give your characters, especially
  those that the players show an interest
  in, life (Principles, remember?). Intro-
  duce NPCs but don’t protect them. The
  recently-deceased Goblin King is just as
  useful for future adventures as the one
  who’s still alive.
  
  Creating Fronts
  Fronts
  48
  20
  Fronts
  Fronts are secret tomes of GM knowl-
  edge. With the exception of a few sneaky
  PC tricks Fronts are your purview and
  are a place where you’ll build the ad-
  versaries, organizations, and other mis-
  fortune that the characters will come in
  conﬂict with. A Front is a collection of
  linked Dangers—threats to the charac-
  tersspeciﬁcallyandtothepeople,places,
  and things the characters care about. It
  also includes one or more Impending
  Dooms,thehorriblethingsthatwillhap-
  pen without the players’ intervention.
  “Fronts”comes,ofcourse,from“ﬁghting
  on two fronts” which is just where you
  want the characters to be—surrounded
  by threats, danger and adventure.
  Fronts are built outside of active play.
  They’re the solo fun that you get to have
  between games—rubbing your hands
  and cackling evilly to yourself as you
  craft the foes with which to challenge
  your PCs. You may tweak or adjust the
  Frontsduringplay(whoknowswhenin-
  spiration will strike?) but the meat of
  them comes from preparation between
  sessions.
  Fronts are designed to help you organize
  yourthoughtsonPCopposition. They’re
  here to contain your notes, ideas, and
  plans for these opposing forces. When
  you’re in a bind your Fronts are where
  you’re going to turn and say “oh, so that
  ’s what I should do”.
  Consider them
  an organizational tool, as inspiration for
  present and future mayhem.
  When you’re building Fronts, think
  about all the creepy dungeon denizens,
  the rampaging hordes and ancient cults
  that you’d like to see in your game.
  Think in broad strokes at ﬁrst and then,
  as you build Dangers into your Fronts,
  you’ll be able to narrow those ideas
  down. When you write your Campaign
  Front, think about session—to—session
  trends.
  When you write your Adven-
  ture Fronts, think about what’s impor-
  tant right here and right now.
  When
  you’re done writing a few Fronts you’ll
  be equipped with all the tools you’ll need
  to challenge your players and ready to
  run Dungeon World.
  Campaign and Adventure Fronts
  At their core, all Fronts contain the
  same components. They sort and gather
  your Dangers into easy—to—use clus-
  ters. There are, however, two different
  kinds of Fronts available to you. On the
  session—to—session level there’s your
  Adventure Fronts. These Fronts will see
  use for 3 or 4 sessions each. They’re tied
  to one problem and will be dealt with
  or cast aside as the characters wander
  the dungeon or uncover the plot at hand.
  Think of them as episodic content: “To-
  day, on Dungeon World. . .”
  Tying your Adventure Fronts together is
  your Campaign Front.
  While the Ad-
  venture Fronts will contain immediate
  Dangers—the Orcs in Hargrosh Pass,
  say—the Campaign Front contains the
  Dark God Grishkar who drives the Orcs
  to their pillaging. The Campaign Front
  is the unifying element that spans your
  all the sessions of your Dungeon World
  game. It will have slower—burning Por-
  tents but they’ll be bigger in scope and
  have a deeper impact on the world. Most
  importantly they’ll be scarier if they’re
  allowed to resolve.
  WhenaDangerfromanAdventureFront
  goes without resolution you’ll have to
  make a decision. If the Danger is some-
  thing you like and feel has a place in the
  larger story of your game don’t hesitate
  tomoveittotheCampaignFront. You’re
  able to make smaller Dangers that went
  unresolved into bigger Dangers some
  day later on.
  You can move Dangers
  from the Campaign Fronts to the an Ad-
  venture Front if you’re ready for the big
  showdown, too.
  Creating Fronts
  Here’s how a Front comes together:
  •
  Choose Campaign Front or Adven-
  ture Front
  •
  Create 2–3 Dangers
  •
  Choose their Impending Doom
  •
  (For an Adventure Front, 1–3 Grim
  Portents)
  •
  (For the Campaign Front, 3–5 Grim
  Portents)
  •
  Write 1–3 stakes questions
  •
  List the general cast of the Front
  Creating Dangers
  Not every single element of your game
  will warrant a Danger—traps, some rov-
  ing monsters and other bits of ephemera
  mayjustbetheretoaddﬂavourbutaren’t
  important enough to warrant inclusion.
  That’s okay. Fronts are here to keep you
  appraised of the bigger picture. Dangers
  are divided into a handful of categories,
  each with its own name and impulse .
  Every Danger has a crucial motivation
  thatdrivesitcalledits"impulse."Theim-
  pulse exists to help you understand that
  Danger. What pushes it to fulﬁll its Im-
  pending Doom? Impulse can help you
  translation the Danger into action.
  When creating Dangers for your Front,
  think about how each one interacts as a
  facet of the Front as a whole. Keep in
  mind the people, places, and things that
  might be a part of the threat to the world
  thattheFrontrepresents. Howdoeseach
  Danger contribute to the Front?
  
  Fronts
  Types of Dangers
  49
  Let’s say we have an idea for a Front—an
  ancient portal has been discovered in the icy
  north. We’ll call our Front "The Opening of
  the White Gate".
  The easiest place to start is with people
  and monsters. Cultists, ogre chieftains,
  demonicoverlordsandthelikeareallex-
  cellent Dangers. These are the creatures
  that have risen above mere monster sta-
  tus to become serious threats on their
  own. Groups of monsters, too, can be
  Dangers—goblin tribes or a rampaging
  centaur khanate, for example.
  For the Front we’re creating, we can pick a
  few different groups or people who might be
  interested in the gate. The College of Arcan-
  ists, perhaps. There’s a golem, too, we’ve
  decided, that protects the forgotten portal.
  The golem is just an obstacle, so we won’t
  make him a Danger.
  Thinking more broadly, less obvious el-
  ements of the world can be Dangers.
  Blasted landscapes, intelligent magical
  items, ancient spells woven into the
  fabric of time.
  These things fulﬁll
  the same purposes as a mad necro-
  mancer—they’re part of the Front, a
  Danger to the world.
  For our Front, we’ll add the Gate itself.
  Lastly, if we think ahead, we can in-
  clude some overarching Dangers.
  The
  sorts of things that are in play outside
  therealmoftheobvious—godlypatrons,
  hidden conspiracies and cursed prophe-
  cies waiting to be fulﬁlled.
  Perhaps the White Gate was carved in the
  ancientpast,hiddenbyaraceofAngelsuntil
  theDayofJudgement. We’lladdthe"Argent
  Seraphim" to our Front.
  Of course, there’s so much more I could
  add to my Front, but there’s two reasons
  not to go overboard: ﬁrstly, I want to
  leave room for discovery. Like a map,
  blank spaces can always be ﬁlled in later.
  Leaving room for player contribution
  and future inspiration means I’ll have
  freedom to alter the Front and make it ﬁt
  thegameasthestoryemerges. Secondly,
  not every bad thing that could happen
  deserves Danger—hood. If you’re un-
  certain, think about it this way: Dangers
  can always get worse.
  A barbarian tribe near the Gate, the frozen
  tundraitself,abandofrivaladventurers;all
  these things could be dangerous elements of
  the game but they’re not important enough
  just yet to deserve to be Dangers.
  CreatingDangersisawaytosliceupyour
  overall Front concept into smaller, eas-
  ier to manage pieces. Dangers are a tool
  for adding detail to the right parts of the
  Front and for making the Front easier to
  manage in the long run.
  Once you’ve named and added a Danger
  to the Front you need to choose a type
  for that Danger from the list below. Al-
  ternately you can use the list of types
  to inspire Dangers: with your Front in
  mind, peruse the list and pick one or two
  that ﬁt.
  For our three Dangers (The College of Ar-
  canists, The White Gate and the Argent
  Seraphim)we’veselectedCabal,DarkPortal
  and Choir of Angels, respectively.
  Types of Dangers
  •
  Ambitious Organizations
  •
  Planar Forces
  •
  Arcane Enemies
  •
  Hordes
  •
  Cursed Places
  Ambitious Organizations
  •
  Misguided Good (impulse: to do “what
  is right” no matter the cost )
  •
  Thieves Guild (impulse: to take by sub-
  terfuge )
  •
  Cult (impulse: to infest from within )
  •
  Religious Organization (impulse: toes-
  tablish and follow doctrine )
  •
  Corrupt Government (impulse:
  to
  maintain the status quo )
  •
  Cabal (impulse: to absorb those in power,
  to grow )
  GM Moves for Ambitious Organizations
  •
  Attack someone by stealthy means
  (kidnapping, etc.)
  •
  Attack someone directly (with a gang
  or single assailant)
  •
  Absorb or buy out an someone im-
  portant (an ally, perhaps)
  •
  Inﬂuence a body of control (change a
  law, manipulate doctrine)
  •
  Establish a new rule (within the or-
  ganization)
  •
  Claim territory or resources
  •
  Negotiate a deal
  •
  Observe a potential foe in great detail
  Planar Forces
  •
  God (impulse: to gather worshippers )
  •
  DemonPrince(impulse: toopenthegates
  of Hell )
  •
  Elemental Lord (impulse: to tear down
  creation to its component parts )
  •
  Force of Chaos (impulse: to destroy all
  semblance of order )
  •
  Choir of Angels (impulse: to pass judge-
  ment )
  •
  Construct of Law (impulse: to eliminate
  perceived disorder )
  GM Moves for Planar Forces
  •
  Turn an organization (corrupt or in-
  ﬁltrate with inﬂuence)
  •
  Give dreams of prophecy
  •
  Lay a Curse on a foe
  •
  Extract a promise in exchange for a
  boon
  •
  Attack indirectly, through interme-
  diaries
  •
  Rarely, when the stars are right, at-
  tack directly
  •
  Foster rivalries with other, similar
  powers
  •
  Expose someone to a Truth, wanted
  or otherwise
  Arcane Enemies
  •
  Lord of the Undead (impulse: to seek
  true immortality )
  •
  Power-mad Wizard (impulse: to seek
  magical power )
  •
  SentientArtifact(impulse: toﬁndawor-
  thy wielder )
  •
  Ancient Curse (impulse: to ensnare )
  •
  Chosen One (impulse: to fulﬁll or resent
  their destiny )
  •
  Dragon (impulse: to hoard gold and jew-
  els, to protect the clutch )
  GM Moves for Arcane Enemies
  •
  Learn forbidden knowledge
  •
  Cast a spell over time and space
  •
  Attack a foe with magic, directly or
  otherwise
  •
  Spy on someone with a scrying spell
  •
  Recruit a follower or toady
  •
  Tempt someone with promises
  •
  Demand a sacriﬁce
  
  Types of Dangers
  Fronts
  50
  Hordes
  •
  Wandering Barbarians (impulse:
  to
  grow strong, to drive their enemies before
  them )
  •
  Humanoid Vermin (impulse: to breed –
  to multiply and consume )
  •
  UndergroundDwellers(impulse: tode-
  fend the complex from outsiders )
  •
  Plague of the Undead (impulse:
  to
  spread )
  GM Moves for Hordes
  •
  Assault a bastion of civilization
  •
  Embrace internal chaos
  •
  Change direction suddenly
  •
  Overwhelm a weaker force
  •
  Display a show of dominance
  •
  Abandonanoldhome,ﬁndanewone
  •
  Grow in size by breeding or conquest
  •
  Appoint a champion
  •
  Declare war and act upon that decla-
  ration without hesitation or deliber-
  ation
  Cursed Places
  •
  Abandoned Tower (impulse: to draw in
  the weak-willed )
  •
  Unholy Ground (impulse: to spawn evil
  )
  •
  Elemental Vortex (impulse: to grow, to
  tear apart reality )
  •
  DarkPortal(impulse: todisgorgedemons
  )
  •
  Shadowland (impulse: to corrupt or con-
  sume the living )
  •
  Place of Power (impulse: to be controlled
  or tamed )
  GM Moves for Cursed Places
  •
  Vomit forth a lesser monster
  •
  Spread to an adjacent place
  •
  Draw the attention of a curious party
  •
  Grow in intensity or depth
  •
  Leave a lingering effect on an inhab-
  itant or visitor
  •
  Hide something from sight
  •
  Offer power
  •
  Dampen magic or increase its effects
  •
  Confuse or obfuscate truth or direc-
  tion
  •
  Corrupt a natural law
  Description and Cast
  Write up something short to remind you
  just what this Danger is about; some-
  thing to describe it in a nutshell. Don’t
  worry about where it’s going or what
  could happen—Grim Portents and the
  Impending Doom will handle that for
  you, you’ll get to those in a bit. If there
  are multiple people involved in the Dan-
  ger (an orc warlord and his clansmen, a
  hateful God and his servants) go ahead
  and give them a name and a detail or two
  now. Leaveyourselfsomespaceasyou’ll
  be adding to this section as you play.
  Custom Moves
  Sometimes, a Danger will require some
  particular move that might not exist yet.
  Write one or two you think you might
  need, now. They may be player moves
  or GM moves, as you see ﬁt. Of course, if
  you’re writing a player move, keep your
  (the GMs) hands off the dice and keep
  in mind the basic structure of a move.
  A 10+ is a complete success; a 7–9 is a
  partial success. On a miss, maybe the
  custom move does something speciﬁc,
  or maybe not—maybe you just get to
  make a move or work towards fulﬁlling
  a Grim Portent. The formatting of these
  moves varies from move to move. See
  theAdvancedDelvingchapterfordetails
  on how to create your own.
  For the Opening of the White Gate, I just
  know some fool PC is going to end up in the
  lightthatspillsfromthegate, soI’mwriting
  a move to show what might occur.
  Grim Portents
  Grim Portents are dark designs for
  what could happen if a Danger goes
  unchecked. Imagine yourself a kind of
  diviner working some scrying spell into
  the future of your campaign or the ad-
  venture that the characters are under-
  taking.
  Think about what would hap-
  pen if the Danger existed in the world
  but the PCs didn’t.
  If all these awful
  things you’ve conjured up had their run
  of the world. Scary, huh? The Grim Por-
  tentsareyourwaytocodifytheplansand
  machinations of your Dangers. A Grim
  Portent can be a single interesting event
  or a chain of steps.
  When you’re not
  sure what to do next push your Danger
  towards resolving a Grim Portent.
  More often than not, each Portent relies
  on its predecessors to resolve. The Orcs
  tear down the city only after the peace
  talks fail, for example. A simple Front
  will progress from bad to worse to much
  worse in a clear path forward.
  Some-
  times, Grim Portents are unconnected
  pathways to the Impending Doom. The
  early manifestations of Danger might
  not all be related.
  It’s up to you how
  complex your Front will be. Whenever
  a Danger comes to pass, check the other
  DangersintheFront. InacomplexFront,
  you may need to cross off or alter the
  Grim Portents.
  That’s ﬁne, you’re al-
  lowed.
  Think of your Grim Portents as possible
  moves waiting in the wings. When the
  time is right, unleash them on the world.
  I’ve chosen a few Grim Portents for my new
  Front.
  •
  The College sends an expedition to the
  Gate
  •
  The Key is discovered
  •
  The First Trumpet sounds
  •
  A Champion is chosen
  •
  The Second Trumpet sounds
  •
  The Herald appears
  •
  The Gate is Opened
  Grim Portents are the sword of in-
  evitability that hangs over the charac-
  ters. The struggles that they ﬁght every
  day on the ﬁeld of battle, in the courts of
  society and in the deepest dungeons of
  the world. Think about how the Dangers
  contribute to the Front you’re creating,
  both externally (the effect of the Danger
  on the world around it) and internally
  (the politics or struggles of its parts).
  Keep scale in mind, too. Grim Portents
  don’t all have to be world—shaking.
  They can simply represent a change in
  direction for a Danger. Some new way
  for it to cause trouble in the world.
  When a Grim Portent comes to pass,
  check it off—the Portent is a part of the
  world, now.
  The prophecy has come
  true! A Portent that has come to pass
  might have ramiﬁcations for your other
  Fronts,too. Haveaquicklookwhenyour
  playersaren’tdemandingyourattention
  and feel free to make changes. One small
  Portent may resound across the whole
  Campaign in subtle ways.
  YoucanadvanceaGrimPortentdescrip-
  tively or prescriptively.
  Descriptively
  means that, through play, you’ve seen
  the change happen, so you mark it off.
  Maybe the players sided with the gob-
  lin tribes against their lizardmen ene-
  mies—now the goblins control the tun-
  nels. Lo and behold, this was the next
  step in a Grim Portent. Prescriptive is
  when, due to a failed player move or
  a golden opportunity, you advance the
  Grim Portent as your hard move. That
  step comes to pass, show its effects and
  keep on asking "what do you do, now?"
  
  Fronts
  Resolving a Front
  51
  Impending Doom
  At the end of every Danger’s path is
  an Impending Doom. This is the ﬁnal
  toll of the bell that signals the Danger’s
  triumphant resolution.
  When a Grim
  Portent comes to pass the Impending
  Doom grows stronger, more apparent
  and present in the world.
  These are
  the Very Bad Things that every Dan-
  ger, in some way, seeks to bring into
  effect. Choose one of the types of Im-
  pending Dooms and give it a concrete vi-
  sion in your Front. These may change in
  play—often they will, as the characters
  meddle in the affairs of the world. Don’t
  fret, you can change them later.
  •
  Tyranny (of the strong over the weak
  or the few over the many)
  •
  Pestilence(thespreadofsicknessand
  disease, the end of wellness)
  •
  Destruction (apocalypse, ruin and
  woe)
  •
  Usurpation (the chain of order comes
  apart, someone rightful is displaced)
  •
  Impoverishment (enslavement, the
  abandonment of goodness and right)
  •
  Rampant Chaos (laws of reality, of
  society, or any order is dissolved)
  When all of the Grim Portents of a dan-
  ger come to pass, the Impending Doom
  sets in. The Danger is then resolved but
  the setting has changed in some dras-
  tic way—even on a small level.
  This
  will almost certainly change the Front at
  large, as well. Making sure that these ef-
  fects are felt and signiﬁcant to the NPCs,
  places, and life of the campaign world is
  a big part of making them feel real.
  Stakes
  Your stakes questions are 1–3 questions
  about people, places, or groups that
  you’re interested in.
  People include
  characters and NPCs, your choice. Re-
  member that your agenda includes "Play
  to ﬁnd out what happens?" Well this is
  a way of reminding yourself what you
  want to ﬁnd out.
  Stakes are concrete and clear.
  Don’t
  write stakes about vague feelings or in-
  cremental changes. Stakes are about im-
  portant changes that affect the PCs and
  the world.
  A good stakes question is
  one that, when it’s resolved, means that
  things will never be the same again.
  The most important thing about stakes
  is that you ﬁnd them interesting. Your
  stakes should be things that you gen-
  uinely want to know, but that you’re also
  willing to not decide. Once you’ve writ-
  ten it as a stake, it’s out of your hands,
  you don’t get to just make it up anymore.
  Now you have to play to ﬁnd out.
  Playing to ﬁnd out is one of the biggest
  rewards of playing Dungeon World.
  You’ve written down something tied to
  events happening in the world that you
  want to ﬁnd out about—now you get to
  do just that.
  Once you have your stakes your front is
  ready to play.
  My stakes questions include, as tailored to
  my group:
  •
  Who will be the Champion?
  •
  How will Lux respond to the Light from
  Beyond?
  •
  Will the College be able to recruit Avon?
  Resolving a Front
  Often a Front will be resolved in a simple
  and straightforward manner.
  A Front
  representing a single dungeon may have
  its Dangers killed, turned to good, or
  overcome by some act of heroism.
  In
  this case the Front is dissolved and set
  aside.
  Maybe there are elements of
  the Front—Dangers that go unresolved
  or leftover members of a Danger that’s
  been cleared—that lives on. Maybe they
  move to the Campaign Front as brand
  new Dangers?
  The Campaign Front will need a bit more
  effort to resolve. It’ll be working slowly
  and subtly as the course of the Campaign
  rolls along. You won’t introduce or re-
  solve it all at once, but in pieces. The
  characters work towards defeating the
  various minions of the Big Bad that lives
  in your Campaign Front.
  In the end,
  though, you’ll know that the Campaign
  Front is resolved when the Dark God is
  confronted, the Undead Plague is wiped
  clear, and the heroes emerge bloodied
  but victorious.
  Campaign Fronts take
  longertodealwith, butintheendthey’re
  the most satisfying to resolve.
  When a Front is resolved, take some ex-
  tra time to sit down and look at the af-
  termath. Did any Grim Portents come
  to pass?
  Even if a Danger is stopped,
  if one or two Grim Portents are ful-
  ﬁlled, the world is changed. Keep this
  in mind when you write your future
  Fronts.
  Is there anyone who could be
  moved from the now—defeated Front
  somewhere else? Anyone get promoted
  or reduced in stature? The resolution of
  a Front is an important event!
  When you resolve an Adventure Front,
  usually that means the adventure itself
  has been resolved. This is a great time to
  take a break and look at The Campaign
  Front you have. Let it inspire your next
  Adventure Front. Write up a new Ad-
  venture Front or polish off one you’ve
  been working on, draw a few maps to
  go with it and get ready for the next big
  thing.
  Multiple Adventure Fronts
  As you start your campaign you’re likely
  to have a lightly-detailed Campaign
  Front and a single, detailed Adventure
  Front. Characters may choose, part-way
  through an Adventure, to pursue some
  other course.
  You might end up with
  a handful of partly-resolved Adventure
  Fronts. Not only is this okay, it’s a great
  way to explore a world that feels alive
  and organic. Always remember, Fronts
  continue along apace no matter whether
  the characters are there to see it or not.
  Thinkoffscreen, especiallywhereFronts
  are concerned.
  When running two Adventure Fronts at
  the same time they can be intertwined or
  independent. The Anarchists corrupt-
  ing the city from the inside are a differ-
  ent Front from the orcs massing outside
  the walls, but they’d both be in play at
  once. On the other hand one dungeon
  couldhavemultipleFrontsatplaywithin
  its walls: the powers and effects of the
  cursed place itself and the warring hu-
  manoid tribes that inhabit it.
  A situation warrants multiple Adven-
  ture Fronts when there are multiple Im-
  pending Dooms, all equally potent but
  not necessarily related. The Impending
  Doom of the Anarchists is chaos in the
  city, the Impending Doom of the orcs is
  itsutterruination. Theyaretwoseparate
  Fronts with their own Dangers. They’ll
  deal with each other, as well, so there’s
  someroomfortheplayerschoosingsides
  or attempting to turn the Dangers of one
  Front against the other.
  When dealing with multiple Adventure
  Frontstheplayersarelikelytoprioritize.
  The cult needs attention now, the orcs
  can wait, or vice versa. These decisions
  lead to the slow advancement of the ne-
  glected Front, eventually causing more
  problems for the players and leading to
  new adventures. This can get complex
  once you’ve got three or four Fronts in
  play. Take care not to get overwhelmed.
  
  Dangers
  An Example Front: The Opening of the White Gate
  52
  21
  An Example
  Front: The
  Opening
  of the
  White Gate
  Dangers
  The College of Arcanists (Cabal)
  Impulse: to absorb those in power, to
  grow
  Grim Portents
  •
  The College sends an expedition to
  the Gate
  •
  The Key is discovered
  •
  The Gate’s Power is harnessed
  •
  The College seizes control
  Impending Doom: Usurpation
  The White Gate (Dark Portal)
  Impulse: to disgorge demons
  Grim Portents
  •
  The First Trumpet sounds
  •
  The Second Trumpet sounds
  •
  The Gate is opened
  Impending Doom: Destruction
  The Argent Seraphim (Choir of Angels)
  Impulse: to pass judgement
  Grim Portents
  •
  A Champion is chosen
  •
  An organization of power is formed
  or co-opted
  •
  The Herald appears
  •
  Judgement is passed
  Impending Doom: Tyranny
  Description and Cast
  An ancient gate, buried for aeons in the
  icy north. It opens into a realm of pure
  light, guarded by the Argent Seraphim.
  ItwascraftedonlytobeopenedatJudge-
  ment Day, so that the Seraphim could
  come forth and purge the realm of men.
  RecentlyuncoveredbytheCollegeofAr-
  canists, who do not yet understand its
  terrible power.
  •
  Oren Balserus, Arcanist Supreme
  •
  Hali’el, voice of the Seraphim
  •
  Drudge, a manservant
  Custom Moves
  When you stand in the presence of the
  Light From Beyond, roll+Wis.
  On a
  10+ you are judged worthy, the Argent
  Seraphimwillgrantyouavisionorboon.
  On a 7-9 you are under suspicion and see
  a vision of what dark fate might befall
  you if you do not correct your ways.1On
  a miss, thou art weighed in the balance
  and art found wanting.
  Stakes
  •
  Who will be the Champion?
  •
  How will Lux respond to the holy
  light?
  •
  Will the College be able to recruit
  Avon?
  
  Blood and Guts
  HP
  53
  22
  Blood
  and Guts
  Death and dismemberment are common
  dangers for adventurers to face in Dun-
  geon World. In the course of play, char-
  acters will take damage, heal, and maybe
  even die. A character’s health is mea-
  sure by their HP (HP being short for
  hit points). Damage subtracts from HP,
  which may lead to death. In the right
  conditions, or with medical or magical
  help, damage is healed and HP is re-
  stored.
  HP
  Acharacter’sHPisameasureoftheirsta-
  mina, endurance, and health. More HP
  means the character can ﬁght longer and
  endure more before facing Death’s cold
  stare.
  Think of HP in the abstract—a
  character with high HP can’t be hit in the
  head any more times than one with low
  HP—they just have greater stores of en-
  ergy to expend before it comes to blows-
  to-the-head.
  Your class tells you how many HP you
  get.
  Your Constitution (the score, not
  the modiﬁer) always comes into play as
  well so more Constitution means more
  HP. If your Constitution permanently
  changes during play you adjust your HP
  to reﬂect your new Constitution score.
  Unless your Constitution changes your
  maximum HP stays the same.
  Damage
  When a character takes damage they
  subtractthedamagedealtfromtheircur-
  rent HP. Armor mitigates damage; if a
  character has armor they subtract their
  armor’s value from the damage dealt.
  Damage can never take a character be-
  low 0 HP.
  Damage is decided by the attacker. Each
  class has a base damage die, which may
  be modiﬁed by the weapon used.
  No
  matter the implement, the Fighter will
  always deal more damage than a Wiz-
  ard—it’s about training and skill. Mon-
  sters and other non-player characters
  have a static damage instead of a dice to
  roll.
  Playercharactersdealdamageaccording
  to their class, the weapon used and the
  move they’ve made. When a character
  is armed, they deal their class’s damage.
  If a character is unarmed, they probably
  can’tdealdamage,ortheymightdo1stun
  damage.
  If a move just says "deal damage" the
  character rolls their class’s damage dice
  plus any bonuses or penalties from
  moves or weapons. If a move speciﬁes
  an amount of damage, use that in place
  of the class’s damage roll.
  Monsters’ damage is listed in their de-
  scription. Use this damage any time the
  monstertakesdirectactiontohurtsome-
  one, eveniftheyuseamethodotherthan
  their normal attack.
  Other sources of damage—like being
  struck by a chunk of a collapsing tower,
  or falling into a pit—are left to the GM
  based on these options:
  •
  It threatens bruises and scrapes at
  worst: d4 damage
  •
  It’s likely to spill some blood, but
  nothing horrendous: d6 damage
  •
  It might break some bones: d8 dam-
  age
  •
  It could kill a common person: d10
  damage
  Add the Ignores Armor tag if the source
  of the damage is particularly large or if
  the damage comes from magic or poison.
  Temporaryorcircumstantialarmorworks
  the same way: 1 armor for partial cover,
  2 armor for major cover.
  Rememberthatdamageisbothprescrip-
  tive and descriptive:
  if a move says
  someone takes damage—they have been
  struck by the weapon or ability causing
  the damage. If a character is struck by a
  weapon, they take damage. This means
  that you can deal damage without mak-
  ing a move. Think of it like an implied
  move: if you hurt someone and no other
  moveapplies,youjustdealyourdamage.
  Damage only applies when the injury is
  general. Falling into a pit trap is general,
  it could cause any sort of injury, so it’s
  represented by HP loss. When the harm
  is speciﬁc, like an orc pulling your arm
  from its socket, HP should be part of the
  effect but not the entirety of it. The big-
  ger issue is dealing with the newly dis-
  jointed arm: how do you swing a sword
  or cast a spell?
  Likewise having your
  head chopped off is not HP damage, it’s
  just death.
  Damage From Multiple Creatures
  It’s a brave monster that goes into battle
  alone. Most creatures ﬁght with some-
  one at their side, and maybe another at
  their back, and possibly an archer cover-
  ing the rear, and so on. This can lead to
  multiple monsters dealing their damage
  at once.
  If multiple creatures attack at once roll
  the damage die for each of them and take
  the highest result. If some of the crea-
  tures deal a different amount of damage
  roll the damage with the highest poten-
  tial for each creature involved in the at-
  tack and take the highest result.
  
  Debilities
  Blood and Guts
  54
  A goblin orkaster (d10+1 damage ignores
  armor) and three goblins (d6 damage) all
  throw their respective weapons—a magi-
  cal acid orb for the orkaster, spears for the
  rest—at Lux as she assaults their barricade.
  I roll the highest damage, d10+1 ignores ar-
  mor, four times: once for the orkaster, and
  once for each of the other goblins. I take the
  highest result, a roll of 8, and tell Lux she
  takes 9 damage ignoring armor as the acid
  leaks into the scratches left by the spears.
  Stun Damage
  Stun damage is non-lethal damage. A PC
  who takes stun damage is Defying Dan-
  gertodoanythingatall,thedangerbeing
  "you’re stunned." A GM character that
  takes stun damage counts it against their
  HP as usual, but when they are out of HP
  they are knocked out, not at the GM’s
  mercy.
  Healing
  There are two sources of healing in Dun-
  geon World: the passage of time and
  medical aid.
  Whenever a character spends some
  time resting without aggravating their
  wounds they heal. The amount of heal-
  ingisdescribedinthemove(MakeCamp
  for a night in a makeshift bed, Recover
  for says in civilization).
  Medical aid, both magical and mundane,
  also provides healing.
  The amount of
  damagehealedisdependentonthemove
  or item used. Some moves may fully re-
  plenish HP while others are just enough
  to keep someone standing through a
  ﬁght.
  No matter the source of the healing a
  character’s HP can never increase over
  their maximum.
  Death
  Death walks the edges of every battle. It
  waits silently to claim those that fall. A
  characters who is reduced to 0 HP im-
  mediately takes his Last Breath. Death
  comes for commoner and king alike—no
  stat is added to the Last Breath roll.
  What lies beyond the Black Gates of
  Deathisunknownbutitissaidthatmany
  secrets of the mortal plane are laid bare
  in what lies beyond.
  Death’s bargains range from the simple
  to the costly. Death is capricious. One
  life may be traded for two more dead
  while for another Death may demand
  eternal servitude.
  Depending on the outcome of the Last
  Breath the character may become stable.
  A stable character stays at 0 HP but is
  alive and unconscious. If they receive
  healing they regain consciousness and
  may return to battle or seek safety. If a
  stablecharactertakesdamageagainthey
  face Death and draw their Last Breath
  once more.
  After Death
  Being an adventurer isn’t easy—it’s cold
  nights in the wild and sharp swords and
  monsters.
  Sooner or later, you’re go-
  ing to make that long walk to the Black
  Gates and give up the ghost.
  In Dun-
  geon World, Death is always watching
  and waiting for an adventurer to slip up
  and visit the other side.
  That doesn’t
  mean you have to give it the satisfaction
  of sticking around. Death, in its way, is
  just another challenge to conquer. Even
  dead adventurers can rise again.
  If your character dies, you can ask the
  GM and the other players to try and res-
  urrectyou. TheGMwilltellthemwhatit
  will cost to return your poor, dead char-
  acter to life. If you’re all willing to pay
  that cost and succeed at the goal set be-
  fore you then your character can cross
  back over to the land of the living. The
  Resurrectionspellisaspecialcaseofthis:
  the magic of the spell gives you an easier
  waytogetacompanionback, buttheGM
  still has a say.
  While this quest is underway you can
  play a new character. Maybe a hireling
  becomes a full-ﬂedged adventurer wor-
  thy of a whole share and a part in the real
  action. Maybethecharactersintheparty
  ﬁnd a new friend in a steading, will-
  ing to join them. Maybe your character
  had a vengeful family member who now
  seeks to take up their blades and spells
  to make right what happened.
  In any
  case, make your new character as you
  normally would at level 1. Add Bonds
  with the other player characters and join
  inthequesttoresurrectthefallen. When
  the price has been paid and the quest is
  done, you can choose which character
  to play. You can then retire your new
  character to safety or simply have them
  vanish into the background. At the start
  of any given session, choose which char-
  acter you’ll be playing that time around
  and set the other aside. Make sure this
  change makes sense in the story you’ve
  created—characterscan’tjustappearout
  of nowhere without a good excuse.
  GM, when you tell the players what
  needs to be done to bring their comrade
  back, don’t feel like it has to derail the
  ﬂow of the current game. Weave it in
  to your fronts, steadings and prep. This
  is a great opportunity to change focus or
  introduce an element you’ve been wait-
  ing to show off. Don’t feel, either, that
  it has to be some great and epic quest. If
  the character died at the end of a gob-
  lin pike, maybe all it takes is an awk-
  wardwalkhomeandafewthousandgold
  pieces donated to a local temple. Think
  abouttheramiﬁcationsofsuchacharita-
  ble act and how it might affect the world,
  give the character back his sweet, sweet
  life and remember; Death never forgets
  a soul stolen from his realm.
  Debilities
  Losing HP is a general thing, it’s get-
  ting tired, bruised, cut, and so on. Some
  wounds are deeper though.
  These are
  debilities.
  •
  Weak (Str):
  You can’t exert much
  force. Maybe some important mus-
  cles were slashed, or maybe the
  strength was pulled out of you by
  magic.
  •
  Shaky (Dex): You’re a little unsteady
  on your feet and you’ve got a shake in
  your hands.
  •
  Sick (Con): Something just isn’t right
  deep inside. It could be a disease or it
  might be an organ swollen to burst-
  ing.
  •
  Stunned(Int): You’rehavingtrouble. . .rememberi
  Is that how that sentence ends?
  •
  Confused (Wis): Ears ringing. Vision
  blurred. You’re more than a little out
  of it.
  •
  Scarred (Cha): It may not be perma-
  nent, but for now you don’t look so
  good. Your voice is probably weak
  too.
  Debilities are inﬂicted by certain mon-
  sters. Not every attack inﬂicts a debil-
  ity—they’re most often associated with
  magic, poison, or stranger things like a
  vampiresuckingyourblood. Eachdebil-
  ity is tied to a stat and gives you -1 to that
  stat’s modiﬁer. The stat’s score is unaf-
  fected so you don’t have to worry about
  changing your Load when you’re Weak.
  You can only have each debility once.
  If you’re already Sick and something
  makes you Sick you just ignore it.
  Debilities are harder to heal than HP.
  Somehighlevelmagiccandoit, sure, but
  your best bet is getting somewhere safe
  and spending a few days in a soft warm
  bed.
  Of course debilities are both de-
  scriptive and prescriptive: if something
  happens that would remove a debility,
  that debility is gone.
  Debilities don’t replace descriptions and
  using the established ﬁction.
  When
  someone loses an arm that isn’t Weak,
  that’s losing an arm. They can’t hold a
  shield, to begin with. Don’t let debilities
  limit you.
  A speciﬁc disease can have
  whatever effects you can dream up, Sick
  is just a convenient shorthand for some
  anonymousfeverpickedupfromaﬁlthy
  rat.
  
