RPG Character a Day 7, 8, and 9
For these next few characters, I wanted to talk about Ironsworn: Starforged. Characters in Starforged are best created when they are tailored specifically for the universe that you and your fellow players have created, not in a (space) vacuum.
Here’s a brief summary of the setting that a friend and I created for our joint cooperative playthrough:
A long time ago in a galaxy far away, the stars began to fade out. This became known as The Winking. Sensing trouble ahead, groups began to vacate the galaxy, bound for The Forge which they deemed far enough away for the danger. They carried with them their faith, while others began to wonder if other higher powers existed.
To escape The Winking, experimental faster than light drives (FTL) were created and used. Some were faster than others, allowing certain groups to set up shop early in The Forge. The corporations that fielded these fastest drives took advantage of their early arrival and the loyalty of the colonists and pioneers to become leaders in their areas.
These experimental FTL drives all had an unfortunate side effect when they ripped holes in the fabric of reality, creating fractures and leading to balefire storms. These balefire storms created new opportunities, as victims who survived the disastrous storms began to display mutations and new human potential that some describe as magic.
Order in the settled areas are maintained by corporate contracts and end-user license agreements. These corporations deploy mercenary armies to bend populations to their will. Still, the vast distances make for gaps in their coverage, especially as the balefires hinder communications. Some communities further away from Terminus defy the legal bindings of the corporations; the further away from the seat of their power, the less likely you are to be indentured or bound to service.
These corporations rule and govern with the aid of both smart and dumb AI. Dumb AI are cheaper and perfectly usable in running day-to-day operations and ships, while smart AI are expensive but contain processing power capable of tapping into the most advanced and unknowable aspects of the galaxy, including those that lived her before: the precursors spoken of in hushed whispers and called The Ascendency.
Supposedly, the Ascendency left behind incomprehensible technologies and structures that the corporations and small-time shops rush to claim and take for their own. It’s a race to explore outward from the Terminus of The Forge, into the Outlands, the Expanse, and even the Void. Who knows what new lifeforms and horrors await?
With that out of the way, here are some characters I’ve created for this world. I don't have any character art.
Jax Vega aka Ghost
Marked by long, unruly hair and scars all over his body, Ghost is a man with a mysterious past. He tells you that his name is Jax Vega, but that’s a lie; he doesn’t know his real name. Ghost doesn’t remember much about his life before breaking out of a Genodyne Holdings lab, his possessions being a holo-locket with himself and three people that he doesn’t recognize; a long, unknown sequence of numbers; and a stolen keycard.
Ghost favors wearing a poncho over clothing that is already two sizes too large to conceal his body mass and scars. He talks too much, including conversations with himself if he forgets his manners.
Ghost surmises that Genodyne Holdings spent a lot of money augmenting his body, and they’ll likely do anything to get him back. He doesn’t know or understand the complete details of his augmentation, but he does know that he’s going to do everything in his power to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.
His first Connection will be with a person who traffics identities, a criminal contact who hooks him up with the ability to engage in corporate systems without betraying his presence. The connection will also tell Ghost about people being oppressed by the corps and that need help.
BACKGROUND VOW
I will make sure that Genodyne Holdings never does this to anybody else.
ASSETS
Fugitive
⬛You are hunted by a power or authority. When you make a move, you may rely on your resourcefulness to improve the result to a strong hit. If you do, mark a box above to represent hunters closing in on you. On the third mark, a notable foe or force has tracked you down. If you overcome them or escape, clear the boxes and mark 1 tick on your quests legacy track.
⬜When you make a move by hiding, concealing your identity, or fleeing from a pursuer, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit.
⬜When you Fulfill Your Vow (extreme or greater) by clearing your name or defeating the power or authority who marked you as a fugitive, gain this ability at no cost. You may then exchange this asset for another with the same number of marked abilities."
Augmented
⬛You are equipped with an advanced prosthetic, implant, or mechanical enhancement. When you make a move directly aided by the augment, envision how it gives you exceptional capabilities and add +1. On a strong hit with a match, your augment exceeds expectations; take +2 momentum. On a miss with a match, the augment is broken; you must Repair and spend 3 repair points to bring it back to working condition.
⬜You are equipped with a second augment. It functions as above, but the benefits of the two augments do not stack.
⬜ When you must Endure Harm or Face Death, you may instead mark an augment as broken. Repair it as detailed above.
Scoundrel
⬛"When you make a move by lying, bluffing, stealing, or cheating, add +2. On a strong hit with a match, your deception creates an unexpected opportunity; take the value of your shadow as +momentum."
⬜When you Make a Connection to search out a new contact, you may roll +shadow. If you do, reroll any dice on a miss and envision how your reputation or underworld contacts lead you to a disreputable connection
⬜When you make a quick escape or con your way out of a situation and burn momentum to gain a strong hit, take +1 momentum after you reset. If you envision how this momentary success leaves you fated for future trouble, mark 2 ticks on your quests legacy track
Playing Ghost
“I heard your story - revenge. Good story.”
Ghost can frequently lie about his identity, since he doesn’t even know much about who he really is. This frequently will trigger the Fugitive asset, which is probably my favorite official Asset in the Starforged card deck because it’s a mini-game unto itself. This, of course, creates a nice backup for failed rolls with Scoundrel, and when all else fails his augmented genetics related to his muscle tissue and bones means that he can do some serious harm in a fight.
I also can see that as he learns more about his captors and experimenters unlocking more of his potential with expansions to Augmented. I think that Ghost will have a hard time swearing new vows and forming relationships with his low heart score, so eventually, I’d want to level up Scoundrel for the ability to make new connections.
