Every listener is given the option to play along with the podcast by taking his or her own character through The Endless Maze known as The Iron Realm. Live or die by the sword in the Old School style. Your Maze Master offers you, in the article that follows, valuable advice on your first venture into the dark.
(If you would also like to download the eBook, Intro to The Iron Realm Campaign, follow me on Patreon and get the book for free):
Intro to The Iron Realm Campaign
Be forewarned, Traveller! The Iron Realm is intended for adult audiences. Listener discretion is advised.
The Basic Game,
The Iron Realm MegaDungeon RPG
Dramatic Audio
Many enjoy The Iron Realm as a continuing drama in its own right - pleased to listen to the harrowing tale as it unfolds and enjoy the game vicariously. Yet for those who wish to partake of the Solitaire RPG, there is more to experience and many ways to join the adventure.
Materials for Play
The most basic version of the game is called the Dice Free Campaign. I recommend downloading the first ten podcasts, to be experienced in order, for a proper introduction into the Infinite Maze. To play, you will need only the podcast itself and your own imagination.
For those who want more complexity than this, the Iron Realm has answered with a selection of advanced options to choose from. It is possible to draw up a full character sheet complete with stats and background. It is also possible to map the maze and acquire treasure and magic items. The rules of the game, basic and advanced, are referenced during the podcast - informing you explicitly, or else subtly, of your options and outcomes each step of the way.
Extras
Although you can play without these, the Extras Tab gives you everything you need to add further interest and complexity to your game. If you intend to fully immerse yourself in The Iron Realm RPG, I recommend that you obtain a folder for your materials, then print out the following for your use during the game: 3x Map Master's Graph Paper, 3x Map Master's Adventure Log, 1x Character Eight Character Record, 1x Character Eight Profile Writeup, 10x Character Eight Adventure Writeup, 1x Character Eight Transcendent Disciplines Record, 1x Maze Master's Challenge, 1x Writ of Deeds, 1x Heroic Death Writeup. You will also want a pencil and eraser plus one or more six sided dice.
Your Play Environment
The Iron Realm is best played in a dark, dark room, in the dead quiet of the night. Shut off all lights aside from the minimum you need to see your materials. If you are playing Dice Free, you may choose instead to play in utter blackness.
A desk is perfect, or the floor, or use another surface for your gaming aids and dice. Some players like to set a regular solitaire game night for themselves, with a dedicated game space, playing once a week, with each session delving ever deeper into the darkness of The Iron Realm. Players who do this will find enough material here for a full year-long campaign or longer. Of course, for those who cannot dedicate the time to regular gaming, the Iron Realm Solitaire RPG is perfect for you as well, since you can join the game as you will, always at a time and place of your choosing.
Be prepared to pause the podcast from time to time in order to roll dice or take notes or modify your map. The Iron Realm is presented at a brisk pace out of consideration for those who are not playing along - who are instead enjoying it as a pure audio drama in its own right.
Each game can usually be completed within 2 hours, allowing time for write-ups, mapping, dice, and more. The Dice Free version of the game can be completed instead in roughly half an hour.
For the full rules of the game, obtain your own copy of The Iron Realm: Solitaire Essentials & Gaming Guide - the invaluable companion to The Iron Realm Dark Fantasy Solitaire Game! Available on DriveThru RPG now.
The Iron Realm Core Books on DriveThru (you must log in and enable your adult settings)
Basic Strategy & Overview,
The First Ten Iron Realm Adventures
Weigh the Odds in Your Favor
Your character can be destroyed in an instant, for The Iron Realm is deadlier than any other realm. The wisest players plan ahead and read the clues of the game in advance, partaking of every strategy as well as all the expert advice that your Maze Master has to offer. To this end, I shall guide you on your first adventures with the following hints and clues below. But remember, too, that for deeper strategies and more in-depth advice, you are advised to seek out The Iron Realm: Adventure Log & Strategy Guide, found here:
The Iron Realm: Adventure Log & Strategy Guide
The Iron Realm: Adventure Log & Strategy Guide also provides you a convenient way to keep all your gaming notes, maps, character sheets, and write ups organized - a valuable reference as the adventure intensifies.
