This one's a little different than usual: I'm looking for players for a game of Ironsworn, a tabletop game with options for co-operative and mostly GMless play. I've played the game both solo and with a group, and the former made a really fun writing exercise. What I'd really like to do is try the GM-lite mode with a co-author or two. I'm comfortable teaching and do most of the heavy lifting on the GM side, but I'm looking for people who also want to contribute and help create interesting scenarios for our characters to go through.
I'm willing to teach the system and provide books, and we can discuss the setting in detail. If you're familiar with PbtA games you'll be in good company, but it's not really a hard system to learn even if you aren't familiar. The base game is available for free over here: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/238369/Ironsworn, and I highly recommend checking it out.
The default Ironsworn is low-fantasy, set on a harsh peninsula and following the settlers of an exodus from the old world. We as players build out the truths of the world, but they all trend toward reinforcing the gritty sword and sorcery setting. However, there's also a sci-fi variant, as well as some hacks for cyberpunk, vampires, more traditional D&D style fantasy, and others. I'm open to discussing those as well, if there's interest.
Feel free to post here, reach out, etc, with any interest, questions, or anything else!
It's an interesting system that I've dabbled in before, though only just barely. I'd need to know more about what you (or the potential group) would want to do before committing to anything though. The base setting is very much viking-themed and all human, though personally I prefer to roleplay as other races besides my own for example. There are a lot of hacks, and there is Starforged for Sci-Fi, but that's basically the equivalent of dumping all your books on the table and saying we could use any of them. You might be open to them all but that's not to say other individuals will end up feeling the same so it's hard to comment on that now from my end.
Honestly I'm pretty open in regards to setting as well. It's the general tone and theme of any potential stories that would be more sticking points for me. I'm not really much a fan of the typical "Heroes go off to save the world" type themes. I enjoy things grittier, a bit darker. Villain stories are great, when you can get people comfortable with them, but more morally gray and difficult is where I'd be more interested on account of trying to accommodate other potential members. Mercenaries fighting in a bloody war and doing plenty of morally ambiguous deeds amidst all of it, smugglers working off a debt to a criminal cartel and trying not to cause too much friction with local authorities, those sorts of things. As said, I'd be personally down for much darker stuff like running a group of bandits/raiders/slavers causing chaos and getting ours in foreign lands but such things are harder to find player counts for.
So consider this me posing interest but staying on the fence for the time being until I see more how this thread shakes out if that makes sense.
Hi! I have a lot of experience with PbtA and have played a couple solo sessions of Ironsworn! I'd love to get a game going. I'd prefer to play base Ironsworn over Starforged or any hacks, but I can be convinced to try something else if a lot of folks prefer one of the other options.
I'm able to post pretty frequently and can help with facilitating the GM-less play stuff. I'd also prefer to play with at least a trio of people since I prefer group stuff, rather than just 1 on 1. I was also wondering how much/what kind of smut you were interested in.
Sounds interesting, though I have no experience with PbtA - it would really help to get a bit more detail, but a more villainous group might be entertaining.
Thanks for the replies! I wanted to test the waters primarily to see if a GMless game was on the table, and since there's a little bit of interest I think it's probably a good idea to make some decisions and give a better picture. So:
Our game will be Ironsworn, an gritty and low-fantasy RPG set in the Ironlands. It's a little difficult to give a detailed write up of the setting because part of the game is that we define some of the truths of our world as a group, but here's the important stuff:
The Ironlands is a vast peninsula in the northern ocean. The people who now refer to themselves as Ironlanders settled here two generations ago, cast out of their homelands by a catastrophic event. Since that time, they have survived but not prospered. The Ironlands are a harsh, dangerous place. The winters are long and brutal. Harvests are uncertain. Monstrous beasts and horrors may be a very real concert, depending on our world choices. Technology is medieval, the sword, spear, and bow being the primary tools of war.
Our Truths
For those unfamiliar, these are some of the choices we will make as a group that will define our world. I've included them below, they should give you an idea of the range and themes we might be dealing with. There are three options for each (and technically the 4th option is we make up our own thing.) Beware, much text lies below.
