Ironsworn RPG: What it is, how it plays, and what you need to get into the game!

[@BobIrving2]

Thanks from an IS noob. Great, detailed and easy to understand walkthrough!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Bob, thank you for watching and for sharing. The journaling sheet I made helped me a lot with enjoying the game. Good gaming and God bless!

[@BobIrving2]

@@booksbricksandboards783 Can't seem to locate your journal on rpggeek. Do you have a link?

[@williamroeben]

I have been trying to figure this game out, so thank you for the video!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Welcome, it is a different animal. I would suggest listening to the creator’s podcast “Ask the Oracle”. He plays the game with his son and does a great job of talking through why he uses the moves he does. It really helped me get my head wrapped around it.

[@samsolitaryroll]

I laminated my character sheet on the print shop i frequent and use a whiteboard marker and some paperclips to track my stats. Totally works but just make sure you track them on your journal at the end of each sessions, lest the clips got moved in storage for whatever reason. I also pretty all over the place in term of journaling, as long as I put the details I need and the results of all moves.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Good call. I laminate character sheets for lots of different games, then use wet erase markers (less chance to wipe off accidentally). Works pretty well!

[@shawntomkin]

Missed this video initially, but it popped up in my feed today. Just wanted to say thanks for putting it together! Great overview.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Shawn, really appreciate you taking a look! I actually reached out to you a while back to get your permission to share my narrative journaling sheet on RPG Geek. Big fan of your work, and the podcast with your son.

[@shawntomkin]

@@booksbricksandboards783 Oh, I hope I responded! I was actually admiring that sheet in the video. Very clever. If I failed to get back to you, sharing those sorts of resources is encouraged and appreciated.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

@@shawntomkin you did actually, made a good impression on me as well. Last I checked it is still out there. I always like to share any of the tools I create with the community. Figure if they help me, they’d help someone else as well! Thanks again for some great games and the kind words.

[@mikew735]

thank you alot for this, getting into solo ttrpg and things like this really really help.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Very welcome Mike. I do a lot of solo rpg stuff on the channel. I have a playlist with my solo videos which might also be helpful.

[@lucaspellerin7513]

Wow! Thank you so much for this video. I've been looking to get into TTRPG, but my friend group doesn't know to well this type of game. I'm looking forward to that solo RPG so i can go to them and show them how its done! I've been looking at videos but i still find it a bit hard to just start and then lets see what happens. The way you organize your journey with the journal is definitly going to help! Thanks for the very clear video! If you have any tips for beginner (but beginners in TTRPG) too i'd be happy to read them!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Lucas, you should join the Books, Bricks and Boards University discord channel. The link is in all of my recent videos, and you will find a group of GREAT gamers that are happy to share their experience to help folks better enjoy their favorite RPG’s. Thanks for watching!

[@paavohirn3728]

I got the core book and delve a while back with prompting from Me, Myself and Die. Haven't yet tried the game but the system seems fascinating and ingenious. Really interesting combo with Hot Springs Island.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

It really is a nice system/oracle combo. I very much enjoy both sides. The reference guide (Lodesworn I believe is the name) available on DTRPG is a great tool.

[@paavohirn3728]

@@booksbricksandboards783 Yeah. I'll keep that in mind. A great tip for sure as are the cards!

[@diannalynnYT]

Just downloaded this yesterday. Not sure I'll play it anytime soon. It seems overwhelming but I 'm hoping between videos and podcasts I might get the hang of it. Idk lol

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Ironsworn is a great system for solo RPGs. I got better at playing others after I played Ironsworn. Tomkin was also involved in the design of the Strider rules for One Ring and clearly his ideas influenced, Solitary Deliflement for Mork Borg. I’d say other than Tana Pigeon of Wordmill (Mythic) Tomkin is probably the premier solo rules designer. You will not be disappointed!

[@jloost-gamer]

Hi Justin. I have really enjoyed your videos sinced recently, and they've helped me get some resources for RPGs (both solo and group). Thanks and keep it up! Also, wanted to let you know there's a typo in the title of this video ("Ironwsworn"). Take care and thanks again!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Thanks for the kind words and for pointing out the error. I wonder how many more views I would have gotten if I hadn’t misspelled the title 😉.

[@ArtWithBobClubbs]

That tracker looks great!

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Thanks! I got the author’s permission to upload it to RPG Geek if you want a copy!

[@isaacvassilopoulos2572]

This was super helpful! Thankyou

[@booksbricksandboards783]

Isaac, you are very welcome! Glad this was of use to you.

[@goldengriffon]

Very interesting concept. I have to wonder why the books are so thick when the moves and oracles take up so little of it... I'm also thinking I might want more background and setting built-in, so I'm leaning more towards Forbidden Lands. My only hesitation is that I might wind up liking the Ironsworn mechanics more...but then again, the Forbidden Lands mechanics seem pretty sweet. So maybe I'll like whatever I wind up with. I'm just a bit concerned that whatever I get might get stale after a while. For instance, Forbidden Lands has only 6x6=36 scripted encounters? (Maybe less...I forget.) I understand the aspect of generation and using one's imagination, but that seems quite slim offerings for such thick books and production. Oh well. maybe I'm just too picky. :P

[@booksbricksandboards783]

There are some more of the narrative encounter options in the other books for Forbidden Lands, but really the meat and potatoes in that game are the adventure sites and your context generated content from an oracle. With Ironsworn, you could run it in the world of the Forbidden Lands if so desired, so if you tried FL and didn’t like the mechanics you could always stay in the world but use the Ironsworn rules in the future (since Ironsworn is a free PDF, you don’t even have a cost). With any solo RPG you will rely somewhat on your contextual story generation from emulators, which sounds harder than it is. I would give Me, Myself and Die and Ask the Oracle a watch/listen and see the masters at work.

[@LotsOfBologna2]

Forbidden Lands is exactly what lead me here. I was wanting to use Forbidden Lands as exploration mechanics for Kult and realized it wasnt going to work at all. This is the first I've heard of Ironsworn.

[@sarahwallace1103]

I got stuck at the step where you teleport to the kitchen. I ended up in the garage and got distracted by the freezer. Good video though. Now I have a better idea of what I'm getting into and, far more importantly, what the expanded books look like and have to offer.

[@booksbricksandboards783]

It takes some practice for sure.