What limits the use of Supply and Connections?

Question

In Dungeon World there is a special move called Supply with the following details:

When you go to buy something with gold on hand, if it’s something readily available in the settlement you’re in, you can buy it at market price. If it’s something special, beyond what’s usually available here, or non-mundane, roll+Cha. ✴On a 10+, you find what you’re looking for at a fair price. ✴On a 7–9, you’ll have to pay more or settle for something that’s not exactly what you wanted, but close. The GM will tell you what your options are.

Additionally there is a Thief advanced move called Connections with the following details:

When you put out word to the criminal underbelly about something you want or need, roll+CHA. ✴On a 10+, someone has it, just for you. ✴On a 7–9, you’ll have to settle for something close or it comes with strings attached, your call.

Now, it seems that if the players visit a tiny village that lacks a particular magical item, they could simply purchase it (or any number of magical items) via a good Supply roll so long as they have coin on hand. While this does have the obvious cost of the items' coin worth, it does seem to make a pilgrimage to a larger city with the intent on getting access to rarer stuff unnecessary.

Worse, Connections appears to allow the acquisition of powerful/rare stuff for free on a good roll! I understand as the GM I can limit these things via fiction, but do I really have to work against the stated moves' descriptions to do so?

Why wouldn't players just use Connections and a good CHA modifier to get amazing stuff repeatedly? What limits this ability (and to a lesser extent, Supply)?

Answer 1

Two things...

Connections does not imply a free item. Just because a seller has exactly what you're looking for "just for you", that doesn't mean they aren't going to charge you, just that they will charge you a standard, fair rate. If it's something rare or illegal, it could still be pricey. All the move gets you is availability.

Use GM Moves to limit the effectiveness of supplying. You can make a GM move any time the players look to you for information, and by definition, they're already doing that when it comes to describing what is available in town. Reveal an unwelcome truth to let them know that the town is understocked with goods, Show signs of an approaching threat show them that they have limited time to shop and might have to accept sub-par deals, or Turn their move back on them to reveal that the shopkeeper wants to buy something from them in trade instead of accepting money. Be creative in describing the limitations of the town.

Answer 2

In the Connections case the phrase "someone has it, just for you" doesn't mean that it's free. It might mean that a local thief might be willing to sell it for a fair price, or that a noble has it on display in a lightly-guarded mansion and nobody else is trying to steal it, or something else. It does mean that you won't have to worry about additional costs afterwards - just something you can know and solve up front.

As for Supply, the price is fair. It doesn't mean that the cost of the item equals what it'd cost in a large city - on the contrary, it's only fair that a rare item would cost more in a random village than in a big city just because of the fact it's unlikely to be there in the first place.

Both moves ensure you find the item - they don't ensure you get it. That's up for you and the GM.