Hey everybody,

my friends and I play Starforged coop and last month when we had an irreguarly long pause between sessions, we made up a in between session move so we could each spend time with the world and it’s characters while desperately waiting to return to the table. Thought someone might enjoy it.

When you can’t wait for the next session but still want to spend time with your shared universe, roll on the table and create a little vignette based on your character‘s backstory, an NPC you‘ve met, a location visited or a faction you‘ve encountered. Everything directly regarding your character or their backstory is fair game. When it comes to the shared world, try to add details to existing plot elements instead of creating completely new ones. When you’re unsure about something or want to propose a new plot element, present it through an unreliable narrator, rumor or legend and let the group decide if it’s true or not.
27-52 Interlude (Sundered Isles)
53-78 Revealed Character Aspect
79-92 Action + Theme
93-99 Descriptor + Focus
100 Roll Twice

(The table ofc is super arbitrary.)

How do you deal with the agony of not being able to binge a story you make up on the spot with your friends?

Ironsworn is narrative driven, sure, but does anyone have any clue on how to (even narratively) differentiate someone having a gambeson (without the ironclad asset) from someone wearing plain clothes other than having a different fashion? Like, how would gambeson change the outcomes of "face danger", for example?

Edit: I've decided to just go with gambeson being baseline, unarmoured get hit more, and metal is encumbered but get hit less.

Has anyone found a decent companion app that incorporates all of Ironsmith? I’ve been trying out Iron Vault, Iron Journal, and Pocketforge, and they all have bits and pieces of what I want—Iron Journal and Pocketforge are much more user-friendly and Pocketforge seems to have Ironsmith and Spellforge oracles, but neither feature the assets or moves from Ironsmith. (Not sure if Spellforge has paths/moves/etc., but they don’t seem to be present if so) I’ve been trying to figure out a way to import Ironsmith assets into one of the two, but haven’t managed to get it working yet. Iron Vault has almost all of Ironsmith’s assets, except for the extra darkness moves, but I’m having a really hard time using it on iOS.

I haven’t had any luck importing assets into Iron Journal or Pocketforge; I must not be formatting them right for Iron Journal because nothing seems to happen when I import a file, and clicking the “import” button on the custom assets tab in Pocketforge just brings up a window that says “no data found”, without giving me the option to select a file.

If anyone has a good solution for this, I’d love to hear it. I’m also very interested in trying out Arcanum, but I’ve put that on the back burner since Ironsmith seems to be the only one with any built-in support on the companion apps I’ve tried so far and I have no idea how to go about importing Arcanum’s assets into any of them.

Thanks!

Well, this is Gill's latest escapade. I was tempted to call it a 'score', but by the end of this throughline (already played), that won't feel particularly accurate.

Given how long it's been since I last played, I figured Gill has probably spent a fair amount of time laying low, taking small jobs for small pay, so I thought I'd throw myself into a random situation using the oracles.

I'll include some of the mechanical bits in italics, along with my thoughts as a player outside of the narrative. I'd given myself a little licence in interpreting the oracles during play, but for the sake of telling a story I won't necessarily present everything in the order it was rolled.

A final note; one thing I've never tried in any of my Ironsworn or Starforged games was something like a Delve. I had a vague recollection that Starforged had similar mechanics, so very early in this session I started leaning towards that kind of scenario.
What I soon realised, having brought only the two reference guides with me, is those rules seemingly weren't included in the Starforged guide. Having already committed, I tried to muddle through using the Delve rules from Lodestar, along with the location oracles I had. If what follows doesn't entirely make sense, at least you'll know what I was trying to do.
Here goes…

---

SESSION 7: THE TOWER

Start a Session - Peril Lies Ahead.

Ozmandas stands at a large window in one of the upper rooms of his opulent mansion, staring out across Dawai. Between him and the city lie four miles of dense jungle, two electrified fences, a perimeter wall, and a small army of goons in his employ. From this very comfortable distance, he can swim in one of his deluxe pools, enjoy the air conditioning in any number of marbled rooms, or help himself to a drink from a fully stocked bar. Everything he could possibly want, very little reason to leave.

Despite the distance, he holds Dawai firmly in the palm of his hand.

Not on paper, but ask anyone from the lowliest pimp to the most ambitious freelance killer, and they'll tell you the same thing.

"Ozmandas owns Dawai.".

Action: Share / Theme: Humanity / Focus: Refuge. (Interesting...)

"Is Gill in trouble?" 50/50 - Yes. (Of course he is.)

"Is he alone?" 50/50 - No. (Well, allies are always helpful.)

"Is Juno with him?" 50/50 - Yes. (That's something, at least.)

"Is Lenton there?" Likely - No. (Asshole.)

"Is Brogan there?" Unlikely - Yes. (Oh.)

"What, on Gill's side???" 50/50 - Yes. (Maybe the big guy is finally warming up to him?)

The Icarus was, many decades ago, a colonisation shuttle, resembling something akin to a luxury cruise liner. Somewhere in this system, its occupants were forced to evacuate. Why remains a mystery, but the shuttle itself was left to drift aimlessly through space, seemingly preserved in time. That is, until it collided with the atmosphere of Illian. It broke apart in orbit, the largest section plunging into the ground below like a giant spear.

Obviously, events like this are far from rare, but the Icarus remains remarkably intact, rising from the jungle like a crooked tower. Such relics can hold valuable prizes, but such relics do not go unnoticed...

Gill, Brogan and Juno scale the outside of this tower by ropes, surrounded by birds that have made the Icarus their nesting site. Beneath them, the drop is dizzying.

So what brings Gill and company to this particular Delve site?

Yesterday, the good doctor took Gill to one side. Started with small talk, but Gill knows the game. He can tell when someone's working up to something. He's receptive enough, needs the cash. Once he's saved enough for supplies, he can leave this rock behind and start over somewhere else. Not that he wants to admit he's grown fond of the little village and its people. But attachments are a luxury he can't afford with a bastard like Ozmandas still under the impression he's dead.

