Ptolus Dungeon World: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:58, 5 December 2014

This page details how we converted some of the basics from the 3.5-based Ptolus to the Dungeon World system. It is colored by having done this to support an existing campaign, switching to Dungeon World after the characters had already reached the upper-mid levels. At these levels, 3.5 tends to be about "you saved the city!", whereas Dungeon World is designed more towards a "you might starve while hiding from the rat men" sort of aesthetic. Ptolus is a bit more high energy and optimistic than the default of Dungeon World. Still, Dungeon World works very nicely in a big urban setting with lots of factions and obligation, but where dungeon crawling is still the focus of play.

Characters

We opted to use the alternative character creation system spelled out in Class Warfare, as this allowed creation of characters that more readily matched the PCs from our existing campaign. But, even had we started with new first level characters, we still would have done this. The playbooks in Dungeon World were built with an "old school" feel, and that feel isn't a great match to the more cosmopolitan Ptolus. For characters we converted, we adapted them from 3.5's 20-level system to Dungeon World's 10-level system by cutting their 3.5 levels in half.

Some characters required custom moves or even custom specialties (in Class Warfare terms), some of which are detailed below. Most received one or two faction moves (see below), though most starting characters probably would not.

Special Moves

The basic moves remain as is, as do most of the special moves from the book. While in Ptolus, some additional special moves are available.

some setting wide, generic moves

copying spells

using wands

craft something?

share an opinion about the empire...

Cast From a Wand

When you release a spell from a wand, roll+nothing. Take +1 if you are a spell caster of any kind. Take +1 if the spell is from your schools, spheres or repertoire. Take +1 if the level of the spell is less than your level. On a 10+, the spell is cast. On a miss, On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but choose one:

The wand cannot be used again for a day

On a miss, the wand looses its magic, becoming a glorified stick.

Faction Moves

While Ptolus, as written, contains factions and politics and such, it still remains largely about dungeon-delving, with the factions probably influencing the hows and whys of such exploration. And, while you could set a game entirely about political intrigue in Ptolus, that game wouldn't be Dungeon World, which is significantly more focused on dungeon-delving than politics. Even importing more political tech from other Powered-by-Apocalypse games (such as replacing Bonds with Strings from Monsterhearts) strays too far. So, how to mine the rich factions and politics of the setting in a way that plays to Dungeon World's strengths? We went with adding "faction moves" to the game.

You you get involved with some faction within the city, the GM may decide to represent your membership in or associate with that faction with a faction move reflecting the advantages and costs of dealing with that faction. The term "faction" casts an intentionally wide net, and might represent a particular guild, noble house, political affiliation, neighbourhood, organisation, society, or even race. Generally, faction moves involve a roll that exchanges possible obligation or other cost for assistance, information, matériel, bonuses or some other advantage. Most such moves will be tailored to the character. Some might be available to any character willing to pay membership dues, such as this one:

Delver's Guildsman

When you research an expedition under the city in the Delver's Guild maproom, roll+INT. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2, but other guildsmen get wind of your expedition. On a miss, hold 1, but some of the information you find will turn out to be dangerously misleading (the GM will tell you when). Spend hold while on the expedition to choose one of the following:

Take +1 to spout lore, discern realities or undertake a perilous journey.
Recognise a landmark when lost.
Find a guild waystation.

Ptolus

rich, growing, legion, safe, religion (Church of Lothian, others), exotic (technology, magic items, slaves, drugs), oath (Empire of Tarsis), trade (every steading nearby, most major cities), market, history, arcane, divine, guild (all varieties), craft (metalwork), power (political, divine)

Like all settlements in Dungeon World, Ptolus is a steading, an extremely large and prosperous one. Most locations in the city make available at least one custom move. Some examples:

when you worship at the...

when you enter the Necropolis at night...

when you use the observatory...

and so on.

Specialties

The following are some additional specialties for use with the Class Warfare character creation concept. Most of these exist to better match some d20 or Pathfinder concepts.

Spontaneous Caster

You have an innate connection to magic that manifests as an ability to cast a limited selection of spells. The spells you know reflect your nature and personality, your psyche made real.

Compendium Class

Barring some extremely unusual magical accident or event, this specialty should only be taken at character creation.

Stats

If you choose the spontaneous caster specialty, you get +1 load, and lower your maximum HP by 2, but not lower than 4+Constitution.

Starting Moves

You start with all three of these moves:

Arcane Potential

Magic courses through your veins, which you can manifest as a repertoire of ingrained spells. Your repertoire starts with three cantrips. When you gain a level, add a new magic spell of your level or lower to your repertoire.

Gather Mojo

When you spend uninterrupted time (an hour or so) in quiet contemplation of your inner nature, hold mojo equal to twice your level, minus 2. Lose any mojo you previously held.

