Difficulty in Ironsworn
One of my favorite things about the Ironsworn games is how much control it gives me over the difficulty. It's so easy to adjust the challenge level without having to mess with any of the numbers. If I want it to be harder, I can just make it harder. If I want it easier, bam! Done. If I want it to be harder in these areas but easier in those areas, that's easy too.
> reads a few posts on r/Ironsworn
Oh...oh no. Why are so many of my fellow players having such a terrible time? They're dying in droves! They can't walk down the road to the next village without being driven insane and getting eaten by a bear!
And then when they consult the community, they get the standard advice: stop hitting yourself! Try using narrative consequences instead of mechanical consequences when you Pay the Price. And maybe try using 43322 alternate stats array. And sure, if you want to tweak the rules to make combat or healing easier, you can do that. It's your game!
This is good advice, but in my humble opinion it misses the forest for the trees. Difficulty in Ironsworn doesn't really come from the game's mechanics. It comes from how we, as players, chose to apply those mechanics. Therefore, we can change the difficulty by changing how and when we apply the mechanics.
Difficulty Modes
Step one to controlling difficulty within your Ironsworn game is to decide how difficult you want the game to be.
"...okay. Are you just going to state the obvious, rusalka9???"
I SURE AM. Because as far as I can tell, most players who struggle with exceedingly deadly games haven't done this!
It's an easy mistake to make, especially if you're used to more traditional roleplaying games (or video games) where the difficulty is mostly dictated by somebody else (i.e. the game master or designer). But if we don't decide how difficult we want our game to be, how can we know if we're being too harsh or too easy on ourselves?
We may figure out what we don't want when it happens (e.g. when our poor PC gets demolished and we realize that we didn't want the game to end like that), but if we want to actively shape our game into the desired experience, we need to make some choices.
I'm going to define three typical modes of difficulty for Ironsworn: Action Adventure, Gritty Survival, and Prepare to Die. Each of these modes is built on different core assumptions.
- Action Adventure assumes that death is (mostly) off the table, that luck will bend in our favor, that there are helpful strangers around every corner, and that we are heroic adventurers who can defeat crowds of enemies without breaking a sweat.
- Gritty Survival assumes that death is usually on the table (but that it can be avoided with good decisions and a bit of luck), that most enemies don't want to risk their own lives fighting us without a good reason, that strangers will offer aid within reason, and that fighting is dangerous (so we should try finding another way to solve our problems).
- Prepare to Die assumes that death is always on the table (and no amount of careful planning can avoid it for long), that enemies will attack us without any care for their own safety, that strangers will leave us to our fate, and that the situation will always get worse.
If we want an Action Adventure experience, but we play with Prepare to Die assumptions, we're going to have a bad time! Same as if we want a Gritty Survival experience, but our Action Adventure assumptions are making the game feel too easy.
(Side note: these assumptions aren't the same thing as Truths. It is totally possible to play an Action Adventure game in a world with brutal Truths such as scarce resources or lots of horrors.)
By choosing a difficulty mode, we give ourselves guidelines for how and when to apply the game's mechanics.
But what does this look like in practice?
To demonstrate, I've written out three examples of the same scenario, hopefully demonstrating how the underlying assumptions of each difficulty mode shape the narrative and mechanical choices I make. For the sake of readability and brevity, I don't describe every single move or mechanical detail. Also, since this approach works regardless of what stats or assets the PC has, I don't define those. Imagine the PC any way you like!
Action Adventure
In my travels, I come upon a settlement that is being terrorized by a necromancer. I Swear an Iron Vow (Troublesome) to help them and roll a weak hit. I need to find the necromancer's hideout. Perhaps someone in the village knows? I Ask the Oracle if this is true, giving it Likely odds, and roll a yes. One of the villagers, a hunter, steps forwards and tells me that she believes the necromancer is hiding in a particular cave in the forest. She volunteers to accompany me on my quest to slay the villain.
We set off. The cave is not far, and since the hunter knows the way, we Follow the Path. Rolling a miss means we are waylaid by a dire threat. A pack of hungry wolves stalks us through the forest! Hoping to avoid a fight, I pull some dried meat from my backpack and Face Danger +heart to throw it to the wolves. A weak hit means that my plan is successful; the wolves are distracted by the meat, allowing us to continue traveling, but I do suffer -1 supply.
