Extended Example of Play

This example demonstrates the use of moves, oracles, and storytelling within a typical session of Ironsworn. This is a solo session, but the basic gameplay concepts are applicable to guided and co-op play. It includes commentary as I make decisions about my character’s moves, interpret oracles, and resolve events and actions within the fiction of the scene.

Kuno Takes the Stage

Kuno is a scout. She’s most comfortable by herself, stalking the untracked wilderness well beyond the settled lands. At this moment, however, she’s leading a group of Ironlanders who have fled their own village in the wake of a raider attack. They are bound for a settlement called Mournwood to the north, on the borders of the Hinterlands. There, they hope to find help and shelter. Kuno has sworn a vow to see them safely to their new home.

A Journey Interrupted

I envision Kuno riding ahead of the pack of refugees, keeping her eyes on the thick woods along their path. She has a Horse companion, Etana, to aid her on the journey.

She ignores the nervous chatter of the refugees behind her. These are dangerous lands, and she’ll remain wary until this band is safely within the walls of Mournwood. Once they’ve arrived, her vow will be fulfilled and she’ll be free of them.

She gives Etana an encouraging click of the tongue, and picks up her pace.

I make the Undertake a Journey move (page 65) for this segment of travel. Leveraging my companion’s Swift ability gives me a +1 add.

That’s a miss. The outcome for Undertake a Journey tells me: “you are waylaid by a perilous event.” I don’t have anything in mind, so let’s see what the oracles have to say. I roll on the Action/Theme tables (page 174).

“Reveal creature,” the oracle says.

After a moment’s thought, I decide it would be exciting to encounter something truly frightening and wild out here. A wyvern comes to mind. Kuno has never fought one, but she’s heard stories and is eager to test her mettle against one of the fearsome beasts.

However, I want to do a bit more than just bring a wyvern onto stage. I want to ramp up the stakes and drive Kuno into action. I envision what happens.

Suddenly, Kuno hears frantic screams from up ahead.

She spurs her horse on, and rides to the top of a low hill. Before her is a terrifying scene. A wyvern is pawing at an overturned wagon. A horse lies dead beside it. The screams are coming from beneath the wagon, where a woman and a young girl are cowering.

The wyvern has a muscled body three times the size of a horse, covered in a leathery iron-gray hide. Its claws rend along the side of the wagon.

So, what now? The first order of business is to sort out whether my traveling companions will be of any help. I haven’t established much detail for this group of refugees, so I’ll leave it to chance. “Are there any able warriors with them?” I ask. I give it a 50/50 chance and roll on the yes/no table.

The oracle answers, “Yes.”

But can I manage to put them to use? A wyvern is a horrific foe, and not something this group has dealt with before. The first step is to order them to join me in this fight. 

“To me!” Kuno yells, summoning the mounted warriors to her side. The men and women ride up, but stop short as they catch sight of the fearsome beast. Their eyes go wide, and they mutter quick prayers. Their horses neigh and stomp their hooves in distress. 

“Courage,” Kuno says. “These people need our help.”

I make the Compel move (page 69) to resolve what happens when I rally these warriors to aid me. We’ll roll with heart for this action. Per the move, “If you charm, pacify, barter, or convince: Roll +heart.”

A strong hit and a lucky break. A wyvern is normally an extreme foe. With the help from the Ironlanders, I’ll rule that I can knock it down to a formidable challenge. Still not an easy fight, but there’s hope.

Plus, Compel gives me +1 momentum on a strong hit. I started the scene with my momentum track at +2, so it’s now at +3.

Into the Fight

I’ll make the Enter the Fray move (page 78) as Kuno rides toward the wyvern. Since the beast is focused on its prey, and hasn’t taken note of Kuno, we’ll be using shadow for this roll. Per the move, “If you are moving into position against an unaware foe, or striking without warning: Roll +shadow.”

That’s a weak hit. According to Enter the Fray, I must choose between taking initiative or +2 momentum. I choose initiative, which means I’ll put the focus on Kuno taking proactive actions as I wade into the fight.

I’ll use the initiative to Secure an Advantage (page 61). I envision this as an opportunity to leverage Kuno’s fierce determination and her bond with the horse as they charge into battle together. My companion’s Fearless ability will also help me here. Per the asset, “When you Enter the Fray or Secure an Advantage with +heart by charging into combat, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit.”

The weak hit on Secure an Advantage gives me +1 momentum, and another +1 for the Fearless bonus. My momentum is now +5. But, things turn against me. I envision this as the wyvern spotting us and moving to attack.

Kuno’s horse, heedless of the danger, charges toward the beast. Kuno leans low and draws her sword. She is vaguely aware of the others following behind, but her attention is focused on her target. If she can just manage to strike the wyvern before it’s aware of them…

But the wyvern catches their scent and fixes its gaze on them. It roars, a crown of horns flaring on its thick, wolfish head. No longer concerned with the trapped Ironlanders, it clambers over the top of the wagon and moves fast to meet their charge. Its wings flex as it lunges.

