Ironsworn: Starforged 001: The Character

I have decided to embark on a solo Ironsword: Starforged campaign and to document it here. I fell in love with Ironsworn watching season two of “Me, Myself and Die” on YouTube, but am more interested in the sci-fi elements of The Forge than I am the rocky shores of the Ironlands.

So, first thing’s first: the character.

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CHARACTER: James “Basilisk” Rokuro

Step 1: Asset Cards

Since I will be using PDFs, this step is unnecessary.

Step 2: Choose Two Paths

I have no idea what I want to do, so let’s roll!

Result = 56: Outlaw (FUGITIVE and GUNSLINGER)

FUGITIVE: I am hunted by a power or authority. Whenever I make a Move, I can improve the result to a Strang Hit, but doing so advances a 4-clock that, when filled, means I have been tracked down. If I manage to survive/escape/whatever, it resets the clock.

GUNSLING: Stare downs and blindsides give me bonuses and increase momentum.

Step 3: Create Backstory

Let’s roll to find out!

Result = 30: You are the sole survivor of an attack or calamity.

Since I am hunted, I assume that the force hunting me was the one that killed my family, friends and community. Maybe we were special in some way, or maybe we were set up to be an example?

Step 4: Background Vow

This one feels obvious: I am not going to die at the hands of the people hunting me that killed everyone I cared about. I am going to kill them instead.

I VOW VENGEANCE ON THOSE THAT MASSACRED MY COMMUNITY.

Step 5: Board Your Starship

I have the Starship asset card. Let’s roll to find out the deets.

Result = 34: Discovered a derelict and patched it back together. I think that I was left for dead but whatever conflict killed my community resulted in damaged vessels owned by attackers and I took one of those as my own to help hunt them down.

Result 22: Hull is fused with organic growths. This isn’t a normal starship, which suggests that the people that killed my family weren’t normal either. It also suggests that “patched it back together” above might actually mean “helped it heal.” I think I have a bonded living starship.

Result = 96: Vengeance is the chip’s name. Since it is a living thing, I am going to interpret that as its motivation, which I share. Maybe we decided together that instead of dying we should get revenge and it was that vow that saved us both. We are linked down to the marrow.

Step 6: Choose Final Asset

I can pick another asset card. I feel like I should go with a Module to give my living starship some more character.

MEDBAY: Since I already said the ship and I healed each other, I think the living systems in the ship can link to other living beings and cure disease, heal injuries, etc…

Step 7: Stats

In Starforged, you get to distribute 3, 2, 2, 1, 1 amongst five stats.

EDGE 3 because I am a gunslinger

HEART 2 because I care about things, like this ship.

IRON 2 because sometimes the violence gets up close and personal.

WITS 1 because while I am not dumb, I do view things pretty simply.

SHADOW 1 because I like to face my challenges head on.

Step 8: Condition Meters

This is just standard stuff.

Step 9: Envision Your Character

I must define how my character Looks, Acts and what they Wear.

LOOK: Thin, almost scrawny, man with a lot more scars than anyone should have survived having gotten.

ACT: Affable enough, almost gregarious sometimes, but there’s a predatory look in his eye whenever he enters a new location, like he is hunting something.

WEAR: Simple enough clothes of a working class style, but always a jacket, poncho or other garment big enough to conceal weapons.

Step 10: Name

Let’s roll to find out!

NAME: James Rokuro. I think he is of mixed Asian descent.

PRONOUNS: He/him

CALLSIGN: Basilisk. Interesting. Maybe in his hunt for vengeance he has already earned a reputation that his hard stare freezes folks, worried he is going to shoot them down?

Step 11: Gear Up

Regular equipment isn’t really a thing in Starforged, but you are supposed to record any personal items or whatever.

I think James Rokuro carries two pistols — but they aren’t matched or expensive or even well made. One was taken from the body of someone he cared about from his community, while the other was taken from one of the fallen that attacked his community.