Hunting the Monster in Ironsworn

Although fighting is an integral part of Ironsworn, the game does not reward fighting and killing mechanically, as there are no experience points to gain from winning fights. Losing them on the other hand can be quite painful. A more sophisticated approach to fighting monsters than just beating them into a pulp can be used to hunt them down, fight them, and gain experience at the same time.

As with everything in Ironsworn, it all starts with the Iron Vow. Depending on ones truths, the character might be required to make the most solemn speech, cut himself, or sing in front of the whole village with his love interest in the audience. In short: Make it count. A simple “I’ll kill the monster” won’t cut it. Think about the problem for a moment. Why do you want the monster gone? Is it troubling the villagers? All of them or maybe just the maidens? Do you or someone want something from the monster like a secret or a possession? Make that the base of your vow, like: “On the blade my grandmother bestowed on me, I swear to wrestle the Cup of Stalagmite from the Golden Wyverns hands!” Want to kill the beast? Sure. Playing a thief whose daggers will probably only be able to clean the Wyverns nails if it demands to have it done? No difficulty here.

Think about the vow
Make it open ended and about the goal behind hunting the beast.

To make a successful hunt preparation is needed. That concerns the hunting character, who might have to fill the supply, health, or spirit tracks first, and it concerns the player even more. Answering a few questions about the beast first will lay the ground for a satisfying hunt.

  • How large is it?
  • Mammal, amphibian, mystical?
  • What is its character like?
  • Why is it so dangerous?
  • Where are its weaknesses?
  • What is its motivation? Consulting a reference like the Witcher bestiary can give a lot of inspiration and information.

At this stage one might already know, how to approach the beast. Maybe a special weapon is needed, maybe one needs to steal its security blanket to make it leave the lair and search for it. If not, give it a thought or two.

Think about the beast
Give it some depth by thinking about its motivation, background, appearance, and weaknesses.

Now it is time to start the hunt and finally gain some experience. A formidable to extreme foe sounds quite right to have a nice evening of monster stalking. That means, one has to mark progress eight or sixteen times to reach the magical number of eight progress boxes where fulfilling your vow has a good chance of succeeding.

Making that many milestones requires two things:

  1. A story to carry the hunt along.
  2. Opportunities to mark progress. Story elements can be drawn from the preparation and the oracle, no problem, and milestones can be tied to moves quite neatly by having the character find out everything we prepared above.
  • Gather Information
    • Uncover the beasts secret.
    • Discover its weakness in the local library.
    • Search for tracks in the WIld Forest.
  • Find an Opportunity
    • Listen to the beast telling its tragic story to uncover its motives.
    • Reach its lair.
  • Compel
    • Have the Night Watch help you surround the lair.
    • Make the librarian give you the key to the forbidden section.
  • Secure an Advantage
    • Prepare the magic bow.
    • Set a trap using a sheep.

If an end fight is coming along, make sure to gather support in the form of allies, weapons, information, or similar things to help beat the beast in the end by giving you an extra boost in combat or by downsizing the beast’s rank. And no rule states that one can’t do both at the same time.

Transfer the preparation into the game
Let your character do the foot work. Use the game’s moves and your information from above to reach milestones on the way. Don’

The grand finale will be within reach in no time. The last moves could be Face Danger, Compel, or a full-fledged fight for which the character should be prepared by now.

Afterwards you have the opportunity to clean up a bit by fixing what ever the monster did, punish the evil settlers who caused the problems in the first place, or help them to secure their village against similar beasts.

Now it’s time to Fulfil Your Vow.

Take the above text and make it more readable and engaging for an audience who loves the solo-roleplaying game ironsworn. Do not change the formatting.

Ironsworn is a unique role-playing game in which combat and monster hunting are integral parts, yet there are no experience points to be gained from victory in battle. This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s part of what makes the game so engaging. The risk of losing a fight can be severe, but with careful planning and strategy, you can successfully hunt down monsters and gain experience at the same time.

The first step in this process is making an Iron Vow. This isn’t a simple declaration of intent to kill the monster. It’s a solemn promise that requires deep thought about why you want the monster gone. Is it terrorizing villagers? Do you need something it possesses? Your vow should reflect these motivations: “On the blade my grandmother bestowed on me, I swear to wrestle the Cup of Stalagmite from the Golden Wyvern’s hands!”

Preparation is key to a successful hunt. You need to consider your character’s supplies, health, or spirit tracks first. But more importantly, you need to understand your quarry. What type of creature is it? Why is it dangerous? Where are its weaknesses? What motivates it? Understanding these aspects will help you plan your approach.

With your vow made and preparations underway, it’s time to start hunting! A formidable or extreme foe provides an exciting challenge that will require multiple milestones for success. To reach these milestones, you’ll need both a compelling story and opportunities for progress.

Your story elements can be drawn from your preparation and oracle consultations. Milestones can be tied neatly into moves as your character uncovers information about the beast:

  • Gather Information

    • Uncover the beast’s secret.
    • Discover its weakness in the local library.
    • Search for tracks in the Wild Forest.
  • Find an Opportunity

    • Listen to the beast telling its tragic story to uncover its motives.
    • Reach its lair.
  • Compel

    • Have the Night Watch help you surround the lair.
    • Make the librarian give you the key to the forbidden section.
  • Secure an Advantage

    • Prepare the magic bow.
    • Set a trap using a sheep.

If a final battle is looming, gather support in the form of allies, weapons, or information. This can help you in combat or even reduce the beast’s rank.

When you’ve reached your grand finale, whether it’s Face Danger, Compel, or a full-fledged fight, your character should be well-prepared. Afterward, there’s an opportunity to clean up any mess left by the monster and help secure the village against future threats.

Finally, it’s time to Fulfil Your Vow. You’ve successfully hunted down your monster and gained valuable experience along the way. The journey may have been challenging, but with careful planning and strategy, victory is sweet.

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