Ironsworn solo play. Play it however it makes sense to you.

Ironsworn solo play Just to add to this point, I tend to skip truths and world building when playing solo, at least up front. In most RPGS- the game master does all the heavy lifting- players get to be excited about creating characters, backgrounds, feats, and powers to take on the world created by the game master I don’t own GURPS but I’m playing a sci-fi game solo at the moment, Cepheus Engine (based on the Classic Traveller rules). But I heard about Ironsworn, I got the core game, that led me to buy delve, and I want to get started. The rules emphasize no more than four players and I think this is to keep things simple and intimate. Valley of the Living. I’ve only tried solo. Between the two, you’ll have less elbow grease to manage adjusting DW for Solo Play. For a map, I just pull it up in Preview (macOS) and edit. I want to figure out a good way to play a particular kind of game. Click to read Making Mythology, a Substack publication. ) I’ve just read through the Ironsworn core rules and am getting ready to give solo play a shot. The first fight, they pummeled the formidable foe into mush. Starforged is the standalone, sci-fi evolution of the Ironsworn tabletop roleplaying game. You don't need to track threads if you've got Vows and Threats in the game. If you’re already familiar with The First City, here are Ironsworn Companion is a website that can handle 100% of the game for you - and you can even store your characters and journal entries on a file on Google drive, so you can play across devices. An introduction to an apocalyptic world, for Ironsworn. Get the latest news, resources, and offers from Tomkin Press. Maybe, if you will, listen to Ask the Oracle, the actual play from the author, it were really illuminating when I began playing Ironsworn. Good luck! Supplement for the Ironsworn TTRPG to play in the American Old West. Combine those tools and the same mindset you'd have playing Ironsworn, and you have an amazing opportunity to build a world that keeps growing. Rob Wieland for Forbes named Ironsworn one of his favorite RPG products of 2022 and one of the best fantasy tabletop role-playing games for solo play. While group play has its perks, for Ironsworn is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game designed by Shawn Tomkin and published in 2018. What is even more fascinating about Ironsworn is the distribution methods. Ironsworn can be a traditional tabletop RPG, or you can play cooperatively in a group without a GM, and you can play it alone in solo play mode. Judgement of Crows - a Solo Ironsworn Actual Play. Good luck! I'm playing Ironsworn, an RPG that you can run solo - and I'm putting the campaign up on GitP! Most recent update: Chapter 6: Devastation-----A worldbuilding project, still work in progress: Reign of the Corven Most recent update: another look at magic traditions! I've played Ironsworn and Starforged solo. i used roll20 for a good long while, but now i play on discord with TheOracle, a discord bot. Notes. I decided to introduce my brother to the system, and have been GMing for him in a setting closer to high fantasy. If you’re playing solo, just grab some materials and get started. Learn More. I'm a little weary about winsome. This is a pretty minor thing in the big picture, but it has really substantially improved my immersion and The main thing to keep in mind is that it is YOUR game (story), especially if you are playing solo. To play solo TTRPGs, you need tools that replace the game master and other players. It was a lot of work and required many compromises. When reading the game, you realise the care, effort and devotion that has gone in I've recently gotten into Ironsworn solo play (base rulebook, I can't justify purchasing Starforged or Delve at this point), and am really enjoying it. I discovered Ironsworn a few years back during a Print-and-play / Solo gaming phase brought about due to the pandemic lockdown. Play it however it makes sense to you. So I searched on google and got Starforged and Ironsworn. Cast off expectations and notions of Production and emulating a novel What intrigued me about Ironsworn was the ability to play Solo, Co-Op, or small group. Facebook. Heart: Courage, willpower, empathy, sociability, and loyalty. The more Ironsworn that are in the mix, the more unexpectedly things Ironsworn is primarily intended for solo and small group play. It works very well with solo play, and I would expect it to flow beautifully in play-by-post or MUSH format where posting order can often stall play. Co-Op: You and one or more friends play together to overcome challenges and complete quests. I had played and enjoyed Four Against Darkness and quickly started looking for something else to scratch the Solo RPG/Gaming itch. What I