1. Dungeon World Character Creator
2. Dungeon World Thief Character Sheet
3. Dungeon World Character Creator Download
4. Dungeon World Character Sheet
5. Dungeon Map Creator

The first session of a game of Dungeon World begins with character creation. Character creation is also world creation, the details on the character sheets and the questions the GM asks establish what Dungeon World is like—who lives in it and what's going on.

This section is for the GM so it's addressed to you—the GM. For the players, the first session is just like every other. They just have to play their characters like real people and explore Dungeon World. The GM has to do a little more in the first session. They establish the world and the threats the players will face. Don't worry, it's fun.

Making Dungeon World characters is quick and easy. You should all create your first characters together at the beginning of your First Session. Character creation is, just like play, a kind of conversation—everyone should be there for it. You may need to make another character during play, if yours gets killed for example. You can create or select a ready-made world through the profile menu by clicking the Worlds line or through the main menu by clicking Create World. Bonds represent the feelings, opinions, desires and shared history that make the player characters a party of adventurers and not just a random assortment of people. Each bond is a simple statement that relates your character to a party member. A few 'fill in the blank' standard bonds are found in each core class playbook with the idea that you can create your own even during character. Dungeon Generator. DunGen will generate high resolution dungeons ready to use in your favorite virtual tabletops. Take a look at the Frequently Asked Questions for help. If you like it, make sure to check out my Patreon page for some cool perks. Instead we’ll get into character and world creation this week. As I said, we had a Dungeon World campaign before. It was set in a primitive but magic-rich fantasy world where a thousand-mile long wall kept all the nameless gods and monsters out, then some bright spark made a city right in the middle of it.

Dungeon World Character Creator

Prep

Before the first session, you'll need to print some stuff. Print off:

• A few copies of the basic moves and special moves (double sided, basic on one side and special on the other). You'll want about one per player.
• One copy of each class sheet, double sided.
• One copy each of the cleric and wizard spell sheets, double sided.
• A few copies of the equipment sheet.
• The GM moves.
• The GM worksheets.

You'll also need to read this whole book, especially the sections on GMing (GM moves) and the basic moves. It's a good idea to be acquainted with the class moves too, so you can be prepared for them. Be especially sure to read the rules for Fronts, but don't create any yet.

Think about fantastic worlds, strange magic, and foul beasts. If you've played other fantasy games like Dungeons and Dragons think back to what made your old games so much fun. Remember the games you played and the stories you told. They can all provide inspiration for your Dungeon World game. Watch some movies, read some comics; get heroic fantasy into your brain.

What you bring to the first session, ideas-wise, is up to you. At the very least bring your head full of ideas. That's the bare minimum.

If you like you can plan a little more. Maybe think of an evil plot, or who's behind it, or some monsters you'd like to use.

If you've got some spare time on your hands you can even draw some maps (but remember, from your Principles: leave blanks) and imagine specific locations. Flexibility is key when planning: what happens during character creation trumps anything you wrote ahead of time.

The one thing you absolutely can't bring to the table is a planned storyline or plot. You don't know the heroes or the world before you sit down to play so planning anything concrete is just going to frustrate you. It also conflicts with your Agenda: play to find out what happens.

Don't use the Fronts rules (in the next chapter) for the first session either. Those will come with time but in the first session you need to be able to focus more on getting the game rolling. The big picture doesn't matter so much, yet. Instead focus on getting the players into action, interacting with each other, and using the rules.

Getting Started

When everyone shows up for the first session briefly introduce anyone who hasn't played before to Dungeon World. Cover the mechanical basis of moves. Introduce the character classes, help players pick their classes, and walk them through character creation.

During this entire process, especially character creation, ask questions. Look for interesting facts established by the characters' Bonds, moves, classes, and descriptions and ask about those things. Be curious! When someone mentions the demons that slaughtered their village find out more about them. After all, you don't have anything (except maybe a dungeon) and everything they give you is fuel for future adventures.

Also pay attention to the players' questions. When mechanical questions come up answer them. When questions of setting or fiction come up your best bet is to turn those questions around. When a player says 'Who is the King of Torsea' say 'I don't know. Who is it? What is he like?' Collaborate with your players. Asking a question means it's something that interests them so work with them to make the answers interesting. Don't be afraid to say 'I don't know' and ask them the same questions; work together to find a fantastic and interesting answer.

