itch.io

This is really cool in its simplicity! Have you thought about an additional randomized, table, or deck to replace the Facilitator? I can see this being a fully cooperative game with something this. 

Thanks for writing this out and sharing. I often find myself faced with similar issues, and making challenges appropriately difficult. 

I’m sure that PbtA “traditionalists” would say that the difficulty should follow the fiction. While a fighter could simply walk up and slay a lowly minion with a simple Hack and Slash roll, they would suggest that a Boss Encounter requires overcoming various obstacles just to get close enough to threaten the enemy. There’s also the obligatory reference to the 16HP Dragon example. 

My solution has been to leave the numbers as they are and adjust the outcomes based on the situation. Sometimes a 10+ is a full success and sometimes it grants an extra boon; sometimes a 7-9 is a full success or a success with a complication. 

Do you have any thoughts on how to define “epic challenges” etc?

Note that pages 2 and 3 refer to Atlas of Illusion

Looks great! I just bought the hard copy on Amazon. 

Figure Someone Out: I like this move applied to NPCs but for PCvPC “they must answer honestly” steals some player agency. What about allowing a choice and providing mechanical bonus if they cooperate? For example: if they refuse or lie, they mark Fatigue or Corruption.

I’m reading through this game and very much enjoying the romance heroic fantasy you’ve created. I really like the removal of HP, the corruption track, and the Heroic Sacrifice. As I read through, I may make more comments in this thread…

Defenses are listed on the Mystic playbook under gear. 

Nevermind, I figured it out. The results are quite good! Just needed to finish morning coffee. 

Also, the Mystic’s defenses are excellent for providing an appropriately flavoured alternative to armour. 

As a fan of World of Dungeons, this is a tight little game.

A question about “Take the Risk”: it appears that on a 10+ characters will both gain what they wish and suffer the cost. Then on 7-9 the first option suggests getting both again while the second option indicates the opportunity to avoid the cost or suffer the cost and gain XP. 

Am I understanding the results correctly? They seem to contradict usual PbtA outcomes where 10+ is a full success and 7-9 is a success with consequences. 

Thanks for the response. I’m comfortable with the Ref serving as moderator but would love to see your playtest thoughts on moving the Ref role around more often.  The section from the Ref phase below is what I’m looking at. I’ll figure something out on my own, but always appreciate learning from others.

Hi! Lost & Astray is a very interesting ruleset. I appreciate the attempt to be explicit about PbtA moves and expectations. Codifying various dungeon delve bits into Discovery, Navigation, Peril, and Progress scores appears to work to support generation of this specific type of adventure. Clearly categorizing the moves according to the types of actions in the delve is also very helpful. 

Admittedly, I am unlikely to play the ruleset but will borrow concepts and mechanics for my home game. Keeping track of the various modifiers and subsystems and if/then conditional outcomes is a bit more bookkeeping than my table prefers. 

Shared refereeing as written in this game is something I’m very interested in. However, it appears that the Ref falls only to the Leader until such time as another PC escapes or dies. So if they all survive and exit as a party, the Leader is the only Ref…

Do you have experience or suggestions for multiple Refs in less lethal games? Have you thought of a mechanic to share the role across the other players?

Did you ever publish Fallen Colossus?

I read about a hack you made - Star Swept? Is it still available?

This looks like great fun. I’m considering using it with World of Dungeons under the hood. A few questions:

“Inventory” indicates that the number of items carried is determined by Constitution modifier. These values typically range -3 to +3 so is this correct?

“Settlements and Locals” could generate maximum populations of 40 (hamlet), 70 (village), 110 (town), 150 (city). These numbers seem quite small. Have you seen Medieval Demographics Made Easy by S. John Ross? https://gamingballistic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Medieval-Demographics-Made-Easy-1.pdf

For “Nightly Events” what modifiers are applied that could result in 13+?

I just finished a session of “Escape from Hoth” using this system and it went great. My crew is familiar with Dungeon Word so it was easy for them to figure out how to choose outcomes and to choose Failures even when they had Skill/Fate points to spend. I made some modifications but that’s a longer/different post.

Now a question: working as a team, there were a few times when the Consequence should have been more general. Instead, I shoe-horned it into individual consequence(s). Any idea on how to handle choices by one PC that can affect the whole group?

In a typical dungeon crawl scenario, PCs will outfit themselves with specific equipment and likely find loot in their adventures. Do you have experiences with mundane and magical gear to share? 

I’m thinking that gear is interesting for descriptive purposes but needs to be part of a trope to provide any kind of advantage. I can see how magical gear might provide a trope or perhaps allow for an additional Skill Point for a specific use. 

This is a really cool system. I like how the Bids mirror usual outcomes from Dungeon World - that lets me draw on a vast set of resources. 

Are there any examples of play you can post? I’m especially interested in Gloom Mode and handling combat.

Thanks for all of this! I found the rules on the website to be especially illuminating. There are certain differences between the website and the Definitive that we’re key to understanding. Your responses have now solidified that. The Darkness Beneath is also very helpful  

Another two part question, then: 4 adjectives are assigned at character creation. When those are bid on a challenge, they are effectively lost, correct? Meaning that when a player Fishes for adjectives at a location, those are likely to be different adjectives, correct?

Second part: I wonder about initial adjectives and their role in the core concept of a character. I’ve thought about literally refreshing these initial adjectives at locations and/or fishing for additional adjectives. 

For example: Conan - Hyborean Warrior has an adjective “mighty” and spends it to slay Tulsa Doom. Fishing around he picks up a “radiant” sapphire. Conan no longer has “mighty” to bid in challenges?

I’m really enjoying what I’m reading. Coming from older editions of D&D to world of dungeon and now to diceless, I have a few questions:

* How are “descriptors” used in play? Do they define or constrain the kinds of adjectives or just serve as fictional anchors?

* Is there a notion of difficulty? Perhaps a certain challenge may require 3 adjectives to overcome?

* How do monster adjectives get spent or are they again intended as fictional cues?

* Do you have an example of combat to share?

Thanks in advance!

Can you give an example of the Damage Wager?

Excellent response! Thank you. 

I’m digging this a lot. I’ve only made it to the Wizard so far and have a question: what does the move “1. Cast Spells” do when Cantrips are known and two spells are granted through the d30 rolls? It seems like casting spells is a given.