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War in Dungeon World is messy, chaotic and terrifying. Its not a

thing suited for poetrynot in the lines, trenches and pits that make
up the battlefeld. Maybe later, sure, folk will reminisce about heroes
who held their ground against a mightier force or the castle that
never fell no matter the enemies allayed against it. In the moment,
though, war is hell no matter how gallant or honorable you might be.
Anyone who ventures onto a battlefeld (even the player
characters) is risking life and limb by their merest presence there.
Death is the only constant when armies clash. As GM, its your job to
portray the cost and outcome of war so that your players know what
they risk. Show them the dead and dying; tell them about the battles
where a life is worth less than a night of fresh rations. Give them war.
In military engagements, as in every other part of Dungeon
World, the GM is tasked with honestly portraying the world around
the players. To act as their senses in the melee, imparting information
about what is happening and presenting, always, the question of
what do you do? Tese rules are here to help you do that. Teyre
not a stand-alone war game or detailed simulation of moment-to-
moment battle. Teyre a set of tools and procedures to help you work
out the outcome of battlesboth those the players fnd themselves
personally involved in and those taking place in the background of
your game without the direct infuence of the players characters.
Chapter 2
Military Engagements
Handling War in Dungeon World
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Armies
A military engagement is made up of two or more sides, which we
call armies. Each army is a unifed force under the same command
fghting for the same general goal. Tey may not all be trained,
disciplined, or even fghting of their own free will, but each force
is unifed by a commander. Some may have unusual structure,
commanders or qualities that diferentiate them, but ultimately,
thats how it works.
Units
Armies are broken down into units. A unit is a group of people (or
monsters, or constructs) that fght together. Each unit has morale
which measures the ability of the unit to stay in a fght. Units with
more morale are able to fght longer and take more damage before
the unit is no longer efective. A unit thats morale is reduced to
zero can no longer fghtindividual members of the unit may fee
or scatter, but the unit as a whole is done. Morale represents both a
units will to fght and their ability to absorb damagefanatical or
well-armored units are likely to have higher morale.
A units ability to attack is measured by its damage. Damage
dealt is subtracted from the target units morale.
Tags describe a unit. Tey are a quick way to note that a unit
is particularly disciplined or bloodthirsty. As a GM, tags are your
guide to portraying a unit. Use them as a source of inspiration or
a quick reminder. Tags are particularly interesting when compared
and contrastedwhen a unit comes head-to-head with another, their
tags can be a good way to know what might happen.
Each unit has moves, much like a monster. A units moves are
plain descriptions of what its like to be on the ground in combat with
that unit. If a unit has the move trample them thats a tool for the
GM to use: look for times when members of that unit can ride over
someone and trample them into the dirt. Just like monster moves,
unit moves are specifc ways for the GM to make moves when that
unit is involved.
Some units also have one or more special abilities. Special
abilities are things that unit can do that a typical unit cant, like
regenerate or act well without orders. Each special ability will tell
you exactly what it does.
Common Unit Tags
Fanatic: Te unit is driven by fanatical devotion to some deity,
organization, leader, or ideal. A player character issuing orders to
a fanatic unit that they share devotion with (say, a cleric of the god
of What Lies Beneath rallying the unburied cavaliers) takes +1 to
their roll.
Flying: Te unit typically stays in the air. It can move over other units
safely. Unless its also ranged, the unit must still drop to ground level
to engage a non-fying unit.
Mobile: Te unit can move faster than the average unit. Usually this
means riders on horses or similar beasts.
Noble: Te unit is made up of those of elevated station. A player
character issuing orders to a noble unit who is not themselves part
of the nobility takes -1.
Ranged: Te unit can deal its damage to any other unit it can see.
Slow: Te unit moves slowly and usually deals less damage (half,
rounded down) as it sets afer a move. Heavily armored units that
arent mounted ofen have this tag, as do trebuchets and other large
weapons of war.
Tese are my awards,
Mother. From Army. Te
seal is for marksmanship,
and the gorilla is for sand
racing. Now if youll
excuse me, theyre putting
me in something called
Hero Squad.
Arrested Development
Are we not all of us
fanatics? [] Die for one
person? Tis is a craziness.