  Blood and Guts
  Advancement
  55
  Advancement
  Dungeon World is ever-changing. The
  characters change, too. As their adven-
  tures progress, player characters gain
  experience or XP, which lets them level
  up. This prepares them for greater dan-
  ger, bigger adventures, and mightier
  deeds.
  Advancement, like everything else in
  DungeonWorld,isbothprescriptiveand
  descriptive.
  Prescriptive means that
  when a player changes their character
  sheet the character changes. Descriptive
  means that when the character changes
  the player should change the character
  sheet to reﬂect that.
  This isn’t a beneﬁt or detriment to the
  players or the GM; it’s not an excuse to
  gainmorepowersortakethemaway. It’s
  justareﬂectionoflifeinDungeonWorld.
  Gregor offers his signature weapon, an axe
  permanently dyed green in orc blood, as a
  desperatebargaintosavetheKingfrometer-
  nal damnation.
  Without his axe he gets
  none of the beneﬁts of his signature weapon.
  Should he recover it he’ll have access to its
  beneﬁts again.
  Avon, despite being a Wizard, has risen to
  the notice of Lenoral, the deity of arcane
  knowledge. After being blessed by an avatar
  of Lenoral, Avon is under the deity’s watch.
  He can fulﬁll Petitions and gain boons like a
  Cleric.
  Descriptive changes only happen when
  the character has clearly gained access to
  an ability. Befriending a stray dog does
  not have the same beneﬁts as an animal
  companion.
  Level Up
  When you have a safe moment and
  XP equal to (or greater than) your
  currentlevel+7,resetyourXPto0and
  choose a new advanced move from your
  class. If you are the Wizard, you also get
  to add a new spell to your spellbook.
  Newmovesarechosenbasedonthechar-
  acter’s new level. If a move requires 6th
  level, it’s available as the character ad-
  vances from 5th to 6th level.
  If your new level is 3, 6, or 9, you also
  get to increase a stat by 2. Increase the
  base score of the stat of your choice by
  2, adjust the modiﬁer to reﬂect the new
  score. Changing your Constitution in-
  creases your maximum and current HP.
  Ability scores can’t go higher than 18.
  Requires & Replaces
  Some moves depend on other moves. If
  another move is listed along with the
  word Requires or Replaces you can
  only gain the new move if you have the
  move it requires or replaces.
  A move the requires another move can
  only be taken if you have the move it
  requires already.
  You then have both
  moves and they both apply.
  A move that replaces another move can
  only be taken if you have the move it
  replaces already. You lose access to the
  replacedmoveandjusthavethenewone.
  Thenewmovewillusuallyincludeallthe
  beneﬁts of the replaced one: maybe you
  replace a move that gives you 1 armor
  with one that gives you 2 armor instead.
  Bonds
  Bonds are what make you a party of ad-
  venturers, not just a random assortment
  of people. Seeing your bonds evolve and
  playoffeachotherisoneofthebestparts
  of the game.
  That said, this isn’t high drama.
  How
  you feel about Titanius doesn’t matter
  so much when you’re both ﬁghting for
  life and limb against a horde of demons
  who would happily end the world if they
  could. Bonds are the icing on the cake:
  theymakeyouradventures(andyourad-
  venturers) more interesting.
  Resolving Bonds
  At the end of each session you may re-
  solve one bond. Resolution of a bond de-
  pends on both you and the player of the
  character you share the bond with: you
  suggest that the bond has been resolved
  and, if they agree, it is.
  A bond is resolved when it no longer de-
  scribes how you relate to that person.
  Thatmaybebecausecircumstanceshave
  changed—Thelian used to have your
  back but after he didn’t rush to save you
  from the ankheg you’re not so sure. Or it
  could be because that’s no longer a ques-
  tion—you guided Wesley before and he
  owed you, but he paid that debt when he
  saved your life with a well-timed spell.
  Any time you look at a Bond and think
  "that’s not a big factor in how we relate
  anymore" the bond is at a good place to
  resolve.
  If a character has blank Bonds left over
  from character creation they can resolve
  that Bond without asking anyone and
  write a new one or they can add a charac-
  ter’s name to the Bond instead of writing
  a new Bond. Ignoring a Bond at char-
  acter creation does not reduce the total
  Bonds available to the character.
  Writing New Bonds
  You write a new bond whenever you re-
  solve an old one. Your new bond may be
  with the same character, but it doesn’t
  have to be.
  When you write a new bond ﬁrst choose
  another character. Then pick something
  relevant to the last session you’ve just
  ﬁnished—maybe a place you traveled
  together or a treasure you discovered.
  Lastly, choose a thought or belief your
  characterholdsthattiesthetwotogether
  and an action, something you’re going to
  doaboutit. You’llendupwithsomething
  like this:
  •
  Avon proved himself a coward in the
  dungeons of Xax’takar, he is a dan-
  gerous liability to the party and must
  be watched.
  •
  Mouse’s quick thinking saved me
  from the white dragon we faced. I
  owe her a boon.
  •
  Xotoq won the Bone-and-Whispers
  Axethroughtrickery! Itwillbemine,
  I swear it.
  •
  Valeria’s kindness to the Gnomes of
  the Vale has swayed my heart. I will
  ﬁnd a way to prove to her my love.
  These new bonds act just like the old
  ones.
  They are still resolved and still
  grant XP when resolved.
  If you chose not to use a starting Bond
  you can replace it with a new Bond at the
  end of any session. This does not count
  as resolving a Bond, you don’t get XP for
  it.
  Alignment
  Alignment is your characters’ way of
  thinking and moral compass.
  For the
  character, this is reﬂected as an ethi-
  cal ideal, religious strictures, or maybe
  just a gut instinct. It reﬂects the things
  your character might aspire to be and
  can guide you when you’re not sure
  what to do next. Some characters might
  proudly proclaim their alignment while
  others might hide it away.
  A charac-
  ter might not say "I’m an evil person"
  but may instead say "I put myself ﬁrst."
  That’s all well and good for a character,
  but the world knows otherwise. Buried
  deep down inside is the ideal self a per-
  son wants to become—it is this mys-
  tic core that certain spells and abilities
  tapintowhendetectingsomeone’salign-
  ment. Every sentient creature in Dun-
  geon World bears an alignment, be she
  an elf, a human, or some other, stranger
  thing.
  The alignments are Good, Lawful, Neu-
  tral, Chaotic, and Evil. Each one shows
  anaspirationtobeadifferenttypeofper-
  son.
  Lawful creatures aspire to impose order
  on the world, either for their own ben-
  eﬁt or for that of others. Chaotic crea-
  tures embrace change and idealize the
  messy reality of the world, prizing free-
  dom above all else. Good creatures seek
  to put others before themselves.
  Evil
  creatures put themselves ﬁrst at the ex-
  
  Alignment
  Blood and Guts
  56
  pense of others.
  A Neutral creature looks out for itself
  so long as that doesn’t hurt anyone else
  much.
  Neutral characters are content
  to live their lives and pursue their own
  goals and let others do the same.
  Most creatures are Neutral. They take
  no particular pleasure in harming oth-
  ers, but will do it if it is justiﬁed by their
  situation. Those that put an ideal, be it
  Law, Chaos, Good, or Evil, above them-
  selves are rarer.
  Even two creatures of the same align-
  ment can come into conﬂict. Aspiring
  to help others does not grant infallibil-
  ity,twoGoodcreaturesmayﬁghtanddie
  over two different views of how to help
  others. A great king may wage war on a
  freecitydespitehisgoodalignmentsince
  he sees (justly, perhaps) that the peoples
  of the free city will live a better life under
  his enlightened rule.
  Changing Alignment
  Alignment can, and will, change. Usu-
  allysuchachangecomesaboutasagrad-
  ual slide to a decisive moment when the
  pain caused becomes too great or the
  beneﬁt too others too small.
  Any time a player would earn XP from
  their current alignment they can, in-
  stead of taking the XP, change the align-
  ment.
  The player must have a reason
  for the change which they can explain to
  the other players. If they can’t explain
  why their character has had a change of
  hearttheycan’tchangealignment. Don’t
  abuse the privilege.
  The ﬁrst time a player character changes
  alignment it must be to another align-
  ment listed for their class, though they
  can choose any of the alignment moves
  below for a listed alignment. After that
  they can go to any alignment they like.
  In some cases a player character may
  switchalignmentmoveswhilestillkeep-
  ing the same alignment. This reﬂects a
  smaller shift, one of priority instead of a
  wholesaleshiftinthinking. Theysimply
  choose a new move for the same align-
  mentfrom belowandmentionwhytheir
  character now sees this as important.
  GM characters can change alignment as
  well,eveniftheplayershavealreadydis-
  cerned the character’s alignment. Since
  NPCs do not earn XP the GM can change
  the NPC’s alignment any time it’s war-
  ranted. The GM is subject to the same
  justiﬁcationrequirement: ifanNPCwith
  a known alignment is no longer that
  alignment the players may ask the GM
  for a reason why.
  Lawful
  •
  Uphold the letter of the law over the
  spirit
  •
  Fulﬁll a promise of import
  •
  Bring someone to justice
  •
  Choose honor over personal gain
  •
  Put power in its rightful hands
  •
  Return treasure to its rightful owner
  Good
  •
  Ignore danger to aid another
  •
  Lead others into righteous battle
  •
  Give up powers or riches for the
  greater good
  •
  Reveal a dangerous lie
  •
  Show mercy
  Neutral
  Chaotic
  •
  Reveal corruption
  •
  Break an unjust law to beneﬁt an-
  other
  •
  Defeat a tyrant
  •
  Reveal hypocrisy
  Evil
  •
  Take advantage of someone’s trust
  •
  Cause suffering for its own sake
  •
  Destroy something beautiful
  •
  Upset the rightful order
  •
  Harm an innocent
  
  Example
  57
  23
  Example
  I’m GMing a game with Isaac (play-
  ing Omar), Ben (playing Brianne), Amy
  (playing Nora), and Dan (playing Rath).
  The group has come upon a tribe of gob-
  linspreparingtheritualsacriﬁceofarare
  and valuable albino crocodile (highly re-
  garded as pets among the wealthy of the
  city).
  Three of the goblin warriors—drugged
  on narcotic vapors—charge the ﬁghter
  Brianne, shrieking.
  Two others take
  cover,preparetheirbowsandgestureur-
  gently toward Rath, as they make signs
  to ward off the evil eye. Another group
  of three slips into the shadows around
  theouter edge of the chamber, preparing
  a sneak attack. The high priest and her
  acolyte carry on with the ritual, rubbing
  the croc’s upturned belly to keep it com-
  pliant, and bringing out the sacred knife
  to slit its throat.
  Once I describe the situation I make sure
  thegame’saconversationbygivingthem
  a chance to do something: "So, what do
  you do?"
  Isaacjumpsintotheactionﬁrst. "There’s
  enough shadows at the edges of the
  chamber to hide in?" "Yeah," I say, "the
  goblins aren’t much for lighting appar-
  ently.
  The edges of the chamber just
  kind of disappear into crumbling walls,
  rubble, and gloom." "Great! I’m going
  over here, the other side from where the
  sneaky ones went. Omar glances over
  his shoulders, pulls up his hood over his
  head, and ducks into the shadows. I’m
  going to pop out of the shadows right
  here, where the torches illuminate the
  sacriﬁcial altar."
  Ilookoverthemapandsay"Well,there’s
  certainly a danger of being discovered
  that I think you’re defying. Sounds like
  Dex to me, since you’re moving carefully
  and silently," so he picks up the dice and
  rolls. The dice show 1 and 2, plus his Dex
  of 2 is only 5. "Damn!" he says.
  I already have an idea of what to do, but
  I check it against my list of moves to be
  sure. Sure enough, my idea to have him
  get his foot lodged in the rubble in the
  darkness is a move, "put someone in a
  spot." "As you make your way through
  the shadows, you put your foot down on
  some rubble and it shifts under you, pin-
  ning your foot. What’s worse, you hear a
  deep raspy breath as the shifting rubble
  awakes something in the shadows. Are
  you giving away your position to cry for
  help or trying to get out yourself?"
  "Um, I’m not sure."
  "That’s ﬁne, we’ll come back to you.
  What are the rest of you doing?"
  Danstepsup. "Thosegoblinsthatducked
  into the shadows? Can I see them?" "Not
  at ﬁrst glance.
  Are you trying to pick
  them out?" "No, I’m just wondering if
  they’ll be targets for my sleep spell. I
  push the winds of magic into a lulling
  summer breeze that ﬁlls the room."
  Dan rolls his Cast a Spell move to cast
  Sleep. He rolls 6 total on the dice, and he
  has +2 Int, for a total of 8. He has a choice
  to make. "You can feel the spell slipping
  away from you, the winds of magic are
  alreadyallcaughtupinthegoblin’sritual
  sacriﬁce. There are some options on the
  move, which one are you taking to keep
  the spell?"
  Dan ponders his options. "I may need to
  put more of these guys to sleep. Brianne,
  can you cover me if I get in trouble or
  should I take the -1 forward?"
  "Sure, I can cover you." Ben says.
  "Okay, I’ll take the danger option."
  "Great" I say. "The narcotic vapors those
  goblins are on? It attunes their senses:
  They can feel the winds of magic just a
  bit, and now they’re all running at you
  instead of Brianne. How many creatures
  are you putting to sleep?"
  Dan rolls the dice.
  "Looks like only 1,
  damn."
  "Right in the middle of some long gob-
  lin invocation the priest just drops to
  theﬂoor. Heracolyteimmediatelystarts
  shaking her to wake her up. Neither of
  them is paying much attention to the al-
  bino crocodile, which is no longer con-
  tentsincenooneisrubbingitsbelly. The
  goblins on the fumes, though, they’re
  coming right at Rath."
  Ben jumps in. "I step between Rath and
  the crazed goblins and make myself a
  bigtarget,drawingthegoblin’sattention
  with a yell."
  "Sounds like Defend" I say.
  "Okay, I rolled a 7, so I hold 1."
  "Great. The three goblins on fumes prat-
  ically bowl Rath over as they slam into
  him, swinging their daggers wildly."
  "No they don’t!" Ben says. "I spend my
  hold to get into the way and direct the
  attack to me."
  "So Brianne steps in at the last moment,
  pushes Rath out of the way, and the gob-
  lins lay into her instead.
  Looks like 5
  damage. Nora, Brianne’s got these three
  psychotic goblins all over her, Rath’s
  just put the priestess to sleep, the croco-
  dile’s stirring, and Omar’s nowhere to be
  found. What are you doing?"
  "First I line up a shot on one of the archer
  goblins, and while I’m doing that I give a
  little head nod and Canto heads off into
  the shadows, he’s trained to hunt, he’s
  looking for Omar to make sure he’s al-
  right."
  IlookovertheRanger’sCommandmove,
  to make sure I know what the effects of
  Canto’s search are, before responding.
  "Well, on his own Canto will probably
  
  Example
  58
  ﬁnd Omar in a while. If you go into the
  darkness with him you’ll his bonus to
  your Discern Realities roll to ﬁnd Omar.
  But ﬁrst it sounds like you’re making a
  Called Shot?"
  "Oh, the goblin archers are surprised by
  me? I thought I was just volleying" Amy
  replies.
  It’s time for me to make a call.
  "No,
  they’re entirely focused on Rath, they’re
  about to ﬁre on him. I think you’ve got
  the element of surprise because they’re
  just too focused."
  "Great!
  Then I’ll go ahead and take a
  shot at the arms of the one closest to me,
  I want him to drop his bow. Looks like
  that’s +Dex. . .10! He drops his bow and
  takes 4 damage."
  I consult the goblin’s stats ﬁrst, then re-
  ply "yup, that’ll kill him. And since you
  hit him dead in the arm, he doesn’t get a
  shot off.
  The other one, however, re-
  leases his shot at Rath, for 2 damage.
  Rath, Brianne pushes you out of the way
  and you think you’re safe for a split sec-
  ond before an arrow ﬂies into your leg,
  what are you doing about it? Actually,
  hold that thought, let’s see what Omar’s
  doing."
  Isaac’s had some time to think things
  through now. "This deep raspy breath,
  can I make out where it’s coming from?
  Is it like a human-sized rasp or a
  monster-sized rasp?"
  "Sounds to me like you’re trying to listen
  to your senses and get some informa-
  tion." I’m hoping that this will remind
  Isaac there’s a move for this, instead of
  just telling him to make the move.
  "Oh yeah! So I’m Discerning Realities,
  staying as quiet as I can and just trying
  to pick up any detail on what this thing
  is. With my Wisdom that’s a 7, whew.
  What should I be on the lookout for?"
  I take a second to look over my notes and
  the map, just to make sure I give him all
  the information. "Well, not the goblins,
  actually. They pass by, closer to the light
  then you, intent on backstabbing your
  friends and not noticing you. The thing
  that you do see is the tip of this huge
  crocodile snout peak over a mound of
  rubble, with that rasping sound coming
  from it. It looks like the albino crocodile
  hasfamily,andit’sbig,horse-size. Ifyou
  make noise by moving rocks and getting
  unstuck it’ll almost certainly hear you.
  What are you doing about that?"
  Isaac ponders. "So, I can try to get out of
  here, Defying Danger most likely from
  the sounds of it. Or. . .I tear off a piece
  of my cloak and soak it in an entire dose
  of my Goldenroot poison. It’s an applied
  poison,butifIcangetthishugecrocodile
  to swallow it before it swallows me it’ll
  treat me as a trusted ally, and then I can
  use it against the goblins."
  "Okay!" That sounds like a risky plan
  to me, but it’s just crazy enough to
  work. Time to cut back to someone else.
  "Omar’s soaking poison into a scrap of
  cloak, Brianne’s got three drugged-up
  goblinsscrapingather, Nora’sgotaneye
  out for Omar, there are goblin sneaks in
  theshadows, onegoblinarcherbytheal-
  ter, the crocodile is waking up, and Rath
  just took an arrow to the knee. Whew.
  Rath, what are you doing about that ar-
  row?"
  
  The world
  Creating the world
  59
  24
  The world
  Much of the adventuring life is spent in
  dusty, forgotten tombs or in places of
  terror and life-threatening danger. It’s
  commonplace to awaken from a short
  andﬁtfulrest,stilldeepinthebellyofthe
  worldandsurroundedbyfoes. Whenthe
  timecomestoemergefromthesekindsof
  places—whetherladenwiththespoilsof
  battle or beaten and bloody—an adven-
  turer seeks out safety and solace.
  These are the comforts of civilization; a
  warm bath, a meal of mead and bread,
  company of fellow men and elves and
  dwarves. Often, thoughtsofreturningto
  these places are all that keep an adven-
  turerfromsuccumbingtomadnessinthe
  depths. All ﬁght for gold and glory but
  intheir hearts, everyone wantsaplace to
  call "home".
  Thischaptercoversthewiderworld. The
  grand and sweeping scope outside the
  dungeon. The always-marching move-
  ment of the GMs Fronts will shape the
  world and, in turn, the world reﬂects the
  actions the players take to stop or redi-
  rect them.
  Steadings
  We call all the assorted communities,
  holds, and so on where there’s a place
  to stay and some modicum of safety
  Steadings,asin"homestead."Steadings
  are places with at least a handful of in-
  habitants, usually humans, and some
  stable structures. They can be as big as a
  capitalcityorassmallasfewramshackle
  buildings.
  Creating the world
  Remember how you started the ﬁrst ses-
  sion? With action either underway or
  impending? At some point the charac-
  tersaregoingtoneedtoretreatfromthat
  action, either to heal their wounds or to
  celebrate and resupply.
  When the players leave the site of their
  ﬁrst adventure for the safety of civiliza-
  tion it’s time to start drawing the Cam-
  paign Map. Take a large sheet of paper
  (plain white if you like or hex-gridded
  if you want to get fancy), place it where
  everyone can see, and make a mark for
  the site of the adventure. Use pencil, this
  map will change. It can be ﬁgurative or
  literal depending on your drawing skill,
  just make it obvious. Keep the marking
  small and somewhere around the center
  of the paper so you have space to grow.
  NowaddthenearestSteading,aplacethe
  characters can go to rest and gather sup-
  plies. Draw a mark for that place on the
  map and ﬁll in the space between with
  some terrain features. Try to keep the it
  withinadayortwoofthesiteoftheirﬁrst
  adventure—a short trip through a rocky
  pass or some heavy woods is suitable, or
  a wider distance by road or across open
  ground.
  When you have time (after the ﬁrst ses-
  sion or during a snack break or the like)
  use the rules to create the ﬁrst Steading.
  Consider adding marks for other places
  that have been mentioned so far, either
  details from character creation or the
  Steading rules themselves.
  Steading Moves
  When the players visit a Steading there
  are some special moves they’ll be able to
  make. Thesestillfollowtheﬁctionalﬂow
  of the game. When the players arrive,
  ask them "What do you do?" The players’
  actions will, more often than not, trig-
  ger a move from this list. They represent
  respite,reinvigorationandresupply;op-
  portunitiesfortheplayerstogathertheir
  wits and spend their treasure. Remem-
  ber that a Steading isn’t a break from re-
  ality.
  You’re still making hard moves
  when necessary and thinking about how
  the players’ action (or inaction) leads to
  your Fronts advancing. The Impending
  Doom is always there, whether the play-
  ers are combatting it in the dungeon or
  ignoring it while getting drunk in the lo-
  cal tavern.
  Let each player make one or two moves
  here, depending on how they answer
  your "what do you do?" question. Don’t
  let a visit to a Steading become a per-
  manent respite.
  Remember, Dungeon
  World is a scary, dangerous place.
  If
  the players choose to ignore that, make a
  hardmove. Fillthecharacters’liveswith
  adventure whether they’re out seeking it
  or not.
  These moves exist to you can
  make a visit to town an interesting thing
  without spending a whole session hag-
  gling over the cost of a new baldric.
  Carouse
  When you return triumphant and
  throw a big party , spend 100 coin and
  roll + extra 100s of coin 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.
  •
  You befriend a useful NPC
  •
  You hear rumors of an opportunity
  •
  You gain useful information
  •
  You are not entangled, ensorcelled,
  or tricked
  Supply
  When you go to buy something with
  coin on hand , if it’s something read-
  ily available in the steading you’re in,
  you can buy it at market price.
  If it’s
  something special, beyond what’s usu-
  ally 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
  
  Recover
  The world
  60
  similar.
  Recover
  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 in-
  stead.
  Recruit
  When you put out word that you’re
  lookingtohirehelp,roll. Ifyoumake
  it known. . .
  •
  . . .that your pay is generous, take +1
  •
  . . .what you’re settingouttodo, take
  +1
  •
  . . .thatthey’llgetashareofwhatever
  you ﬁnd, take +1
  If you have a useful reputation around
  these parts take an additional +1. On a
  10+ you’ve got your pick of a number of
  skilled applicants, your choice who you
  hire and no penalty for not taking them
  along. On a 7–9 you’ll have to settle for
  whatyougetorturnapplicantsaway. On
  a miss someone inﬂuential and ill-suited
  declaresthey’dliketocomealong(afool-
  hardy young duke, a loose cannon mer-
  cenary, orahiddenenemy, forexample),
  bring them and damn the consequences
  or turn them away and risk their ire. If
  youturnawayapplicantsyoutake-1for-
  ward to Recruit.
  Outstanding Warrants
  When you return to a Steading in
  whichyou’vecausedtroublebefore
  , roll+Cha. On a 10+, word has spread of
  yourdeedsandeveryonerecognizesyou.
  On a 7–9 that, and GM chooses a compli-
  cation:
  •
  The local constabulary has a warrant
  out for your arrest
  •
  Someone who holds a grudge makes
  their move
  •
  Someone important to you has been
  put in a bad spot as a result of your
  actions
  Bolster
  When you spend your leisure time
  in study, meditation, or hard prac-
  tice, you gain preparation. If you pre-
  pare for a week or two, 1 preparation.
  If you prepare for a month or longer,
  3 preparation. When your preparation
  paysoffspend 1preparationfor+1toany
  roll. Youcanonlyspendonepreparation
  per roll.
  Elements of a Steading
  A Steading is any bit of civilization that
  offers some amount of safety to its in-
  habitants. Villages, towns, keeps, and
  cities are the most common Steadings.
  Steadings are differentiated based on
  size.
  The size indicates roughly how
  many people the Steading can support.
  The population tag tells you if the cur-
  rent population is more then or less than
  this amount.
  Villages are the smallest Steadings.
  They’re usually out of the way, off
  the main roads.
  If they’re lucky they
  can muster some defense but it’s often
  just rabble with pitchforks and torches.
  A village stands near some easily ex-
  ploitable resource:
  rich soil, plentiful
  ﬁsh,anoldforest,oramine. Theremight
  beastoreofsomesortbutmorelikelyit’s
  just people trading to each other. Coin is
  scarce.
  Towns have a few thousand inhabitants.
  They’re the kind of place that springs up
  around a mill, trading post, or inn and
  usually have ﬁelds, farms, and livestock
  of some kind. They might have a stand-
  ing militia of farmers strong enough to
  wieldabladeorshootabow. Townshave
  the basics for sale but certainly no spe-
  cialgoods. Usuallythey’llfocusonalocal
  product or two and do some trade with
  travelers.
  A Keep is a Steading built speciﬁcally
  fordefense—sometimesofaparticularly
  important location like a river delta or a
  rich gold mine. Keeps are found at the
  frontier edges of civilization.
  Inhabi-
  tants are inured to the day-to-day dan-
  gers of the road. They’re tough folks that
  number between a hundred and a thou-
  sand, depending on the size of the Keep
  and the place it defends.
  Keeps won’t
  often have much beyond their own sup-
  plies, traded to them from nearby vil-
  lages, but will almost always have arms
  and armor and sometimes a rare magical
  item found in the local wilds.
  From bustling trade center to sprawl-
  ing metropolis the City represents the
  largest sort of Steading in Dungeon
  World. These are places where folk of
  manyracesandkindscanbefound. They
  often exist at the conﬂuence of a handful
  of trade routes or are built in a place of
  spiritual signiﬁcance. They don’t often
  generate their own materials for trade,
  relying on villages nearby for food and
  rawmaterialbutwillalwayshavecrafted
  goods and some stranger things for sale
  to those willing to seek them.
  Steadings are created as needed.
  Dis-
  covered by players, added as part of the
  prep for a Front or spawned as the result
  of the GM asking questions of the play-
  ers, whatever the reason each Steading
  is created using the rules below.
  Like weapons, Steadings are described
  by their tags. All Steadings have tags in-
  dicating prosperity, population and de-
  fenses and many will have tags to illus-
  trate their more unusual properties.
  Prosperity indicates what kinds of items
  are usually available. Population indi-
  cates the number of inhabitants rela-
  tive to the current size of the steading.
  Defenses indicate the general scope of
  arms the steading has.
  Tags in these
  categories can be adjusted.
  -category
  means to change the steading to the next
  lower tag for that category (so Moderate
  would become Poor when tagged with -
  Prosperity). +category means to change
  the steading to the next higher tag (so
  Shrinking becomes Steady with +Pop-
  ulation).
  Tags in those categories can
  also be compared like numbers. Treat
  the lowest tag in that category as 1 and
  each successive tag as the next number
  (so Dirt is 1, Poor is 2, etc.).
  Tags will change of the course of play.
  Creating a Steading provides a snapshot
  of what that place looks like right now .
  As the players spend time in it and your
  Fronts progress the world will change
  and your Steadings with it.
  Adding Steadings
  You add your ﬁrst Steading when you
  create the Campaign Map; it’s the place
  the players go to to rest and recover.
  When you ﬁrst draw it on the map all
  you need is a name and a location.
  When you have the time you’ll use the
  rules below to create the Steading. The
  ﬁrst Steading is usually a village, but you
  can use a town if the ﬁrst adventure was
  closely tied to humans (for example, if
  the players fought a human cult). Create
  it using the rules below.
  Once you’ve created the ﬁrst Steading
  youcanaddotherplacesreferencedinits
  tags (the Oath, Trade, and Enmity tags in
  particular) or anywhere else that’s been
  referredtoinplay. Don’taddtoomuchin
  the ﬁrst session, leave blanks and places
  to explore.
  As play progresses the characters will
  discover new locales and places of in-
  terest either directly, by stumbling upon
  them in the wild, or indirectly, by hear-
  ing about them in rumors or tales. Add
  new Steadings, dungeons, and other lo-
  cations to the map as they’re discovered
  or heard about. Villages are often near a
  useful resource. Towns are often found
  at the point where several villages meet
  to trade.Keeps watch over important lo-
  cations. Cities rely on the trade and sup-
  port of smaller steads. Dungeons can be
  found anywhere and in many forms.
  Whenever you add a new Steading use
  the rules to decide its tags.
  Consider
  adding a distinctive feature somewhere
  
  The world
  Making a Village
  61
  nearby. Maybe a forest, some old stand-
  ingstones,anabandonedcastle,orwhat-
  ever else catches your fancy or makes
  sense. AmapofonlySteadingsandruins
  with nothing in-between is dull, don’t
  neglect the other features of the world.
  Steading Tags
  Prosperity
  Dirt : Nothing for sale, nobody has more
  than they need (and they’re lucky if they
  have that). Unskilled labor is cheap.
  Poor : Only the bare necessities for sale.
  Weaponsarescarceunlessthesteadingis
  heavily defended or militant. Unskilled
  labor is readily available.
  Moderate :
  Most mundane items are
  available. Some types of skilled labor-
  ers.
  Wealthy :
  Any mundane item can be
  found for sale. Most kinds of skilled la-
  borers, too, but demand is high for their
  time.
  Rich : Mundane items and more, if you
  know where to ﬁnd them. Specialist la-
  bor available, but at high prices.
  Population
  Exodus : The Steading has lost its popu-
  lation and is on the verge of collapse.
  Shrinking : The population is less than it
  once was. Buildings stand empty.
  Steady : The population is in line with the
  current size of the steading. Some slow
  growth.
  Growing : More people than there are
  buildings.
  Booming : Resources are stretched thin
  trying to keep up with the number of
  people.
  Defenses
  None : Clubs, torches, farming tools.
  Militia : There are several dozen able-
  bodied men and women with worn
  weaponsreadytobecalled,butnostand-
  ing force.
  Watch : There are a few watchers posted
  who look out for trouble and settle small
  problems, but their main role is to sum-
  mon the militia.
  Guard : There are armed defenders at all
  times with a total pool of less than 100
  (or equivalent). There is always at least
  one armed patrol about the steading.
  Garrison : There are armed defenders at
  all times with a total pool of 100–300 (or
  equivalent). There are multiple armed
  patrols at all times.
  Battalion : As many as 1,000 armed de-
  fenders(orequivalent). Thesteadinghas
  manned maintained defenses as well.
  Legion :
  The Steading is defended by
  thousands of armed defenders (or equiv-
  alent). The Steading’s defenses are in-
  timidating.
  Other Tags
  Safe : Outside trouble doesn’t come here
  unless the players bring it. Idyllic and
  often hidden. If the Steading would lose
  or degrade another beneﬁcial tag get rid
  of Safe instead.
  Religion : The listed deity is revered here.
  Exotic :
  There are goods and services
  available here that aren’t available any-
  where else nearby. List them.
  Resource : The steading has easy access to
  the listed resource (e.g. a spice, a type of
  ore, ﬁsh, grapes). That resource is sig-
  niﬁcantly cheaper.
  Need : The Steading has an acute or on-
  going need for the listed resource. That
  resource sells for considerably more.
  Oath : The Steading has sworn oaths to
  thelistedSteadings. Theseoathsaregen-
  erally of fealty or support, but may be
  more speciﬁc.
  Trade :
  The Steading regularly trades
  with the listed Steadings.
  Market : Everyone comes here to trade.
  Onanygivendaytheavailableitemsmay
  befarbeyondtheirprosperity. +1toSup-
  ply.
  Enmity :
  The steading holds a grudge
  against the listed steadings.
  History: Somethingimportantoncehap-
  pened here, choose one and detail or
  make up your own:
  Battle, Miracle,
  Myth, Romance, Tragedy.
  Arcane: Someoneintowncancastarcane
  spells for a price.
  This tends to draw
  more arcane casters, +1 to Recruit when
  you put out word you’re looking for an
  adept.
  Divine : There is a major religious pres-
  ence, maybe a cathedral or monastery.
  They can heal and maybe even raise the
  dead for a donation or resolution of a
  quest. Take +1 to recruit priests here.
  Guild : The listed type of guild has a ma-
  jorpresence(andusuallyafairamountof
  inﬂuence). If the guild is closely associ-
  ated with a type of hireling, +1 to recruit
  that type of hireling.
  Personage : There’s a notable person who
  makes their home here.
  Give them a
  name and a short note on why they’re
  notable.
  Dwarven : The Steading is signiﬁcantly
  or entirely dwarves. Dwarven goods are
  lower price.
  Elven: TheSteadingissigniﬁcantlyoren-
  tirely elves. Elven goods are lower price.
  Craft : The Steading is known for excel-
  lence in the listed craft. Items that are a
  product of that craft are of lower price,
  higher quality, or both.
  Lawless : Crime is rampant; authority is
  weak.
  Blight :
  The Steading has a recurring
  problem, usually a type of monster.
  Power : The Steading holds sway of some
  type. Typically Political, Divine, or Ar-
  cane.
  Steading Names
  Greybark, Nook’s Crossing, Tanner’s
  Ford, Goldenﬁeld, Barrowbridge, Rum
  River, Brindenburg, Shambles, Cov-
  aner,
  Enﬁeld,
  Crystal Falls,
  Castle
  Daunting, Nulty’s Harbor, Castonshire,
  Cornwood, Irongate, Mayhill, Pigton,
  Crosses,
  Battlemoore,
  Torsea,
  Cur-
  land, Snowcalm, Seawall, Varlosh, Ter-
  minum,Avonia,Bucksburg,Settledown,
  Goblinjaw, Hammerford, Pit, The Grey
  Fast,
  Ennet Bend,
  Harrison’s Hold,
  Fortress Andwynne, Blackstone
  Making a Village
  By default a village is Poor, Steady, Mili-
  tia, Resource (your choice) and has an
  Oath to another steading of your choice.
  If the village is part of a kingdom or em-
  pire choose one:
  •
  The village is somewhere naturally
  defended: Safe, -Defenses
  •
  The village abundant resources that
  sustain it:
  +Prosperity, Resource
  (your choice), Enmity (your choice)
  •
  The village is under the protec-
  tion of another steading: Oath (that
  steading), +Defenses
  •
  The village is on a major road: Trade
  (your choice), +Prosperity
  •
  The village is built around a wizard’s
  tower: Personage(thewizard),Blight
  (arcane creatures)
  •
  The village was built on the site of re-
  ligious signiﬁcance: Divine, History
  (your choice)
  Choose one problem:
  •
  The village is in arid or uncultivable
  land: Need (Food)
  •
  Thevillageisdedicatedtoadeity: Re-
  ligious (that deity), Enmity (a settle-
  ment of another deity)
  •
  The village has recently fought a bat-
  tle: -Population, -Prosperity if they
  fought to the end, -Defenses if they
  lost.
  •
  The village has a monster problem:
  Blight (that monster), Need (adven-
  turers)
  •
  The village has absorbed another vil-
  lage: +Population, Lawless
  •
  The village is remote or unwelcom-
  ing: -Prosperity, Dwarven or Elven
  
  Making a Town
  The world
  62
  Making a Town
  By default a town is Moderate, Steady,
  Watch, and Trade (two of your choice).
  If the town is listed as Trade by another
  steading choose one:
  •
  The town is booming:
  Booming,
  Lawless
  •
  The town stands on a crossroads:
  Market, +Prosperity
  •
  The town is defended by another
  steading: Oath (that steading), +De-
  fenses
  •
  The town is built around a church:
  Power (Divine)
  •
  Thetownisbuiltaroundacraft: Craft
  (your choice), Resource (something
  required for that craft)
  •
  The town is built around a military
  post: +Defenses
  Choose one problem:
  •
  The town has grown too big for an
  important supply (like grain, wood,
  or stone): Need (that resource), Trade
  (a village or town with that resource)
  •
  The town offers defense to others:
  Oath (your choice), -Defenses
  •
  The town is notorious for an outlaw
  whoisrumoredtolivethere: Person-
  age (the outlaw), Enmity (where the
  crimes were committed)
  •
  The town has corneredthemarket on
  a good or service: Exotic (that good
  orservice),Enmity(asettlementwith
  ambition)
  •
  The town has a disease: -Population
  •
  The town is a popular meeting place:
  +Population, Lawless
  Making a Keep
  By default a keep is Poor, Shrinking,
  Guard, Need (Supplies), Trade (some-
  place with supplies), Oath (your choice).
  If the keep is owed fealty by at least one
  settlement choose one:
  •
  The keep belongs to a noble family:
  +Prosperity, Power (Political)
  •
  The keep is run by a skilled com-
  mander:
  Personage (the comman-
  der), +Defenses
  •
  The keep stands watch over a trade
  road: +Prosperity, Guild (trade)
  •
  The keep is used to train special
  troops: Arcane, -Population
  •
  The keep is surrounded by fertile
  land: remove Need (Supplies)
  •
  The keep stands on a border: +De-
  fenses, Enmity(steadingontheother
  side of the border)
  Choose one problem
  •
  The keep is built on a naturally de-
  fensible position: Safe, -Population
  •
  The keep was a conquest from an-
  other power: Enmity (steadings of
  that power)
  •
  The keep is a safe haven for brigands:
  Lawless
  •
  The keep was built to defend from a
  speciﬁc threat: Blight (that threat)
  •
  The keep has seen horrible bloody
  war: History(Battle), Blight(Restless
  Spirits)
  •
  The keep is given the worst of the
  worst: Need (Skilled Recruits)
  Making a City
  By default a city is Moderate, Steady,
  Guard, Market, and Guild (one of your
  choice). It also has Oaths with at least
  two other steadings, usually a town and
  a keep. If the city has trade with at least
  one steading and fealty from at least one
  steading choose one:
  •
  Thecityhaspermanentdefenses,like
  walls: +Defenses, Oath (your choice)
  •
  The city is ruled by a single individ-
  ual: Personage(theruler),Power(Po-
  litical)
  •
  Thecityisdiverse: DwarvenorElven
  or both
  •
  The city is a trade hub: Trade (every
  steading nearby), +Prosperity
  •
  The city is ancient, built on top of its
  own ruins: History (your choice), Di-
  vine
  •
  The city is a center of learning: Ar-
  cane, Craft (your choice), Power (Ar-
  cane)
  Choose one problem:
  •
  The city has outgrown its resources:
  +Population, Need (food)
  •
  The city has designs on nearby ter-
  ritory:
  Enmity (nearby steadings),
  +Defenses
  •
  The city is ruled by a theocracy: -
  Defenses, Power (Divine)
  •
  The city is ruled by the people:
  -
  Defenses, +Population
  •
  The city has supernatural defenses:
  +Defenses, Blight (related supernat-
  ural creatures)
  •
  The city lies on a place of power: Ar-
  cane, Personage (whoever watches
  the place of power), Blight (arcane
  creatures)
  Fronts on the Campaign Map
  Ofcourseyour steadings are not the only
  thing on the campaign map. In addition
  to steadings and the areas around them
  yourfrontswillappearonthemap,albeit
  indirectly.
  Fronts are organizational tools,
  not
  something the characters think of, so
  don’t put them on the map directly. The
  orcs of Olg’gothal may be a front but
  don’t just draw them on the map. In-
  stead for each front add some feature to
  the map that indicates the front’s pres-
  ence. You can label it if you like, but use
  the name that the characters would use,
  not the name you gave the front.
  Forexample, theorcsofOlg’gothalcould
  bemarkedonthemapwithaburningvil-
  lagetheyleftbehind, ﬁresinthedistance
  at night, or a stream of refugees. Lord
  Xothal, a lich, might be marked by the
  tower where dead plants take root and
  grow.
  As your fronts change, change the map.
  If the players cleanse Xothal’s tower re-
  draw it. If the orcs are driven off, erase
  the crowds of refugees.
  Updating the Campaign Map
  The Campaign Map is updated between
  sessions or whenever the players spend
  signiﬁcantdowntimeinasafeplace. Up-
  dates are both prescriptive and descrip-
  tive:
  if an event transpires that, say,
  gathersalargerﬁghtingforcetoavillage,
  update the tags to reﬂect that. Likewise
  if a change in tags mean that a village has
  a bigger ﬁghting force you’ll likely see
  more armored men in the street.
  Between each session check each of the
  conditions below. Go down the list and
  checkeachconditionforallsteadingsbe-
  fore moving to the next. If a condition
  applies, apply its effects.
  Growth
  When a village or town is Booming
  and its Prosperity is above Moder-
  ate you may reduce Prosperity and De-
  fenses to move to the next largest type.
  New towns immediately gain Market
  and new cities immediately gain Guild
  (your choice).
  Collapse
  When a steading’s Population is Ex-
  odus and its Prosperity is Poor or
  less it shrinks. A city becomes a town
  with a Steady Population and +Prosper-
  ity. A keep becomes a town with +De-
  fenses and a Steady population. A town
  becomes a village with Steady popula-
  tion and +Prosperity. A village becomes
  a ghost town.
  
  The world
  Updating the Campaign Map
  63
  Want
  When a steading has a Need that is
  not fulﬁlled (through trade, capture,
  or otherwise) that steading is in want. It
  gets either -Prosperity, -Population, or
  loses a tag based on that resource like
  Craft or Trade, your choice.
  Trade
  When Trade is blocked because the
  source of that trade is gone, the route
  is endangered, or political reasons, the
  steadinghasachoice: gainNeed(atraded
  good) or take -Prosperity.
  Capture
  When control of a resource changes
  removethatresourcefromthetagsofthe
  previous owner and add it to the tags of
  the new owner (if applicable). If the pre-
  viousownerhasaCraftorTradebasedon
  that resource they now have Need (that
  resource). If the new owner had a Need
  for that resource, remove it.
  Proﬁt
  When a steading has more Trade
  than its current Prosperity it gets
  +Prosperity.
  Surplus
  WhenasteadinghasaResourcethat
  another steading Needs unless En-
  mityorotherdiplomaticreasonsprevent
  it they set up Trade. The steading with
  the Resource gets +Prosperity and their
  choice of Oaths, +Population, or +De-
  fenses; thesteadingwiththeNeederases
  that need and adds Trade.
  Aid
  When a steading has Oaths to a
  steading under attack that steading
  may take -Defenses to give the steading
  under attack +Defenses.
  Embattled
  When a steading is surrounded by
  enemyforcesitsuffersloses. Ifitﬁghts
  back with force it gets -Defenses. If its
  new Defenses are Watch or less it also
  gets -Prosperity.
  If it instead tries to
  wait out the attack it gets -Population. If
  its new Population is Shrinking or less it
  losesatagofyourchoice. Ifthesteading’s
  Defenses outclass the attacker’s (your
  call if it’s not clear, or make it part of
  an Adventure Front) the steading is no
  longer surrounded.
  Opportunity
  WhenasteadinghasEnmityagainst
  a weaker steading they may attack.
  Subtract the distance (in rations) be-
  tween the steadings from the steading
  with Enmity’s Defenses.
  If the result
  is greater than the other steading’s De-
  fenses +Defense for each step of size dif-
  ference (village to town, town to keep,
  keep to city) they deﬁnitely attack. Oth-
  erwise it’s your call: has anything hap-
  pened recently to stoke their anger? The
  forces of the attacker embattle the de-
  fender, while they maintain the attack
  they’re -Defenses.
  Clash
  When two steadings both attack
  each other their forces meet some-
  wherebetweenthemandﬁght. Ifthey’re
  evenly matched they both get -Defenses
  and their troops return home. If one has
  the advantage they take -Defenses while
  the other takes -2 Defenses.
  Other Updates
  The conditions above detail the most ba-
  sic of interactions between steadings, of
  course the presence of your Fronts and
  the players mean things can get far more
  complex. Since tags are descriptive, add
  them as needed to reﬂect the players’
  actions and your fronts’ effects on the
  world.
  