THE OLD WORLD
The savage clans called the Skulde invaded the kingdoms of the Old World. Our armies fell. Most were killed or taken into slavery. Those who escaped set sail aboard anything that would float. After an arduous months-long voyage, the survivors made landfall upon the Ironlands.
The sickness moved like a horrible wave across the Old World, killing all in its path. Thousands fled aboard ships. However, the plague could not be outrun. On many ships, the disease was contained through ruthless measures—tossing overboard any who exhibited the slightest symptom. Other ships were forever lost. In the end, those who survived found the Ironlands and made it their new home. Some say we will forever be cursed by those we left behind.
The Old World could no longer sustain us. We were too large in number. We had felled the forests. Our crops withered in the barren ground. The cities and villages overflowed with desperate, hungry people. Petty kings battled for scraps. We cast our fate to the sea and found the Ironlands. A new world. A fresh start.
IRON
The imposing hills and mountains of the Ironlands are rich in iron ore. Most prized of all is the star-forged black iron.
The weather is bleak. Rain and wind sweep in from the ocean. The winters are long and bitter. One of the first settlers complained, "Only those made of iron dare live in this foul place"—and thus our land was named.
Inscrutable metal pillars are found throughout the land. They are iron gray, and smooth as river stone. No one knows their purpose. Some say they are as old as the world. Some, such as the Iron Priests, worship them and swear vows upon them. Most make the warding sign and hurry along their way when they happen across one. The pillars do not tarnish, and even the sharpest blade cannot mark them.
LEGACIES
We are the first humans to walk these lands.
Other humans sailed here from the Old World untold years ago, but all that is left of them is a savage, feral people we call the broken. Is their fate to become our own?
Before the Ironlanders, before even the firstborn, another people lived here. Their ancient ruins are found throughout the Ironlands.
COMMUNITIES
We are few in number in this accursed land. Most rarely have contact with anyone outside our own small steading or village, and strangers are viewed with deep suspicion.
We live in communities called circles. These are settlements ranging in size from a steading with a few families to a village of several hundred. Some circles belong to nomadic folk. Some powerful circles might include a cluster of settlements. We trade (and sometimes feud) with other circles.
We have forged the Ironlands into a home. Villages within the Havens are connected by well-trod roads. Trade caravans travel between settlements in the Havens and those in outlying regions. Even so, much of this land is untamed.
LEADERS
Leadership is as varied as the people. Some communities are governed by the head of a powerful family. Or, they have a council of elders who make decisions and settle disputes. In others, the priests hold sway. For some, it is duels in the circle that decide.
Each of our communities has its own leader, called an overseer. Every seventh spring, the people affirm their current overseer or choose a new one. Some overseers wear the iron circlet reluctantly, while others thirst for power and gain it through schemes or threats.
Numerous clan-chiefs rule over petty domains. Most are intent on becoming the one true king. Their squabbles will be our undoing.
DEFENSE
Here in the Ironlands, supplies are too precious, and the lands are too sparsely populated, to support organized fighting forces. When a community is threatened, the people stand together to protect their own.
The wardens are our soldiers, guards, and militia. They serve their communities by standing sentry, patrolling surrounding lands, and organizing defenses in times of crisis. Most have strong ties to their community. Others, called free wardens, are wandering mercenaries who hire on to serve a community or protect caravans.
Our warbands are rallied to strike at our enemies or defend our holdings. Though not nearly as impressive as the armies that once marched across the Old World, these forces are as well-trained and equipped as their communities can manage. The banners of the warbands are adorned with depictions of their Old World history and Ironland victories.
MYSTICISM
Some still find comfort in the old ways. They call on mystics to divine the fortune of their newborn, or ask them to perform rituals to invoke a bountiful harvest. Others act out of fear against those who they suspect of having power. However, most folk believe true magic—if it ever existed—is lost to us now.
Magic is rare and dangerous, but those few who wield the power are truly gifted.
Magic courses through this land as the rivers flow through the hills. The power is there for those who choose to harness it, and even the common folk often know a helpful ritual or two.