Persons change, leave, die,
become ill. Tey leave, lie,
go mad, have sickness,
betray you, die. Your
nation outlives you. A
cause outlives you.
Infnite Jest
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Sample Units
Te most common elements of military engagements in Dungeon
World are archers, mounted warriors, and foot soldiers.
Foot
1 damage 2 morale
Te mainstay of any army: the poorly trained, ill-armed, and
unprepared.
Drive them back with pikes and spears
Attack from the second rank
Surround them
Horse Mobile
2 damage 3 morale
Its amazing what a diference a horse, some training, and some
armor makes.
Trample them
Scatter them
Attack from an unexpected direction
Archers Ranged
1 damage 1 morale
Better to kill them from where they cant kill you.
Rain down arrows on them
Stop their progress
Creating Units
While foot, horse, and archers are fundamental, a fantasy world
allows for much more: sky knights, troll shock-troopers, bullette
tanks. As with monsters, creating a custom unit starts with your
imagination. Tink through the composition of the unit, its training
and armaments, and then use these questions to generate stats for
the unit.
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Units As Monsters
Some units may be made up of just one larger creature. A dragon,
for example, is the size of a unit (and perhaps more dangerous than
some units) despite being a single living thing.
Any huge monster that can reasonably fght of a unit of
footsoldiers can be considered a unit.
When single monster unit takes damage from another unit,
subtract that amount from the monsters HP, ignoring armor.
When a single monster unit does damage to another unit, it
deals one damage per discrete form of attack. For example, a dragon
would typically do 4 damage to units: 1 for its fery breath, 1 for its
saber-like claws, 1 for its vicious bite, and 1 for its sweeping tail. If a
single monster unit is fghting multiple units it divides its damage
as normal.
A single monster unit is still a monster. If the players charge the
dragon and start triggering moves normally, the dragon behaves as
it normally would: damage as listed in its description, armor, etc.
Since unit damage counts against HP the players can efectively use
friendly units as support against a single monster unit: the units
damage and the players damage both efect HP.
Raising an Army
Armies are most typically raised by levy: lands under control of
whomever is leading the force are expected to provide able-bodied
combatants.
Te exact number of units provided depends on the steading in
which the levy is raised. Calling a levy provides a number of units
equal to the steadings defenses (6 for Legion, 5 for Battalion, down
to 1 for militia) and then reduces the streadings defenses by one step.
Te same process can be repeated, providing more units but also
further decreasing defenses, until no defenses are lef. Such extreme
levies are likely to provoke the hatred of the people.
Armies of stranger creatures are usually raised by capturing (for
beasts) or recruiting (for intelligent creatures) over the area that
those creatures range in. Te organization tag of the monster type
being recruited describes the area of their habitat needed to recruit
one unit made up of that creature type:
Horde creatures require around 10 square miles of habitat to
recruit a unit
Group creatures require about 100 square miles of habitat to
recruit a unit
Solitary creatures require 200 square miles of habitat or more
Constructs are a popular source of soldiers for those powerful enough
to gather a large number of them. Homonculi are, the argument
goes, not truly alive, so better to lose them than a living person. Te
resources to build such a force are rare to begin withrare enough
that no easy guideline can be given.
Te undead are perhaps the most efcient army, efectively
allowing you to defeat your enemy and recruit them too. Undead, like
constructs, are hard to make. A unit consisting of trained magicians
could probably raise an equally sized unit of the undead, given the
time and raw materials. Maintaining such magic may render the
raising unit less efective.
Keeping an Army
For each 4 combat-ready units in an Army, one of those must act to
provide support for the resthauling supplies, scavenging, hunting,
making sacrifces to the Blood God and so on. Supporting units are
not battle ready unless the army has had a day or more to prepare
their camp. Un-supported units lose 1 morale each day they are
unsupported (and dont recover as normalsee below).
An army currently billeted in a steading is supported by that
steading. To fnd the support provided by a steading, start with 1 for
a village, 2 for a steading, 3 for a keep, and 5 for a city. Ten multiply
by the steadings prosperity (0 for dirt, 1 for poor, 2 for moderate, 3
for wealthy, 4 for rich), the result is the number of units the steading
can support. A steading can be pushed to support units as if it was
one step more prosperous, but this requires force and leaves the
steading at least one step less prosperous in its wake.