  Making a Hireling
  Hirelings
  64
  25
  Hirelings
  Hirelings are those sorry souls that—for
  money,glory,orstrangerneeds—venture
  along with adventurers into the gloom
  and danger. They are the foolhardy that
  seek to make their name on adventures.
  Hirelings serve a few purposes. To the
  characters, they’re the help. They lend
  their strength to the player characters’
  efforts in return for their pay.
  To the
  players, they’re a resource. They buy the
  characters some extra time against even
  the most frightening of threats. They’re
  also replacement characters, waiting to
  stepupintothehero’srolewhenaplayer
  character falls. To the GM, they’re a hu-
  man face for the characters to turn to,
  even in the depths of the earth of the far
  reaches of the planes.
  Hirelings are not heroes. A hireling may
  become a hero, as a replacement charac-
  ter, but until that time they’re just an-
  other GM character, suffering the dan-
  gers and perils of the world.
  As such
  their exact HP, armor, and damage isn’t
  particularly important. A hireling is de-
  ﬁned by their Skill (or Skills) a Cost and
  a Loyalty score.
  A hireling’s skill is a special beneﬁt they
  providetotheplayers. Mostskillsarere-
  latedtoclassabilities,allowingahireling
  to ﬁll in for a certain class. If you don’t
  have a Ranger but you need to track the
  assassin’s route out of Torsea anyway,
  youneedaTracker. Eachskillhasarank,
  usually from 1 to 10. The higher the rank
  the more trained the hireling. Generally
  hirelings only work for adventurers of
  equal or higher level than their highest
  skill.
  If a hireling becomes a character their
  skillsmaysuggestagivenclass,butthere
  isn’t a requirement. When the moment
  comes and the spotlight is on them they
  may ﬁnd strength they didn’t know they
  had.
  Skills don’t limit what a hireling can do,
  they just provide mechanics for a cer-
  tainability. Ahirelingwiththeprotector
  skillcanstillcarryyourburdensorcheck
  for traps, but the outcome isn’t guaran-
  teed by a rule. It will fall entirely to the
  circumstances and the GM. Sending a
  hireling to do something that is clearly
  beyond their abilities is asking the GM
  for trouble.
  Of course no hireling works for free. The
  hireling’s cost is what it takes to keep
  them with the player characters. If the
  hireling’s cost isn’t paid regularly (usu-
  ally once a session) they’re liable to quit
  or turn on their employers.
  When hirelings are in play, the players
  may have to make the Order Hirelings
  move. The move uses the loyalty of the
  hireling that triggered the move:
  Order Hirelings
  Hirelings do what you tell them to, so
  long as it isn’t obviously dangerous, de-
  grading, or stupid, and their cost is
  met. When a hireling ﬁnd themselves
  in a dangerous, degrading, or just ﬂat-
  out crazy situation due to your orders
  roll+loyalty. On a 10+ they stand ﬁrm
  and carry out the order. On a 7-9 they do
  itfornow,butcomebackwithseriousde-
  mands later. Meet them or the hireling
  quits on the worst terms.
  Making a Hireling
  Hirelings are easy to make on the ﬂy.
  When someone enters the player’s em-
  ploynotedowntheirnameandwhatcost
  they’veagreedtoaswellasanyskillsthey
  may have.
  Start with a number based on where the
  hireling was found. Hirelings in villages
  start with 2–5. Town hirelings get 4–6.
  Keephirelingsare5–8. Cityhirelingsare
  6–10. Distribute the hireling’s number
  betweenloyalty, amainskill, andzeroor
  more secondary skills. Starting loyalty
  higher than 2 is unusual, as is starting
  loyalty below 0. Choose a cost for the
  hireling and you’re done.
  A hireling’s stats, especially their loy-
  alty, may change during play as a re-
  ﬂection of events. A particular kindness
  or bonus from the players is worth +1
  loyalty forward.
  Disrespect is -1 loy-
  alty forward. If it’s been a while since
  their cost was last paid they get -1 loy-
  alty ongoing until their cost is met. A
  hirelings loyalty may be permanently
  increased when they achieve some great
  deed with the players. A signiﬁcant fail-
  ure or beating may permanently lower
  the hireling’s loyalty.
  Costs
  •
  The Thrill of Victory
  •
  Money
  •
  Uncovered Knowledge
  •
  Fame and Glory
  •
  Debauchery
  •
  Good Accomplished
  Skills
  Adept
  An adept has at least apprenticed to an
  arcaneexpert,butisnotpowerfulintheir
  own right. They may have mastered a
  few simple spells, but they don’t have
  anything like the wizard’s spellbook
  ArcaneAssistance—Whenanadeptaidsin
  the casting of a spell of lower level than
  their skill, the spell’s effects have greater
  range, duration, or potency. The exact
  effects depend on the situation and the
  spell and are up to the GM. The GM will
  describe what effects the assist will add
  before the spell is cast. The most impor-
  
  Hirelings
  Making a Hireling
  65
  tant feature of casting with an adept is
  that any negative effects of the casting
  are focused on the adept ﬁrst.
  Expert
  Experts are skilled in a variety of areas,
  most of them illicit or dangerous. They
  are good with devices and traps, but not
  too helpful in the ﬁeld of battle.
  Experimental Trap Disarming —When an
  expertleadsthewaytheycandetecttraps
  almost in time. If a trap would be sprung
  whileanexpertisleadingthewaytheex-
  pert suffers the full effects but the play-
  ers get +skill against the trap and add
  the expert’s skill to their armor against
  the trap. Most traps leave an expert in
  needofimmediatehealing. Iftheplayers
  Make Camp near the trap, the expert can
  disarm it by the time camp is broken.
  Minstrel
  When a smiling face is needed to smooth
  thingsoverornegotiateadeal,aminstrel
  is always happy to lend their services for
  the proper price.
  A Hero’s Welcome —When you enter a
  place of food, drink, or entertainment
  with a minstrel you will be treated as a
  friend by everyone present (unless your
  actions prove otherwise). You also sub-
  tract the minstrel’s skill from all prices
  in town.
  Priest
  Priest are the lower ranking clergy of a
  religion, performing minor ofﬁces and
  regular sacraments. While not granted
  spells themselves, they are able to call
  upon their deity for minor aid.
  Ministry —When you make camp with
  a priest if you would normally heal you
  heal to your maximum HP value.
  First Aid —When you call on a priest for
  healing, the priest rushes to your side
  and heals you of 2×skill HP. You take -1
  forward as their healing is painful and
  distracting.
  Protector
  A protector stands between their em-
  ployer and the blades, fangs, teeth, and
  spells that would harm them.
  Sentry —When a protector stands be-
  tween you and an attack you increase
  your armor against that attack by the de-
  fender’s skill, then reduce their skill by
  1 until they receive healing or have time
  to mend.
  Intervene —When a protector helps you
  Defy Danger you may opt to take +1 from
  their aid. If you do you cannot get a 10+
  result, a 10+ instead counts as a 7–9.
  Tracker
  Trackers know the secrets of following a
  trail, but they don’t have the experience
  with strange creatures and exotic locals
  that make for a great hunter.
  Track —When a tracker is given time
  to study a trail while Making Camp,
  when camp is broken they can follow the
  trail to the next major change in terrain,
  travel, or weather.
  Guide —When a tracker leads the way
  you automatically succeed on any Per-
  ilous Journey of a distance lower than
  the tracker’s skill.
  Warrior
  Warriors are not masters of combat, but
  they are handy with a weapon.
  They
  won’t be leading anyone into battle any-
  time soon, but their arm is good.
  Man-at-arms —When you deal damage
  while a warrior aids you add their skill to
  the damage done. If your attack results
  in consequences (like a counter attack)
  the man-at-arms takes the brunt of it.
  
  Using Monsters
  Monsters
  66
  26
  Monsters
  Great heroes need horrendous antago-
  nists. This section is about how to create
  and play as those antagonists—from the
  lowly goblin warrior to the hellish de-
  mon.
  Using Monsters
  Amonsterisanyliving(orundead)thing
  that stands in the players’ way.
  How you use these monsters follows di-
  rectly from your Agenda and Principles.
  Stay true to your principles, use your
  moves and pursue your agenda—you
  can’t go wrong.
  Your ﬁrst agenda is to "Make the world
  fantastic". This shines through strongly
  based on how you think about monsters.
  Everyone and everything who comes up
  against the players is a monster but that
  doesn’t mean you have to write their
  stats out ahead of time.
  In a fantastic
  world, every goblin might end up in a
  ﬁght but you don’t have to know their
  HP before that happens. A monster is
  so simple to make you can jump right
  into theﬁction, describing whatever you
  want and back it up with stats as you
  need them.
  Make the world fantastic:
  describe your monsters ﬁrst and worry
  about their stats later.
  The player characters are the heroes.
  You shouldn’t be rooting for the mon-
  sters, per se. Monsters exist to illustrate
  what a dangerous awful place Dungeon
  World can be—how it will remain if the
  players don’t step in. If you feel like your
  monsters are being beaten too quickly,
  don’t worry.
  Let the players revel in
  their victory and prepare a bigger, bad-
  der follow-up monster for next time.
  Theprinciple of "Think dangerous" sums
  up that philosophy—the world is just
  as dangerous for the monsters as for
  the characters. An evil overlord doesn’t
  care about his every golem, demon, and
  harpy. Until proven otherwise, consider
  everymonsteranarrowﬁredatthechar-
  acters. The monsters are ammunition of
  theDangeryou’representing. Somemay
  be smarter, faster, or more dangerous
  than others but until a monster warrants
  aname,apersonality,orsomeotherspe-
  cial consideration, it’s an arrow. Take
  aim and shoot. Don’t worry if you miss.
  A monster stops being an arrow when
  it is given a chance to shine by the play-
  ers’actions. Whentheplayersareforced
  to run away from something it gains
  weight. When a monster somehow sur-
  vives the players’ assault it becomes in-
  teresting to the players and to the world
  atlarge. Theplayersaretheheroes. Your
  monsters are only important when they
  become important to the heroes and,
  thus, important to the world.
  One thing that your Agenda and Prin-
  ciples don’t say anything about is set-
  ting up a fair ﬁght.
  Heroes are often
  outnumbered or faced with ridiculous
  odds—sometimes they have to retreat
  and make a new plan. Sometimes they
  suffer loss. When adding a monster to
  a front, placing them in a dungeon, or
  making them up on the ﬂy your ﬁrst re-
  sponsibility is to the ﬁction (Make the
  world fantastic) and to give the charac-
  ters a real threat (Make the characters
  heroes), not to make a balanced ﬁght.
  Dungeon World isn’t about balancing
  encounter levels or counting experience
  points; it’sabouttellingstoriesaboutad-
  venture and death-defying feats!
  Elements of a Monster
  The most important part of a monster
  is what it does. These are it’s moves .
  Just like the normal GM moves, they’re
  things that you do when there’s a lull in
  the action or when the players give you
  a golden opportunity. Just like the nor-
  mal GM moves they can be hard or soft
  depending on the circumstances and the
  move: a move that’s irreversible and im-
  mediateishard,amovethat’simpending
  or mitigable is soft.
  Each monster’s raison d’être is summed
  up in its instinct .
  Much like Dan-
  gers, monsters have instincts that de-
  scribe their goals at a high level. Some
  monsters live for conquest, or treasure,
  or simply for blood. The monster’s in-
  stinct is the guide to how to use the mon-
  ster
  The monster’s description is where all
  its other features come from. The de-
  scriptionishowyouknowwhatthemon-
  ster really is, the other elements just re-
  ﬂect the description.
  Damage is a measure of how much pain
  the monster can inﬂict at once. Just like
  player damage it’s a dice to roll, maybe
  withsomemodiﬁers. Amonsterdealsits
  damage to another monster or a player
  when it uses its standard weapons and
  tacticstohurtthem,orwhenamovesays
  so.
  Just like a weapon, monsters have tags
  that describe how it deals damage, in-
  cluding what range(s) it can do damage
  at. When trying to attack something out
  of its range (to close or too far) the mon-
  ster’s out of luck, no damage. Any tag
  that can go on a weapon (like Messy or
  Slow) can also go on a monster.
  There are also monster tags that apply
  only to monsters. These tags, listed be-
  low, describe the monster’s key attrib-
  utes.
  Every monster has a tag for its
  scope: where it falls in the bigger picture
  ofDungeonWorld. Thescopetagletsthe
  GM know how to portray the monster in
  a way that its stats back up, for example
  if an army of gnolls can take a defended
  village (hint: most likely). Some mon-
  sters also have a size tag, which notes
  
  Monsters
  Monster Tags
  67
  their physical size. Monsters without a
  size tag are just about human size, give
  or take.
  A monster’s HP is a measure of how
  much damage it can take before it dies.
  Just like players, when a monster takes
  damageitsubtractsthatamountfromit’s
  HP. At 0 HP it’s dead, no Last Breath.
  Some monsters are lucky enough to en-
  joy Armor .
  Just like player armor:
  when a monster with armor takes dam-
  age it subtracts its armor from the dam-
  age done.
  Special qualities describe innate as-
  pects of the monster that are important
  to play.
  These are a guide to the ﬁc-
  tion, and therefore the moves.
  There
  is no master list of special qualities,
  they’rejustplain-englishdescriptionsof
  the qualities of a monster that aren’t part
  of an attack.
  A quality like "Intangi-
  ble" means just what it says: mundane
  stuff just passes through it. That means
  swinging a mundane sword at it isn’t
  Hack and Slash, for a start.
  Monsters Without Stats
  Some creatures operate on a scale so far
  beyond the mortal that concepts like HP,
  Armor, and Damage just do not hold.
  Thesecreaturesmaystillcauseproblems
  for the players and may even be defeated
  with clever thinking and enough prepa-
  ration, they just won’t be trading blows.
  If a creature is of such a scale far beyond
  the players, or if it simply doesn’t live or
  die like a mortal creature, don’t assign
  it HP, Damage, or Armor. You can still
  use the monster creation rules to give it
  tags. The core of a stat-less monster is
  its instinct and moves; the GM can still
  make its moves and act according to its
  instinct.
  Monster Tags
  Magical : It is by nature magical through
  and through.
  Devious : Its main danger lies beyond the
  simple clash of battle.
  Gibbous :
  Its anatomy and organs are
  bizarre and unnatural.
  Organized : It has a group structure that
  aids it in survival. Defeating one may
  cause the wrath of others.
  One may
  sound an alarm.
  Intelligent : Its smart enough that some
  individuals pick up other skills. The GM
  can adapt the monster by adding tags to
  reﬂect speciﬁc training, like a mage or
  warrior.
  Hoarder : Italmostcertainlyhastreasure.
  Stealthy :
  It can avoid detection and
  prefers to attack with the element of sur-
  prise.
  Terrifying : Its presence and appearance
  evoke fear.
  Cautious : It prizes survival over aggres-
  sion.
  Construct : It was made, not born
  Planar : Its from beyond this world
  Organization Tags
  Horde : Where there’s one, theres more.
  A lot more.
  Group : Usually seen in small numbers,
  3–6 or so.
  Solitary : It lives and ﬁghts alone.
  Size Tags
  Tiny : It’s much smaller than a halﬂing.
  Small : It’s about halﬂing size.
  Large : It’s much bigger than a human,
  about as big as a cart.
  Huge: It’sasbigasasmallhouseorlarger.
  Making Monsters
  Monsters start with your description of
  them. No matter if you’re making the
  monster before play or just as the play-
  ers come face-to-face with it, a monster
  starts with a clear vision of what it is and
  what it does.
  If you’re making a monster between ses-
  sionsstartbyimaginingit. Imaginewhat
  it looks like, what it does, why it stands
  out. Imagine the stories told about it and
  what effects it has had on the world.
  If you’re making a monster on the ﬂy
  during a session start by describing it
  to the players. Your description starts
  before the characters even lay eyes on
  it: describe where it lives, what marks it
  has made on the environment around it.
  Your description is the key to the mon-
  ster.
  When you ﬁnd you need stats for the
  monster you use this series of questions
  to establish them. Answer every ques-
  tion based on the facts established and
  imagined. Don’t answer them aloud to
  anyone else, just note down the answers
  and the stats listed with each answer.
  Iftwoquestionswouldgrantthesametag
  don’t worry about it. If you like you can
  adjust damage or HP by 2 to reﬂect the
  tag that would be repeated, but it’s not
  necessary. If a combination of answers
  would reduce HP or damage below 1 they
  stay at 1.
  Whenyou’reﬁnishedyourmonstermay
  have only one move. If this is the case
  and you plan on using the monster of-
  ten, give it another 2–3 moves of your
  choice. These moves often describe sec-
  ondary modes of attack, other uses for a
  primary mode of attack, or connections
  to a certain place in the world.
  What is it known to do?
  Write a monster move describing what
  it does.
  What does it want that causes problems for
  others?
  Thisisitsinstinct. Writeitasanintended
  action.
  How does it usually hunt or ﬁght?
  •
  In large disorganized groups: Horde,
  d6 damage, 3 HP
  •
  In small groups, about 2–5: Group,
  d8 damage, 6 HP
  •
  All by its lonesome:
  Solitary, d10
  damage, 12 HP
  How big is it?
  •
  Smallerthanahousecat: Tiny, Hand,
  -2 damage
  •
  Halﬂing-esque: Small, Close
  •
  About human size: Close
  •
  As big as a cart: Large, Close, Reach,
  +4 HP, +1 damage
  •
  Muchlargerthanacart: Huge,Reach,
  +8 HP, +3 damage
  What is its most important defense?
  •
  Cloth or ﬂesh: 0 armor
  •
  Leathers or think hide: 1 armor
  •
  Mail or scales: 2 armor
  •
  Plate or bone: 3 armor
  •
  Permanent magical protection: 4 ar-
  mor, Magical
  What is it known for? (Choose all that apply)
  •
  Unrelenting strength:
  +2 damage,
  forceful
  •
  Skill in offense: roll damage twice
  and take the best
  •
  Skill in defense: +1 armor
  •
  Deft strikes: +1 piercing
  •
  Uncanny endurance: +4 HP
  •
  Deceit and trickery: Stealthy, write a
  move about dirty tricks
  •
  A useful adaptation like being am-
  phibious or having wings: Add a spe-
  cial quality for the adaptation
  •
  The favor of the gods: Divine, +2
  damage or +2 HP or both (your call)
  •
  Spells and magic: Magical, write a
  move about its spells
  
  Treasure
  Monsters
  68
  What is its most common form of attack?
  Note it along with the creature’s dam-
  age. Common answers include: a type
  of weapon, claws, a speciﬁc spell. Then
  answer these questions about it.
  •
  Its armaments are vicious and obvi-
  ous: +2 damage
  •
  It lets the monster keep others at bay:
  Reach
  •
  Its armaments are small and weak:
  -damage dice size
  •
  Its armaments can slice or pierce
  metal: Messy,+1Piercingor+3Pierc-
  ing if it can just tear metal apart
  •
  Armor doesn’t help with the damage
  it deals (due to magic, size, etc.): Ig-
  nores Armor
  •
  It usually attacks at range (with ar-
  rows, spells, or other projectiles):
  Near or Far or both (your call)
  Which of these describe it? (Choose all that
  apply)
  •
  It isn’t dangerous because of the
  wounds it inﬂicts, but for other rea-
  sons:
  Devious, -damage dice size,
  write a move about why it’s danger-
  ous
  •
  It organizes into larger groups that it
  can call on for support: Organized,
  write a move about calling on others
  for help
  •
  It’s as smart as a human or there-
  abouts: Intelligent
  •
  It actively defends itself with a shield
  or similar: Cautious, +1 Armor
  •
  It collects trinkets that humans
  would consider valuable (gold, gems,
  secrets): Hoarder
  •
  It uses magic: Magical, write a move
  aboutitsstyleofmagicandtheeffects
  it can invoke
  •
  It’s from beyond this world: Planar,
  write a move about using it’s other-
  worldly knowledge and power
  •
  It’s kept alive by something beyond
  simple biology: +4 HP
  •
  It was made by someone: Construct,
  give it a special quality or two about
  its construction or purpose
  •
  Its appearance is disturbing, terrible,
  or horrible: Terrifying, write a spe-
  cial quality about why it’s so horren-
  dous
  •
  It doesn’t have organs or discernible
  anatomy: Gibbous, +1 Armor, +3 HP
  Treasure
  Monsters, much like adventurers, col-
  lect shiny useful things. When the play-
  ers search the belongings of a monster
  (be they on their person or tucked away
  somewhere) describe them honestly.
  If the monster has accumulated some
  wealth you can roll that randomly. Start
  withthemonster’sdamagedie,modiﬁed
  if the monster is:
  •
  Hoarder: roll damage die twice, take
  higher result
  •
  Far from home: +at least one ration
  (usable by anyone with similar taste)
  •
  Magical: somestrangeitem, possibly
  magical
  •
  Divine: a sign of a deity (or deities)
  •
  Planar: something not of this earth
  •
  Lord over others: +1d4 to the roll
  •
  Ancient and noteworthy: +1d4 to the
  roll
  Roll the monster’s damage die plus any
  addeddicetoﬁnethemonster’streasure:
  1.
  A few coins, 2d8 or so
  2. An item useful to the current situa-
  tion
  3. Several coins, about 4d10
  4. A small item (gem, art) of consider-
  ablevalue, worthasmuchas2d10×10
  coins, 0 weight
  5. Some minor magical trinket
  6. Useful information (in the form of
  clues, notes, etc.)
  7. A bag of coins, 1d4×100 or there-
  abouts. 1 weight per 100.
  8. A very valuable small item (gem, art)
  worth 2d6×100, 0 weight
  9. Achestof coins andother small valu-
  ables. 1 weight but worth 3d6×100
  coins
  10. A magical item or magical effect
  11. Many bags of coins for a total of
  2d4×100 or so
  12. Asignofofﬁce(crown,banner)worth
  at least 3d4×100 coins
  13. A large art item worth 4d4×100
  coins, 1 weight
  14. Auniqueitemworthatleast5d4×100
  coins
  15. All the information needed to learn a
  new spell and roll again
  16. A portal or secret path (or directions
  to one) and roll again
  17. Something relating to one of the
  characters and roll again
  18. A hoard:
  1d10×1000 coins and
  1d10×10 gems worth 2d6×100 each
  Monster Settings
  The monsters in this book are presented
  in monster settings . A monster set-
  ting is a location (or type of location) and
  the monsters that inhabit it. It’s a way
  of grouping monsters by where they ﬁt
  in the world.
  A monster setting tells
  youwhatkindofmonstersmightinhabit
  an area while your Fronts tell you what
  monsters are working together or have
  ongoing plots.
  When creating your own monster set-
  tings, they can be more speciﬁc.
  You
  could create a monster setting for the
  Great Western Steppes or the Domains
  of the Horse Lords.
  Consult a monster setting to populate a
  Front or when you want a threat that is
  only tangentially related to one of your
  Fronts. For example, if the heroes are
  battling against the Dungeon Front "The
  Cult of Khul-ka-ra" by exploring the an-
  cient ruins that the cult has made its
  home thenyou mightuse monsters from
  the Legions of the Undead as a related
  threat—not truly part of the front but
  still a block in the heroes’ path.
  Monsterswithinagivensettingwilltend
  to be about as powerful. This is a product
  of their ecology—they’re in competition
  for space and resources, after all. Cav-
  ern Dwellers or Denizens of the Murky
  Swamp are likely to be faced by fresh ad-
  venturers as they are the creatures who
  most often encroach on civilization. The
  Gnarled Woods, Ravenous Hordes, and
  Twisted Experiments settings hold more
  powerful monsters, monsters that can
  threaten the safety of whole cities. Pla-
  nar Powers and Creatures of the Lower
  Depths are the most dangerous enemies
  the heroes can face—often endangering
  entire kingdoms. The Legions of the Un-
  dead are everywhere and can appear in
  just about any setting or situation.
  The monster stat blocks within these
  settings describe not only HP, damage,
  and all the other aspects of the mon-
  ster,butalsothereasonsthosestatswere
  assigned. These monsters were created
  with the same process listed above, and
  the reasons for their stats are just as im-
  portant as the stats themselves. Look-
  ing at the reasoning behind the stats will
  allow you to present the monsters hon-
  estly, answering questions that arise in
  Dungeon World like "can a warband of
  gnolls sack an entire village?"
  Cavern Dwellers
  At the edges of civilization in the caves
  and tunnels below the old mountains
  of the world dwell all sorts of schem-
  ing, dangerous monsters. Some are wily
  and old, like the race of goblins schem-
  ing to burn villages and make off with
  livestock. Othersarestrangeaberrations
  of nature like the stinking, trash-eating
  Otyugh. Awordofcaution,then,tothose
  brave adventurers whose ﬁrst foray into
  danger leads them into these dank and
  shadowy places; bad things live in the
  dark. Bad things with sharp teeth.
  
  Monsters
  Monster Settings
  69
  Denizens of the Swamp
  All things give way to rot, in the end.
  Food spoils on the table, men’s minds
  go mad with age and disease. Even the
  world itself, when left untended and un-
  cared for, can turn to black muck and
  stinking air. Things dwell in these parts
  of Dungeon World. Things gone just as
  a bad as the swirling ﬁlth that ﬁlls the
  swamps. In these cesspit lowlands ad-
  venturers will ﬁnd such creatures as the
  deadly-eyed basilisk or the famed, un-
  killable troll. You’ll need more than a
  dry pair of boots to survive these putrid
  fens. A sword would be a good start.
  Legions of the Undead
  The sermons of mannish and dwarven
  gods would tell you that Death is the end
  of all. They say that once the mortal coil
  is unwound and a person takes their ﬁ-
  nal breath that all is warmth and song
  and the white wings of angels. Not so.
  Not for all. For some, after life’s embrace
  losesitsstrengthadarkerpowercantake
  hold. Black magic rips the dead from the
  ground and gives them shambling un-
  life full of hate and hunger. Sorcery and
  witchcraft lend an ancient spell-smith
  the power to live forever in the husk of
  a Lich. There are bleak enchantments at
  play in shadowy corners all throughout
  Dungeon World. These creatures are the
  spawn of that fell magic.
  The Dark Woods
  It would not be a lie to say that there are
  trees that stand in the deepest groves of
  DungeonWorldthathavestoodsincebe-
  foremanorelfwalkedamidsttheirroots.
  Itwouldbetrue, too, tosaythatthesean-
  cienttreeshavelonglostthegreenleaves
  of spring.
  In the strands of the dark
  woods one ﬁnds, if one looks in the right
  place, sylvan monsters of old and pow-
  erful nature. Here live the race of sav-
  age Centaurs and the fey soul-stealing
  creatures of olde.
  Under the shadow
  of the ancient trees, wolf-men howl for
  blood. Hurry along the old forest road
  and light no ﬁre for food or warmth for
  it’s said that ﬂames offend the woods
  themselves.
  You wouldn’t want that,
  would you?
  Ravenous Hordes
  "I’ve bested an orc in single combat" they
  crow. "I’ve fought a gnoll and lived to
  the tell the tale." Which is no small feat
  and yet, you know the truth of these
  boasts. Like vermin, spotting but one of
  these creatures speaks to a greater doom
  on the horizon.
  No orc travels alone.
  No slavering gnoll moves without his
  pack. Youknowthatsoon,thewardrums
  will sound and the walls will be besieged
  by the full fury of the warchief and his
  tusked berserkers. These are the mon-
  stersthatwillbringcivilization, scream-
  ingandweeping, toitsknees. Unlessyou
  can stop them. Best of luck.
  Twisted Experiments
  For some who learn the arcane arts it’s
  not merely enough to be able to live
  for a thousand years or throw light-
  ning bolts that can fry a man.
  Some
  aren’t quite satisﬁed with the power to
  speak to the dead or draw the angels
  downfromheaven. Hubriscallsonthose
  cloaked-and-hooded"scientists"tomake
  a strange and unholy life of their own.
  No mortal children, these. These are the
  wages of a mind gone foul with strange
  magic. In this setting you will ﬁnd such
  nightmaresasthechimera,drippingpoi-
  son. Here, too, are the protector golems
  and mutant apes. All sorts of bad ideas
  await you in the fallen towers of the mad
  magicians of Dungeon World.
  The Lower Depths
  Ruins dot the countryside of Dungeon
  World. Old bastions of long-forgotten
  civilization fallen to decay, to monsters
  or to the whim of a vengeful god. These
  ruins often cover a much more danger-
  ous truth – catacombs and underground
  complexes lousy with traps and mon-
  sters. Gold, too. Which is why you’re
  here. Why you’re locked in mortal com-
  bat with a tribe of spiteful dark elves.
  Battling stone giants in caverns the size
  of whole countries.
  Maybe, though,
  you’re the noble souls who’ve travelled
  to the world’s heart to put an end to the
  Apocalypse Dragon—the beast who, it is
  said, will one day swallow the sun and
  kill us all. We appreciate it, really. We’ll
  all pray for you.
  Planar Powers
  Sometimes, monsters do not come from
  Dungeon World at all.
  Beyond the
  mountainsattheedgeoftheworldorbe-
  low the deepest seas the sages and wise
  old priests say that there are gateways to
  the lands beyond. They speak of elysian
  ﬁelds; rivers of sweet wine and maidens
  dancinginﬁeldsofgold. Theytelltalesof
  the paradise of heavens to be found past
  the Planar Door. Tales tell, too, of the
  Thousandfold Hell. Of the swirling El-
  emental Vortex and the devils that wait
  for the stars to align so they can enter
  Dungeon World and wreak their bloody
  havoc.
  You must be curious to know
  if these tales are true? What will you
  see when the passage to the beyond is
  opened?
  
  Cavern Dwellers
  70
  27
  Cavern
  Dwellers
  Ankheg Group, Large
  Bite (d8+1 damage) 10 HP 3 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  A hide like plate armor and great crushing
  mandibles are problematic.
  A stomach full
  of acid that can burn a hole through a stone
  wall makes them all the worse. They’d be bad
  enoughiftheywereproperinsect-sizedbutthese
  things have the gall to be as long as any given
  horse. It’s just not natural! Good thing they
  tend to stick to one place?
  Easy for you to
  say—you don’t have an Ankheg living under
  your corn ﬁeld. Instinct : To undermine
  •
  Undermine the ground
  •
  Burst from the earth
  •
  Sprayforthacid,eatingawayatmetal
  and ﬂesh
  Cave Rat Horde, Small
  Gnaw (d6 damage 1 piercing) 7 HP 1 Ar-
  mor
  Close, Messy
  Whohasn’tseenaratbefore? It’slikethat, but
  nasty and big and not afraid of you anymore.
  Maybe this one was a cousin to that one you
  caught in a trap or the one you killed with a
  knife in that ﬁlthy tavern in Darrow. Maybe
  he’s looking for a little ratty revenge. Instinct
  : To devour
  •
  Swarm
  •
  Rip apart something (or someone)
  Choker Solitary, Stealthy, Intelli-
  gent
  Choke (d10 damage) 15 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Flexible
  Somesaythesethingsdescendedfromthefam-
  ilyofacruelwizardwhoforcedthemtoliveout
  their lives underground. Say his experiments
  ledhimtofearthesunandagespassedwhilehe
  descended into unlife, dragging his folk along
  withhim. Thesethingsresemblemen,inaway.
  Head, four limbs and all that. Only their skin
  is wet and rubbery and their arms long and
  ﬁngers grasping. They hate all life that bears
  the stink of the sun’s touch, as one might ex-
  pect. Jealousy, long instilled, is hard to shake.
  Instinct : To deny light
  •
  Hold someone, wringing the breath
  from them
  •
  Fling a held creature
  Cloaker Solitary, Stealthy
  Constrict (d10 damage ignores armor) 12
  HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities:
  Looks like a
  cloak
  Don’t put on that cloak, Gareth. Don’t. You
  don’t know where it’s been. I tell you, it’s no
  good. See! It moved! I’m not mad, Gareth, it
  moved! Don’t do it! No! GARETH! Instinct
  : To engulf
  •
  Engulf the unsuspecting
  Dwarven Warrior Horde, Organized
  Axe (d6 damage) 7 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  For ages, men believed all dwarves were men
  and all were of this ilk—stoic and proud war-
  riors. Axe-wielding and plate-wearing. Stout
  bearded battle-hungry men who would push
  them, time and time again, back up out of their
  mines and tunnels with ferocity. It just goes
  to show how little men know about the elder
  races. These folk are merely a vanguard, and
  they bravely do their duty to protect the riches
  of the Dwarven realm. Earn their trust and
  you’ve an ally for life. Earn their ire and you’re
  not like to regret it very long. Instinct : To
  defend
  •
  Drive them back
  •
  Call up reinforcements
  Earth Elemental Solitary, Huge
  Smash (d10+5 damage) 27 HP 4 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Made of stone
  Our shaman says that all the things of the
  world have a spirit. Stones, trees, a stream.
  Now that I’ve seen the earth roil under my feet
  and ﬁsts of stone beat my friends half to death
  I’mliketobelievethatcrazyoldman. TheoneI
  saw was huge—big as a house! It came boiling
  up from a rockslide out of nowhere and had a
  voicelikeanavalanche. Ipaymyrespects,now.
  Rightly so. Instinct : To show the strength of
  earth
  •
  Turn the ground into a weapon
  •
  Meld into stone
  Goliath Group, Huge, Organized, In-
  telligent
  Mace (d8+7 damage) 14 HP 1 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  They dwell beneath the earth because they do
  not belong above it any longer. An undying
  raceofmightytitansﬂedtheplainsandmoun-
  tainsinagespast—drivenoutbymenandtheir
  heroes. Left to bide their time in the dark, hate
  andangerwarmedbythepoolsoflavadeepbe-
  low. It’s said that an earthquake is a goliath’s
  birthingcry. Somedaythey’lltakebackwhat’s
  theirs. Instinct : To retake
  •
  Shake the earth
  •
  Retreat, only to come back stronger
  Fire Beetle Horde, Small
  Flames (d6 damage ignores armor) 3 HP
  3 Armor
  Near
  Special Qualities: Full of ﬂames
  
  Cavern Dwellers
  71
  Scarabaeus Pyractomena! What a delightful
  creature—see how its carapace glitters in the
  light of our torches? Not too close now, they’re
  temperamental, you see. The ﬁre in their belly
  isn’t just metaphorical, no. Watch as I goad
  the beast. Aha! A spout of ﬂame! Unexpected,
  isn’tit? Oneofthesecreaturesalone,ifitcomes
  up from below, can be a hellish nuisance to a
  farmsteadorvillage. Awholeswarm? There’s
  a reason they call it a conﬂagration of ﬁre bee-
  tles. I’ll say that much. Instinct : To enﬂame
  •
  Undermine the ground
  •
  Burst from the earth
  •
  Sprayforthacid,eatingawayatmetal
  and ﬂesh
  Gargoyle Horde, Stealthy, Hoarder
  Claw (d6 damage) 3 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Wings
  It’sasadthing,really. GuardiansbredbyMagi
  ofthepastwithnomorecastlestoguard. Their
  ancestors’ sacred task bred into their blood
  leads them to ﬁnd a place—ruins, mostly but
  sometimesacaveorhillormountaincliff—and
  guarditasthoughtheirmastersyetlivedbelow.
  They’re notoriously good at ﬁnding valuables
  buried below the earth, though. Find one of
  these winged reptiles and you’ll ﬁnd yourself a
  treasurenearby. Justbecareful,they’rehardto
  spot and tend to move in packs. Instinct : To
  guard
  •
  Attack with the element of surprise
  •
  Take to the air
  •
  Blend into stonework
  Gelatinous Cube Solitary,
  Large,
  Stealthy, Gibbous
  Engulf (d10+1 damage ignores armor) 20
  HP 1 Armor
  Hand
  Special Qualities: Transparent
  How many adventurers’ last thought was
  "strange,thistunnelseemscleanerthanmost?"
  Too many and all because of this transparent
  menace. A great acidic blob that expands to
  ﬁllasmallchamberorcorridorandthenslides,
  ever so slowly along, eating everything in its
  path. It cannot eat stone or metal and will of-
  ten have them ﬂoating in its jelly mass. Blech.
  Instinct : To clean
  •
  Fill an apparently empty space
  •
  Dissolve
  Goblin Horde, Small, Intelligent, Or-
  ganized
  Spear (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Nobody seems to know where these things
  came from.
  Elves say they’re the Dwarves’
  fault—dredgedupfromahiddenplacebeneath
  theearth. Dwarvessaythey’rebadElvishchil-
  dren,takenawayatbirthandraisedinthedark.
  The truth of the matter is that goblins have al-
  ways been here and they’ll be here once all the
  civilizedraceshavefallenandgoneaway. Gob-
  lins never die out. There’s just too damn many
  of them. Instinct : To multiply
  •
  Charge!
  •
  Call more goblins
  •
  Retreat and return with (many) more
  Goblin
  Orkaster
  Solitary,
  Small,
  Magical, Intelligent, Organized
  Acid orb (d10+1 damage ignores armor)
  12 HP 0 Armor
  Near, Far
  Oh lord, who taught them magic? Instinct :
  To tap power beyond their stature
  •
  Unleash a poorly understood spell
  •
  Pour forth magical chaos
  •
  Use other goblins for shields
  Otyugh Solitary, Large
  Tentacles(d10+3damage)20HP1Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Filth Fever
  The mating call of the otyugh is a horrible,
  blaring cry that sounds like a cross between
  an elephant dying and an over-eager vulture.
  The otyugh spends much of its time partly
  submerged in ﬁlthy water and prefers eating
  garbage over any other food. As a result, it
  often grows fat and strong on the offal of orcs,
  goblins and other cave-dwelling sub-humans.
  Gettooclose,however,andyou’llhaveoneofits
  barbed tentacles dragging you into that soggy,
  razor-toothedmaw. Ifyougetawaywithyour
  life, best get to a doctor, or your victory may be
  short lived. Instinct : To foul
  •
  Infect someone with ﬁlth fever
  •
  Fling someone or something
  Maggot-Squid Horde, Small
  Chew (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities:
  Amphibious,
  Paralyzing Tentacles
  The gods that made this thing were playing
  some sick joke on the civilized folk of the world.
  The maggot-squid wields a face full of horrible
  squirming tentacles that, if they touch you, feel
  like being struck by lightning. They’ll paralyze
  you and chew you up slowly while you’re help-
  less. Best to not let it get to that. Instinct : To
  eat
  •
  Paralyze with a touch
  Purple Worm Solitary, Huge
  Bite (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 2 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  Iä! Iä! The Purple Worm! Blessed is its holy
  slime! Wewalk, unworthy, initsmilesofmas-
  sive tunnels. We are but shadows under its
  violet and all-consuming glory. Mere acolytes,
  we who hope someday to return to the great
  embrace of its tooth-ringed maw. Let it con-
  sume us! Let it eat our homes and villages so
  that we might be taken! Iä! Iä! The Purple
  Worm! Instinct : To consume
  •
  Swallow whole
  •
  Tunnel through stone and earth
  Roper Solitary, Large, Stealthy, In-
  telligent
  Bite (d10+1 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Rock-like Flesh
  Evolutionary happenstance has created a
  clever underground predator. Disguised as a
  rocky formation—most often a stalactite or
  stalagmite—theroperwaitsforitspreytowan-
  der by. When it does, whether it’s a rat, a gob-
  lin or a foolhardy adventurer, a mass of thin,
  whippingtentacleseruptsfromthething’shide.
  A hundred lashes in the blink of an eye and the
  stunned prey is being dragged into the roper’s
  mouth. Surprisingly effective for a thing that
  looks like a rock. Instinct : To ambush
  •
  Ensnare the unsuspecting
  •
  Burst from the earth
  •
  Sprayforthacid,eatingawayatmetal
  and ﬂesh
  Rot Grub Horde, Tiny
  Burrow (d6-2 damage) 3 HP 0 Armor
  Hand
  Special Qualities:
  Burrow into
  ﬂesh
  They live in your skin. Or your organ meat. Or
  your eyeballs. They grow there and then, in a
  bloody and horriﬁc display, burrow their way
  out. Disgusting. Instinct : To infect
  •
  Burrow under ﬂesh
  •
  Lay eggs
  •
  Burst forth from an infected creature
  Spiderlord Solitary, Large, Devious,
  Intelligent
  Mandibles(d8+4damage)16HP3Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  Even spiders have their gods, whispered to in
  webs with little praying arms. Instinct : To
  weave webs (literal and metaphorical)
  •
  Enmesh in webbing
  •
  Put a plot into motion
  Troglodyte Group, Organized
  Club (d8 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  
  Cavern Dwellers
  72
  Long-forgotten, our last remaining ancestors
  dwell in caves in the wild parts of the world.
  Driven away by our cities and villages, our
  iron swords and our ﬁre, these ape-men eat
  their meat raw with sharp-nailed hands and
  jaggedteeth. Theystrikeoutatfrontiervillages
  wielding clubs and in overwhelming numbers
  to seize cattle, tools, and poor prisoners to drag
  into the hills. Known for their viciousness and
  their stink, they’re an old and dying race we’d
  all sooner forget existed. Instinct : To prey on
  civilization
  •
  Raid and retreat
  •
  Use scavenged weapons or magic
  
