Hard moves for Failing a Shapeshift

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Hard moves for Failing a Shapeshift
« on: December 16, 2014, 12:29:31 PM »
So I was just wondering other GMs of Dungeon World, how do you handle failures for Druids shapeshifting? I'm normally really creative, and have found multiple clever and dangerous ways of handling failed rolls (the last session we had, my bard failed a healing song roll in a castle that oozes necromantic magic...she accidentally raised one of the dead mages who was previously being nommed on by ghouls who almost TPK'd in a hilarious succession of bad damage die rolls.) Anyway, I can't figure out a way to handle a failed shapeshift. To me it just seems like they don't shapeshift. Any ideas to help this GM get some creativity flowing?

Re: Hard moves for Failing a Shapeshift
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2014, 08:32:39 AM »
Well, it depends a bit on what shapeshifting is like for your Druid. It's worth chatting with them about what it feels like, how it relates to the spirits, what they have to do to manage things and so forth. But off the top of my head - say the spirits withhold that animal or that domain until some future point. Or have them shift into a different animal. Or have them shift and get stuck. Or have them partially shift and be stuck with stubby, useless wings. Or have some of their belongings shift into them. Or attract the attention of malign spirits.

It's been a while since I DM'd. Failed Healing moves were always my least favourite, I'm glad you're rocking those.

Re: Hard moves for Failing a Shapeshift
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2015, 03:53:28 AM »
I have on several occasions turned their move on them in the following fashion: give them 1-3 different animal moves, 1-2 hold, and tell them they can't shapeshift back until they've spent all the hold.

My best memory of this is when a druid turned into a small fish, to slip out of an opponent's grip. When they failed the roll I let them transform and slip out of their hands, but gave them the moves catch insect and swim. Luckily her companions managed to dispatch the enemies and drop the poor fish into a water barrel before she suffocated. It was tense!

Moves that work well with this tend to be stuff like enjoy your natural habitat or run away from danger or hide in X or eat Y, in my experience.

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zmook

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Re: Hard moves for Failing a Shapeshift
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2015, 01:06:22 PM »
I like this!  Gonna use.