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Forcing a captured steading to billet its invaders is possible,
but always reduces the prosperity of the steading by one step. Such
steadings are likely to be lawless, but without notable actions by
fearless souls (maybe the player characters?) an invading force wont
be dislodged without external help.
Rest and Recovery
Units dont heal quite like living bodies. Individual wounds heal, yes,
and bravery returns with time and distance, but the dead dont get
up to fght again. (On their own, at least. Usually.)
A unit at more than half morale will regain one morale per day of
rest and recovery. Un-supported units enjoy no such beneft. Units at
less than half morale have sufered real loses and must spend down
time in a location where they could recruit similar people (or beasts)
to heal past half morale.
Units that represent especially large and deadly single creatures
on the battlefeld heal two HP per day, no matter how much damage
theyve taken. One more reason every army would love a dragon.
Engagements
When two hostile armies meet in battle, its called an engagement.
Te frst step to resolving an engagement is noting each army
involved and the units that make up that army.
For each army controlled by the GM, note that armys goal within
this engagement. Tese are not limits on what the army can do,
theyre reminders to the GM for how to portray that armywhat
motivates it to act the way it does and how it might allocate units
throughout the battle.
Once both armies are clear and their goals are decided, look at
how the players will be involved. If the players are not present, use
the of-screen engagement rules to quickly determine a victor. If the
players will interact with the engagementby commanding units,
armies, or fghting themselvesuse the full engagement rules.
Off-screen Engagements
Engagements where the players have no active role are decided by
comparing the total morale of the armies involved.
Start by totaling the morale of all units in each army. Ten for
each army
If the army is entrenched or lightly fortifed, +3 morale
If the army is heavily fortifed, +7 morale
If the army has advantageous natural terrain (high ground, cover),
+3 morale
If the army is fghting on their home turf, +3 morale
Ten compare the total modifed morale for each army.
If the diference in morale is 6 or less, the battle is a complete
mess. Tere is no clear victor and each side takes heavy losesmaybe
as much as half their forces. Both armies are forced to retreat or
disband, as suits their command and disposition.
If the diference is 79, the side with the greater total morale has
won a narrow victory. Both sides sufer heavy losses but only the
losing side must retreat or disband. Te winning side holds the feld
and, if at all possible, gains their goal.
If the diference is 10 or more, the side with the greater total
morale has won a decisive victory. Te losing side sufers heavy
losses and retreats or disbands, but the winning side sufers only
light loses (maybe a quarter of the force) and holds the feld. Tey
almost defnitely gain their goal.
Detailed Engagements
As in all things, players represent chaos. While a battle without player
intervention might be quickly resolved by a comparison of factors,
players will bring in mad plans and contribute to the outcome as
leaders, ground-level combatants, or both.
As GM, your top priority is presenting the engagement in present
detail to the players. Even if the players are in command, focus on
what information their players receivethe battle reports, magical
scrying, and their own senses. Te focus of a Dungeon World
engagement is always on what the characters see, hear, and do.
Remember that these rules do not supersede the Agenda and
Principles of a Dungeon World GM. Adhere to those whenever
youre called on to make a move.
War does not determine
who is rightonly who
is lef.
Bertrand Russel
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Te fow of an engagement is simple:
Map the situation
Update countdowns
Present it to the players
Ask what do you do?
Update the map
Map the Situation
Te players knowledge of the engagement will always be limited
by their senses and abilities. Short of some powerful magic, theyll
never know where every enemy unit is or what they plan to do. As
the GM, though, youll need to know.
Start every engagement by sketching a quick map in secret. It
doesnt have to be perfect or detailed, just make sure you know where
all the units are, more or less. Where necessary, take notes on what
the units are doing, or what they intend to do.
Tis map will change dramatically over the course of battle, so
use pencil.
Update Countdowns
Many things in battle will happen over time (unless some outside
force intervenes). As a GM, you can manage these much like your
Grim Portents: write down a countdown of what will likely occur
and tick them of over time.
