My thoughts on the Ironsworn Legacies (Ironsworn 2e) Alpha Test
On Sunday, Shawn Tomkin has released a first, VERY early draft of the second Edition of Ironsworn, just around 25 pages and only the barebones of the mechanics. Shawn has also written down a number of questions for playtesters to provide him with specific information, so for now, I'll go through these in my typical cruciatingly long detail, and then I'll see if there's anything else I want to say.
If you're interested in my actual play of the playtest, you can check it out here: https://daydreamingmoose.bearblog.dev/ironsworn-2e-alpha-test/
Did you play solo, co-op, or guided?
For now, only solo, though I'm very interested in how it runs in coop, and might co-erce one of my groups into trying.
What was fun?
After an initial feeling of being overwhelmed, I really started to appreciate the action codices. The combination of giving ideas on what to do with each stat in the given situation (Journey, Fight) and the corresponding advantages one can gain from that is very useful, not to mention the large amount of oracles they include. I also really liked the way Take an Action tallies up misfortunes and advantages, and helps create the flow of the story that way. It takes a bit of getting used to, but after a few rolls, it's really nice. Finally, the possibility of spending misfortunes on a clock during the journey, to have a peril creep closer and closer was very thematic and felt very good. Maybe it'd be interesting to give the option to have different sizes of clocks.
What was un-fun?
Since the test was meant to check out the journey mechanics, I'm a bit sad to say that I really disliked the fact that once again Wits is the only stat useable to Mark Progress on a Journey. It feels like a large step back from the much better Undertake a Journey in Starforged compared to the original Ironsworn. Especially when comparing it with the Fight action codex, where using shadow is now a valid option to mark progress (which I find a great addition).
What confused you?
The most confusing part was, if a Journey is actually a Challenge, which I thought yes definitely, but it isn't explicitly mentioned in the description. It also really confused be that Undertaking a Quest/Swearing an Iron Vow doesn't require a roll anymore (i instinctively threw the dice, and only then noticed that I don't need to. Which felt weird).
What was missing (keeping in mind the incomplete nature of the materials)?
Despite the obviously missing assets, a few more play examples or simple helping descriptions or diagrams of how the different parts work together would be very helpful. Sometimes I needed more time to sort through what triggers what than I wanted it to, and it made me partly unsure if I understood all rules how they are meant to be played.
Were the random tables in the codexes useful and inspirational?
Absolutely! I could and should have rolled more often on them than I did, but just having them with me was a great crutch. These will be invaluable for newer players.
Were the outcomes too harsh for your character, too easy, or about right?
I was very lucky with my rolls, but I feel like they where just about right for Ironsworn. It wasn't a particularly difficult experience, but feeling the pressure of having a pressured and then a desperate position and starting to pile up minor impacts fit the gritty theme of the Ironlands very well.
How many boons did you acquire? Let’s call this Boons per Hour (BPH).
In total I acquired 13 boons (and used 3 to create a passage), in three hours of playtime. That's 4.3 BPH. This feels a bit much at the moment, but since there's not many useful options to spend them on yet, I'll reserve judgement for now.
How many impacts did you mark? Did you mark severe (or greater) impacts?
A total of 6 or 7 minor impacts.
Did you mend impacts? How?
Yes, mostly by having some good rolls and using advantages to clear them, but also at the end via Pass Time.
Did you burn momentum?
Yes, twice. Once with 6 and once with 9 Momentum. While I had a large lull in the middle of the game, overall I feel like momentum flows at roughly the same speed as with the original Ironsworn.
Did you choose to Pass Time?
Yes, but only right at the end. It feels like a very interesting evolution of the End Session move from Starforged/Sundered Isles. Fits well with the theme of the game, though I'll definitely try to include it more in the next playtest, since I skipped Project as well as World Timer for now.
Well, there you have it. Honestly, not much else to say. I like what I'm seeing so far, and especially the position mechanic has proved itself to me. I've always found the position/effect mechanic in Forged in the Dark games kind of cluncky and never got it down so much that I didn't feel like it impeded the flow of the game (and I'm probably the only one, from reading other people's thoughts). So, I'm very happy that it isn't as intrusive as I was afraid of at first.
Looking forward to the next playtest, hopefully with some more options and possibilities to see what the Legacy and Advancement via boons can really do.