Eventually, the doctor leads him into a small cavern nestled in the rockface, its walls trailing with wires, the whole place humming like a beehive.

"This is the generator that keeps most of the village operational" she explains, finally getting to her point.

"It's making enough noise".

"Well, that's sort of the issue. Because it isn't".

She points to where the electronics and wires converge. At their centre sits the generator itself, a device no larger than a beer can.

"For the last four years, this has been running at two percent. Last month, it ticked down to one".

Gill sighs. "How long's it got, realistically?"

"Probably years. But the problem is, when it goes, that's it. This whole village will collapse. Families will be left without the means to sustain themselves. Many will perish. The lucky ones will find themselves homeless in places like Dawai, forced into any number of dangerous activities simply to stay alive..."

"Buy a new battery".

She smiles kindly. "Batteries like this cost a hundred times what the people here own between them".

"Why tell me all this, Doc? What exactly are you proposing?"

And that's when she mentions the Iccarus, which crashed into the jungle less than twenty-four hours ago. A ship like that, she figures, could be carrying any number of batteries like the one they need. A single one would keep the village in juice for another hundred years. Unfortunately, batteries like that fetch a good price. Plenty of interested parties might have the same idea.

Gill lays out his terms. He doesn't work for free.

The doc offers him what she probably hopes is a good price. It isn't, not for a job like this. Small change, but a damn sight more than Gill has right now. He accepts the job, tells himself it's decent money, given his predicament. He doesn't quite convince himself.

Gill plays this very conversation over in his head as he clambers through the breached hatch, already webbed with vines. He turns to help Juno inside, while Brogan hauls himself up behind them. Juno, the bleeding-heart kid, is probably doing this for a candy bar, but Gill can't help wondering what the hell they had to offer a man like Brogan for a job like this.
He daren't ask, but part of him hopes Brogan isn't getting paid more than he is.

The Icarus is a Dangerous Delve, divided into several areas: one part Access, one part Engineering, two parts Community, and one part Operations.

Explore - Stealth - Corridor - Miss - Reveal Danger - Hazardous Environment. (Really? First fucking roll of the Delve...)

No sooner have the group made their way down the first sideways corridor the entire Icarus shakes, creaks, and lurches.

Nobody takes that particularly well.

For a long moment nobody dares move. They simply exchange nervous glances, each waiting for someone else to do something. Gill is the first to risk it. He slowly reaches into his jacket, pulls out a flask, and necks a generous mouthful of strong rum. Then he speaks into his earpiece.

My first revision. Given that everyone else was here, it seemed silly to leave Lenton out. Technically, with him sitting in the relative safety of the Drift's pilot seat, he's not here in the physical sense.

"Lenton, you asshole! This whole place is held together with fucking optimism!"

"Place is looser than a hooker's hymen" Juno chips in. Diplomatic as ever.

Even Brogan is moaning. "The only thing holding this wreck together is the fucking vines!"

Lenton comes over the comms. "Honestly, that may just be the start of your troubles. I strongly suggest you get a move on. But you might want to go gently. Just saying..."

Four-segment Clock started. One segment filled. Great start.

-

I'll post the next part fairly soon. Thanks again for reading.

Edit; finally coloured my sketch of Gill. See earlier posts for process, no AI. I see pen, ink, and a very old version of Photoshop.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ironsworn/s/EawpcktDYc

The second part of Gill's latest shit-show. I couldn't make sense of some of my own notes (regarding every roll), but mechanically there's enough here to follow.

Enjoy...

---

SESSION 8. ALL FALL DOWN.

Explore - Strong Hit - Friendly Survivor - Stoic.

Further up the tunnel, hanging from the wreckage overhead, is a semi-functional assistance droid, essentially a mechanical bellhop. He seems remarkably chipper, considering his predicament.

"Hello. I'm Henry Helper. How may I assist you today?"

"We're after some batteries, fuck nuts” but Brogan's approach yields few results.

Gill tries again, with a little more clarity, and Henry is happy to point them in the right direction. They're kept in a secure unit a few floors down. Henry happily offers up directions, although these don’t account for the poor condition or new orientation of the Icarus.

Secure Advantage - +2 momentum

"Thanks, Henry," beams Juno. "You're a real peach".

"You're welcome, anytime. Henry is always happy to help" replies the broken droid.

Delve - Weak Hit - Progress and Danger - Lurking Foe.

Here, collapsed rooms and walkways have conspired to create an almost walkable floor, even though the workshop around them is sideways.

Making their way through, they come across a man rummaging through lockers, muttering to himself. There's a shotgun slung over his back and he wears an armoured vest. A scavenger, unlikely to be in the ship alone.

Secure an Advantage - Strong Hit.

Gill waves his allies to stay hidden and creeps up behind the man. It's only when he gets close that he realises the guy is a fair bit bigger than he is.

(Me realising that knocking this guy out probably requires Iron, and that's not exactly Gill’s best stat. I can picture Brogan shaking his head in frustration.)

Face Danger - Miss.

Gill is just about to pistol-whip the fucker when he turns around. There's an awkward wordless moment.

Burn Momentum - Weak Hit - Reveal Danger.

Brogan comes barrelling out of hiding, his punch connecting with the scavenger's jaw like a hammer blow. It's not subtle but it works. In fact, the scavenger might even be dead.

"That's not good" grunts Brogan.

"Don't do yourself down. I think you did okay," replies Juno.

Brogan ignores her. "No, the vest".

He gives the scavenger a kick. Gill notices a crudely painted sword on the man's armour, but it means nothing to him.

"This is one of Aguk's team. Mercs. Damn good ones".

"Better than you?" Gill asks.

Brogan scoffs. "Nobody's better than me. But they're probably more dangerous than you are. And they do a lot of work for our favourite Dawai kingpin".

That changes the mood.

"Then let's hope we get out of here without meeting them." But Gill already expects this is unlikely, knowing his luck.

Delve - Weak Hit.