Just like Grim Portents, these are likely futures, not guarantees.
Te actions of the players mayaccidentally or directlychange
the course of a countdown. If the fank will break but the players
reinforce it, that countdown has changed. Te players have bought
the fank some more time, at the least.
To create your countdowns, consider your map and look for any
place where forces are mismatched, where action is in motion, or
where something is changing. Some common examples:
Te opposing commander has reinforcements in wait
Te catapults will take down the city walls
Te Necromancer is performing a ritual
For each countdown note the steps to its conclusion. Maybe the
catapults are wheeled into place, then start fring, then the walkway
atop the wall is gone, then the wall collapses. Update each countdown
as you see ft as time passes. Remember they are both prescriptive
and descriptiveif the players use some clever magic to weaken
the wall early, the catapult countdown would move more quickly.
Present it to the Players
Once you know the general state of the battlefeld, present that state
to the players.
Whatever you do, dont just show them your map. Present to
them what their characters would know. Tell them of the banners
cresting the hill, or the winded runner reporting that the shield wall
has broken. Always focus on what their characters perceive of the
battle. It is crucial that you consider the available information to the
players (by mundane means or otherwise) and paint a clear picture
of what they perceive. Remember to portray a fantastic world!
Make use of tools to present this as needed. At the very least
sketch the situation (or suggest a player does it). If you have the
materials on hand, consider using note cards to represent each unit,
with whatevers handy (other notecards, a bottle of beer, some dice)
as terrain features.
Present only the information the player characters can ascertain,
but be generous within that. Te player characters probably know
the approximate strength and dedication of their units, so you can
let them see their morale and damage. Tey know how their units
fght, so they can see their moves. When a unit takes damage, you
can reveal the exact amount or not, based on your judgementcan
the player characters tell, from the information they have, how close
that unit is to breaking?
Ask What do you do?
With the situation established, see what the players do. Find out
what happens.
As usual, listen to what they do for moves that trigger or golden
opportunities. Make your moves, hard and sof, as befts the situation.
Tis is you, being the GM.
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Update the Map
When theres a lull in the fghting, or some time has passed (your
call exactly how long) update the map.
Any two units in contact with each other deal their damage to
each othersubtract each units damage from the other units morale.
If a unit is in contact with multiple enemy units it usually divides
its damage equally amongst them. Especially disorganized units
may not divide their damage at all, while trained units may divide
their damage as their commander orders in a particularly efective
manner. A unit that is not ready for a specifc attack but is otherwise
prepared for battle (a surprise assault from the rear, for example)
deals no damage. A unit that is not ready to fght efectively has 1
morale: any attack will rout it.
Also subtract morale from units based on the players actions
(see below for a guide to what player actions may afect morale).
Move each unit (if the unit cares to move). Unless otherwise
noted by tags or special abilities, units move in combat about as fast
as you would walk over the same terrain. Modify this if the unit has
a particularly speedy method of travel - theyre on horseback, they
can fy or teleport, etc. Units generally try to follow their orders as
best they can, moving as best fts those orders, modifed by their
tags. Tough, see Players in Command below.
Players in Battle
When a player character goes into battle amongst larger units the
GMs job is the same as always: present the world around them
honestly, ask what do you do?, and watch for moves being triggered.
To the player characters units are not cohesive wholes but
collections of individual monsters. Te creatures that directly engage
the characters are treated as normal: use the typical monster stats or
create them as needed. Te actions of the rest of the unit, the other
creatures that fght alongside the monsters directly engaged with the
characters, are represented by the units moves.
For example, when fghting some goblin pikemen the GM will
describe the actual creatures the players facetheir squishy green
skin, pointed teeth, crude armor, and cruel barbed pikes. As the
players fght the pikemen directly in front of them, the GM will
use both the monsters moves and the units moves. At one point a
bad roll may give the goblin an opening to drive a poisoned barb
into their gullet, while later the GM uses the units attack from
the second rank move to have another pike come at the players
from an unexpected direction while they concentrate on the threat
before them.
