Starting Player Packet

What This Campaign Is

We are starting a new Dungeon World campaign: fast-moving fantasy adventure where the fiction drives the rules, characters are competent and dramatic, and the world is discovered through play. This campaign will use Dungeon World as the core rules, with The Perilous Wilds as a major supplement for travel, exploration, discoveries, followers, and wilderness danger. Expect:

Dangerous travel and strange places
Dungeons, ruins, factions, monsters, and hard choices
Characters who begin capable but are not superheroes
A world we will build together through play
Consequences that follow from the fiction You do not need to master every rule before session zero. Come ready with a character idea, a class you are interested in, and a willingness to answer questions about the world.

What To Do Before Session Zero

Please skim the approved class list and pick one or two playbooks that interest you. You do not need a completed character yet. It is better if we finalize characters together so the party fits the world and each other. Before session zero, think about:

What kind of fantasy character sounds fun right now?
What danger, mystery, or obligation might pull your character into adventure?
What does your character want that cannot be gained safely?
What kind of party dynamic sounds fun to you?
Are there any themes, tones, or content you want included or avoided?

Approved Starting Classes

You do not need to care whether a class is core, official, third-party, or homebrew. I have already curated the list for this campaign. Use this table to find the fantasy you want to play. Class names link to the full playbook, source, or reference when that material is publicly available.

Class	Fantasy Positioning	Use / Utility	Choose this if…	Closest D&D Feel
Bard [S]	Magical performer, lorekeeper, social catalyst	Support, knowledge, charm, morale	You want to inspire allies, know things, and talk your way into trouble	Bard
Cleric [S]	Divine agent of a deity or cosmic power	Healing, protection, undead/divine magic	You want faith, miracles, moral weight, and party support	Cleric
Druid [S]	Shapeshifting voice of the wild	Transformation, nature magic, scouting, strange wisdom	You want to become animals, speak for nature, and solve problems sideways	Druid
Fighter [S]	Weapon master and battlefield anchor	Damage, durability, martial competence	You want to be the best at violence and define yourself through your weapon	Fighter
Paladin [S]	Holy warrior bound by oath and conviction	Defense, judgment, divine authority, frontline leadership	You want vows, righteousness, protection, and hard moral choices	Paladin
Ranger [S]	Hunter, scout, guide, and companion-bonded wanderer	Tracking, wilderness, ranged combat, animal companion	You want travel, monsters, survival, and a loyal companion	Ranger
Thief [S]	Criminal specialist, infiltrator, and opportunist	Stealth, traps, locks, poison, dirty tricks	You want to sneak, steal, disable danger, and exploit openings	Rogue
Wizard [S]	Studied arcane spellcaster	Rituals, spell preparation, knowledge, reality-bending magic	You want books, spells, weird solutions, and dangerous arcane power	Wizard
Barbarian [S]	Outsider, conqueror, or larger-than-life warrior	Force, appetite, endurance, physical dominance	You want to be huge, intense, foreign to this land, and hard to contain	Barbarian
Immolator	Living flame, zealot, or vessel of burning power	Fire, sacrifice, intimidation, destructive magic	You want your power to be dangerous, symbolic, and costly	Fire Sorcerer / Zealot
The Fool	Lucky amateur, accidental hero, and comic wildcard who survives by momentum and nerve	Fortune, improvisation, resilience, disruptive support	You want a lower-status underdog who stumbles into big moments and turns bad situations around	Halfling Lucky / Folk Hero
The Mountebank [2]	Confidence trickster, social infiltrator, manipulator, and stage-magician rogue	Deception, feints, persuasion, disguise, social control	You want to outplay people with bluffs, schemes, lies, and charm instead of direct force	Bard / Rogue / Charlatan

[S] standard-format alternate. [2] another alternate version.

A few playbook themes are not on the starting list yet. If one of those is the kind of character you want, tell the GM and we will point you to the closest approved option or let you know when that theme is ready to use.

Bonds Are Being Replaced With Flags

We are using Flags instead of the default Bond system. A flag is an invitation to the other players to bring interaction, pressure, temptation, trust, or a difficult choice onto your character. Each character chooses two flags at character creation. For the full rules, examples, and move changes, see Flags.

Compendium Classes

Compendium Classes will exist, but they are not starting options. They are special advancement paths unlocked through the fiction. For example, if you survive a major expedition, swear a sacred oath, become bound to a strange weapon, or return from death changed, new advancement options may open. The first approved bundle will come from The Perilous Wilds, especially for characters who become explorers, scouts, hunters, leaders, or delvers.

Session Zero Goals

During session zero we will:

Choose or finalize characters
Establish party connections
Set tone, boundaries, and safety tools
Decide what kind of region or frontier we are exploring
Create starting locations, threats, factions, and mysteries
Talk through how Perilous Wilds travel and exploration will work
Start with enough shared context to begin play confidently Come with ideas, but leave room for the table to surprise you.