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!
