This is a write-up of a campaign of Dungeon World. Dungeon World is a table-top RPG created by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel.

The world:

This campaign’s world is called Core. The essence of Core is mundane and non-magical, like our world. However, there is a world called Shell that surrounds Core and is inhabited by gods. Shell is the source of all magic, and countless eons of Shell’s denizens interfering with Core have turned the world into a fantasy realm with magic, myriad intelligent races, and monsters.

The cast of characters:

Franz, the Paladin played by Zach. Franz is middle-aged, stocky, and serious. He is a human, and a member of the religious organization known as The Order. Like a more militant Vatican, The Order keeps the law and organizes worship of the gods in Core. They have many local chapters and members, with a central governing body. Franz is the Paladin of his order, making him among the highest ranking representatives of The Order in his local region. The majority of his job involves supervision, reporting, and bookkeeping. This assignment will be his first field duty in decades. He wears brand new scale armor, and carries a freshly forged longsword and shield, provided to him by The Order.

Druida, The Druid played by Sophie. Druida is the only person in recorded memory to possess the ability to shapeshift into animals. She is an elderly wood elf, standing no more than 3 feet tall. Despite her advanced age, her appearance is youthful and elegant. She wears a fine green dress woven from the leaves of the forest, and sports long intricately braided silver hair. Due to her druidic condition, she has a small bushy silver tail, akin to a squirrel’s. Druida is attuned to the forest home of the wood elves, but has spent many decades living in the Sapphire Islands. As a consequence, she speaks with what we would recognize as a Kiwi accent, and is attuned to the beasts of the islands.

Malyde (pronounced malady) The Thief played by Ian. Malyde is as non-descript as a person can be in Core. He is a human of early middle-age with few distinguishing features. Anybody passing Malyde on the street would see just another peasant, and not one of the greatest outlaws known to Core.

Thessa, The Wizard played by Sarah. Though only in her 20s, Thessa shows a startling aptitude for magic. Perhaps it is the result of her mixed elven blood. She shares the stone-grey skin of the secretive and studious Grey Elves. However, she also has delicate features from her Wood Elf mother. The result is a strange appearance that takes many aback. Thessa is taller than any Wood Elf, but shorter than most humans. She wears her mother’s old robe, with an extra foot or two of fabric stitched onto the end. Embracing neither the experimental and cloistered activities of the Grey Elves, nor the natural existence of the Wood Elves, Thessa seeks to make her own way in the world.

The Backstory:

A sacred artifact has been stolen from the headquarters of The Order. It is known as the Prophetic Calendar. The Order have held and protected the Calendar for countless generations. Allegedly delivered to them by the gods, the Order believes that the Calendar has prophetic powers. Over the centuries, great events have come to pass whenever the Calendar’s counting of the days reaches a certain landmark. It has been generations since the Calendar has reached a landmark. However, the final pages of the Calendar are fast approaching. None in the Order know what will happen when the Calendar counts down to its end, but few doubt that it will be something momentous.

In order to retrieve the Calendar, The Order has put out feelers and dispatched its best agents all across Core. The assignment was deemed important enough for the Paladin Franz to leave his chapter and enter the field. Through his meticulous research, Franz located a thief known as Malyde whose contacts have revealed the particular bandits who have stolen the Calendar. Both working toward their own means, Franz and Malyde team up to track the bandit gang across the land.

Meanwhile, in the Sapphire Islands, the elves Thessa and Druida have formed a close friendship. Eager to learn about magic and the wider world, Thessa has adopted Druida as something of a mentor. However, her studies are interrupted when the spirits of the wild come to Druida in distress. They describe a powerful magical artifact being taken across the mainland by a gang of destructive bandits. Not only do these bandits possess an unnatural artifact, they also go out of their way to pillage and destroy the forests and lands which they pass through. Seeking to punish these foes, Druida leaves the islands and eager to explore this mystery, Thessa follows.

The two parties encounter one another as they track the bandit group. After some initial tension and adventures, the four temporarly team up in order to confront the bandits. The scene opens with the four hidden in vegetation, outside a hastily-constructed bandit encampment.

The First Session:

GM: You’re outside the bandit encampment. You’re hidden in the brush, and the bandits are unaware of your presence. You’ve been tracking them for days. All you can currently see is one side of the camp. (Draws Map) It seems to be surrounded by a stockade of sharpened logs. You can make out the glow of a fire, you may be able to see the shapes of several tents, and you hear the vague sounds of voices. What do you do?

Thessa: I’d like to know if there’s anything magical around, or if the artifact is here. I cast Detect Magic.

[Rolls an 8, takes -1 ongoing to spellcasting]

GM: What does it look like when Thessa detects magic?

Thessa: I close my eyes and see the magic around me.

GM: Yeah. Sort of like wearing night-vision goggles. When Thessa detects magic, she closes her eyes and sees the tell-tale glow of magic. Right now you can see that Druida is magical, and that there is a strong source of magic within the camp. As far as you can tell, this magic isn’t from a living thing.

Thessa: That must be the Calendar!

GM: It may be. You also sense a very vague magical presence elsewhere, but it is off to the other side, not near the camp (Draws large blur on map). What are the rest of you doing?

Group: Can Druida climb a tree, maybe look at the whole camp?

GM: Sounds like a good idea. Druida, what do you want to turn into?

Druida: I don’t know, guys, what do you think?

Group: Something that can see in the dark. Maybe an owl! They have good night vision and incredible hearing. They can hear the heartbeat of a mouse from hundreds of feet away.

Druida: Ok, I transform into an owl.