  Swamp Denizens
  73
  28
  Swamp
  Denizens
  Bakunawa Solitary, Large, Intelli-
  gent, Messy, Forceful
  Bite (d10+3 damage 1 piercing) 16 HP 2
  Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Amphibious
  Dragon-turtle’s sister is a mighty serpent
  queen. Ten yards of scales and muscle, they
  say she wakes with a hunger when the sun
  disappears from the sky. She is drawn in by
  bright light in the darkness and like any snake,
  the Bakunawa is sneaky. She will seek ﬁrst
  to beguile and mislead and will only strike out
  with violence when no other option is avail-
  able.
  When she does, though, her jaws are
  strong enough to crack the hull of any swamp-
  boat and certainly enough to slice through a
  steel breastplate or two. Instinct : To devour
  •
  Lure prey with lies and illusions
  •
  Lash out at light
  •
  Devour
  Basilisk Solitary, Hoarder
  Bite (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Few have seen a basilisk and lived to tell the
  tale.
  Get it?
  Seen a basilisk?
  Little bit of
  basilisk humor there.
  Sorry, I know you’re
  looking for something helpful, sirs.
  Serious
  stuff, I understand. The basilisk, even without
  its ability to turn your ﬂesh to stone with a
  gaze, is a dangerous creature. A bit like a frog,
  bulbous eyes and six leaping-muscle legs. A
  bit like an alligator, with snapping jaws and
  sawingteeth. Coveredinstoneyscalesandvery
  hard to kill. Best avoided, if possible. Instinct
  : To collect stone
  •
  Turn ﬂesh to stone with a gaze
  •
  Retreat into a maze of stone
  Black Pudding Solitary, Gibbous
  Corrode (d10 damage ignores armor) 15
  HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Amorphous
  How do you kill a pile of goo? A great squishy,
  pileofgoothathappensalsotowanttodissolve
  you and slurp you up? That is a good question
  to which I have no answer. Do let us know
  when you ﬁnd out. Instinct : To dissolve
  •
  Eat away metal, ﬂesh, or wood
  •
  Ooze into a troubling place: food, ar-
  mor, stomach
  Coutal Solitary, Intelligent Devious
  Light ray (d8 damage ignores armor) 12
  HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Wings, Halo
  As if in direct affront to the decay and ﬁlth
  of the world, the gods granted us the Coutal.
  As if to say “there is beauty, even in this grim
  place” have we been gifted the Coutal. A ser-
  pent in ﬂight on jeweled wings, these beautiful
  creaturesglowwithasoftlight, asthesundoes
  through stained glass. Bright, wise and calm,
  a Coutal often knows many things and sees
  many more. You might be able to make a trade
  withitinexchangeforsomefavor. Theyseekto
  cleanse and to purge and to make of this dark
  world a better one. Shame we have so few. The
  gods are cruel. Instinct : To cleanse
  •
  Pass judgement on a person or place
  •
  Summon divine forces to cleanse
  •
  Offer information in exchange for
  service
  crocodilian Group, Large
  Bite (d8+3 damage) 10 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities:
  Amphibious,
  Camouﬂage
  It’s a really, really big crocodile. Seriously. So
  big. Instinct : To eat
  •
  Attack an unsuspecting victim
  •
  Escape into the water
  •
  Hold something tight in its jaws
  Doppelganger Solitary, Devious, In-
  telligent
  Dagger (d6 damage) 12 HP 0 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Shapeshifting
  Theirnaturalform,ifyoueverseeit,isahideous
  thing. Like a creature who stopped growing
  part-way, before it decided it was elf or man
  or dwarf. Then again, maybe that’s how you
  get to be the way a doppleganger is—without
  form, withoutshapetocalltheirown,theyseek
  little more than a place to ﬁt in.
  If you go
  out into the world, when you come back home,
  make sure your friends are who you think they
  are. They might, instead, be a doppleganger
  and your friend might be dead at the bottom of
  a well somewhere. Then again, depending on
  your friends, that might be an improvement.
  Instinct : To inﬁltrate
  •
  Assume the shape of a person who’s
  ﬂesh it’s tasted
  •
  Use another’s identity to advantage
  •
  Leave someone’s reputation shat-
  tered
  Dragon Turtle Solitary, Huge, Cau-
  tious
  Bite (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 4 Armor
  Reach
  Special Qualities: Shell, Amphibi-
  ous
  
  Swamp Denizens
  74
  Bakunawa has a brother. Where she is quick
  to anger and hungry for gold, he is slow and
  sturdy. She is a knife and he is a shield. A great
  turtle that lies in the muck and mire for ages as
  theypass,mudpileduponhisback—sometimes
  trees and shrubs.
  Sometimes a whole mis-
  guided clan of goblins will build their huts and
  cooktheirrattymealsontheshellofthedragon
  turtle. His snapping jaws, glacier-slow they
  may be, can rend a castle wall. Careful where
  you tread. Instinct : To resist change
  •
  Move forward implacably
  •
  Bring its full bulk to bear
  •
  Destroy structures and buildings
  Dragon Whelp Solitary, Small, Intel-
  ligent, Cautious, Hoarder
  Elemental breath (d10+2 damage) 16 HP
  3 Armor
  Close, Near
  Special Qualities: Wings, Elemen-
  tal Blood
  What?
  Did you think they were all a mile
  long? Did you think they didn’t come smaller
  than that? Sure, they may be no bigger than a
  dog and no smarter than an ape, but a Dragon
  Whelp can still belch up a hellish ball of ﬁre
  that’ll melt your armor shut and drop you
  screaming into the mud. Their scales, too, are
  softer than their bigger kin but still turn aside
  an arrow or sword not perfectly aimed. Size is
  not the only measure of might. Instinct : To
  grow in power
  •
  Start a lair, form a base of power
  •
  Call on family ties
  •
  Demand oaths of servitude
  Ekek Horde
  Talons (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Wing-arms
  Ugly, wrinkled bird-folk, these. Once, maybe,
  insomeancientpast,theywerearaceofangelic
  menfromonhighbutnowtheyeatratstheyﬁsh
  fromthemurkwithtalon-feetanddevourwith
  needle-teeth. They understand the tongues of
  men and dwarves but speak in little more than
  gibbering tongues, mimicking the words they
  hear with mocking laughter.
  It’s a chilling
  thing to see a beast so close to man or bird but
  not quite either one. Instinct : To lash out
  •
  Attack from the air
  •
  Carry out the bidding of a more pow-
  erful creature
  Fire Eels Horde, Tiny
  Burning touch (d6-2 damage ignores ar-
  mor) 3 HP 0 Armor
  Hand
  Special Qualities: Flammable oil,
  aquatic
  Thesestrangecreaturesarenobiggerorsmarter
  then their mundane kin. They have the same
  vicious nature. Over their relations they have
  one advantage—an oily secretion that drips
  from their skin. It makes them hard to catch.
  On top of that, with a twist of their body they
  ignitethestuff,leavingpoolsofburningoilatop
  the surface of the water and roasting prey and
  predator alike. I hear the slimy things make
  goodingredientsforﬁre-resistantgear,butyou
  have to get your hands on one, ﬁrst. Instinct :
  To ignite
  •
  Catch someone or something on ﬁre
  (even underwater)
  •
  Consume burning prey
  Frogman Horde, Small, Intelligent
  Spear (d6 damage) 7 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Amphibious
  Croak croak croak. Little warty munchkins.
  Some wizard or godling’s idea of a bad joke,
  thesecreaturesare. Theystandasmen,dressin
  scavenged cloth and hold court in their froggy
  villages. They speak a rumbling pidgin form
  of the tongue of man and war constantly with
  their neighbors. They’re greedy and stupid but
  clever enough when they need to defend them-
  selves. Some say, too, their priests have a re-
  markable skill at healing. Or maybe they’re
  just really, really hard to kill. Instinct : To
  war
  •
  Launch an amphibious assault
  •
  Heal at a prodigious rate
  Hydra Solitary, Large
  Bite (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities:
  Many heads,
  Only killed by a blow to the heart
  A bit like a dragon, wingless though it may be.
  Heads, nine in number at birth, spring from a
  muscled trunk and weave a sinuous pattern in
  theair. Ahydraistobefeared—ascaledterror
  ofthemarsh. Theolderones,though,theyhave
  more heads for every failed attempt to murder
  it just makes it stronger. Cut off a head and
  two more grow in its place. Only a strike, true
  and strong, to the heart can end a Hydra’s life.
  Not time or tide or any other thing but this.
  Instinct : To grow
  •
  Attack many enemies at once
  •
  Regenerate a body part (especially a
  head)
  Kobold Horde, Small, Stealthy, In-
  telligent, Organized
  Short spear (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Dragon connec-
  tion
  Some are wont to lump these rat-like little
  dragon-men in with goblins and orcs, bug-
  bears and hobgoblins.
  They are smarter
  and wiser than their kin, however.
  The
  Kobolds, beholden slaves to dragons and—in
  ancient times—their lorekeepers and sorcerer-
  servants. Their clans, named in fashion like
  Ironscale and Whitewing, form around a
  dragon master and live to serve and do its
  bidding. Spotting a Kobold means more are
  near—if more are near then a mighty dragon
  cannot be far, either. Instinct : To serve drag-
  ons
  •
  Lay a trap
  •
  Call on dragons or draconic allies
  •
  Retreat and regroup
  Lizardman Group, Stealthy, Intelli-
  gent, Organized
  Spear (d8 damage) 6 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Amphibious
  A traveling sorcerer once told me that Lizard-
  men came before we did.
  That before elves
  and dwarves and men built even the ﬁrst of
  their wattle huts a race of proud lizard kings
  strode the land. That they lived in palaces of
  crystal and worshipped their own scaly gods.
  Maybe that’s true and maybe it ain’t—now
  they dwell in places men long forgot or aban-
  doned, crafting tools from volcano-glass and
  lashingagainsttheworksofthecivilizedworld.
  Maybe they just want back what they lost. In-
  stinct : To destroy civilization
  •
  Ambush the unsuspecting
  •
  Launch an amphibious assault
  Medusa Solitary, Devious, Intelli-
  gent, Hoarder
  Claws (d6 damage) 12 HP 0 Armor
  Close
  SpecialQualities: Lookturnsyouto
  stone
  The Medusa are children of a serpent-haired
  mother, birthing them in ancient times to
  bear her name across the ages.
  They dwell
  nearplacesofcivilization—luringfolkstotheir
  caves with promises of beauty untold or riches.
  Fine appreciators of art, the medusa curate
  strange collections of their victims, terror or
  ecstasy frozen forever in stone. It satisﬁes their
  vanity to know they were the last thing seen in
  somanylives. Arrogant,proud,andspiteful,in
  theirway,theyseekwhatsomanydo—endless
  company. Instinct : To collect
  •
  Turn a body part to stone with a look
  •
  Draw someone’s gaze
  •
  Show hidden terrible beauty
  Sahuagin Horde, Intelligent
  Endless teeth (d6+4 damage 1 piercing) 3
  HP 2 Armor
  Close, Forceful, Messy
  Special Qualities: Amphibious
  
  Swamp Denizens
  75
  The shape and craft of men wedded to the
  hunger and the endless teeth of a shark. Vora-
  cious and ﬁlled only with hate, these creatures
  will not stop until all life has been consumed.
  They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be
  controlledorsated. Theyarehungerandblood-
  lust,drivenupfromthedepthsoftheseatorav-
  age coastal towns and swallow island villages.
  Instinct : To spill blood
  •
  Turn a body part to stone with a look
  •
  Draw someone’s gaze
  •
  Show hidden terrible beauty
  Sauropod Group, Huge, Cautious
  Trample (d8+5 damage) 18 HP 4 Armor
  Reach
  Special Qualities:
  Armor plated
  body
  Great lumbering beasts, they live in places long
  since forgotten by the thinking races of the
  world.
  Gentle if unprovoked but mighty if
  their ire is raised, they trample smaller crea-
  tures with the care we might give to crushing
  an any beneath our boots. If you see one, drift
  by and gaze in awe, but do not wake the giant.
  Instinct : To endure
  •
  Stampede
  •
  Panic
  Swamp Shambler Solitary, Large,
  Magical
  Lash (d10+3 damage) 23 HP 5 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Swamp form
  Some elementals are conjured up in sacred cir-
  cles etched in chalk. Most, in fact. There’s
  a sort of science to it. Others, though, aren’t
  so orderly—they don’t fall under the carefully
  controlled assignments of ﬁre or air or earth.
  Someareanaturalconﬂuenceofvineandmire
  and fungus. They do not think the way a man
  might think. They cannot be understood as an
  elf might be. They simply are. Spirits of the
  swamp. Shamblers in the mud. Instinct : To
  preserve and create swamps
  •
  Call on the swamp itself for aid
  •
  Meld into the swamp
  •
  Reassemble into a new form
  Troll Solitary, Large
  Club (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Regeneration
  Tall. Real tall. Eight or nine feet when they’re
  young or weak.
  Covered all over in warty,
  tough skin, too.
  Big teeth, stringy hair like
  swamp moss and long, dirty nails. Some are
  green, some grey, some black. They’re clannish
  and hateful of each other, not to mention all
  the rest of us.
  Near impossible to kill, too,
  unless you’ve ﬁre or acid to spare—cut a limb
  off and watch. In a few days, you’ve got two
  trolls where you once had one. A real serious
  problem, as you can imagine. Instinct : To
  smash
  •
  Undo the effects of an attack (unless
  caused by a weakness, your call)
  •
  Hurl something or someone
  Wll-o-wisp Solitary, Large
  Club (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Body of light
  Spot a lantern ﬂoating in the darkness, lost
  traveller in the swamp. Hope—a beacon of
  shimmering light. You call out to it, but there’s
  no answer. It begins to fade and so you follow,
  sloshing through the muck, tiring at the chase,
  hoping you’re being led to safety. Such a sad
  tale that always ends in doom. These creatures
  areamystery—somesaythey’reghosts,others
  beaconsoffaerielight. Nobodyknowsthetruth.
  They are cruel, however. All can agree on that.
  Instinct : To misguide
  •
  Lead someone astray
  •
  Clear a path to the worst place possi-
  ble
  
  Legions of the Undead
  76
  29
  Legions of
  the Undead
  Abomination Solitary, Large, Con-
  struct, Terrifying
  Slam (d10+3 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities:
  Many limbs,
  heads, and so on
  Corpses sewn unto corpses make up the bulk of
  these shambling masses of dark magic. Most
  undead are crafted to be controlled—made to
  serve some purpose like building a tower or
  serving as guardians. Not so the abomination.
  The last aspect of the ritual used to grant ﬁre
  to their hellish limbs invokes a hatred so se-
  vere that the abomination knows but one task:
  to tear and rend at the very thing it cannot
  have—life. Many students of the black arts
  learn to their mortal dismay the most impor-
  tant fact about these hulks. An abomination
  knows no master. Instinct : To end life
  •
  Tear ﬂesh apart
  •
  Spill forth putrid guts
  Banshee Solitary, Magical, Intelli-
  gent
  Scream (d10 damage) 16 HP 0 Armor
  Near
  Special Qualities: Insubstantial
  Comeawayfromanencounterwithoneofthese
  vengeful spirits merely deaf and count your-
  self lucky for the rest of your peaceful, silent
  days. Oftenmistakenatﬁrstglanceforaghost
  or wandering spirit, the Banshee reveals a far
  more deadly talent for sonic assault when an-
  gered. And angered they are. A victim of be-
  trayal(oftenbyalovedone)theBansheemakes
  known their displeasure with a roar or scream
  thatcanputrefyﬂeshandrendthesenses. Ifyou
  can, help them get their vengeance and they’ve
  been known to grant rewards. Whether the
  affection of a spurned spirit is a thing you’d
  want, well, that’s another question. Instinct :
  To avenge
  •
  Drown out all other sound with a
  ceaseless scream
  •
  Unleash a skull-splitting noise
  •
  Disappear into the mists
  Devourer Solitary,
  Large,
  Intelli-
  gent, Hoarder
  Smash (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Most folk know that the undead feed on ﬂesh.
  The warmth, blood and living tissue continue
  their unholy existence. This is true for most of
  the mindless dead, animated by black sorcery.
  Not so the Devourer.
  When a particularly
  wicked person (often a manipulator of men,
  an apostate priest or the like) dies in a grue-
  some way, the dark powers of Dungeon World
  might bring them back to a kind of life. The
  Devourer, however, does not feed on the ﬂesh
  of men or elves. The Devourer eats souls. It
  kills with a pleasure only the sentient can en-
  joy and in the moments of its victims’ expiry,
  draws breath like a drowning man and swal-
  lows a soul. What does it mean to have your
  soul eaten by such a creature? None dare ask
  for fear of ﬁnding out. Instinct : To eat souls
  •
  Devour or trap dying soul
  •
  Bargain for a soul
  Dragonbone Solitary, Huge
  Bite (d10+3 damage 3 piercing) 20 HP 2
  Armor
  Reach, Messy
  Mysticalsorcerersdebate: isthiscreaturetruly
  undead or is it a golem made of a particularly
  rare and blasphemous material? The bones,
  sinews and scales of a dead dragon make up
  this bleak automaton. Winged but ﬂightless,
  dragon-shaped but without the mighty ﬁre of
  such a noble thing, the Dragonbone serves its
  master with a twisted devotion and is often set
  to assault the keeps and towers of rival necro-
  mancers. It would take a being of some con-
  siderable evil to twist the remains of a dragon
  thus. Instinct : To serve
  •
  Attack unrelentingly
  Draugr Horde, Organized
  Rustysword(d6+1damage)7HP2Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Icy touch
  In the Nordemark, the men and women tell
  tales in their wooden halls of a place where the
  nobledeadgo. Ameadhallatoptheirheavenly
  mountain where men of valor go to await the
  ﬁnal battle for the world. It is a goodly place.
  It is a place where one hopes to go when they
  die. And the inglorious dead? Those who fall
  to poison or in an act of cowardice, warriors
  though they may be? Well, those mead halls
  aren’topentoallandsundry. Somecomeback,
  frozen and twisted and empowered by jealous
  rage and wage their eternal war not on the
  forces of giants or trolls but on the towns of the
  men they once knew. Instinct : To take from
  the living
  •
  Freeze ﬂesh
  •
  Call on the unworthy dead
  Ghost Solitary, Devious, Terrifying
  Phantom touch (d6 damage) 16 HP 0 Ar-
  mor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Insubstantial
  Every culture tells the story the same way. You
  live, you love or hate, you win or you lose, you
  die somehow you’re not too fond of and here
  you are, ghostly and full of disappointment
  and what have you. Some people take it upon
  themselves, brave and kindly folks, to seek out
  the dead and help them pass to their rightful
  rest. You can ﬁnd them, most times, down
  at the tavern drinking away the terrors they’ve
  seenorbabblingtothemselvesinthemadhouse.
  Death takes a toll on the living, no matter how
  you come by it. Instinct : To haunt
  •
  Reveal the terrifying nature of death
  •
  Offer information from the other
  side, at a price
  Ghoul Group
  Talons (d8 damage 1 piercing) 10 HP 1
  Armor
  
  Legions of the Undead
  77
  Close, Messy
  Hunger.
  Hunger hunger hunger.
  Desper-
  ate clinging void-stomach-emptiness hunger.
  Sharp talons to rend ﬂesh and teeth to tear
  and crack bones and suck out the soft marrow
  inside. Vomit up hate and screaming jealous
  anger and charge on twisted legs—scare the
  living ﬂesh and sweeten it ever more with the
  stink of fear. Feast. Peasant or knight, wizard,
  sage,prince,orpriestallmakeforsuchdelicious
  meat. Instinct : To eat
  •
  Gnaw off a body part
  •
  Gain the memories of their meal
  Lich Solitary, Magical, Intelligent,
  Cautious, Hoarder, Construct
  Enervate (d10+3 damage ignores armor)
  16 HP 5 Armor
  Near, Far
  “At the end, they give you a scroll and a jew-
  eled medallion to commemorate your achieve-
  ments. Grand Master of Abjuration, I was
  called, then. Old man. Weak and wizened
  and just a bit too senile for them—hose jealous
  halfwits. Barely apprentices, and they called
  themselvesTheNewCouncil. Itmakesmesick,
  or would, if I still could be. They told me it was
  an honor and I would be remembered forever.
  It was like listening to my own eulogy. Fitting,
  in a way, don’t you think? It took me another
  ten years to learn the rituals and another four
  to collect the material and you see before you
  the fruits of my labour. I endure. I live. I will
  see the death of this age and the dawn of the
  next. It pains me to have to do this, but, you
  see, you cannot be permitted to endanger my
  research. When you meet Death, say hello for
  me, would you?” Instinct : To un-live
  •
  Cast a perfected spell of death or de-
  struction
  •
  Set a ritual or great working into mo-
  tion
  •
  Reveal a preparation or plan already
  completed
  Mohrg Group
  Bite (d8 damage) 10 HP 0 Armor
  Close
  You never get away with murder. Not really.
  You might evade the law, might escape your
  own conscience in the end and die, fat and
  happy in a mansion somewhere. When the
  gods themselves notice your misdeeds, though,
  that’s where your luck runs out and a Mohrg
  is born. The Mohrg is a skeleton—ﬂesh and
  skin and hair all rotted away. All but their
  guts—theirtwisted,knottedgutsstillspillfrom
  their bellies, magically preserved and often
  wrapped, noose-like, about their necks. They
  do not think, exactly, but they suffer. They kill
  and wreak havoc and their souls do not rest.
  Such is the punishment, both on them for the
  crimeandonallmankindfordaringtomurder
  one another. The gods are just and they are
  harsh. Instinct : To wreak havoc
  •
  Rage
  •
  Add to their collection of guts
  Mummy Solitary, Divine, Hoarder
  Smash (d10+2 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Therearecultureswhoreverethedead. Theydo
  notburytheminthecoldearthandmourntheir
  passing. These people spend weeks preparing
  the sacred corpse for its eternal rest. Temples,
  pyramids, and great vaults of stone are built to
  housethemandarepopulatedwithslaves, pets
  andgold. Thebettertoliveinluxurybeyondthe
  Black Gates, no? Do not be tempted by these
  vaults—oh, I know that greedy look! Heed my
  warnings or risk a terrible fate, for the honored
  dead do not wish to be disturbed. Thievery will
  only raise their ire—do not say I did not warn
  you! Instinct : To enjoy eternal rest
  •
  Curse them
  •
  Wrap them up
  •
  Rise again
  Nightwing Horde, Stealthy
  Rend (d6 damage) 7 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Wings
  Scholars of the necromantic arts will tell you
  that the appellation “undead” applies not only
  to those who have lived, died, and been re-
  turned to a sort of partway living state. It
  is the proper name of any creature whose en-
  ergy originates beyond the Black Gates. The
  creature men call the nightwing is one such
  creature—empowered by the negative light of
  Death’s domain. Taking the shape of massive,
  shadowy, winged creatures (some more bat-
  like,somelikevultures,otherslikesomeancient,
  leatherythings)nightwingstravelinpredatory
  ﬂocks, swooping down to strip the ﬂesh from
  cattle, horses and unlucky peasants out past
  curfew. Watch the night sky for their red eyes
  and listen for their screeching call and hope to
  thegodsyouhavesomethingtohideunderuntil
  they pass. Instinct : To hunt
  •
  Attack from the night sky
  •
  Fly away with prey
  Shadow Horde, Large, Magical, Con-
  struct
  ShadowTouch(d6+1damage)11HP4Ar-
  mor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Shadow Form
  We call to the elements. We call on ﬁre, ever-
  burning. We summon water, life-giving. We
  beseech the earth, stable-standing. We cry to
  the air, forever-changing. These elements we
  recognize and give our thanks but ask to pass.
  The elemental we call upon this night knows
  another name. We call upon the element of
  Night. Shadow, we name you. Death’s mes-
  senger and black assassin, we claim for our
  own. Accept our sacriﬁce and do our bidding
  ‘til the morning come. Instinct : To darken
  •
  Snuff out light
  •
  Spawn another shadow from the
  dead
  Sigben Horde, Large, Construct
  Tail whip (d6+1 damage) 11 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Vampire spawn
  Aswang-hound and hopping whip-tail! Sent
  by vampires on their two, twisted legs, these
  ugly things look like the head of a rat or a
  crocodile, maybe, furry though and sharp of
  tooth. They have withered wings, but cannot
  usethemandlong,whippingtails,spurredwith
  poison tips. Stupid, vengeful and mischievous
  they cause all kinds of chaos when let out of the
  strange clay jars in which they’re born. Only
  a vampire could love such a wretched thing.
  Instinct : To disturb
  •
  Poison them
  •
  Do a vampire’s bidding
  Skeleton Horde
  Slam (d6 damage) 7 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. In-
  stinct : To take the semblance of life
  •
  Act out what it did in life
  •
  Reveal a fact from its life
  Spectre Solitary, Hoarder
  Withering touch (d10 damage) 12 HP 0
  Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Insubstantial
  For some folk, when they pass, Death himself
  cannot release their grip on the places they love
  most. A priest whose devotion to the temple
  is greater than that of his god.
  A banking
  guild ofﬁcial who cannot bear to part with his
  vault. A drunk and his favourite tavern. All
  make excellent spectres. They act not out of
  the usual hunger that drive the undead, but
  jealousy. Jealousythatanyoneelsemightcome
  to love their home as much as them and drive
  themout. Theseplacesbelongtothemandthese
  invisiblespiritswillkillbeforethey’llletanyone
  send them to their rest. Instinct : To drive life
  from a place
  •
  Turn their haunt against a creature
  •
  Bring the environment to life
  Vampire
  Group,
  Stealthy,
  Orga-
  nized, Intelligent
  Supernaturalforce(d8+5damage1pierc-
  ing) 10 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Changing form,
  ancient mind
  
  Legions of the Undead
  78
  We fear them, because they call to us. So much
  like us, or how we hope to be: beautiful, pas-
  sionate, and powerful. They are drawn to us
  forwhattheycannotbe: warm,kind,andalive.
  These tormented souls can only hope, at most,
  to pass their dreadful curse along. Every time
  they feed they run the risk of passing along
  their torture to another and in each one lives
  the twisted seed of creator.
  Vampires beget
  vampires. Suffering begets suffering. Do not
  be drawn in by their seduction or you may be
  given their gift—a crown of shadows and the
  chains eternal undying grief. Instinct : To
  manipulate
  •
  Charm someone
  •
  Feed on their blood
  •
  Retreat to plan again
  Wight-Wolf Horde, Organized, Intel-
  ligent
  Pounce (d6+1 damage 1 piercing) 7 HP 1
  Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Shadow form
  Likethenightwing,thewight-wolfisacreature
  not spawned in our world. Somehow slipping
  the seals of the Black Gates of Death, these
  spirits take the shape of massive hounds or
  shadowy wolves and hunt the living for sport.
  They travel in packs, led by a mighty alpha,
  but bear a kind of intelligence unknown to true
  canines. Their wild hunts draw the attention
  ofintelligentundead—liches,vampiresandthe
  like—who will sometimes make pacts with the
  alphaandserveagrimpurposetogether. Listen
  for the baying of the hounds of Death and pray
  that they do not howl for you. Instinct : To
  hunt
  •
  Encircle prey
  •
  Summon the pack
  Zombie Horde
  Bite (d6 damage) 11 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Whenthere’snomoreroominHell . . . Instinct
  : Braaaaaains
  •
  Attack with overwhelming numbers
  •
  Corner them
  •
  Gain strength from the dead, spawn
  more zombies
  
  Gnarled Woods
  79
  30
  Gnarled
  Woods
  Assassin Vine Solitary,
  Stealthy,
  Gibbous
  Thorns (d10 damage 1 piercing) 15 HP 1
  Armor
  Close, Reach, Messy
  Special Qualities: Plant
  Among the animals there exists a clear divi-
  sion ‘tween hunter and hunted. All it takes is a
  glance to know—by fangs and glowing eyes or
  claws or venomous sting—which of the crea-
  ture of this world are meant to kill and which
  stand to be killed. Such a split, if you have
  the eyes to see it, cuts the world of leaves and
  ﬂowers in twain, as well. Druids in their forest
  circles know it. Rangers, too, might spot such
  a plant before it’s too late. Lay folk, though,
  they wander where they oughtn’t—paths into
  the deep woods covered in creeping vines and
  with a snap, these hungry ropes snap tight,
  draggingtheirmeatypreyintotheunderbrush.
  Mind your feet, traveller. Instinct : To grow
  •
  Shoot forth new growth
  •
  Attack the unwary
  Blink Dog Group, Small, Magical, Or-
  ganized
  Bite (d8 damage) 6 HP 4 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Illusion
  Now you see it, now you don’t. Hounds once
  owned by a sorcerer lord and imbued with a
  kind of illusory cloak, they escaped into the
  woods around his lair and began to breed with
  wolvesandwilddogsoftheforest. Youcanspot
  them, if you’re lucky, by the glittering silver of
  their coats and their strange, ululating howls.
  They have a remarkable talent for being not-
  quite where they appear to be and use it to take
  down prey much stronger than themselves. If
  you ﬁnd yourself facing a pack of blink dogs
  youmightwellcloseyoureyesandﬁght. You’ll
  have an easier time when not betrayed by your
  naturalsight. Bysuchsorceriesarethenatural
  places of the world polluted with unnatural
  things. Instinct : To hunt
  •
  Give the appearance of being some-
  where they’re not
  •
  Summon the pack
  •
  Move with amazing speed
  Centaur Horde, Large, Organized,
  Intelligent
  Bow (d6+2 damage 1 piercing) 11 HP 1 Ar-
  mor
  Close, Reach, Near
  SpecialQualities: Half-horse,Half-
  man
  It will be a gathering of clans unseen in this
  age. Call Stormhoof and Brightspear. Sum-
  mon Whitemane and Ironﬂanks. Sound the
  hornandweshallbeginourmeeting—weshall
  speak the words and bind our people together.
  Too long have the men cut the ancient trees
  for their ships. The elves are weak and cow-
  ardly, friend to these mannish slime. It will be
  a cleansing ﬁre from the darkest woods. Raise
  the red banner of war! Today we strike back
  againsttheseapesandretakewhatisours! In-
  stinct : To rage
  •
  Overrun them
  •
  Move with unrelenting speed
  Chaos Ooze Solitary, Planar, Terri-
  fying, Gibbous
  Warping touch (d10 damage ignores ar-
  mor) 23 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Ooze, Fragments
  of other planes embedded in it
  The barrier between Dungeon World and the
  Elemental Planes is not, as you might hope, a
  wall of stone. It’s much more porous. Thin-
  like, with holes. Places where the civil races
  do not often tread can sometimes, how to put
  this, spring a leak. Like a dam come just a
  little loose. Bits and pieces of the chaos spill
  out. Sometimes, they’ll congeal like an egg on
  a pan—that’s where we get the material for
  many of the Guild’s magical trinkets.
  Use-
  ful, right? Sometimes, though, it squirms and
  squishesaroundabitandstaysthatway,warp-
  ingallittouchesintosomeother, strangeform.
  Chaos begets chaos, and it grows. Instinct :
  To change
  •
  Cause a change in appearance or sub-
  stance
  •
  Brieﬂy bridge the planes
  Cockatrice Group, Small, Hoarder
  Peck (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Stone touch
  I ain’t ever seen such a thing, sir.
  Rodrick
  thought it a chicken, maybe. Poor Rodrick. I
  ﬁgured it to be a lizard of a sort, though he
  was right—it had a beak and grey feathers
  like a chicken. Right, well, see, we found it
  in the woods, in a nest at the foot of a tree
  while we were out with the sow. Looking for
  mushrooms, sir. I told Rodrick we were—yes,
  sir, right sir, the bird—see, it was glaring at
  Rodrick and he tried to scare it off with a stick
  to steal the eggs but the thing pecked his hand.
  Quickitwas,too. Itriedtogethimawaybuthe
  just got slower and slower and . . . yes, as you
  see him now, sir. All frozen up like when we
  left the dog out overnight in winter two years
  back. Poor, stupid Rodrick. Weren’t no bird
  nor lizard, were it, sir? Instinct : To defend
  the nest
  •
  Start a slow transformation to stone
  Dryad Solitary, Magical, Intelligent,
  Devious, Gibbous
  
  Gnarled Woods
  80
  Crushing vines (2d10·w damage) 23 HP 5
  Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Plant
  Morebeautifulbyfarthananymanorwoman
  born in the civil realms. To gaze upon one is
  to fall in love. Deep and punishing, too. Thing
  is, they don’t love. Not the ﬂeshy folk who
  often ﬁnd them, though. Their love is a pri-
  mal thing, married to the woods—to a great
  oak that serves as home and mother and sa-
  cred place to them. It’s a curse to see one, too,
  they’ll never love you back. No matter what
  you do. No matter how you pledge yourself to
  them, they’ll always spurn you. If ever their
  oakcomestoharm,you’venotonlythedryad’s
  wrath to contend with, but in every nearby vil-
  lagethere’sascoreofmenwithasecretlonging
  in their heart, ready to murder you where you
  sleep for just a smile from such a creature. In-
  stinct : To love nature passionately
  •
  Entice a mortal
  •
  Merge into a tree
  •
  Turn nature against them
  Eagle Lord Group, Large, Organized,
  Intelligent
  Claw (2d8·b+1 damage 1 piercing) 10 HP 1
  Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Mighty wings
  Some the size of horses.
  Bigger, even—the
  Kings and Queens of the Eagles.
  Their cry
  pierces the mountain sky and woe to those who
  fall under the shadow of their mighty wings.
  Theancientwizardsforgedapactwiththemin
  theprimordialdays. Menwouldtaketheplains
  and valleys and leave the mountaintops to the
  EagleLords. Thesesacredpactsshouldbehon-
  ored, lest they set their talons into you. Lucky
  are the elves, for the makers of their bonds yet
  liveandwhendangercomestoElvishlands,the
  EagleLordsoftenserveasspiesandmountsfor
  the elves. Long-lived and proud, some might
  be willing to trade their ancient secrets for the
  right price, too. Instinct : To rule the heights
  •
  Attack from the sky
  •
  Pull someone into the air
  •
  Call on ancient oaths
  Elvish Warrior Horde, Intelligent,
  Organized
  Sword (2d6·b damage) 3 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Sharp sense
  Like all the elves do, war is an art. I saw them
  ﬁght, once. The Battle of Astrid’s Veil. Yes, I
  am that old, boy, now hush. She was clad in
  platethat shone like the winter sky. White hair
  streaming and a pennant of ocean blue tied to
  her spear. She seemed to glide across between
  the trees the way an angel might, striking out
  and bathing her blade in blood that steamed in
  thecoldair. Ineverfeltsosmallbefore. Itrained
  with the master-at-arms of Battlemoore, you
  know. I’veheldaswordlongerthanyou’vebeen
  alive, boy, and in that one moment I knew that
  my skill meant nothing. Thank the gods the
  elves were with us then. A more beautiful and
  terrible thing I have not seen since. Instinct :
  To seek perfection
  •
  Strike at a weak point
  •
  Set ancient plans in motion
  •
  Use the woods to advantage
  Elvish High Arcanist Solitary, Magi-
  cal, Intelligent, Organized
  Flame (d10 damage ignores armor) 12 HP
  0 Armor
  Near, Far
  Special Qualities: Sharp senses
  True elvish magic isn’t like the spells of men.
  Mannish wizardry is all rotes and formulas.
  They cheat to ﬁnd the arcane secrets that re-
  soundallaroundthem. Theyaredeaftothear-
  canesymphony that sings in the woods. Elvish
  magic is ﬁne ear to hear it and the voice with
  which to sing. To harmonize with what is al-
  readyresounding. Menbindtheforcesofmagic
  to their will; Elves simply pluck the strings and
  humalong. TheHighArcanists,inaway,have
  become more and less than any elf. The beat of
  their blood is the throbbing of all magic in this
  world. Instinct : To unleash power
  •
  Work the magic that wants to be
  worked
  •
  Cast forth the elements
  Griﬀin Group, Large, Organized
  Claw (d8+3 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Wings
  On ﬁrst glance, one might mistake the Grifﬁn
  foranothermagicalmistakeliketheManticore
  or the Chimera. It looks the part, doesn’t it?
  These creatures have the regal haughtiness of
  a lion and the arrogant bearing of a eagle but
  temper it with the unshakeable loyalty of both.
  To earn the friendship of a Grifﬁn is to have an
  ally all your living days. Truly a gift, that. If
  you’reeverluckyenoughtomeetoneberespect-
  ful and deferential above all else. It may not
  seem it but they can tell and answer perceived
  slights with a sharp beak and talons. Instinct
  : To serve allies
  •
  Carry an ally aloft
  •
  Strike from above
  Ogre Group, Large, Intelligent
  Club (d8+5 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  A tale, then. Somewhere in the not-so-long
  history of the Mannish race there was a divide.
  In days when men were merely dwellers-in-
  the-mud with no magic to call their own, they
  split in two: one camp left their caves and the
  dark forests and built the First City to honor
  the gods. The others, a wild and savage lot,
  retreated into darkness. They grew, there. In
  the deep woods a grim loathing for their softer
  kin gave them strength. They found dark gods
  of their own, there in the woods and hills. Ages
  passed and they bred tall and strong and full
  of hate. We have forged steel and they match
  it with their savagery. We may have forgotten
  ourcommonroots,butsomewhere,deepdown,
  the Ogres remember. Instinct : To return the
  world to darker days
  •
  Destroy something
  •
  Topple trees
  •
  Bring down the roof
  Hill Giant Group, Huge, Intelligent,
  Organized
  Rock (d8+3 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Reach, Near, Far, Forceful
  Ever seen an ogre before? Bigger than that.
  Dumberandmeaner,too. Hopeyoulikehaving
  cows thrown at you. Instinct : To hurl
  •
  Throw something
  •
  Shake the earth
  Razor Boar Solitary
  Bite (d10 damage 3 piercing) 16 HP 1 Ar-
  mor
  Close, Messy
  The tusks of the razor boar shred metal plate
  like so much tissue. Voracious, savage and un-
  stoppable, they tower over their mundane kin.
  To kill one? A greater trophy of bravery and
  skillishardtoname,thoughIheararazorboar
  killedtheDrunkardKinginasinglethrust. You
  think you’re a better hunter than he? Instinct
  : To shred
  •
  Rip them apart
  •
  Rend armor and weapons
  Sprite Horde, Tiny, Stealthy, Magi-
  cal, Devious, Intelligent
  Dagger (2d4·w damage) 3 HP 0 Armor
  Hand
  SpecialQualities: Wings,FeyMagic
  I’dclassifythemelementals,exceptthat“Being
  Annoying”isn’tanelement. Instinct: Toplay
  tricks
  •
  Play a trick to expose someone’s true
  nature
  •
  Confuse their senses
  •
  Craft an illusion
  Treant Group,
  Huge,
  Intelligent,
  Gibbous
  Wallop (d8+5 damage) 21 HP 4 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Wooden
  Old and tall and thick of bark
  walk amidst the tree-lined dark
  
