I can't be the only person already considering hacking Ironsworn, right?
I can't be the only person already considering hacking Ironsworn, right? I'm thinking about a military-themed hack, perhaps where the "Character" represents a whole squad. Might rework a few mechanics, moves, and assets.
I wonder about the proper descriptor. Apocalypse World has "Powered by the Apocalypse" so what would Ironsworn hacks be? "Ironhack"?
I wonder about the proper descriptor. Apocalypse World has "Powered by the Apocalypse" so what would Ironsworn hacks be? "Ironhack"?
You are not. I was honestly considering a Battletech hack. I think Vows reskinned as mercenary contracts has legs. My wife mentioned the idea of a Firefly style hack with Vows as Jobs.
ReplyDeleteJeremiah Wenneker Nice; dig both ideas. How would you handle Mechs themselves? Higher-complexity Asset cards?
ReplyDeleteJosh McGraw I've been debating that myself. I'm thinking about the narratives of the books and wondering about the scale to be represented. Abstraction is a powerful tool thiugh amd Ironseorn uses it well. Mech asset cards I think should be abstracted and then the fiction dictate scale. I.E. three asset cards: scout, fire, and command could be three lances, three companies, or three mechs depending on desire and narrative. Run them like companion assets so they have a health track. Asset upgrades could be used to further customize the flavor of the unit. Though, I think your right the assets would need to have a higher level of complexity or at least more options.
ReplyDeleteAssets could be, if necessary, a lot more mechanically dense if they had "base option + 3 or 4 additional options," particularly if you got to choose a second feature at creation/gaining the asset. That's a route I'm exploring, at least. You're right about abstraction; it's one of the key features and biggest strengths of the system, and I think any good hack is going to cut with the grain there.
ReplyDeleteFor my (eventual) Sci-Fi version of Ironsworn, I am considering a simple character sheet for your ship that has its own potential set of assets. That approach would also be cool for mechs.
ReplyDeleteAs for company/squad level play, Bernhard Lutz did some really interesting stuff in his actual plays. Momentum, health, spirit, and supply all map pretty well to depicting unit readiness and cohesion. For combat, strike, clash, secure an advantage, etc. all seem to do a reasonable job of abstracting unit-level engagements. It's a really interesting narrative/mechanical space to play around it. I haven't fully thought it through yet, or what a revised move list might look like, but it seems like there's a reasonable foundation there.
ReplyDeleteNot something I did intentionally, mind you. I'm not smart enough for that.
I am considering a dark politics/magic hack.....Darksworn? I know Iron is more about low fantasy, but man I would really like to attack someone with my Wit score.
ReplyDeleteMaybe vows are sworn to a darker power, like in Sword, Crown and the Unspeakable Power.
Andrew Huffaker In my play testing I'm using a character with low Iron and Edge, so I understand the desire to attack something with Wits. However, Wits is useful for a lot already and part of the balance, imho, is that it can't directly be used in combat. Shawn Tomkin is free to correct me on that point. :-)
ReplyDeleteFor Wits to be used in combat, I think there would need to be a heavy cost. A point of supply that cannot be mitigated on a Strong Hit or something similar. If your aim is a Darker World, taking a hit to Health or Spirit but not getting an Endure or Test roll to mitigate might keep the balance.
Jeremiah Wenneker I think it costing a supply for components is acceptable. Although, there are many things that must be done with iron or edge that a high Wits character would be bad at. To that end, I feel its not he breaking. After all, a character could attack with edge OR iron depending, right? Someone could also have a character that never compels with anything other than +iron, so conversely, why force a character that wants to have Wit score into a detriment?
ReplyDeleteAndrew Huffaker I don't think having a high Wits is a detriment. High Wits let's you travel, detect ambush, perform rides, resupply, gain advantages and a host of other things. It's benefit is being preparred and recovering faster, both mechanically and naratively. Are you familiar with Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden by chance?
ReplyDeleteThe protagonist is a wizard and says repeatedly if prepared a wizard is terrifying and deadly (I'm paraphrasing btw), but if unprepared and go toe-to-toe with a monster they get dead very quickly.
Ultimately though this is my humble opinion and how I conceptualize the system. It's fun for me to out wit and prepare and sometimes run because Iron and Edge are low stats and straight fights a really rough.
Ironsworn is a wonderfully dynamic system and there is certainly room for a myriad of styles of play and ways to have fun. It is rather the point of this thread in fact. :-)
Jeremiah Wenneker you make a good point that high Wit lets you prepare more for when you strike and non-combat moves. In my post above though, when I said 'why force a character who wants high Wit score into a detriment?' I was meaning that Edge is used to attack and ancillary; iron is used to attack and ancillary; if a high fantasy mod was made, why not let high Wit attack and ancillary? It always bothers me in games when a fighter can attack for free, but a magic user has to pay a price via magic or something else. The thought, I think, is that magic is achieving more, breaking the rules as written, or dealing more damage. But in Ironsworn, damage is dealt moreso on the predetermined difficulty level of the encounter. So, barring assets, etc., I'd be dealing 2 boxes against a Dangerous encounter regardless of if I'm mechanically rolling Iron, Edge, or Wit, or any other stat, right?
ReplyDeleteCommon! Just let me sling a spell ;)