[Rolls an 8, holds 2]

GM: What does it look like when Druida transforms into an owl?

Druida: I just close my eyes and then I start to shake, and then I’m transformed.

GM: Is it instantaneous?

Druida: Yes.

GM: Awesome. So maybe it happens so fast that nobody ever actually sees the moment when you transform. They blink and they miss it. It’s kind of unsettling, actually.

Ok, so you’re an owl. With a squirrel tail, because that’s your tell, right? Let’s give you some moves. You guys said that owls have good hearing?

Group: Amazing hearing. And night vision.

GM: They’re hunters right?

Group: Yes. And they can fly very quietly.

GM: This sounds good. Let’s write three moves for your owl form. They are:

*Silent Flight

*Hunter’s Senses

*Ambush

What do you want to do?

Druida: I want to fly over the camp and scout it out. I want to look for the Calendar.

GM: Without being seen?

Druida: Of course.

GM: Ok, I’d say that you can use your 2 hold to Fly Silently over the camp and use your Hunter’s Senses to detect everything that’s there. (Starts to fill in map) You can see several tents, maybe enough for 20 or 30 people. But it’s weird, because only a few of the tents are actually occupied. (Drops coins on map to represent bandits). You sense three heartbeats inside the tents, two around the fire, and one by the entrance. Maybe the bandits pitch way more tents than they need to hide their numbers. Maybe there’s a large group of them who aren’t here yet. You don’t know.

Druida flies back to the group and resumes her human form.

What are the rest of you doing?

Group: Do we know what Druida knows?

GM: I don’t know. Do they, Druida?

Druida: Yes, I tell them.

Group: So there’s only one way in. Maybe we should just attack them. There are only six of them, we can probably take them. Maybe we should try to lure them out one by one, and ambush them. (Discussion continues).

GM: You guys are in a pretty safe spot, so now is a good time to strategize. But you definitely don’t have all night to decide a plan of action.

Franz: I’d like to just go through the front door.

Thessa: Are you insane? That’s a terrible idea. We should try to create a distraction to lure them out.

Druida: I can turn into something really ferocious.

Group: (continues arguing)

GM: Does anybody make a decisive action, or do you want to keep planning?

Malyde: I want to scout around the camp, looking for secret entrances and stuff.

GM: Cool! (The GM likes this very much, because he has designed the bandit encampment so that the main entrance and exit is hidden, while the apparent front entrance is actually a spike trap which no bandit would ever actually cross). So, tell me how Malyde does this.

Malyde: I sneak around the stockade, checking the walls and camp and stuff, looking for anything unusual.

GM: I’d say that Malyde is probably good at that stuff. But the real trick is remaining undetected. You want to do this silently and stealthily, right?

Malyde: Yes.

GM: Then I think you need to make a Defy Danger roll with your dexterity to make it all the way around the camp.

Malyde: [Rolls 4 after DEX modifier]. Snake eyes. That’s not good.

GM: No, that’s not good. Mark experience, though! Hmmm, let’s see what happens to Malyde. Well, you’re a professional thief, but the wilderness really isn’t your thing. So you don’t get caught by the bandits, but you do get caught by a tree root. As Malyde is scouting around, he trips over a root, getting his foot intractably caught. (Moves the marker for Malyde partway around the encampment’s perimeter on the map). You’re ok for now, but you’re trapped unless someone helps you or unless you can figure something else out.

The rest of you, are you doing anything?

Group: No, we’re just waiting.

GM: Ok. Well, it’s been a while and your thief hasn’t returned yet. He really should have been back now. Malyde, do you cry out or try to signal them in any way?

Malyde: No, I stay quiet. I don’t want to get caught.

GM: That makes sense. Well, the rest of you don’t see or hear anything. The camp hasn’t mobilized, so he probably didn’t get caught. But he didn’t come back either. What do you do?

Group: (Arguing). Maybe we should go after him. No way, we’ll get caught. I’m wearing armor. Do the bandits have ranged weapons? Let’s just kick their door in. I don’t know what to do. Let’s just wait some more.

GM: Ok, you wait, but nothing changes. He’s still gone. The camp still hasn’t stirred much. What do you do?

Group: (discussing) I want to go through the front door. Let’s just wait. I don’t know what to do.

GM: Hmm, it seems like the main group hasn’t formulated a plan yet. Let’s check back in with Malyde. You’re stuck under a tree root, and your friends definitely aren’t coming for you. What do you do?

Malyde: (After a very long pause for thought) I don’t know.

GM: Malyde isn’t getting any help, but he has all of his equipment and skills. Is there anything you can think of to get free?

Malyde: I don’t know.

GM: Ok, while Malyde thinks on that, let’s go back to the other group. What do you guys do?

Group: We’re just going to wait.

GM: You can definitely do that. But you know that the cover of darkness won’t last forever. (Trying to spur them into action). Also, you overhear some mumbling from inside the encampment. “Almost time to start patrol, innit? Yeah, yeah. I’ll get me crossbow.” What do you do?

Group: They’re sending a patrol, let’s ambush them. We’re going to sit here and wait for the patrol.

GM: (realizing that his plan to spur them into action has backfired). Ok, the Druid, Paladin, and Wizard are lying in wait. Malyde, have you figured a way out yet?

Malyde: No.

GM: Maybe your adventuring gear might be useful here.

Malyde: Ok, I pull a saw out and start trying to saw the root free.

GM: Great! Do you want to do this quickly, or do you want to do this quietly?

Malyde: Definitely quietly.

GM: Good choice. What are the rest of you doing?

Group: Just waiting.

