A Dungeon World Starter: Dragon Delve (aka The Fire of Nal-K’aal) 1.

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By Mark Tygart

Questions

What is driving you to take such a great risk to try obtaining gold from the Dragon’s Horde?

What particular ancient heirloom do you wish to regain from the Dragon’s Horde and why?

How often do you experience the nightmare of being burned alive by Dragon fire?

Were you taught to worship the Dragon as a child? If not, how do your gods, or the gods of
your community, view the Dragon and the kobolds who worship it?

What reason do you have to detest kobolds and their nefarious traps?

Impressions

The eerie blue glow of the fungus on the tunnel walls lighting you way
The sound of Kobold drums distantly in the deep
The stamp of your boots on the rough stone floor
Water that is both foul and warm drips onto your face from the tunnel ceiling above
The crushed and smiling skull and bones of the victim of a kobold rock trap
Uncomfortable heat of the mine matched with the disturbing smell of kobold.
The low murmur of ancient mine machinery pumping something in the black
Kobold Graffiti scrawled in blood on the walls: “Bree-yark your goblinselfs!” “Greezog love
humans! To Eat!” “Beware Abzug’s sister…”
The endless blue fungus tunnels that all look the same! Always the same…
The glint of the Dragon‘s fiery eyes in the blackness

Custom Moves

When you attempt to navigate the Kobold Mines, describe how you do it, and then roll +STAT.
On a 12+, hold 2. On a 10+, hold 1 but you encounter a trap. On a 7-9, hold 1, but you also
encounter a monster. On a miss you just encounter a monster patrol. On a 1-3, but lose all hold,
and the Dragon finds you.

When multiple party members navigate in turn, their hold is pooled together. When you spend 1
hold you can use it to find a useful item at the Dragon’s Hoard. When you spend 4 hold, find the
Dragon’s Hoard. Spend 3 hold to find an exit from the Kobold Mines.
Items

Dragon’s Hoard
150,000 mound of coins in a brilliantly lit central cavern. The GM should strictly enforce all
Dungeon World weight rules when the party leaves with a portion of the treasure.

Dragon Meal Leftovers

Yuck

Egg, Dragon (Hand, 1 weight, 2,000 coins)

The Dragon and her kobolds will do much to prevent a Dragon Egg’s destruction; they will do
much to those who destroy them. When you take up a Dragon Egg, hold 3. Hold can be spent,
one for one, to give orders to the Dragon and/or her kobolds.

Egg, Kobold
As above, but only applies to kobolds.

Mine Map
Allows the party to reach the Dragon’s Hoard or exit at the price of only two holds from the
Kobold Mines move...

Tome of Dragon Scholarship (1 weight, 800 coins)

When you own this tome and you display your superior knowledge of a dragon related subject
when spouting lore, you may adjust the detail the GM gives you in some way. You may not
contradict it.

Kobold Traps (Avoid if Defy Danger versus DEX)

Alarm Fungus (Emits loud shriek and allows GM to make a hard move)
Bear Trap 1d8d (Single member of party)
Caltrops 1d6d
Spectral Hounds (If party follows the illusion -2 on next navigate the Kobold Mines roll)
Falling Rocks 1d4d (Noise allows GM to make a soft move)
Pit 1d6d

Services

Amount for bribing a kobold patrol to ignore you: 30 coins.150 coins if you are returning from the
Dragon’s Hoard obviously loaded with gold.

Spells

Charm Dragon (Bard Level 1)

Acts like a “Charm Person” spell except affects a dragon by the bard weaving together a variety
of riddle games, humorous performances and lavish flattery that the creature is favorably
disposed towards the party. Note that even under the effect of the charm the Dragon will not
allow its treasure to be stolen; but it may forgive its entertaining new friends if that treasure is
returned.

Escape (Druid Level 1)

Allows a party to automatically escape to a place of relative safety by misdirecting their pursuers
as to direction and speed in which they fled. Note: Does not apply to creatures immune to
illusion.

Monsters

Fire Drake
Fangs (Teeth, Claws, Tail d10+7 damage) 16 HP 3 Armor
Nal-K’aal is thirty feet long with enormous, powerful wings, a club-like tail, and vicious talons,
but she is slender enough to wriggle through the mine tunnels: she can force her way through
any passageway wide enough to accept her armored skull. While she breaths fire, she prefers
to eat her kills raw, and likes to stash them in a spare mine tunnel until they're nice and
seasoned.
Instinct: To hoard
Mesmerize its victims
Wrap them in crushing coils
Command kobolds

Custom Move: When Nal-K’aal breathes her mystic fire at you, ROLL+WIS. On a 10+, you find
suitable cover. On a 7-9, you dodged but choose 2 anyway:
Your weapon (unless magic) melts on your hand.
Your armor burns and is now worthless
Say goodbye to your backpack and all it contained
On a 6-, you turn to ash (Roll Last Breath to avoid)

Kobold
Weapon (d6 damage, close, reach) 3 HP 1 Armor
Kobolds are slaves to dragons. Spotting a kobold means more are near—and if more are near
then a dragon and its hoard cannot be far, either.
Instinct: Obey Dragon
Lay Traps
Summon an endless hoard of kobolds
Mine

Spider, Giant Mutant 10 HP 1 Armor

This nasty product of black magic is always hungry.
Instinct: Devour
Trap in Web
Paralyze with Bite
Ambush Prey
Custom Move: When the Giant Mutant Spider bites you, ROLL+CON. On a 10+, you are
unaffected by the spider’s poison. On a 7-9, you are unaffected but take 1d10 full damage. On a
miss you are paralyzed:

Thief, Halfling
Dagger (2d8 damage, reach) 12 HP 1 Armor
This treacherous little fellow is a great new member of the party, until he betrays everyone to his
Dragon pal for a sweet payoff.
Instinct: Betray

Compendium Class

When you successfully win a riddle game with a monster the next time you level up you can
embrace your experience and choose this move:

Riddle Master

You speak the languages of creatures that love riddle games. Any dragon, sphinx, lonely lich,
Andy Serkis or other riddle game loving creature (GM’s discretion) will understand what you
say, and you can understand them.

You may roll and offer to play a game of riddles with these creatures:

On a 10+ the creature will play the game with and not attack your party unless attacked. It will
offer your party a useful piece of information.

On a 7+ or less the creature will the play the game and not attack your party unless attacked.

On a 6 or less the creature will attack once the game is concluded.

You may roll anytime when confronted with a riddle:

On a 10+ the GM will give you the answer

On a 7+ the GM will give you a strong hint.

On a 6 or less the GM will not provide any help.

If you are a Riddle Master, this count as class moves for you; you can choose from them when
you level up:
Riddle Games with Death

When you take your Last Breath, Death will always offer you a bargain, even on a 6-. If you
don't keep your end of it, you'll still live, but she will claim your soul the next time you are
reduced to 0 HP.

Casting the Runes

The Riddle Master has a bag with mystical runes engraved on pieces of bone on one side. The
owner may cast the runes into the air three times a game session and ask a yes or no question.
The runes will answer yes by all returning to earth on the rune side and no by all returning to
earth on the blank side. If lost the Riddle Master may construct a new bag.

Hedge Magician:

Choose one move from the class list of a magic using class. Alternatively, choose one move
from any other class list as if you were one level lower.

Sly Words

When you mislead or confuse others with technically true words, roll + Charisma:

On a 10+, they make the assumption you were implying.

On a 7-9, they make an assumption, but not exactly the one you were hoping for.

6 or less your efforts fail.