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A GMing telling the players about the gameworld is not like real life
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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 7576440" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>Quick excerpt of <strong>Torchbearer </strong>play and the cognitive workload and agency within a decision-point for the players. In another post, I'll examine what such a scenario might look like in Dungeon World.</p><p></p><p>Level 1 </p><p></p><p>Dwarf Adventurer</p><p>Elf Ranger</p><p>Halfling Burglar</p><p></p><p>They're at the end of their initial <em>Adventure</em>, a foray into a crystalline cavern network long ago abandoned by its demihuman denizens due to a calamity. Every member of the group has multiple <em>Conditions</em>, they're running low on rations, their skins are empty, and they only have 4 torches left between them.</p><p></p><p>They dealt with a Cave-in <em>Twist </em>awhile back that cut them off from the known route back to the surface. With severely dwindling resources and growing <em>Conditions</em>, they couldn't afford to spend the <em>Turns </em>trying to dig their way out. So, in hopes of finding a new way out, they struck off in another direction where active air flow worked the flames of their dying torchlight.</p><p></p><p>They reach a bottomless chasm spanned by an incredibly rickety rope bridge that is in near ruin in the middle and gently swaying in an unseen breeze. The ceiling is too high to see with the minuscule light of their torch and the endless dark below promises swift death. </p><p></p><p>Another torch goes out. 6 <em>Turns </em>of light left...(3 torches * 2 Turns).</p><p></p><p><em>The Grind</em> also hits on this turn (every 4 turns = <em>Condition </em>Clock ticks). <em>Hungry and Thirsty. </em> The last of the rations stave that off...</p><p></p><p>How to cross?</p><p></p><p>Time is the enemy.</p><p></p><p>The stakes are very high for this obstacle.</p><p></p><p><em>Conditions </em>are grinding down the team (the Halfling is <em>Afraid </em>so he can't Help, the Elf is <em>Injured </em>so -1D to <em>Nature/Will/Health/ Skills</em>, the Dwarf is <em>Angry </em>and <em>Exhausted </em>so can't use Traits to help and all tests increase by 1). </p><p></p><p>They have to weigh the potential time it would take to try to (a) find another way around, (b) attempt to repair the bridge, vs (c) the danger of a mad dash across (and the <em>Twist </em>or <em>Condition </em>that would arise from failure...) while still (d) dealing with the unknown of what lies ahead. </p><p></p><p>A mad dash across would just be 1 turn but would test <em>Dungeoneer </em>or <em>Will </em>(nerves) for all.</p><p></p><p>Repairing/jury-rigging it would be 2 turns, but the Elf has <em>Survivalist </em>2 and he can tap his <em>Nature </em>for 4 more (though it will tax his <em>Nature </em>because its out of his descriptor portfolio) with his <em>Persona </em>point he earned earlier for playing against a <em>Belief</em>, can use his 1/Session <em>"Brave" Trait</em> for 7 total. -1 for Injured. Someone has to scramble out there and hold the torch while the Elf does his work. The <em>Angry </em>and <em>Exhausted </em>Dwarf has to be the one (Halfing can't) and he has <em>Dungeoneering</em>, so fair enough. There is another 1, though the <em>Obstacles </em>factor increases by 1 from OB3 to OB4. Needs 4 or better on 4 out of his 7 dice. </p><p></p><p>They consider the possible <em>Twists </em>they can think of; losing gear, torch snuffing early and being stuck in the pitch black on the rickety bridge, some kind of Indiana Jones conflict with the the bridge snapping with them hung up in the tattered remnants...slamming them against the sheer face on the other side...while the Halfling is stuck back there, some unforeseen predator that haunts the cavern, one of them falls through to certain death but the other can grab him with a successful test...or fall too...</p><p></p><p>Then there is the prospect of getting across but another crushing <em>Condition </em>accrued for the Dwarf and Elf (putting them closer to death). </p><p></p><p>Its the best shot they have and they're reaching the proverbial end of the rope (/rimshot).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 7576440, member: 6696971"] Quick excerpt of [B]Torchbearer [/B]play and the cognitive workload and agency within a decision-point for the players. In another post, I'll examine what such a scenario might look like in Dungeon World. Level 1 Dwarf Adventurer Elf Ranger Halfling Burglar They're at the end of their initial [I]Adventure[/I], a foray into a crystalline cavern network long ago abandoned by its demihuman denizens due to a calamity. Every member of the group has multiple [I]Conditions[/I], they're running low on rations, their skins are empty, and they only have 4 torches left between them. They dealt with a Cave-in [I]Twist [/I]awhile back that cut them off from the known route back to the surface. With severely dwindling resources and growing [I]Conditions[/I], they couldn't afford to spend the [I]Turns [/I]trying to dig their way out. So, in hopes of finding a new way out, they struck off in another direction where active air flow worked the flames of their dying torchlight. They reach a bottomless chasm spanned by an incredibly rickety rope bridge that is in near ruin in the middle and gently swaying in an unseen breeze. The ceiling is too high to see with the minuscule light of their torch and the endless dark below promises swift death. Another torch goes out. 6 [I]Turns [/I]of light left...(3 torches * 2 Turns). [I]The Grind[/I] also hits on this turn (every 4 turns = [I]Condition [/I]Clock ticks). [I]Hungry and Thirsty. [/I] The last of the rations stave that off... How to cross? Time is the enemy. The stakes are very high for this obstacle. [I]Conditions [/I]are grinding down the team (the Halfling is [I]Afraid [/I]so he can't Help, the Elf is [I]Injured [/I]so -1D to [I]Nature/Will/Health/ Skills[/I], the Dwarf is [I]Angry [/I]and [I]Exhausted [/I]so can't use Traits to help and all tests increase by 1). They have to weigh the potential time it would take to try to (a) find another way around, (b) attempt to repair the bridge, vs (c) the danger of a mad dash across (and the [I]Twist [/I]or [I]Condition [/I]that would arise from failure...) while still (d) dealing with the unknown of what lies ahead. A mad dash across would just be 1 turn but would test [I]Dungeoneer [/I]or [I]Will [/I](nerves) for all. Repairing/jury-rigging it would be 2 turns, but the Elf has [I]Survivalist [/I]2 and he can tap his [I]Nature [/I]for 4 more (though it will tax his [I]Nature [/I]because its out of his descriptor portfolio) with his [I]Persona [/I]point he earned earlier for playing against a [I]Belief[/I], can use his 1/Session [I]"Brave" Trait[/I] for 7 total. -1 for Injured. Someone has to scramble out there and hold the torch while the Elf does his work. The [I]Angry [/I]and [I]Exhausted [/I]Dwarf has to be the one (Halfing can't) and he has [I]Dungeoneering[/I], so fair enough. There is another 1, though the [I]Obstacles [/I]factor increases by 1 from OB3 to OB4. Needs 4 or better on 4 out of his 7 dice. They consider the possible [I]Twists [/I]they can think of; losing gear, torch snuffing early and being stuck in the pitch black on the rickety bridge, some kind of Indiana Jones conflict with the the bridge snapping with them hung up in the tattered remnants...slamming them against the sheer face on the other side...while the Halfling is stuck back there, some unforeseen predator that haunts the cavern, one of them falls through to certain death but the other can grab him with a successful test...or fall too... Then there is the prospect of getting across but another crushing [I]Condition [/I]accrued for the Dwarf and Elf (putting them closer to death). Its the best shot they have and they're reaching the proverbial end of the rope (/rimshot). [/QUOTE]
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