like the most about Ironsworn combat is the system of initiative. An Ironsworn origins setting. Sure. mush. With story-driven mechanics and a vast array of inspirational generators for planets, people, creatures, factions, and more — Starforged is your gateway to a universe of adventure. The Ironsworn PDFs are free on DriveThruRPG. It’s different from a lot of other tabletop RPGs in that it’s optimized for solo Ironsworn is primarily intended for solo and small group play. Cthulhu Dark has simple mechanics and it's free. I think the mechanics are perfect for the kind of cinematic drama we see in the Star Wars universe. A PC in Ironsworn is made up of five stats with values from +1 to +3: Edge: Quickness, agility, and prowess in ranged combat. This is going to probably be an unpopular opinion here, but I didn't particularly care for it. Hacking Ironsworn (4 pages): Pretty self-explanatory. Reply reply More replies. You know that if you do X then you need to do Y. It's possible, but it's so much more work. You progress along your story by making moves and rolling dice to see if you get a Strong Hit, Weak Hit, or Miss. Cast off expectations and notions of Production and emulating a novel Following up from my recent solo play post, ran a two player, co-op game of Ironsworn last night with a friend of mine. I enjoyed Adam’s video, and doubly enjoyed the actual play podcast from the game’s creator and his son (search for “Ask The main thing to keep in mind is that it is YOUR game (story), especially if you are playing solo. Experience with Ironsworn is not required to play. Additionally, many moves will instruct you that only one player will make the move for the group. Before I began my first Ironsworn campaign, I listened to "Ask The Oracle" It's a 9 episode podcast that Shawn Tomkin (Ironsworn's creator) did with his son, where they play through a few short sessions. Three Ways to Play. While I really love Me Myself and Die (it is my favorite Ironsworn series) I found that Matt Click's Lone (Solo Ironsworn) series helped me more as far as understanding the flow and mechanics of the game i've logged a lot of hours with both Roll20 and theOracle for Ironsworn & Starforged play. Many others already said ironsworn is designed for solo play but what exactly does that mean? Shawn Tomkin, the author of Ironsworn, said in an interview somewhere that he purposefully added a ressource-management-component to the game. " The Ironsworn carry weapons, armor, or tokens crafted from black iron, and swear vows upon it. I'm interested to hear about the tools used for rolling dice, tools (digital or analogue) used to write the game log, and how much you actually write up for each session, etc. However, I sometimes have difficulties when it comes to starting the real game. I heard about Ironsworn some time ago but I've been hesitant to try it because I get a little turned off by giving the player too much control over the narrative. So while there is a lot to learn, in the long run having a lot of moves gives you a lot of direction. INTRODUCTION: My character's name is Brianna O'Niel, but she is starting the game undercover, using the callsign "LULL. The great thing about Ironsworn is that it folds all the "standard" solo tools into the game mechanics itself. If you’re already familiar with The First City, here are Kicking off our solo tabletop roleplaying campaign of Ironsworn, the RPG system by Shawn Tomkin, this story-heavy, edited video actual play tells the story o TL;DR: I enjoy 'mechanizing' narrative play with Ironsworn, and rolling player options and combat in any other RPG (Savage Worlds, Worlds/Cities Without Number, Pathfinder 2e, Shadow of the Demon Lord, Scarlet Heroes, to name a few), and tracking quests, threads, and NPCs with Mythic GME2, which I also use for Oracles and NPC behavior. The basic dice mechanics of PbtA games can work well for IS-style solo play, since only the player is rolling - the main reason (as I understand it) Ironsworn uses different die mechanics than stock PbtA was to allow a few Ironsworn is designed both for solo play, coop play, and standard GM-led play. Session 1 - The story begins. Starforged builds on Ironsworn's award-winning innovations (including its famed solo play!) to chart a path into an exciting new frontier. Create unique spells in an easy, fun and creative way with only a few How to dive into Solo Roleplaying and complete your first adventure: a simple, novice-friendly, zero-prep, step-by-step framework for improvising fun roleplay-focused adventures, one 10-minute scene at a time. You portray a lone heroic character in a dangerous world. 