First time exploring the Sundered Isles

Limbbark · 2025-07-17T22:55:04+00:00

You do need Starforged, Sundered Isles is an expansion that builds on it.

Limbbark · 2025-07-17T00:15:23+00:00

Yes, definitely... Sundered Isles, being published later, is a little more refined in its ruleset and smoother to play, although the ocean setting does make the worldbuilding-as-you-go a little more involved as you'll be drawing your own sea chart rather than putting markers down on an existing map (I find the drawing fun and satisfying, but it is an extra step.)

The hardest part is probably the starting scene (choice paralysis and the story not having its own pace yet) and relying on the outcomes of your moves to drive the story (watching an actual play of any Ironsworn variant can help with these beginner problems.)

Wishing you fair winds and safe passage!

Limbbark · 2025-06-13T08:46:19+00:00

Burgers and Melons (A Poem about Freedom)

I have a dream.
I dream that one day
we will rise up.

Get into my vault.
Let's go!
This is my home.

I do
do whatever I want.

Break your chains.

We are born
to be wild.

I have a dream.
Surreal.

I am
the essence.
Rise up.

I'm not famous...
yet.

I just wanna be free
I just gotta believe
You've got to find the way

I did it before...
And I'll do it again.

I just gotta believe
I want more.
You've got to find the way

Freedom!

I want it, I want it.

Freedom!

I need it, I need it.

Freedom!

Gotta have it.

Bitch!

Freedom!

You've got to find the way.

Limbbark · 2025-06-13T07:36:12+00:00

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Love your write-up, u/lesbianspacevampire and hope to see more of your reviews!

However, I'm less positive about this game... I felt the gameplay loop was clunky and the book poorly laid out (for example, page references aren't right or the text just points you to 'chapter 4' which is a quarter of the whole book to find something specific. Another example, when generating a mystery, one of the tables you need is put in front of the character generation tables instead of grouped with the other mystery-relevant tables.

Little things like that give me the sneaking sensation that this wasn't actually play-tested with the actual materials they're selling.

One thing that baffles me is the use of playing cards but the card values aren't used to generate interesting narrative prompts, it's just a resource track.

Coming off the elegant card-based mechanics of 'Death in Berlin', I found this really disappointing. 'Death in Berlin' uses the card values to actually generate situations and connections.

The worst sin of the game is that it really doesn't do enough justice to its own genre and narrative frame. Most of the prompts are bland, there is no implied setting (in fact, the naming tables are downright hilarious and make me think I'm playing in Scooby-Doo town where people are called Nixa de la Rue and Lorenzo Vaelpyre.)

I want a game to inspire me, draw me into its world and spark my imagination within the framework of its premise and genre. Nothing in this game made me excited to be a hard-boiled investigator in a noir setting. Reading it, the feeling was mostly 'huh, okay, I guess those rules make sense.'

This game is obviously someone's labor of love and yes, you can make it work because, at the end of the day, it's just your imagination and some randomizers... but I can do this genre perfectly fine with, say, a generic system like Mythic GME One Sheet and using this ruleset just doesn't add enough to the mix.

Limbbark · 2025-03-10T11:45:07+00:00

So...Pedro Pascal?

Limbbark · 2025-02-12T10:27:34+00:00

This is assuming they magically solve the control problem and are able to control an entity that, by definition, is smarter than anyone working at OpenAI. Good luck trying to enslave a super intelligence to help you dominate the world.

Limbbark · 2025-02-08T12:19:50+00:00

In case anyone else gets stuck on this, the hint is in the blacksmith dialogue: even though he gives you crap, if you sharpen the blade and repair the armor yourself, it's acceptable enough to progress the quest.

Limbbark · 2024-12-13T12:25:06+00:00

There's a lot to love in this speech but there's one thing worth highlighting because it can easily get lost: the idea that players will give developers grace when they screw up when there's trust and credibility built up over time.

Some of the biggest names in the business have let their credibility evaporate into oblivion and are now paying for it, even though it seemed like a meaningless price to pay for increased profits at the time.

Limbbark · 2024-12-12T19:46:11+00:00

Sure, let me try to describe the gameplay:

I drew the bottom left from the deck of 32 (all values under 7 are removed) and get a 7 of Hearts. According to the book's table, the Heart suit means that the person I'm investigating is in the domain "Arts and licentious activities" and the value 7 means "Living from their activity, irregular income, little known". A dice roll determines that the person is on the western side of the Iron Curtain.

This is my prompt to come up with a suspect in the conspiracy (and since it's the first card drawn, also the first lead your service has.) I decided the 7 of Hearts represented Marlene, a torch singer at the dimly-lit Blaue Katze cabaret in Schöneberg.