We continue on to our destination. As we draw near the cave (Reach a Milestone on my vow) I Ask the Oracle if there are any threats lurking outside the cave. Unlikely odds result in a no. The hunter tells me that the cave is not large, so we should have no problems finding the necromancer within. We ready our weapons and step inside.
Moving quietly, I Secure an Advantage +shadow, hoping to get the drop on the necromancer, but I roll a miss. The necromancer is waiting for us with a horde of skeletons!
The evil sorcerer laughs maniacally and tells us that we cannot hope to stop his plan to destroy the settlement and raise its people as part of his growing army. I tell him that I will never let that happen, rolling a weak hit on Secure an Advantage +heart. I charge forward, swinging my blade at the skeletons with the hunter at my side (Battle +iron). Together we cut down the undead, but a weak hit means that the hunter is wounded. She falls back, unable to continue fighting.
I face the necromancer alone. Without his horde of minions to hide behind, he is only a Troublesome foe. I Enter the Fray +heart and roll a miss, but burn momentum to change it into a weak hit so I have the initiative. I Strike at the necromancer with my blade, rolling a weak hit. I've dealt him a serious blow, but he responds by casting a spell on me. My mind is beset with terrifying visions, but I Face Danger +heart, and a strong hit means that I withstand the magical attack and regain the initiative. I Strike again, but miss. The wily necromancer slips past me and rushes towards the wounded hunter, clearly intending to slay her and raise her as an undead minion. I chase after him, trying to get in between him and the hunter (Face Danger +edge). I roll a weak hit; I've blocked his attack, but now his ire is turned on me. He raises a wicked dagger and thrusts it towards me. We Clash, and a strong hit means I inflict harm and take the initiative.
It's time to End the Fight! I roll a weak hit. I envision cutting the necromancer down, but as he dies, he unleashes one last spell: a choking miasma. I Endure Harm, suffering -1 health and rolling a miss. I suffer -1 momentum as I stumble away from the foul mist, but I am not badly injured.
With the necromancer defeated, I Reach A Milestone again, giving me six progress total on my vow. I make the move Fulfill Your Vow and roll a miss. Behind me, I hear a rattling sound. I turn to see the necromancer's corpse rising in the air. It speaks in an unearthly voice. "You fool! By striking me down, you have only unleashed my true power!"
I grip the hilt of my sword. "Foul sorcerer! You will meet your end today. I swear it on my blade!" I clear all but one progress from my vow and raise its rank to Dangerous. My adventure continues...
Gritty Survival
In my travels, I come upon a settlement that is being terrorized by a necromancer. I Swear an Iron Vow (Troublesome) to help them and roll a weak hit. I need to find the necromancer's hideout. Perhaps someone in the village knows? I Ask the Oracle if this is true, giving it 50/50 odds, and roll a yes. There is a hunter in the village who knows the location of the hideout. I attempt to persuade her to help me (Compel +heart) and roll a weak hit. She agrees to guide me to the location, but only after I offer her some trinkets from my pack (-1 supply).
We set off. The cave is not far, and since the hunter knows the way, we Follow the Path. Rolling a miss means we are waylaid by a dire threat. A pack of hungry wolves stalks us through the forest! Hoping to avoid a fight, I search my backpack for some dried meat (Check Your Gear). A weak hit means that I have some, but using it like this will cut into my supplies. I take +1 momentum and suffer -1 supply, then Face Danger +heart to throw the meat to the wolves. I roll a weak hit; the wolves are distracted, but only after I throw even more meat (-1 supply).
We continue on to our destination. As we draw near the cave (Reach a Milestone on my vow) I Ask the Oracle if there are any threats lurking outside the cave. Likely odds result in a yes. There are traps set up near the cave entrance. I Ask the Oracle if the hunter will help me disarm them (50/50 odds, yes). She agrees to help. We work quietly, hoping to avoid alerting the necromancer; Secure an Advantage +shadow rolls a miss. One of the traps is connected to a hidden bell, which rings as we disarm it. There will be no chance of surprising the enemy now.
The hunter will not accompany me into the cave, but she wishes me good luck before slipping away into the trees.
I enter the cave alone, stepping carefully in case there are more traps (Face Danger +wits). A weak hit costs me momentum as I creep slowly into the darkness. The cave is not large, and within minutes I have found the necromancer. He is surrounded by a horde of skeletons!