GM: Ok, the bandits you heard earlier aren’t making any noise. In fact, it’s been so long since Druida’s scouting, that you’ve pretty much lost track of most of the bandits (removes some tokens from the map). The camp is full of living people going about their lives. They won’t wait for you. Does anyone have a plan of action?

Group: (Nobody does)

GM: Malyde, we’re back to you then. Just as you finish sawing yourself free, you hear footsteps approaching. What do you want to do?

Malyde: I just hide here.

GM: No need to roll for that. You’re already on the ground. You can make out the shapes and sounds of two normal-sized humans, armed and dressed like bandits. One has a crossbow, the other has his hand on his dagger. They’re chatting about girls. Locker room talk. What do you do?

Malyde: I wait for them to go by.

GM: Ok, they keep walking. They came from the opposite direction of where you left, and now they’ve walked past you. They’re heading for the location of where your friends are. (Moves two bandit tokens between Malyde and the Group’s position) What do you do?

Malyde: I keep going. I want to finish what I started.

GM: Ok. So Malyde is looking around the perimeter of the camp, looking for secrets, right?

Malyde: Yes.

GM: Well, your last time wasn’t so successful. But now you’re undetected and really trying to concentrate. Why don’t you roll a Discern Realities for me?

Malyde: [Rolls a 7] What here is not what it appears to be?

GM: Excellent question. Based on Druida’s scouting, this definitely appears to be a circular bandit encampment with solid stockade walls and only a single entrance. However, you notice tracks coming from an unlikely place. It turns out, there is a hidden entrance after all! The sharpened logs are arranged in such a way so that they look solid, but there is actually a clear path between them. From what you can tell, the bandits come and go from this area very often. In fact, it’s a little strange. To your trained eyes, this secret entrance seems to be the only way the bandits are getting in and out.

Malyde: I want to go inside.

GM: Bold plan. Tell me what you’re doing and what you’re trying to accomplish.

Malyde: I want to scout around the camp. I want to look at everything and everyone.

GM: Ok, well you’re definitely behind enemy lines. To be able to case the entire place undetected, you’ll have to Defy Danger using your dexterity.

Malyde: [Rolls an 11] That’s a success, right?

GM: Absolutely. You crushed it. Malyde has gotten his rhythm back. We seem him in a montage. He’s peeking behind barrels, sneaking past bandits, ducking into empty tents, sidling around stumps. Very stealthy. You’ve pretty much got the lay of the land (Returns the bandit tokens to the map). You can tell that there’s a bandit standing watch by the front entrance. There’s two more that seem to be sleeping inside their tents. There’s also a person inside the largest tent, and you’re pretty sure that’s where Thessa detected magic earlier.

(turns toward group)

Ok, guys. Malyde is inside the camp, but none of you know about any of this. What are you doing?

Group: We’re going to cause a distraction and try to lure them out.

Druida: I want to transform into a bear (pronounced with two syllables: Be-Are)

[Rolls an 11, holds 3]

GM: Let’s write some bear moves. How about these:

*Bite and Tear

*Intimidating Roar

*Trample

Thessa: I want to cause a distraction with my prestidigitation.

GM: Where do you want to do this?

Thessa: Over by the front entrance.

GM: Do the rest of you go with her?

Group: Yes, but we hang back a little.

GM: (Moves the Thessa, Franz, and Druida tokens counterclockwise around the camp, closer to the main entrance)

Thessa: I cast prestidigitation.

[Rolls a 10, but has -1 ongoing to spells. Chooses to forget the spell]

I conjure some fake gold coins and throw them in front of the entrance to the camp.

GM: Are you trying to make them noisy and shiny?

Thessa: Definitely. I know it won’t fool them, but it will get their attention.

GM: It does. There’s a bandit sort of standing watch near the front entrance. He doesn’t see you, but he definitely sees the coins. But weirdly, instead of going out to investigate, he quickly walks back into camp and out of your view. (Removes the token for the bandit). You’ve lost track of him. (This is one of the GM’s signals to the group that the main entrance is not a real way in or out).

Franz: I’m going to follow him. I walk right into the encampment.

GM: Ok. (moves token). Franz is starting to walk in. What do you two do?

Thessa: I want to make him invisible.

GM: You’ll have to touch him for that. Do you walk up and do that?

Thessa: Yes.

GM: How does Franz feel about this? Will you really let a wizard use ungodly magic on you?

Franz: Absolutely not. I won’t let her get near me.

Druida: You can turn me invisible!

Thessa: Ok, I’ll do that.

[Rolls a 9, minus one]

I’ll choose to put myself into a spot, because that’s what I’m going for anyway.

GM: Right. Though it’s not exactly what you’re hoping for. Thessa has been casting lots of spells recently, and is getting a bit tired. Also, you’ve never tried out your invisibility spell on a bear who is actually a shape-shifting elf before. So your effect isn’t perfect. The bear is definitely not visible, but something is. To any observer, Druida appears to be a large, semi-translucent shimmering blob. Like a giant luminescent jelly fish. Nobody would assume that she’s a bear, but this thing certainly is not stealthy.

(turns to Franz)

You’re still planning on walking straight in, right?

Franz: Yes.

GM: Do you do or say anything first?

Franz: I don’t say anything, but I draw my sword.

GM: Awesome. Franz is totally being a badass here. He draws his sword and shield and just marches into the camp like he owns the place. Franz, I’d like you to make a roll plus your CON, please.

Franz: Um, ok.

[Rolls a 6]

GM: Mark experience, Franz.

