Stuff from Entitas

Power-ups

This started as a casual conversation in the Ironsworn Discord about if Super Mario Bros. is high fantasy or not. I ended up following the train of thought and it lead me here.

I’m so sorry.

These are written to try and work with both systems without the need to reword anything. While somewhat written loosely and lightheartedly, there’s perhaps enough meat here that I thought it’d be worth sharing. Please, enjoy. Or don’t.

Please don’t sue me, Shawn:

This work is based on Ironsworn (found at www.ironswornrpg.com), created by Shawn Tomkin, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).

This work is based on Ironsworn: Starforged (found at www.ironswornrpg.com), created by Shawn Tomkin, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).

Table of Contents

• Power-ups
• Moves
  • Acquire a Power-up
  • Lose a Power-up
• Power-up Cards
  • Animal Tail
  • Kinetic Shot
  • Amphibious Attire
  • Clodhopper

Power-ups

A power-up card, mechanically, is a set of two abilities you acquire by using Acquire a Power-up. here are things to keep in mind about power-ups:

• Power-ups are temporary. If at any point you must Endure Harm for any reason, discard your power-up. Further, you may lose your power-up as an outcome of Pay the Price, should you find it an appropriate complication.
• Power-up cards are not assets. You cannot spend experience to buy them permanently and they have nothing to upgrade via Advance. Power-ups are cards, but they are not asset cards, and are outside the mechanics of standard assets.
• Power-up cards have two abilities. You do not have to Advance to learn the second one: both abilities are included and ready for immediate use.

Moves

Acquire a Power-up

Acquire a Power-Up:

When you do not have a power-up, or wish to change your current power-up, envision the opportunity and your approach. If you…

• Barter or make an appeal: Roll +heart
• Threaten or seize: Roll +iron
• Steal or swindle: Roll +shadow
• Scavenge or craft: Roll +wits
• Search your existing equipment: Roll +supply

On a strong hit, you found one: add a power-up card to your character.

On a weak hit, as above, but you must first deal with a cost, complication, or demand. Envision the nature of this obstacle.

On a miss, you encounter an unexpected peril. Pay the Price.

Use this move when you don’t have a power-up, but would like one. It is almost identical to Starforge’s Resupply move, with the addition of +supply as a nod to Check Your Gear and simply saying you had one with you all along.

On a hit, you get your power-up. Choose a power-up card and add it to your character. You can only have one power-up at a time. If you already have a power-up and want to change it, make this move again.

Lose a Power-up

When you have a power-up and Endure Harm, also discard the power-up card. When you Pay the Price, you may lose the power-up as a consequence or complication.

Power-ups are not forever. Getting hit will cost you your power-up. You may also find it narratively appropriate to lose your power-up as a way to raise the stakes or add danger when you Pay the Price.

Power-ups are best treated easy-come, easy-go. While you rarely are forced to Endure Harm, keeping your power-up forever can be “free” flexibility. Once you have your power-up, free free to use it as much as you like, but don’t be afraid to take it away from yourself as a source of tension. You can always Acquire a Power-up to get another one.

Power-up Cards

Here are some cards that are based on no franchise whatsoever.

Animal Tail

• Your large, fluffy animal tail allows you to hover for some reason. When you make a move by temporarily suspending yourself in midair, add +1.
• You may Strike +edge in close range by performing a dextrous tail-whack. If you do, reroll the lowest challenge die unless your result is a miss with a match. On a hit, take +1 momentum.

Kinetic Shot

• You can fire bouncing projectiles of kinetic energy from your hands. When you make a move +edge by firing a projectile, add +1. On a miss with a match, envision how your missed shot and its ricochets cause unwanted havoc.
• Once per fight, you may Strike or Clash by firing a bouncing projectile to catch a foe at a surprising angle. If you do, reroll any dice and treat a weak hit as a miss. On a hit, mark progress twice.

Amphibious Attire

• These clothes are properly sized and fitted for a slippery-skinned critter. They also fit you suspiciously perfectly. When you Face Danger or Secure an Advantage +edge by using your swimming prowess, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit.
• When you make a move +edge by using your jumping prowess and score a hit, take +1 momentum. On a strong hit with a match, your acrobatics seamlessly flow into your next action: make another move and add +edge.

Clodhopper

• This oversized shoe can fit an entire person and provides awkward, yet protective, transit. It is especially protective against spikes and thorns. When you Face Danger relying on the clodhopper’s protection, reroll any dice. On a miss, its protection fails you: discard this power-up.
• When you Strike by attempting to stomp your foe with the clodhopper, add +1. On weak hit or miss, your impact is disorienting: suffer -2 momentum.