RELIGION
A few Ironlanders still make signs or mumble prayers out of habit or tradition, but most believe the gods long ago abandoned us.
The people honor old gods and new. In this harsh land, a prayer is a simple but powerful comfort.
Our gods are many. They make themselves known through manifestations and miracles. Some say they even secretly walk among us. The priests convey the will of the gods and hold sway over many communities.
FIRSTBORN
The firstborn have passed into legend. Some say the remnants of the old tribes still dwell in deep forests or high mountains. Most believe they were never anything more than myth.
The firstborn live in isolation and are fiercely protective of their own lands.
The firstborn hold sway in the Ironlands. The elves of the deep forests and the giants of the hills tolerate us and even trade with us—for now. Ironlanders fear the day they decide we are no longer welcome here.
BEASTS
The beasts of old are nothing but legend. A few who travel into the deep forests and high mountains return with wild tales of monstrous creatures, but they are obviously delusional. No such things exist.
Monstrous beasts stalk the wild areas of the Ironlands.
Beasts of all sorts roam the Ironlands. They dwell primarily in the reaches, but range into the settled lands to hunt. There, they often prey on cattle, but attacks on travelers, caravans, or even settlements are not uncommon.
HORRORS
Nothing but stories to frighten children.
We are wary of dark forests and deep waterways, for monsters lurk in those places. In the depths of the long-night, when all is wreathed in darkness, only fools venture beyond their homes.
The dead do not rest in the Ironlands. At night we light torches, scatter salt, and post sentries at the gate. It is not enough. They are coming.
Our Characters
Again, something to decide as a group. As that's not super helpful for generating excitement/interest though, here's a few quick options that we can bend depending on our truths. There was some interest expressed in playing a more villanous party and I think that could be interesting, so I've leaned into that a bit:
The communities of the Ironlands are protected by Wardens, with some called Free Wardens patroling the lands and working as mercenaries for the various circles and chieftans. Our characters would be a Free Warden company, people comfortable slaying people, monsters, and doing whatever deeds need doing in exchange for coin.
Our group possess one-half of the True Crown, an Old World relic. Centuries ago, this crown was broken in two when an assassin's axe split the head of the supreme ruler. Perhaps some of us are descended from that lineage, or perhaps the crown was taken by force. Yet it provides an opportunity--to take the broken clans of the Ironlands and forcibly unite them under the rule of our warband.
On the western coast of the Ironlands a great mass of islands stretch across the horizon, rugged lands plyed by the daring and dangerous. We are one of the crew that plys those waters, warring, coniving, and schemnig with our fellow ne-er-do-wells. We raid the coasts, taking what we please and living free amidst the waves.
Smut, Kinks, and Fun Stuff
Adult content will be a thing as I think most people expect. While I want to tell an interesting story, sex is also the fun part.
That said, when it comes to kinks I'm pretty simple. Stuff I like includes: missionary, anal, rough sex, dirty talk, hairpulling, exhibitionism, group sex, spanking, facials, and others. I'm open to and expecting to include others kinks if we're playing as a group, and we'll probably have to have a discussion about everyones expectations and limits.
Further Interest
Hopefully this gives a clearer picture of what you might be signing up for. If there's any more questions, I will answer as best I can!
I'd put my vote in for the Free Wardens but Pirates of the Barrier Islands could be fun as well.
One thing that you didn't cover in that post was non-human characters. Ironsworn assumes that all players are human by default and I personally tend to find playing as a human, well, boring. So long as there would be room for other races to some extent (not for mechanical benefit but rather for flavor) then I'm certainly interested and will work on my votes for the Truths.
Pirates sound like the most entertaining option for me, but I'll go with the flow. Looking at the truths, there are a couple that really call to me and I'll try to complete my votes over the weekend.
Sounds like being Pirates is what we're leaning toward. It's a shame the Shattered Isles (the actual Ironsworn pirate supplement) isn't out, but we can definitely make due.
For non-human races, we can probably work that into our truths and discuss further.
Since it seems like we've got four people, including myself, this might be a good point to spin off a proper OOC thread for game setup. So I've made one here: Ironsworn: Pirates of the Barrier Isles
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