  Gnarled Woods
  81
  Strong and slow and forest-born
  the treants anger quick, we warned
  If to the woods with axe ye go
  know the treants be thy foe
  Instinct : To protect nature
  •
  Move with implacable strength
  •
  Set down roots
  •
  Spread old magic
  Werewolf Solitary, Intelligent
  Bite (d10+2 damage 1 piercing) 12 HP 1
  Armor
  Close, Messy
  Special Qualities: Weak to silver
  Beautiful, isn’t it? The moon, I mean. She’s
  watching us, you know? Her pretty silver eyes
  watch us while we sleep. Mad, too—like all the
  most beautiful ones. If she were a woman, I’d
  bendmykneeandmakehermywifeonthespot.
  No, I didn’t ask you here to speak about her,
  though. Thechains? Foryoursafety,notmine.
  I’m cursed, you see. You must have suspected.
  The sorcerer-kings called it “lycanthropy” in
  their day—passed on by a bite to make more
  of our kind. No, I could ﬁnd no cure. Please,
  Don’t be scared. You have the arrows I gave
  you? Silver, yes. Ah, you begin to understand.
  Don’t cry, sister. You must do this for me. I
  cannot bear more blood on my hands. You
  must end this. For me. Instinct : To shed the
  appearance of civilization
  •
  Transform to pass unnoticed as beast
  or man
  •
  Strike from within
  •
  Hunt like man and beast
  Worg Horde, Organized
  Bite (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  As horses are to the civil races, so go the worg
  to the goblins. Mounts, ﬁerce in battle, ridden
  by only the bravest and most dangerous, are
  found and bred in the forest primeval to serve
  the goblins in their wars on men. The only safe
  worg is a pup, separated from its mother. If
  you can ﬁnd one of these, or make orphans of a
  litterwithasharpsword,you’vegotwhatcould
  become a loyal protector or hunting hound in
  time. Train it well, mind you, for the worg are
  smartandneverquitefreeoftheirprimalurges.
  Instinct : To serve
  •
  Carry a rider into battle
  •
  Give its rider an advantage
  Satyr Group, Devious, Magical, Hoarder
  Charge (2d8·w damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Enchantment
  One of only a very few creatures to be found
  in the old woods that don’t right out want to
  maim, kill, or eat us.
  They dwell in glades
  pierced by the sun, and dance on their funny
  goat-legs to enchanting music played on pipes
  made of bone and silver. They smile easily and,
  solongasyoupleasethemwithjokesandsport,
  will treat our kind with friendliness. They’ve
  a mean streak, though, so if you cross them,
  make haste elsewhere; very few things hold a
  grudge like the stubborn Satyr. Instinct : To
  enjoy
  •
  Pull others into revelry through
  magic
  •
  Force gifts upon them
  •
  Play jokes with illusions and tricks
  
  Ravenous Hordes
  82
  31
  Ravenous
  Hordes
  Formian Drone Horde, Organized,
  Cautious
  Bite (d6 damage) 7 HP 4 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Hive connection,
  Insectoid
  With good cause, they say that these creatures
  (likeallinsects,really)areclaimedbythepowers
  ofLaw. Theyareordermadeﬂesh—aperfectly
  stratiﬁed society in which every larva, hatch-
  ling and adult knows their place in the great
  hive. The Formian is some strange intersec-
  tion of men and ants (though there are winged
  tribes that look like ants out in the Western
  Desert, I’ve heard. And some with great saw-
  tooth arms like mantids in the forests of the
  east).
  Tall, with a hard shell and a harder
  mind, these particular Formians are the bot-
  tomcaste. Theyworkthehillsandhoneycombs
  withsingle-mindedjoythatcanbeknownonly
  by such an alien mind. Instinct : To follow
  orders
  •
  Raise the alarm
  •
  Create value for the hive
  •
  Assimilate
  Formian Taskmaster Group, Orga-
  nized, Intelligent
  Spiked whip (d8 damage) 6 HP 3 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Hive connection,
  Insectoid
  It takes two hands to rule an empire: one to
  wield the scepter and one to crack the whip.
  These ant-folk are that whip. Lucky for them,
  with two extra arms, that’s a lot of whip to
  crack. They oversee the vast swarms of worker
  dronesthatsettobuildthemightycavernsand
  zigguratsthatdottheplacesthatformianscan
  be found. One in a hundred, these brutes stand
  two or three feet taller than their pale, near-
  mindless kin and have a sharper, crueler wit to
  match. They’ll often ignore the soft races (as
  we’re known) if we don’t interfere in a project,
  but get in the way of The Great Work and
  expect nothing less than their full attention.
  You don’t want their full attention. Instinct :
  To command
  •
  Order drones into battle
  •
  Set great numbers in motion
  Formian Centurion Horde, Intelli-
  gent, Organized
  Barbed spear (2d6·b+2 damage) 7 HP 3
  Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Hive connection,
  Insectoid, Wings
  Whether in the form of a legionnaire, part of
  theFormianstandingarmy, orasapraetorian
  guard to the queen, every formian hive contain
  a great number of these most dangerous insec-
  toids. Darker in carapace, often scarred with
  furrows and the ceremonial markings that set
  themapartfromtheirdrones, theformiancen-
  turions are their ﬁghting force and rightly so.
  Born,bredandlivingonlyforthesingularpur-
  pose to kill the enemies of their kind, they ﬁght
  with one mind and a hundred swords. Thus
  far, the powers of Law have seen ﬁt to spare
  mankind a great war with these creatures,
  but we’ve seen them in skirmish—descending
  sometimes on border towns with their wings
  ﬂickeringintheheatorspillingupfromasandy
  moundtowipecleananewly-dugmine. Theirs
  is an orderly bloodshed, committed with no
  pleasurebutthecompletionofagoal. Instinct
  : To ﬁght as ordered
  •
  Advance as one
  •
  Summon reinforcements
  •
  Give a life for the hive
  Formian Queen Solitary, Huge, Or-
  ganized, Intelligent, Hoarder
  Smash (d10+5 damage) 24 HP 3 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Hive connection,
  Insectoid
  At the heart of every hive, no matter its size
  or kind, lives a queen. As large as any giant,
  she sits protected by her guard, served by every
  drone and taskmaster with her own, singular
  purpose: to spread her kind and grow the hive.
  To birth the eggs.
  To nurture.
  We do not
  understand the minds of these creatures but
  it is known they can communicate with their
  children, somehow, over vast distances and
  that they begin to teach them the ways of earth
  andstoneandwarwhilestillpaleandwriggling
  larva,withoutaword. Tokilloneistosetchaos
  on the hive; without their queen, the rest turn
  on one another in a mad, blind rage. Instinct
  : To spread formians
  •
  Call every formian it spawned
  •
  Release a half-formed larval muta-
  tion
  •
  Set designs on a formian goal
  Gnoll Tracker Group, Organized, In-
  telligent
  Bow (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor
  Near, Far
  Special Qualities: Scent
  
  Ravenous Hordes
  83
  Once they scent your blood, you can’t escape.
  Not without intervention from the gods, or the
  duke’s rangers at least. The desert scrub is a
  dangerous place to go exploring on your own
  and if you fall and break your leg or eat the
  wrong cactus, well, you’ll be lucky if you die of
  thirst before the gnolls ﬁnd you. They prefer
  their prey alive, see—cracking bones and the
  screams of the dying lend a sort of succulence
  to a meal. Sickening creatures, no? They’ll
  hunt you, slow and steady, as you die. If you
  hearlaughterinthedesertwind,well,bestpray
  Death comes to take you before they do. In-
  stinct : To prey on weakness
  •
  Doggedly track prey
  •
  Strike at a moment of weakness
  Gnoll Emissary Solitary, Divine, In-
  telligent, Organized
  Ceremonial dagger (d10+2 damage) 18
  HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Scent
  Oh, an emissary! How nice. I suspect you
  didn’t know the Gnolls had ambassadors, did
  you? Yes, even these mangy hyenas have to
  makenicesometimes. No, no, notwithus. Nor
  the dwarves, neither. No, the Emissary is the
  one, among his packmates, who trucks directly
  with their dripping demon lord. Frightening?
  Too right. Every hound has a master with his
  handonthechain. Thisgnollhearshismaster’s
  voice. Hears it and obeys. Instinct : To share
  divine insight
  •
  Pass on demonic inﬂuence
  •
  Drive the pack into a fervor
  Gnoll Alpha Solitary, Intelligent, Or-
  ganized
  Sword (d10·b damage 1 piercing) 12 HP 2
  Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Scent
  Every pack has its top dog.
  Bigger,
  maybe—that’d be the simplest way.
  Often,
  though, with these lank and ﬁlthy mutts, it’s
  not about size or sharp teeth but about cruelty.
  About a willingness to kill your brothers and
  eat them while the pack watches. Willingness
  to desecrate the pack in a way that cows them
  to you. If they’re that awful to each other—to
  their living kin—think about how they must
  view us. It’s hard to be mere meat in a land of
  these kinds of predators. Instinct : To drive
  the pack
  •
  Demand obedience
  •
  Send the pack to hunt
  Orc Bloodwarrior Horde,
  Intelli-
  gent, Organized
  Jagged blade (d6+2 damage 1 piercing) 3
  HP 0 Armor
  Close, Messy
  The orcish horde is a savage, bloodthirsty, and
  hatefulcollectionoftribes. Therearemythsand
  storiesthattelloftheoriginoftheirrage—ade-
  mon curse, a homeland destroyed, elven magic
  gone wrong—but the truth has been lost to
  time. Everyableorc,beitmanorwoman,child
  or elder, swears fealty to the warchief and their
  tribe and bears the jagged blade of a bloodwar-
  rior. Men are trained to ﬁght and kill—orcs
  are born to it. Instinct : To ﬁght
  •
  Fight with abandon
  •
  Revel in destruction
  Orc Berserker Solitary, Large, Di-
  vine, Intelligent, Organized
  Cleaver (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Mutations
  Stained in the unholy ritual of Anointing By
  The Night’s Blood, some warriors of the horde
  risetoakindoftwistedknighthood. Theytrade
  their sanity for this honor, stepping halfway
  into a world of swirling madness. This makes
  Berserkers the greatest of their tribe, though
  as time passes, the chaos spreads. The rare
  Berserker that lives more than a few years be-
  comes horrible and twisted, growing horns or
  an extra arm with which to grasp the iron
  cleavers they favor in battle. Instinct : To
  rage
  •
  Fly into a frenzy
  •
  Unleash chaos
  Orc Breaker Solitary, Large
  Massivehammer(d10+3damageignores
  armor) 16 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Before you set out across the hordeland, brave
  sir, hark a moment to the tale of Sir Regnus.
  Regnus was like you, sir—a Paladin of the Or-
  der, all a-shine in his armored plate and with
  a shield as tall as a man. Proud he was of
  it, too—Mirrorshield, he called himself. Tale
  goes that he’d set his eyes on rescuing some lost
  priest, a kidnap from the abbey on the borders.
  Regnus came across some orcs in his travels, a
  dozen or so, and thought, as one might, that
  they’d be no match. Battle was joined and all
  was well until one of them orcs emerged from
  the fray with a hammer bigger than any man
  ought to be able to wield. Built more like an
  ogreoratroll,theysayitwas,andwithasingle
  swing, it crushed Regnus to the ground, shield
  and all. It were no ordinary orc, they say. It
  were a breaker. They can’t make plate of their
  own, see, so maybe it’s jealousy drives these
  burly things to crush and shatter the way they
  do. Effective tactic, though. Careful out there.
  Instinct : To smash
  •
  Destroy armor or protection
  •
  Lay low the mighty
  Orc One-Eye Group, Divine, Magical,
  Intelligent, Organized
  InﬂictWounds(d8+2damageignoresar-
  mor) 6 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach, Near, Far
  Special Qualities: One eye
  In the name of He Of Riven Sight and by the
  First Sacriﬁce of Elf-Flesh do we invoke the
  Old Powers. By the Second Sacriﬁce, I make
  my claim to what is mine—the dark magic of
  Night. In His image, I walk the path to Gor-
  sha-thak, the Iron Gallows! I call to the runes!
  I call to the clouded sky!
  Take this mortal
  organ,eatoftheﬂeshofourenemyandgiveme
  what is mine! Instinct : To hate
  •
  Rend ﬂesh with divine magic
  •
  Take an eye
  •
  Make a sacriﬁce
  Orc Shaman Solitary, Intelligent,
  Organized
  Flame (d10 damage ignores armor) 12 HP
  0 Armor
  Close, Reach, Near, Far
  SpecialQualities: Elementalpower
  The orcs are as old a race as any. They cast
  bones in the dirt and called to the gods in the
  treesandstoneastheelvesbuilttheirﬁrstcities.
  They have waged wars, conquered kingdoms,
  and fallen into corruption in the aeons it took
  for men to crawl from their caves and dwarves
  to ﬁrst see the light of the sun. Fitting, then,
  that the old ways still hold. They summon the
  powers of the world to work, to ﬁght and to
  protect their people, as they have since the ﬁrst
  nights. Instinct : To strengthen orc-kind
  •
  Give protection of earth
  •
  Give power of ﬁre
  •
  Give swiftness of water
  •
  Give clarity of air
  Orc Slaver Horde, Stealthy, Intelli-
  gent, Organized
  Whip (d6 damage) 3 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Red sails ﬂy in the southern sea. Red sails and
  ships of bone, old wood and iron. The warﬂeet
  of the horde. Orcs down that way have taken
  to the sea, harassing island towns and stealing
  awaywithﬁshermenandtheirkin. It’ssaidthe
  custom is spreading north and the orcs learn
  the value of free work. Taken to it like a sacred
  task—especially if they can get their hands on
  elves. Hard to think of a grimmer fate than to
  live out your life under a lash in an orcish ﬁst.
  Instinct : To take
  •
  Take a captive
  •
  Pin someone under a net
  •
  Drug them
  Orc Shadowhunter Solitary, Stealthy,
  Magical, Intelligent
  Poisoned dagger (d10 damage 1 piercing)
  10 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Shadow cloak
  
  Ravenous Hordes
  84
  Noteveryattackbyorcsistorchesandscream-
  ing and enslavement. Amongst those who fol-
  low He Of Riven Sight, poison and murder-in-
  the-dark are considered sacred arts. Enter the
  shadowhunter. Orcs cloaked in Night’s magic
  who slip into camps, towns and temples and
  end the lives of those within. Do not be so dis-
  tractedbythehowlingoftheberserkersthatyou
  do not notice the knife at your back. Instinct :
  To kill in darkness
  •
  Poison them
  •
  Melt into the shadows
  •
  Cloak them in darkness
  Orc Warchief Solitary, Intelligent,
  Organized
  IronSwordofAges(2d10·b+2damage)16
  HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities:
  One-Eye bless-
  ings, Shaman blessings
  There are chiefs and there are leaders of the
  tribes among the orcs. There are those who rise
  to seize power and fall under the machinations
  of their foes. There is but one Warchief. One
  orc in all the horde who stands above the rest,
  bearing the blessings of the One-Eyes and the
  Shamans both. Who walks with the elements
  underNight. WhobearstheIronSwordofAges
  and carries the ancient grudge against the civil
  races on his shoulders. The warchief is to be
  respected, to be obeyed and above all else, to be
  feared. All glory to the Warchief. Instinct :
  To lead
  •
  Start a war
  •
  Make a show of power
  •
  Enrage the tribes
  Triton Spy Solitary, Stealthy, Intelli-
  gent, Organized
  Trident (2d10·w damage) 12 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Near
  Special Qualities: Aquatic
  A ﬁshing village caught one in their net, some
  time ago. Part a man and part some scaly sea
  creature, it spoke in a broken, spy-learned form
  of the common tongue before it suffocated in
  the open air. It told the ﬁshermen of a coming
  tide, an inescapable swell of the power of some
  deep-sea god and that the triton empire would
  rise up and drag the land down into the ocean.
  The tale spread and now, when ﬁshermen sail
  thechoppyseas,theywatchandworrythatthe
  dying triton’s tales were true. That there are
  powers deep below that watch and wait. They
  fear the tide is coming in. Instinct : To spy on
  the surface world
  •
  Reveal their secrets
  •
  Strike at weakness
  Triton
  Tidecaller
  Group,
  Divine,
  Magical, Intelligent
  Wave (d8+2 damage ignores armor) 6 HP
  2 Armor
  Near, Far
  Special Qualities: Aquatic, Muta-
  tions
  Part priest, part outcast among their kind,
  the tidecaller speaks with the voice of the
  deeps.
  They can be known by their muta-
  tions—transparent skin, perhaps, or rows of
  teeth like a shark. Glowing eyes or ﬁngertips,
  angler-lights in the darkness of their under-
  water kingdom. They speak in strange tongue
  thatcancallandcommandcreaturesofthesea.
  They ride wild hippocampi and cast strange
  spellsthatrotthroughthewoodendecksofships
  or encrust them with barnacles heavy enough
  to sink. It is the tidecallers who come, now,
  back to the cities of the Triton, bearing word
  that the prophecy is coming to pass. The world
  of men will drown in icy brine. The tidecallers
  speak and the Lords begin to listen. Instinct :
  To bring on The Flood
  •
  Cast a spell of water and destruction
  •
  Command beasts of the sea
  •
  Reveal divine commands
  Triton Sub-Mariner Group,
  Orga-
  nized Intelligent
  Harpoon (2d8·b damage) 6 HP 3 Armor
  Close, Near, Far
  Special Qualities: Aquatic
  The Triton are not a militant race by nature.
  They shy away from battle except when the
  sahuagin attack, and only then do they defend
  themselves and retreat into the depths where
  their foes can’t follow. This trend begins to
  change. As the tidecallers come to rally their
  people, some Triton men and women take up
  arms. They call these generals “sub-mariners”
  and build for them armor of shells and hard-
  ened glass. They swim in formation, wielding
  pikes and harpoons and attack the crews of
  ships that wander too far from port. Watch
  for their pennants of kelp on the horizon and
  the conch-cry of a call to battle and keep, if you
  can, yourboatsnearshore. Instinct: Towage
  war
  •
  Lead Tritons to battle
  •
  Pull them beneath the waves
  Triton Noble Group, Organized, In-
  telligent
  Trident (d8 damage) 6 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Near, Far
  Special Qualities: Aquatic
  The Triton Ruling Houses were chosen, they
  say,atthedawnoftime. Grantedlordshipover
  all the races of the sea by some now-forgotten
  god. These bloodlines continue, passing ruler-
  shipfromfathertodaughterandmothertoson
  through the ages. Each is allowed to rule their
  city in whatever way they choose—some alone
  orwiththeirspouses,othersincouncilofbroth-
  ers and sisters. In ages past, they were known
  fortheirsagacityandbloodlinesofeven-temper
  were respected above all else. The tidecallers
  prophecy is changing that: Nobles are expected
  to be strong, not wise. The Nobles have begun
  to respond, and it is feared by some that the
  ancient blood is changing forever. It may be
  too late to turn back. Time and tide wait for
  none. Instinct : To lead
  •
  Stir tritons to war
  •
  Call reinforcements
  
  Twisted Experiments
  85
  32
  Twisted
  Experiments
  Bulette Solitary, Huge, Construct
  Bite (d10+5 damage 3 piercing) 20 HP 3
  Armor
  Close, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  A seasoned caravan guard learns to listen for
  the calls of a scout or sentry with a keen ear. A
  few extra seconds after the alarm is raised can
  mean life or death. Different cries mean dif-
  ferent responses, too—a call of “orcs!” means
  draw your sword and steady for blood but a
  callof“bandits!”saysyoumightbeabletobar-
  gain. One alarm from the scouts that always,
  always means it’s time to pack up, whip your
  horse and run for the hills? “LAND SHARK!”
  Instinct : To devour
  •
  Drag prey into rough tunnels
  •
  Burst from the earth
  •
  Swallow whole
  Chimera Solitary, Large, Construct
  Bite (d10+1 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Reach
  Well known and categorized, the chimera is
  a perfected creature. From the codices of the
  Mage’sGuildtothefamouspagesofCullaina’s
  Creature Compendium, there’s no confusion
  aboutwhatChimerameans. Twopartslioness,
  onepartserpent, headofashe-goat, andallthe
  viciousmagiconecanmuster. Theactualritual
  might vary, as might a detail or two—more
  creative sorcerers switch the ﬂame breath for
  acid, perhaps. Used as a guardian, an assassin
  or merely an instrument of chaos unchained,
  it matters little. The chimera is the worst sort
  of abomination: an intentional affront to all
  natural life. Instinct : To do as commanded
  •
  Belch forth ﬂame
  •
  Run them over
  •
  Poison them
  Derro Horde, Devious, Intelligent,
  Organized
  Pickaxe (2d6·w damage) 3 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Telepathy
  It’s typical to think that all the malignant ar-
  canemonstersmadeinthisworldarebirthedby
  wizards, sorcerers, and their ilk. That the col-
  leges and towers of Dungeon World are womb
  to every bleak experiment. There are mistakes
  madeinthedepthsoftheearth,too. Theseones,
  the Derro, are the mistakes of a long-forgotten
  dwarven alchemist.
  The derro don’t forget,
  though. Twisted and hateful, the Derro can
  bespottedbytheirswollenskulls, brain-matter
  grown too large. They do not speak except in
  thoughts to one another and plot in the silent
  dark to extract sweetest revenge—that of the
  created on the creator. Instinct : To replace
  dwarves
  •
  Fill a mind with foreign thoughts
  •
  Take control of a beast’s mind
  Digester Solitary, Large, Construct
  Acid(d10+1damageignoresarmor)16HP
  1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  SpecialQualities: Digestacidsecre-
  tion
  It’s okay, magical experimentation is a messy
  science. For every beautiful pegasus there’s a
  half-done creature that wasn’t quite right. We
  understand. The goblin-elephant you thought
  was such a great idea. The Gelatinous Drake.
  Just examples. No judgement here. Anyway,
  we’ve got something for that. We call it the
  Digester. Yes, just like it sounds. Strange look-
  ing,Iknow,andthesmellisn’tthebest,butthis
  thing—it’ll eat magic like Svenloff the Stout
  drinks ale. Next time one of these unfortunate
  accidents occurs, just point the Digester at it
  and all your troubles drain away. Just keep an
  eye on it. Damn thing ate my wand last week.
  Instinct : To digest
  •
  Eat away at something
  •
  Draw sustenance
  Ethereal Filcher Solitary, Devious,
  Planar
  Stolendagger(2d8·wdamage)12HP1Ar-
  mor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  Things go missing. A sock, a silver spoon, your
  dead mother’s bones. We blame the maid, or
  bad luck, or just a moment of stupid forget-
  fulness and we move on. We never get to see
  the real cause of these problems. The spidery
  thingwithhumanhandsandeyesasblueasthe
  deep ethereal from whence the creature comes.
  We never see the nest it makes of astral silver
  webbing and stolen objects arranged in some
  madness pattern. We never watch it assem-
  ble its collectionof halﬂing ﬁnger-bones, stolen
  from the hands of the sleeping. We’re lucky,
  that way. Instinct : To steal
  •
  Takesomethingimportanttoit’spla-
  nar lair
  •
  Retreat to the Ethereal plane
  •
  Use an item from its lair
  Ettin Solitary, Large, Construct
  Club (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Two heads
  What could possibly be better than an idiotic
  angry hill giant? One with two heads. Fan-
  tasticidea, really. GradeAstuff. Instinct: To
  smash
  •
  Attack two enemies at once
  •
  Defend its creator
  Girallon Solitary, Huge
  Rend (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 1 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Many arms
  
  Twisted Experiments
  86
  The pounding of the jungle drums calls to it.
  The slab of meat on the sacriﬁcial stone to lure
  intheGreatApe. Girallon,theycallit—aname
  fromthelong-forgottentongueofthekingswho
  bred the beast. Taller than a building, some
  say. Cloaked in ivory fur with tusks as long
  as scimitars. Four arms? Six? The rumors
  are hard to verify. Every year it is the same:
  some explorer visits the jungle villages seeking
  theApeandreturn, neverquitethesame, never
  witha trophy. The poundingofthe drumsgoes
  on. Instinct : To rule
  •
  Answer the call of sacriﬁce
  •
  Drive them from the jungle
  •
  Throw someone
  Iron Golem Group, Large, Construct
  Slam (d8+5 damage) 10 HP 3 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Metal
  A staple of the enchanters art. Every golemist
  and mechano-thaumaturge in the Kingdoms
  knows this. Iron is a misnomer, though. These
  guardians are crafted of any metal, really.
  Steel, copper, or even gold, in some small cases.
  As much an art as a science, the crafting of
  a ﬁne golem is as respected in the Kingdoms
  as a bridge newly built or a castle erected in
  the mountains. Unceasing watchdogs, stal-
  wart defenders, the iron golem lives to serve,
  following its orders eternally. Any enchanter
  worthhissaltcancraftone, ifhecanaffordthe
  materials. If not . . . Instinct : To serve
  •
  Follow orders implacably
  •
  Use a special tool or adaptation built-
  in
  Flesh Golem Horde
  Claw (d6+2 damage) 3 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Many body parts
  Stolen bits and pieces in the night. Graveyards
  stealthilyuprootedandmaybetonightanarm.
  A leg. Another head (the last one came apart
  too soon). Even the humblest hedge-enchanter
  can make due with what he can and, with a
  little creativity, well—it’s not only the College
  that can make life, hmm? We’ll show them.
  Instinct : To live
  •
  Follow orders
  •
  Detach a body part
  Kraken Solitary, Huge
  Slam (d10+5 damage) 20 HP 2 Armor
  Reach, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Aquatic
  A cephalo-what? No, boy. Not “a kraken”
  but “the kraken”. I don’t know what nonsense
  they taught you at that school you say you’re
  from, but here, we know to respect the Hun-
  gerer. Right, that’s what we call it, The Hun-
  gerer in the Deep to be more proper. Ain’t no
  god, though we’ve got those, too. It’s a squid!
  A mighty squid with tentacles thicker ‘round
  than a barrel and eyes the size of the full moon.
  Smart, too, the Hungerer. Knows just when to
  strike—when you’re all too drunk or too tired
  or run out of clean water, that’s when he gets
  you. No, I ain’t ever seen him. I’m alive, aren’t
  I? Instinct : To rule the ocean
  •
  Drag a person or ship to a watery
  grave
  •
  Wrap them in tentacles
  Manticore Solitary, Large, Construct
  Sting (d10+1 damage 1 piercing) 16 HP 3
  Armor
  Close, Reach, Messy
  Special Qualities: Wings
  Ifthechimeraistheﬁrststepdownadarkpath,
  the manticore is a door that can’t be closed
  once its been opened. A lion, a scorpion, the
  wings of a drake. All difﬁcult to obtain but
  not impossible and just animals, anyway. The
  last component, the hissing hateful face of the
  beast, is the ingredient that makes a manticore
  so cruel.
  Young or old, man or woman, it
  matters not but that they are human, living
  and breathing, married to the creature with
  twisted magic. All sense of who they are is lost,
  and maybe that’s a blessing, but the beast is
  born from human suffering. No wonder, then,
  that they’re all so eager to kill. Instinct : To
  kill
  •
  Poison them
  •
  Rip something apart
  Owlbear Solitary, Construct
  Claw (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  Bodyofabear. Feathersofanowl. Beak,claws,
  and excellent night vision. What’s not to love?
  Instinct : To hunt
  •
  Strike from darkness
  Pegasus Group, Construct
  Stomp (d8 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Wings
  Don’t go thinking that every creature not
  natural-born is a horrible abomination. Don’t
  imagine for a second that they’re all tentacles
  and screaming and blood or whatever. Take
  this noble beast, for example. Lovely thing, is-
  n’t it? A ﬁne white horse with the wings of a
  swan. Don’t look like it ought to be able to ﬂy,
  but it does. The elves work miracles, in their
  ownway. Theybreedtrue—that’sthepurityof
  elf-magic at work. Hatching from little crys-
  tal eggs and bonded with their riders for life.
  There’s still some beauty in the world, mark
  my words. Instinct : To carry aloft
  •
  Carry a rider into the air
  •
  Give their rider an advantage
  Rust Monster Group, Construct
  Corrode (d8 damage ignores armor) 6 HP
  3 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Corrosive touch
  Averydistinctive-lookingcreature. Something
  likeareddishcricket,Ithink. Longcricketylegs,
  anyhow. Blind, too, as I understand it—they
  feel their way around with those long moth-
  looking tendrils.
  Feed that way, too.
  Sift
  through piles of metal for the choicest bits.
  That’s what they eat, don’t matter the type,
  neither.
  Their merest touch turns it all to
  rusted ﬂakes. Magic lasts longer but under
  the scrutiny of a rust monster, it’s a foregone
  conclusion. Only the gods know where they
  camefrom,butthey’reacurseifyouvalueyour
  belongings. Instinct : To decay
  •
  Turn metal to rust
  •
  Gainstrengthfromconsumingmetal
  Xorn Solitary, Large, Construct
  Maw (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  Dwarf-made elemental garbage muncher.
  Shaped like a trash bin with a radius of arms
  to feed excess rock and stone into its gaping
  maw.
  They eat stone and excrete light and
  heat. Perfect for operating a mine or digging
  out a quarry. Once one gets lost in the sewers
  below a city, though, or in the foundation of a
  castle? You’re in deep trouble. They’ll eat and
  eat until you’ve got nothing left but to collapse
  the place down on it and move somewhere else.
  Ask Burrin, Son of Fjornnvald, exile from his
  clan. I bet he could tell you a story about a
  Xorn. Instinct : To eat
  •
  Consume stone
  •
  Give off a burst of light and heat
  
  Lower Depths
  87
  33
  Lower
  Depths
  Aboleth Group, Huge, Intelligent
  Tentacle (d8+3 damage) 18 HP 0 Armor
  Reach
  Special Qualities: Telepathy
  Deepbelowthesurfaceoftheworld,infreshwa-
  terseasuntouchedbythesundwelltheaboleth.
  Fish the size of whales, with strange growths
  of gelatinous feelers used to probe the light-
  less shores. They’re served by slaves; blind al-
  binovictimsofanyraceunfortunateenoughto
  stumble on them, drained of thought and life
  by the powers of the aboleth’s alien mind. In
  thedepthstheybidandplotagainsteachother,
  ﬁshy cultists building and digging upward to-
  wardsthesurfaceuntilsomeday,they’llbreach
  it. For now, they sleep and dream and guide
  their pallid minions to do their bidding. In-
  stinct : To command
  •
  Invade a mind
  •
  Turn minions on them
  •
  Put a plan in motion
  Apocalypse Dragon Solitary, Huge,
  Magical, Divine
  Bite (2d10·b+9 damage 4 piercing) 26 HP
  5 Armor
  Reach, Forceful, Messy
  Special Qualities: Inch-thick metal
  hide,Supernaturalknowledge,Wings
  Theendofallthingsshallbeaburning—oftree
  and earth and of the air itself. It shall come
  upon the plains and mountains not from be-
  yond this world but from within it. Birthed
  from the womb of deepest earth shall come the
  Dragon that Will End the World. In its pass-
  ing all will become ash and bile and the earth
  a dying thing will drift through planar space
  devoid of life. They say to worship it is to invite
  madness. They say to love it is to know obliv-
  ion. The awakening is coming. Instinct : To
  end the world
  •
  Set a disaster in motion
  •
  Breath forth the elements
  •
  Act with perfect knowledge
  Chaos Spawn Solitary, Gibbous
  Chaotic touch (d10 damage) 19 HP 1 Ar-
  mor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Chaos form
  Driven from the city, a cultist ﬁnds solace in
  towns and villages. Discovered there, he ﬂees
  to the hills and scratches his devotion on the
  cave walls. Found out, he is chased with knife
  and torch into the depths, crawling deeper and
  deeper until, in the deepest places, he loses his
  way. First,heforgetshisname. Thenheforgets
  his shape. His chaos gods, most beloved, bless
  him with a new one. Instinct : To undermine
  •
  Rewrite reality
  •
  Unleash chaos from containment
  Chuul Group, Large, Cautious
  Claws (d8+1 damage 3 piercing) 10 HP 4
  Armor
  Close, Reach, Messy
  Special Qualities: Amphibious
  Let us, for a moment, consider the lobster. This
  one is your worst seafood nightmare come to
  life. A sort of vicious, half-man half-crawdad
  cursed with primal intelligence and blessed
  with a pair of razor-sharp claws.
  Strange
  things lurk in the stinking pools in caverns best
  forgotten and the Chuul is one of them. If you
  spot one, your best hope is a heavy mace to
  crack its shell and maybe a little garlic butter.
  Mmmm. Instinct : To split
  •
  Split something in two with mighty
  claws
  •
  Retreat into water
  Deep Elf Assassin Group, Intelli-
  gent, Organized
  Poisoned blade (d8 damage 1 piercing) 6
  HP 1 Armor
  Close
  It was not so simple a thing as a war over re-
  ligion or territory. No disagreement of Queens
  led to the great sundering of the elves. It was
  sadness. It was the very diminishing of the
  world by the lesser races and the glory of all
  the elves had built was cracking and turning
  to glass. Some, then, chose to separate them-
  selves from the world; wracked with tears they
  turned their backs on men and dwarves. Oth-
  ers, though, they were overcome with some-
  thingnew. Afeelingnoelfhadfeltbefore. Spite.
  Hatred ﬁlled these elves and twisted them and
  they turned on their weaker cousins. Some still
  remainafterthegreatexodusbelow. Somehide
  amongst us with spider-poisoned blades, met-
  ing out that strangest of punishments: elven
  vengeance. Instinct : To spite
  •
  Poison them
  •
  Unleash an ancient spell
  •
  Call reinforcements
  Deep Elf Swordmaster Group, Intel-
  ligent, Organized
  Barbed blade (2d8·b+2 damage 1 pierc-
  ing) 6 HP 2 Armor
  Close
  The deep elves lost the sweetness and gentle
  peace of their bright cousins ages ago but did
  not abandon grace. They move with a swift-
  ness and beauty that would bring a tear to any
  warrior’s eye. In the dark, they’ve practiced. A
  cruelty has infested their swordsmanship—a
  wickedness comes to the fore. Barbed blades
  and whips replace the shining pennant-spears
  of surface elven battles. The swordmasters of
  the deep elf clans do not merely seek to kill,
  but to punish with every stroke of their blades.
  Wickedness and pain are their currency. In-
  stinct : To punish
  •
  Inﬂict pain beyond measure
  •
  Use the dark to advantage
  Deep Elf Priest Solitary, Divine, In-
  telligent, Organized
  Smite (d10+2 damage) 14 HP 0 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Divine connec-
  tion
  
  Lower Depths
  88
  The spirits of the trees and the lady sunlight
  are far far from home in the depths where the
  deep elves dwell. New gods were found, there,
  waiting for their children to come home. Gods
  ofthespiders,thefungalforests,andthingsthat
  whisper in the forbidden caves. The deep elves,
  everattunedtotheworldaroundthem,listened
  withhatefulintenttotheirnewgodsandfound
  a source of power yet unrealized. Hate calls
  to hate and grim alliances were made. Even
  among these spiteful ranks, piety ﬁnds a way
  to express itself. Instinct : To pass on divine
  vengeance
  •
  Weave spells of hatred and malice
  •
  Rally the deep elves
  •
  Pass on divine knowledge
  Dragon Solitary, Huge, Terrifying,
  Cautious, Hoarder
  Bite (2d10·b+5 damage 4 piercing) 16 HP
  5 Armor
  Reach, Messy
  SpecialQualities: Elementalblood,
  Wings
  They are the greatest and most terrible things
  thisworldwilleverhavetooffer. Instinct: To
  rule
  •
  Bend an element to its will
  •
  Demand tribute
  •
  Act with disdain
  Gray Render Solitary, Large
  Rend (d10+3 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach, Forceful
  On its own, the render is a force of utter de-
  struction.
  Huge and leathery, with a maw
  of unbreakable teeth and claws to match, the
  render seems to enjoy little more than tearing
  things apart. Stone, ﬂesh, or steel, it matters
  little. However, the gray render is so rarely
  found alone. They bond with other creatures.
  Some at birth, others as fully-grown creatures,
  and will follow their bonded master wherever
  it goes, bringing them offerings of meat and
  protecting them while they sleep. Finding an
  un-bonded render means certain riches, if you
  survive to sell it. Instinct : To serve
  •
  Tear something apart
  Magmin Horde, Intelligent, Orga-
  nized, Hoarder
  Flaming hammer (d6+2 damage) 7 HP 4
  Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Firey blood
  Dwarf-shaped and industrious, the magmin
  are among the deepest-dwellers of Dungeon
  World. Found in cities of brass and obsidian
  built nearest the molten core of the planet, the
  magmin live a life devoted to craft—especially
  thatofﬁreandmagicalitemsrelatedtoit. Surly
  and strange, they do not often deign to speak to
  petitionerswhoappearattheirgates,eventhose
  who have somehow found a way to survive the
  hellish heat. Even so, they respect little more
  than a ﬁnely made item and to learn to forge
  from a magmin craftsman means unlocking
  secrets unknown to surface blacksmiths. Like
  so much else, visiting the magmin is a game of
  risk and reward. Instinct : To craft
  •
  Offer a trade or deal
  •
  Strike with ﬁre or magic
  •
  Provide just the right item, at a price
  Minotaur Solitary, Large
  Axe (d10+1 damage) 16 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Unerring sense
  of direction
  Head of a man, body of a bull. No, wait, I’ve
  got that backwards. It’s the bull’s head and
  the man’s body. Hooves sometimes? Is that
  right? IremembertheoldKingsaidsomething
  about a maze? Blast! You know I can’t think
  under this kind of pressure. What was that?
  Oh gods, I think it’s coming . . . Instinct : To
  contain
  •
  Confuse them
  •
  Make them lost
  Naga Solitary,
  Intelligent,
  Orga-
  nized, Hoarder, Magical
  Bite (d10 damage) 12 HP 2 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Ambitious and territorial above nearly all else,
  the naga are very rarely found without a well-
  formed and insidious cult of followers. You’ll
  see it in many mountain towns—a snake sigil
  scrawled on a tavern wall or a local church
  burned to the ground. People going missing
  into the mines. Men and women wearing the
  mark of the serpent. At the core of it all lies
  a naga; an old race now fallen into obscurity,
  still preening with the head of a man over its
  coiled, serpent body. Variations of these crea-
  tures exist depending on their bloodline and
  original purpose, but they are all master ma-
  nipulators and magical forces to be reckoned
  with. Instinct : To lead
  •
  Send a follower to their death
  •
  Use old magic
  •
  Offer a deal or bargain
  Salamander Horde, Large, Intelli-
  gent, Organized, Planar
  Flaming spear (2d6·b+3 damage) 7 HP 3
  Armor
  Close, Reach, Near
  Special Qualities: Burrowing
  The excavationuncovered a basaltgate, the re-
  ports called it. Black stone carved with molten
  runes. When they dug it up, the magi declared
  it inert but further evidence indicates that was
  an incorrect claim. The entire team went miss-
  ing. When we arrived, the gate was glowing.
  Its light ﬁlled the whole cavern. We could see
  fromtheentrancethattheareahadbecomefull
  ofthesecreatures—likeredandorangeskinned
  men,tallasanogrebutwithasnakestailwhere
  there legs ought to be. They were clothed, too
  —some had black glass armor. They spoke to
  each other in a tongue that sounded like grease
  in a ﬁre. I wanted to leave but the Sergeant
  wouldn’tlisten. You’vealreadyreadwhathap-
  pened next, sir. I know I’m the only one that
  got back, but what I said is true. The gate is
  open,now. Thisisjustthebeginning! Instinct
  : To consume in ﬂame
  •
  Summon elemental ﬁre
  •
  Melt away deception
  
