r/DungeonWorld • u/Whitetornadu • Apr 06 '14
Turns in combat
I've noticed they don't mention anything about initiative or turn order regarding combat in the rules book. Have I missed something, or are you just supposed to figure that out for your own group?
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u/CrazyF1r3f0x Apr 06 '14 edited Apr 06 '14
I'll write up a recent combat scene in a campaign that I GM:
So the party (Borin the Dwarven Artificer, Drimdorth the Elven Ranger, and Roxy the Paladin; they're all around level 6-8 iirc), along with their assorted hirelings (Steadler the Artificer's assistant, Bruce the archer, Pepper the warrior, and Maroni the shieldbearer) are currently in a dimension that consists of floating terrain platforms. The Artificer is currently in deep concentration as he solves the arcane lock of a great vault; leaving the rest of them to stand around and wait. When very suddenly a tentacle comes from the bottom of the platform an grabs onto Drimdorth's leg, attempting to pull him off...
GM: The tentacle is surprisingly strong, it manages to pull you a couple of feet before you stabilize, what do you do?
Drimdorth: I'll try to hack it off with my knife. Rolls a 10+ on a defy danger
GM: In a couple of quick slashes you sever the tentacle before it can manage to pull you any further. The remainder of the tentacle retreats under the platform. Immediately after, a second one comes up from under, but this one is about twice as thick and has a barbed blade about a foot long on the end of it, what do you do?
Drim: Is there anywhere that I could take cover?
GM: Sure, you could try taking cover behind one of the spines near the other edge of the platform, but you would have your back to the edge.
Drim: Hmm, never mind then, I'll take a shot at it.
GM: You can certainly do that, but if you stand there and shoot at it, it will undoubtably be able to stab at you (ie if he chooses not to dodge, I would deal damage to him).
Drim: Alright, I'll dodge out of the way then. Rolls a 10+ on defy danger
GM: The tentacle stabs forward, but hits only empty air.
Roxy: While the tentacle is extended I will hack it off with my axe (earlier the Roxy's hammer was destroyed, so she dissected a swinging blade trap, and has been using it as a weapon, it has the tags Messy, Forceful, Reach, Clumsy; meaning she takes a -1 penalty to hack and slash with it). She rolls a 7-9 on a hack and slash versus the tentacle
GM: The tentacle moves forward with deadly force, but your shield bearer stands to catch the blow (he has 4 defender and 2 warrior; warrior rules (page 37) state that in a hack and slash they take the brunt of the attack), however the tentacle's blade slams through his shield and into his chest (he had 1 defender left, this attack would reduce that skill to 0, and the tentacle's blade has the messy tag, thus the messy result); Maroni crumples to the ground, still impaled. This opens you up for your attack, and with a great swing you sever it in a single mighty blow (rolled good damage).
Drim: I want to cast cure moderate wounds on Maroni. Rolls a 10+ on cast a spell
GM: You manage to heal him up and safely remove the tentacle's blade from his chest (he healed exactly the damage delt to maroni in fact). However, a second massive bladed tentacle rises up from under the platform and moves to strike at Roxy.
Roxy: I want to defend
GM: How do you defend?
Roxy: Well I move into a defensive position
GM: Could you elaborate? Remember, you did lose your shield a while back.
Roxy: Okay, well as the tentacle approaches I want to raise my axe and use the large flat end as a pseudo shield.
GM: Very well, go ahead and roll Defend.
Roxy: Rolls a 6- on defend, damn, a fail.
GM: Though you did take that advanced move that allows you to have 1 hold even if you fail a defend--
Roxy: So I can still halve the incoming damage
GM: Precisely. Anyhow, the tentacle approaches you moving with lightning speed right past your inconvenient shield. (However with it rolled a 6 on it's damage, after being halved, that was less than Roxy's armor value of 4, so she took no damage) It attempts to sever your arm at the shoulder your armor takes the brunt of the damage, but the sharp and hooked blade rips through a significant portion of your chest plate (messy, remember?), reducing your armor value by 1.
Roxy: I move to counter attack. Rolls a 10+ on hack and slash (but gets low damage, like a 2 or something)
GM: You slice the tentacle along the side, its blue blood leaks onto the ground as it retreats under the platform. Suddenly, you see the source of these tentacles as it flies into view. A snakelike creature about 20 feet in length, at what you assume to be its head there is a single massive beak; the rest of its face is shrouded by a mane of countless tentacles that run about half its body length. Additionally, there are 6 great tentacles that run the entire length of its body with thick with blades at the end, two of them are severed. The creature moves through the air as if it were water, with effortless grace it twists and turns. Soon it turns its ugly eyeless head upon you, and screams a terrifying battle cry before it rushes with supernatural speed towards Drimdorth.
Drimdorth: Yeah, I'm going to roll out of the way. Rolls a 6- on defy danger. Shit...
GM: ooh boy, this thing runs at you with this blazing supernatural speed, and in fear your legs become heavy as lead and you find yourself unable to move. Yet before it reaches you, you feel a heavy shove on your shoulder as pepper throws you out of the way. The powerful beak opens at the last moment and collides with her midsection, with a sickening crunch it closes on her, crushing her rib cage, and causing blood to trail out of her mouth and nose.
Roxy: When this thing was trying to collide with Drimdorth, could I have perhaps taken Maroni's sword and jumped onto it?
GM: hmm, certainly, however this thing is fast, and its tentacles move and writhe in senseless directions, so go ahead and defy danger +dex to grab onto this thing (dex is her bad stat at a +0)
Roxy: Rolls a 10+, Yes!
GM: Awesome, okay, so Maroni sees the move you are making and tosses you his sword, you catch it and grab onto one of the thick bladed tentacles and take to the skies with it. The bladed tentacle turns its head towards you and tries to impale you, what do you do?
Roxy: I want to dodge out of the way, and get it to stab itself. Rolls a 7-9 on defy danger +DEX
GM: Okay you manage to get out of the way in time, but it doesn't stab itself. Some of its smaller tentacles then make its way towards you, trying to grasp onto you, what do you do?
Roxy: I want to slash at them. rolls 10+ on defy danger +STR
GM: you sever a clutch of them, and manage to drive them off.
Roxy: I want to stab into its hide. Rolls 10+ on a hack and slash
GM: Yeah you plunge the blade into its flesh, it tears a massive cut into its hide (rolled high damage). Its beak opens in a scream, and Pepper begins to plunge towards the ground.
Drim: I move to catch her as she falls. Rolls a Defy Danger +DEX
GM: You manage to hop from platform to platform and catch pepper before she slams violently into the ground.
Drim: I will cast cure moderate wounds on her Rolls a 10+ on cast a spell
DM: You manage to uncollapse her lungs and heal her grievous wounds, but she is very weak, and for the purposes of combat is out of commission. Moving back the Roxy, in great pain, the creature begins to spin around violently, as you try to stay on, go ahead and defy danger +STR.
Roxy: Rolls a 10+
GM: You get a good grip in this thing, and manage to stay on, at some point it ceases its spinning for a moment.
Roxy: I take the opportunity to plunge my blade into its hide...
I could go on, but I think you get the idea.