Engineering gives way to the Community wing, and the three rope down into an old classroom. ABCs and crayon drawings adorn the walls. Juno takes the opportunity to stuff a few textbooks into her rucksack. It's hard to know whether these are intended for the children back at the village, or for herself.

"What a waste of goddamn time" mutters the big man.

"Words are important. Words make a difference" Juno manages, clearly in a sulk.

Delve - Strong Miss. (Because, obviously.)

The way opens into a large chamber, once a luxurious restaurant, all diamonds and glass. A 1920's art deco aesthetic, now in ruins. Due to the impact of the Icarus, this portion of the ship is almost level, although the tiled floor is treacherously slippery.

Brogan is the first to spot Aguk's scavengers. About ten of them, probably the whole team. An assortment of humans and humanoid aliens of various species. Aguk himself is the largest, a leather-skinned giant standing seven feet tall, with tusks. He'd dwarf even Brogan. Presently, he's growling orders at his men.

Gill turns to Brogan and Juno, pressing a finger to his lips. With any luck, the mercenaries will leave without ever knowing they're being watched. Unfortunately, this is precisely when the automated hospitality system, triggered by Gill's movements, springs to life.

"Good evening, and welcome to the Icarus Ball! Come, relax in style. Why not try one of our delicious cocktails? Have a blast!"

Aguk and his team spin around. All pretence of stealth is gone. It's business time.

Defeat the Scavengers - Formidable.

Gill draws first, ever the gunslinger, but in his frustration puts his first bullet into the sound system. His second puts someone down. Normally it'd be a fatal shot, but these enemies are packing serious armour.

Enter the Fray - Gunslinger - Weak Hit - Take Control.

The room erupts into gunfire. Brogan pulls his heavy blaster, leaps over the reception counter, and gives them hell. Whatever the village ended up throwing his way, Brogan proves they underpaid.

Strike - Gunner - Make Them Hurt - Weak Hit.

Three go down. These fuckers won't be getting back up.

"See!" he yells to Gill while reloading. "Ain't nobody better than me!"

The scavengers take up positions at the far end of the hall, around the service hatch and kitchen. Open to public view, but providing strong cover. Continuing the fight against their superior weaponry means Gill and company pushing their way up the hall towards them.

Secure an Advantage - Miss - Companion in Harm's Way.

"We go on three!" Gill shouts.

Brogan runs on two. Deaf, stubborn, who can say. He takes a glancing hit to one shoulder and goes down in the middle of the hall. He manages to scramble behind some overturned tables and wreckage, but he's pinned, his weapon lying out of reach.

Secure an Advantage - Strong Hit.

Gill hasn't the first idea how to help, but Juno rummages through her rucksack. She pulls out a heavy, hardback encyclopaedia.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" she screams, hurling it down the hallway.

The scavengers dive for cover. Brogan knows a grenade when he sees one, and he knows damn well Juno doesn't have any. He rolls out, grabs his gun, and ducks back into cover, all before Aguk has a chance to chew his men out for their stupidity.

"WORDS MATTER, ASSHOLE!" Juno shouts over the gunfire.

"Still think you should've brought a fucking grenade" he calls back, although there's the hint of a smile on his grizzled face.

Face Danger — Miss / Doubles. (9 vs 10 and 10. No amount of Momentum is fixing this.)

Suddenly, the Icarus lurches violently to one side...

Clock marked.

Nobody fires. Nobody even speaks. Enemies exchange the same nervous glances. Gill reaches for his flask, but before he can put it to his lips, the entire chamber goes into -

FREE FALL.

Everyone scrambles to grab hold of something. The chamber crashes through several floors before lurching violently onto its side. The outer wall gives way. Nothing beyond it, just open air. Twenty-four floors, straight down into the jungle below. A fatal, breath-stealing drop.

Lenton in Gill’s ear "I think part of the tower just gave way! Are you all okay?"

Gill's flask, along with several pieces of debris, slides over the edge and disappears from sight.

"Three hundred feet of fresh air between me and my last fucking drink, Lenton, you asshole!" 

Endure Stress - -1 - Miss - Another -1.

"Kill them" Aguk orders. Sensing some reluctance among his men, he grabs one of them and hurls him into the jungle below. In short order, the chamber is once again filled with the sounds of blaster fire.

React Under Fire - Miss - Burn Momentum - Strong Hit - Doubles.

Another section of flooring gives way, this time beneath the kitchen. Four of the scavengers plummet to their deaths, the rest scramble desperately for safety.

Clash - Weak Hit - Separated.

Clearly, it was too soon to get excited. Gill's grip on a table gives way, he finds himself sliding towards the precipice. He struggles, rolls, screams, swears, and finally manages to grab hold of the only firm thing within reach.

A kitchen towel, on a hook.

Beside him, Aguk is dangling precariously from an open oven door. The two begin kicking at each other, the vast jungle expanse beneath their feet.

Take Decisive Action - Strong Hit.

Gill twists, barely keeping his grip on the towel. The giant is overpowering him. Gill spots the oven's control panel, reaches out, punches the temperature setting high as it'll go.

Against all likelihood, the oven hums to life. He was due some luck.

Aguk's expression changes to one of incredulity as he feels the heat against his face. The metal handle is getting hot. Aguk shifts his grip, swearing in his alien tongue, but there's nowhere else to put his hand. The heating elements glow brighter.

"Smell that? Something burning?"

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

Aguk holds on for one final, agonising moment, then falls, leaving a layer of skin welded to the oven handle. Gill watches the enormous alien disappear into the jungle below.

"Let me know if you find my flask..."

With the battle now over, Brogan and Juno work together to lower a rope, and soon the three are safely away.

—

The final part just needs writing up, but this was the bulk. Thanks again.

I'm looking for a game I can duet with my boyfriend, but we're not really into a co-op kind of thing. Do you think Ironsworn with 1 GM and 1 Player would be a fun time, and do you have any recommendations or tips for me as the GM?