  Planar Powers
  89
  34
  Planar
  Powers
  Angel Solitary, Terrifying, Divine, In-
  telligent, Organized
  Flame sword (2d10·b+4 damage ignores
  armor) 18 HP 4 Armor
  Close, Forceful
  Special Qualities: Wings
  So was it written that the heavens opened up
  to Avra’hal and did an angel from the clouds
  emerge to speak unto her and so did it appear
  to her as her ﬁrstborn daughter—beautiful, of
  ebon skin and golden eyes—and did Avra’hal
  crytearstoseeit. “Benotafraid”itcommanded
  her“gotothevillagesIhaveshownyouinyour
  dreams and unto them show the word I have
  writtenonyoursoul.”Avra’halweptandwept
  and did agree to do this and did take up her
  sword and tome and did into the villages go, a
  great thirst for blood on her lips for the word
  the angel wrote upon the soul of Avra’hal was
  “kill”. Instinct : To share divine will
  •
  Deliver visions and prophecy
  •
  Stir mortals to action
  •
  Expose sin and injustice
  Barbed Devil Solitary, Large, Planar,
  Terrifying
  Spine (d10+3 damage 3 piercing) 16 HP 3
  Armor
  Close, Reach, Messy
  Special Qualities: Spines
  There are a thousand forms of devil, maybe
  more. Some common and some unique. Each
  time the Inquisitors discover a new one they
  write it into the codex and the knowledge is
  shared among the abbeys in the hope that the
  atrocitiesofthatparticularsortwon’tﬁndtheir
  wayintotheworldagain. Thebarbeddevilhas
  long been known to the brothers and sisters of
  the inquisition. A literal thing, it appears only
  at a site of great violence or when called by a
  wayward summoner. Covered in sharp quills,
  this particular demon revels in the spilling of
  blood, being speciﬁcally fond of impaling vic-
  tims piecemeal or in whole upon its thorns and
  letting them die there. Cruel but not particu-
  larlyeffectivebeyondslaughter. Alowinquisi-
  torial priority. Instinct : To bloody
  •
  Impale someone
  •
  Kill randomly
  Chain Devil Solitary, Planar
  Crush (d10 damage ignores armor) 12 HP
  3 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Do you think the phrase “drag him to hell”
  means nothing? It is unfortunately literal, in
  the case of the chain devil. Appearing differ-
  ently to each victim, this summoned creature
  has but a single purpose: to wrap its victim up
  in binding coils and take it away to a place of
  torment. Sometimes it will come as a man-
  shaped mass of rusting iron, hooks and coils of
  mismatched links. Other times, a roiling tan-
  gle of rope or kelp or twisted bloody bedsheets.
  The results are always the same. Instinct : To
  capture
  •
  Take a captive
  •
  Return to whence it came
  •
  Torture with glee
  Concept Elemental Solitary, Devi-
  ous, Planar, Gibbous
  Special Qualities: Ideal form
  The planes are not as literal as our world.
  Clothed in the elemental chaos are places of
  stranger stuff than air and water.
  Here,
  rivers of time crash upon shores of crystal fear.
  Bleak storms of nightmare roil and churn in
  a laughter-bright sky.
  Sometimes, the spir-
  its of these places can be lured into our world,
  though they are inﬁnitely more unpredictable
  and strange than mere ﬁre or earth might be.
  Easier to make mistakes, too—one might try
  callingupaWealthElementalandbesurprised
  to ﬁnd a Murder Elemental instead. Instinct
  : To perfect its concept
  •
  Show its concept in its purest form
  Corrupter Solitary, Devious, Planar,
  Hoarder
  Secret dagger (2d8·w damage) 12 HP 0
  Armor
  Close
  Surely,mygoodman,youmustknowwhyIam
  here. MustknowwhoIam. Yousaidthewords.
  You spilled the blood and followed the instruc-
  tions almost to the letter. Your pronunciation
  was a bit off but that’s to be expected. I’ve
  come to give you what you’ve always wanted,
  friend. Glory,love,money? Paltrythingswhen
  you’ve the vaults of hell to plumb. Don’t look
  so shocked, you knew what this was. You have
  but one thing we desire. Promise it to us, and
  the world shall be yours for the taking. Trust
  me. Instinct : To bargain
  •
  Offer a deal with horrible conse-
  quences
  •
  Plumbthevaultsofhellforabargain-
  ing chip
  •
  Make a show of power
  Djinn Group, Large, Magical
  Flame (d8+1 damage ignores armor) 14
  HP 4 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Made of ﬂame
  Stop rubbing that lamp, you idiot. I do not
  care what you have read, it will not grant you
  wishes. I brought you here to show you some-
  thing real, something true. See this mural? It
  shows the ancient city. The true city that came
  before. They called it Majilis and it was made
  ofbrassbythespirits. Theyhadgolemservants
  and human lovers and, in that day, it was said
  you could trade them a year of your life for a
  favor. We are not here to gather treasure this
  night, fool, we are here to learn. The djinn still
  sometimes come to these places, and you must
  understandtheirhistoryifyouaretoknowhow
  to behave. They are powerful and wicked and
  proud and you must know them if you hope to
  survive a summoning. Now, bring the lamp
  here and we will light it, it grows dark and
  these ruins are dangerous at night. Instinct :
  To burn eternally
  
  Planar Powers
  90
  •
  Grant power for a price
  •
  Summon the forces of the City of
  Brass
  Hell Hound Group, Planar, Orga-
  nized
  Fiery Bite (d8 damage) 10 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Hide of shadow
  Whenonerenegesonadeal,doesnotthedebtor
  come for payment? Does the owed party not
  send someone to collect what is due? So too
  with the Powers Below. They only want what
  istheirs. Ahowlingpackofshadows,ﬂameand
  jagged bone, driven by the hunting horn. They
  willnotcease, theycannotbeevaded. Instinct
  : To pursue
  •
  Follow despite all obstacles
  •
  Spew ﬁre
  •
  Summon the forces of hell on their
  target
  Imp Horde, Planar, Intelligent, Or-
  ganized
  Flame gout (d6 damage ignores armor) 7
  HP 1 Armor
  Close, Near, Far
  Thesetinyobserver-demonsoftenactasaﬁrst-
  timebindingsubjectbyneonatewarlocks. They
  can be found infesting arcane cabals, drinking
  potionswhenno-onewatches,andchasingpets
  andservantswithtinypitchforks. Acaricature
  of true demonhood, these little creatures are,
  thankfully, not too difﬁcult to bind or extin-
  guish. Instinct : To harass
  •
  Send information back to hell
  •
  Cause mischief
  Inevitable Group, Large, Magical,
  Cautious, Gibbous, Planar
  Hammer (d8+1 damage) 21 HP 5 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Special Qualities: Made of Order
  All things come to an end.
  Entropy bleeds
  reality slowly out. At the edge of time itself
  stand the Inevitable. Massive, powerful and
  seemingly carved from star-stuff themselves,
  the Inevitable intervene only where magic or
  calamity have undone the skein of fate. Where
  the arrogant and powerful boil the substance
  ofdestinyawayandseektounderminethevery
  laws of reality, the Inevitable arrive to guide
  things back to the proper order. Unshakable,
  seeminglyimmunetomortalharmandutterly
  enigmatic, it is said that the Inevitable are all
  that will remain when time’s long thread has
  run out. Instinct : To preserve order
  •
  End a spell or effect
  •
  Enforce a law of nature or man
  •
  Give a glimpse of destiny
  Larvae Horde, Devious, Planar, In-
  telligent
  Slime (2d4·w damage) 10 HP 0 Armor
  Close
  Those who have seen visions of the Planes Be-
  low, and survived with their sanity intact,
  speak of masses of these writhing wretches.
  Maggots with the face of men and women,
  crying out for salvation in a nest of ﬂames.
  Sometimes, they can be goaded out through
  a rip in the planar caul and emerge, wriggling
  andintorment,intoourworld. Oncehere,they
  spreadmiseryandsicknessduringtheirmayﬂy
  lives before expiring into a slurry of gore. All in
  all, an inspiration towards good deeds in life.
  Instinct : To suffer
  •
  Fill them with despair
  •
  Beg for mercy
  •
  Draw evil attention
  Nightmare Horde, Large, Magical,
  Terrifying, Planar
  Trample (d6+1 damage) 7 HP 4 Armor
  Close, Reach
  SpecialQualities: Flameandshadow
  The herd came from a pact made in the days
  when folk still inhabited the Blasted Steppes.
  Horselords, they were, who travelled those
  lands. Born in the saddle, it was said. One
  of theirs, in a bid to dominate his peers, made
  a black pact with some fell power and traded
  away his ﬁnest horses. He had some power,
  sure—but what’s a thousand year dynasty
  when a life is so short?
  Now the ﬁends of
  the pit ride on the ﬁnest horses ever seen. Coats
  of shining oil and manes of tormented ﬂame:
  these are steeds of hell’s cavalry. Instinct : To
  ride rampant
  •
  Sheath a rider in hellish ﬂame
  •
  Drive them away
  Quasit Horde, Planar
  Hellishweaponry(d6damage)7HP2Ar-
  mor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Adaptable form
  An imp with some ambition. A quasit is a
  kind of foot soldier in the demon realm.
  A
  commoner,armedwithfangsorclawsorwings
  or some other thing to give it just a little edge
  over its hellish peers.
  Commonly bound by
  warlocks to carry heavy loads or build bridges
  orguardtheirtwistedtowers,aquasitcantake
  many forms, none of them pleasant. Instinct
  : To serve
  •
  Attack with abandon
  •
  Inﬂict pain
  The Tarrasque Solitary, Huge, Pla-
  nar
  Special Qualities: Impervious
  TheTarrasque. Legendaryunstoppablejugger-
  naut—eater of cities and swallower of ships,
  horses, and knights. A creature unseen in an
  agebutaboutwhomallkindsofstoriesaretold.
  One thread of truth weaves through these sto-
  ries. It cannot be killed. No blade can pierce its
  stonyshellnorspellpenetratetheshielditsome-
  how bears. Stories say, though, that the will
  of one pure soul can send it to slumber, though
  what that means and, by the gods, where such
  a thing might be found, pray we do not ever
  need to learn. It slumbers. Somewhere in the
  periphery of the planar edge, it sleeps for now.
  Instinct : To consume
  •
  Swallow a person, group, or place
  whole
  •
  Release a remnant of a long-eaten
  place from its gullet
  Word Daemon Solitary, Planar, Mag-
  ical
  All of mortal magic is just words. Spells are
  prayers,roteformula,runescast,orsongssung.
  Letters, words, sentences, and syntax strung
  together in a language that the whole world
  itself might understand. By way of words we
  can make our fellows cry or exult, can paint
  pictures and whisper desire to the gods. No
  little wonder, then, that in all that power is
  intent. That every word we utter, if repeated
  andmeaningoremotiongiventoit,cansparka
  kind of unintentional summoning. Word dae-
  mons are called by accident, appear at random
  and are often short-lived, but come to attend
  a particular word. Capricious, unpredictable
  and dangerous, yes—but possibly useful, de-
  pending on the word. Instinct : To further
  their word
  •
  Cast a spell related to their word
  •
  bring their word into abundance
  
  Folk of the Realm
  91
  35
  Folk of
  the Realm
  Acolyte
  Can’t all be the High Priest, they said. Can’t
  all wield the White Spire, they said. Scrub the
  ﬂoor, theytoldme. TheCthonicOvergoddon’t
  want a messy ﬂoor, do he? They said it’d be
  enlightenment and magic. Feh. It’s bruised
  knees and dish-pan-hands. If only I’d been a
  cleric, instead. Instinct : To serve dutifully
  •
  Follow dogma
  •
  Offereternalrewardformortaldeeds
  Adventurer Horde, Intelligent
  Sword (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Special Qualities: Endless enthusi-
  asm
  Scumoftheearth,theyare. Atroupeofarmored
  men and women come sauntering into town,
  brandishingwhat,forallintentsandpurposes,
  isenoughmagicalandmundanepowertolevel
  the whole place. Bringing with them bags and
  bags of loot, still dripping blood from what-
  ever poor sod they had to kill to get it. An
  economical ﬁasco waiting to happen, if you
  ask me. The whole system becomes completely
  uprooted. Dangerous, unpredictable murder-
  hobos. Oh, wait, you’re an adventurer? I take
  itallback. Instinct: Toadventureordietrying
  •
  Go on a fool’s errand
  •
  Act impulsively
  •
  Share tales of past exploits
  Bandit Horde,
  Intelligent,
  Orga-
  nized
  Dirk (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  Desperation is the watchword of banditry.
  When times are tough, what else is there to do
  but scavenge a weapon and take up with a clan
  of nasty men and women? Highway robbery,
  poaching, scams and cons and murder most
  foul but we’ve all got to eat so who can blame
  them? Then again, there’s evil in the hearts of
  some and who’s to say that desperation isn’t a
  want to sate one’s baser lusts? Anyway—it’s
  this or starve, sometimes. Instinct : To rob
  •
  Steal something
  •
  Demand tribute
  Bandit King Solitary, Intelligent, Or-
  ganized
  Trusty knife (2d10·b damage) 12 HP 1 Ar-
  mor
  Close
  Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven. In-
  stinct : To lead
  •
  Make a demand
  •
  Extort
  •
  Topple power
  Fool
  There’snotbutonepersoninalltheKing’scourt
  allowed to speak the truth. The real, straight-
  and-honest truth about anything. The Fool
  couches it all in bells and prancing and chalky
  face-paint, but who else gets to tell the King
  what’s what? You can trust a Fool, they say,
  especially when he’s made you red-faced and
  you’d just as soon drown him in a cesspit. In-
  stinct : To mock
  •
  Expose injustice
  •
  Play a trick
  Guardsman Group, Intelligent, Or-
  ganized
  Spear (d8 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Nobleprotectorormerelydrunkenlout,itoften
  makes no difference to these sorts. Falling just
  shy of a noble Knight, the proud town guard
  is an ancient profession none-the-less. These
  folks of the constabulary often dress in the col-
  ors of their lord (when you can see it under the
  mud) and, depending on the richness of that
  lord, might even have a decent weapon and
  some armor that ﬁts. Those are the lucky ones.
  Even so, someone has to be there keep an eye
  on the gate when the Black Riders have been
  spotted in the woods. Too many of us owe our
  lives to these souls—remember that the next
  time one is drunkenly insulting your mother,
  hmm? Instinct : To do as ordered
  •
  Uphold the law at all costs
  •
  Make a proﬁt
  Halfling Thief Solitary, Small, Intel-
  ligent, Stealthy, Devious
  Dagger (2d8·w damage) 12 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  It would be foolish, now, to draw conclusions
  about folks just because they happen to be good
  at one thing or another. Then again, a spade’s
  a spade, isn’t it. Or maybe just the goodly,
  soft-and-sweet type of Halﬂing have the mind
  to stay in their grassy-hill homes and aren’t
  the type you ﬁnd in the slums and taverns of
  the mannish world . Perhaps they’re there to
  cut your purse for calling them “halﬁng” in the
  ﬁrst place. Not all take so kindly to the title.
  Or they’re playing a game, pretending to be
  a child in need of alms—and your arrogant
  eyes can’t even see the difference until too late.
  Well, it matters little. They’re gone with your
  coin before you even realize you deserved it.
  Instinct : To live a life of stolen luxury
  •
  Steal
  •
  Put on the appearance of friendship
  Hedge Wizard Magical
  
  Folk of the Realm
  92
  Not all those who wield the arcane arts are
  adventuring Wizards. Nor necromancers in
  mausoleums or sorcerers of ancient bloodline.
  Some are just old men and women, smart
  enough to have discovered a trick or two. It
  might make them a bit batty to come by that
  knowledge, but if you’ve a curse to break or a
  lovetoprove,mightbethatahedgewizardwill
  help you, if you can ﬁnd his rotten hut in the
  swamp and pay the price he asks. Instinct :
  To learn
  •
  Castalmosttherightspell(foraprice)
  •
  Make deals beyond their ken
  High Priest
  Respected by all who gaze upon them, the high
  priests and abbesses of Dungeon World are
  treated with a sort of reverence. Whether they
  pay homage to Ur-thuu-hak, God of Swords,
  or whisper quiet prayers to Namiah, precious
  daughterofpeace,theyknowathingortwothat
  you and I, we won’t ever know. The gods speak
  to them as a hawker-of-wares might speak to
  usinthemarketplace. Forthis,forthebearing-
  of-secrets and the knowing-of-things, we give
  them a wide berth as they pass in their shining
  robes. Instinct : To lead
  •
  Set down divine law
  •
  Reveal divine secrets
  •
  Commission divine undertakings
  Hunter Group, Intelligent
  Ragged bow (d6 damage) 6 HP 1 Armor
  Near, Far
  The wilds are home to more than just beasts
  of horn and scale. There are men and women
  out there, too—those who smell blood on the
  wind and stalk the plains in the skins of their
  prey. Whether with a trusty longbow bought
  on a rare trip into the city or with a knife of
  bone and sinew-made, these folk have more in
  common with the things they track and make
  their meals than with their own kind. Solemn,
  somber and quiet, they ﬁnd a sort of peace in
  the wild. Instinct : To survive
  •
  Bring back news from the wilds
  •
  Slay a beast
  Knight Solitary, Intelligent, Orga-
  nized, Cautious
  Sword (2d10·b damage) 12 HP 4 Armor
  Close
  What youngster doesn’t cling to the rail at the
  mighty joust, blinded by the sun on their glit-
  tering armor, wishing they could be the one
  adorned in steel and riding to please the King
  andQueen? Whatpeasantyouthwithnaught
  butaloafofbreadandalamesowdoesn’twish
  to trade it all in for the lance and the bright
  pennant? A Knight is many things—a holy
  warrior, a sworn sword, a villain sometimes,
  too, but a Knight cannot help but be a symbol
  to all who see her. A Knight means something.
  Instinct : To live by a code
  •
  Make a moral stand
  •
  Lead peasants into battle
  Merchant
  Ten foot poles. Get your ten foot poles, here.
  Torches,brightandhot. Mules,too—stubborn
  but immaculately bred. Need a linen sack, do
  you? Right over here! Come and get your ten
  foot poles! Instinct : To proﬁt
  •
  Propose a business venture
  •
  Offer a ’deal’
  Noble
  Are they granted their place by the gods, per-
  haps? Is that why they’re able to pass their
  riches and power down by birth? Some trick or
  enchantment of the blood, maybe. The peasant
  bends his knee and scrapes and toils and the
  noble wears the ﬁnery of his place and, they
  say, we all have our burdens to bear. Seems to
  me that some of us have burdens of stone and
  some carry their weight in gold. It’s a tough
  life. Instinct : To rule
  •
  Issue an order
  •
  Offer a reward
  Peasant
  Covered in muck, downtrodden at the bottom
  of the great chain of being, we all stand on
  the backs of those that grow our food on their
  farms. Some peasants do better than others,
  but none will ever see a coin of gold in their
  day. They’ll dream at night of how someday,
  somehow, they’ll ﬁght a dragon and save a
  princess. Don’t act like you weren’t one before
  you lost what little sense you had, adventurer.
  Instinct : To get by
  •
  Plead for help
  •
  Offer a simple reward and gratitude
  Rebel Horde, Intelligent, Organized
  Axe (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close
  In the countryside they’d be called outlaw and
  driven off or killed. The city, though, is full of
  places to hide. Damp basements to pore over
  maps and to plan and plot against a corrupt
  system. Like rats, they gnaw away at order,
  eithertosupplantitaneworjusterodethewhole
  thing. The line between change and chaos is a
  ﬁne one—some rebels walk that thin line and
  others just want to see it all torched. Disguise,
  aknifeinthedarkorathrowntorchattheright
  moment are all tools of the rebel. The burning
  brand of anarchy is a common fear amongst
  the nobles of Dungeon World. These men and
  women are why. Instinct : To upset order
  •
  Die for a cause
  •
  Inspire others
  Soldier Horde,
  Intelligent,
  Orga-
  nized
  Spear (d6 damage) 3 HP 1 Armor
  Close, Reach
  Foracommonerwithastrongarm,sometimes
  it’s this or be a bandit. It’s wear the colors
  and don ill-ﬁtting armor and march into the
  unknown with a thousand other scared men
  andwomenconscriptedtoﬁghtthewarsofour
  time. They could be hiding out in the woods
  instead, living off poached elk and dodging the
  king’sguard. Bettertoriskoneslifeinserviceto
  a cause. To bravely toss one’s lot in with their
  fellows and hope to come out the other side still
  in one piece. Besides, the nobles need strong
  menandwomen. Whatisittheysay? Ahand-
  ful of soldiers beats a mouthful of arguments.
  Instinct : To ﬁght
  •
  March into battle
  •
  Fight as one
  Spy
  Beloved of Kings but never truly trusted. Mys-
  terious, secretive and alluring, the life of a spy
  is, if you ask a commoner, full of romance and
  intrigue. They’re a knife in the dark and a pair
  of watchful eyes. A spy can be your best friend,
  your lover or that old man you see in the mar-
  ket every day. One never knows. Hells, maybe
  you’re a spy—they say there’s magic that can
  turnfolksmindswithoutthemeverknowingit.
  Howcanwetrustyou? Instinct: Toinﬁltrate
  •
  Report the truth
  •
  Double cross
  Tinkerer
  It’s said that if you see a tinker on the road and
  you don’t offer him a swig of ale or some of
  yourfoodthathe’llleaveacurseofbadluckbe-
  hind. A tinker is a funny thing. These strange
  folk often travel the roads between towns with
  their oddment carts and favorite mules. With
  a ratty dog and always a story to tell. Some-
  times the mail, too, if you’re lucky and live in
  a place where Queen’s Post won’t go. If you’re
  kind, maybe they’ll sell you a rose that never
  wilts or a clock that chimes with the sound of
  faerie laughter. Or maybe they’re just antiso-
  cialpeddlers. Youneverknow,right? Instinct
  : To create
  •
  Offer an oddity at a price
  •
  Spin tales of great danger and reward
  in far-off lands
  
  Moves in Detail
  Volley
  93
  36
  Moves
  in Detail
  Hack and Slash
  Hack and Slash is for attacking a pre-
  pared enemy plain and simple.
  If the
  enemy isn’t prepared for your attack—if
  they don’t know you’re there or they’re
  restrained and helpless—then that’s not
  Hack and Slash. You just deal your dam-
  age or murder them outright, depending
  on the situation. Nasty stuff.
  The enemy’s counter-attack can be any
  GM move made directly with that crea-
  ture. Agoblinmightjustattackyouback,
  or they might jam a poisoned needle into
  your veins. Life’s tough, isn’t it?
  Note that an "attack" is some action that
  a player undertakes that has a chance
  of causing physical harm to someone
  else. Attacking a dragon with inch-thick
  metal scales full of magical energy with
  a typical sword is like swinging a meat
  cleaver at a tank: it just isn’t going to
  cause any harm, so it’s not an attack.
  Notethatcircumstancescanchangethat:
  if you’re in a position to stab the dragon
  on it’s soft underbelly (good luck with
  getting there) it could hurt, so it’s an at-
  tack.
  If the action that triggers the move
  could reasonably hurt multiple targets
  roll once and apply damage to each tar-
  get (they each get their armor).
  Jarl is up to his not-inconsiderable belly
  in slavering goblins. They have him sur-
  rounded, knives bared. "I’ve had enough of
  this!" he bellows "I wallop the closest goblin
  with my hammer." We agree that this is a
  combat situation and Jarl rolls the dice for
  Hack and Slash. He rolls an 11, so he has a
  choice. "Fear is for the weak! I deal extra
  damage—let the goblins come." "The goblin
  you strike certainly doesn’t like that much"
  I say, "you smash your hammer into his
  shoulder and are rewarded with the crunch
  of goblin bones—and a deep knife wound
  as the goblin counter-attacks. He deals 4
  damage to you."
  Cadeus has the drop on two orc war-
  riors—he’s lurking in the shadows as the
  orcs walk past. "I leap out and bring my
  sword down in a sweeping arc, like this!"
  he says, miming the strike. The orc wasn’t
  ready to ﬁght so I say "The orc is caught
  entirely off-guard and doesn’t even have a
  chance to raise his patchwork shield. Deal
  your damage." Cadeus rolls his damage and
  it’s enough to kill the orc. The other warrior
  isstillstanding,soIsay"Theotherorcfreezes
  in horror for a split second. Then he’s smil-
  ing at you with his horrible tusked mouth as
  he raises a signal horn from his belt. What
  do you do?"
  Bartelby has disarmed a duelist and has
  him at sword point. "I’m not giving this
  guy another chance to attack! I run him
  through." Without thinking about it care-
  fully I say "Oh, okay, sounds like Hack and
  Slash, roll+Str." Bartelby rolls and gets a
  7.
  I try to make a move "You run him
  through, he’s not able to defend himself, but,
  uh . . . Oh,wait,he’snotreallyinmeleewith
  you, is he? He’s helpless. Forget Hack and
  Slash. You run him through and he slumps
  to the ground coughing up blood."
  Volley
  Volley covers the entire act of drawing,
  aiming, and ﬁring a ranged weapon or
  throwing a thrown weapon. The advan-
  tagetousingarangedweaponovermelee
  is that the attacker is less likely to be at-
  tacked back. Of course they do have to
  worry about ammunition and getting a
  clear shot though.
  On a 7-9, read "danger" broadly. It can
  be bad footing or ending in the path of a
  swordormaybejustgivingupyoursweet
  sniper nest to your enemies. Whatever
  it is it’s impending and it’s always some-
  thingthatcausestheGMtosay"Whatdo
  you do?" Quite often, the danger will be
  something that will then require you to
  dedicate yourself to avoiding it or force
  you to Defy Danger.
  Ifyou’rethrowingsomethingthatdoesn’t
  have ammo (maybe you’ve got a move
  that makes your shield throwable) you
  can’t choose to mark off ammo. Choose
  from the other two options instead.
  Aranwe is on the ﬂoor of the ritualarium
  as the orc eyegouger chants his ritual from
  atop the pedestal.
  "Since Thelian has the
  other orcs busy, I take the opportunity to
  site down my bow and take a shot at the
  orc running the ritual." "Sounds like volley
  to me." She rolls an 8, plus her Dex makes 9.
  "Looks like you have a tough choice" I say.
  "Well,I’malmostoutofarrows,andweneed
  to get rid of him before the ritual ﬁnishes, so
  I’m going to take the danger." "Sure, that
  sounds good. Well, as the ritual progresses
  the ﬂames around him have gotten higher
  and you have to move around to take the
  shot. Youhithimdeadon,rollyourdamage,
  but you had to step inside the ritual circle to
  do it.
  Everything outside the circle looks
  cloudyandunreal,allyoucanhearistheorc
  chanting. Thelian, you notice that Aranwe
  is inside the circle. What do you do?"
  
  Defy Danger
  Moves in Detail
  94
  Halekisﬁringontheadvancingkoboldmob.
  He rolls an 8 and decides to be put in dan-
  ger.
  I think for a moment and then say
  "You have to duck and dodge to get the shot
  but you ﬁnally let it go and nail the lead
  kobold.
  You hear something behind you
  and turn to see that you’re right next to the
  ogre.
  He smashes you with his club and
  deals you 12 damage." "All that? Just for
  getting put in danger? That seems like a lot
  morethandanger."He’sright,ofcourse,soI
  say "Oh, you’re right—danger’s something
  that’sabouttohappen. Howabout,instead,
  youturnaroundafterﬁringtheshotandthe
  ogre’srightinyourface! He’sabouttoswing
  his club right down on you. What do you
  do?"
  Defy Danger
  You Defy Danger when you do some-
  thinginthefaceofimpendingperil. This
  may seem like a catch-all. It is! Defy
  Danger is for those times when it seems
  like you clearly should be rolling but no
  other move applies.
  DefyDangeralsoapplieswhenyoumake
  another move despite danger not cov-
  ered by that move. For example, Hack
  and Slash assumes that’s you’re trad-
  ing blows in battle—you don’t need to
  Defy Danger because of the monster
  you’re ﬁghting unless there’s some spe-
  ciﬁc danger that wouldn’t be part of your
  normal attack.
  On the other hand, if
  you’re trying to Hack and Slash while
  spikes shoot from hidden traps in the
  walls,you’reignoringaclearandpresent
  threat and need to Defy Danger.
  Danger, here, is anything that requires
  resilience, concentration, or poise. This
  movewillusuallybecalledforbytheGM.
  She’ll tell you what the danger is as you
  make the move. Something like "You’ll
  have to Defy Danger, ﬁrst. The danger
  is the steep and icy ﬂoor you’re running
  across. If you can keep your footing, you
  can make it to the door before the Necro-
  mancer’s magic gets you."
  Which stat applies depends on what ac-
  tion you take and your action has to trig-
  ger the move. That means you can’t Defy
  theDangerofthesteepandicyﬂoorwith
  acharmingsmilejustsoyoucanuseCha,
  since charmingly smiling at the ice ﬂoor
  does nothing to it. On the other hand,
  making a huge leap over the ice would be
  Str, placing your feet carefully would be
  Dex, and so on. Make the move to get the
  results.
  Emory is climbing a steep ravine.
  Unbe-
  knownst to him, a cultist sorcerer lurks
  nearby. The sorcerer casts a spell of frost
  on the cliffside, covering it with ice. "As you
  reach for the next handhold, a terrible chill
  overcomesyou. Ifyouwanttokeepclimbing,
  Defy Danger or risk slipping" I say, making
  sure to explain what the Danger is.
  "No
  way" Emory says, "I need to get the top of
  this ravine! I grit my teeth and hold tight
  even as my ﬁngers go numb." He rolls Defy
  Danger, getting an 8 including his Con for
  enduring. Now it’s time for a hard decision.
  "You make some progress but as your hands
  go numb you start slipping. The only way
  youcangetanymoretractionisbyjamming
  your dagger into the ice to pull yourself up
  the last few feet. If you do that, though, the
  dagger is going to be jammed in the face of
  the cliff until you get a chance to stop and
  pry it out."
  "Theathach’sthirdarmisswingingdownon
  you with its crude club, what are you doing
  Valeria?" I’ve just made a move to establish
  an impending threat: the athach’s strike.
  She says "I Hack and Slash it! I make a wide
  swing sideways, right into its legs." Sounds
  good to me, but she’s not doing anything
  abouttheclubcomingather. "Okay,youcan
  do that, but you take the athach’s damage
  from the club coming right down on your
  skull." "What? But trading blows is part
  of Hack and Slash, right?" "It is, but before
  you make your attack there’s already a club
  comingatyou,HackandSlashdoesn’tcover
  that. Do you still want to Hack and Slash,
  or are you doing something about the club?"
  Octavia is locked in battle with an ogre. She
  says "I drop my shield and take up my ham-
  mer in both hands. I swing it at the ogre.
  That’sHackandSlash, right?""Yeah, itwill
  be but ﬁrst you’ve gotta Defy Danger. The
  dangeristheogre’smassiveclub.""Isn’tthat
  part of what Hack and Slash already is? I
  mean if he couldn’t be smashing me with his
  club then I wouldn’t be making the move at
  all because we wouldn’t be in melee." "Oh
  yeah, you’re totally right. Hack and Slash it
  is, make your roll!"
  Defend
  Defending something means standing
  nearby and focusing on preventing at-
  tacks on that thing or stopping anyone
  from getting near it.
  When you’re no
  longer nearby or you stop devoting your
  attention to incoming attacks then you
  lose any Hold you might have had.
  You can only spend Hold when some-
  one makes an attack on you or the thing
  you’re Defending. The choices you can
  make depend on the attacker and the
  type of attack. In particular, you can’t
  dealdamageto anattackerwhoyou can’t
  reach with your weapon.
  An attack is any action you can interfere
  with that has harmful effects. Swords
  and arrows are, of course, attacks but so
  are spells, grabs, and charges.
  If the attack doesn’t deal damage then
  halving it means the attacker gets some
  of what they want but not all of it. It’s up
  to you and the GM to work out what that
  means depending on the circumstances.
  If you’re defending the Gem Eye of Oro-
  Uht and an orc tries to grab it from its
  pedestalthenhalfeffectmightmeanthat
  the gem gets knocked to the ﬂoor but the
  orc doesn’t get his hands on it, yet. Or
  maybe the orc gets ahold of it but so do
  you—now you’re both ﬁghting over it,
  tooth and nail. If you and the GM can’t
  agree on a halved effect you can’t choose
  that option.
  Defending yourself is certainly an op-
  tion. It amounts to giving up on making
  attacks and just trying to keep yourself
  safe.
  Avon is weaving a powerful spell to send the
  source of the Necromancer’s power back to
  the Plane of Death. The spell takes time and
  concentration and there’s zombies massing
  onallsides! Luxsays"WhileAvon’scasting
  his spell, it’s my duty to keep him alive. I
  stand between him and the dead and slam
  my hammer against my shield—’You want
  him, you go through me!’ I’m Defending
  Avon." That sounds good to me, so I say
  "roll+Con." She gets an 11 and Holds three.
  A few moments later Avon ﬁnishes his spell
  but, in rolling for it, has to make a tough
  choiceandputshimselfindanger. Isay"you
  unleashthemagicofyourspell,sureenough.
  Themagicaldisturbancedrawstheattention
  of the zombie horde—they sense your power
  and it drives their hunger! With a sudden
  burst of speed, they’re right on top of you.
  What do you do?" Avon looks unsure for a
  moment, but Lux says "Let them come. I’ve
  got his back. I’m spending a point of hold to
  direct that attack to me. I push Avon back
  andswingawidearcwithmyshield. I’llalso
  spend a point of hold to halve the damage.
  To be safe, I follow up with my hammer and
  use one more hold to deal damage to the
  gang of zombies." "Wow, okay. They get a
  few feeble claws past your guard but you’re
  mostly unscathed.
  That does it for your
  hold. Are you still defending him or are you
  doing something else?" "I don’t think he’ll
  live long without me. I yell at him to run
  without taking my eyes off the zombies, I’m
  not letting any of them past me." "Sounds
  like you’re Defending again, roll+Con."
  
  Moves in Detail
  Spout Lore
  95
  Hadrian has been Defending Durga while
  shehealsabadlywoundedWillem. Willem’s
  in ﬁghting shape again so Durga has leaped
  forwards to drive back the troglodytes.
  Hadrianisstilllockedinbattlewithadeadly
  crocodilian. The troglodytes attack Durga
  and Hadrian reacts. "Wait! I still have one
  hold to Defend Durga. I’m doing to redirect
  that attack to myself." That doesn’t sound
  quite right to me, they’re spread out, now.
  "How are you doing that if she’s over at
  the troglodyte camp and you’re battling the
  crocodilian in the water?" "Oh yeah. I guess
  when I started doing something other than
  standing guard I lost that hold. Damn."
  Spout Lore
  You Spout Lore any time you want to
  search your memory for knowledge or
  facts about something. You take a mo-
  ment to ponder the things you know
  about the Orcish Tribes or the Tower of
  Ul’dammar and then reveal that knowl-
  edge.
  The knowledge you get is like consulting
  a bestiary, travel guide, or library. You
  get facts about the subject matter. On a
  10+thosefactstheGMwillshowyouhow
  thosefactscanbeimmediatelyuseful, on
  a 7–9 they’re just facts.
  On a miss the GM’s move will often
  have to do with the time you take think-
  ing. Maybe you miss that goblin mov-
  ing around behind you, or the trip wire
  across the hallway.
  It’s also a great
  chance to reveal an unwelcome truth.
  Just in case it isn’t clear: the answers are
  always true, even if the GM had to make
  them up on the spot. Always say what
  honesty demands.
  Fenfaril has had the misfortune of drop-
  pingthroughanillusoryﬂoorandnowﬁnds
  himself in a murky pit. A mottled, eyeless
  creature shambles towards him, mumbling
  in a strange tongue. "I’m a little freaked
  out—what is this thing? Is it going to at-
  tack me? I probably read about these things
  in a bestiary back in school." "Great, that’s
  Spout Lore." I say. Fenfaril rolls and gets an
  8. "Well of course you read about these. The
  nameescapesyou, butyouclearlyremember
  a drawing of a creature like this standing
  in front of a doorway, like a guard, with
  someonekneelingbeforeit."OnastronghitI
  wouldhavegivensomeinformationonwhat
  makes the creature let people pass.
  Vitus has Spouted Lore on a gilded skull she
  found on a pedestal and gotten a 10. I be-
  gin by saying, mysteriously, "You’re pretty
  sure you recognize the telltale signs of metal
  forged in the City of Dis, the living planar
  city."Icatchmyselfandremembertobegen-
  erous with the truth and make it useful. I
  add "You recognize some of the glyphs from
  your spellbook, actually: they’re part of ﬁre
  spells,butwithothermagicsymbolssmaller
  insidethem. Castinganon-ﬁrespellintothe
  skull turns it into ﬁre magic, based on the
  glyphs."
  Discern Realities
  ToDiscernRealitiesyoumustcloselyob-
  serve your target. That usually means
  interacting with it or watching some-
  one else do the same.
  You can’t just
  stick your head in the doorway and Dis-
  cern Realities about a room. You’re not
  merely scanning for clues—you have to
  look under and around things, tap the
  walls and check for weird dust patterns
  on the bookshelves. That sort of thing.
  Discerning Realities isn’t just about
  noticing a detail, it’s about ﬁguring out
  the bigger picture. The GM always de-
  scribes what the player characters expe-
  riencehonestly, so during a ﬁght the GM
  will say that the kobold mage stays at the
  other end of the hall. Discerning Reali-
  ties could reveal the reason behind that:
  the kobold’s motions reveal that he’s ac-
  tually pulling energy from the room be-
  hind him, he can’t come any close.
  Just like Spout Lore the answers you get
  are always honest ones. Even if the GM
  hastoﬁgureitoutonthespot. Oncethey
  answer, it’s set in stone. You’ll want to
  DiscernRealitiestoﬁndthetruthbehind
  illusions—magical or otherwise.
  Unless a move says otherwise players
  can only ask questions from the list. If
  a player asks a question not on the list
  the GM can tell them to try again or an-
  swer a question from the list that seems
  equivalent.
  Of course, some questions might have a
  negative answer, that’s ﬁne. If there re-
  ally, honestly is nothing useful or valu-
  able here, the GM will answer that ques-
  tion with "Nothing, sorry."
  Finding a strangely empty room guarded by
  deadly traps, Omar says "I don’t trust this
  shiftyroom. I’mgoingtopokearoundalittle.
  I take out my tools and start messing with
  stuff—pullingcandlesticks,tappingthewall
  with my stone hammer. My usual tricks." I
  saytoOmar, "Soundslikeyou’reDiscerning
  Realities?"Omaranswersintheafﬁrmative
  and makes his roll. He rolls a 12 and gets
  to ask questions. "What here is not as it
  appears to be?" I think for a second, look at
  my notes and tell him, "As you tap the walls
  you ﬁnd that there’s an odd, hollow space
  on the north side. The stones look newer
  too, this was added recently. It’s actually a
  hidden room."
  Omar still has two more questions. His his
  next one is "Who sealed the hidden room?"
  That’s not a question from the list but it
  sounds to me like he’s really asking "what
  happened here recently". I answer that in-
  stead. "Looking at the stonework you notice
  the wall bends out a little. The work’s def-
  initely of goblin origin—shoddy and quick.
  The only way it could get bent out like that is
  if something pushed out on the stones from
  within.""Sosomegoblinsblockeditfromthe
  other side?" Omar says. "Yeah, exactly."
  Parley
  Parley covers a lot of ground including
  oldstandbyslikeintimidationanddiplo-
  macy.
  You know you’re using Parley
  when you’re trying to get someone to do
  something for you by holding a promise
  orthreatoverthem. Niceornot, thetone
  doesn’t matter.
  Merely asking someone politely isn’t
  Parleying. That’s just talking. You say
  "Can I have that magic sword?" and the
  King’s knight says "Hell no, this is my
  blade,myfatherforgeditandmymother
  enchanted it" and that’s that.
  To Par-
  ley, you have to have leverage. Lever-
  age is anything that could lure the tar-
  get of your Parley to do something for
  you.
  Maybe it’s something they want
  or something they don’t want you to do.
  Like a sack of gold. Or punching them in
  the face.
  What counts as leverage de-
  pends on the people involved and the
  request being made.
  Threaten a long
  goblin with death and you have lever-
  age. Threaten a goblin backed up by his
  gang with death and he might think he’s
  better off in a ﬁght.
  On a hit they ask you for something re-
  lated to whatever leverage you have. If
  your leverage is that you’re standing be-
  fore them sharpening your knife and in-
  sinuating about how much you’d like to
  shank them with it they might ask you
  to let them go. If your leverage is your
  position in court above them they might
  ask for a favor.
  