Chapter One
The game begins as a narrative, with new elements introduced over time. Use the early game as a way to size up the characters of the tribe whose stats are presented in detail. Choosing a more powerful counterpart may well provide you an advantage as the game progresses. If you feel ready, and if you have chosen to play the Roleplaying Campaign, note that you are allowed to complete one Adventure Writeup for Chapter One and also one for each future chapter since one is allowed for every episode of the podcast. If you are familiar with the rules for the Writ of Deeds, you may also record your progress starting with Chapter One since listening or playing provides you with Ranks of Renown.
Chapter Two
If you are interested in partaking of the Map Master's Campaign, you will begin your craft with Chapter Two. Use your Map Master's Graph Paper in order to detail the forms that come to you on this and future episodes. The Map Master's Adventure Log will give you a way to record even more detail on every area within the maze, so use these two Gaming Aids together.
Chapter Three
If you are playing the Dice Free version of the game, it is probably time for you to finalize your Character Type. Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Cleric, Halfling, Dwarf, or Elf. It is also acceptable to hold off on this decision until Chapter Four, but no later.
Chapter Four
If you are playing the Dice Rolling version of the game, it is time to roll up your character and complete your Character Eight Character Record. Be sure to have this done before you progress to Chapter Five.
Chapter Five
For those playing the Roleplayer's Campaign, the Character Eight Profile Writeup can be completed at this time in order to really flesh out the backstory, personality, and the physical description of your character.
Chapter Six
For those playing the Roleplayer's Campaign, Adventure Writeups are discussed. If you have not been playing with Adventure Writeups from the very start, it is permissible to complete a Writeup retroactively for each podcast you have so far listened to (up to six total).
Chapter Seven
By this point, you'll be paying close attention to what happens each chapter to your Shared Fate Counterpart. Details matter, and can make the difference between Life and Death. Finding ways to add Ranks of Renown to your Writ of Deeds can add up and ultimately give you invulnerability to some of the most dangerous creatures in the maze.
Chapter Eight
New characters are introduced. Three especially have stats that are out of this world. You cannot switch your Shared Fate Counterpart in mid-game, but keep in mind that if your own Shared Fate Counterpart should perish, you may (in the Dice Rolling version of the game) have the opportunity to take one of these as your next Shared Fate Counterpart.
Chapter Nine
The Other World is introduced in this chapter, which opens up all new possibilities for the Roleplayer who can now explore spaces beyond the dark during Writeups. Remember that each Writeup completed will give you a bonus to Luck Points in the Dice Rolling version of the game.
Chapter Ten
This chapter marks the end of the beginning as the Tribe meets its most dangerous challenge yet. Are YOU ready?
Secrets and Player Advice for future chapters of the game can be acquired by collecting each of The Iron Realm: Adventure Logs & Strategy Guides.
The Iron Realm: Adventure Log & Strategy Guide Collection (you must log in and enable your adult settings)
Character Eight Player's Campaign,
The Full Rules
Remember, for the FULL rules of the game, visit DriveThruRPG.com and search for The Iron Realm (with your Adult Settings enabled!) Get the core books as eBooks or as premium softcovers in order to complete your gaming collection. Iron Realm!
The Iron Realm Core Books on DriveThru (you must log in and enable your adult settings)
The Iron Realm is a fully supported RPG System. Use the books to play through the podcasts, one by one, as Character Eight - an enigmatic persona of your own design, destined to achieve the legendary Transcendent Disciplines. The Core Books give you everything you need to play through the podcast with dice, by mapping, and by roleplaying your many adventures within the endless maze.
Although designed for Solitaire Play, The Iron Realm can also be played at the gaming table with friends, listening together to the podcast, sharing in the roleplay, and battling the many denizens of the maze together - in victory or defeat!
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Essentials & Gaming Guide
The book is arranged to highlight each of the solitaire methods available, beginning with the simplest Character Eight Dice Free Campaign. Next described is the Map Master’s Campaign for the explorer and then the Roleplayer’s Campaign for those that wish to breathe life into their characters. For more advanced gamers, the Character Eight Dice Rolling Campaign is detailed, complete with a ready-to-use character record as well as the optional Transcendent Disciplines system. Finally, for those who want even more, explore Legendary Powers - rules and guidelines for becoming involved with the Iron Realm global fandom. For all my loyal listeners, may this Gaming Guide serve you well in dark places.
