Volley

Summary

Volley is a basic move in Dungeon World used for making ranged attacks. The move requires the player to roll 2d6 and add their character's Dexterity modifier to determine the outcome. On a 10+, the attack fully succeeds; on a 7-9, the GM presents a hard bargain, worse outcome, or ugly choice; on a 6-, the attack fails and the GM makes a move. In Session 3, Sucks prepares to use Volley with his Ragged Bow to shoot the retreating Sniff Lord, targeting a pressure point in the creature's neck that Safia has identified. In Session 5, Sucks uses Volley defensively to intercept an incoming pumpkin missile, rolling a partial success that allows him to deflect but not destroy the projectile.

Details

Volley is executed by rolling 2d6 and adding the character's Dexterity modifier. As Shawn explains to Sucks when preparing for the attack: "All right, so that's a volley. So 2d6 plus dexterity."

The move can potentially incorporate additional elements depending on the character's abilities. When Sucks asks about applying poison to his arrow—"Can I put a poison on the end of the thing?"—Shawn clarifies that Sucks does not possess the Poisoner ability that would allow him to apply poison to ammunition. This exchange demonstrates that while Volley is the core mechanic for ranged attacks, certain modifications or enhancements require specific character abilities beyond the basic move itself.

History

Session 3

Volley comes into play during the confrontation with The Sniff Lord. After Safia identifies a vulnerable pressure point in the creature's neck, Sucks positions himself to make a ranged attack with his Ragged Bow. Abdul is also present during this encounter.

Before executing the roll, Sucks inquires whether he can enhance his arrow with poison. Shawn confirms that such an enhancement would require the Poisoner ability, which Sucks does not have. The Volley roll is prepared as The Sniff Lord attempts to back away from the confrontation.

Session 5

When a pumpkin missile hurtled toward Sucks and Cat, Sucks asked, "Should I try and blow this pumpkin up with an arrow?" Shawn instructed Sucks to "Roll your dice. 2D6 plus dexterity."

Sucks rolled an 8, triggering the 7-9 partial success condition. Shawn presented the hard bargain: "So you or Cat are gonna get hit by this pumpkin. You think that you can like knock it away from one of you, but like, you're not gonna be able to blow it up with a knife." This forced Sucks to choose which of them would take the impact, demonstrating how Volley's partial success results create tactical dilemmas rather than clean victories. The situation illustrated that even when a ranged attack partially succeeds, the shooter may be limited to deflecting rather than destroying an incoming threat.