  Aid or Interfere
  Moves in Detail
  96
  Whatever they ask for, on a 10+, you
  justhavetopromiseitclearlyandunam-
  biguously. On a 7–9, that’s not enough:
  you also have to give them some assur-
  ance, right now, before they do what you
  want. If you promise that you’ll ensure
  their safety from the wolves if they do
  what you want and you roll a 7-9 they
  won’tdotheirpartuntilyoubringafresh
  wolf pelt, for example. It’s worth noting
  that on a 10+ you don’t actually have to
  keep your promise. Whether you’ll fol-
  low up or not, well, that’s up to you. Of
  course breaking promises leads to prob-
  lems. People don’t take kindly to oath-
  breakers and aren’t likely to deal with
  them in the future.
  In some cases when you state what you
  wantyoumayincludeapossiblepromise
  for the creature to make, as in "Flee and
  I’ll let you live." It’s up to the target of the
  Parley if that’s the promise they want
  or if they have something else in mind.
  They can say "yes, let me live and I’ll go"
  (with assurances, if you rolled a 7–9) or
  "promise me you won’t follow me."
  Leena is trying to convince Lord Hywn to
  vouch for her so that she is granted an au-
  dience with the Queen. She’s laid out what
  she wants pretty well but I say "Lord Hywn
  obviously isn’t convinced. Why should he
  help you?" She smirks a bit.
  "Oh.
  That.
  While I’m talking to him, I absentmindedly
  start playing with the signet ring from that
  assassin we killed. The one he hired to off
  the prince. I make a big show of it just to
  make sure he sees who’s ring it is." That’s
  perfect; nowI knowwhattoaskfor. Leena’s
  player hits her roll with an 8. "Once your
  little show sets in, Hywn just looks at you
  coldly. After a moment he says ’Enough be-
  ing coy. You and I both know you murdered
  my hired man. Give me that ring and swear
  you’ll speak no more about it, then I’ll do
  as you ask." "Oh sure, I give it to him" she
  says"Wecanalwaysdigupmoredirtonthis
  scumbag later."
  Pendrell’stryingtogetintothegamblingden
  where One-Eye usually plays. He saunters
  up to the guards and says "Hey fellas, how’s
  it going, care to open the door for me?" Pen-
  drell’s player says "I’m being all suave as I
  do it to; really cool so these guys will let me
  in. That’s Parley! I roll+Cha." Something’s
  not right here so I stop him "Wait a sec.
  All you’ve done is tell these guys what you
  want—you’re just talking. The big smelly
  one on the right of the door steps in front of
  you, looks you in the eyes and says ’Sorry,
  private venue’ like he’s bored with keeping
  people out and he’d rather be inside himself.
  If you want to Parley him, you need some
  leverage. A bribe maybe?"
  Aid or Interfere
  Anytimeyoufeelliketwoplayersshould
  be rolling against each other, the de-
  fender should be Interfering with the at-
  tacker. This doesn’t always mean sabo-
  taging 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 play-
  ers’ success.
  Always ask the person aiding or inter-
  fering how they are doing it.
  As long
  as they can answer that, they trigger the
  move. Sometimes,astheGM,you’llhave
  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 in a roll
  and it makes sense, let them roll to aid.
  Nomatterhowmanypeopleaidorinter-
  fere 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.
  Ozruk stands alone and bloodied before a
  pack of angry hellhounds. Behind him, the
  Prince of Lescia weeps in fear. Ozruk says "I
  stand ﬁrm and lift my shield, despite certain
  doom. I’m defending the Prince." At the last
  moment, though (just as I’m about to have
  Ozruk roll Defend) Aronwe appears from
  theshadows,sworddrawn. "Doomisnotso
  certain, Dwarf" he says. "I’m standing be-
  side him, helping Ozruk Defend by covering
  his sword arm." Aronwe rolls+bonds and, if
  he succeeds, Ozruk will be able to add a +1 to
  his Defend result.
  
  Special Moves
  Last Breath
  97
  37
  Special
  Moves
  Special moves are moves that come up
  less often or in more speciﬁc situations.
  They’re still the basis of what charac-
  ters do in Dungeon World—particularly
  what they do between dungeon crawls
  and high-ﬂying adventures.
  Last Breath
  The Last Breath is the last moment that
  stands between life and death.
  Time
  stands still as Death comes to claim the
  living. Even those who stay will catch
  a glimpse of the other side as they ﬁght
  for their life. Many are changed by this
  moment—even those who escape alive.
  The deal offered by death is decided by
  the GM but it should always be a real
  choice with real consequences.
  If the
  GM offers something completely pain-
  less, the move is pointless. If the GM of-
  fers a ridiculous price, no one will take it.
  Think of ways that the character might
  be changed by the event: a new goal in
  life, a debt that must be paid, an obliga-
  tion.
  SparrowstandsatDeath’sblackgates. First
  theGmdescribeswhatsheseesbeyondthem:
  "In among the suffering souls you clearly
  see Lord Hywn. It appears his double deal-
  ing has caught up with him." Now for the
  bargain: "The shadowy form of Death itself
  steps between you and the gates. ’Here so
  soon? I enjoy seeing the souls you send me.
  I’ll return you to the world so that you may
  serve me, but there is a cost: you will never
  be able to move under the sun again, or you
  will return to my realm immediately."
  Encumbrance
  A PC’s Load stat is determined by their
  class and Str. Being able to carry 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.
  Thismoveonlyappliestothingsaperson
  couldwalkaroundandstillactwith. Car-
  rying a boulder on your back is not en-
  cumbrance—youcan’treallyactormove
  much with it. It effects what moves you
  can make appropriately in the ﬁction.
  Carouse
  Unless the PCs are particularly extrava-
  gant or generous Carousing doesn’t cost
  any gold. If the players are paying some-
  one else’s tab or living the high life then
  it’ll costs them appropriately.
  You can only carouse when you return
  triumphant.
  That’s what draws the
  crowd of revelers to surround adventur-
  ers as they celebrate their latest haul. If
  youdon’tclaimyoursuccessoryourfail-
  ure is well known then who would want
  to party with you anyway?
  Undertake a Perilous Journey
  Distances in Dungeon World are mea-
  sured 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 be-
  tween 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 ex-
  plore is not a perilous journey. It’s wan-
  dering 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.
  Make Camp
  You usually Make Camp so that you can
  do other things, like Prepare Spells or
  Dutiful Prayer.
  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.
  When camping in dangerous territory
  the selections made apply to the entire
  camp. Every PC camping out needs to
  roll.
  Camping with fewer than three
  characters, or without the Ranger, is
  dangerous—there will always be at least
  one option not selected.
  What counts as dangerous territory is up
  to the GM. She should call for the move.
  When not Making Camp in dangerous
  territory the camp is in all ways unex-
  ceptional with neither beneﬁts or dan-
  gers.
  StayinganightinaninnorhouseisMak-
  ing Camp is a safe location. 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.
  Outstanding Warrants
  Thismoveisonlyforplaceswhereyou’ve
  caused trouble, not every piece of civi-
  lizationyouenter. Beingpubliclycaught
  upinsomeoneelse’stroublestilltriggers
  this move.
  Civilization generally means the vil-
  lages, towns and cities of humans, elves,
  dwarves, and halﬂings but it can also
  apply to any relatively lawful establish-
  ment of monstrous species, such as orcs
  or goblins. If the PCs have stayed there
  aspartofthecommunityit’scivilization.
  
  Moves in Detail
  98
  38
  Moves
  in Detail
  
  Multiclass Moves
  Multiclass Dabbler
  99
  39
  Multiclass
  Moves
  Multiclass Dabbler
  Multiclass Initiate
  Multiclass Master
  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.
  If a multiclass move grants you the abil-
  ity to cast spells you prepare and cast
  spells as if you had one level in the cast-
  ing class. Whenever you level up you
  increase the level you prepare and cast
  spells at too.
  When Ajax gains 3rd level he takes Multi-
  class Dabbler to get Commune and Cast a
  SpellfromtheClericclass. Hecastsandpre-
  pares spells like a ﬁrst level Cleric: ﬁrst level
  spells and rotes only, a total of 2 levels of
  spells prepared.
  
  Bardic Lore
  Bard Moves
  100
  40
  Bard Moves
  Bardic Lore
  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 called "On
  Spells and Magicks?" If so, your Bardic
  Lore applies.
  Ifyoucareenoughtoaskaquestionabout
  it then it’s probably important.
  Don’t
  secondguessyourself: ifyoucareenough
  to want to know more about it then it has
  some importance.
  Charming and Open
  Speaking frankly means you really are
  beingopenwiththem,notjustgivingthe
  appearance of openness. It’s your true
  sincerity that puts others at ease and lets
  yougetinformationoutofthem;ifyou’re
  trying to maintain a lie at the same time
  you won’t get very far.
  It Goes To Eleven
  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.
  An Ear for Magic
  Acting on the answers can mean act-
  ing against them or taking advantage of
  them. Either way you take +1 forward.
  
  Cleric
  Commune
  101
  41
  Cleric
  Commune
  Ifyoulikeyoucanpreparethesamespell
  more than once.
  
  Guidance
  Cleric Spells
  102
  42
  Cleric Spells
  Guidance
  It’s up the the creativity of your deity
  (and the GM) to communicate as much
  aspossiblethroughthemotionsandges-
  tures of you deity’s symbol. You don’t
  get visions or a voice from heaven, just
  somevisualcueofwhatyourdeitywould
  have you do (even if it’s not in your best
  interest).
  Magic Weapon
  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.
  Magic though is nothing to be scoffed at.
  Having a magic weapon may give you an
  advantage against some of the stranger
  beastsofDungeonWorld, ghostsandthe
  sort.
  The exact effects depend on the
  monster and circumstances, so make the
  most of it.
  Animate Dead
  Treating the zombie as your character
  means you make moves with it’s ability
  scores based on the ﬁction, just like al-
  ways. Unless it’s brain is functioning on
  itsownthezombiecan’tdomuchbesides
  followthelastorderitwasgiven,soyou’d
  better stay close. Even if its brain works
  it’s still bound to follow your orders.
  
  Fighter Moves
  Signature Weapon
  103
  43
  Fighter
  Moves
  Signature Weapon
  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.
  Heirloom
  Theexactnatureofthespirits(andthere-
  fore what knowledge they can offer to
  you) is up to you and the GM to decide.
  Maybe they’re dead ancestors, or echoes
  ofpeopleyou’veslain,oraminordemon.
  Up to you.
  Armor Mastery
  Armor and shields that are reduced to
  0 armor are effectively destroyed. You’ll
  prettymuchbepayingforanewoneany-
  way, so you might as well drop them and
  haul out some gold instead.
  
  Evidence of Faith
  Paladin Moves
  104
  44
  Paladin
  Moves
  Evidence of Faith
  Your +1 forward applies to anything you
  dobasedonyourknowledgeofthespell’s
  effects: defying it, defending against it,
  using it to your advantage, etc.
  
  Ranger Moves
  Command
  105
  45
  Ranger
  Moves
  Command
  Yourbonusesonlyapplieswhenyouran-
  imal is doing something it’s trained in.
  Ananimalnottrainedtoattackmonsters
  won’t be any help when you’re attacking
  a otyugh.
  
  Backstab
  Thief Moves
  106
  46
  Thief Moves
  Backstab
  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 its un-
  til they’ve had time to heal up (or protect
  the wound you left).
  Poisoner
  Inordertomakemoredosesofyourcho-
  sen 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 ma-
  terials you need of course.
  Wealth and Taste
  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.
  Disguise
  Your disguise covers your appearance
  and any basics like accents and limps.
  It doesn’t grant you any special knowl-
  edge 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.
  
  Wizard Moves
  Prepare Spells
  107
  47
  Wizard
  Moves
  Prepare Spells
  You can prepare the same spell twice if
  you like.
  Empowered Magic
  Maximizing the effects of a spell is sim-
  ple for spells that involve a roll: a max-
  imized Magic Missile does 8 damage.
  In other cases it’s down to the circum-
  stances.
  A maximized Identify might
  result in far more information than ex-
  pected. If there’s no clear way to maxi-
  mize 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.
  
  Dispel Magic
  Wizard Spells
  108
  48
  Wizard
  Spells
  Dispel Magic
  The exact effects depend on the circum-
  stances. A goblin orkaster’s spell might
  just be ended; a deity’s consecration is
  probably just dimmed. The GM will tell
  youthelikelyeffectsof Dispelinga given
  effect before you cast.
  Fireball
  "Nearby" means a few paces at most, de-
  pending on the circumstances.
  Polymorph
  In some cases the GM may choose the
  last option more than once to list each
  unexpected beneﬁt or weakness.
  Summon Monster
  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+2Strcreaturemightbeabarbed
  devil. Whatever the creature is you still
  get to play it.
  
  Making Moves
  Starting Points
  109
  49
  Making
  Moves
  At some point you’ll likely want to make
  your own moves.
  You might want to
  create moves to reﬂect some particular
  threat ("When you go alone into the Un-
  hallowed Halls. . ."). You might create
  moves to cover something that’s partic-
  ularly important to you setting ("When
  you swim in the dark waters. . ."). You
  might create moves to expand a class, or
  create your own class entirely.
  This chapter covers how to create moves
  and more importantly why to create
  moves.
  Moves are the simplest way to modify
  the game, but you can go beyond that.
  Maybe you have a cool idea for an entire
  class, or you want to change how mon-
  sters work, or even mess with the entire
  GMing structure. Well get to those top-
  ics too, but ﬁrst: moves.
  Starting Points
  Where do moves come from?
  You can start a move with the trig-
  ger. Some actions will just feel like they
  should be a move. This is the most com-
  mon 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
  who’s 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 ﬁc-
  tion, a mechanical idea is the least im-
  portant bit of the move.
  A ﬁnal starting point is someone else’s
  move.
  Between Apocalypse World,
  DungeonWorld,Monsterhearts,andthe
  dozensofothergamesusingmovesthere
  are many great ideas out there.
  If
  you plan to use a borrowed move for
  anything beyond your personal gaming
  group, its a good idea to ask the author
  ﬁrst. They’re usually pretty cool about
  it.
  Types of Moves
  What role the move is fulﬁlling deter-
  mines what kind of move you’re creat-
  ing.
  Moves for dealing with the environment
  or special features you’ve added to Dun-
  geon World are special moves.
  These
  moves are usually the GMs domain, a
  place to make parts of the world stand
  out. Sincemovesarealwaystriggeredby
  the players most moves like this should
  be written or printed somewhere every-
  one can look them over unless the move
  covers something that the player char-
  acters wouldn’t have any idea about.
  Moves that reﬂect some special compe-
  tency or power, or something the play-
  ers 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 be-
  yond 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 ﬁc-
  tional 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 of
  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 dis-
  ease or pressing on despite a focused
  blast of wind from an air elemental, are
  player moves associated with that mon-
  ster.
  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 state-
  ments of what the monster does. Try-
  ing to make every monster move into a
  player move will seriously hamper your
  creativity.
  World Moves
  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 3. On a 7-9 choose 1.
  •
  You avoid being covered in feces and
  rotting animal entrails from the sew-
  ers above.
  •
  You avoid having a gelatinous cube
  land on you.
  •
  You ﬁnd a secret back entrance to
  wherethemerchant’sdaughterisbe-
  ing held.
  This move is strong because it is tied
  strongly to a particular place at a par-
  ticular time.
  This move was written
  by request for Jason Morningstar’s Dun-
  geon World game as the players entered
  someparticularlyhorriblesewerstoﬁnd
  
  Class Moves
  Making Moves
  110
  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
  ofjustusingDefyDanger? Youwouldn’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
  situationthatislikelytocauseDefyDan-
  ger, you can write a custom move that
  describes the tough choice to be made to
  save the GM some thinking in the mo-
  ment.
  The other strength of moves like this is
  they call out something as important.
  By making the trigger "when you open a
  sewerhatch"insteadof"whenyouactde-
  spite an imminent threat" the move calls
  out that these sewers are always danger-
  ous.
  Class Moves
  Each class has enough moves to take
  it through tenth level but that doesn’t
  meanyoucan’taddmore. Addingmoves
  to a class can demonstrate your idea of
  Dungeon World. Take this one, for ex-
  ample:
  When you claim a room for you deity, mark
  every entrance and roll+Wis. On a 10+ the
  room is peacebonded: no one can take ac-
  tion 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’tcomeeasilytoPCs). Thismaynot
  be 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 with 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. +damage
  moves in particular should be avoided
  for the most part unless carefully crafted
  with interesting triggers.
  +armor too
  can be problematic if given too freely.
  The classes at present have damage and
  armor increases the reﬂect the overall
  danger of Dungeon World, giving them
  more can negate potential threats.
  New Classes
  Creating a new class is more than just
  writingsomenewmoves. Yourﬁrstcon-
  siderationshouldbehowtheclassrelates
  to the existing classes. No character ex-
  istsinisolation,soyoushouldthinkcare-
  fully 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 task an inspira-
  tion.
  Don’t slavishly follow what that
  ﬁctional character can do (after all, they
  weren’tinDungeonWorld)butusethem
  asaguideforwhat’scoolaboutbeingthat
  person.
  The inspirations for the classes in this
  bookarefairlyclear, andmadeclearerby
  the notes in the margins. Note that not
  every inspiration is taken entirely: the
  wizards of Discworld inspired slightly
  pompous style of the Wizard, but the
  Wizard is far more competent and casts
  spells differently than the typical Disc-
  world character. 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.
  Aclass’sHPisusuallysomebase+Constitution.
  Base HP is almost always 4, 6, 8, or 10.
  Having more HP than the Fighter and
  Paladin might make those classes obso-
  lete unless you’re careful. Having less
  HP than the Wizard is probably charac-
  ter 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 avail-
  able: d4, d6, d8, d10. The classes pre-
  sented 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 dam-
  age tend to go together, as you usually
  need one to make the other worthwhile.
  Bonds are where the class’s outlook
  shines through.
  It’s the place where
  you, the designer, will most clearly in-
  teract with the player at character cre-
  ation. Unless the class is particularly so-
  cial 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 alignment but
  don’t be afraid to say something about
  what the class is or does. 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 dif-
  ferent?
  Including at least one choice
  about clothes helps establish style with-
  out making the player think about buy-
  ing clothes.
  The equipment choices should always
  include at least one weapon option and
  one armor option unless the class is
  clearly non-martial and lacking in ﬁght-
  ing skill.
  Dungeon Rations are also
  pretty much required, a starting charac-
  ter without food going into a dangerous
  area borders on stupid.
  Alignments are your place to show the
  startingoutlookoftheclass. Mostclasses
  willhaveNeutralasanoption,sinceonly
  the most dedicated classes are so tied
  up to an ideal that the self can’t come
  ﬁrst. A good alignment move is some-
  thing that happens with some regular-
  ity and requires the player to take action
  theymightnototherwisetake. Analign-
  ment that happens as part of the nor-
  mal course of play, like "When you gain
  treasure. . .," doesn’t really show the
  character’sideals. Addingsomerequire-
  ments, maybe "When you gain treasure
  through lies and deceit. . .," adds an el-
  ement of ideals.
  Now the alignment
  sayssomethingaboutthecharacter(they
  prize pulling a con on the unsuspecting)
  and requires the player to think about
  how they play.
  Compendium Classes
  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 Compendi-
  ums for Dungeon World Basic. A Com-
  pendium Class is the way to go for a con-
  cept 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:
  Divine Bond
  
  Making Moves
  Adventure Moves
  111
  WhenyouwriteanewBondinsteadofusing
  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
  clearanddecisivewaythattheGMdescribes.
  At the end of the session you then replace the
  markedoffBondwithanewone,withadeity
  or player character.
  Notethatthemoveisonlyavailableafter
  the character has done a speciﬁc thing,
  and even then only at their next level.
  CompendiumClassesarebestwhenthey
  rely on what the character has done, not
  stat prerequisites or anything that hap-
  penswithouttheplayer’saction. ACom-
  pendiumClassthatisavailabletoanyone
  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 al-
  ready taken the starting Compendium
  Class move.
  Compendium Classes are ideal for con-
  cepts 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 prob-
  ably better as a Compendium Class.
  Adventure Moves
  Adventure moves deal directly with the
  adventureunderway. Theycanmovethe
  action along, change the rewards, or let
  you jump into a bigger adventure.
  If you’re running a short game, maybe at
  a convention or game day, you may ﬁnd
  that you want to front load the experi-
  ence a little more. Here’s a move that
  covers "the adventure so far" so that you
  can get straight into a short game in me-
  dia res.
  Stalwart Fighter: As if the bandits weren’t
  bad enough! As if all the sword wounds,
  bruises and batterings at the hands of
  your enemies were insufﬁcient—now this.
  Trapped underground with your adventur-
  ing 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 oth-
  ers will need your protecting before safety is
  found. Justlikelasttime. Oncemoreintothe
  breach, right? I swear, one of these fellow
  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
  just the one, on a miss you’re surrounded by
  ingrates. Atamomentofneed, youcancash
  in an owed favor. A PC must change their
  actiontooneofyourchoosing,once. Aslong
  as this action doesn’t involve them directly
  taking damage, giving up a magic item they
  already own or coming to immediate harm,
  it’sfairgame. Useittomakethemagreewith
  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 infor-
  mation 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
  movetoreﬂecttheadventureyou’rerun-
  ning. 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 adven-
  ture.
  When you end the session, instead of us-
  ing the normal end of session questions, use
  these:
  •
  Did we learn something about the
  Cult of the Scaled God?
  •
  Did we rescue a captured villager or
  help defend the village of Secor?
  •
  Did we defeat a major agent of the
  Cult of the Scaled God
  Move Structure
  Moves always follow a similar struc-
  ture.
  The most basic parts of a move
  are the trigger ("when. . .") and the ef-
  fect ("then. . ."). Every move follows this
  basic format.
  Triggers
  Triggers are always ﬁctional actions un-
  dertaken by the player characters. 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 ad-
  jacent is maybe not the best phrasing,
  as it sound removed from the ﬁction of
  standingnexttoadamnﬁre-breathingdragon
  ). 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 pac-
  ingdependsonthecircumstances. 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:
  •
  When a character takes action .
  Examples: Discern Realities, Fasci-
  nate [Bard], Command [Ranger].
  •
  When a character takes action
  under speciﬁc circumstances .
  Examples: Hack and Slash, Gladiator
  [Fighter], Backstab [Thief].
  •
  When circumstances dictate, no
  character action . Examples: Or-
  der Hirelings, End of Session, Saving
  Throw.
  •
  When a character uses a thing
  . Examples: Magic items, Heirloom
  [Fighter]
  •
  From now on . Examples: Serenity
  [Cleric], Poisoner [Thief]
  Effect
  Moves effects can be anything you can
  think of; they are as limitless as your
  ideas.
  Don’t feel constrained to mak-
  ingrolls,+1bonuses,andswappingstats.
  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:
  •
  Roll. Examples: DefyDanger, Casta
  Spell [Wizard], Called Shot [Ranger].
  •
  Substitute stats . Examples: Pre-
  cise [weapon tag].
  •
  Trigger another move .
  Exam-
  ples: Charm Person [Wizard spell],
  Envenom [Thief].
  •
  Giveabonusorpenalty,forward
  or ongoing.
  Examples:
  Quarry
  [Ranger], Beacon of Good [Paladin].
  •
  Deal or heal damage . Examples:
  Volley, Backstab [Thief], Called Shot
  [Ranger].
  •
  Choose options . Examples: Spout
  Lore, Discern Realities, Ritual [Wiz-
  ard].
  •
  Hold & Spend . Examples: Dom-
  inate [Wizard spell],
  Trap Sense
  [Thief].
  •
  Ask & Answer . Examples: Charm-
  ing and Open [Bard], Spout Lore.
  •
  Change circumstances .
  Exam-
  ples: Ascetic Freedom [Cleric], Sins
  of the Flesh [Paladin].
  •
  Mark experience .
  Examples:
  Alignment moves.
  •
  Call for more information . Ex-
  amples: Parley, Ritual [Wizard].
  •
  Add options . Examples: Survival-
  ist [Ranger], Eye of Riches [Thief].
  
  Changing the Basics
  Making Moves
  112
  Changing the Basics
  Moves can also change the basic struc-
  ture 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 funda-
  mentals. Any move that contradicts the
  GM’s principles or agenda, or any move
  that breaks the basic "take the action to
  gain the effect" rule, should be seriously
  rethought.
  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. The way stats are assigned
  by the class is a way of making the game
  easier for new players and reﬂecting the
  concept of each class but there may be
  a place for a 17 Constitution Wizard.
  If you’ve played enough to know what
  you’re doing with each stat feel free to
  assign them however you like.
  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 Vin-
  cent Baker, originally from Apocalypse
  World (reworded slightly to match Dun-
  geon 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 con-
  crete. Instead, the move is a prompt for
  the GM to make judgement calls with no
  clear framework.
  If you ﬁnd yourself
  writingthiscustommove,considerwhat
  difﬁculty you’re really trying to capture
  andmakeacustommoveforthatinstead.
  That said, this is a valid custom move, if
  you feel it’s needed.
  Development of a Move
  Let’s look at how one move developed
  over time. Hack and Slash was one of
  theearliestDungeonWorldmoves,orig-
  inally written by Tony Dowler. The ﬁrst
  version looked like this (this version has
  been reformatted and edited for gram-
  mar only):
  Whenyouwadeintocombat,attackingyour
  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.
  •
  Prevent one ally from taking damage
  this round
  •
  Kill one enemy of lower level than
  you or deal max damage to otherwise
  •
  Put an enemy right where you want
  them (drive them off, prevent them
  from ﬂeeing, etc.)
  •
  Divide your damage amongst any
  number of targets you can reach with
  your weapon
  The ﬁrst problem with this move is that
  oneoftheoptions,preventingdamage,is
  farlessusefulthantheothers. Beingable
  tooutrightkillanenemyisnearlyalways
  better than preventing that enemy from
  doing damage. The ﬁrst major revision
  was to drop that option:
  Whenyouwadeintocombat,attackingyour
  enemies, deal damage to the enemy you’re
  attacking, take that enemy’s damage, and
  roll+Str. Ona10+choose2. Ona7-9choose
  1.
  •
  Kill one enemy of lower level than
  you or deal max damage to otherwise
  •
  Put an enemy right where you want
  them (drive them off, prevent them
  from ﬂeeing, etc.)
  •
  Divide your damage amongst any
  number of targets you can reach with
  your weapon
  This left only three options which is a
  great number of options to have when a
  10+letsyoupicktwo. Theplayermaking
  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 ﬁc-
  tional 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
  rightfromtheﬁction. Theotheroptions,
  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 his 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
  damageto theenemy. Ona 7-9, youtake 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 reason-
  ably lead to a counter-attack isn’t Hack
  and Slash, so now the trigger matches
  the effects. Unfortunately double dam-
  age 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+youdealyourdamagetotheenemy. 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; mon-
  sters hurl you about the room and de-
  stroy 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. You can choose to let the en-
  emy make an attack to deal +2 damage. On
  a 7-9, you deal your damage to the enemy
  and theenemy makes anattack against you.
  Thisversion(theﬁnalone)allowsamon-
  sterto"attack"notjustdealdamage. That
  opens up a whole host of interesting
  monster moves to be used. Now even
  the 7-9 result has choices to make and
  unpredictable outcomes.
  
  Making Moves
  Agenda, Principles, and GM Moves
  113
  Agenda, Principles, and GM Moves
  Changing the GM’s side of the rules is an
  entirelydifferentbeastfromwritingcus-
  tom player moves. Writing GM moves
  is the easy part. Since a GM move is just
  a statement of something that ﬁction-
  ally 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 oc-
  casionally 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. Remov-
  ing a GM move is also kosher, but you’re
  probablybetteroffkeepingthemoveand
  just not using it. The players won’t know
  anyway.
  Changing the GM’s agenda or principles
  is one of the biggest changes you can
  make to the game. Changing these ar-
  eas will likely require changes through-
  out the rest of the game, plus playtesting
  to nail it all down.
  Play to ﬁnd out what happens is the
  leastchangeablepartoftheGM’sagenda.
  Other options, like "play towards your
  setplot"or"playtochallengetheplayers’
  skills" will be resisted pretty strongly by
  theotherrules. Themovesgivetheplay-
  ers abilities that can change the course of
  an planned adventure quite quickly; if
  you’re not playing to ﬁnd out what hap-
  pens you’ll have to resist the moves at
  every step or rewrite many of them.
  Fill the characters’ lives with ad-
  venture could be rephrased, but it’s
  hard to really change. "Fill the charac-
  ters’ lives with intrigue" might work, but
  intrigue just seems like a type of adven-
  ture. 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.
  Make the world fantastic is maybe
  the easiest to change, but it still re-
  quiresconsiderablerewritingoftheclass
  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,andseveralothersec-
  tions 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
  easiestpartoftheagendatochange,since
  it requires changing the moves, not the
  basic structures of the game.
  The GM’s principles are more muta-
  ble than the agenda but still can seri-
  ously change the game with only mi-
  nor modiﬁcations. Address the char-
  acters, 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 conversa-
  tion 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 fan-
  tasy 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
  manyother games in the same style. The
  game will be diminished without them,
  but the conversation of play will con-
  tinue. 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.
  Anadditionalprinciplethatsomepeople
  prefer to add is Test their Bonds . This
  principle is entirely compatible with the
  others and with all the moves, but it
  changesthefocusofthegamesomewhat.
  Frontsneedtoberethoughttoworkfully
  with this, and you might need to add
  moves that speak to it.
  Monsters
  The easiest place to modify monsters is
  inthequestionsusedtocreatethem. The
  simplest changes have to do with adjust-
  ing lethality or randomness to your lik-
  ing.
  You could easily change just one
  question to add random damage to the
  game (if you use random monster dam-
  age you might consider having the play-
  ers roll it so that you don’t have to man-
  age dice just for damage).
  How does it usually hunt or ﬁght?
  •
  As part of large group, ﬁve or more:
  2d4 damage, 1 HP, Horde
  •
  As part of a small group, around 2–5:
  2d6 damage, 8 HP
  •
  All by its lonesome: 2d10 damage, 30
  HP, Unique
  Note that these changes also adjust
  lethality slightly, you can play with the
  numbers to make it more or less random
  as you please.
  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 mon-
  stersaremoreorlesslikeothercreatures:
  they can be of many alignments and
  won’t always be opposed to the player
  characters. IfyouwanttomakeDungeon
  Worldmoreaboutindiscriminatekilling
  of monsters that deserve it 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:
  •
  It’s an intrusion of the Old Ones Be-
  yond The Walls: Planar, +5 damage
  •
  It’s a product of the Old Wizards of
  the Red Tower: Construct, +5 HP
  •
  It’s from The Time Before Man: Pri-
  mordial, +5 damage, +5 HP
  When creating new monster questions
  you can either reinterpret existing mon-
  sters by answering the questions for
  themagainoronlyusethenewquestions
  for new monsters. If the new questions
  you add or change are key to your vi-
  sion of Dungeon World its best to redo
  all the monsters you use, if the question
  only applies to a speciﬁc kind of mon-
  ster anyway you can just use it for new
  monsters.
  
  Special Thanks
  114
  50
  Special
  Thanks
  
  Contributors
  115
  51
  Contributors
  Tresi Arvizo
  Jeremy Friesen
  
  Pitch It
  Guild Members
  116
  52
  Guild
  Members
  Since you’ve read this book it’s likely at
  somepointyou’llbeteachingthegameto
  others,eitherexperiencedroleplayersor
  those new to the hobby. Throughout the
  design process we’ve had many chances
  toplaywithlotsofdifferentgamersfrom
  different backgrounds and there are a
  few things we’ve found work well for
  teaching the game.
  Pitch It
  Before you play you’ll likely be explain-
  ing the game to your new players (don’t
  just spring it on them, that’s not cool).
  We call that the pitch: it’s explaining
  why you want to play Dungeon World
  and why you think they’ll like it.
  Firstandmostimportantly: putitinyour
  own words. We can’t give you a script
  becausethebestwaytogetpeopleexcited
  about the game is to share your honest
  excitement. There are, however, some
  things you might want to touch on.
  Withﬁrst-timeroleplayersit’sbesttofo-
  cus on what roleplaying means in Dun-
  geon World. Tell them what they’ll be
  doing (portraying a character) and what
  you’ll be doing (portraying the world
  around them). Mention the general con-
  ceit (adventurers and adventure).
  It’s
  usuallyagoodideatomentiontheroleof
  the rules too, how they’re there to drive
  the action forward in interesting ways.
  With folks who’ve played RPGs be-
  fore, especially those who’ve played
  other fantasy adventure games, you
  can focus more on what makes Dun-
  geon World different from other similar
  games. Ease-of-play, the way the rules
  just step in at the right times, and the
  fast pace are all things that experienced
  roleplayers often appreciate.
  No matter the audience, don’t just pitch
  Dungeon World, pitch the game you’re
  going to run.
  If this is going to be a
  trip into the city sewers, tell them that
  right up front. If there’s an evil cult to be
  stopped that should be part of your de-
  scription. The interaction between you,
  the players, and the rules will create all
  kindsofinterestingsecretslateron,your
  pitch should honestly portray the game
  you intend to run.
  Present the Classes
  Once everybody’s on board for a game
  of Dungeon World and you’ve sat down
  to play start by presenting the character
  sheets. Give a short description of each,
  making sure to mention what each does
  andtheirplaceintheworld. Youcanalso
  read out the descriptions for each class,
  those all include something about both
  what the class does and how that ﬁts into
  the big picture.
  Ifanybodyhasquestionsabouttherules,
  answer them, but for now focus on de-
  scribing what the classes do in plain
  terms. If someone asks about the ﬁghter
  it’s more useful to tell them that the
  ﬁghterhasasignatureweaponthat’sone
  of a kind then to go into detail about how
  the Signature Weapon move works.
  Create Characters
  Go through the character creation rules
  step-by-step.
  The process of creating
  a character is also a great introduction
  to the basic concepts: the players will
  encounter stats, moves, HP, and dam-
  age all in an order that makes sense.
  Don’t bother trying to front-load the
  rules explanations. There aren’t really
  any wrong choices.
  Each player will encounter the rules
  that are important to their class.
  The
  Fighter, for example, will see moves
  about weapon ranges and piercing and
  ask about them, explain them as needed.
  IftheFighterplayerdoesn’taskyouwhat
  piercing is, don’t worry about it. They’re
  happy to choose based on the ﬁction,
  which is all the stats and tags reﬂect any-
  way.
  If your players are particularly worried
  aboutmakingtheircharacters’right’just
  give them the option of changing them
  later. Trying to cover every rule and give
  them all the context now will just slow
  the game down. In particular, don’t go
  over the basic moves in detail yet. Leave
  them out so that the players can read
  them and ask questions, but don’t waste
  time by explaining each. They’ll come
  up as needed.
  Astheplayersintroducetheircharacters
  and start setting bonds move from an-
  swering questions to asking them. Ask
  about why they chose what they did
  and what that means for their character.
  Ask about details established by their
  bonds.
  Let their choices establish the
  world around them. Take special note
  of anything that you think you might
  be able to make moves with (like an es-
  tranged teacher or a simmering war).
  Start Play
  Start play by concretely describing the
  world around them. Keep it brief and
  evocative, use plenty of details, and end
  with something that demands action.
  Then ask them what they do.
  Ending with something that demands
  action is important. Don’t presume that
  newplayerswillalreadyknowwhatthey
  want to do.
  Giving them something
  to react to right away means you get
  straight to playing.
  Especially for new players make sure
  that the action they’re thrown into is
  something they have the tools to deal
  with.
  A ﬁght is a good choice, as is a
  tense negotiation (which can easily be-
  
  Guild Members
  Overview
  117
  come a ﬁght). Keep it simple and let the
  complexity build.
  Even in a ﬁght keep to simple monsters:
  things that bleed, don’t have too much
  armor, and don’t have piercing.
  Give
  them a chance to get used to their ar-
  moranddealingdamagebeforeyoustart
  using the exceptions to those rules, like
  piercing and ignoring armor. Of course
  if the ﬁction dictates ignoring armor or
  piercing or a certain monster, use it, but
  don’t lead with those.
  For new players make liberal use of your
  Show Signs of Doom move. New play-
  ers, or those used to a different type
  of fantasy adventure, may have differ-
  ent assumptions about what’s lethal and
  when they’re in danger, so make sure to
  show them danger clearly. Once they’ve
  started to pick up on what’s dangerous
  you can give them a little less warning.
  Ifyou’reGMingfortheﬁrsttimefocuson
  a few moves: Show Signs of Doom, Deal
  Damage, Put Someone in a Spot. Only
  look at your moves sheet if you’re pretty
  sure none of those three apply. Even-
  tually you’ll build up familiarity with
  the whole range of GM moves and us-
  ing them will seem like second nature.
  Continuing Play
  After an hour or two of play the players
  will likely have everything down. As a
  ﬁrsttimeGMyoumaytakeabitlongerto
  pick up all your moves, maybe a session
  or two. Just roll with it.
  Ifyouﬁndyourselfstrugglingintheﬁrst
  session consider it a pilot, like the ﬁrst
  episode of a TV show. Feel free to start
  over or retroactively change things. If
  a player decides that the Thief just isn’t
  what they thought it was let them switch
  classes (either remaking the same char-
  acter or introducing someone new). If
  your ﬁrst adventure wasn’t working too
  well scrap it and start something new.
  While Dungeon World works great for
  one-shots the longer cycles of levels and
  bonds don’t really kick in for a bit. If
  your ﬁrst one or two sessions go well
  consider scheduling out enough time for
  5–10 more. Knowing that you’re plan-
  ning to play that much longer gives you
  some space to plan out your fronts and
  resolve them.
  There isn’t always time for prep. Peo-
  ple aren’t entirely committed to a
  game—you just want to test it out or
  you’ve got a four-hour slot at a con-
  vention that you want to ﬁll and you’ve
  never met the players before in your
  life.
  Maybe prep isn’t something you
  care about or you think it’s more fun to
  just take a map and run with it. Even
  better, maybe you’ve got a favorite old-
  school adventure module and you’d love
  torunthroughusingtheDungeonWorld
  rules. In this appendix, we’ll cover how
  toconvertandadaptmaterialfromother
  games into Dungeon World and give you
  the same ﬂexibility to run your favorite
  adventures using the rules in this book.
  Overview
  The ﬁrst step in preparing an adventure
  for use with Dungeon World is reading
  throughthatadventure, andthroughthe
  Dungeon World rules.
  For this book,
  you’ll want to be familiar with all the ba-
  sic rules, as well as familiar with the sec-
  tion on Fronts and on the GM principles.
  The former will be guiding you in adapt-
  ing the framework of the adventure and
  the latter will help keep your mind going
  in the right direction—so that gameplay
  stays true to the style and rules set out
  in this book. You’ll want to read through
  the module next, paying close attention
  to the four following topics as you go.
  •
  Maps
  •
  Monsters
  •
  Magic Items
  •
  NPCs and Organizations
  Flip through the adventure, make some
  notes as you go, but don’t feel you need
  to memorize the whole thing. Areas that
  focus particularly on statistics are likely
  to end up ignored, and you’ll want to
  leaveblanksintheadventureforyouand
  the players to discover as you go.
  When you’ve ﬁnished, you’ll have a
  broad understanding about what the ad-
  venture is about—the power groups at
  play in it, the special or cool monsters
  the adventure contains, the threats and
  dangers that its cast present to the world
  and the kinds of things the PCs might be
  interested in. Set aside the adventure for
  now, and refer to the Fronts section of
  Dungeon World. This is where the ma-
  jority of your work is going to take place.
  Fronts
  The core of any standard adventure, sce-
  narioor game session in Dungeon World
  ﬂows outward from the Fronts to the
  players; the Fronts have their Impend-
  ing Dooms, the players react, and in the
  space between, you play the game to ﬁnd
  out what happens.
  The same is true
  when presenting a converted adventure.
  Readingthroughthemodule,you’llhave
  noticedthings—NPCs,placesofinterest,
  special monsters and organizations that
  might have an impact on the world or
  some agenda to carry out. Depending on
  the size of the adventure, there may be
  just one or a few of these. Take a look
  through the list of Front types and create
  one for each group.
  I’mgoingtoconvertanoldadventureIlove;
  I’ve run it a dozen times in a bunch of dif-
  ferent systems and I think it’d be a blast
  to run my Dungeon World group through.
  I’ve given myself a quick read through to re-
  mindmyselfwhattheadventureisallabout.
  In this case, there’s a town being menaced
  in secret by a wicked cult who worships a
  squamous reptile god. Sounds like fun! The
  adventurehasasecretdungeon,acorruptre-
  ligious order, a bunch of smelly troglodytes
  andsomeveryhelplessadventurers. I’vede-
  cided that the Fronts in this adventure are
  The Cultists and The Troglodyte Clan
  Now, I could make the sorcerous Naga that
  livesinthecavernsherownFront,ifIwanted
  to, or I could add in a Campaign Front for
  the Reptile God itself, but I think I’ll only
  be running this game a few sessions, so I’m
  going to stay focused. The two Fronts I have
  work together in some ways, but are unique
  andoperateindependently,soI’veseparated
  them.
  Create these Fronts like you would nor-
  mally, choosing dangers, impending
  dooms, and grim portents. Ask one or
  two stakes questions but be sure to leave
  yourself lots of room—that’s where you
  can really tie in the characters.
  Nor-
  mally, you’d be pulling these things
  straight out of the inspiration of your
  brain, but in this case, you’ve got the
  module to guide you. Think about the
  Fronts as themes, and the Dangers as
  elements from the pages of your mod-
  ule.
  Look at the kinds of things your
  Fronts are said to be doing in the adven-
  ture and how that might go if the PCs
  were never there to stop it. What’s the
  worst that could happen if the Fronts
  were able to run rampant?
  This kind
  of reading-between-the-lines will give
  you ammunition for making your hard
  moves as you play through the adven-
  ture. This step is where you’ll turn those
  stat-block NPCs into either full-ﬂedged
  dangers themselves, or members of the
  Front’s cast.
  If there are any traps, curses or gen-
  eral effects in the adventure you’d like to
  write custom moves for, do it now. A lot
  ofoldadventureswillhaveelementsthat
  call for a “saving throw” to avoid some
  noisome effect—these can often simply
  be a cause for a Defy Danger roll, or can
  have whole, separate custom moves if
  necessary. The key here is to capture the
  intent of the adventure—the spirit of the
  thing—rather than translate some me-
  chanical element perfectly.
  When you’re done, you’ll have a set of
  Fronts that cover the major threats and
  dangers the characters will face.
  