I think a moment about my options here. Kuno, despite her courage, would be unnerved by the sight of this beast leaping towards them. Also, her first concern is the safety of her horse. I could Clash (page 80), but I want to play it a bit safe this early in the fight. If I Clash and score only a weak hit, I’d have to suffer the full harm or some other dramatic result. Face Danger (page 60), on the other hand, gives me only a minor cost on a weak hit. Also, my companion has the Swift ability, which allows me to make that move with a bonus. Per the asset, “When you Face Danger with +edge using your horse’s speed and grace, or when you Undertake a Journey, add +1.”

I won’t be able to inflict harm in the exchange, but hopefully I’ll build some more momentum and get back initiative. I’ll envision this as Kuno and Etana trying to evade the wyvern’s attack.

It’s a miss. The Face Danger result tells me, “On a miss, you fail, or your progress is undermined by a dramatic and costly turn of events. Pay the Price.”

I have also rolled a match on the challenge dice, which indicates something unexpected (page 9). I’ll use some oracles to help resolve the match. First, I roll on the Pay the Price table.

The answer is, “It is stressful.”

No surprise there. Facing off against a wyvern is stressful. I want more to go on. I’ll roll on the Combat Action oracle (page 188) to see what the wyvern does as part of this outcome. 

The oracle responds, “Shift focus to someone or something else.”

This is an opportunity to bring the other warriors into the scene. They won’t provide further mechanical benefit, but I should include their actions in the fiction. In this case, they’ll also help me depict the wyvern as a fearsome, deadly foe.

Weaving together the move outcome and the oracles, I envision what happens next.

The wyvern leaps. Kuno shouts a word of encouragement to her horse and pulls the reins hard to the right. The wyvern lands, jaws snapping, but Etana deftly avoids the bite as they circle to one side.

Kuno rides away from the wyvern, readying another charge. An arrow, then another, lance into the side of the beast as mounted archers take up the fight. Other warriors, armed with spear and shield, move forward to harass it.

As sudden as a lighting strike, the wyvern lunges at one of the fighters, bites down with a horrible crunch, and lifts him off his horse. Then, it whips its head around, opens its mouth, and sends the lifeless body flying. The mauled corpse lands in the dirt near the wagon with a splash of blood.

The girl hiding beneath the wagon screams at the sight of the body. The wyvern, as if remembering its original intent, turns suddenly and clambers toward her.

The mother, shakily, eases out from cover and raises a small knife in their defense.

That gives me what I need to resolve the original “It is stressful” outcome of the Face Danger move. I Endure Stress (page 95) and suffer -2 spirit as a result of seeing the warrior killed. Per the move, I “roll +heart or +spirit, whichever is higher.” Since my heart is 2 and my spirit track is now at +3, I’ll roll with spirit.

That’s a strong hit, which means I can take back initiative. I choose the Endure Stress option to “embrace the darkness”, and take +1 momentum (now +6). Kuno is determined to wreak vengeance upon this beast.

She also wants to stop the wyvern from getting at the girl and her brave mother, so I’ll leverage my initiative to Secure an Advantage with another charge.

The weak hit is bad enough, but I’ve also rolled a 1 on the action die while leveraging one of my companion’s abilities. That means I need to involve my horse in the move’s outcome (page 43).

The good news is I’ve gained another bit of momentum (up to +7). I envision what happens next.

Kuno urges her horse back into a charge. She screams, partly out of determination, partly to get the wyvern’s attention away from the woman and girl. The beast turns to look at her, amber eyes narrowing. Its whip-like tail lashes out…

I’m framing this as a danger to my horse companion. Etana is quick and agile, so we’ll try to dodge the wyvern’s attack. I’ll Face Danger to see what happens.

As before, I’ll leverage my companion’s Swift ability to gain a +1 add.

A strong hit, which means I’ve overcome the danger, take +1 momentum (now +8), and have initiative again.

The wyvern’s tail lashes along the ground like a scythe. Kuno pulls up hard on the reins, and Etana jumps over the tail as quick and graceful as a cat.

I envision Kuno raising her sword and readying an attack. This seems like the right time to Strike (page 79).

The strong hit with Strike allows me to inflict +1 harm. I mark 3 harm on the wyvern’s progress track. For a formidable foe, that’s 3 progress.

Leveraging the momentum of the charge, Kuno swings her sword as they pass by the beast’s neck. The blade digs deep, leaving a crimson gash in its wake.

Kuno lets loose a fierce laugh. She’s bloodied it. Despite the stories, it can be killed. She draws back her sword, pulling on the reins with her other hand, bringing Etana around for another attack.

I roll to Strike again, hoping to build on my success and add more progress against this foe.

That’s a miss. I could burn my +8 momentum to cancel one challenge die and shift the result to a weak hit, but I’d prefer to save it for a more dramatic opportunity.