So I'm playing Solo. First time player, but with previous RPG experience. Currently, I just set out from my hometown on a vow to find the Townmaster who went missing when the townhall was burnt down. On no leads, I've set out to the closest other settlement to see if they've seen or heard anything. The journey is ranked as troublesome, and is uneventful but on a roll to complete the journey, I rolled DOUBLE 10s. So... what would be your twist ideas here?

In our next episode of STARFORGED ADVENTURES, Logan attempts to rescue his friends from the outpost, after it had been overrun by a company of Obsidian Accord troops led by a smart-mouthed commander with an annoying accent. https://starforgedadventures.wordpress.com/2026/10/06/episode-66-rescuing-friends/

I'm interested in maybe running a Spelljammer campaign solo. I have a couple of the core AD&D Spelljammer books and all three forms of Ironsworn. I figure some combo of Starforged and Sundered Isles will fit the bill for this, but I'd love to hear the community's ideas about how best to make this work.

I sat down to choose truths and I'm already a little stumped.

Delve didn't come with any tables; what do you guys do?

Thanks for joining me again.

Here's a very brief overview of Session 0. Brief because the game is already well under way.

—

CATACLYSM

The Sun Plague. Dark matter decay swept across our home galaxy, and wherever it passed, stars died. There was nothing to fight against or cure, so we fled.

EXODUS

When the fleets left our dying galaxy, they knew where they were headed. The journey took generations and carried everything humanity could salvage.

IRON

The first generations in the Forge carried fragments of the vessels that brought our ancestors here. Those pieces became rare relics. Some carry this iron openly, while others keep theirs somewhere safe.

COMMUNITIES

Out here, survival has always been easier together. Alliances formed between isolated communities, and those alliances became something larger: The Coalition. At first, it existed to protect people, then it existed to organise them, to govern them. Now, it demands "obedience". In the core sectors its authority is absolute. Laws, taxes, permits, checks and patrols are simply part of life. 

LAWS

Most of the Outlands remain a frontier. Move far enough from the major trade routes and the notion of law becomes very theoretical. The Coalition strives to bring such regions to heel.

COMMUNICATIONS AND DATA

Civilisation depends upon the Weave. Vast data hubs relay information between worlds with astonishing speed. Beyond established routes, the Weave becomes less effective, so intrepid couriers carry information between isolated settlements. 

WAR

The wealthy employ security forces and hire mercenaries. Mining combines pay private soldiers to protect their claims. Crime syndicates maintain enforcers better equipped than many militias. Basically, things are pretty dangerous.

OTHER TRUTHS

Our faith is as diverse as our people, and magic does not exist. Some sentient machines work alongside us as equals while others are entirely subservient. Modern medicine can rebuild, replace, repair and cure almost anything, for the right price. With sufficient money and regular treatment, the wealthy can become almost immortal. The Forge is vast and sparsely populated, but we're not alone. Humanity has encountered numerous forms of sentient life among these stars, most live alongside us. 

THE ANVIL REGION

A remote stretch of the Outlands where Coalition authority hasn't yet become absolute. Their blockades choke worlds considered uncooperative, restricting trade and the free movement of people. This is where Gill's story begins.

THE SECTOR

For this campaign, I created a sector containing four planets, leaving most of their details unfinished so they can emerge through play. Only one was finalised beforehand.

ILLIAN

A hot and humid jungle world where sprawling settlements are dotted throughout vast forests. The atmosphere is breathable, the rain is frequent, and the vegetation is unknowable. Of the numerous settlements scattered across the planet, everyone knows Dawai.

DAWAI

Built around one of Illian's busiest ports, Dawai is a sprawl of narrow streets, crowded markets and neon bar signs. Cargo haulers rumble overhead while street vendors shout over the racket and music spills from open-front bars.

THE COALITION

Governing Power. Dominant, spanning numerous sectors. Authoritarian, expansionist, politically treacherous. Considers itself the herald of humanity's survival. Given their uniform, "Blackcoats" has become a less-than-affectionate nickname.

OZMANDAS' SYNDICATE

Fringe criminal organisation. Destroy, absorb or subjugate rivals. Influence over Dawai and the surrounding region. Ozmandas is an insectoid humanoid with impeccable manners and expensive tastes. He is cultured, softly spoken, polite, and utterly ruthless. Not everything in Dawai belongs to Ozmandas, but it sure feels that way.

CRUNCY BITS / GILL

Edge +2 - a capable pilot with good reflexes, also pretty handy with a revolver.
Iron +1 - if a situation has turned into a fair fight, something's already gone wrong.
Wits +2 - no scholar, but observant and resourceful.
Heart +1 - altruism has never paid the bar tab.
Shadow +3 - obviously how he's stayed alive this long.
Assets: Scoundrel, Gunslinger, Courier (although I've since swapped this last asset for Scavenger, and I've recently acquired Trader through XP)

—

That's all she wrote.

Hopefully it's intriguing enough that you'll Join Gill on his next outing. Thanks again for reading.

Hi! I'm currently playing my magical girl hack for ironsworn. despite hacking it its my first time playing an ironsworn game other than iron valley so im still getting used to the mechanics, despite having written like a third of them lol.

one of the things thats mostly the same are the vows, so i thought id ask here: what do you do when the scope of your vow changes?

i made a vow to save an evil magical girl from whatever dark influence was causing her to be evil, as it didn't seem like it was in her nature. Now i learned that she's not the only one experiencing this, that there is an entire cult of evil magical girls lurking in the city im trying to protect. Now I kind of want to change the scope of this vow; i want to save all of them that aren't too far gone.

Would I be able to change the vow into a broader one and maybe up the challenge level? Or would I have to make a new vow? it feels redundant to make a new vow that would still include a vow i have already made, so im not sure how to go about this. any thoughts?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ironsworn/s/tLB1HDZBfG

Well, it closes in another 5 hours (as of editing this post to include the link), but I don't expect the results will substantially change. And thanks to everyone who took part. I apologise that I sort'a ignored the results.

Sorta'.

