Bond Resolution

Summary

Bond Resolution is a core Dungeon World mechanic that awards experience points when the relationship between two characters changes significantly. Bonds are specific statements that track relationships between characters, and when a bond is resolved—meaning the relationship it describes is no longer true—both players must agree to the change. The character who held the bond earns one experience point and writes a new bond to reflect the evolved relationship.

Resolution occurs when the premise of a bond has been definitively tested or disproven through events during play. A player might resolve a bond when they discover their assumption about another character was wrong, when their relationship dynamic fundamentally shifts, or when they learn something that changes their perspective on that character. The mechanic encourages players to pay attention to character interactions and relationship dynamics, creating a mechanical incentive for roleplay and character development while providing a structured moment for the party to reflect on how the session affected their group dynamics.

Details

The mechanic functions through mutual agreement between players. When Shawn asks the table if anyone believes their bonds have been resolved or changed, players evaluate whether the statements describing their character's relationships still hold true. As Shawn explains, "if you do have one that you think is resolved, it's very clear"—the resolution should be obvious when it happens.

To resolve a bond means "that they're no longer true." The relationship hasn't ended, but the specific statement describing it no longer applies. Both the player holding the bond and the player whose character is referenced must agree before resolution occurs. When a bond resolves, the player earns one experience point and must create a new bond that adds "something that has the potential to change in the future."

Bonds should be actionable and have the potential to shift over the course of play. Shawn emphasizes that players don't have to resolve bonds if they don't feel the relationship has changed—the mechanic is triggered by meaningful narrative developments, not by obligation.

History

Session 3

Multiple bond resolutions occur in Session 3 of the campaign after Safia's revelation about her shapeshifting abilities.

Sucks resolves his bond with Safia: "Safia knows something incriminating about me." He explains that while Safia still knows the incriminating information, "everyone knows it now, so it feels like it's not a bond anymore." The secret nature of the information—the core of the bond—no longer applies. Sucks creates a new bond to replace it: "Safia outsmarted me by telling people stuff."

Safia resolves her bond with Vasso: "I showed Vasso a secret rite of the land." This resolution follows her demonstration of shapeshifting and her teaching Vasso about tree technology. The bond statement is no longer accurate because the secret has been revealed and the teaching has occurred.

Shawn confirms the mechanic's function by noting "you kind of know, like, how Sucks is feeling"—the resolution should be clear to both the player and the table when a relationship has genuinely shifted.

Episode: "Session 6"

During Session 6's bond resolution, multiple significant relationship shifts occurred following the party's confrontation with Nick Silver. The resolution session highlighted how a single intense encounter could fundamentally alter the party's perceptions of one another, particularly when violent impulses came into conflict with group cohesion.

Cat resolved a bond with Sucks, recognizing that despite his lack of respect for nature, she had gained respect for his willingness to do ridiculous things. Sucks simultaneously resolved a bond with Cat, now recognizing her as a loose cannon after witnessing her unprovoked attempt to kill Nick Silver. This mutual resolution reflected the session's events where both characters demonstrated their characteristic extremes—Sucks's audacity and Cat's violent unpredictability.

Vasso resolved a bond with Cat, questioning whether she was truly someone to learn from after having to interfere with her attack on a random man. The need to physically stop Cat from killing Nick Silver forced Vasso to reconsider his view of her as a mentor or role model. Meanwhile, Safia resolved a bond with Vasso, recognizing he was less of a liability than she had previously thought after witnessing him catch Nick Silver's lie. This resolution acknowledged Vasso's perceptiveness during the interrogation, demonstrating growth in Safia's estimation of his capabilities.