Well, here’s what happens. Franz is striding into the camp. You step over some leaf litter that’s surrounding the entrance, and the next moment your heart is in your throat. You’re in free fall. Then, suddenly, your fall is broken by sharpened wooden spikes, placed in a pit. This wasn’t a real entrance at all! Sneaky bandits and their traps. You take D8 damage. You have three armor, right? Let’s make it 2 for this, because I don’t really see your shield helping you here.

[Rolls D8, result is 1]

You have three armor, right? That’s very lucky for you, Franz. The wooden spikes are no match for your armor, and they splinter as your armored bulk comes crashing down. But you’ve definitely had the wind knocked out of you, and you’re in a pretty deep hole.

Let’s shift focus back to Malyde. You’re inside the camp, and totally hidden. What do you do?

Malyde: I’m outside the biggest tent.

GM: Ok, you see the barest glow of light from inside. Probably from a candle or lantern. You also hear some small movement and breathing sounds. There’s definitely someone in there, and he’s not sleeping.

Malyde: I want to go inside.

GM: Just walk right in?

Malyde: No, I want to sneak inside.

GM: Probably a good idea. How does Malyde sneak inside?

Malyde: I defy danger.

GM: No, tell me how he does it. The moves follow the fiction. Right now, the camera is on Malyde. He’s on the outside of a tent and he wants to get in unseen. Does he carefully pry up a stake and duck under the canvas? Does he pull out a knife and make a slit in the inside of the tent? How does he get inside?

Malyde: I guess I just lift up one side and duck.

GM: Ok, you can go ahead and defy danger with your dexterity to see if you can enter this guy’s tent without a problem.

Malyde: [Rolls 7]

GM: You poke your head into the tent and get a really good look around. There’s a bedroll, a small lantern, and some very basic furniture. A rough-hewn wooden stool, and a makeshift desk. On the desk is an incredibly strange object. It’s heavy and appears gilded. It’s like a book, but bound the wrong way. It’s bound more like a calendar or a flip book. It isn’t glowing, per say, but it is hard to look directly at. You’ve encountered some magical treasures in your life. This is like that. Definitely a strong source of magic. There’s also a large man inside. He’s bigger than the rest of the bandits, maybe 6’ 5”. He’s awake but hasn’t noticed you.

What is your goal here?

Malyde: I want to attack the guy.

GM: Well, here’s the thing, Malyde, tents are small, cramped places. You haven’t been caught yet, but there’s no way you can get fully inside, pull out your rapier, and backstab the guy without him noticing. I’ll give you a choice here: you can either duck back under safely and stealthily, or you can get inside the tent and draw your weapon, but you won’t be able to do it stealthily. Which do you choose?

Malyde: I attack him.

GM: Ok, Malyde pulls out his rapier and starts swinging at the guy. He’s surprised, but he’s a trained fighter and won’t be caught off-guard. You guys go at it in the confines of the tent. Roll a hack and slash for me, but use your DEX because you’ve got a dueling rapier.

Malyde: [Rolls snake-eyes again. Plus 2, total result= 4] I guess I mark experience.

GM: Yes, and you also take 3 damage. With your armor, I think that’s only 2. So, as Malyde tries to attack this guy, you realize that you can’t duel inside a tent. Even he can’t draw his longsword fully. So instead, as he draws his blade, he bashes you right in the face with the pommel of his sword, and then kicks you backward out of the tent. Malyde stumbles, crashes through the tent’s canvas, and ends up in a messy heap on the ground in the middle of the encampment.

(Turns to the others)

While Malyde is making new friends, what are the rest of you doing?

Druida: I want to go into the camp.

GM: (pointing at map) How? There’s a giant spike pit in front, and you don’t know about the secret entrance.

Druida: I’ll leap over the pit.

GM: Ok, I think that might be a dex role. Can bears jump?

Group: They can run really fast.

GM: Yes, but I don’t know if they’re good at leaping. If it were a mouse or a jungle cat, I would be ok with it, since we’ve all seen them jump. Hmm, I won’t say that bears can’t jump, but I also won’t say that they’re naturals at the long-jump like a horse would be. Roll plus your dex, Druida and let’s find out.

Druida: [Rolls an natural 12]

GM: Yes! You leap right the hell over the spike trap. You land gracefully right in the middle of the camp. What do you do?

Druida: I roar!

GM: Yes you do. But nobody can tell it’s coming from a bear, remember? But there’s this loud roaring, the sound of Malyde’s fight, and the clatter Franz made when he fell into the pit. I’d say that the camp is pretty much awake right now. The sleeping bandits are crawling out of their tents, and the ones who are awake are getting armed up (places tokens on the map).

(turns to Franz)

You’ve fallen in the pit, and gotten the wind knocked out of you. As you look up, you see this giant, shimmering, translucent thing leap over the pit and then roar like a bear. I’m guessing Franz is checking his helmet for bumps and trying to assess brain injury. But basically, you’re fine. What do you do?

Franz: I don’t know. How deep is the pit?

GM: Standing on the bottom, the lip is just out of reach of your outstretched fingertips. Also, you’re wearing heavy armor, remember? You’re not getting out of this pit without help or some kind of special equipment. Remember, Thessa is probably outside. Thessa, what do you do when you see Franz plummet into a pit and see the invisible Be-Are leap over him?

Thessa; I probably just laugh.

Franz: Thessa, help me out of here.

Thessa: Do I have any spells that can get him out?

Franz: No magic. Just throw a rope or lower your staff or something.

Thessa: Nah. I say screw Franz. If he needs help so badly, he won’t keep badmouthing my magic. I just leave him there.