Share the ideas you've brought to the table (either general ones or even a specific dungeon). If you're interested in starting with the players hunting for a lost wizard, tell them that. Until the players agree, it's just your idea. Once they nod their heads, it's part of the game.

Once everyone has their characters created you can take a deep breath. Look back over the questions you've asked and answered so far. You should have some notes that will point you towards what the game might look like. Look at what the players have brought to the table. Look at the ideas that've been stewing away in your head. It's time for the adventure to begin!

The First Adventure

The first adventure is really about finding out what future sessions will deal with. Throughout the first adventure keep your eye out for unresolved threats; note dangerous things that are mentioned but not dealt with. These will be fuel for future sessions.

Start the session with a group of player characters (maybe all of them) in a tense situation. Use anything that demands action: outside the entrance to a dungeon, ambushed in a fetid swamp, peeking through the crack in a door at the orc guards, or being sentenced before the King. If the situation stems directly from the characters and your questions, all the better.

Here's where the game starts. The players will start saying and doing things, which means they'll start making moves. For the first session you should watch especially carefully for when moves apply, until the players get the hang of it. Often, in the early sessions, the players will be most comfortable just narrating their actions—this is fine. When a move triggers let them know. Say 'It sounds like you're trying to…' and then walk them through the move. Players looking for direction will look to their character sheet. Be quick to ask 'so what are you actually doing?' when a player just says 'I Hack and Slash him.' Ask, too, 'how?' or 'with what?'.

For the first session, you have a few specific goals:

• Establish details, describe
• Use what they give you
• Ask questions
• Leave blanks
• Look for interesting facts
• Help the players understand the moves
• Give each character a chance to shine
• Introduce NPCs

Establish details, describe

All the ideas and visions in your head don't really exist in the fiction of the game until you share them, describe them and detail them. The first session is the time to establish the basics of what things look like, who's in charge, what they wear, what the world is like, what the immediate location is like. Describe everything but keep it brief enough to expand on later. Use a detail or two to make a description really stand out as real.

Use what they give you

The best part of the first session is you don't have to come with anything concrete. You might have a dungeon sketched out but the players provide the real meat—use it. They'll emerge from the darkness of that first dungeon and when they do and their eyes adjust to the light, you'll have built up an exciting world to explore with their help. Look at their Bonds, their moves, how they answer your questions and use those to fill in the world around the characters.

Ask questions

You're using what they give you, right? What if you need more? That's when you draw it out by asking questions. Poke and prod about specific things. Ask for reactions 'what does Lux think about that?' 'is Avon doing something about it?'

If you ever find yourself at a loss, pause for a second and ask a question. Ask one character a question about another. When a character does something, ask how a different character feels or reacts. Questions will power your game and make it feel real and exciting. Use the answers you find to fill in what might happen next.

Leave blanks

This is one of your Principles, but it's especially true during the first session. Every blank is another cool thing waiting to happen, leave yourself a stock of them.

Look for interesting facts

There are some ideas that, when you hear them, just jump out at you. When you hear one of those ideas, just write it down. When a player mentions the Duke of Sorrows being the demon he bargained with, note it. That little fact is the seed for a whole world.

Help the players understand the moves

You've already read the game, the players may not have, so it's up to you to help them if they need it. The fact is, they likely won't need it much. All they have to do is describe what their character does, the rules take care of the rest.

The one place they may need some help is remembering the triggers for the moves. Keep an ear out for actions that trigger moves, like attacking in melee or consulting their knowledge. After a few moves the players will likely remember them on their own.

Give each character a chance to shine

As a fan of the heroes (remember your Agenda?) you want to see them do what they do best. Give them a chance at this, not by tailoring every room to their skills, but by portraying a fantastic world (Agenda again) where there isn't one solution to everything.

Introduce NPCs

NPCs bring the world to life. If every monster does nothing more than attack and every blacksmith sets out their wares for simple payment the world is dead. Instead give your characters, especially those that the players show an interest in, life (Principles, remember?). Introduce NPCs but don't protect them. The recently-deceased Goblin King is just as useful for future adventures as the one who's still alive.

The first session of a game of Dungeon World begins with character creation.Character creation is also world creation, the details on the character sheetsand the questions that you ask establish what Dungeon World is like—who livesin it and what’s going on.