Spontaneous Caster

When you cast a spell from your repertoire while holding at least as much mojo as the level of the spell, roll+CHA. On a 10+, the spell is successfully cast. On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but choose one:

After it is cast, spend mojo equal to the level of the spell.
The spell disturbs the fabric of reality as it is cast—take -1 ongoing to cast a spell until the next time you gather mojo.
You draw unwelcome attention or put yourself in a spot. The GM will tell you how.

Advanced Moves

When you gain a level from 2-5, you may choose from these moves:

Empowered Magic

(requires: Spontaneous Caster) 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.

Deep Connection

(requires: Gather Mojo) Choose a spell. You learn and cast that spell as if it were one level lower.

Expanded Repertoire

(requires: Arcane Potential) Add a new spell from the spell list of any class or archetype to your repertoire.

Improvisational Trick

(requires: Gather Mojo) When you create a fleeting advantage with raw magic, describe how you do it, then spend 1 mojo. Take +1 forward.

When you gain a level from 6-10, you may choose from these moves as well as the level 2-5 moves:

Deeper Connection

(requires: Deep Connection) Choose one spell in addition to the one you picked for prodigy. 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 the 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.

Spell Augmentation

(requires: Spontaneous Caster) 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.

Spontaneous Caster Alignments

You may choose one of these instead of a magician alignment:

Chaotic

Interfere with someone who opposes your nature.

Lawful

Pay the expected price when magic helps you.

Spontaneous Caster Bonds

__________ has seen my true face.
__________ can teach me much about myself, though they don't know it.
__________ is somehow connected to my source of magic.

Spontaneous Caster Gear

Choose one:

Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight).
Dungeon rations (5 uses, 1 weight).
Healing potion.

Spontaneous Caster Races

You may choose one of these instead of a magician race option:

Elf

Magic is as natural as breath to you. You know Detect Magic in addition to your other spells, and you cast it as if it were a cantrip.

Halfling

Choose one of your first level spells. When you cast this spell, one aspect of its effects—area, damage, range, targets, etc—is doubled.

Human

Choose one spell from another archetype, or from a school of magic you have not studied. You can cast it as if it were one of your own spells.

Heirophant

You walk the path of both divine and arcane magic, but can only hold so much in your head at once.

Compendium Class

Once you have compared and contrasted the divine realities you know to be true with the esoteric formulæ of codified spellbooks, uncovering a deeper reality, you may consider the heirophant caster specialty an available compendium class. The next time you level up, you may add this specialty to your character instead of choosing a move from your class.

Stats

If you choose the heirophant specialty, you get +1 load, and lower your maximum HP by 2, but not lower than 4+Constitution.

Starting Moves

You start with all three of these moves:

Hierophant Spellbook

You have mastered several spells and inscribed them in your spellbook. Choose a combination of three schools of magic or spheres of influence. You start with all the cantrips/rotes from each school/sphere and three first level spells chosen from those offered by your three choices. When you gain a level, add to your spellbook a new spell whose spell level is lower than yours, chosen from those offered by your three schools/spheres. Your spellbook is 1 weight.

Cast a Hierophant Spell

When you release a spell you’ve memorized, it is cast successfully (as if you had rolled 12+, if it matters), but you forget it and cannot cast this spell again until your re-memorize it. If a spell would give you a -1 ongoing penalty to cast a spell, ignore it and take -1 forward instead.

Prepare Hierophant Spells

When you spend an hour or so in quiet contemplation of the divine nature of the spells in your spellbook, you:

Forget any spells you already memorized.
Memorize all cantrips and rotes in your spell book.
Memorize new spells whose number does not exceed your level+2, and whose total levels does not exceed twice your level. You cannot memorize the same spell more than once.

Advanced Moves

When you gain a level from 2-5, you may choose from these moves:

Enlightened

(requires: Prepare Hierophant Spells)

Choose a spell. You learn and cast that spell as if it were one level lower.

Expanded Spellbook

(requires: Hierophant Spellbook)

Add a new spell from the spell list of any class or archetype to your repertoire.

Quick Study

When you see the effects of a 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, you may choose from these moves as well as the level 2-5 moves:

Doyen

(requires: Enlightened)

Choose one spell in addition to the one you picked for prodigy. You prepare that spell as if it were one level lower.

Expanded Sphere of Influence

(requires: Expanded Spellbook) Select an additional sphere of influence. Add rotes from this sphere to your spellbook. When you gain a level, you may include this sphere in those from which you may choose spells.

Spell Augmentation

(requires: Spontaneous Caster)

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.

Spontaneous Caster Alignments

You may choose one of these instead of a magician alignment:

Neutral

Reconcile your divine and arcane nature.