Defy Danger or Hack and Slash in response to monster attack?

#1

I want to learn how to make fighting in Dungeon World like games more interesting but also quick and meaningful.

Raff the Bandit attacks me in the alley and I already have my sword drawn, MC asks me “what do you do?”

A:
Can I say “I parry his blow and I pummel him in the face with my off-hand” and trigger Hack and Slash since it will most likely result in both of us taking damage?

Or should I say “I take a defensive stance parrying his blows and wait for my opportunity to attack?” and trigger Defy Danger first then go for Hack and Slash (in which case I risk taking damage twice)

B:
Would the situation be different if I didn’t have my sword drawn, is the act of drawing my sword to defend myself or attack so long that I first should go for Defy Danger dodge, how would you interpret that fictional positioning?
Should the Fighter be allowed to quick-draw his weapon because he is The Fighter and his opponent is just a low scum, while the Wizard would probably not react quick enough since it is not his jam and would have to dodge first?

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#2

Going by the way i’ve seen most people run it, defy danger is what you move IF no other move applies.

If a monster is attacking they can fight back and use hack and slash, since H&S has taking damage built into the move.

If its a trap then they can’t fight back, then defy danger applies.

I would not do Defy danger then Hack and slash, its presumed everyone is trying to avoid getting hit during combat, they need to decide if they are mostly attacking or mostly defending.

As for quick drawing a weapon, if it makes a heroic scene then go for it - the characters are afforded some cinematic license - if a PC decides their hack’n’slash is against 3 opponents and not just 1, whether then do a wide sweep with their sword, or punch 1, kick another and stab the last, is up to them, damage is the same.

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#3

Yeah, I agree that asking for a Defy Danger is superfluous. The beauty of Hack & Slash (and many of the PbtA-style combat moves) is how they can stand in for large chunks of combat–it’s not just necessarily going in and parrying and then pummeling his face, it could be trading blows for a not insignificant amount of time. Or it could be one quick stick and move. It really depends on the fiction and what the player is trying to accomplish.

The only time I might call for a DD first is if it’s part of a hard bargain/difficult choice, e.g. “You can get to the orc just as the door is closing, Indiana Jones style, but you’re going to have to Defy Danger first, otherwise you can let him go and stay and deal with the mess he made.”

Not the best example probably, but I just woke up so hopefully you get the idea.

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#4

I think it depends on the context, and what move the MC is making.

@jexjthomas points towards this, and to extend: If the MC move is Put someone in a spot, then the spot could totally be needing to makea Defy Danger roll to avoid a blow.

Similarly, if the move is Deal damage, then just go ahead and deal the damage.

The fiction sounds a lot like a Defy Danger roll to me, as before you can attack you’ve got to make sure you don’t get hit – or know that you do. Either way, the player is in a reactive position.

But: It depends and YMMV.

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#5

Yes!

Like @William_Nichols suggests, it’s all about context and the specific fiction.

In general if you make a soft move that amounts to “he attacks, what do you do?” and the player responds with fiction that also attacks, then it’s H&S.

Keep in mind that not every player will think that way, though. I’ve definitely had players who would just say “I dodge!” or “I block.” I’ll generally clarify intent, and give them an opportunity to do more. “Are you trying to like, get away? Or just avoid that attack so you can counterattack?”

But if Raff the Bandit is swordsman supreme, and this is the Bard (who’ve established as more of a lover than a fighter), then, yeah, maybe I’d be like “no, the attack is just too fast, it’ll be all you can do to dodge it or parry it.” But in that case, my GM move would be a lot more intense. “Before you realize that it’s Raff he’s lunging at you, rapier slicing at your throat! What do you do?”

Similarly, in the sword-not-yet-drawn situation, it’s depend on what we knew about the PC, what I knew about the attacker, the GM moves I’ve made up to this point, and even the tone we’ve established for the game. Like, if I told the player they heard a strange cat cry from the ally, cut off short, and the lover-not-a-fighter Bard saunters in there unarmed and without light, and the attacker is Raff the Deadly, im going straight to hard move and six inches of steel in the Bard’s gut.

But if the Fighter heard that cut-off cat cry and Discerned Realities, learning there’s a dude waiting in ambush in the ally, and sauntered in pretending to be taken unawares, and the schlub-rate assassin tried to jump him, I might not even have the Fighter roll to H&S.

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