The creator of Ironsworn has published an addition to Starforged, their space-faring game, which sets the action in an age of sail. The new expansion is called Sundered Isles and I’m getting ready to start a campaign that’s based in a world of floating islands.
I thoroughly enjoyed my prior game of Ironsworn, set in a rugged, dark fantasy land. And I have one ongoing Ironsworn game in a cyberpunk setting, thanks to a fan’s re-skin of the base game. But this new environment has captured my imagination and I’m ready to set sail.
Things I’m hoping to do differently in this game:
- I am going to focus on artwork in the game journal, as evidenced by my painting to the right of how some of the floating islands might look.
- I’m spending time generating a more robust, layered world in which the campaign can take place. To a certain extent, I think my Ironsworn campaign stalled because I didn’t take the time to develop factions or societies to influence the story arc. To this end, I played a solo game of Microscope to help flesh things out and it was very fun.
- I am going to try playtesting a set of homebrewed rules for herbalism and potion creation. If all goes well, I might publish the rules some day.
- I’ve printed out a new-to-me tool called the Deck of Many Fortunes that is a game-specific tarot deck. I’m not sure whether I’ll enjoy adding it yet, but I’m looking forward to giving it a try.
- I’ve added more hex flowers into the mix. I loved the Goblin Henchman’s Weather hex, so I’m employing one for terrain, encounters and wind/seas/waves this time.
I worked on putting together this analog play kit during my visit with my parents at Thanksgiving, and that’s what’s spread all over their table in my post. I hope to post some of the artwork and the story as I move forward. For now, I still need another trip to laminate some items…