GM: Fair enough, what is everyone else doing?

Druida: I want to use the Bite and Tear move on that bandit who is just waking up.

GM: Fair enough, use one hold. Druida scratches and bites the hell out of the guy. He isn’t dead, but he’s certainly unconscious (flips over the coin representing the bandit). Poor guy, all he sees is a giant blurry clear shape ripping him apart. But remember, as you attack, the invisibility spell wears off. The last thing this bandit sees befor passing out is a big snarling bear.

(takes two tokens and moves them toward druida)

Now that the bear is visible, a couple bandits have their daggers and crossbows out and are getting into position to attack Druida!

Thessa: They run right past the entrance right? Can I magic missile them?

GM: Yes, you have a brief window of opportunity.

Thessa: [Rolls a 6]

GM: Describe how Thessa casts magic missile.

Thessa: Well, first she waves her hands a bit, and then they start glowing with magical energy. Then she reaches up, and grabs her staff off of her back and brings it forward, shooting the magic out of the staff.

GM: That sounds pretty cool. Unfortunately, you don’t get that far. Thessa’s hands are glowing, and she reaches up to grab her staff and zap some bandits, but oh no! The staff is caught in the strap you use to hold it on your back. As you pull on it, you lose your footing. Thessa comes tumbling

Forward into the pit. (flips a coin). Ok, it looks like you don’t land on the spikes. But you do land on Franz. The two of you are laying in a heap together inside the pit. Maybe you should have been a little nicer to each other earlier.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Malyde. What is he up to?

Malyde: I don’t know. What am I up to?

GM: Well, you were kicked out of a tent after being bashed in the face. You’re lying in a heap on the ground, wrapped in tent canvas, and there’s this big guy with a sword walking up to you?

Malyde: I spring up and charge him!

GM: Do you still have your rapier?

Malyde: No, I probably dropped it.

GM: So what are your intentions with charging this guy?

Malyde: I guess I want to disarm him.

GM: Ok, so this isn’t a hack and slash. Roll defy danger with your strength. The danger is the large armed bandit leader trying to kill you.

[Malyde rolls a 4]

So much experience!

Malyde charges at this guy, trying to disarm him. However, it’s rarely a good idea to charge an armed man. Malyde, as you close the distance, you run right into his longsword. You take D8 damage [Rolls an 8]. Wow, that isn’t good. The sword punches through your armor, and impales you right up to the shoulder. You’ve run right into this guy, and he’s buried his sword up to the hilt in your flesh.

(turns to Druida)

You’ve mauled one bandit, but now two more are pointing crossbows at you. Thessa wasn’t able to deal with them. What do you do?

Druida: I want to trample them!

GM: You can definitely do that, but they’re about to shoot crossbows at you. Do you just tough it out and take the shots?

Druida: No, I want to dodge them.

GM: Give me a dex roll.

[Druida rolls a 9]

Ok, well you start running fast, charging like an angry bear. You run so fast that the bandits freak out, and shoot their bolts wide of the mark. They also jump aside, out of trampling range. (moves tokens) You’re now on the other side of the camp, but these guys are now reloading. What do you do?

Druida: I run away over here (points to map)

GM: Alright, so Druida just runs away from everything. How’s it going, Franz?

Franz: I pull some climbing spikes out of my adventuring gear and start to get myself out of the pit.

GM: Are you helping Thessa out?

Franz: No, I leave her. She’s on her own.

GM: How are you getting out, Thessa?

Thessa: I don’t know, I don’t have any spells or adventuring gear.

GM: You’re not armored, right? And you’re much smaller than Franz.

Thessa: Can I just climb out?

GM: Let’s find out. Give me a roll plus your strength.

[Thessa rolls a 9]

Well, the good news is that you can climb out. But you can never make the climb in those bulky wizard’s robes. You’ll have to ditch your mom’s old robes if you want to get out of this pit. You can always come back for them later, if you survive.

Thessa: No way. I’ll figure something else out.

GM: Malyde, you’re impaled on this big guy’s sword. What are you doing, aside from bleeding everywhere?

Malyde: I try to break his arm at the elbow, where he’s holding the sword.

GM: Is your intent to damage this guy?

Malyde: I absolutely want to damage him.

GM: Does Malyde have rabies or something? Ok, roll a hack and slash. No dex this time, because you’re using your fists.

[Malyde rolls a 6]

Mark experience. Well… (deciding not to kill this character in the first session)… the bandit leader pulls his sword out of your shoulder. For traction, he puts his boot on your chest. As the sword comes free, you are kicked several feet away and knocked prone. You’re bleeding in the dirt.

(Turns to Franz) Franz, you’re out of the pit. I assume you want to be inside the camp?

Franz: Yes

GM: You take a look around. You see bandits chasing a bear, you see Malyde getting kicked into the dirt, covered in blood. Maybe one bandit off somewhere is ringing an alarm bell. What do you do?

Franz: I take out my sword and attack the nearest bandit.

GM: Roll a hack and slash for me. That’s 2D6 plus strength.

[Franz rolls a 10 + 2 = 12]

Awesome. So, your attack succeeds. You can choose to either make the attack unscathed, or do an extra D6 damage and take a hit in return.

Franz: I’ll do the extra damage.

[Rolls 7 damage total]

GM: The nearby bandit drops his crossbow and pulls out a wicked looking dagger. He swivels and slashes at you, Franz, but your longsword is no match for him. He’s run completely through. He gets 4 damage on you, but your armor soaks most of it. Maybe, as he is impaled, he slashes your cheek pretty deeply, but then falls dead. (flips over the token representing the bandit)

Meanwhile, remember those two bandits who were patrolling past Malyde earlier? Well, by now they’ve come around, and see that their spike trap has been sprung. Thessa, you see two grubby humans looking down at you from the pit. What do you do?