  Monsters
  Guild Members
  118
  Monsters
  Most published adventures contained
  one or two unique monsters not seen
  anywhere else—custom creatures and
  denizensofthedeepsthatcouldthreaten
  playersinsomewaytheyhadn’tencoun-
  tered before.
  Take a look through the
  adventure and make sure you’ve caught
  them all. Many monsters will already
  have statistics noted in Dungeon World
  and you can, if you’re happy with them,
  just make a note of what page they’re on
  inyourFrontsandmoveonfromthere. If
  you want to further customize the mon-
  sters, or need to create your own, use the
  rules to do so. In this step, try to avoid
  thinkingabout“balancing”themonsters
  or concerning yourself too much with
  how many HP a monster has or whether
  its armor rating matches what you ex-
  pect. Thinkmoreabouthowthemonster
  is meant to participate in the adventure.
  Is it there to scare the pcs? Is it there to
  bar their way or pose a riddle? What is
  its purpose in the greater ecology of the
  dungeon or adventure at large? Trans-
  lating the spirit of the thing will always
  giveyoubetter,moreengagingresults. If
  themonsterhasacoolpowerorneattrick
  you want to write a custom move for, do
  so! Custom moves are what make Dun-
  geon World feel unique from group to
  group, so take advantage of them where
  you can.
  In my adventure, the monsters run the
  gamut.
  I’ve got a scary naga with some
  mind-controllingpowers, anevilpriestwith
  divine snake-god magic, a bunch of rufﬁan
  cultists, a dragon turtle and a few miscella-
  neous lizards, crocodiles and snakes. Most
  oftheseIcanpullfromtheMonsterSettings,
  but I’ll create custom stats for the Naga and
  thecultistleader,atleast. Iwantthemtofeel
  new and different and have some cool ideas
  for how that might look. I use the monster
  creation rules to put them together.
  Direct Conversion
  If you run across a monster that you
  haven’t already created and which you
  don’t know well enough to convert us-
  ing the monster creation rules you can
  instead convert them directly.
  Damage
  If the monster’s damage is a single dice
  with a bonus of up to +10 keep it as-is. If
  the monster’s damage uses multiple dice
  of the same size roll the listed dice and
  take the highest result. If the monster
  uses multiple dice of different sizes roll
  only the largest and take the highest re-
  sult.
  HP
  If the monster’s HP is listed as Hit Dice
  take the maximum value of the ﬁrst HD
  and add one for each additional hit dice.
  If the monster’s HP is listed as a number
  with no Hit Dice divide the HP by 4.
  Armor
  If the monster’s AC is average give it 1
  armor. If the monster’s AC is low, give it
  0 armor. If the monster’s AC is high give
  it 2 armor, 3 armor for beasts that are all
  aboutdefense. Ifit’snearlyinvulnerable,
  4 armor.
  +1 armor if it’s defenses are
  magical.
  Moves and Instinct
  Look at the special abilities or attacks
  listed for the monster, these form the
  basis for its moves.
  Maps
  One of the biggest differences between
  Dungeon World and many other fantasy
  RPGs is the concept of maps and map-
  ping. Inmanygames,you’llseeasquare-
  by-square map denoting precisely what
  goes where, often presented to give as
  much detail as possible and leave little
  to the imagination save the description
  of the location in question.
  Dungeon
  World often leans the opposite direc-
  tion—maps marked with empty space
  and a one or two word description like
  “blades” or “scary.” To adapt an exist-
  ingadventureforuseinDungeonWorld,
  simply keep in mind your Principles and
  Agenda. Primarily, keep in mind that
  as the GM, it’s your job to “draw maps,
  leave blanks” and to “ask questions and
  use the answers.”
  To that end, it’s often best to re-draw the
  map entirely, if you have time.
  Don’t
  copy it inch-by-inch but redraw it free-
  hand, leaving spaces and drawing out
  new rooms, if you’d like. Don’t stick to
  themapexactlyaswritten,butgiveyour-
  self some creative license. The idea here
  is to give yourself room to expand—to
  allow the players’ reaction to the adven-
  turetosurpriseandinspireyou. Ifyou’ve
  got the whole map nailed down in ad-
  vance, there’s nowhere to go you don’t
  already know about, is there? Pick a few
  rooms that don’t interest you and wipe
  outtheirinhabitants. Drawanewtunnel
  or two. This will give you some space to
  play around once you get into the game
  itself.
  If you don’t have the time or inclination
  to re-draw the map, don’t worry. Just
  take the original map, make a few notes
  aboutwhatmightgowhereandleavethe
  rest blank.
  When the players go into
  that room marked “4f” don’t look it up,
  just make a guess at what might be there
  based on your notes and what else has
  been happening. You’ll ﬁnd a comfort-
  able balance between freely playing out
  what happens and consulting your prep
  as you go along.
  The maps that come with my adventure are
  a good mix of fun and cool and sort of bor-
  ing ﬂuff. I’ll keep most of what the dun-
  geon describes under the city—the lair of the
  troglodytes and the secret caves where the
  captivevillagersarebeingkept—butI’mgo-
  ing to throw away a lot of the stuff about
  the village itself and just leave blank spaces.
  It’llgivemeroomtousetheanswerstoques-
  tions like “who do you already know, here?”
  and “who lives in the abandoned hut up the
  road?” I’ve made some notes about where
  themapandmyFrontsintersect,butmostly
  I’ve just given myself room to explore.
  Magic & Treasure
  Two things that are, traditionally, a “big
  deal” in published modules are treasure
  and magic items. This is less relevant
  in Dungeon World (as the reward cy-
  cle for characters is more about “doing”
  than about “having”) but it’s still fun to
  drudge through a dungeon or explore
  lost ruins and come up with cool magic
  items and piles of gold! Like the map,
  it’s useful to get an idea of the kinds of
  stuff that might be found in the adven-
  ture—anythingparticularlycalledoutin
  the text as relevant to the adventure it-
  self (a magic sword that can be used to
  woundthegolemonlevel4, orapendant
  belongingtotheprincecapturedinroom
  3) is particularly important. Like mon-
  sters, it’s better to look at magic items in
  terms of what purpose they fulﬁll: what
  they’re “for” rather than the damage or
  armor bonus they might give. Dungeon
  World isn’t built on balancing treasure
  against character level, for example, so
  justlookthroughtheadventureforitems
  that seem cool or fun or interesting and
  create new magic items (with custom
  moves as necessary) wherever you think
  it’s needed. This is possibly the easiest
  step of conversion. Again, you can leave
  yourself exploratory room, here. Make
  notes to yourself like “the wizard has a
  magic staff, what does it do?” and ﬁnd
  that out in play. Ask the players about it,
  seewhattheyhavetosay. LetSpoutLore
  do some work for you.
  “You’ve heard
  that the wizard here has a strange mag-
  ical staff. What rumors have you heard
  of its origins?”
  
  Guild Members
  Introductory Moves
  119
  Introductory Moves
  This step is entirely optional, but can
  be really useful when running through
  an adventure for a convention group or
  othergroupwhererunningthroughafull
  “ﬁrst session” process just isn’t possible.
  You can take variables of the adventure
  and create “hooks” for that adventure,
  writing custom moves to be made after
  character creation but before play starts.
  These moves will serve to engage the
  characters in the ﬁction and give them
  something special to prepare them or
  hook them into what’s about to happen.
  You can write one for each class, or bun-
  dle them together, if you like. Here’s an
  example:
  Fighter, someone who loves you gave you
  a gift before you left for a life of adventure.
  Roll + CHA and tell us how much they love
  you. On a 10+ pick two heirlooms, on a 7-9
  pick one . On a miss, well, good intentions
  count for something, right?
  •
  a vial of antivenom
  •
  a shield that glows with silver light
  •
  arustedoldkeyintheshapeofalizard
  Thesesortsofmovescangivetheplayers
  the sense that their characters are tied to
  the situation at hand, and open the door
  for more lines of question-and-answer
  playthatcanﬁllthegameworldwithlife.
  Think about the Fronts, the things they
  endanger, the riches they might protect
  and their impact on the world. Let these
  intro moves ﬂow from that understand-
  ing, creating a great kick-start to the ad-
  venture.
  Sometimes the players will come across
  someone who becomes important in the
  moment. When the ritual goes wrong
  and a poor captive gets the power cosmic
  what does that villager do with it? Who
  were they?
  When you need a quick NPC all you need
  is an instinct and some way to pursue it.
  We call that a Knack, it can be anything
  fromaskilltoatitletoadebtowed. Com-
  bine the two and you have an NPC who
  has something they want and a way to
  try to get it, you’re ready to go.
  100 Instincts
  1.
  To avenge
  2. To spread the good word
  3. To reunite with a loved one
  4. To make money
  5. To make amends
  6. To explore a mysterious place
  7. To uncover a hidden truth
  8. To locate a lost thing
  9. To kill a hated foe
  10. To conquer a far-away land
  11. To cure an illness
  12. To craft a masterwork
  13. To survive just one more day
  14. To earn affection
  15. To prove a point
  16. To be smarter, faster and stronger
  17. To heal an old wound
  18. To extinguish an evil forever
  19. To hide from a shameful fact
  20.To evangelise
  21. To spread suffering
  22. To prove worth
  23. To rise in rank
  24.To be praised
  25. To discover the truth
  26. To make good on a bet
  27. To get out of an obligation
  28. Toconvincesomeonetodotheirdirty
  work
  29. To steal something valuable
  30.To overcome a bad habit
  31. To commit an atrocity
  32. To earn renown
  33. To accumulate power
  34. To save someone from a monstrosity
  35. To teach
  36. To settle down
  37. To get just one more haul
  38. To preserve the law
  39. To discover
  40.To devour
  41. To restore the family name
  42.To live a quiet life
  43. To help others
  44.To atone
  45. To prove their worth
  46. To gain honor
  47. To expand their land
  48. To gain a title
  49.To retreat from society
  50. To escape
  51. To party
  52. To return home
  53. To serve
  54. To reclaim what was taken
  55. To do what must be done
  56. To be a champion
  57. To avoid notice
  58. To help a family member
  59. To perfect a skill
  60. To travel
  61. To overcome a disadvantage
  62. To play the game
  63. To establish a dynasty
  64. To improve the realm
  65. To retire
  66. To recover a lost memory
  67. To battle
  68. To become a terror to criminals
  69. To raise dragons
  70. To live up to expectations
  71. To become someone else
  72. To do what can’t be done
  73. To be remembered in song
  74. To be forgotten
  75. To ﬁnd true love
  76. To lose their mind
  77. To indulge
  78. To make the best of it
  79. To ﬁnd the one
  80. To destroy an artifact
  81. To show them all
  82. To bring about unending summer
  83. To ﬂy
  84. To ﬁnd the six-ﬁngered man
  85. To wake the ancient sleepers
  86. To entertain
  87. To follow an order
  88. To die gloriously
  89. To be careful
  90.To show kindness
  91. To not screw it all up
  92. To uncover the past
  93. To go where no man has gone before
  94.To do good
  95. To become a beast
  96. To spill blood
  97. To live forever
  98. To hunt the most dangerous game
  99. To hate
  100.To run away
  100 Knacks
  1.
  Criminal connections
  2. Muscle
  3. Skill with a speciﬁc weapon
  4. Hedge wizardry
  5. Comprehensive local knowledge
  6. Noble blood
  7. A one-of-a-kind item
  8. Special destiny
  9. Unique perspective
  10. Hidden knowledge
  11. Magical awareness
  12. Abnormal parentage
  13. Political leverage
  14. A tie to a monster
  15. A secret
  16. True love
  17. An innocent heart
  18. A plan for the perfect crime
  19. A one-way ticket to paradise
  20.A mysterious ore
  21. Money, money, money
  22. Divine blessing
  23. Immunity from the law
  24.Prophecy
  25. Secret martial arts techniques
  26. A ring of power
  27. A much-needed bag of taters
  28. A heart
  29. A fortiﬁed position
  30. Lawmaking
  31. Tongues
  32. A discerning eye
  33. Endurance
  34. A safe place
  35. Visions
  36. A beautiful mind
  37. A clear voice
  38. Stunning looks
  39. A catchy tune
  40.Invention
  41. Baking
  42.Brewing
  43. Smelting
  44.Woodworking
  45. Writing
  46. Immunity to ﬁre
  47. Cooking
  48. Storytelling
  
  100 Knacks
  Guild Members
  120
  49.Ratcatching
  50. Lying
  51. Utter unremarkableness
  52. Mind-bending sexiness
  53. Undeﬁnable coolness
  54. A way with knots
  55. Wheels of polished steel
  56. A magic carpet
  57. Endless ideas
  58. Persistence
  59. A stockpile of food
  60. A hidden path
  61. Piety
  62. Resistance to disease
  63. A library
  64. A silver tongue
  65. Bloodline
  66. An innate spell
  67. Balance
  68. Souls
  69. Speed
  70. A sense of right and wrong
  71. Certainty
  72. An eye for detail
  73. Heroic self-sacriﬁce
  74. Sense of direction
  75. A big idea
  76. A hidden entrance to the city
  77. The love of someone powerful
  78. Unquestioning loyalty
  79. Exotic fruit
  80. Poison
  81. Perfect memory
  82. The language of birds
  83. A key to an important door
  84. Metalworking
  85. Mysterious benefactors
  86. Steely nerves
  87. Blufﬁng
  88. A trained wolf
  89. A long-lost sibling, regained
  90.An arrow with your name on it
  91. A true name
  92. Luck
  93. Theattentionofsupernaturalpowers
  94.Kindness
  95. Strange tattoos
  96. A majestic beard
  97. A book in a strange language
  98. Power overwhelming
  99. Delusions of grandeur
  100.The wind at his back and a spring in
  his step
  
  Index
  121
  53
  Index
  1
  7
  1 Choose a Class
  7
  1st
  18, 33
  1st Level Spells
  18, 33
  2
  7
  2 Choose a Race
  7
  3
  7
  3 Choose a Name
  7
  3rd
  18, 33
  3rd Level Spells
  18, 33
  4
  7
  4 Choose Look
  7
  5
  7
  5 Choose Stats
  7
  5th
  18, 33
  5th Level Spells
  18, 33
  6
  8
  6 Figure Out Modiﬁers
  8
  7
  8
  8
  8
  8 Choose Starting Moves
  8
  7 Set Starting HP
  8
  7th
  19, 34
  7th Level Spells
  19, 34
  9
  8
  9 Choose Alignment
  8
  9th
  19, 34
  9th Level Spells
  19, 34
  10
  8
  10 Choose Gear
  8
  11
  8
  11 Introduce Your Character
  8
  12
  8
  12 Choose Bonds
  8
  100
  119, 119
  100 Instincts
  119
  100 Knacks
  119
  (cabal)
  52
  (cha)
  12, 13, 23
  (choir
  52
  (choose
  67, 68
  (dark
  52
  (from
  35
  (int)
  30
  (str)
  20
  (wis)
  25
  &
  55, 118
  a
  Adding Steadings
  60
  Address
  42
  Address the characters not
  the players
  42
  Adept
  64
  Advanced
  13, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29,
  31
  Advanced Moves
  13, 16, 21,
  24, 26, 29, 31
  Advancement
  6, 55
  Adventure
  47, 48, 51, 111
  Adventure Moves
  111
  Aegis
  24
  After Death
  54
  Agenda
  41, 113
  Agenda Principles and GM
  Moves
  113
  Aid
  9, 16, 16, 63, 96
  Aid or Interfere
  9, 96
  Aim
  29
  Alchemist
  29
  Alignment
  8, 12, 16, 21, 24, 26,
  28, 30, 55, 56
  ALittleHelpFromMyFriends
  13
  Ally
  27
  Always Say
  41
  Ambitious
  49, 49
  AmbitiousOrganizations
  49
  An Ear For Magic
  13
  An Ear for Magic
  100
  An Example Front The Open-
  ing of the White Gate
  52
  Angels)
  52
  Animal
  25
  Animal Companion
  25
  Animate
  102
  Animate Dead
  102
  Anointed
  16
  Answers
  42
  A Port in the Storm
  12
  Apply)
  67, 68
  Arcane
  12, 31, 31, 49, 49
  Arcane Armor
  31
  Arcane Art (Cha)
  12
  Arcane Enemies
  49
  Arcane Ward
  31
  Arcanists
  52
  Argent
  52
  Arm
  29
  Armor
  17, 21, 31, 36, 103, 118
  Armored
  20, 21, 23
  Armored Perfection
  21
  Armor Mastery
  21, 103
  Art
  12
  A Safe Place
  26
  A Safer Place
  26
  Ask questions
  47
  Ask questions and use the an-
  swers
  42
  Attack
  68
  Augmentation
  32
  Authority
  24, 24
  b
  Backstab
  28, 106
  Backtrack
  45
  Bamboozle
  13
  Bard
  1, 12, 100
  Bardic
  12, 100
  Bardic Lore
  12, 100
  Bard Moves
  100
  Bars
  20
  Basic
  9
  Basic Moves
  9
  Basics
  41, 112
  Be a fan of the characters
  42
  Beginandendwiththeﬁction
  42
  Belly
  26
  Bend
  20
  BendBarsLiftGates(Str)
  20
  Big
  67
  Blacksmith
  21
  Blanks
  42, 47
  Blast
  13
  Block
  14
  Blood
  21, 21, 53
  Blood and Guts
  53
  Bloodthirsty
  21
  Bloody
  24
  Bloody Aegis
  24
  Blot
  26
  Blot out the Sun
  26
  Bolster
  11, 60
  Bonds
  8, 13, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29,
  31, 55, 55, 55, 55
  Breath
  10, 97
  Brewer
  29
  Bribes
  37
  Buildings
  37
  c
  Cacophony
  13
  Called
  25
  Called Shot
  25
  Camouﬂage
  26
  Camp
  10, 97
  Campaign
  48, 62, 62
  CampaignandAdventureFronts
  48
  Cantrips
  33
  Capture
  63
  Carouse
  10, 59, 97
  Cast
  15, 30, 50, 52
  Cast a Spell
  15
  Cast a Spell (Int)
  30
  Cautious
  29, 29
  Cavern
  68, 70
  Cavern Dwellers
  68, 70
  Challenge
  45
  Chance
  47
  Change
  44
  Changetheenvironment
  44
  Changing Alignment
  56
  Changing the Basics
  112
  Chaotic
  13, 26, 28, 56
  Character
  7, 8, 47
  Character Creation
  7
  Characters
  42, 42, 45, 116
  Charge
  24
  Charming and Open
  12, 100
  Cheap
  29
  Cheap Shot
  29
  Choose
  7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8, 8,
  113
  Choosing a Move
  43
  Chord
  13
  Chorus
  13
  Chosen
  16
  Chosen One
  16
  City
  62
  Clash
  63
  Class
  7, 110
  Classes
  110, 110, 116
  Class Moves
  110
  Cleric
  1, 15, 18, 101, 102
  Cleric Spells
  18, 102
  Closest
  35
  Collapse
  62
  College
  52
  Command
  25, 105
  Common
  68
  Commune
  15, 101
  Companion
  25
  Compendium
  110
  Compendium Classes
  110
  Con
  14
  Connections
  29
  Consequences
  44
  Continuing Play
  117
  Contributors
  115
  Conversion
  118
  
  Index
  122
  Cost
  44
  Costs
  64
  Counter
  31
  Counterspell
  31
  Create
  116
  Create Characters
  116
  Creating Dangers
  48
  Creating Fronts
  48
  Creating the world
  59
  Creation
  7
  Creature
  44, 44
  Creatures
  53
  Cursed
  50, 50
  Cursed Places
  50
  Custom
  50, 52
  Custom Moves
  50, 52
  d
  Dabbler
  13, 17, 21, 99
  Damage
  5, 44, 53, 53, 54, 118
  Damage and HP
  5
  Damage From Multiple Crea-
  tures
  53
  Danger
  9, 43, 94
  Dangerous
  42
  Dangers
  48, 49, 52
  Dark
  69
  Dead
  102
  Deal
  44
  Deal damage
  44
  Death
  16, 54, 54
  Death’s
  21
  Debilities
  54
  Defend
  9, 94
  Defender
  24, 24
  Defense
  30, 67
  Defenses
  61
  Defy
  9, 94
  Defy Danger
  9, 94
  Deity
  15
  Denizens
  69, 73
  Denizens of the Swamp
  69
  Depths
  69, 87
  Describe
  47, 68
  Description
  50, 52
  Description and Cast
  50, 52
  Detail
  93, 98
  Details
  47
  Development
  112
  Development of a Move
  112
  Devious
  13
  Devoted
  16
  Devoted Healer
  16
  Dice
  3
  Direct
  118
  Direct Conversion
  118
  Dirty
  29
  Dirty Fighter
  29
  Discern
  9, 95
  Discern Realities
  9, 95
  Disguise
  29, 106
  Dispel
  108
  Dispel Magic
  108
  Divine
  15, 16, 16, 16, 17, 24, 24,
  24
  Divine Armor
  17
  Divine Authority
  24
  Divine Favor
  24
  Divine Guidance
  15
  Divine Intervention
  16
  Divine Invincibility
  16
  Divine Protection
  16, 24
  Doom
  43, 51
  Draw
  42
  Draw maps leave blanks
  42
  Duelist’s
  13, 14
  Duelist’s Block
  14
  Duelist’s Parry
  13
  Dungeon
  1, 36, 44
  Dungeon Gear
  36
  Dungeon Moves
  44
  Dungeon World
  1
  Dwarf
  15, 20
  Dwellers
  68, 70
  e
  Ear
  13, 100
  Effect
  111
  Eldritch
  13, 13
  Eldritch Chord
  13
  Eldritch Tones
  13
  Elements
  60, 66
  Elements of a Monster
  66
  Elements of a Steading
  60
  Eleven
  13, 100
  Elf
  12, 20, 25, 30
  Embattled
  63
  Embrace
  42
  Embrace the fantastic
  42
  Empathy
  26
  Empower
  16, 17
  Empowered
  31, 31, 107
  Empowered Magic
  31, 107
  Enchanter
  31
  Enchanter’s
  31
  Enchanter’s Soul
  31
  Encumbrance
  10, 97
  End of Session
  10
  Enemies
  49, 49
  Envenom
  29
  Environment
  44
  Equipment
  5, 35
  Escape
  29
  Escape Route
  29
  Establish
  47
  Establishdetailsdescribe
  47
  Ethereal
  31
  Ethereal Tether
  31
  Evasion
  29
  Ever Onward
  24
  Evidence
  24, 104
  Evidence of Faith
  24, 104
  Evil
  16, 21, 21, 29, 31, 56, 113
  Evil Eye
  21
  Example
  57
  Expanded
  31
  Expanded Spellbook
  31
  Experiments
  69, 85
  Expert
  28, 65
  Exterminatus
  24
  Extremely
  29
  Extremely Cautious
  29
  Eye
  21, 22
  Eye for Weaponry
  22
  Eyes
  21
  f
  Face
  13
  Faction
  44, 44
  Facts
  47
  Faith
  24, 104
  Familiar
  26
  Familiar Prey
  26
  Fan
  42
  Fangs
  26
  Fantastic
  42
  Favor
  24
  Fiction
  42
  Fight
  67, 113
  Fighter
  1, 20, 29, 103
  Fighter Moves
  103
  Figure
  8
  Finery
  37
  Fireball
  108
  First Aid
  16
  First Session
  46
  Flexible
  28
  Flexible Morals
  28
  Flow
  4
  Folk
  91
  Folk of the Realm
  91
  Follow
  26
  Follow Me
  26
  Forces
  49, 49
  Form
  68
  Fount
  31
  Fount of Knowledge
  31
  Friend’
  26
  Friends
  13
  Front
  51, 52
  Fronts
  48, 48, 48, 48, 51, 62, 117
  Fronts on the Campaign Map
  62
  Furthest)
  35
  g
  Gate
  52, 52
  Gates
  20
  Gear
  8, 13, 16, 21, 24, 26, 29, 31,
  36
  Getting Started
  46
  Gifts
  37
  Gifts and Finery
  37
  Give
  42, 47, 47
  Give each character a chance
  to shine
  47
  Give every monster life
  42
  Glossary
  35
  Gm
  41, 49, 49, 49, 50, 50, 113
  GM Moves for Ambitious Or-
  ganizations
  49
  GM Moves for Arcane Ene-
  mies
  49
  GM Moves for Cursed Places
  50
  GM Moves for Hordes
  50
  GM Moves for Planar Forces
  49
  Gnarled
  79
  Gnarled Woods
  79
  God
  26
  God Amidst the Wastes
  26
  Good
  12, 16, 21, 24, 26, 30, 56
  Greater
  16, 17, 31
  Greater Empower
  17
  Greater Empowered Magic
  31
  Greater First Aid
  16
  Grim
  50, 52, 52, 52
  Grim Portents
  50, 52, 52, 52
  Growth
  62
  Guidance
  15, 16, 102
  Guild
  116
  Guild Members
  116
  Guts
  53
  h
  Hack
  9, 93
  Hack and Slash
  9, 93
  Half-Elven
  26
  Half-elven
  26
  Halﬂing
  20, 28
  Hands
  23
  Healer
  16
  Healing
  54
  Healing Chorus
  13
  Healing Song
  13
  Heirloom
  21, 103
  Heist
  29
  Help the players understand
  the moves
  47
  Hide
  21, 21
  Highly
  31
  Highly Logical
  31
  Hirelings
  64, 64, 64
  Hoards
  37
  Holy
  24, 24
  Holy Protection
  24
  Holy Smite
  24
  Hordes
  50, 50, 69, 82
  Hospitaller
  24, 24
  How big is it
  67
  How does it usually hunt or
  ﬁght
  67, 113
  HP
  53, 118
  Hp
  5, 8, 53, 118
  Human
  12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28,
  30
  Hunt
  25, 67, 113
  Hunt and Track (Wis)
  25
  Hunter’s
  26
  Hunter’s Prey
  26
  Hurlant
  13
  i
  I Am the Law
  23
  Impending Doom
  51
  Impervious
  24
  Impervious Defender
  24
  Important
  67
  Improved
  21
  Improved Weapon
  21
  Indivisible
  4
  Indomitable
  24
  Initiate
  13, 21, 99
  Instinct
  118
  Instincts
  119
  Interfere
  9, 96
  Interrogator
  21
  Intervention
  16
  Introduce
  8, 44, 47
  Introduce a new faction or
  type of creature
  44
  Introduce NPCs
  47
  Introductory
  119
  Introductory Moves
  119
  Invigorate
  16
  Invincibility
  16
  Iron
  21
  Iron Hide
  21
  Items
  38
  It Goes To Eleven
  13, 100
  
  Index
  123
  j
  Journey
  10, 97
  k
  Knacks
  119
  Knight
  24
  Know-It-All
  31
  Know-it-all
  31
  Knowledge
  31
  l
  Land
  37
  Land and Buildings
  37
  Last Breath
  10, 97
  Law
  23
  Lawful
  16, 24, 56
  Lay
  23
  Lay on Hands (Cha)
  23
  Leave
  42, 47
  Leave blanks
  47
  Legions
  69, 76
  LegionsoftheUndead
  69,76
  Level
  10, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19, 33,
  33, 33, 34, 34, 55
  Level Up
  10, 55
  Life
  16, 42
  Lift
  20
  Location
  43
  Logical
  31, 31
  Look
  12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30
  Look for interesting facts
  47
  Lore
  9, 12, 95, 100
  Lower Depths
  87
  m
  Magic
  13, 31, 31, 38, 100, 102,
  107, 108, 118
  Magic & Treasure
  118
  Magic Items
  38
  Magic Weapon
  102
  Makeamovethatfollows
  42
  Make Camp
  10, 97
  Make them backtrack
  45
  Making a City
  62
  Making a Hireling
  64
  Making a Keep
  62
  Making a Town
  62
  Making a Village
  61
  Making Monsters
  67
  Making Moves
  109
  Making your Move
  43
  Man’s
  26
  Man’s Best Friend’
  26
  Map
  62, 62
  Maps
  42, 118
  Martyr
  16
  Master
  14, 29, 31, 99
  Mastery
  21, 103
  Meals
  36
  Members
  116
  Merciless
  21
  Metal
  13
  Metal Hurlant
  13
  Minstrel
  65
  Modiﬁers
  8
  Monster
  42, 43, 66, 67, 68,
  108, 113
  Monsters
  66, 66, 67, 67, 113,
  118
  Monster Settings
  68
  Monsters Without Stats
  67
  Monster Tags
  67
  Morals
  28
  Move
  42, 42, 43, 43, 43, 43, 111,
  112
  Moves
  4, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15,
  16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28,
  29, 30, 31, 43, 44, 47, 49, 49,
  49, 50, 50, 50, 52, 59, 93, 97,
  98, 99, 100, 103, 104, 105, 106,
  107, 109, 109, 109, 110, 111, 113,
  118, 119
  Moves and Instinct
  118
  Moves Are Indivisible
  4
  Moves in Detail
  93, 98
  Move Structure
  111
  Multiclass
  13, 13, 14, 17, 21, 21,
  99, 99, 99, 99
  Multiclass Dabbler
  13, 17, 21,
  99
  Multiclass Initiate
  13, 21, 99
  Multiclass Master
  14, 99
  Multiclass Moves
  99
  Multiple
  51, 53
  Multiple Adventure Fronts
  51
  Mystical
  32
  Mystical Puppet Strings
  32
  n
  Name every person
  42
  Names
  12,15,20,23,25,28,30,
  61
  Neutral
  12, 21, 26, 28, 30, 56
  Neverspeakthenameofyour
  move
  42
  New Classes
  110
  Npcs
  47
  o
  Observant
  27
  Offer
  44
  Offer an opportunity with or
  without cost
  44
  Offscreen
  43
  Onward
  24
  Open
  12, 100
  Opportunity
  44, 63
  Order
  64
  Order Hirelings
  64
  Organization
  67
  Organizations
  49, 49
  Organization Tags
  67
  Orison
  16
  Orison for Guidance
  16
  Other Tags
  61
  Other Updates
  63
  OutstandingWarrants
  11,60,
  97
  Overview
  117
  p
  Paladin
  1, 23, 104
  Paladin Moves
  104
  Parley
  9, 95
  Parry
  13
  Penitent
  16
  Perfect
  24, 24
  Perfect Hospitaller
  24
  Perfection
  21
  Perfect Knight
  24
  Perilous
  10, 97
  Person
  42
  Pitch
  116
  Pitch It
  116
  Place
  26, 26
  Places
  50, 50
  Planar
  49, 49, 69, 89
  Planar Forces
  49
  Planar Powers
  69, 89
  Play
  4, 116, 117
  Players
  42, 47
  Point
  44
  Points
  109
  Point to a looming threat
  44
  Poison
  29
  Poisoner
  28, 106
  Poison Master
  29
  Poisons
  36
  Polymorph
  108
  Population
  61
  Port
  12
  Portal)
  52
  Portents
  50, 52, 52, 52
  Powers
  69, 89
  Prep
  46
  Prepare
  30, 107
  Prepare Spells
  30, 107
  Present
  45, 45, 116
  Present a challenge to one of
  the characters
  45
  Present riches at a price
  45
  Present the Classes
  116
  Prey
  26, 26
  Price
  45
  Priest
  65
  Principles
  42, 113
  Problems
  67
  Prodigy
  31
  Proﬁt
  63
  Prosperity
  61
  Protection
  16, 24, 24
  Protective
  31
  Protective Counter
  31
  Protector
  65
  Providence
  16
  Puppet
  32
  Put
  44
  Put someone in a spot
  44
  q
  Quest
  23
  Questions
  42, 47
  Quick
  31
  Quick Study
  31
  r
  Race
  7
  Range
  35
  Ranger
  1, 25, 105
  Ranger Moves
  105
  Range Tags (From Closest to
  Furthest)
  35
  Ravenous
  69, 82
  Ravenous Hordes
  69, 82
  Realities
  9, 95
  Realm
  91
  Reaper
  16
  Recover
  11, 60
  Recruit
  11, 60
  Red
  21
  Reﬂect
  113
  Replaces
  55
  Reputation
  13
  Reputation (Cha)
  13
  Requirements
  44
  Requires
  55
  Requires & Replaces
  55
  Resolving a Front
  51
  Resolving Bonds
  55
  Resources
  44
  Results
  4
  Reveal
  43
  Reveal an unwelcome truth
  43
  Riches
  45
  Ritual
  30
  Rolls
  4
  Rolls and Results
  4
  Rotes
  18
  Route
  29
  s
  Safe
  26
  Safer
  26
  Scales
  16
  Scent
  21
  Scent of Blood
  21
  Seeing Red
  21
  Self-Powered
  32
  Self-powered
  32
  Seraphim
  52
  Serenity
  16
  Serious Underdog
  29
  Services
  36
  Session
  10, 46
  Sessions
  6
  Set
  8
  Settings
  68
  Setting Up
  3
  Setup
  24
  Setup Strike
  24
  Shine
  47
  Shoot
  29
  Shoot First
  29
  Shot
  25, 29
  Show
  43
  Show signs of doom
  43
  Signature
  20, 103
  Signature Weapon
  20, 103
  Signs
  43
  Size
  67
  Size Tags
  67
  Skills
  64
  Slash
  9, 93
  Smaug’s
  26
  Smaug’s Belly
  26
  Smite
  24, 24, 24
  Song
  13
  Soul
  31
  Speak
  42
  Special
  10, 27, 97, 114
  Special Moves
  10, 97
  Special Thanks
  114
  Special Trick
  27
  Speech
  26
  Spell
  15, 30, 30, 32
  Spell Augmentation
  32
  Spellbook
  30, 31
  Spell Defense
  30
  Spells
  18, 18, 18, 18, 19, 19, 30,
  33, 33, 33, 33, 34, 34, 102, 107,
  108
  Spot
  44
  
  Index
  124
  Spout
  9, 95
  Spout Lore
  9, 95
  Stakes
  51, 52
  Start
  116
  Started
  46
  Starting Moves
  12, 15, 20, 23,
  25, 28, 30
  Starting Points
  109
  Start Play
  116
  Stats
  5, 7, 12, 15, 20, 23, 25, 28,
  30, 67
  Staunch
  24
  Staunch Defender
  24
  Steading Moves
  59
  Steading Names
  61
  Steadings
  59, 60
  Steading Tags
  61
  Steel
  21
  Steel Hide
  21
  Storm
  12
  Strider
  26
  Strike
  24, 24, 26
  Strings
  32
  Strong
  29
  Strong Arm True Aim
  29
  Structure
  111
  Study
  31
  Stun
  54
  Stun Damage
  54
  Summon
  108
  Summon Monster
  108
  Sun
  26
  Superior
  22
  Superior Warrior
  22
  Supply
  10, 59
  Surplus
  63
  Swamp
  69, 73
  Swamp Denizens
  73
  t
  Tag
  35
  Tag Glossary
  35
  Tags
  35, 61, 61, 67, 67, 67
  Take Watch
  10
  Tandem
  24
  Tandem Strike
  24
  Taste
  21, 29, 106
  Taste of Blood
  21
  Tellthemtherequirementsor
  consequences and ask
  44
  Terminology
  5
  Tether
  31
  The Argent Seraphim (Choir
  of Angels)
  52
  The Bard
  1, 12
  The Basics
  41
  The Cleric
  1, 15
  The College of Arcanists (Ca-
  bal)
  52
  The Dark Woods
  69
  The Fighter
  1, 20
  The First Adventure
  47
  The Flow of Play
  4
  The GM
  41
  The Lower Depths
  69
  The monster is Evil through
  and through Choose one to
  reﬂect why it’s evil
  113
  The Paladin
  1, 23
  The Ranger
  1, 25
  The Scales of Life and Death
  16
  The Thief
  1, 28
  The White Gate (Dark Portal)
  52
  The Wizard
  2, 30
  The world
  59
  Thief
  1, 28, 106
  Thief Moves
  106
  Think Dangerous
  42
  Think offscreen too
  43
  Threat
  44, 44
  Through Death’s Eyes
  21
  Tones
  13
  Town
  62
  Track
  25
  Tracker
  65
  Trade
  28, 63
  Trained
  26
  Transport
  36
  Trap
  28
  Trap Expert
  28
  Treasure
  68, 118
  Trick
  27
  Tricks
  28
  Tricks of the Trade
  28
  Triggers
  111
  True
  29
  Truth
  43
  Turn
  15
  Turn Undead
  15
  Twisted
  69, 85
  Twisted Experiments
  69, 85
  Type
  44, 44
  Types
  49, 109
  Types of Dangers
  49
  Types of Moves
  109
  u
  Undead
  15, 69, 76
  Underdog
  29, 29
  Understand
  47
  Undertake
  10, 97
  Undertake a Perilous Journey
  10, 97
  Unforgettable
  13
  Unforgettable Face
  13
  Unnatural
  27
  Unnatural Ally
  27
  Unwelcome
  43
  Updates
  63
  Updating the Campaign Map
  62
  Use a monster danger or loca-
  tion move
  43
  Use a threat from an existing
  faction or type of creature
  44
  Use up their resources
  44
  Use what they give you
  47
  Using Dice
  3
  Using Monsters
  66
  v
  Vicious
  13, 13, 16
  Vicious Blast
  13
  Vicious Cacophony
  13
  Village
  61
  Viper’s
  26, 26
  Viper’s Fangs
  26
  Viper’s Strike
  26
  Voice
  24
  Voice of Authority
  24
  Volley
  9, 93
  w
  Want
  63
  Ward
  31
  Warrants
  11, 60, 97
  Warrior
  22, 65
  Wastes
  26
  Watch
  10
  Wealth
  29, 106
  Wealth and Taste
  29, 106
  Weapon
  20, 21, 102, 103
  Weaponry
  22
  Weapons
  35
  Well Trained
  26
  What does it want that causes
  problems for others
  67
  What is it known for (Choose
  all that apply)
  67
  What is it known to do
  67
  What is its most common
  form of attack
  68
  What is its most important
  defense
  67
  When to Make a Move
  43
  Which of these describe it
  (Choose all that apply)
  68
  White
  52, 52
  Why
  6
  Wild
  26, 26
  Wild Empathy
  26
  Wild Speech
  26
  Wizard
  2, 30, 33, 107, 108
  Wizard Moves
  107
  Wizard Spells
  33, 108
  Woods
  69, 79
  World
  1, 59, 59, 109
  World Moves
  109
  Writing New Bonds
  55
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeon World (PbtA) [multi]/Dungeon World Pocket (Really Old Version).pdf