Depths & Wilds [Dungeon World] (OPEN)

[WlfSamurai]

Out there, in the wilds and the spaces between, the fiends, dead, and beasts grow restless. For a group of adventurers like yourselves, there is no shortage of work or riches. Villagers cry for help as dark shadows spill from the underground places of the Outlands. Coin has no value to the dead, so the living lump what little they have at the feat of those who will protect them.

Keep your wits, blades, and magic sharp, and you can make a name for yourselves.

Falter and succumb to the depths & wilds...


Game Features:

• Fantasy, but PbtA: This will be fantasy game using a modified version of Dungeon World. Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA), Dungeon World has all the epic fantasy of Dungeons & Dragons with the narrative impact and fast-moving action of Apocalypse World. Enjoy player agency in engaging with a system that pushes the narrative forward, rewards you for taking risks, and still maintains tactical combat. Fight monsters, delve dungeons, save kings, meet elves and dwarves, etc.
• Player authorship: Part of Dungeon World and many PbtA games like it is the shared authorship of the game world. Build the game with the GM (me) as we play. Answer provocative questions about NPCs who are connected to you or factions you've been in contact with. I will ask you questions for you to decide parts of what our world looks like.
• Easy to learn, fast to play: The character sheet tells you how to create your character. No need for a book or to learn complex rules.

Game Information:

• Unlimited Dungeons: We will play using the Unlimited Dungeons hack of Dungeon World. I have attached the link to the PDF with all you need to play below.
• Players: Looking for 4-5 players.
• Posting Minimums: Walls of text are not required (though also totally fine). Really just looking for a paragraph with something the GM or other players can work with.
• Post Pacing: GM posts can be expected every day at the most and few days at the latest.
• Have Fun: The aim of this game will be to have fun and create a great story together.

Unlimited Dungeons link to latest version of the game

 

[D. Rex]

Color me intrigued. Can't say I have ever heard of this system before. I got a busy week this week and next, so haven't immediately the time to look it over. But whats it like? Similar to anything we play?

 

[WlfSamurai]

Color me intrigued. Can't say I have ever heard of this system before. I got a busy week this week and next, so haven't immediately the time to look it over. But whats it like? Similar to anything we play?

Blades in the Dark is a cousin based on the same core framework. But, we haven’t played that yet, really.

It’s hard to explain typing on a phone. Perhaps I’ll give an example tonight when I can type in the main thread.

 

[D. Rex]

Blades in the Dark is a cousin based on the same core framework. But, we haven’t played that yet, really.

It’s hard to explain typing on a phone. Perhaps I’ll give an example tonight when I can type in the main thread.

Cool beans! Some familiar territory should make it much easier to understand.

So whats the plot? Adventurers for hire in a world where anything outside the city is a deadly wilderness slowly being devoured by an even deadlier underground menace?

 

[Random Word]

I will second the question about the plot. I'm generally sold on anything PbtA, but 'merry band of spelunking murderers with no fixed address' isn't my favourite thematic vein into which to delve too greedily and too deep. What have you got to spice it up?

 

[D. Rex]

All the spice!

 

[Vaneheart]

I am interested. I'm not familiar with the system, but I'll give it a shot.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Cool beans! Some familiar territory should make it much easier to understand.

So whats the plot? Adventurers for hire in a world where anything outside the city is a deadly wilderness slowly being devoured by an even deadlier underground menace?

I will second the question about the plot. I'm generally sold on anything PbtA, but 'merry band of spelunking murderers with no fixed address' isn't my favourite thematic vein into which to delve too greedily and too deep. What have you got to spice it up?

Woah dude! You comin' at me all, "Spice it up, b@!#$&!"

PLOT?! Do you guys not know me at all!? There's no PLOT. That's not "playing to find out".

We'll start the game defining what our focus is and how to make our fantasy world interesting and different. That's all open, just for you. And I base everything else on your characters. What comes in to focus and which threats become important is different if you're a Druid than say...a Barbarian, right?

And if you don't want to wander, we'll define a home base.

So, really, IT'S UP TO YOU to make it interesting to you.

As for system, everything is rolled for through self-contained rules called moves. Self-contained because they tell you what to roll and what outcome choices you have based on what you roll. Those moves are triggered within the fiction of the game as we play. Example: there is a move called defy danger. You say you want to jump over the dangerously deep chasm which triggers the defy danger move. Everything flows naturally through the in-fiction play.