Thessa: What can I do?

GM: What do you want? Do you want to kill the bandits, do you want to get out of the pit, or something else?

Thessa: I want to get out.

GM: Maybe you can try to convince these guys to let you out.

Thessa: How do I do that?

GM: You can use the Parley move, but you’ll need leverage over them. What’s your leverage?

Thessa: I’m a wizard, right? So maybe I’ll scare them. I’ll tell them that I’ll use my magic to level this entire camp and everyone in it unless they pull me out.

GM: That sounds like a tough sell to me, but it’s worth a shot. Roll plus your CHA.

Thessa: That’s my worst stat [Rolls an 8, -1, total: 7]. Ok, what does that mean?

GM: Thessa’s hands flare with magic. She takes a threatening stance and bellows that she will use her magic to turn this whole damn place into a crater. The bandits are torn. They’re not used to magic, and this grey-skinned elf lady looks threatening. On the other hand, she’s down in a pit, how much of a threat can she really be?

They’ll need some concrete assurance of your threat right now if they’re going to do anything.

Thessa: How can I do that?

GM: Well, you threatened to use your magic to destroy everything and kill everyone. How can you show that you’re serious?

Thessa: Maybe I can cast magic missile into the dirt, like a warning shot.

GM: I really don’t think that will be enough. A bolt of magic into the dirt won’t really destroy anything, and they’ll probably think that you’re bluffing. There are two of them, remember?

Thessa: Oh! I’ll cast magic missile at one of them.

[Rolls a 12, -1 ongoing, total: 11]

After I make my threat, and they don’t respond, I look one dead in the eye while I cast magic missile on his friend. That way, he’ll know I’m serious.

GM: Ok, this is the first time your magic missile has hit someone. What does it look like?

Thessa: It’s sort of a blue stretchy flame-looking thing. Like a fireball.

GM: So is the damage fiery, or is it kinetic, or is it more magical?

Thessa: I think it’s actually primarily electrical.

GM: Ok, that’s really cool. The spell itself doesn’t say whether or not it ignores armor. So I was leaving it up to the fiction. Since it’s electrical, it will bypass any metal armor. Unfortunately for you, these bandits are all wearing leather. So no armor piercing this time. Roll your 2D4 damage.

[Thessa rolls 6 damage total]

Awesome. As you look the bandit in the eye, you shoot a bolt of blue electrical fire right into the face of his friend. The other bandit goes down, sizzling and steaming.

(as Bandit): Holy hell! Ok, I’ll get you out. Right away.

GM: The bandit grabs a length of rope and lowers it down. He wraps it around his waist and braces himself. You’ll have enough traction to climb out, robes and all now.

Thessa: Finally free!

Bandit: Ok lady. You’re free. I’m outta here.

Thessa; Wait! Tell me how to get into your camp, or you’re next.

Bandit: Ok, ok. Go around this way (points at map). We’ve got a secret entrance. Look for a bush with red berries, that’s where the hole in the stockade is. That’s what you want, yeah? Ok, I’m leaving.

GM: The bandit quickly runs up to his dead companion, rummages through the man’s pockets, and then dashes off into the forest. (Removes the two bandit tokens.)

Thessa: Aw, man. He took all the loot, didn’t he?

GM: That’s bandits for you. What are the rest of you doing?

Druida: I want to turn into another animal.

GM: You’re still in bear form. I don’t think you can go from animal to animal. You’ll have to turn back into your elf form first.

Druida: I turn back into myself.

GM: Ok, Malyde and Franz are locked in combat with these bandits. Maylde, you have the big guy coming after you to finish the job. Franz, you’ve killed one of the bandits who were engaged with Druida, but there’s still one more, and he’s got a loaded crossbow.

Franz: I want to use I Am The Law.

GM: What does Franz say? And who is he talking to?

Franz: I’m talking to the bandit with the crossbow. I tell him that I am a representative of the order. He and his leader are guilty of stealing an artifact. If he wants to live, he will immediately fire upon his boss.

GM: Ok, roll plus charisma.

[Franz rolls a 7 total]

So, the bandit stops briefly. Looks at his leader, then looks at Franz, and then fires the crossbow. Sorry, Franz, this guy isn’t going to listen to a cop. He’s a bandit, and his leader is still alive and kicking your friend’s butt. But there is a crossbow bolt coming right at you. What do you do?

Franz: I try to get out of the way.

GM: Roll plus your dexterity, you’re defying danger here.

[Franz rolls an 8]

Ok, Franz throws himself to the ground. The crossbow bolt just barely misses him. The good news is that you’re safe. The bad news is that the party’s tank isn’t doing anything to combat the real threat. Malyde, you’re getting murdered by this guy, and your Paladin friend is not coming to your rescue. What do you do?

Malyde: I throw one of my throwing stars.

GM: Are they throwing stars or throwing daggers?

Malyde: Stars.

GM: Ok, cool. It seems as though Malyde uses these sharp, custom-made throwing stars instead of the normal throwing knives. I’m guessing you’ve got them hidden all over your person. Who is your target?

Malyde: The bandit. Not the one coming after me, the one who just shot his crossbow.

GM: Interesting. Make a volley roll.

[Malyde rolls 10+2 = 12]

Great throw, roll damage.

[Malyde rolls 1 total damage]

Unfortunately, that does nothing to the bandit.