This section is for the GM so it’s addressed to you—the GM. For the players,the first session is just like every other. They just have to play theircharacters like real people and explore Dungeon World. You have to do a littlemore in the first session. You establish the world and the threats the playerswill face.

Prep

Before the first session, you’ll need to print some stuff. Print off:

• A few copies of the basic moves
• One copy of each class sheet, double-sided
• One copy each of the cleric and wizard spell sheets, double-sided
• The GM sheet

You’ll also need to read this whole book, especially the sections on GMing(GM moves) and the basic moves. It’s a good idea to be acquainted with theclass moves too, so you can be prepared for them. Be especially sure to readthe rules for fronts, but don’t create any yet.

Think about fantastic worlds, strange magic, and foul beasts. Remember thegames you played and the stories you told. Watch some movies, read somecomics; get heroic fantasy into your brain.

What you bring to the first session, ideas-wise, is up to you. At the veryleast bring your head full of ideas. That’s the bare minimum.

If you like you can plan a little more. Maybe think of an evil plot and who’sbehind it, or some monsters you’d like to use.

If you’ve got some spare time on your hands you can even draw some maps (butremember, from your principles: leave blanks) and imagine specific locations.

The one thing you absolutely can’t bring to the table is a planned storylineor plot. You don’t know the heroes or the world before you sit down to play soplanning anything concrete is just going to frustrate you. It also conflictswith your agenda: play to find out what happens.

Getting Started

When everyone shows up for the first session briefly introduce Dungeon Worldto anyone who hasn’t played before. Cover the mechanical basis of moves.Introduce the character classes, help players pick their classes, and walkthem through character creation.

Your role during character creation is threefold: help everyone, askquestions, and take notes. When a player makes a choice—particularly for theirbonds—ask them about it. Get more detail. Think about what these details mean.

You should also set expectations: the players are to play their characters aspeople—skilled adventurers delving into dangerous places, but real people.Your role is to play the rest of the world as a dynamic, changing place.

Some questions commonly come up during character creation. You should be readyto answer them:

Are the characters friends? No, not necessarily, but they do work togetheras a team for common goals. Their reasons for pursuing those goals may bedifferent, but they manage to work together.

Are there other wizards? Not really. There are other workers of arcanemagic, and the common folk may call them wizards, but they’re not like you.They don’t have the same abilities, though they may be similar. Later on theremay be another player character with the same class but no GM character willever really be a wizard (or any other class).

What’s coin? Coin’s the currency of the realm. It’s good pretty mucheverywhere. It’ll buy you mundane stuff, like steel swords and wooden staves.The special stuff, like magic weapons, isn’t for sale. Not for coin, anyway…

Is the GM trying to kill us? No. The GM’s job is to portray the world andthe things in it and the world is a very dangerous place. You might die. Thatdoesn’t mean the GM is out to get you.

During this entire process, especially character creation, ask questions. Lookfor interesting facts established by the characters’ bonds, moves, classes,and descriptions and ask about those things. Be curious! When someonementions the demons that slaughtered their village find out more about them.After all, you don’t have anything (except maybe a dungeon) and everythingthey give you is fuel for future adventures.

Also pay attention to the players’ questions. When mechanical questions comeup answer them. When questions of setting or fiction come up your best bet isto turn those questions around. When a player says, “Who is the King ofTorsea,” say, “I don’t know. Who is it? What is he like?” Collaborate withyour players. Asking a question means it’s something that interests them sowork with them to make the answers interesting. Don’t be afraid to say, “Idon’t know” and ask them the same questions. Work together to find a fantasticand interesting answer.

If you’ve come to the table with some ideas about stuff you’d like to see inthe world, share them with the players. Their characters are theirresponsibility and the world is yours—you’ve got a lot of say in what lives init. If you want the game to be about a hunt for the lost sorcerer-race ofaeons past, say so! If the players aren’t interested or they’re sick to deathof sorcerers, they’ll let you know and you can work together to find someother way. You don’t need pre-approval for everything but making sure everyoneis excited about the broad strokes of the world is a great start.

Once everyone has their characters created you can take a deep breath. Lookback over the questions you’ve asked and answered so far. You should have somenotes that will point you towards what the game might look like. Look at whatthe players have brought to the table. Look to the ideas that’ve been stewingaway in your head. It’s time for the adventure to begin!