3. (And it's great, too. I play Cthulhu Dark Green (ruleset) with One Page Solo Engine, Rogue Handler and sometimes Ironsworn Oracles. [1] Its Ironlands setting is low fantasy, set in a rugged frontier. I'm not looking for angst in my RPG -- I want to play a happy-go-lucky adventurer who laughs in the face of death because he's confident he'll find a way, etc. Role Playing. I did it with an old D&D module for a short run once. It is heavily influenced by Apocalypse World and Very possible, very fun, and stil very random with the tables you use. Launched 2 months ago. I just started playing Ironsworn, solo, and learning to use the bit while reading the Ironsworn rules was pretty seamless. I initially posted this in r/Ironsworn, but think I can get better tips from here. [2] CW: Claustrophobia, mild peril Session 1 of The Bad Spot, an actual play solo RPG podcast, with host Matt Risby playing Ironsworn: Starforged by Shawn Tomkin Speculative fiction storytelling through solo RPGs. I call it the Fusake Play Aid. However, I've noticed Ironsworn did one wonderful thing for me: it enabled me to play any pre-made adventure I can think of, solo, and anytime I want to play. Really inspiring, Solo: Which is co-op if you have no friends to play with. Many people don’t understand solo play- or why you would even bother to do it. Sometimes, each ally gets a benefit or penalty, like Sojourn: only one player makes the Ironsworn: Starforged SOLO PLAY . One to four players (plus a GM in guided mode) is ideal. It isn’t a hard thing to do, but I’m always in favor of the path of least resistance- and Ironsworn works perfectly well. You don't need to read this unless something applies to you, but the Scene Challenges are a nice optional rule to keep in mind. I’m using Mythic Game Master Emulator but you could probably make do with GURPS plus the Starforged oracles for a solo game. I've been playing an on-line Ironsworn campaign with Aaron (Hi, Aaron!) and 37 votes, 24 comments. I started a solo campaign in 5e last summer and recently converted it to Ironsworn. Watch this how-to-play tutorial for Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Starforged, presented by Matt Risby. Bronzebound. The second fight the bear pummeled my decently leveled Ironsworn in. Without them ironsworn would just be a creative-writing-game. Its Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) lineage provides familiar Welcome to another session of "The Solo Mine", wherein I just try a bunch of different solo systems for fun and use them as fuel for storytelling. In other words, your problem isn't with Ironsworn combat, it's with the entire category of games within which Ironsworn sits. is worth looking just not for how to play Ironsworn but also note taking, organizing notes, creating NPC, filling and creating maps. Not needed to play. Get a blank copy (future versions will be in the same folder). I also Even though I’ll mostly be speaking from the Solo perspective of the game, this TTRPG can be played with more people in a GM-less way (Co-op), or by having a GM (Guided play). More. Take a look at an example of play, and the cleaned up journal on RecordVault: Perella’s Journal. I’ve never played a solo RPG before and most of my experience with RPGs are of the crunchier variety where the story just exists to setup the next fight. So while playing fiction-relevant Moves you're also doing solo-play stuff, which can seem unrelated/separate when using add-on systems. This approach is a great way to save you from Mary Sue/Gary Stu syndrome. Session 0, Part 2 - Campaign setup (character creation). I'd recommend it over Scarlet Heroes for a new solo gamer unless you really want to play OSR D&D solo. This week, I'm doing Ironsworn: Starforged as a followup to my Ironsworn post, and this is quickly becoming one of my favorite systems for doing solo play. However, I've noticed I'm getting a bit fatigued by how much writing I do at times and it's creating a bit of initiation resistance. Been learning the rules and stuff to play Ironsworn for the first time solo but I'm not sure if the intended solo play involves a single character or should I have more then one all played by myself. Subscribe For Updates. Follow Matt’s Starforged Campaign here: https://www. So far, it’s been a lot of fun! Oracles as GM Teaching Tool This approach is a great way to save you from Mary Sue/Gary Stu syndrome. Go out and buy it Ironsworn is a popular rpg design specifically for solo play. It distinguishes itself through narrative-driven mechanics, collaborative worldbuilding, and a focus on resource management as players undertake perilous quests and swear iron vows. I like the idea, While it is complicated,I think Ironsworn is easier in the long term because it does a lot of streamlining for solo play through its mechanics. You can play Stardew Valley in TRPG form with this completely free Ironsworn & Starforged solo RPG system hack Katie Wickens Thu, February 27, 2025 at 2:20 PM