The evil sorcerer laughs maniacally and tells me that I cannot hope to stop his plan to destroy the settlement and raise its people as part of his growing army. I tell him that the I will never let that happen, rolling a weak hit on Secure an Advantage +heart. I Enter the Fray against the skeletons (a Dangerous foe).
The necromancer lurks in the shadows as I fight his undead minions. The fight goes as expected: I defeat the skeletons, but take some serious injuries in the process, leaving me at 2 health after I End the Fight.
I turn to the necromancer. Without his horde, he is only a Troublesome foe, but he could still defeat me if I am not careful. I Enter the Fray again. In the ensuing fight, the necromancer attacks me with uncanny sorcery, draining my spirit, but eventually I bring him down and Reach a Milestone.
I am low on health, spirit, and supply when I make the move Fulfill Your Vow. I roll a miss, and the necromancer rises again, more dangerous in death than he was in life!
I will not forsake my vow. I clear all but one of my progress and raise the vow's rank to Dangerous. But, given my condition, I do not dare try to fight him again right now. I must retreat (Face Danger +edge) from the cave. I need to recover from my injuries and recruit some reinforcements before I face this foe again.
Prepare to Die
In my travels, I come upon a settlement that is being terrorized by a necromancer. I Swear an Iron Vow (Troublesome) to help them and roll a weak hit. I need to find the necromancer's hideout. Perhaps someone in the village knows? I Ask the Oracle if this is true, giving it Unlikely odds, and roll a no. I will have to seek out the location myself.
I Undertake a Journey (Troublesome) to search the nearby woods. On the first segment on my journey, I roll a miss. A pack of hungry wolves is stalking me through the forest! I catch a glimpse of their glowing red eyes. They must be under the influence of fell sorcery! They snarl and rush towards me with unnatural aggression.
I Battle the wolves in close quarters. A weak hit: I defeat them, but take serious injuries in the process, leaving me with 3 health.
Do I have any healing supplies in my backpack? Check Your Gear is a weak hit, so yes (-1 supply). I attempt to Heal my wounds, but roll a miss. Despite using the supplies and taking my time (-2 momentum), the wounds refuse to close. Is this due to my own lack of skill, or to the sorcery influencing the wolves? I hope I have not been infected with a terrible curse...
But I press onward, continuing my search of the woods without further incident incident (but at the cost of some more supplies). When I make the move Reach Your Destination, I roll a weak hit: I have found the necromancer's hideout, but there are skeleton guards waiting outside!
I Reach a Milestone on my vow, then Enter the Fray against these Troublesome foes. The fight goes mostly in my favor, but losing another 2 health leaves me at only 1 when the fight ends.
Afterwards, I face another obstacle: there are traps set up around the cave entrance. I Face Danger +wits to see if I can disarm them, but roll a miss. Foul-smelling smoke emerges from one of the traps! I stumble away as terrifying visions cloud my mind. I Endure Stress (-2) and roll a weak hit. The visions fade, but the fear lingers. I haven't even entered the cave yet, but I'm already badly injured and shaken. Do I dare confront the necromancer in this state?
I decide not to risk it. I am not abandoning my quest, but I need to recover before moving forward. I decide to find somewhere safe nearby to Make Camp. I Gather Information to search for a suitable location, but roll a miss. As I'm exploring the woods, I look down from a ridge to see figures massing in a clearing below. It's a fresh horde of skeletons gathered around a cloaked figure. The necromancer!
As I watch, the necromancer speaks an arcane command. The skeletons begin marching through the woods. They're moving in the direction of the settlement! The obstacles I faced have given the necromancer time to enact his plan.
I must choose: do I forsake my vow and leave the settlement to its fate, or do I try to save them despite my battered condition?
Conclusion
I hope these examples prove useful to my fellow Ironsworn enjoyers! Once I started approaching the game with this perspective, I started having a lot more fun.
The best thing about this approach is that it is endlessly adjustable. If we want a lot of combat but not much risk of dying (aka "5E mode"), we can build that into our assumptions. If we want to raise the stakes for a dramatic confrontation, or lower them for a relaxing side-quest, we can just do that. Tired of going on endless journeys? New assumption: none of our moves are going to push us back out on the road (at least until we change our minds).
The power was within you all along, Ironsworn! All you had to do was claim it!!!
Time for me to go inflict a terrible fate on my new Starforged PC...on purpose. *evil laughter*