 

[Vaneheart]

I am reading through this stuff. Seems pretty neat. I'm leaning towards something action-capable as I am rather burned out of playing primary casters lately. I'm leaning towards either the military vet Fighter or the far-traveler Barbarian, maybe the banneret Paladin or something investigative-intrigue oriented, like the courtier Bard.

I am still a little unclear on some parts of the rules, like stat and character creation, but I did just start reading.

 

[Random Word]

Alright, fine, I didn't mean plot. What's the hook, the pitch, the setting element that gets everyone to stand up and take notice, the juices flowing, all on the same page, etc. I was worried the pitch was: "It's Tolkien with the serial numbers filed off! It's a bit of a fixer upper, but I have faith in you!"

 

[Bone2pick]

WlfSamurai I'm interested, but I'll need some time to familiarize myself with the setting and system. I'm sure I'll have questions for you once I start digging in to it.

 

[Pumpkin Spice Cyanide]

May i join?

 

[D. Rex]

I call dibs on being an Immolator! All the fire! I shall bring literal spice!

 

[Vaneheart]

Think I am going to be basic and be a fighter.

 

[Bone2pick]

I call dibs on being an Immolator! All the fire! I shall bring literal spice!

If we're at the dibs stage of the RP, then I'm calling cleric. I'm partial to healing/support classes.

 

[WlfSamurai]

I am reading through this stuff. Seems pretty neat. I'm leaning towards something action-capable as I am rather burned out of playing primary casters lately. I'm leaning towards either the military vet Fighter or the far-traveler Barbarian, maybe the banneret Paladin or something investigative-intrigue oriented, like the courtier Bard.

I am still a little unclear on some parts of the rules, like stat and character creation, but I did just start reading.

It is neat! I'll fill you in on stuff as we go. Literally, the chargen is following the page and checking off choices.

Alright, fine, I didn't mean plot. What's the hook, the pitch, the setting element that gets everyone to stand up and take notice, the juices flowing, all on the same page, etc. I was worried the pitch was: "It's Tolkien with the serial numbers filed off! It's a bit of a fixer upper, but I have faith in you!"

Ah! That makes more sense. Honestly, I love fantasy and had a hankering for D&D, but I can't bring myself to play D&D these days. So...D&D but not.

But, that's still not a pitch or hook, really. I had a few ideas:

1. Fantasy with technology mixed in. Think Final Fantasy 7 or 6.
2. Dark fantasy. Read "dark" as more "metal" than "depressing".
3. Future fantasy. Similar to 1, but no tech survived. Something happened to a great and powerful civilization that was rife with technology. All that's left is ruins and trinkets.

WlfSamurai I'm interested, but I'll need some time to familiarize myself with the setting and system. I'm sure I'll have questions for you once I start digging in to it.

Sounds great! Question away!

May i join?

Duh! Would love to have you. Welcome aboard!

I call dibs on being an Immolator! All the fire! I shall bring literal spice!

Oh shit. I should have assigned you a class. Now, you're going blow everything up.

If we're at the dibs stage of the RP, then I'm calling cleric. I'm partial to healing/support classes.

It's yours! I'm SUPER interested in how this DW hack handles the Cleric and healing. It seems really cool.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Okay then! I guess we have our team. Thanks guys! So excited to have you all.

I hope to get the threads up either tonight or tomorrow night.

D. Rex Random Word Vaneheart Pumpkin Spice Cyanide Bone2pick

 

[Vaneheart]

Dark fantasy sounds interesting. Future "post fall of tech" Fantasy would be kinda neat too. I'm not sure what I think about FF6 or 7. Seems like that'd be a lot to balance/implement properly.

 

[D. Rex]

But, that's still not a pitch or hook, really. I had a few ideas:

1. Fantasy with technology mixed in. Think Final Fantasy 7 or 6.
2. Dark fantasy. Read "dark" as more "metal" than "depressing".
3. Future fantasy. Similar to 1, but no tech survived. Something happened to a great and powerful civilization that was rife with technology. All that's left is ruins and trinkets.

All three.
Post-apoc fantasy future.

Civilaztion rises and falls. Even as the end times creeps ever closer like an ominous ivy, we give it our all, refusing to do anything but live as we stare death in its face.

It came ages ago, at the height of what legends would say we have ever yet achieved. It came as darkness itself, then, a hungry and sentient shadow. This was the Age of Light, it nearly destroyed everything we built for we wielded light as the sword against it to fight it back and build up again.

