The Grand Introduction

West Marches concepts

West Marches is a style of gameplay wherein players are meant to drive all exploration of the available world, getting into trouble and hoping to return home alive enough to enjoy whatever spoils they've plundered from the untamed frontier. This style is also usually carried out in a more traditional-style rpg like DnD. But, I think DW would make a great platform for a West Marches campaign BECAUSE its system is so much more reactive to player choices and activity. Every decision (especially the mistakes) will be so much more consequential and immediately observable by every party after the other. There will be some introductory setting information and some customized mechanics to deal with, but first I want to introduce some of the main concepts.

## **No Schedule, no groups**

* The purpose of this kind of game is to draw from a large pool of players and have them group together with (in theory) a different group every time they play. This keeps the players on their toes about how to best approach the events of play and keeps the experience fresh for everyone. For Dungeon World particularly, having different combinations of playbooks for each session should greatly diversify the experience.
* Thus, sessions will always be scheduled by the players themselves. The players will have access to a number of “rumors” that function as leads for adventures. When someone wants to put together a group, they'll their availability and which lead they want to pursue. All others available at that time and interested in that lead can confirm to join. Groups will be limited to 3-5 players, so it'll be on a first-post basis. The session will then be set.
* There is no one session per week limit. As long as folks want to play and I'm available, we'll get into it. It's simply up to players to get together and organize an expedition. I will have a public calendar of my availability always available that will update on a regular basis.

## **Adventurers support adventurers**

* As new “rumors” are heard, I will post the info for a new adventure lead in the Roll20 group forum. However, after that, it will be entirely up to the adventurers to pass on useful and important information. After an adventure, the surviving adventurers will write a session summary, highlighting what they found interesting and important. You'll even mark XP for doing it!!! This is how other groups will follow up on the info gathered by other groups. The front for an adventure will likely not be completed by any single group and, so, it will be important for subsequent adventurers to have the right info to take effective steps forward.
* The campaign map in Roll20 comes prefilled with some common knowledge about the lay of the land in the West. However, once adventuring begins, it is entirely up to the adventurers to update the map during their explorations. Yes! You mark XP for that too!!! This is how other groups will plan their own paths into the West on the way to adventure.

## **Metzger's Monsters, Think Dangerous, and XP changes**

* The better part of the setting and dangers in this campaign will be a survey of monster manuals and modules published by Johnstone Metzger (if you're a fan of DW, highly suggest you head over to his site and pick them all up). I'll be introducing a few other things, but the major bent will be toward the unusual and deadly. Orcs and goblins will be few and far-between. You will see a Dragon sooner than you are really prepared for it. Living mushrooms, Slugotaurs, Monster Kings, Demon Gods, and the Death Wolf who eats them!
* So, it might sound like I'm trying to kill you. Well, not exactly. But, I do want to play toward the more interesting side of DW, where players rely on their wits and skill with activating Fiction rather than only rolling their +3 stat. So, while I'm still working to be a fan of adventurers, I'm going to focus equally on thinking dangerous:
	+ Everything in the world is a target. You’re thinking like an evil overlord: no single life is worth anything and there is nothing sacrosanct. Everything can be put in danger, everything can be destroyed. Nothing you create is ever protected. Whenever your eye falls on something you’ve created, think how it can be put in danger, fall apart or crumble. The world changes. Without the characters’ intervention, it changes for the worse.
* Mostly, XP will be the same as usual:
	+ You still mark XP for resolving a Bond
	+ You mark XP for acting according to your alignment
	+ If you learn new secrets about the world, mark XP
	+ As you might have guessed, it'll be pretty hard to say that you HAVEN'T overcome notable monsters (assuming you survive)
	+ Loot 250 coin or something memorable? Mark XP

* But, given the change in group composition and the high likelihood that people will be following in each others' footsteps, there will be some changes to gaining XP to counteract the fact that Bonds and secrets may be a little slow in the coming:
	+ Did you write a summary of your last adventure?
	+ Did you add features or notes to the world map?
	+ Finally, at the beginning of each session each player will be asked what their personal character goal is, i.e. get more fame, get X item, etc. For each player that completes their personal goal the entire group marks one XP.
* There is potential to mark lots of XP during an adventure with character goal. This is meant to keep players on task and allow for rapid leveling early on in a career. Death will certainly be waiting for adventurers around every corner and deals with death will be severe. So, I want some compensation in there for the potentially high body count.

## **Stay on target, stay on Target!**

* We've got limited time for each adventure, and groups will likely not be exactly the same even twice in a row. So, in order to keep forays into the Marches from being a mixed-up set of half-started one-shot adventures, we will be setting an Adventure Goal at the beginning of each adventure. This is determined by the players at the start of the session:

	+ Example: Oust the Bandits from Knifesbridge
* Then, the GM will come up with 4 Stakes questions (based around that goal and the characters involved) as a checklist against their progress by the end of the adventure:
	+ Example for "Oust the Bandits from Knifesbridge"
		- 1. Is the sheriff alive and well?
		- 2. Are the adventurers still in good legal standing?
		- 3. Do the adventurers have new leverage over the corrupt Mayor?
		- 4. Do the adventurers know where the bandits are hiding out?
* Finally, at the end of the adventure, we'll check to see if the adventurers have succeeded in their mission. If, yes, congratulations are in order. Victory is its own reward. However, if not, we'll roll a custom move based on the Stakes questions:
	+ If the adventurers have not completed the mission, the Leader of the adventure will roll 2d6-1, adding +1 for each "yes" answer to the Stakes Questions.
* Mostly we're looking to keep the group on task and in loose agreement about the proper course of action.
* If there is any disagreement about the Goal at the beginning of the adventure, the Leader (usually the player who proposed the adventure in the first place) will decide.

Johnstone Metzger's site
https://redboxvancouver.wordpress.com/