Interview with Shawn Tomkin, the man behind Ironsworn!

People, this is a blog made in Brazil, and the posts are usually written in Portuguese. But once I have done interviews with authors from several countries, some of these stories will also be published in English, as I believe it may be in the interest of many people from other countries as well.

To open this session, I present an interview with Shawn Tomkin, creator of the great game IRONSWORN.

Thanks in advance to Shawn, who was extremely supportive, friendly and helpful, and told us a bit about his trajectory and ideas, and a little about this wonderful game he created!

1 - Shawn, how was your start in the RPG world? And, being more specific, how was your first contact with the RPG solo world?

I was a child of the 70's, so I was around for the original editions of Dungeons and Dragons. Unfortunately, I didn't have a group of friends interested in playing, so I used the dungeon generation tables in the Dungeon Masters Guide to play it as a solo game. I'd generate the rooms and monsters by rolling on the tables, and guide a party of adventurers through a chaotic (but fun) adventure. This was my first exposure to roleplaying games and solo RPG's. 

There was also a min-game called DeathMaze in the late 1970's. This was one of the earliest board game/RPG hybrids, and supported solo play. I played that game a ton, since it was more straightforward than a solo Dungeons and Dragons session.

2- And at what point did you feel the urge / need to create your own system?

I've been hacking at systems and trying to invent my own systems since the very beginning. Not much of it amounted to anything, but it's always been an interest of mine.

3- Was Ironsworn your first work as an RPG game designer?

It is my first significant work that I've put out in the public. I've created a few fan expansions of other games over the years, and my computer is full of discarded work for other game designs.

4- What are your favorite RPGs, as a player?

I will always have a fondness for Dungeons and Dragons, and I still get in a game now and then. Also, my son publishes material for D&D, so I tend to stay tuned in to what's happening.

I also really like the versions of Runequest (now called Mythras) published by The Design Mechanism. It's a great system, especially for the grittier kinds of fantasy or historical gaming that appeal to me.

On the more narrative side of the fence, I like Fate Core a lot, since it's very easy to customize to your setting and preferences. It's probably the game I've played and GM'd most over the last decade.

Of course, I love many of the Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) games. Ironsworn is inspired by and leverages mechanics from several of them, especially Apocalypse World, City of Judas, and Dungeon World. 

5- The Ironsworn's graphical quality has been praised almost every time the game is quoted. In fact, it's something that stands out a lot! Do you work professionally with design and publishing?

My job is in web design. This was my first attempt at book layout, and I've been really pleased by the positive response. I was mostly trying to keep it simple and easy to read on tablet displays. I really admire the rich, dense designs of some RPG books, but I think that might be beyond my capabilities (for now!).

6 - It seems that images and pictures - like the ones in the book - are great sources of inspiration for your creations, Shawn. In What other things (music, movies, series) did you seek inspiration for Ironsworn?

Vikings (the show, and Nordic culture generally)  is a fairly obvious touchstone in terms of tone and is reflected by much of the imagery in Ironsworn.

For reading, various gritty fantasy books, such as those by Joe Abercrombie and Glen Cook. Also, historical books by Bernard Cromwell, especially his Last Kingdom series.

The Witcher books and games, and RPG video games (especially Skyrim!) were an inspiration for Ironsworn's quest-based structure.

From film, I've drawn inspiration from Kurosawa movies, Clint Eastwood westerns. and the Mad Max movies (Road Warrior and Fury Road). Especially for solo play, Ironsworn leverages the themes and concepts of the driven, lone hero. They may be a reluctant hero at first, but ultimately they'll see their vows fulfilled.

For musical inspiration, I listen to a variety of film scores and cinematic music, and Nordic folk artists such as Danheim.

7 - Ironsworn was designed to have 3 distinct game modes - solo, coop or with a Master, in a more traditional way. I would like to know which of these 3 modes you like the most (not just in Ironsworn, but in general).

I've got an affection for solo gaming, of course, but I really enjoy co-op board games and RPG's with a cooperative GM-less mode. I can get a game going with as few as 1 other players, and I'm not forced to just be the GM.

I wanted Ironsworn to be focused on solo and small group play because that's been my gaming reality for most of my life. I think it plays best in solo mode or with 2-3 players.

8- In addition to the ironsworn site, the game has a very participatory community on Google +. The Lone Wolf Roleplaying community also is always presenting something related to your game, not to mention the fact that someone recently set up a Facebook group dedicated to the system… when you started building and creating Ironsworn, did you imagine that it would take such huge proportions?

I really had no expectations. I started publishing preview materials in April 2017, and eventually folks starting participating and providing feedback. I'm a person without much a social media presence, and I don't post in forums very much, so it's humbling and exciting to have a G+ group with several hundred people and to see people taking about and recommending Ironsworn in various places. I try to stay engaged with the community, and the feedback really did shape Ironsworn into a much better game.

9- Here in Brazil, we have a small but very active community of solo RPG players. In what other countries do you see there are a considerable number of Ironsworn players?

I've been thrilled to see Ironsworn played and discussed in other countries.  The United States, Brazil, Canada, the UK, and France seem to have lots of folks who are at least looking at Ironsworn, if not actively playing. I've had some interest in translating for Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.

Well, Shawn, we've come to that part where you can feel free to say whatever you want, and send a message to the Brazilian players of Ironsworn who will read this story!

There was many times when I'd look at my website visitor records and wonder "What the heck is going on in Brazil?". I really appreciate the Brazilian RPG community spreading the word and being so kind and enthusiastic. Please stay tuned and let me know what you think, because I hope that this is just the beginning for the game.

Thanks so much for your questions and support!