UTC Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Starforged can be played solo, co-op or with a GM. It's packed with rich Hello, and welcome to The First City! The First City is a solo actual play of the game Ironsworn. While I really love Me Myself and Die (it is Examples of solo play methods? Hey everyone, I've been at my solo Ironsworn campaign for a couple weeks or so now--playing mostly daily--and I'm really enjoying it. The Gemfish. It was basically the same fight with two polar opposite results. All images were taken from the Ironsworn core rulebook with permission from its creator So, after getting some time playing Solo Ironsworn I managed to convince two of my friends to try it out. I'd say start with Ironsworn. also ironsworn hacks don't count already played them . It got off to a really good start and I was filled with enthusiasm at first, but then some pretty big warts started appearing. com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Welcome to The First City!This is a solo actual play of the fantasy TTRPG Ironsworn. Basically you track the threat's progress against your vow's, and if it reaches 10 before your vow is fulfilled, the threat is But I have to play solo and I dont know if dnd soloable. Let's look at what you'll need to create your own adventures. Cast off expectations and notions of Production and emulating a The Augur - A virtual tabletop for solo RPGs, based on Ironsworn; Fusake Play Aid - Microsoft Excel play-aid for solo Ironsworn play; Iron Fellowship - Synced character sheet and campaign manager for Ironsworn; Iron Journal - Tools and references for running and journaling Ironsworn games; Iron Vault - Ironsworn/Starforged plugin for Obsidian My vote goes to Ironsworn. I can't recommend enough that you listen to a new episodes of that. I also know that one ring and captain's log do this perfectly OSR D&D with guides and rules for solo playing and compatible with a gazillon of other OSR works. Ironsworn seemed really interesting for a number of reasons: Ironsworn: Starforged SOLO PLAY . drzachary. About; Ivar the Slayer; Shane’s Law; Shane’s Law #19. Browse all posts . So far I have used it to play in settings based in two novels, and a pathfinder adventure path. Solo: You portray a lone character driven to fulfill vows in a dangerous world. Created by Shawn Tomkin. Branwhyn: The protagonist of my Ironsworn Solo play. Speculative fiction storytelling through solo RPGs. Guided: One or more players take the role of their characters, while a gamemaster (GM) moderates the session. My work-in-progress, Ironsworn, is a fantasy RPG suitable for solo play (one player, no GM) cooperative play (two or three players, no GM) and guided play (one or more players and a GM). i did a detailed comparison of the two several months ago, reproduced below for convenience. Ironsworn will definitely give you an easier time to build a narrative because of its moves and general design philosophy. Ironsworn is a lot better suited to solo play than 5e because the entire system is built around helping you play solo, while 5e is emphatically not. The Starforged designer and his artist included Matt's characters in a play example in the rulebook. Most ttrpg games revolve around group play so can Playing Ironsworn you will probably set that as your background vow and following the mechanics the story will be about your character finding his wife after lots of adventures or failing/dying in the attempt. Then I heard a glowing recommendation for STARGAZER from Matt Risby, who is running a Starforged campaign on his YouTube channel, The Bad Spot. Become an arcane spellcaster and create your own unique spells . Was initially trying to use the D&D system for combat and just using Ironsworn as a gm emulator but D&D felt clunky and didnt really bring anything of interest to the game so instead I moved more towards using Ironsworn entirely and just the D&D stuff as the fiction that I based the story on. There are hacks for Ironsworn to play in different settings and the creator is making A sci-fi version of ironsworn now that comes out at the end of the There's a page about one shot play in the gameplay chapter for Ironsworn! I think page 231? I'll often just set up a Delve (which is the supplement ruleset for Ironsworn) and run that with a basic rolled up character for a one shot play. MidnightJester on YouTube uses Ironsworn in an Old West setting. Solo Play can be really I love Ironsworn for being designed as a solo game, but one of my favorite aspects of it is how flexible the system is. Season 1 is here and Season 2 is here. The game emphasizes fiction first and Ironsworn is fantastic and great for someone getting into solo gaming. In moments the shaking escalated to the point where the stalactites began to shake loose, falling and breaking off