I am reposting my example of Ironsworn play in a refined, formatted, and slightly extended version.

I am reposting my example of Ironsworn play in a refined, formatted, and slightly extended version. I'll also be adding this as an excerpt from the forthcoming Chapter 7 to the preview version of the rulebook. My hope is that this will make the preview a bit more feature-complete for folks new to GM-less or narrative gaming.

Feedback welcome! Please forgive any errors. I'll get it tidied up.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=10qgdHctDAfRSVc7c1-AZCXeY2zcOeBLw

Comments

  1. Peter JDecember 15, 2017 at 11:47 AM

    I'm a big fan of putting in examples of play. I think they're a great way to show how the game works in practice. Though I think this one would be stronger if you moved the narration up to the fore, rather than show it as occurring after moves are made. PbtA games flow from the fiction; as you have written here, it sounds more like you're choosing which moves to make before you get to the fiction. It should be the other way around.

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  2. Chuck DurfeeDecember 15, 2017 at 3:28 PM

    Shawn Tomkin, depending on what layout program you use, I'd be happy to convert my play reports to this style.

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  3. Shawn TomkinDecember 16, 2017 at 10:13 AM

    Really appreciate the feedback, Peter J. Ironsworn, especially solo play, sometimes operates in a non-PbtA space where you are making mechanical decisions or taking an authorial stance (as the GM) ahead of the narrative. In my own playthroughs, it's pretty fluid. Sometimes I'll think "I need to Sojourn because I my spirit track is pegged at 1" versus "I have been in the wilderness too long. I need the company of others." That's OK. Fiction first is the goal, but fiction 2nd is OK.

    Nevertheless, I totally agree that the sample play felt a bit out of order, even when I was intending to lead with fiction. This was perhaps less due to the narrative (italicized bits), since I was often weaving together intent and outcome to keep it from feeling too fragmented, and more because of the framing. I've made some tweaks that I hope help!

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  4. Shawn TomkinDecember 16, 2017 at 10:14 AM

    Chuck Durfee ... I use Indesign for layout. Sharing the template would be a challenge because of the licensed fonts, but I do hope to start to pull together "Ironsworn Stories" from the community into formatted downloads (with the authors permissions). It'll be a bit of work, so probably post-release.

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  5. Zack MacDonaldDecember 17, 2017 at 9:35 AM

    Great story, please post more if you wind up continuing it and have the time! I really liked seeing how you used the oracles and wove in the threads from the quests to add some narrative momentum to the initial vow while complicating the situation with the vow at the end. I think it’ll be very helpful as an example of game flow and when to consult oracles in play, which is always something I’ve struggled with, particularly early on when I was first starting to solo roleplay. The layout’s nice and readable, fits well aesthetically with the rest of the book, and putting the Asset cards in and calling out the relevant text looks and feels good to read. Seems like a great addition to the book, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else is in store!

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