Then it changed. Slowly and sporadic at first but then suddenly. As we pushed back the shadow with light, it began to leave lumps of itself behind. It was began to take a physical form. Multiple forms. Monsters tied to the shadow to do its bidding. This the Age of Wind, it nearly destroyed all we built, but we harnessed the might of lightning and shredded their forms with air to fight back and build up again.

Even this would not last. These dark things began to grow more resilient. Stronger. Bigger that even the mightiest tempest could not topple them easily. Once more an age fell, but as before we rose again. This was the age of water, for we took to the seas in our defense. To shield ourselves for they would drown, and cut through them with frost and ice to fight back and build up again.

As we came to expect, this too would change. They began to adapt to the water, and even began to infect it directly. In the dark of the ocean, perhaps some of the most horrific leviathans were made. This was the Age of Earth, for we fled once more to land, and took our shelter in mountains and in the underground, wielding masterpieces of steel and stone to fight back and build back up.

And here we are... like each Age before, the Age of Earth has fallen to the shadow. Like the abyss of the sea, the shadow seeped into the crevices of the Earth finding it a much better place to hide itself than the surface. It forced us to the overworld. Now completely overgrown with wilderness, both twisted by the shadow and natural. A nigh horrific place between civilized territories or ruins of previous ages.

This Age? Well we haven't really fought back against it yet. The shadow hides in the earth for now, coming out as convenient when the land splits open or sinks into a hole. The most horrific of stories are cities being swallowed whole.

Still, we cling on to life. Fighting back best we can and trying to build ourselves back up as our ancestors did before us. But we are running out of weapons. Out of ages. What do we have left? Fire? Nature? How many more until we finally reach the Age of Darkness.

 

[D. Rex]

Oh shit. I should have assigned you a class. Now, you're going blow everything up.

I'm going to try to. But in my defense, I would try to do that as any class. Anyway the buck doesn't stop there. I can't just settle making an average run of the mill pyrophiliac, mad bringer of calamity, or fire nation prince.

What are the rules on races? I dont see any. So am I to assume anything is fair game so long it sticks to the class sheet and nothing so extraordinary that it can't be Heritaged away?

 

[WlfSamurai]

I'm going to try to. But in my defense, I would try to do that as any class. Anyway the buck doesn't stop there. I can't just settle making an average run of the mill pyrophiliac, mad bringer of calamity, or fire nation prince.

What are the rules on races? I dont see any. So am I to assume anything is fair game so long it sticks to the class sheet and nothing so extraordinary that it can't be Heritaged away?

Yeah any. That’s part of the world-building fun. I envisioned standard fantasy races. But maybe we turn them on their heads? Elves range from underground courts to savage cave dwellers? Dwarves build proud impenetrable strongholds on the surface? That kind of thing.

Edit: I obviously didn’t finish reading your thing before I wrote that reply. With everything underground, obviously the races are much different.

 

[D. Rex]

Yeah any. That’s part of the world-building fun. I envisioned standard fantasy races. But maybe we turn them on their heads? Elves range from underground courts to savage cave dwellers? Dwarves build proud impenetrable strongholds on the surface? That kind of thing.

Edit: I obviously didn’t finish reading your thing before I wrote that reply. With everything underground, obviously the races are much different.

Any! Lovely!

Well I wouldn't say everything is underground. That age has passed. The underground no longer being safe.

But let's extrapolate!

The Dwarves and the under races were the saviors of Age of Earth. Their greatest architects preparing for this eventuality, as the turning of the age was predicted to come eventually. Their (before)impenatrable wonders housed uncountable refugees. Vast cities. Vaster mines. While the surface races had a harder time adapting, it was still Survival. And they added their talents.

The Age of Earth became perhaps the most productive age of the End of Times. As well as the most unified. The surface wasn't completely abandoned. Mountain strongholds and grand forts were erected to gather resources and to send out the guilds to do scavenging and scouting.

But like each age before. It was only a matter of time that this one came to an end. When the shadow found a way to advance, refugees were given two choices. To flee to the surface, or go ever deeper. Most fled to the surface, but there were no doubt plenty who sought their salvation even farther below.

Massive cities were built around the forts and mountain strongholds. A more viable option at the time for the mass exodus. As the shadowstained wilderness was too dangerous to survive alone.

We generations removed from the end of the Age of Earth. Trying to build ourselves back up and seek the next tactic that will see us thrive.

