Bonds

Summary

Bonds are a core Dungeon World mechanic representing connections and obligations between player characters. Each bond is a specific statement describing a relationship between two characters, and characters begin play with bonds already established. The strength of a bond is measured numerically, with characters tracking how many bonds they share with each other party member. This number directly modifies the outcome of certain moves, particularly when providing assistance to another character.

When a bond is resolved—meaning the relationship described by the bond has fundamentally changed—both players involved must agree to the resolution. The resolving player then earns one experience point and writes a new bond to replace the resolved one. This mechanic ensures that bonds serve both narrative and mechanical functions, requiring mutual agreement and creating opportunities for character development throughout the campaign.

Details

In Dungeon World, bonds function as both a narrative tool and a mechanical modifier. When a player character aids another, the helping character rolls 2d6 and adds the number of bonds they have with the character they are assisting. This makes bonds a tangible representation of how well characters work together and trust one another.

During Session 2, the mechanical application of bonds is demonstrated when Vasso aids Sucks. Shawn clarifies the roll mechanics, stating "you would roll 2d6 and then plus the number of bonds that you have with sex." Dana, playing Vasso, confirms "I had one bond with him, though, right?" — a question that is verified, establishing that Vasso and Sucks share one bond at this point in the campaign.

The bond modifier directly affects the result ranges in Dungeon World's 2d6 resolution system, where results of 10+ represent full success, 7-9 represent partial success, and 6- represents failure. Having even a single bond can make the difference between success and failure when characters work together. Bond values vary between characters based on the nature of their relationships. The standard bond value between party members appears to be 1, but characters with particularly close connections can have bond values of 2 or higher.

Bond resolution requires mutual agreement between the player whose character holds the bond and the player whose character is referenced in it. A character cannot unilaterally resolve a bond; both players must agree that the relationship has changed meaningfully enough to warrant resolution.

History

Session 2

Bonds become mechanically relevant during Session 2 when Vasso attempts to Aid Sucks. The interaction reveals that Vasso has one bond with Sucks, which is added to the aid roll. This represents the first recorded instance in the campaign where the bond mechanic is explicitly invoked and calculated during play, demonstrating how character relationships translate into concrete mechanical benefits during collaborative actions.

Session 3

The session revealed the intricate network of bonds connecting Sucks and Safia. Abdul explained that Sucks had multiple bonds with Safia, including one stating "I stole something from Safia." The stolen item was revealed to be either the ability to shapeshift itself or knowledge about shapeshifting. Another bond—"Safia knows something incriminating about me"—referenced Sucks's inappropriate behavior toward Safia while she was in an animal form. This created a mutual blackmail situation where neither character could reveal the other's secrets without exposing their own.

A particularly unusual bond was revealed: "What Sucks has tasted my blood and I theirs were bound by it." This blood bond between Sucks and Safia may have resulted in some sharing of abilities or knowledge about shapeshifting, though the exact mechanics were not fully clarified during the session.

During the session, the resolution mechanic for bonds was demonstrated. Two bonds were resolved through mutual agreement between the players involved. Sucks resolved the bond about Safia knowing something incriminating, as the shapeshifting secret was now public knowledge. Safia resolved her bond with Vasso—"I showed Vasso a secret rite of the land"—because she had revealed her shapeshifting abilities and taught him how to operate the tree's technology. Both resolutions earned the resolving characters experience points. After resolution, Sucks created a new bond: "Safia outsmarted me by telling people stuff," reflecting how the relationship dynamic had shifted.

Session 4

During Session 4, Vasso considered whether to resolve a bond with Sucks Benedict. Vasso's bond stated "Sucks's misguided behavior endangers their very soul." The question arose because Sucks's actions during the session—specifically involving a blob encounter—had endangered the entire group. However, Vasso noted that unlike the earlier geese incident, Sucks did not immediately attack the blob, showing restraint and growth.

Shawn ruled that this represented enough change to resolve the bond. Vasso marked off the bond, earned a point of experience, and gained the opportunity to write a new bond with any character before the next session.