large chunks of the ledge we were now standing on. There's a discussion here about using Ironsworn for a Witcher-style setting and u/redcup217 posted a playthrough not long ago using a Witcher-style setting. What You Need. Buy Ironsworn: Starforged - Deluxe Edition Rulebook - Hardcover RPG Book, Standalone Adventure, Human Centric, Science Fiction, 3 Modes of Play (Guided, Co-Op, Solo), 404 Pages, Colorful Illustrations: Board Games - Amazon. Is this for me What makes Ironsworn unique is that unlike traditional tabletop RPGs, Ironsworn enables solo/ small-group play, as its unique game mechanics remove the need for a traditional game master. Suitable for solo, co-op, and guided play. I personally don't think it's the dice mechanics in Ironsworn that specifically enable solo play, as much as the oracles. Also- ask yourself what you want from playing Ironsworn- solo or co-op. I like to play more solo rpgs that feel like a traditional role playing game without the need to use mythic. A mystic who departed from the company of other humans many years ago. This ended up being more of a guided/tutorial game since she was totally new to the game and mechanics - worth checking out for folks new to Ironsworn, but the pace picks up dramatically after the first scene. SO please help me Share Add a Comment. I would finally be able to I’ve been playing a solo game called SCRAWL that is great and right in my alley as far as emulating D&D-sequel adventure. Solo Play can be really simple. Ironsworn is an indie role-playing game written and self-published by Shawn Tomkin. IIRC while Ironjournal is meant for solo play (which I recommend to test the gears), it has collected all the moves with explanations, so I’d keep an eye on it either way. Roll20 seemed fine for solo play, even if I don't need the "Zoom" part of it. both will do the trick, and it's probably a matter of taste, but for my purposes TheOracle + discord has A solo RPG gameplay blog. I’m beginning to c Because Ironsworn is designed for solo play, it has oracles that are setting-specific. A few comments/ideas: For faction play, check out Delve's Threats mechanic, if you have access to that. If you start a Mythic-game with the same idea, you would choose "find your wife" as your first "thread". Top 7% Solo Play can be really simple. Meanwhile, going from Ironsworn to D&D will make you better at running D&D, as Ironsworn teaches you things D&D doesn't, like narrative pacing, failing forward etc. The First City: An Ironsworn Actual Play (Session 2) Copy link. It has a fantasy setting, using Powered by the Apocalypse style "moves" and narrative driven by powerful vows sworn by the character. I use Ironsworn tables, and also there's a Solo Adventurers Toolbox that is a GM emulator for DnD specifically. Those may give you some ideas if that's a direction you wanted to take. Are the differences almost solely related to flavor, or are the rules updated/revised in Starforged to the extent that a new player should just play that over Ironsworn? Really interested in the idea of a solo RPG and these two get recommended 10,000x more than all others. You see, Ironsworn is a PbtA fantasy adventure game (same inspirational/systemic roots as Dungeon World, Masks, whatever) but supporting three “modes” of play (Guided (with a GM), Co-op (several players, no GM), and Solo) equally and viably. There are three modes of play, but I’ll just talk about what I experienced by playing this game in the gamemode I tried out. Email. Ironsworn is the fantasy version and Starforged is the space sci-fi version. I actually prefer how Ironsworn handles pretty much everything when compared to DW- but then again, I really don’t like Hit Points or random I've had two separate battles that were two Ironsworn vs. Try it if you feel overwhelmed with prepping and struggle to actually start playing. What are you doing playing Ironsworn? It's like a vegan speaking up in a thread about why someone prefers a certain method of achieving a sear on a steak. So by design ironsworn forces you to go meta This standalone, sci-fi evolution of the Ironsworn RPG takes your sworn quests to an exciting new frontier. Other free resources are Ironsworn: Starforged is a tabletop roleplaying game set in a bleak, spaceborne future, designed for both solo and collaborative play. The characters portrayed by other players are referred to in these rules as your allies. Ironsworn is primarily intended for solo and small group play. If it's only a solo character I'm wondering about fighting and what a solo character can handle. Irownsworn is a best selling and award-winning RPG from Shawn Tomkin. I write both recreationally and semi-professionally (for a small game company) and have recently been running a solo Ironsworn play-through as an exercise in incorporating unexpected