Trick of the Trade
Summary
Trick of the Trade is a Dungeon World thief class move used for pickpocketing, sleight of hand, and bypassing secured mechanisms such as locks and portcullises. The move is rolled using 2d6 plus the character's Dexterity modifier. On a result of 10+, the thief succeeds cleanly without complications. On a 7-9, the character still succeeds, but the GM offers two options drawn from three possible costs: suspicion, danger, or cost. The thief must choose one consequence to accept in exchange for the successful action.
Sucks has demonstrated this move across multiple sessions, both successfully and catastrophically, despite his -1 Dexterity modifier which makes such attempts particularly challenging.
Details
The mechanical structure of Trick of the Trade follows the standard Powered by the Apocalypse resolution system used in Dungeon World. When a thief attempts to pickpocket someone, palm an object, or bypass a lock, the player rolls 2d6 and adds their character's Dexterity modifier. The outcome is determined by the total:
- 10+: Complete success with no complications
- 7-9: Success, but the GM presents two options from suspicion (the target or others notice something), danger (the situation becomes more hazardous), or cost (something is lost or sacrificed)
- 6-: A miss, triggering a GM move
The move represents a thief's training in misdirection, manual dexterity, and timing. Unlike some other class moves, even a partial success (7-9) still accomplishes the action itself—the character gets what they were reaching for or opens what they were attempting to unlock. The consequences affect the situation around the action rather than preventing it entirely.
The ability requires physical tools—specifically lockpicks—to execute lockpicking attempts. Without them, such attempts cannot be made.
Sucks describes the ability in colorful terms, referencing "super eyes" and "Trixie fingers" as the tools of the trade.
History
Session 2
Sucks employed Trick of the Trade while The Masked Cultists were jostling and pushing the party into the tunnel entrance. Recognizing an opportunity in the chaos, Sucks attempted to pickpocket one of the cultists. The player announced the attempt: "I had one thing. I had one thing while I was being jostled. I wanted to pick one of their pockets with trick."
After rolling 2d6 plus Dexterity, Sucks obtained a result of 7, triggering the partial success condition. The GM confirmed: "All right, you still do it. But the GM will offer you two options. Between suspicion, danger or cost."
Sucks chose to accept danger as the consequence, reasoning "I'll take danger because we're already in danger." The theft succeeded, and Sucks obtained a Cult Pin/Brooch from one of the masked cultists. This cult item potentially offered the party a means of infiltration or identification for later use in the session.
Session 3
During Session 3, Trick of the Trade became essential when Sucks, Vasso, and Katniss found themselves trapped behind a Portcullis in the caverns with the Sniff Lord approaching. Shawn confirmed that Sucks was "adept at opening things" and Sucks responded with confidence: "Oh, yeah. I could do a Tricks of the Trade to unlock this portcullis to get out."
Sucks committed to the attempt with characteristic bravado, declaring: "I'm gonna get us out of this. Classic Sucks Benedict move. Gonna lock pick my way out of this or something. Portcullis. Let me look around. There's gotta be something going on here. Here we go. It's Sucks Benedict. Using his super eyes and his Trixie fingers. Sucks Benedict for life."
However, the roll proved disastrous. Sucks rolled two ones on the dice, and with his -1 Dexterity modifier, achieved a total result of 1—literally the worst possible roll in the Dungeon World system. The catastrophic failure meant Sucks could not open the Portcullis at all, eliminating the most obvious escape route and forcing the trapped party members to seek alternative solutions to their predicament.
Session 10
Sucks attempted to use Trick of the Trade to unlock a shed door during the campaign. The attempt resulted in an unusual failure condition: because Cat was simultaneously turning the bolt from the inside—the door was already unlocked—Sucks' lockpicks snapped in half. This represented a situation where the ability failed not due to the move's mechanics, but because the fictional positioning made success impossible.
Later in the session, when Trick of the Trade was successfully used, Sucks rolled a seven, achieving the lock opening with ease. The GM described the lock mechanism as sliding "so easily once you get your picks in there." However, the 7-9 result triggered the additional consequence of Sucks feeling embarrassed about the performance, demonstrating how even successful execution of the move can carry social or emotional costs.