Blood-Singer's Oath scored 10, coming in well behind the other two. I actually think that one has the most interesting story ahead of it, but requires the long-game to really pay off, which probably doesn't lend itself too well to shorter chapters. It's also arguably the most vanilla. A Place To Call My Own came in at 20, with A Road Beneath Red Leaves taking the lead at 23. Close. So, by rights, I should have made Red Leaves my primary go-to campaign.

However, I've opted to continue with A Place To Call My Own, which was my first foray into Ironsworn and Starforged.

I'm going to put Blood-Singer's Oath on the back burner for now. That said, I'll continue to run Red Leaves semi-regularly, probably at around one session for every two.

Hope that works for everyone.

Following the feedback I've received, I'll also keep including more of the mechanics alongside my write-ups, so you can get a better sense of how I'm interpreting certain results. I'll try to simplify those sections compared with how I handled them in Red Leaves, so they're less distracting.

With that in mind, my next post (at some point fairly soon) will be my retroactive Session 0 for A Place To Call My Own, the only one of these games I started playing without sharing any of the background first.

If there's anything you'd like to see me do differently, or anything you'd like me to address in these playthroughs, let me know. I'm actually off work for the next two weeks, so I'm hoping to get a few good sessions in. Together we'll learn just what trouble Gill has gotten himself into, and whether he's acting alone of alongside his new 'friends'.

Thanks again for your time, your votes, and your support.

Stay safe.

Not that I'll entirely stop the others, but I think having a main go-to is likely a good idea.

I have 3 presently, managed to stop myself doing a fourth and fifth, although I do have ideas.

As some of you follow these games, I thought I'd give you all the choice of what you'd rather see more of:

YES, ANOTHER ONE

I have a new story on the go. Can't help myself.

With Gill now reflecting on his next move from the relative peace and quiet of a tropical beach, and Brom resting his weary soul in the comfort of a found-family and loving home, it seemed as good a time as any to set the wheels in motion for another hero.

I figured I'd share my Session 0, because this is probably the furthest I've strayed from the base setting. A little more practice has given me some confidence, and I'm writing this from the privileged position of maybe going straight into Session 1 later tonight.

So, a little about the setting.

TETSUCHI 

"The Iron Land"

This version is heavily inspired by feudal Japan and chanbara movies. Think Harakiri, 13 Assassins and Seven Samurai, with a sprinkling of the supernatural from anime like Ninja Scroll and Basilisk. For the gamers out there, you'll likely also see a dash of Ominusha, Tenchu (showing my age) and Ghost of Tsushima.

To make the Ironlands feel suitably on-theme, I've changed the regional names slightly.

Barrier Islands - Whispering Isles  
Ragged Coast - Thunder Coast  
Deep Wilds - The Spirit Wilds  
Flooded Lands - Reed Lands  
Havens - The Provinces
Hinterlands - Borderlands
Veiled Mountains - The Iron Sisters

In this version of the Ironlands, they take their name from the massive iron-dark mountain range dominating the north. I've removed the Tempest Hills and the Shattered Wastes. In addition, the Iron River (a strong, wide waterway) runs from the mountain slopes down the length of the island before reaching the southern deltas. It's become Tetsuchi's great artery for travel and trade.

The Iron Land itself is an archipelago, approximately forty miles from the mainland of the Empire, Koryo Tenka, or "High Realm Beneath Heaven".

Three generations have now lived here.

While the Shogun holds sway in the High Realm, the Iron land is ruled by his half-brother, Lord Noritada. Rumor has it the Shogun placed him here to stop him causing chaos on the mainland, knowing Noritada to be selfish, cruel and possessed of a vicious temper. What has kept the Empire's mainland safe has only brought pain and sorrow to Tetsuchi.

In this world, beasts and the supernatural are fierce. Their existence is in no doubt, though mankind's dealings with either are rare. Here in the Iron Land, however, they appear in far greater abundance than within the High Realm: Ogre demons, magical foxes, reptilian water imps, arrogant mountain giants, ethereal snow maidens, the restless dead, and spiteful flocks of Tengu. All prowl the land, particularly the Spirit Wilds - a place travellers would do well to avoid.

Politically, the Iron Land is under the control of  Clan Tsuruga, ruling from Wolfheart Castle, seat of the Daimyo Lord Noritada. But two other clans share this domain. Clan Mizuno, wealthy and outwardly hungry for greater power, is based in the bustling Champion Harbour. While they would dearly love to displace Clan Tsuruga, their ambitions are kept in check by the risk of prevoking the Shogun's anger. Lastly, Clan Kanegawa, spiritual leaders and keepers of the shrines, are nestled amongst the Crane Hills. Their concerns about the Daimyo have repeatedly fallen upon the Shogun's deaf ears, and their influence upon the Iron Land is weakening.

ENTER THE HERO

Wandering quite peacefully through this backdrop of supernatural danger, clan rivalry and roving bandits is Hayashi Jiro.

Unlike Gill and Brom (self-serving and weighed down by the wrongdoings of a bloody past, respectively) Jiro is remarkably well-adjusted. He's kind, considerate, good humoured, incredibly calm, quick to smile and almost impossible to anger. A wise man in his early forties, Jiro is a travelling storyteller with a healer's touch. He shares his wisdom freely, though often masks his meaning in tales and half-remembered legends, allowing those who listen to find the lesson for themselves.

If he has a weakness, it's for good saki and dice games.

Jiro is also blind, walking from place to place with the aid of a bamboo cane and his heightened senses. Blind, but, as he likes to say, he "sees more than most".

But yours truly has watched a few Zatoichi films…

And that simple bamboo cane conceals an incredibly sharp blade, one Jiro is remarkably skilled at using. That said, drawing it is always a last resort.

CRUNCHY BITS

Edge 2 - nimble, elegant.
Iron 2 - an accomplished blade master, albeit one with an obvious limitation.
Wits 2 - wise and perceptive.
Heart 3 - a man who holds firmly to his own sense of honour and justice, even when it conflicts with the long-held traditions of powerful Clans.
Shadow 0 - lying is distasteful to him, and a blind man would naturally struggle to move unseen.

