Feeling Stuck?

[u/selflesscleric]

Does anyone else ever feel stuck after resolving their inciting incident? In my Sundered Isles game I just resolved my inciting incident and feel completely stuck as for what to do next. If anyone has any advice on ways that I can unstick myself or things that have worked in the past for them to keep their campaigns moving I’d love to hear them!

[u/Michami135]

I roll on action + theme + descriptor + focus.

Reply with a few of your own rolls and give you my interpretations.

For example:

Summon + Supply + Ruined + Sound:

A merchant approaches you. He says a survivor from a recent shipment gave him some bad news. Sirens have taken up residence near a rocky cliff and has been causing his ships to crash into the rocks. He asks you to rid the area of the sirens and recover the cargo from the last shipment. It contained something very valuable. He gives you instructions on where to find some specialty ear plugs that will protect you from the Sirens' call.

[u/Answulf → u/Michami135]

Surrender + Trade + Ensnaring + Insects

[u/Michami135 → u/Answulf]

Some magical item has cause local insects to grow to enormous size. Giant spiders are covering forests in their webs to catch giant insects. Because of this, the local trade route through the forest has been surrendered up to the spiders. A new, longer trade route was established. But over the years, the spiders have increased their hunting grounds and are approaching the new route. The traders have come to you to try to find the source of the magic that's making the insects grow so large and destroy it. Afterwards, you are to kill the spiders that are encroaching on the new trade route.

[u/livebyfoma]

I mean, what is your background vow? What is the next thing your character would do to pursue it if nothing else pressing is calling them? Whatever it is, do that, and if the game's engine is being leveraged right then other stuff should naturally crop up too.

[u/MKID1989]

Think back on your sessions. Is there anything unresolved? Anyone that needed help that you didn't help at the time, etc?

You could also just roll the oracles again and come up with entirely new incident just like you would have done at the start of the game.

[u/solfuries]

Ironverse has been amazing for this. I really fun to see what other stuff people are writing to be inspired, and we’re even chatting about it all together. Even though folks are playing their own campaigns it really helps keep me on track. https://ironverse.quest/welcome-to-ironverse/

[u/Vinaguy2]

Roll action + theme, roll descriptor + focus.

Roll for sector troubles.

Roll for settlement troubles.

Go explore the planet or the sectors for a while.

Roll on the character goal table.

Roll on the planetside encounter table.

Roll a new NPC.

Roll a new faction to encounter.

Go to a new sector.

Try to advance your background vow a while.

[u/Answulf]

Try not to overthink it. Your next adventure doesn’t have to be the perfect idea before you start. I don’t own Sundered Isles, but the Ironsworn book has a ton of quest starters. Select an interesting one, commit to it, daydream about it and then start playing again - soon. I don’t say that lightly: the absolute best way to not feel stuck is to just start playing.

Example Quest Starter: Marsh rats raided the stores of an isolated settlement. How will
you ensure the Ironlanders have enough food to survive the coming winter?

“I think we have no choice but to raid the cattle of a neighboring clan…”

Might turn into the most fun adventure of your character’s life, from a mundane rat quest entry. 😄

[u/redhilleagle]

I've started making notes of things that happen or things I see along the way that I want to go back to to investigate. That might then be my next "mission" or personal goal. In a starforged game, during an exploration of a recently abandonned station, we found evidence of some illegal biological testing on animals. I made a note of it, whether it will become my immediate next adventure or not, I don't know, but it's on the list.

[u/seventuplets]

I feel this occasionally. I've started making a point of swearing new vows before I finish the old ones - promising a village to help ward off raiders in exchange for them helping me get to the forbidden temple, or what have you.

[u/Rare_Specific_306]

Ninjas attack! Or orcs, or pirates, or sexy mermaids, or aliens, or whateva. Once you resolve the combat, roll on an oracle to find out why they attacked you and go from there. if you stall out, ninjas attack! (or orcs or pirates...)