Curtis Kobayashi aka Bingo
When my friend and I created this version of The Forge, we immediately created characters that wanted to explore the lengths of the exploitation of these mega-companies and their powers on Corplanets. Our characters leaned more towards the scrappy underdogs fighting the corporations, so for this character, I thought it may be fun to solo journal as a foil or a bad guy: an agent of the corporation seeking out insurgents, insurrectionists, and anyone else that violated the end-user license agreement. If Ghost is Jean Valjean, then Bingo is Inspector Javert.
Wearing a crisp, clean professional garb, Bingo is equipped with the nearly bottomless credit account of Silver Veil, the company that he works for. Bingo has a Connection in the form of his corporate handler who assigns him work and also serves as an informative lookup. Bingo speaks calmly and professionally, wielding the power of the Silver Veil to achieve what he needs.
For Bingo, I’m creating a new asset, Credited, which allows me to use Momentum as if it were currency or access to wealth and power. It’s a combination and reskinning of existing mechanics from Fugitive, Looper, and Kinetic assets.
I also view him as a person who is not afraid to take out big guns when he needs to, knowing that his destruction is authorized by the Silver Veil corporation, who will field any complaints for the actions that he takes. There’s just this funny image in my mind of a well-dressed guy sighing before opening up a briefcase or Pelican-like box and assembling a big-ass gun.
ASSETS
Credited
⬛You are an agent of a great power or authority. When you make a move, you may rely on this entity’s resources to improve the result to a strong hit. If you do, mark a box above to represent your actions being questioned. On the third mark, your line of credit is frozen pending an audit. If you justify your actions or demonstrate your capabilities, clear the boxes and mark 1 tick on your quests legacy track. .
⬜When you score a miss on a suffer move, you may reflexively use your access to wealth and power to solve the problem. If you do, Lose Momentum (-2), reroll any dice, and take +1 momentum on a strong hit.
⬜When your momentum is at its max, you may spend vast wealth or make elaborate promises that can persuade many. To do so, reset your momentum. Then, as you make a single move fueled by your promises, take an automatic strong hit.
Bounty Hunter
⬛When you take a bounty contract and Swear an Iron Vow to see it done, add +1. On a strong hit, you’ve got a solid lead and may immediately mark progress. When you Fulfill Your Vow, make the legacy reward one rank higher (1 extra box if already epic).
⬜When you Gather Information related to a bounty, add +2. On a strong hit with a match, you reveal a surprising aspect of the contract; envision what you discover, and choose one.
✴ Forge ahead: Mark progress twice.
✴ Change loyalties: Forsake Your Vow and mark 2 ticks on your bonds legacy track.
⬜When you Take Decisive Action in a fight against a bounty target or their agents, you may reroll one challenge die.
Gunner
If you wield a heavy ranged personal weapon…
⬛When you Strike, choose one (before rolling).
✴ Pin them down: Add +1 and take +1
momentum on a hit.
✴ Make them hurt: Mark progress on a hit
⬜When you Take Decisive Action by emptying your gun (decide before rolling), you may Sacrifice Resources (-1) and reroll one challenge die. If the fight continues or you are caught up another fight, Check Your Gear to see if you have more ammo on-hand.
⬜Give your favorite gun a name. When you Clash with it, add +1. When you Enter the Fray or Endure Stress while wielding it, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit
The Answer
Mina Wolfe aka Phoenix
Another aspect of the universe that we created that I wanted to explore was a sort of tech-savvy, healing type who defies corporate order to help others out. I envisioned them as having a big robot that they service and that keeps them safe. Spunky, short, and quick-tempered, someone who cares a lot and isn’t afraid to show it. And of course’s she’s got to wear mechanics overalls.
Looking over the default Assets, I wasn’t satisfied with the options of Healer for the purposes of creating a Rigger-type person who installs prosthetics and takes care of people with not just medicine but also technology. I wanted to hack another custom Asset together from various healing, technology, and mechanical-focused Assets, with the end goal of creating someone that can fix a person, a robot, or an android all at the same time.
Her starting Connection is with an aged engineer that taught her everything she knows, and her starting Vow is to find a way to provide care to massive amounts of people without corporate interference.
ASSETS
Rigger
⬛When you Heal someone, Repair something, or otherwise Secure an Advantage by using your med-tech knowledge, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit.
⬜When you Make a Connection by providing help to someone with your tech-med expertise, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit. On a strong hit with a match, this aid won’t be forgotten; mark 2 ticks on your bonds legacy track.
⬜Once every day or so, when you are in a safe place with plenty of time on your hands, you may Sacrifice Resources (-1) and perform maintenance on yourself, allies, and equipment. If you do, automatically give +1 health or +1 repair points (if health or repair is greater than 0).
Scavenger
⬛When you Gather Information or Resupply by scavenging a wreck, ruin, or abandoned site, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit. On a strong hit with a match, you also find something of unique value, significance, or function; envision the nature of this discovery, take +2 momentum, and mark 2 ticks on your discoveries legacy track.
⬜When you Face Danger to cobble together an ad hoc tool, device, or weapon, envision what you intend to create. On a hit, you may add +1 when making a move aided by the item. If you roll a 1 on your action die while using the item, it is permanently broken, lost, or depleted.
⬜When you Check Your Gear, roll +wits or +supply (whichever is highest) and take +1 momentum on a hit.
Combat Bot
Name: Bear
⬛Your combat bot companion fights at your side. When you Strike aided by the bot, add +1; if you Clash, take +1 momentum on a hit.
⬜When you use the threat of violence to Compel or Gain Ground while the bot brings its weapons to bear, you may roll +its health. If you do, take +1 momentum on a hit. On a strong hit with a match, the bot’s display is especially persuasive; take another +1 momentum.
⬜Once per fight, when you React Under Fire by using the bot to draw fire or create a diversion, roll +its health. On a strong hit, mark progress. On a weak hit, face the cost as normal, but then you are in control.
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