Duelist - A style of combat whereby blade and scabbard are used in unison.
Storyweaver - his 'day job', a travelling storyteller who recites tales in exchange for food and shelter.
Herbalist - a life on the road has taught him much. To cause suffering is easy, to mend is greatness.
Sighted - to (poetically) counter some of the character's obvious limitations, I allowed myself a fourth asset: an ability for Jiro to better 'see' the spirit world around him.

What I really tried to do was land on a very different style of play from Gill and Brom. Jiro is a character who is fundamentally decent and peaceful. Drama doesn't have to come from him becoming a better man. 

AND NOW WE BEGIN

As Part One opens, we find Jiro travelling south through the Reed Lands, a beautiful landscape of waterways and trees beneath calm grey skies, cranes passing overhead. He travels now to meet his oldest friend, Okabe.

The last message he received from him was cryptic and unnerving, delivered by Okabe's daughter and son.

“Oldest and dearest friend.
I need your help. 
Never would I ask such a thing, nor think to mention our shared past, but my need is dire and the circumstances grave indeed. Please come with all haste, I will tell you more upon your arrival. And protect my children, Yumi and young Ren, they are my everything.
Your brother in deed, if not blood,
Okabe Renji”.

And so, with Yunmi and Ren as his travelling companions, Hayashi Jiro travels to the village of Windwatch.

An old debt waits to be repaid...

Well, here we go. The opening of Jiro's adventure.

By request, I've also included some of the mechanics that caused the narrative. Sometimes, where an oracle result doesn't immediately fit, rather than derailing my session trying to make it work I allow myself the option of taking the result above or below instead. I'll indicate when I make that choice. 

Also, from Session 0 https://www.reddit.com/r/Ironsworn/s/ce2nzmlOYT I decided to amend the name of Weatherwatch to Mosswater. It just sounded better.

---

AN OLD FRIEND.

We begin with a small hut beside a stream, its back towards a tranquil woodland.

Jiro sits upon a sun-warmed rock at the water edge, fishing rod resting loosely in his hands. He enjoys fishing.

Footsteps approach along the path. He can make out two sets. One light and measured, the other heavier and agitated. Jiro doesn't turn. A girl in her late teens nears, followed by a boy maybe three years younger. They know Jiro by name and he beckons them closer. The two introduce themselves as the children of Okabe Renji.

Character descriptors: Yumi - Mysterious 59. Ren - Furtive 87 (adjusted down to 86).

A name he's not heard spoken in many years. Certainly before either of these two were born. Seventeen years, perhaps longer still.

Yumi produces a letter and, realising Jiro is blind, she reads it aloud.

"Oldest and dearest friend, I need your help. Never would I ask such a thing, nor think to mention our shared past, but my need is dire and the circumstances grave indeed. Please come with all haste to Mosswater, I will tell you more upon your arrival. And protect my children, Yumi and young Ren, they are my everything. Your brother by deed, not blood, Okabe Renji".

Background Vow: Aid An Old Friend.

Of course, Jiro agrees. The children have already spent days on the road reaching him, but the urgency of Okabe's letter is clear. Jiro knows a more direct route to Mosswater, one that will take them across-country rather than by established roads, but the way is hard and dangerous. He offers the children a night of rest before they depart.

Are they too exhausted to continue? Likely: No.

The children are determined, like their father. The three are on the road within the hour. The journey is dangerous but begins well.

Undertake a Journey: 4/3 vs 4.

Yumi and Ren have nearly exhausted the provisions they brought with them. Jiro divides his own supplies between the three without prompt or fuss. The children are gracious.

-1 Supply. Waypoint: Grave site or cairn 12.

Later that day they smell smoke, finding the remains of a great pyre beside the road. The fire has long since died, leaving a blackened mound of ash. This was no dignified funeral. No prayers were offered, no weeping mourners. Bodies were piled and burned. The three stand silently.

"It's that bastard Noritada" Ren spits. Jiro can sense there’s a fire in the boy.

"It’s how he puts down rebellions" Yumi offers quietly. "And it works."

Jiro says nothing. A tap of his bamboo cane against the road tells the children to move along.

The following evening they hear growls. Wild dogs emerge from the darkness around their camp, lean and feral, foaming at the mouth.

Encounter: 9/8 vs 7. Ambush 33, adjusted up from 32.

"Stay calm" Jiro says. "And keep still".

The beasts begin to circle. Ren reaches for his knife.

"No". Jiro barely raises his voice. "Stay behind me".

Ren obeys. Yumi grips her younger brother protectively. "How will you fight them?"

Jiro takes one step foward, a hand resting lightly on his cane. All becomes violence. It happens so quickly that neither child immediately understands what they've seen.

Enter the Fray: 3/2 vs 8.

The first hound leaps, the concealed blade flashes in an arc. The animal is dead before it hits the ground.

The largest of the pack comes next, scarred, jaws wide. It launches itself at Jiro, but he simply turns aside. Claws pass through empty air and his blade cleaves across.

Strike: 6/5 vs 7.

Wounded but undeterred, the pack leader pounces again.

Strike: 5/5 vs 5. Burn Momentum 6.

Two bloody pieces fall. The remaining hounds retreat into the darkness.

End the Fight: 6/1 vs 9.

Jiro wipes the blade clean. Yumi stares at him in disbelief.

"Now I know why father wanted us to find you".

"Even though you're-" the boy stops himself.

"What?" Jiro smiles. "Blind as a bat?"

Yumi laughs, then Ren, and the tension subsides.

Next morning they cross a broad basin. The land gradually flattens, streams dividing until water seems to lie everywhere. Yumi recognises this location first. These are the Reed Lands.

"We’re close now".

Undertake a Journey: 9/3 vs 8.

But the journey has taken its toll. Their supplies are running low.

The following day they encounter another sombre sight. On a raised patch of earth amid the waterways stands a single twisted tree.

Waypoint: Grave site or cairn 9.

