This deck is a must have for any solo enthusiast! Its helped me so much for trying out Dungeon World and learning the mechanics. The print & play option is great, hopefully there will be physical cards in the future! You can read my session using the deck here: https://cupofsolo.wordpress.com/2021/07/06/dungeon-world-solo/

I like the simple, effective method Brian lays out in this pdf. Awesome resource and the price is unbeatable. Thank you, Mr. Holland!

Reading Mini-Review:

In true DW fashion, the adventure offers prompts to come up with a shared background and hooks.

I like the idea of using cards to create the adventure. The cards influence the Big Bad, The Eternal, some other players, and the village. That makes the adventure re-usable - in theory. In practice, the idea behind the adventure is the same. So you'll know the secret behind the strange happenings of the Dwarven village. And that will limit its appeal to play it again.

The author did a fabulous job of using the Countdown Die mechanism from ICRPG with tailored GM Moves to drive the action and provide clues to the mystery.

Locations and background information offer enough material for several sessions. Obviously, the author put some work into coming up with custom moves, items and stats for The Eternal, and adventure locations.

You can also link it with other adventures from the Session Zero line. (See here.)

Layout and typesetting do a good job of not getting in the way. I glimpsed some decent black and white images. Overall, look and feel strike me as functional but nothing to write home. No digital bookmarks but that's not necessary with 36 pages.

I'm itching to convert The Eternal to an old-school leaning RPG like The Black Hack.

I liked SZ06 a lot and it sounds like it will be fun to play.

I encourage you to take a look at Brian Holland's patreon campaign for the Session Zero zine.

Brian Holland never fails to produce new twists and mechanical marvels for your Dungeon World adventuring. Issue 6 provides even more randomizing fun and a bunch of great artifacts!

This one is perfect for convention play or playing with new groups. The GM can get familiar with the structure of the adventure but will still have lots of unique elements thanks to all the randomizing features. Brian did a great job of designing to play to each PC's strengths. There are so many great ideas here!

Dungeon World – World Building Example Session Zero Review

Overview This is a short 8 page example of the system for world building based on Dungeon World system. The example outlines the creation of an area named the Dark Forest.

Rules The system uses collaborative interaction between the DM and players in an effort to build the world together. This particular example attempts to lay out a world similar to Harry Potter.

Layout The example is laid out in the way a world building session would happen. Players are asked questions and they give answers to move the process along. The general layout is easy to follow with the questions in bold, followed by the answers from the players.

Content Even though this is in black and white, the graphics give you that old school DnD feel. At the end of the document is a wrap-up that shows how the world is built using the player’s responses. This gives the prospective DM/GM a cornucopia of information that can be used to design further adventures.

Pros This is a nice example and does a good job an introducing those who would be interested in this type of cooperative world building. The idea of this cooperation between DM/GM and player is unique and something to think about for those groups who are really verse in RPGs. I must admit that after reading this example I went to look for other Dungeon World products!

Cons This is short, coming in around 8 pages, but for the price… free, you can’t beat it.

Overall, this is worth the look. If you are anything like me, you will find yourself looking for other Dungeon World products…

So many great ideas in this issue! You'll love the familiar, yet newly imagined, items and creatures. Brian's approach always gives me something new to think about.

Full review at dieheart.net.

• Session Zero is a promising new zine for the DW community. There has been some silence around DW fanzines for a while. I'm glad to see that Brian has taken up the gauntlet to create something new.
• The setting idea is fresh and offers some appealing opportunities for players and the Game Master.
• The author delivers a well-rounded package for setting creation. There are enough tools for the Game Master to get up and running in no time. I can imagine that some of the ideas can be useful for other fantasy RPGs, too.
• Session Zero follows DW's adage to ask questions and build upon the answers. If your players are not up for that, some of the material of this zine falls flat. (This is not the zine's fault though. Just something to be aware of. Make it clear to the players that you need their input.)
• Brian could improve the organization. The artwork has a homely charm but is not superb. If you want to help, you can head over to the patreon to raise money for more artwork.
• The zine is PWYW and packs a punch for (basically) free.

Brian Holland brings us more of his Session Zero magic! Take those familiar places, creatures and events and see what strange new directions they will take you in Dungeon World!

This zine is full of cool ideas! You can drop this into a campaign or just borrow all your favorite bits. It might even change the way you handle converting materials from other sources to DW.