Cat also discussed a bond during this session. Cat's bond with Vasso read "does not understand life in the wild, so I will teach them." Cat had taught Vasso about raccoons during the session, but determined that this interaction alone had not changed the bond sufficiently to mark it as resolved. The teaching had occurred, but the underlying relationship dynamic described by the bond remained unchanged.

Shawn clarified that players are not required to write new bonds immediately upon resolving an old one—they can complete this task before the next session begins. Additionally, teaching or interacting with another character in a way related to a bond does not automatically resolve that bond. The bond must reflect a genuine change in the relationship or perception between the characters, not merely an action that addresses the bond's subject matter.

Session 6

The bond mechanic became mechanically relevant when Safia attempted to [interfere with Sucks' escape attempt](timestamp://45fd473b-ed24-4ed5-ac6b-dc14138c34ca/00:00). Safia's player asked how to apply the bond modifier, and the table clarified the process: "So sucks rolled 2D6 plus strength. And the Safya rolled 2D6 was bond." Shawn confirmed that Safia had one bond with Sucks, establishing the +1 modifier for the interference roll.

Following the encounter with Nick Silver, multiple party members resolved bonds as their relationships shifted. Safia resolved the bond "I will show Vasso a secret of the land," explaining that Safia "felt like Vasso was kind of like a gullible, you know, like a little bit of a liability. But now she feels like he's less of a liability" after Vasso caught Nick Silver's lie. Katniss resolved "Sucks has no respect for nature, so I have no respect for them," noting that "Katniss now has a little bit of respect for Sucks" based on Sucks' "willing[ness] to do ridiculous things." The table observed that "out of the whole group, Sucks and Katniss are starting to vibe."

Sucks resolved the bond "Katniss and I have a con running," having become "aware now that Katniss is a loose cannon kind of" after witnessing the unprovoked attack on Nick Silver. Vasso resolved "Katniss is a brave soul. I have much to learn from them," referencing having to interfere with Katniss attempting to kill Nick Silver and questioning whether Katniss is truly someone to learn from. These resolutions demonstrated how bonds track meaningful shifts in character relationships and reward players for engaging with narrative changes through experience points.

Session 7

In Session 7, the bond mechanic becomes crucial during a tense moment when Sucks attempts to defy danger but rolls poorly, achieving a total of only 6—a complete failure. Shawn asks about Safia's bond with Sucks, to which Safia's player responds that they have a bond value of 2. By spending these 2 bond points, Safia raises Sucks's roll from 6 to 7, transforming his complete failure into a partial success with hard choices.

When Vasso expresses uncertainty about their bond values, Shawn clarifies the party's bond structure, confirming that most party members have a bond of 1 with each other, while Safia maintains a bond of 2 with Sucks.

The session also reveals that bonds carry social weight among the characters. When Vasso refuses to help with a lie, Sucks threatens retaliation through the bond mechanic itself, saying "I'm gonna bust you down to number seven so fast," treating the bond rating as something that can be damaged through betrayal or lack of cooperation.

Episode: "Session 9"

During the end-of-session wrap-up, Shawn asked the standard bond resolution question: "Bonds. Anyone have a bond they want to get rid of?" Sucks Benedict initially considered changing his bond with Vasso, which stated that Vasso "has my back when things go wrong." After reviewing the specific wording, however, Sucks concluded the bond remained accurate to their relationship and chose not to resolve it.

Both Cat and Safia also declined to resolve any bonds when asked, with each confirming they had none ready for resolution. With no bonds resolved during this session, none of the players received the bonus experience point typically awarded for bond resolution.

Episode: "Session 11"

During the end-of-session review, several bonds were resolved and rewritten to reflect how relationships had evolved following the infiltration mission. Abdul resolved Sucks's bond with Safia: "Safiya has got the social upper hand. I must win." The new bond became "Safi thinks I'm a loser now," capturing Sucks's perception that Safia's view of them had shifted after the session's events.

Erin resolved a bond described as "bound by our blood" and created a replacement, though the specific new text was not stated during the session. Dayna established a new bond with Cat: "Katniss will defend me, even though I don't agree with her methods." This bond acknowledged Cat's protective actions during the mission while expressing discomfort with how that protection was delivered. Brad also referenced an existing bond where Cat "guided Vasso before and they owe me for it," indicating an ongoing obligation Vasso owes to Cat.