The Iron Realm: Campaign Essentials & Character Guide
The definitive Campaign Sourcebook for The Iron Realm Setting. The dungeon maze has long been essential to classic roleplaying, hailing back to the art form’s infancy. The Iron Realm takes this a step further. The Maze is infinite and there is no escape. Hints of such a game were only whispered in earlier works, suggesting a world so dark that most players and game masters dreaded to even imagine it. Players became used to worlds where opportunities for frequent rest, safety, and guaranteed treasure by level became an assumed part of the game. Indeed, the ending for many a campaign was a restful and comfortable retirement. Players and game masters alike wondered how and why it had all gone so wrong. The Iron Realm Dark Fantasy RPG Setting brings the focus back to where it belongs. Deadly danger. Traps. The unknown. Dark corridors. Creatures. A desperate fight to survive in a world of utter darkness. The Iron Realm Campaign Essentials & Character Guide gives you what you need to invoke such a world for your own roleplaying games. No safe havens. Never ending danger. Death at every turn. And with it – and only if it is earned – the only victory that has any meaning – survival.
The Iron Realm: Adventure Log & Strategy Guide
Within these pages you are given the action - chapter by chapter. The clues. The expert advice. And the strategies you need - straight from the game's creator and into your hands. This is the Maze Master's deepest wisdom for securing the greatest treasures, taking advantage of the best tactics, and enjoying the richest roleplaying that a fully loaded Iron Realm Campaign has to offer. Yet this volume also serves as a comprehensive Adventure Log - for the character that YOU create - including space for gaming stats, maps, logs, notes, challenges, profiles, histories, transcendent disciplines, powers, treasures, and much, much more. No longer will you have to fumble through a mess of pages at a critical life or death moment. All you need is here in a handsomely compiled portfolio for your ease of use and enjoyment. This book also gives you the advice you need to expand the game for group play - partaking of the podcast adventures with friends - as the legend unfolds.
The Maze Master's Campaign,
Create & Explore Realtime Dungeon Mazes
Where the podcast leaves off, the new Maze Master's Series begins. Take your game to the next level and design your own realtime dungeon mazes and campaigns! Now with all the deepest rules and secrets of the game available to you for the first time, YOU can run your own Adventuring Tribe through the gauntlet - facing monsters, securing treasures, and challenging your way through the endless corridors and traps that YOU design. The Maze Masters series of books will detail every subject you need for Solitaire Mastery of the game - Dungeon Design, Solo Roleplaying, creation of your own Character Tribe, and much, much more.
The Iron Realm Maze Masters Series on DriveThru (you must log in and enable your adult settings)
The Iron Realm is a fully supported RPG System, and although the books of the Maze Masters series were designed with The Iron Realm Campaign Setting in mind, the first three volumes contain system-neutral material that will allow you to convert ANY RPG system into a Solo Campaign of your own devising.
Although designed for Solitaire Play, The Iron Realm can also be adapted for group play, sharing the experience of maze design, character creation, and strategy in the Dungeon Maze.
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Dungeon Design & Maze Master's Guide
The Solitaire Dungeon Design and Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need to design your own random Solitaire Dungeons & Mazes. The book is System Neutral, and so is easy to use with any game system for which you want to design your own solitaire mazes for solo play. The book is arranged to highlight every consideration of Maze Design, including the dungeon theme, key locales, the villain and his lair, creatures, traps, tricks, treasures, the method for random mapping, miniatures, and much, much more. Fully supported with a complete set of 20 gaming aids and templates, I will walk you through every feature available for designing the ultimate dungeon (or megadungeon!) to challenge even the most die-hard adventuring party. Designed for the game master who wants to play solo, but also perfect for creating an immersive world for a gaming group, the Dungeon Design & Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need for designing a world on the fly, providing surprises at every turn so that even the Maze Master never knows what dangers are coming next.