Now I must Pay the Price (page 105). Suffering direct harm for me or my horse is an obvious choice, but I’m interested in leaving it to fate. I roll on the Pay the Price table to see what happens.

The answer is, “You are separated from something or someone.”

I interpret this as an attack which separates me from Etana.

Kuno readies another slash, but too late. The wyvern’s massive head slams into her and Etana, sending them both sprawling. Kuno hits the ground hard. For a moment, blackness fills her vision.

It seems reasonable to also apply harm to this outcome. I’ll split the wyvern’s 3 harm between myself and my horse—2 for me, 1 for Etana. This requires suffer moves for both of us.

First, I make the Endure Harm move (page 91), subtracting 2 from my health track. Per the move, I “roll +health or +iron, whichever is higher.” My health track is at +2, and my iron is 2, so it’s a wash.

That’s a weak hit. Kuno suffers her harm and presses on.

Kuno stands. Pain flares through her ribs. She pushes the pain aside, concerned only with her horse.

Now to check on how Etana has fared. I make the Companion Endure Harm move (page 94). First, I lower her health track by 1. Then, per the move, I “roll +heart or +your companion’s health, whichever is higher.” Etana’s health track is at +3 and my heart is 2, so we’ll roll + her health.

Another weak hit. Etana is still in the fight, but Kuno wants her out of harm’s way. I’ll handle that in the fiction.

Etana gets to her feet, shaken but okay.

“Go!” Kuno yells at her, then scrambles to pick up her sword. Beside it lay the shield of the fallen warrior. She grabs that as well, and turns back to the Wyvern.

The Ironlanders stab at the beast ineffectually with their spears, distracting it for a moment but not wounding it. Another arrow flies, landing true in the thing’s snout.

Paying this fresh wound no mind, the wyvern refocuses its attention on Kuno. It lumbers forward, wings bent in a bat-like crawl.

Kuno’s instinct is to dodge, hoping to get in a better position to attack. I’ll Face Danger with +edge instead of clashing. This uses my favored stat, improving my chances.

That’s a strong hit and another +1 momentum (+9 total).

Kuno waits for the beast, then leaps aside at the last moment. The wyvern’s teeth clamp down on the space she stood only a moment before. Its great head spins around, powerful jaws opening for another bite…

Next, Kuno will Strike. 

A miss. With my +9 momentum, this is a perfect opportunity to burn momentum (page 12). I do so, and cancel both challenge dice, elevating the outcome to a strong hit.

I’ll also leverage my Swordmaster ability, which lets me inflict +2 harm when burning momentum on a Strike or Clash. That’s an impressive amount of harm on this attack.: +2 for the sword, +1 for the strong hit, and +2 for Swordmaster, giving me 5 harm total. This takes the wyvern to 8 filled progress.

Kuno springs forward, stabbing with all her might through the roof of the beast’s mouth. The sword bites deep into the soft flesh. Warm blood spills over her arms.

This feels like the proper resolution of this battle. Time to End the Fight (page 82). I tally my progress (8), roll the challenge dice, and compare.

It’s a strong hit. This battle is done.

The great beast heaves a strangled sigh and collapses with an earth-shaking thud. Kuno sinks to one knee. She watches as the life fades from the wyvern’s eyes. She feels a moment of pity for it, and rests her bloodied hand on its snout.

“Go easily into the shadow lands,” she whispers.

Aftermath

The defeat of the wyvern, while notable, isn’t relevant to my current quest and doesn’t seem worthy of a milestone. However, it has introduced an opportunity for a new narrative hook. Who is this woman and her child? Why are they here? I envision the scene.

Kuno wrests her sword from the beasts mouth, and surveys the cost of the battle. One of their band lies dead. The other warriors gather spent arrows and spears. None appear hurt.

She moves to the wagon, hobbling a bit as pain flares through her ribs. The mother is standing there, knife raised in a trembling hand. She is looking past Kuno, at the wyvern.

“Are either of them obviously injured?” I Ask the Oracle, and set the odds as unlikely.

“No,” the oracle answers. 

“Be easy,” Kuno says to the woman. “This beast is dead.”

The mother blinks. Then, she gives Kuno and the others a quick, sharp glance. Kuno imagines her wondering, “Have I leapt from the frying pan into the fire?”

“We mean you no harm,” Kuno says, “but these are dangerous lands. Where is your home?”

I don’t have the answer to that question, so it’s an opportunity to Ask the Oracle. This time, I decide to leverage the Settlement Trouble oracle (page 181). It’s primarily intended for introducing a problem within a community, but works here as a way of establishing what has driven this woman and her child so far into the wilds.

I roll, and the oracle tells me, “Roll twice.” I do so, and am told, “Someone is captured” and “Dangerous tradition.”

Looking for a bit more detail, I also roll on the Action oracle (page 174). It tells me, “Hunt.”