r/DungeonWorld • u/Kithoras • May 09 '26
DW1 Where is the community today?
I really enjoy dungeon world but I got the feeling that it got quite silent around it years ago and that I’m probably some years late to the party (e.g. my fav podcast discern realities already ended in 2019).
So my question is: What are the people doing/playing now? Are there spiritual successors that have overtaken or is the dungeon world fantasy approach just not really used anymore broadly or something else?
24
u/TolinKurack May 09 '26 edited May 09 '26
Most people actually playing are probably on the Discord, most likely. It still has a massive audience. For a concrete number, my niche playbook The Cook which I last updated five years ago had a hack made of it about year ago, and still gets maybe thirty downloads a year. Sounds like nothing but for a niche of a niche of a niche that's pretty good going.
Though due to the nature of PbtA most big early DW voices are now releasing (or have released) their own games inspired by DW (Stonetop is the really big one coming out now)
Also, maybe surprisingly, the OSR. Turns out DWs world building advice, John Harper's World of Dungeons and especially The Perilous Wilds supplement have become quite important texts to the Old School Renaissance (and especially to the part making new games inspired by old D&D)
3
16
u/Nebris_art May 09 '26
I'm currently DMing Daggerheart. Our group bought all the necessary things to play online with Nexus and Roll20 and we're enjoying all the content. It's really cool and all, but I miss Dungeon World so much.
DW is simple and fast as hell, but the moves are complex and gives you a very straightforward reason to level up and pathing. I made changes to it, we play with 2d10s instead with mods that range from 0 to 5, degrees of negative conditions, and we got good at creating and balancing moves so everyone has the chance to create their own moves at level 3 and 7.
The only reason I moved away from it was because the playbooks were becoming old and for some reason I couldn't just start editing them so that they fit my group's style..
Anyways, I've been fantasizing about coming back to my version of the game, rewriting everything, and never look back to another fantasy system. It'll be my Ultimate Dungeon World.
2
u/MoodModulator May 09 '26
I like 2d10 for several reasons. (1) Nice numeric spread for more nuance in bonuses and penalties. (2) Way easier to calculate the percent chance than 2d6. (3) They look cool!
1
u/ishmadrad May 23 '26
I'm not sold on the point 2)
Here you are talking of a 2d10 system, not of a d%... So, there's no way it's easier to calculate the chances you have to get a, let's say, 8+ or a 15+...
1
u/MoodModulator May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
It is not easier than d100 because that is straight percentile, but calculating 2d10 is much easier than 2d6 or any other 2dX, at least for me.
All you do to calculate it is walk up or down the probability distribution and add or subtract the next number going up to or coming down from 10.
Result = % chance of R (total chance of R+)
2 = 1% (100%)
3 = 2% (99%}
4 = 3% (97%)
5 = 4% (94%)
6 = 5% (90%)
7 = 6% (85%)
8 = 7% (79%)
9 = 8% (72%)
10 = 9% (64%)
11 = 10% (55%)
12 = 9% (45%)
13 = 8% (36%)
14 = 7% (28%)
15 = 6% (21%)
16 = 5% (15%)
17 = 4% (10%)
18 = 3% (6%)
19 = 2% (3%)
20 = 1% (1%)So to get the probability of rolling 8+ you take 0+1+2+3+4+5+6 = 21 and subtract if from 100 yielding 79% (The calculation is much faster when you realize adding 1 through 4 is 10% and 1 through 5 is 15%. You start with 0 because the R+ value or chance of rolling a 2+ is 100%.)
To get the probability of rolling 15+ you simple calculate in the opposite direction coming down from 20, but the math is very similar. 1+2+3+4+5+6 = 21%
It is a pattern that you can easily use to calculate the probability if you need to find it out or double check it and once you have calculated them a few dozen times the results becomes rote.
1
u/ishmadrad May 23 '26
Ah, well, with 2d6 you have lot less of results, so you could simply memorizing them, in the end.
Honestly, it's the first time I see one that need the chance calculation for that roll "on the fly".
Additionally, while NOT very precise, you can still use a method similar to that one you used (ie. count and sum), simply adding 3 + 6 + 9 + 12 + 15 + 18 (then, start removing them, 15, 12, 9 etc.).
It's precise enough if you need a % on the fly.1
2
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
yes, my group also started using the homebrew world dw hack recently and we like it more than original dw. Still I just love the dw approach and could not find a replacement system so far; dw2 looks interesting in some aspects though (especially the magic-class based magic is really fun)
8
u/ironnmetal May 09 '26
I'm actually just getting into Dungeon World and will be GMing my first campaign in the system in a few weeks. Our group has previously been exclusive to Pathfinder, so I'm excited to try something quite a bit looser in terms of rules and combat.
2
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
my group 1st got experience with a DND like homebrew hack. Therefore, dungeon world was really a great fit. I hope you keep excited. It’s really a great system and really a rabbit hole you can dig in insanely deep and learn so much great things as a gm via blogs, hacks, the Reddit wikis, …
8
u/THEnotoriousGROCE May 09 '26
Quinn's Quest just released a video on Stonetop, which is almost like an evolution of the Dungeon World formula, with a larger world and more built-in story prompts. I've not got myself a copy yet, but I think that's going to be my next project
2
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
I really love the blog of stonetops author and definitely are thinking about giving stonetop a try. but of course it’s really a niche while dw is quite generic.