The Iron Realm: Campaign Essentials & Character Guide
The definitive Campaign Sourcebook for The Iron Realm Setting. The dungeon maze has long been essential to classic roleplaying, hailing back to the art form’s infancy. The Iron Realm takes this a step further. The Maze is infinite and there is no escape. Hints of such a game were only whispered in earlier works, suggesting a world so dark that most players and game masters dreaded to even imagine it. Players became used to worlds where opportunities for frequent rest, safety, and guaranteed treasure by level became an assumed part of the game. Indeed, the ending for many a campaign was a restful and comfortable retirement. Players and game masters alike wondered how and why it had all gone so wrong. The Iron Realm Dark Fantasy RPG Setting brings the focus back to where it belongs. Deadly danger. Traps. The unknown. Dark corridors. Creatures. A desperate fight to survive in a world of utter darkness. The Iron Realm Campaign Essentials & Character Guide gives you what you need to invoke such a world for your own roleplaying games. No safe havens. Never ending danger. Death at every turn. And with it – and only if it is earned – the only victory that has any meaning – survival.
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Roleplaying & Maze Master's Guide
The Solitaire Roleplaying and Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need to design your own expansive Campaign World, Characters, Legends, and History. The book is System Neutral, and so is easy to use with any game system for which you want to design your own RPG world. The book is arranged to highlight every consideration of the Solitaire Campaign, including the method for Solo Roleplaying, key locales, world building, history, legends, character backstories, relics, nation building, cities, character descriptions, and much, much more. Fully supported with a complete set of 20 gaming aids and templates, I will walk you through every feature available for designing a rich and immersive campaign world (or megadungeon!) to tantalize and intrigue even the most die-hard masters of the game. Designed for the game master who wants to play solo, but also perfect for creating a compelling world for a gaming group, the Solitaire Roleplay & Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need for creating characters, legends, history, key locations, unique magic items, and more!
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Character Creation & Maze Master's Guide
The Solitaire Tribe Creation and Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need to create your starting Character Tribe for The Iron Realm Campaign Setting, Characters, Powers, Backstories, and More. The book is the third book in The Maze Master's Series of Books from The Iron Realm - and is designed to be used with the other books in that series. The book is arranged to highlight the Seven Major Character Types - while also detailing all four of the Unimai (Unicorn Maidens) Character Types. Each of the eleven Types given in this book come with a custom character record. Designed for the game master who wants to get everything possible out of The Iron Realm Dark Fantasy Setting, the Solitaire Tribe Creation & Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need for fully detailing your tribe - making them battle ready for their first foray into the Eternal Maze.
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Creature Creation & Maze Master's Guide
The Solitaire Creature Creation and Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need to detail your Iron Realm Campaign Setting with Creatures, Villains, and Adversaries that are true to the dread of a deadly MegaDungeon of Horrors. Creature Tribes, Stats, Encounters, Negotiatons, Combat Rules, and More. The book is the fourth book in The Maze Master's Series of Books from The Iron Realm - and is designed to be used with the other books in that series, such as Solitaire Dungeon Design. The book is arranged to highlight all the required methods for showcasing creatures in your own game - while also offering a full selection of ready-made creatures and associated spells for use in your own Iron Realm Dark Fantasy World.
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Treasure Trove & Maze Master's Guide
TWICE as BIG - The BIGGEST resource guide for The Iron Realm yet - a mind-blowing 200 pages! The Solitaire Treasure Trove and Maze Master's Guide gives you everything you need to detail your Iron Realm Campaign Setting with Greater Gems, Relics, magic items, Unique Awards, Legendary Jewelry, Curses, and Currencies that are true to the greatest dreams of avarice and living nightmares of power. The Level Point Pool, the Treasure Gallery, Treasure Profiles, the Basic Treasure System, the Advanced Treasure System, and More. The book is arranged to highlight many possibilities for the inclusion of fantastic treasures in your own game - while also offering a treasure gallery of ready-made Relics and legendary valuables for use in your own Iron Realm Dark Fantasy World - ready to entice your characters in the most compelling and immersive experience yet.
The Iron Realm: Solitaire Dungeon Arena & Maze Master's Guide
This is the Advanced version of The Iron Realm. An exquisite audio skirmish to be played with your own RPG Miniatures collection. Included: the Battle Map, the Gladiator's Guide, and of course, The Iron Realm Solitaire Dungeon Arena & Maze Master's Guide. Plus the long-playing 50-minute version of Episode 1 for The Iron Realm: Arena podcast. Play through the skirmish and thereby join in the trials of Quaylen, Anselm, Lucien, and Grace. The rules give you hints on designing your own Contests as well, for nearly limitless play in the obscure Kingdom of Occulara under the dominion of the Lord of Eyes.
I'll see YOU in the maze!
