Iron Kingdoms UNLEASHED Revealed

• Experience the primal nature of the more uncivilized parts of the Iron Kingdoms through a robust, visceral rules system that is also fully compatible with the award-winning Iron Kingdoms Full Metal Fantasy rules.
• Become a savage hero and evolve into a legend with iconic careers including bone grinders, bloodweavers, monster hunters, warlocks, and more.
• Tap into your inner beast as one of eight playable races, each with their own strengths and attributes: bog trog, farrow, gatorman, human, Nyss, pyg, Tharn, and trollkin.
• Control powerful warbeasts, craft magical talismans from the bodies of your fallen foes, and fight to survive in unforgiving environments.
• Immerse yourself in life in the wilderness and the savage history of western Immoren.

We’ve extensively explored the components in the Iron Kingdoms Unleashed Adventure Kit, so now we turn our attention to some of what’s between the pages—the heart of the Iron Kingdoms Unleashed Roleplaying Game.

The pregenerated player characters in the Iron Kingdoms Unleashed Adventure Kit are members of the Unlikely Heroes Adventuring Company. Adventuring companies are a way to build cohesive groups of characters with a common goal or purpose. Unlikely Heroes is a sort of catchall adventuring company that any character can be a part of, united by the need to overcome a threat to themselves, their tribes, or even a whole region. Every adventuring company provides certain benefits to characters who make up its members. Typically the leader of the company gains an extra benefit for assuming the mantle of leadership.

The Unlikely Heroes Company gives characters an additional point in an occupational skill that will be useful in overcoming the dangers they have to face. Skills like Tracking, Sneak, or Survival can give a group a leg-up on the challenges they will encounter during the course of an adventure. Rather than receiving a list of handpicked skills, the Unlikely Heroes get to choose the extra rank from among the options within their own careers. This is done to ensure the Unlikely Heroes felt distinct, like a ragtag group of heroes, and to help reinforce the desired role of the characters’ careers.

Many adventuring companies also provide the Game Master with opportunities to jumpstart stories. The Unlikely Heroes Company needs a threat that requires all of the characters’ skills, talents, and resources to overcome, while other adventuring companies also include numerous NPCs who look to the player characters for leadership, protection, and aid.

In the Iron Kingdoms Unleashed Core Rules, there are twelve adventuring companies to choose from. Some focus on the tribes and cultures of the wilds, like the Circle Conclave or Trollkin Kriel companies, while others are career-oriented, such as the Bone Grinder Hunting Party adventuring company or the Soldiers of Fortune adventuring company. Game Masters interested in bringing a bit of extra storytelling potential to their games can always use an adventuring company as a powerful tool.

For groups interested in bringing their Full Metal Fantasy characters out into the untamed lands of Iron Kingdoms Unleashed, we offer the following all-new adventuring company to provide you with a great starting point.

Wilderness Expedition
The characters are members of an expedition sent into the wilderness of western Immoren. The characters might be in the employ of a university or organization sent out to map routes through dangerous territory, collect live specimens of wild creatures, or blaze the trail for new developments of railways, roads, and settlement. As they successfully complete these tasks, they will draw more dangerous—and lucrative—contracts from their employers.

Requirements: Each member of the company must have at least one of the following careers: Aristocrat, Explorer, Highwayman, Horseman, Man-at-Arms, Pistoleer, Ranger, or Rifleman. Any non-Cunning Iron Kingdoms Unleashed characters can be members of the adventuring company. Unleashed characters are assumed to be local guides, hirelings, and contacts of the company, while Full Metal Fantasy characters are full members.

The players in the group should designate one member to be the leader of the company, typically drawn from among the Explorers. The leader then designates a second-in-command.

Benefits: The characters in the company should be regularly presented with opportunities to strike out into the wilderness to pursue their employer’s agendas. They are regarded as professionals in the eyes of the respective governmental and private agencies of the Iron Kingdoms. While pursuing a contract, the characters can receive a stipend from their employers, plus any specialized equipment and supplies needed to pursue the task.

Additionally, each member of the company begins with one additional occupational skill level in one of the following skills: Climbing, Driving, Medicine, Riding, Navigation, Tracking, or Survival.

If you’ve already got Iron Kingdoms characters you love to play, the above adventuring company will help them survive the transition into the harsh wilds.

The Iron Kingdoms Unleashed: Core Rules has 12 of its own adventuring companies suited for a wide variety of parties. That massive 480 page tome releases this April. Until then, stay tuned for more Fridays Unleashed!

 Who’s in for some Iron Kingdoms Role-playing?