A grave of sorts, but no bodies lie below it. Instead, local tradition has made it a memorial to those who died far from home, and those whose bodies never returned. Faded strips of cloth flutter in the breeze. Wooden prayer plaques, braided cords and tiny bells hang amongst the branches. Some offerings are so old the tree has begun to grow around them, others are new.

Undertake a Journey: 7/7 vs 8.

Nearby, Yumi and Ren find bushes heavy with berries. They gather what they can, replenishing some of their provisions. They share these with Jiro.

That night, the three sleep beneath the stars, their last night before Mosswater.

The following day Yumi and Ren excitedly point to their village. Mosswater sits upon a low hill rising above the surrounding wetlands, fields and irrigation spreading from it into the Reed Lands.

Settlement focus: Farming 5 (adjusted down to 4). Descriptor: 06, (adjusted up to 81 to match the fiction), well maintained. Location: Hill 11.

It’s a neat and orderly place, though not a wealthy one. Houses are well kept, fields tended. Waterwheels turn. During their journey, Jiro has learned much about this place from Okabe’s children. Its people share what they have and possess a strong sense of community.

Yumi's pace quickens and Ren runs ahead. Jiro allows himself a relieved smile and follows the sound of their footsteps. They’ve made it.

Complete the Journey: 9/9 vs 6 (fuck it).

Something is wrong. Doors open as they near, footsteps hurry towards them. Neighbours emerge to meet the children, faces filled with sadness and sympathy. Okabe Renji is dead. Murdered. Home burned to the ground.

Do the children succumb to grief? Very Likely: Yes.

Ren collapses. Whatever strength carried him across the Iron Land finally runs out. Yumi stands frozen a moment before she collapses beside her brother. Jiro is motionless, his oldest friend is dead. A man he'd not seen in many long years. A man who, after all this time, had finally called upon a debt neither had forgotten. 

Jiro arrived too late.

The villagers blame bandits. Jiro listens, asks questions. Something troubles him. Jiro knew Okabe Renji to be a very capable swordsman, a man unlikely to be slain by simple bandits. His fist closes around his bamboo cane.

Death has not released Jiro from his boon.

Background Vow amended: Aid An Old Friend - Uncover The Truth Behind Okabe Renji’s Murder.

And so Jiro's adventure properly begins.

Continuing an Ironsworn campaign based on a hex map of Europe and the Mediterranean that I made some time ago and the Al-Rathak setting. The campaign is inspired by the Middle Ages, without any ambition of being historically accurate. This episode concludes the story arc set in Anipsed, the capital of the Al-Rathak sultanate. I resolved the final battle using the simple Warlord! mass-combat system from the Kal-Arath supplement The Black Ziggurat. My plan for the near future is to have Xatìra sail across the Mediterranean to France and transition into the Choir of Flesh setting by Blackoath Games.

Previous Events: Year 1222. Europe follows the Sun-God Kruss, while the southern lands worship Qamar, the Moon-Goddess. Xatìra, a young Greek woman from Lemnos, travels south to the city of Anipsed. There, she learns that the dark sorcerer Iblis and the vampire general Qarif have summoned the Efreet Prince Zadid. Xatìra recovers the Sword of Sania, a magical weapon powerful enough to stop Zadid, and delivers it to Dorello, one of the Sicarii of the Krussian Emperor. She then visits the Royal Palace and convinces the boy Sultan Omar to delay the advance of Iblis and his allies. Xatira searches the Great Library of Anipsed, hoping to find a magical scroll that could help fight the Efreet, but she arrives just in time to see the document stolen by thieves sent by Iblis and Qarif.

This Episode: Iblis, Qarif and Zadid launch their attack against the city. The young Sultan Omar bravely leads the defenders, but the combined magic of Zadid and Qarif damages the walls, kills the commander Marah, and decimates the Royal Guard. The situation is desperate. The next day, Dorello leads an attack with the goal of reaching and killing the Efreet; he is confronted by Iblis’s mercenaries led by Red Ramia, and the clash ends without a clear winner. Sultana Yasmina convinces her son Sultan Omar that the city is lost, and they sail away. Without a leader, and after taking severe losses, the city surrenders. Xatìra and Dorello manage to find passage on the last ship.

Hello! I'm a solo developer, and I've spent a few years building an Android app called Fantasy World Generator. Ironsworn is the game that it sits beside most naturally, and a good share of what's in it came from solo players steering me in order to improve it.

Ironsworn's own oracles are better at Ironsworn than anything I'd write, so keep using them and bring this in for the gaps around them, or for other RPGS.

The first thing I'd point you at is the thread shield. The app has its own oracle, which keeps a list of your open threads and NPCs, and about half of its random events land on one of them by name: an NPC acts, a thread moves forward, a thread closes. NPCs are weighted by how they feel about you, so an enemy is the likeliest to turn up against you, and anyone you've marked dead stays out for good. A vow you want to play out properly shouldn't be closed by a random roll three scenes in, though, so you can shield a thread and no event will advance or close it. (A solo player asked for that feature and an update later it was added. That shows how valuable feedback is to me.)

Other parts that suit Ironsworn:

• Creatures have no HP and no dice. Instead they have the following stats: Threat, Toughness, Speed and Cunning which are rated from 1 to 5, with prose for how it attacks, where it's weak, what drives it, an omen of its coming and some lore. Read the ratings, pick a rank and draw the progress track. A sci-fi switch covers the other side of fantasy specturm.
• NPCs have a "want" and a secret, quest hooks with a deadline, encounters with stakes, dungeon rooms with a hazard. Each is one field that turns flavour into a complication.
• Found letters, wills and journals in an old voice that sits well in the Ironlands, and omens in a Grim voice (in one: children wake with dirt under their nails and no memory of the digging).
• Hexcrawl, continent and town maps (a town can have a camp, by day or night), keyed dungeons, and star charts and topographic scans for Starforged. All of them save as images.
• A journal for each campaign that saves as you play. You can search it, export it as a PDF, or copy it as Markdown if you are using a tool for worldbuilding like Obsidian.