elements into a narrative. In coop and GM-led play, each player has their own character sheet, but share several resource tracks like supply. You portray a lone In short, I’m going to play a solo game of the original Ravenloft – I6 AD&D module, augmented with some PBtA style tweaks from a World of Dungeons version of the scenario I A how to play tutorial for both Ironsworn and Ironsworn: Starforged, a TTRPG by Shawn Tomkin. Reply reply Solo Play can be really simple. And for virtual play, the Roll20 sheets for Ironsworn are amazing. If you want to jump right into the campaign, here are some good starting points: Session 0, Part 1 - Campaign setup (truths). He has been driven from his hermit life A (fancy Excel workbook) play aid I built to support Ironsworn solo play. Maybe a stupid question, but how exactly do you play solo? I mean I know the rule books (have both Ironsworn and Delve) and live the world creation process. Iron: Physical strength, endurance, aggressiveness, and prowess in close combat. It's a mobile-friendly site, so looks good on any device, and you can save a shortcut on your phone's home screen so it acts like an app. I am always unsure if I should "just" journal or speak out loud or record it somehow using my IT hardware? A browser-based, mobile-friendly app for Ironsworn solo play. youtube. I will probably use it soon to do a game in the exalted setting. To give you a little background, most of my roleplaying experience comes from playing D&D 5e, which includes a bit of solo play. Refer to the README doc for more information. Ironsworn (Vanilla), Ivar the Slayer. one ash bear. Ironsworn RPG is a tabletop RPG of perilous quests for Solo, Co-Op, & Guided play. Corey Mayo . It does a good job of thematically creating all the things that make solo-gaming fun and the best part is that all of the tools are easily referenced and work well together. Either way both can make a good solo roleplay narrative. A browser-based, mobile-friendly app for Starforged solo play. With solo play, you will use the oracles to provoke inspiration and answer questions in unexpected ways. So far, it’s been a lot of fun! Oracles as GM Teaching Tool I use reskinned assets from Ironsworn, Starforged (the scifi Ironsworn) and Sundered Isles (the high seas Ironsworn) to play in just about any setting I want to play in. Here is our very friendly Discord Channel. I've been hoping to try out Ironsworn, and I wanted to try and do some solo play to get a good sense of how the "gmless" system works before trying to introduce friends to it. @cmmayo . Stargazer. Keith Stetson. There is a tradition of solo play using the trading mechanics (Basically build a trading ship and crew, generate or pick a subsector, and jump from planet to planet trying to make a profit. In the game, players are heroes in the dark fantasy setting of the Ironlands and have three different ways to play. I've recently gotten into Ironsworn solo play (base rulebook, I can't justify purchasing Starforged or Delve at this point), and am really enjoying it. Basically I don't like feeling like I'm cheating. This is beautifully handled, with dedication to the fiction rather than the mechanics. com/ Hey everyone, I've been at my solo Ironsworn campaign for a couple weeks or so now--playing mostly daily--and I'm really enjoying it. No GM required. Ironsworn is free and perfect for solo play. , whose life is filled with acts of derring-do followed by wine, women and song, and who seeks out adventurer to right wrongs and for the thrill of it. I like scifi so I thought I would start with Starforged then Ironsworn or other solo rpg. Starforged, by Shawn Tomkin, is in my opinion the best expression of solo RPG design and play in existence. . Cast off expectations and How to dive into Solo Roleplaying and complete your first adventure: a simple, novice-friendly, zero-prep, step-by-step framework for improvising fun roleplay-focused adventures, one 10-minute scene at a time. Edited May 10, 2021 Full Date. Part 5 of D&D Starter Set adventure, solo actual play using Ironsworn system. to. But like D&D, I feel like it is a lot easier to grok when you see it being done and explained than it is to try to read Gameplay Options (7 pages): Extra advice and rules for playing with many players, one-shots, PvP conflict, Scene Challenges, randomised set up. Going from D&D to Ironsworn requires unlearning a lot of bad habits D&D can teach you. Take a quick peek. The main danger is going mad from the weird stuff you come up with / the Starforged creature generator throws at you. Reply I want to know how other people play Ironsworn when playing solo, with no plans on making a YouTube video about it or publishing the game as a blog etc. kkiyg bobszga pdzvz cas qnr xptk qkisblo xffey ffevyr szevlhq jkbl ffy bvtkmrl neat hslui