The First Adventure

The first adventure is really about discovering the direction that futuresessions will take. Throughout the first adventure keep your eye out forunresolved threats; note dangerous things that are mentioned but not dealtwith. These will be fuel for sessions to come.

Start the session with a group of player characters (maybe all of them) in atense situation. Use anything that demands action: outside the entrance to adungeon, ambushed in a fetid swamp, peeking through the crack in a door at theorc guards, or being sentenced before King Levus. Ask questions rightaway—“who is leading the ambush against you?” or “what did you do to make KingLevus so mad?” If the situation stems directly from the characters and yourquestions, all the better.

Here’s where the game starts. The players will start saying and doing things,which means they’ll start making moves. For the first session you should watchespecially carefully for when moves apply, until the players get the hang ofit. Often, in the early sessions, the players will be most comfortable justnarrating their actions—this is fine. When a move triggers let them know. Say,“It sounds like you’re trying to…” and then walk them through the move.Players looking for direction will look to their character sheet. When aplayer just says “I hack and slash him” be quick to ask, “so what are youactually doing?” Ask “How?” or “With what?”

For the first session, you have a few specific goals:

• Establish details, describe
• Use what they give you
• Ask questions
• Leave blanks
• Look for interesting facts
• Help the players understand the moves
• Give each character a chance to shine
• Introduce NPCs

Establish details, describe

All the ideas and visions in your head don’t really exist in the fiction ofthe game until you share them, describe them, and detail them. The firstsession is the time to establish the basics of what things look like, who’s incharge, what they wear, what the world is like, what the immediate location islike. Describe everything but keep it brief enough to expand on later. Use adetail or two to make a description really stand out as real.

Use what they give you

The best part of the first session is you don’t have to come with anythingconcrete. You might have a dungeon sketched out but the players provide thereal meat—use it. They’ll emerge from the darkness of that first dungeon andwhen they do and their eyes adjust to the light, you’ll have built up anexciting world to explore with their help. Look at their bonds, their moves,how they answer your questions and use what you find to fill in the worldaround the characters.

Dungeon World Thief Character Sheet

Ask questions

You’re using what they give you, right? What if you need more? That’s when youdraw it out by asking questions. Poke and prod about specific things. Ask forreactions: “What does Lux think about that?” “Is Avon doing something aboutit?”

If you ever find yourself at a loss, pause for a second and ask a question.Ask one character a question about another. When a character does something,ask how a different character feels or reacts. Questions will power your gameand make it feel real and exciting. Use the answers you find to fill in whatmight happen next.

Leave blanks

This is one of your principles, but it’s especially true during the firstsession. Every blank is another cool thing waiting to happen; leave yourself astock of them.

Look for interesting facts

There are some ideas that, when you hear them, just jump out at you. When youhear one of those ideas, just write it down. When a player mentions the Dukeof Sorrows being the demon he bargained with, note it. That little fact is theseed for a whole world.

Help the players understand the moves

You’ve already read the game, the players may not have, so it’s up to you tohelp them if they need it. The fact is, they likely won’t need it much. Allthey have to do is describe what their character does, the rules take care ofthe rest.

The one place they may need some help is remembering the triggers for themoves. Keep an ear out for actions that trigger moves, like attacking in meleeor consulting their knowledge. After a few moves the players will likelyremember them on their own.

Give each character a chance to shine

Dungeon World Character Creator Download

As a fan of the heroes (remember your agenda?) you want to see them do whatthey do best. Give them a chance at this, not by tailoring every room to theirskills, but by portraying a fantastic world (agenda again) where there aremany solutions to every challenge.

Introduce NPCs

Dungeon World Character Sheet

NPCs bring the world to life. If every monster does nothing more than attackand every blacksmith sets out their wares for simple payment the world isdead. Instead give your characters, especially those that the players show aninterest in, life (principles, remember?). Introduce NPCs but don’t protectthem. The recently deceased Lord of Goblins is just as useful for futureadventures as the one who’s still alive.

After the First Session

Once you’re done with the first session take some time to relax. Let ideasferment. Don’t rush into the next session.

Dungeon Map Creator

Once you’ve had some time to relax and think over the first session it’s timeto prepare for the next session. Preparing for the second session takes a fewminutes, maybe an hour if this is your first time. You’ll create fronts, maybemake some monsters or custom moves, and generally get an idea of what is goingon in the world.