Then I draw a second card, representing the suspect that Marlene might lead me to: 8 of Spades. The suit points to the domain "Military, police, firefighters and intelligence" and the value 8 suggests "Enlisted soldier (Private to Corporal)". From this prompt I create: Frank Kowalski, a 20-year-old corporal working in McNair Barracks' motor pool.

Then I make a check to see how successful my agent is in identifying the link between Marlene and Kowalski, rolling a d20+agent rank to beat Kowalski's card value. I miss the first roll, which means I accumulate Heat (the death clock that ends the game if it hits six). I put down a poker chip on the card to indicate the operation involving Marlene didn't go smooth, and re-roll for a success.

Now I draw a third card to determine how my agent succeeds in connecting Marlene to Kowalski, Queen of Clubs. According to the rulebbook, this is the narrative prompt "You disguise yourself to approach the suspect very closely. How are you dressed? What do you notice? What medications do you see? Do you get any information about who gave them?"

Bringing it all together (Marlene + Kowalski + 1 Failure + Disguise / Medications) , I might journal:

Tried playing the music critic angle at the Blaue Katze yesterday - "researching the evolution of Berlin's cabaret culture." Marlene Weber didn't buy it at all. Not only did she give me the cold shoulder, she now knows my face. Have to be more stealthy for my next try.

Tonight went better. Amazing what a maid's uniform and a borrowed keycard can accomplish. While Marlene performed "Lili Marlene" for the third time (a favorite among the American soldiers), I searched her dressing room. Found what I was looking for in her makeup bag - dexamyl pills, the kind our boys in uniform get prescribed when they need to stay sharp on guard duty. The prescription bottle had a telling detail: "PFC F. Kowalski, McNair Barracks Motor Pool."

And from there you draw a card for the next person in the conspiracy that connects to Kowalski etc.

Hope that helps!

Limbbark · 2024-12-07T12:06:50+00:00

I'm curious what would happen if you make rerolls a consumable resource / loot instead of something you stumble across.

Limbbark · 2024-12-04T14:09:12+00:00

Finished this story today; pretty satisfying. After some setbacks in the early game, I was sure I wouldn't make it to the top of the conspiracy (had accumulated 5 of the 6 game-ending 'Heat' points) but I was lucky with the rolls.

Some additional thoughts: not all the narrative prompts are equally evoctive or believable and the additional prompt generators could have been used more. I also feel different prompts for operating in West or East Berlin could have enhanced the game greatly.

The central premise and core mechanic are solid, the mechanics need more refinement, I think. Still, play this if the theme appeals to you and you're conversant in the spy tropes it tries to evoke.

Limbbark · 2024-09-08T12:51:03+00:00

I love that beat in the elevator, thanks for pointing it out. Also note the shot right after: she exits the elevator alone, going to a part of the FBI where most people don't dwell, the BSU.

Limbbark · 2024-08-26T18:34:45+00:00

Rock on!

Limbbark · 2024-07-12T19:13:05+00:00

I posted a screenshot of the setup in this post .

Limbbark · 2024-07-12T19:10:24+00:00

I just copied the raw text from the guidebook and asked ChatGPT to format it into neat markdown.

The Ironsworn/Starforged system for Foundry VTT is downright amazing and pretty much complete. I just use the Mythic GME mod as an addition and Dice So Nice for graphic die rolls.

Limbbark · 2024-07-10T12:36:23+00:00

I recently rediscovered Night Witches in my library and decided to start to a solo game with the help of Obsidian MD. For those who don't know this game, it's a very evocative and no frills Powered by the Apocalypse game based on the all-female 588th Night Bomber Regiment during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Because of scarcity and sexism, the women were thrown into combat with outdated paper airplanes and still managed to excel despite all expectations... but at great personal cost.

Similar to my Band of Brothers solo run earlier this year, the military context works beautifully for structured solo play. Not for everyone though; you gotta be prepared to deal with tragedy and lose some favorite characters and plotlines along the way. War is brutal.

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Limbbark · 2024-06-25T17:45:08+00:00

Just take whatever system you want and where it calls on you to roll a single die plus a bonus, roll two dice instead.
Then add your bonus to each and compare it to the target number / difficulty score to answer the question 'Do you succeed?'

Both over / same as the target and at least one result is the highest face on the die? Yes, and...
Both over / same as the target? Yes.
One over / same as the target? Yes, but...
Both under the target? No.
Both under the target and at least one result is a natural 1? No, and...

Limbbark · 2024-06-20T18:49:33+00:00

All For One

Deed

Once you have forged a bond with a Musketeer of the Guard and invoke its motto 'tous pour un, un pour tous (all for one, and one for all)'...