But unlike prior ages, we are not without teeth. For we took with us what we learned from the Age of Earth. We rediscovered technologies that haven't been used since before the Age of Light. We found ways to build and invent rather than rely on scavenged relics.


Cities now seek expansion. Cutting back the wilderness and building ever stronger defenses for when the shadows sporadically come. Races unified against the enemy of all. Not always friends, but we pool our strengths.

Even with depths being unsafe, the deep races still dare to dig. To gather resources and keep an eye on the dangers below. The savage races in the outskirts. Taming the wild, hunting, scouting the lands. The magical and industrious races building the cities and searching for ways to advance. Etc etc.

Our goals are simple:

Gain as much ground as we can.

Increase our population as much as we can.

Build upon the advances our ancestors of prior Ages left behind.

Fight back so we have a new Age.

Prepare for the next turning of the Age and anticipate the next threat.

And if all else fails... leave something behind for our future generations to help them in this seemingly endless war.




To that end! With as many Ages that have come and passed. I think we can easily make races anyway we want. Even if we go along with what I said. Nothing really limits our imagination to what any race could be at this point in time.

The elves but a racial member of Fae and their Unseelie Court. Mysterious and Highly civilized despite being among the savage races that prefer the wild.

Goblins, once among the savage races, call themselves Gremlins now having fully embraced technology during the Age of Water. While their savage cousins are still around, the Gremlins now number among the industrious races and consider themselves technological stewards and inventors.

Humans. The cornerstone of the races, for how fast they breed and how much they accomplish in their short lives. Their tenacity and hope infectious among all the races as they refuse to lie down and die. Among the industrious races, their versatility has them work very well with any race they work alongside. Filling in many gaps and needs.

The orcs. Tribal and barbaric, they are perhaps the most unchanged of the savage races. A good thing too as they have always been among our bravest warriors against the shadow. Forever keen to be at the frontline of this war, they struggle to keep their numbers up. And some worry the next age may destroy them completely despite their valiant efforts.

Dragons! Not many are left these days. But there isn't much we have to fear from them. The shadows are the enemy of all, and even the most evil of dragons know this. It is a major boon for any city to have one of these titans. While the price to feed and house them is high, the benefits they bring is is arguably worth it, as many have lived through at least one or two ages. And to have your city be a nest for a dragon, you will have yourself a guardian that will fight to the death for you.

Just some ideas.


What about dungeons?

Well why raid tombs and random dungeons when instead we explore ancient ruins of the past ages! Some technological, some classic. Exploring to bring back home treasures and secrets, magic or science, that will help our city.

Add on top of this the Age from which the ruins come. With each age having its own flair and dangers as remnants of shadow linger there!

Age of Light: The most impressive and dangerous of ruins. Housing the greatest of secrets and treasures. While no traps or monsters lurk here... it houses something even more dangerous. Think Shadar Logoth.

Age of Air: More magical in nature, and more classical in design. Magic was heavily relied on in this second age. While it would be any wizards wet dream to find a library here, the traps always make them think twice.

Age of Water: The age of reconstruction! A beautiful blend of science and magic. You can find ruins dedicated to one or both. Giant gaunted Arks that float listlessly in foggy sees. Island castles. Technological Stations standing on stilts that take you to empty underwater cities.

Age of Earth: Deep technological ruins of architectural superiority and beauty. Grand Machines of steam and electricity that we have forgotten what they even do. Caverns and tunnel housing dangerous monsters with few places safe. Always something hunting you. And beware it to all who dare to venture too deep.

 

[D. Rex]

I can't help but spitball. I'm just excited.



As for my character! Well if anything was allowed, I was actually considering a little dragon.


But

I was brainstorming with pumpkin and was given an idea i thought would be fun.

A werewolf! A firebending werewolf. I can't say I have ever done something like that before.

Heritage that makes them change into a dangerous shape every full moon, kind of like the druids dangerous shape.

I need to work out details and the like. But i can have some fun adding some depth to it!

 

[Bone2pick]

My preference is for the world to be divided into tribes, smallish kingdoms, and city-states, with those divisions being the primary source of conflict, rather than an "enemy of all." This puts faces and personalities on the greatest obstacles, as well as makes them more fluid.

That said, I'll go along with what everyone else wants.

 

[Random Word]

N.K. Jemisin's excellent Broken Earth trilogy asks:


The Earth hates you for trying to enslave it to power your magical fusion reactor, and because of the constant natural disasters it hurls at you everyone is politically fragmented and fighting viciously over scarce resources in a post-post-post apocalyptic wasteland!