Ironsworn
Core RulebookBest For
Groups who want dark fantasy questing for one to four players, with fiction-first moves, oracle tables, and little or no GM preparation.
Core Mechanic
Roll an action die (d6) plus a stat and any adds, then compare the total to two d10 challenge dice. Beat both for a strong hit, beat one for a weak hit, and beat neither for a miss; ties go to the challenge dice. Positive momentum can be burned to cancel challenge dice below its value. Long-term challenges use a progress roll, which compares filled progress boxes to the challenge dice without an action die.
The first session is quick to start: one action die, two challenge dice, and a stat cover most situations. The depth sits in the resource economy, where momentum shifts its maximum and reset value as debilities accumulate. Oracles then carry solo and co-op play, so the learning load is mostly procedure and interpretation.
- Free to tryFull core rulesLegally free as an SRD, PDF, or official web rules
- Get it nowAvailable nowFree to download or read online
- ✓IndexFind any rule by page number
- ✓GM guidanceA chapter on how to run the game
- ✓Examples of playRules shown in action at the table
- ✓Quick referenceCheat sheet or summary tables
- ✓Cross-referencesRules point to each other by page
5 of 5 book tools found in the core book
Highlights
Vows tie advancement to the story: fulfilling a sworn quest earns the experience that buys new assets. Momentum gives every action roll a second layer: a strong position can cancel an unlucky challenge die, while a negative track can remove the action die entirely. The oracle tables turn open questions into prompts, giving solo and co-op groups enough procedural input to play without a GM.
Considerations
Progress tracks convert ticks and boxes at five ranks into a progress score, which takes a few rolls to internalize. Oracle results are prompts rather than answers, so a solo player must interpret them and can stall when a result seems contradictory. Combat and movement use no grid or positioning rules, so groups that want tactical placement must supply it themselves.
Third-Party Publishing
Rules license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Commercial use is limited to the text of the Ironsworn SRD, the asset cards, and the oracle tables under CC BY 4.0. The complete rulebook text is CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 and noncommercial only. Images, icons, trade dress, and other design elements are excluded. No work may claim to be an official Tomkin Press or Ironsworn product. Commercial works must carry the credited attribution the licensing page specifies.
Similar systems
- Ironsworn: Starforged — Sworn quests among the stars: solo, co-op, or guided sci-fi adventureCompare Ironsworn vs Ironsworn: Starforged
- Low Fantasy Gaming — Gritty low-magic fantasy where bold adventurers seek fortune and glory through lethal combat and dangerous sorceryCompare Ironsworn vs Low Fantasy Gaming
- Scarlet Heroes — Sword and sorcery adventures for a lone hero: solo, duet, or classic playCompare Ironsworn vs Scarlet Heroes
- Tiny Cyberpunk — Street rebels hack, fight, and evade megacorps in a dystopian near futureCompare Ironsworn vs Tiny Cyberpunk
- Land of Eem — A whimsical fantasy RPG of colorful adventurers exploring a world of wonder and weirdnessCompare Ironsworn vs Land of Eem
- The One Ring — Roleplaying in the world of The Lord of the RingsCompare Ironsworn vs The One Ring