Ok, so you throw a star right at the bandit. Luckily for him, the star thuds right into the wooden stock of his crossbow.

(turns to Drudia) Druida, what are you doing?

Druida: I want to be a poisonous snake!

GM: Make your transform roll.

[Druida rolls a 6]

Ok, you transform into a snake. What do you do?

Druida: (suspiciously) Um, ok. I slither up to the guy attacking Malyde and bite him.

GM: Well, then, Druida, that’s what happens.

The rest of you, and the cameras, see something different. We see Druida standing there, fresh out of bear form. She closes her eyes and begins to shake and then—nothing. She’s still a little elf. But she *thinks* that she’s a snake. She gets down on her belly and slither-crawls toward the bandit. She bites his boot. It’s a pretty weird scene.

What’s everyone else doing?

Franz: I attack the bandit leader.

GM: The one who had Druida on his boot?

Franz: Yes. I attack with my sword and shield.

GM: Roll hack and slash.

[Franz rolls an 8, rolls 4 damage. Opponent’s damage roll is 1]

The two warriors are locked in mortal combat. The bandit leader is fast and strong, wielding a longsword coated in Mal’s blood. Franz is a tank, with gleaming armor, sword, and shield. Franz lands a decent slash in, wounding the bandit leader. In a fury, he begins raining blows down, but they clatter more-or-less harmlessly off of Franz’s shield and scale armor.

(Turns to Malyde) Ok, so Malyde was being menaced by this big guy, but now he’s tangling with Franz. That would be good for you, but you’ve decided to agro this other bandit with your throwing star. He’s noticed you, bleeding on the ground. He takes out his dagger and jumps on you.

Malyde: I throw another star at him.

GM: Ok, he’s coming pretty fast. I’d say you only have a split second to throw it at him before he closes the distance.

[Malyde rolls a 7, makes a damage roll of 1]

The star leaves your hand for only a split second before it thuds into the leather chest piece of the bandit. He’s on you even faster, plunging his dagger into your already-wounded body. You take 4 damage, minus your armor.

Guys, Mal is in serious trouble. Who’s going to help him?

Thessa: I can’t, because I’m still outside.

GM: Yeah, I’d say that Thessa has found the secret entrance by now, but is only just making it inside the camp (moves tokens).

Druida: I’ll help him. I want to throw my spear at the guy attacking Mal.

GM: Ok, I’d probably say that Druida has realized that she’s not a snake. Pretty embarrassing. But she does have a spear. To the rest of us, we would think of it more like an arrow or a sharpened stick, but to 3’-tall Druida, this thing is a spear. Roll a volley.

[She rolls a 9]

Ok, we can’t really mark off ammo, here. So you can either move to a dangerous spot, or do less damage.

Druida: I only do D6 damage, so that’s not a good idea. I guess I’ll move.

GM: Druida pulls out her spear, but she’s so little that she can’t really get a good view of the battlefield. She decides to clamber up on the nearest tall thing she can find: the bandit leader! Druida is on his shoulder, throwing her spear at the bandit on top of Malyde.

[Druida rolls 2 damage]

That’s just enough to hurt the bandit. As he’s going in for the kill on Mal, the bandit feels a spear hit him in the back of his shoulder. He screams and whirls around. Mal, this is your chance. Remember, you’ve been on the ground, crawling and throwing knives, for a long time now. Do you want to get up?

Malyde: I stand up.

(everyone cheers)

GM: Finally! What else is going on?

Franz: I want to finish this guy off. I’ll roll a hack and slash.

[Rolls a 5]

GM: Not good. Mark experience.

Franz is hacking at slashing at this guy, but is completely surprised when the tiny wood elf climb him. On accident, Franz lands a heavy blow squarely onto Druida! Roll your D10 damage.

Druida: Oh no!

Franz: [Rolls a 1]

GM: You guys are so lucky! The blow knocks Druida off of the bandit leader and into the mud. Her armor saved her here.

(turns to Thessa) Thessa, you’ve finally made it into the camp! You see this whole crazy scene. What do you do?

Thessa: I want to cast magic missile at the big guy.

[Rolls an 8]

GM: What consequence do you want to take?

Thessa: I’ll attract unwelcome attention.

GM: Roll your damage.

[She rolls a 4 total]

Your bolt of flaming electricity hits the bandit leader. He sizzles and crackles and ignites with a magical electrical fire. He roars, charging straight at you, desperately clawing at his burning flesh and clothes. What do you do?

Thessa: I get down on the ground and trip him as he goes by.

GM: Thessa is definitely defying danger with her dex.

[Thessa rolls an 8]

Hmm.. Well, this big guy is charging past you. You’re able to swiftly slide down and trip him. He falls over, sliding in the mud. He stops screaming and stops moving. The sizzling continues. As Thessa gets up, she realizes that the leg she used to trip him has caught fire. Quickly, she shakes it and puts it out. Thessa, you take D4 damage from this.

[Thess rolls a 4]

Ouch. No armor, right? In either case, the big guy is dead. Good job.

Let’s see, Malyde stood up. Franz’s enemy caught fire and ran off. Thessa has a burnt leg, and Druida is face-down in the mud. There’s still one bandit left standing. But when he sees his leader catch fire and run off, he’s had enough. The bandit throws down his crossbow and starts running (moves the token closer to the main tent)

What do the rest of you do?

Group: Who sees this?

GM: Hmm, (looking at the map positions) Well, it happens kind of fast. I’d say that Thessa can’t see it at all, and Franz is probably also looking at the Bandit leader who Thessa just roasted. Druida probably didn’t see it because she was lying in the mud. I’d say that only Malyde got a good look at things.