There's also a Tarot Oracle, and a Bound Relic Oracle(it's more of a unique mode/genre I enjoy "Sword & Sorcery".)

It's free, with no ads and no account, and it works offline. Every result comes from fixed tables and procedural rules on the phone.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avaton.fantasynamegenerator

Something I noticed was that in another video I watched, someone pointed out how it's possible to roll too often and get into this spiral where you're failing, constantly failing your rolls, and there just doesn't seem to be anything you can do about it. Before you know it, your character is just dead. I was thinking, how could something like this happen? That doesn't seem to be something I ever have to deal with.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I think that way of thinking comes from people who play games like D&D or maybe Pathfinder, just games where you roll to do something and then you just fail, and now you have to think of something else you can do, because that's it: you can never try something again (I blame DMs for that but players too kinda ).

I used to have games like that too, where I would play with friends in D&D and the same thing would happen. Like, I'm trying to pick a lock and I fail to pick the lock, and now the story kind of stalls because I really need to get what was in that chest. So now we have to go find a different way to get information, something like that. So I can understand how someone can get into a failure spiral.

For me, lately, after I stopped playing D&D and kind of started doing more solo play, I discovered games like Fate or Fabula Ultima. One thing they teach you a lot in those games (especially in Fate) is that you shouldn't focus on a failure stopping everything. Instead, you should think, "Okay, well, you failed. How much do you want to pay in order to make it work?" Like, for instance, if my character was trying to pick a lock on a chest and they failed, rather than the GM just saying,

"Oh okay, the chest has some magical, you-can-never-pick-the-lock device on it. You failed, so that's it, there's nothing you can do about it"—instead, you would be asked, "Okay, you failed to pick the lock. How badly do you want to get into it, though? You can try smashing the chest open. You could keep trying to pick the lock, and I'll let you succeed, but it'll come with a cost: it'll take more time. Or maybe you'll succeed with the cost of, 'All right, well, now the alarms are going to be tripped and there's going to be people heading your way.' Maybe there's a dart in there that hits you and now you've taken damage. Just, etc., etc."

I guess this is all just to say: rather than thinking of missing the roll being a failure, thinking of a missed roll as succeeding at a cost might help move things forward. Technically, this is already in the game, but I think if someone comes from a different tabletop game where failing usually means that's it (you have to think of some other option or try some other route) it might be harder to notice or approach things from that angle.

It's been working for me in my PMD game. Running a bunch of failures from a battle that I was in led to me losing a device, and now I'm on a whole separate adventure to go locate it. And that's led to me finding out that there have been people being kidnapped, and it's just a giant mess 😭

Just curious what you guy's thoughts are on that.

This is a reflection on the difference between world building in a sort of meta prologue style, versus the world taking shape through character action and narrative in real time (playing the game).

I think Shawn Tomkin nailed the Truths exercise for the Ironsworn games. To begin your campaign with 10 or so semi-abstract truths about the world is so quick and helpful, and doesn’t overwhelm us with “too much world building” up front, which is definitely a pitfall for DM’s who prepare entire regions or whatever that the PC’s never encounter. It feels like he understood exactly how much resolution is needed to get amped up enough to start playing. And then…

The Truths are “just enough” and we’re sure they’ll get fleshed out through play. This hasn’t been my experience though. Three, four, five sessions in and it feels like my character barely knows anything about this place and the broader world hasn’t gained any more resolution (crunch, detail) than when I began. Sure the local regions take shape and can inform the overall picture a little bit, but when do we learn more LORE? This is once again on me to solve, and while not entirely the game’s fault, I do think the design sort of locks us out of more world building crunch if we’re not super conscious of building it in purposely (I attribute this to the overall PBTA narrative thrust via the action economy; we have to remember to stop and smell the roses)

I feel like my starting sector in Starforged really isn’t that different from when my dude started adventuring. It actually feels like a pretty hollow place with several planets that only have one settlement (looking at you Starfield). This kind of goes hand in hand with a recent post I made about slowing down and inhabiting the world, rather than being locked in a Moves fest. What I’m learning is that I want more information about my world and the local setting than just taking actions.

How do you handle world building in your games as your games progress?

Here’s what I propose: start each session with a “moment of truth” where you revisit the truths, spending 10 minutes to flesh out the world at a macro level again through establishing 3 to 5 NEW facts. Then set the current scene through some descriptive oracle rolls (VIBES), and THEN we get into the action.

So a session would look like this:

Truths Revisited (Macro scale / Prologue style)
Local Setting (Oracle rolls, set dressing)
Presence (what are we doing here, immersion)
Inciting Incident (Moves fest, or Action!)
Consequences / Resolution
Repeat some of the above
Reflection, note taking
End A Session move (notes for next time, gain momentum)

Thank you for your time.

I think the rules and system is incredibly tight, watching play tests of creators celebrating the "easy input crunchy output" only demonstrated to me the solid strength of the solo system.

The crunchy input is so much more than working through the exact move for the moment, it's a way to help a solo player frame and build the next step to move things forward.

I feel like that's just not appreciated enough I'm the core rules until you start to understand your developing the narrative and resources at the same time.

I don't think there needs to be a new version of that, instead things like delve are much better for the game, that expand and build on what is already a great ruleset .

For example combat could use some cool ideas to make it crunchy and deeper.

I play a hybrid legends in the mist style adaptation where a strong hit let's me apply a status effect and a miss creates one on me for example.

I just felt watching the play test streams that the content creators kept saying there are way too many moves ..and the new Ironsworn solves this issue..there really isn't that many, and so many of them are super specific to the scene acting like you have to sift through this huge mental Library is disengenous.

The output ideas were cool but I don't think a version of the game where you destroy the foundation that makes a story move forward and builds a narrative makes sense for solo.

Picking a move is more than fitting it to the scenario, it's also warming up the part of the brain that needs to translate the ephemeral into a story, the act of selecting it and thinking about it helps visualize and solidify the current scene in a clever way.

I don't know if this was as deep as Shawn intended it to be , but it's entirely unique in this genre in my opinion.