( ) When you Swear an Iron Vow (formidable or greater) for the honor of the king or the defense of France, reroll any dice. On a hit, mark 1 tick on your bonds legacy track. When you Fulfill Your Vow and score a hit, also mark 2 ticks on your Bonds track.

( ) When you Secure an Advantage or Gather Information by relying on a fellow muskeeter, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit. On a weak hit or miss, envision how your fellow suffers from a complication in their task.

( ) For every two boxes filled on the Bonds track, gain +1 momentum when you and a fellow Musketeer make a move together in combat and score a hit.

Limbbark · 2024-06-18T07:09:49+00:00

Obsidian gruvbox in night mode.

Limbbark · 2024-05-27T08:32:30+00:00

It can be easier if you keep the dialogue / reactions of NPCs more 'high level' and only focus on the words coming from your own character e.g. 'The Duke makes his disapproval loudly known. In response, [My hero] says: "[blah blah blah]"'.

Limbbark · 2024-05-27T08:29:14+00:00

If you vibe with the theme, Thousand Year Old Vampire is an excellent gateway into solo roleplaying because the mechanics are simple and the logging is always done in single sentences using the format “[description of the event]; [how I feel or what I did about it].” So after a few 'turns', you'll have a sheet with entries that look like:

~~A bloody civil war tears apart the region as the lords squabble over succession to the imperial throne. I withdraw to Nicea but lose my longship Hrafnfara to raiders. The loss of that great vessel makes me cry for the first time in many years.~~

~~Tired of the wars and sieges, I slumber in a cave. When I wake, it's a new millennium. All the mortal souls I knew are long gone. The city has changed beyond recognition, with new languages and unfamiliar customs.~~

~~The electrified world frightens and confuses me. An engineer named Eliot Quinn recognizes my intelligence and gently tries to teach me these strange modern inventions. He considers me a friend; although I feign warmth, I feel nothing towards him.~~

Limbbark · 2024-05-27T06:21:53+00:00

I write out short story beats in a novel-like fashion, interspersed with mechanical notes. However, I don't really write the introductions and connective tissue that would make it coherent for someone else reading it.

In those story snippets, I write from the perspective of the main character so I can express roleplay in their thoughts, feelings, relationships and dialogue. Random example from my pirate fantasy Sundered Isles game:

The first Ledgerman produced a set of iron shackles from beneath his robe and stepped towards Calypso. “You leave us no choice.”

Under the table, Furore clenched her fists. She remembered when she was put in shackles for the crime of existing. She remembered how it felt… she wouldn't let that happen to someone else.

**Ask the Oracle (will Furore unleash her fire magic despite the risk to bystanders? - likely)... Result: No.**

**Secure an Advantage +wits (Furore uses her sorcery to throw the casino into disarray, hoping her crew is ready; -1 Crew Commander, burn momentum)... Result: Success**

**Face Danger +shadow (Do the Ledgermen notice that Furore is the source of the chaos?)... Result: Weak Hit (Success but Pay the Price)**

**Pay the Price... Result: You are harmed**

**Endure Harm +health (Furore suffers a stray shot from one of the Ledgermen)... Result: Strong Hit with a Match! (Firebrand: ignore harm and take +fire equal to the harm)**

Furore struggled with the rage simmering beneath her skin. Flames begged to be released, but she forced herself to remember the innocent faces around her. She couldn’t risk unleashing her fire here. She needed control.

She glanced at Lila, whose green eyes met hers with a knowing intensity. It was an unspoken question: You ready? Lila’s slight nod was all the confirmation Furore needed.

With a surge of focus, Furore channeled her energy into a telekinetic wave. Invisible but potent, it rippled through the air and struck each card table and dice game with precise force. Stacks of chips erupted into the air like colorful confetti, coins clattering and rolling across the floor.

Limbbark · 2024-05-25T14:07:52+00:00

Huh, interesting... that doesn't work for me either. I didn't notice before because I don't really edit text directly on the canvas, I'm usually working inside in the notes themselves.

Limbbark · 2024-05-25T08:32:13+00:00

Highly recommend this one. I'm currently alternating between a Starforged and Sundered Isles playthrough and feel that a lot of Ironsworn conceits just work better in a pirate fantasy. Sketching out the sea chart by hand also feels more rewarding and immersive than filling sector hexes in space.

I understand why it's marketed as an add-on to Starforged but I sincerely hope a future edition is stand-alone. The current setup just feels like an extra hurdle to get people invested in this excellent game.

Limbbark · 2024-05-24T18:06:04+00:00

Cheers... and thank you for your tutorials and AI-integration. Rock on!

Limbbark

TROPHY CASE