In general a player character doesnt directly do damage to a
units morale. Instead, present the player with the challenges and
opportunities of battle. If they have a chance to break the enemy
line, show it to them. If theyre engaged with two units, see which
they focus on.
If a player does something that impacts the structure or
organization of a unit, such as:
Killing their leader
Cutting of their communication
Slaughtering (or otherwise taking out of the battle) a considerable
amounta quarter or more, most likely
Tey subtract one from the units morale. Tat means that a single
decisive act may be able to route a weak unit, if the players are willing
to wade into battle themselves.
Players in Command
Whether through fear, loyalty, or trickery the players may have gained
command of one or more units. Any player character in command
of a unit has access to this move:
When you issue orders to a unit of soldiers you
command, roll. If you give the orders in person, +CHA.
On a 10+ the orders are received intact and the unit
follows them as best it can. On a 79 something gets
lost along the way: the GM will modify the orders in
some way; the unit carries out the mangled orders as best
they can. On a 6- something goes seriously wrongthe
GM will either modify the orders dramatically, replace
the order with whatever the unit desires, or have the
unit hold its ground.
If the players choose to lead from the front theyll also be fghting for
themselves, trying to save their own hide and support their unit. Tis
does give them more accurate information on the current situation,
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and closer command with, but they risk their own life and limit their
knowledge of the battle as a whole. Consider any battle youre in the
middle of an imminent threat. To give orders while fghting for
your life defnitely qualifes as a danger to be defed.
Leading from the rearfrom a command post or fortressallows
the player characters some safety but limits their information and
control of their forces. Scouts, runners, and magical communication
are likely to be very important to any player characters leading from
safety.
Just because the players are not in the thick of a battle doesnt
mean theyre not involved. Without lines of communication to their
units, characters will have a hard time justifying the use of the move
that allows them to issue commands. Consider whether it is possible
before the dice hit the table. If a unit is in panic, routed or otherwise
cut of, they cannot receive orders.
Present the battle to them as their characters would see it: maps,
tokens, strategic reports and advisors. Te war room may not be as
bloody as the battlefeld, but just as many enemies and allies can be
found there. Consider both the battle-at-large and the battle-in-the-
moment. Look at your GM moves and consider how they can help
you portray the mess and glory of a war in progress.
Splitting Them Up
Sometimes player characters will split up in battle such that some
have much more to do. If Gregor chooses to lead from the front
while Avon takes command of the other units from a glorious tent
of the feld of battle Gregor will typically have more to domore
moves will trigger, theres more action in his face.
Tis is only a problem if it isnt what your players want, so ask
them about it. Let Avons player know that leading from the rear
probably means spending less time focused on Avons actions, and ask
if thats okay with them. If its not, ofer Avons player an NPCmaybe
some previously established sergeant or a random footmanwho
will be in the midst of battle whom that player can play during the
battle. Quickly stat out the NPC as a player character and move on.
GM Moves In Battle
All of your normal GM moves apply just as well in battle. You can
still separate them with an enemy charge, or put them in a spot with
a hard decision to be made. Here are a few new, battle-specifc moves
that you can use as well:
Sew confusion and disorder
Act on a larger scale
Turn the tide
Show side-efects of their actions
Sew Confusion and disorder
Whatever plans were made in the mead halls and lords tents cant
stand up to the real madness of battle. Show the players how far
beyond their control the situation is. Spread rumors from the ranks.
Report something distorted by the fog of war. Show that things were
not as the spies and scouts reported.
Act on a larger scale
Even if the players command an entire army, they are still grains of
sand amidst the great tide of battle. Instead of bringing a single axe
in the hands of a lone orc to bear on them, bring an entire phalanx
of orcs up the center.
On a small scale, the players may be powerful. Tey can hack
a man in two or bend a mind with a thought. An engagement is a
chance to show them how small they arewhat happens when a
hundred come against them instead of one or two?
Turn the Tide
Just like moves, battles snowball. A small advantage compounds to
become a big one. When the time is right, fnd some small turning
point and shif it. Maybe the characters actions draw the attention
of the enemys reserves. Maybe their charge leaves them isolated
and surrounded. Dont worry about the end result, just start the
snowball rolling.