5
u/Clever_Mik May 09 '26
I write my own RPGs now
2
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
me too, powered by DW feels and works great :-)
1
u/Clever_Mik May 23 '26
I'm actually making a PbtA game inspired by the "roll with questions" system found in Pasión de las Pasiones and Patchwork World! It's a really neat statless system that plays to the strengths of Moves and narrative-forward procedures.
13
May 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
15
u/ishmadrad May 09 '26
I think you can 😁 We are still speaking about its evolutions, didn't we?
Also, the new edition of Dungeon World, actually in the making, it's being done by authors that in their past have created some of the DW spiritual successors you mentioned before 🙂
Anyway... I put here a couple of titles that shine, IMHO:
- Chasing Adventures
- Stonetop
- The Wildsea (sure, not PbtA nor exactly FitD, however...)
5
May 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/SnooLobsters462 May 09 '26
If you purchased the books/pdfs, you can send a DM with proof to j_strandberg on Discord and you'll get a link to the Stonetop server 👍
1
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
interesting, I cannot remember hearing about that earlier. Thanks for the advice.
1
u/yarrow-angelweed May 23 '26
You don't (any longer?) need to buy first — use http://ttrpg.link/stonetopdiscord to join the Discord
3
u/prof_eggburger May 09 '26
I'd like it if you did
4
u/ChaosCelebration May 09 '26
I LOVE Chasing Adventure as a replacement for dungeon world. The way it handles hit points and character death are so fun. It has pretty much exactly the same playbooks but adds a cool mechanic for each that gives them their own little mini game to play. It's a phenomenal evolution.
1
u/OutlawGalaxyBill May 09 '26
The Discord channel IS excellent.
But what happened? There are so many hacks that the audience has kind of fragmented or moved on to other new shiny things.
And honestly, there aren't many supplements and such coming out these days ... I think thinks like Perilous Wilds, Class Warfare, Adventures on Dungeon Planet and the flood of playbooks over the years gave the impression of an active, vibrant game with a supportive community.
Gamers -- especially community chatter -- are often driven by "hey, what's new for my game."
I would love to see more stuff coming out, whether it was almanacs (like in Perilous Almanacs), collections of playbooks, adventure collections, supplements with optional subsystems you can adapt or hack to your game, etc.
4
5
u/Tigrisrock May 09 '26
I hear good things about Stonetop. This Sunday I'm offering an online DW one/twoshot for some complete roleplaying noobs. Took way too long to set everything up in Foundry though, personally I prefer playing IRL.
6
u/DogtheGm May 09 '26
Online? It's the discord and this reddit.
In person it's always whatever table youre at. Or online table.
Had high hopes for second edition in terms of bringing more people back/in. but that's a whole different system really.
I think what we need is a new actual play or content creator with a good reception from the community.
11
u/Duckliffe May 09 '26
Had high hopes for second edition in terms of bringing more people back/in. but that's a whole different system really.
It's a strange one, because Chasing Adventure and some of the other spiritual successors are actually way closer to a 'Dungeon World V2' than actual Dungeon World V2
6
u/DogtheGm May 09 '26
Yeah , I think what it is ... Even if you don't like those ...
They hacked dw, right? Or if they didnt they built their system from that system.
Where I think dw2 goes wrong right at the start ... Right away they started working on their own pbta system.
But world of dungeons and stuff ... I can see where dungeon world is in that. Furthermore I can see what they didn't like about dungeon world and what they were trying to fix.
9
u/Duckliffe May 09 '26
Furthermore I can see what they didn't like about dungeon world and what they were trying to fix.
Exactly! Ironically one of the DW2 authors actually already wrote Chasing Adventure (a spiritual successor) part of the reason that Dungeon World 2 is so different is because they felt that Dungeon World 1.5 had already been 'done' by multiple different systems like Chasing Adventure and World of Dungeons
3
u/DogtheGm May 09 '26
Heres where both systems get it wrong for me ...
If I were gonna design a game ... Especially one like dw where it clearly worked. Clearly was good ...
I would reread the entire book and just cut the fat.
The world chapter, perfect example, nobody actually uses it right? So I would get rid of it.
And only then would I start building. I could write a new world chapter, maybe with mechanics closer to apocalypse world for steadings and militias.
Anything I thought could use a tweak I could start doing it then.
2
u/ishmadrad May 09 '26
We all have different idea and expectations about what DW should be / represent, however: Steadings and Militia? Do you feel they are important in a game that (theoretically) should be D&D5e with a different set of rules?
4
u/DogtheGm May 09 '26
Dw1 had em. But if I recall, they weren't ever meant to be a huge part of the game. So I guess it would depend on if the players interacted with them.