Malyde: Ok, I pull up Druida and tell her what happened. I explain that I saw this magical book thing inside the tent, and that the bandit is probably going after it.

GM: Good plan. Unfortunately, a motivated person can run pretty far in the time it takes for you to explain all of that. By the time everyone is on the same page and decides to go after him, he may have already gotten away. Let’s find out (makes a secret roll). Yep. By the time you guys investigate the tent, there’s nothing there but shattered furniture and a bedroll.

Thessa: I want to detect magic.

GM: Druida is magical. There’s also still that big vague magic blur off in the distance. But the Calendar, wherever it is, is out of your range.

Druida: The guy I mauled is still alive, right?

GM: Yes he is!

Franz: I’m going to question him.

GM: Awesome. Franz shakes this guy awake. It turns out, he’s mostly just stunned. He’s definitely scratched up, but he doesn’t have any life-threatening injuries. (getting into character as Smiff, the Bandit)

Smiff: What the ‘ell? What just ‘appened? There was a great fuckin’ blur that tore me all up. Think I saw a bear before I went under.

Franz: Who do you work for?

Smiff: I work for Snuff, I do. Well, I work for me-self most of the time, but Snuff’s the one who hired us.

Franz: Where can we find him?

Smiff: He’s lying over there. Looks like he got set on fire. Did you do that?

Franz: Where is the Calendar?

Smiff: The what? Oh, that great shiny thing. (Dawning on him) You’re from the Order! Shite. Awful sorry ‘bout stealing that shiny piece. It was orders is all.

Franz: Why did you steal it?

Smiff: It wasn’t me, not entirely. Mostly Snuff. He was being paid a pretty penny for it.

Franz: Who hired him?

Smiff: I dunno. Snuff don’t tell us much.

Thessa: (to GM) Why is this guy answering our questions so easily?

Smiff; Because this bloke’s got a big sword pointed at me throat!

Franz: Someone took the Calendar and ran off. Where did he go?

Smiff: Who took it?

GM: Malyde, you got the best look at this guy. Describe him. What did he look like? Was he human?

Malyde: He’s a human. Average height. Young. He had mutton chops.

Smiff: Oh, that’s me mate Movvy. He grabbed the loot and sodded off, eh? Good old Movvy.

Franz: Where would he go?

Smiff: Probably back to Caroline. She’s his bird. Lives up in Stone Creek.

Thessa: How do we know that he’s telling the truth?

Franz: I don’t know.

GM: Franz, during your time in the order, did you ever conduct any interrogations?

Franz: I filled out paperwork for them, but only in a supervisory role.

GM: Then this answers sound good enough to you. Malyde, you’re a thief. You know that most bandits like this are all about self-preservation. That makes you want to trust him. On the other hand, thieves don’t talk to the cops, basically. Snitches get stitches. You’re pretty torn.

Smiff: If that’s all, I think I’ll be going now.

Thessa: Let’s bring him with us, in case he’s lying. I can chain him up to my Unseen Servant.

Franz: The punishment for stealing holy artifacts is death.

Smiff: I’m just gonna go. I’m leaving, ok, gov’nor? I won’t say a word o’this to anyone.

Thessa: Killing him is pointless. Two other bandits have already run off. What’s one more?

Franz: The punishment for stealing holy artifacts is death.

GM: What do the rest of you think?

Druida: I don’t really care.

Malyde: Me neither.

Thessa: Fine, do whatever you want.

Franz: I execute him.

Smiff: Wait, no, I—

GM: Franz takes Smiff’s head clean off. The camp falls quiet.

The Aftermath:

Thessa and Malyde loot the remaining bodies, and find a few coins and throwing daggers. Druida turns into an owl again and tries to track Movvy, but is unsuccessful. They rest up, mark rations, and heal.

At the end of session move, we find that no bonds are resolved. But there are definitely some tensions. Franz does not trust Thessa at all, and hates her magic. Thessa doesn’t give a damn what Franz thinks. Mal is running a long con on Franz, and Franz has vowed to bring Malyde to justice as soon as he stops being useful. Mal trusts Druida for saving his life, and Thessa and Druida continue to be friends.

Thessa fulfills her neutral alignment by learning about a magical mystery. Malyde’s alignment is secret, but he claims that he is chaotic, and so he gets experience for throwing himself into danger without a plan. Franz denied mercy to a criminal, gaining experience. Druida is chaotic, and has yet to destroy an artifact of civilization.

Everyone learned something new and interesting about the world, but no truly notable enemies or treasures were seen. The GM decides that he may rewrite the end-of-session questions to be more tailored to the group. Nobody levels up.

When we leave Franz, Thessa, Malyde, and Druida, they all decide to continue pursuing the Prophetic Calendar. Each has their own motivation for wanting it: Franz must return it to the order. Thessa wants to study, and possibly gain power from this incredible artifact. Malyde is interested in the material value of the Calendar, while Druida sees it as the ultimate symbol of mankind and the gods, and vows to destroy it in order to keep the natural world safe.

GM’s Reflection:

This was my first session GMing Dungeon World. I love the way that the long-term story basically wrote itself. I had originally planned the bandit encampment to be a quick get-to-know-your-characters encounter. I figured that they may have stolen something or kidnapped someone, but I had no idea just how important this would be. My feeling was that the party would quickly recover whatever the bandits had, and then set off to turn it in for a reward. But the choices they made resulted in a golden opportunity for the Calendar to slip through their fingers. Now, as a GM, I have a carrot for them to chase through several more sessions.