In modern war you
will die like a dog for no
good reason.
Ernest Hemingway
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.
Te Ministry of Truth,
1984
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Show side-effects of their actions
When characters get involved in battle, it complicates everything.
It adds a certain chaos to an already manic environment. Show the
players something they didnt expect or see coming as the result
of their actions. Turn their intentions on their ear. Dont steal a
victory away or give in when they fail, but show how the chaos of
the battlefeld emerges from their activity. Tink about the Butterfy
Efect. Players are the butterfy, the battle is the hurricane.
Use this move across players, too when the Barbarian beheads
the captain of the Invoker Corp, whose body explodes sending wild
energy throughout the ranks, show the Cleric who watches from
his cloud-platform overhead the results of that action. Illustrate
the ripples.
The Soldiers Life
Now you know how to handle mass combat in Dungeon World
youve got the tools to both fgure out how two units compare and
throw the players into battle. Its time to explore what war in Dungeon
World looks like.
Recruitment
Most living souls on a battlefeld in Dungeon World are conscripts,
called to battle through feudal obligations, intimidation, or other
means. More efective but less numerous are professional soldiers:
mercenaries and loyal men-at-arms. Least numerous are the ruling
military class, lords and ladies going in to battle fully-armed and
-armored, usually mounted, with squires and pages to serve them.
As an adventurer youre efectively already a professional
combatant and youre likely to be used as one. Tis means either
fghting in the midst of similarly skilled irregulars or taking charge
of a rabble of pressganged peasants. If youre lucky enough to enjoy
some notable standing or noble blood you may have a greater
command and the support of squires and pages.
Going Into Battle
For those forces without access to masses of trained combatants or
magical communication, the most viable battle plan is typically to
rush at each other and hope the other side breaks frst. Typically foot
and horse will face their opposite number with archers supporting
as possible.
Tis plan of battle is simple by necessity: communication is limited
to horns, banners, and drums. Such simple lines of communication
allow for few tactics beyond sending forces into battle. Direct combat
is by no means boring, though. For those soldiers on the ground
even such a simple clash quickly becomes a mess of blood. Even if
your duty is only to lead your peasants forward into their opposite
number be prepared for the chaos that will follow.
Magic and other oddities allow for more modern tactics. Consider
the spells and abilities at your disposal and what tactics they allow.
Sometimes this is obvious (Telepathy alone changes the pace of
communication), sometimes not. Remember that every spell and
ability happens in the world of your character, not just the rulesa
Magic Missile could easily be used as a signal of a sort by casting it
at a pre-arranged target, never mind the damage.
Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies
Large battles with many units may include engines of war such
as catapults hurling boulders from afar. Typically these are most
efective when one side is behind fortifcations of some sort, or when
the battle is very largelacking any signifcant accuracy a catapult
can hardly be used against a single unit.
As with most parts of medieval warfare, magic changes everything.
If the gods decree that a stone will hit a destined spot a catapult
goes from a siege weapon to a tactical strike. Savvy commanders
would likely invest in counters magical or mundane (moving their
command a distance away or magically obscuring their true location
perhaps).
Use the damage guidelines in the core book for those caught
in some artillery barrage (from d4 if it bruises at worst to d10 if it
might kill an average person). Remember that damage represents
generalized harm. Being crushed under a boulder isnt damage, its
death. As always, follow the fctional world: if something would
clearly kill a person, it kills them. If it would clearly debilitate them,
give them a debility. If it might cause some injuries, roll damage.
When theres a question, if its a PC, give them a chance to Defy
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Danger. If its not a PC, follow your GM principles and agenda (which
generally means they go squish).
Ambushes and Other Disasters
Writers and sages agree: the most efective tactic is fghting someone
who isnt fghting you back. A completely unexpected attack against
an unprepared force is more likely to be a slaughter than a battle.
More likely the defender is ready to fght, but is not expecting the
strength of the assault or the direction it comes from.
A large part of success in battle is in arraying your forces to allow
such surprise attacks. Holding back a reserve to enter battle later,
concealing your true strength behind an illusion, or teleporting
into battleany way you can catch an enemy by surprise gives you
a decisive advantage.