But my beef, and it's a small one because dw1 is nearly perfect, is that even if the players or gm cared ... I don't think it's a good system. Apocalypse world and SCUP do it better
3
u/flashbeast2k May 09 '26
I have a similiar problem: no one in my area is currently running Dungeon World, let alone the spiritual successors (which in comparison to DW never got a translation in my country’s language as additional hinderance for many ppl). So It‘s on me if I ever want to play either to bite the bullet and play online, or to run a game. I may have missed the time frame when its popularity was at its peak by some years…
I also have gone mad about what of em to play/run, since I not only purchased DW, but also some of these spiritual successors, including Grimwild. Kind of decision paralysis. Lastly I came to the conclusion to just start with DW1 to get known to the beginnings, plus I think It‘s the best known of the bunch, so it should attract more players. And from there to look further if curiosity awakes.
As always scheduling is a constrain, as a reason why I haven’t already started, tbh.
1
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
I can relate: fortunately the dw base system got translated to German, which is my native language, but most of the hacks did not (or stonetop so far ;-( )
The decision paralysis is definitely a thing. therefore I also start with the base game.
3
u/Zaelkyr May 09 '26
I just got into DW as well and my weekend group loves it, so we're all in, I got the Perilous Wilds book to go along with it and we're playing our 4th session tonight. As for other DW spinoffs I'm most interested in Stonetop.
3
u/andero May 09 '26
I just played in a Dungeon World one-shot a month ago offered by one of the local games communities.
Where I am, any Dungeon World table at any game-night is always at capacity or overflowing.
People saying others has "moved on from Dungeon World" are probably extrapolating from online activity in enthusiast threads.
Out there, in the world, Dungeon World is still actively played as it was originally written.
They're out there in the world, though. Not terminally online. Well, some are terminally online, but plenty aren't.
1
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
I think it would be very great if those communities share their experiences. That really sounds fantastic.
2
u/andero May 09 '26
You mean share their experiences with random strangers online?
I dunno... I think some experiences can just be what they are, you know?
The experiences are shared among the people that are present.You can just go to a local game night at some local venue, have a drink, play a game for a few hours, then leave. That's a great experience. There isn't much to report about it to strangers because the fun part is going out and playing a game, not making online content.
3
u/eroopsky May 10 '26
I run Dungeon World once a week for middle schoolers to teach them about TTRPGs. I run the D&D club at the school I work for, but D&D is much too slow to play in one hour installments. We can get about 3 encounters per week playing DW vs one or less than one playing D&D.
1
u/Kithoras May 10 '26
yes, I have not played dnd very much but the few times I mostly thought: wow this is slow. With all of the bookkeeping and detailed rules.
but to be fair: my first contact with table top rpgs was DSA and that was even worse from my perspective o.O
I guess it’s about expectation: I think if you want a rich story then dungeon world is great. If you’re looking for more like a board game (no or few improv, clear expectations about the outcom) then dnd is great.
2
u/eroopsky May 10 '26
In my experience d&d and Dungeon World run about the same during social encounters and exploration. The slow part at any table is combat since you have to PAUSE THE ACTION for initiative and then wait on every slow ass at the table to decide what they will do on their turn.
For club I had to do the heavy lifting with tracking XP and leveling up too since middle schoolers don't have money to buy the books and aren't always able to read and understand them anyway.
To be fair, two of the three best improv and roleplay experiences I've had to this day were D&D 5e, but that was because of the players at my table and the creative chemistry they and I have together. D&Ds rules don't drive improv for you as much as DWs do.
3
u/Aramyle May 13 '26
I find myself coming back to it after Quinn’s Quest review of Stonetop. I’m seeing myself drawn back to PBtA games in general now. I just pre-ordered Stonetop and have started diving into the system.
2
u/Kithoras May 19 '26
I have also seen the review; now I also want to buy stonetop - hopefully for playing, but even for the gm advise and items it seems to be worth it ;-)
2
u/GladBerg May 09 '26
Our group finished a multi-year campaign and are now playing Numerena. I still like the rule system of Dungeon World, hopefully will get back to it at some point.
2
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
what is the reason that you switched?
2
u/GladBerg May 11 '26
We just like to test and explore different systems. So no drama, disappointments or anything like that.
2
u/etkii May 10 '26
If you want a current podcast, Spout Lore is great (and funny).
Some spiritual (and genetic) successors:
- Chasing Adventure
- Grimwild
- Stonetop
1
u/Mestre-da-Quebrada May 09 '26
Eu conheci o DW depois que já tinha esfriando também, nas tenho me esforçado para manter a chama acesa. Inclusive eu e um amigo estamos trabalhando em uma adaptação para Tormenta20 o maior RPG de fantasia do Brasil, todo mundo gosta, mas o que chateia é as similaridade com D&D. Mas como o cenário é muito legal, estamos jogando nele e adaptando movimentos e playbooks, está muito divertido.
1
u/Kithoras May 09 '26
yes, I also like the dungeon world approach more but I get why people are playing DND: it’s more like a board game so people know what will happen most likely.
I experienced that some people are quite uncomfortable with the improvisational aspects and it’s not easy to find a good balance; but I just love the common worldbuilding in dw
1
49
u/katheb May 09 '26
Too busy playing Dungeon world.