13th Age Icon Favors Economy

I have never been particularly comfortable with the existing Icon system in 13^th Age.  All too often I found it to be difficult to balance, capricious and unsatisfying.  At the same time, after playing a couple of sessions where NO icons were used, I didn’t like the feel of those sessions either.  I knew there was a solution somewhere, but I had to really think about what was bothering me and what I wanted out of the system. 

This system modifies the original Icon system by introducing a number of new concepts.  Admittedly, it’s not as simple as the original system, however I believe it will be easier to implement and manage with less variance, but with some of the features I’ve felt the system needed to really pull the flavor of the icons into each session.   Additionally, I wanted the system to have a sort of economy to it – something the players could get more involved with, while not turning the system entirely over to them.  The favors give the ability to increase mechanical and story elements, while the complications give a fair (and consistent) way of creating additional bumps in the road.  Finally, I wanted the system to give players clear guidance on what their icons help them accomplish both in the story and in the overarching plotlines, while not completely derailing my (typically somewhat less improve-style) sessions.  I think this does some of this, and it takes the approach in a slightly different way. 

The Icon Roll

At the beginning of a session players have no favors.  Any favors left over from previous sessions are discarded.  Roll your normal Icon rolls, but compare the results to the following table:

6 -  You get a Favor Award.  The GM gets no complication dice.   

5 -  You get a Favor Award AND the GM gets a complication.

4 -  You get a Favor Award AND the GM gets a complication.

3-   You can make a bargain:  You get the Favor Award and the GM gets two complication dice.

2-   You can make a bargain:  You get the Favor Award and the GM gets two complication dice.

1 -  The GM gets two complication dice.  Fate is fickle sometimes.

Favors with each Icon should be represented with some unique token.  While I’m anxiously awaiting Icon tokens from Campaign Coins, I’m using printed cards for each Icon which include their symbol and quote along with their Aligned and Opposed themes. This gives each player a tangible understanding of how much “cash” they have in the favor economy.

Themes

All Icons are based on themes.  Themes represent the areas of interest each Icon aligns to or opposes.  This theme list is specifically for the 13^th Age default icons.   An aligned theme represents the positive goals of the Icon, while an opposed theme represents what they struggle against.

Arcana:  Magic and Time.  Also: Ageless.

Knowledge:  Information and wisdom.  Also:  Secrets and the unknown.  

Trickery:  Deception and guile.  Also: illusion, uncertainty.

Tempest:  Wanton or indiscriminate destruction.  Also: Chaos, wild magic and unbridled fury.

Light: Life, goodness and protection.  Also:  Love, purity.

Strength:  Power and confidence. 

Nature:  Plants, animals and landscapes.  Also: Water.  

Luck:  Chance favoring the few.  Serendipity.  Also: Wealth and riches.

Deathkin:  Undead creatures and death.  Also: The afterlife.

Orkin:  Orcs, goblins and ogres.  Also: brutish, tribal, uncivilized, nomadic.

Dragonkin:  Dragons, kobolds and lizardmen.

Demonkin:  Demon and devil kind.  From the Abyss.  Also: Fire.

Feykin:  All fey, particularly elves themselves.  Also: beauty, serenity, air.   

Empire:  Humans and citizens of the Empire.  Also: Civilization, law and order, authority.

Dwarfkin:  Dwarves and gnomes.  Also:  Stone, underground, construction.

War: Conflict and warfare.  Also:  Strategy, tactics and preparation.

The Icons and Their Themes

Each icon is listed followed by their aligned and opposed themes. I’m using the SRD references to the icons, clearly. 

The Lord High Magus: Aligned: Arcana, Knowledge, Empire.  Opposed: Nature, War, Tempest.

The Blood Knight: Aligned: Empire, War, Demonkin. Opposed: Tempest, Light, Luck.

The Dark Mistress: Aligned: Arcana, Demonkin, Trickery.  Opposed: Knowledge, Empire.

The Longbeard Thane: Aligned: Strength, Dwarfkin, Luck.  Opposed: Trickery, Feykin.

The Triumvariate: Aligned: Feykin, Arcana, Nature, Trickery.  Opposed: Orkin, Dragonkin.

The High King: Aligned:  Empire, War, Knowledge.  Opposed: Deathkin, Orkin, Demonkin

The Platinum Dragon: Aligned: Dragonkin, Light, Empire, Strength.  Opposed: Trickery, Demonkin.

The Untamed: Aligned: Nature, Tempest, Light. Opposed: Empire, Arcana.

The Deathless One: Aligned:  Arcane, Deathkin, Madness.  Opposed: Light, Empire, Orkin.

The Savage Lord: Aligned: Orkin, Tempest, War.  Opposed: Feykin, Deathkin, Empire.

The Grand Oracle: Aligned: Light, Knowledge, Empire.  Opposed: Deathkin, Demonkin, Madness.

The Jack: Aligned: Trickery, Luck, Knowledge.  Opposed: Tempest, Dwarfkin.

The Council of Scales: Aligned: Dragonkin, Light, Empire, Strength.  Opposed: Trickery, Demonkin.

Themes and Your Relationship to the Icon

Your relationship to a particular icon is Positive, Negative or Conflicted.  Positive relationships allow you to call upon any of the themes the Icon is ALIGNED to.  Negative relationships allow you to call upon any of the themes the Icon is OPPOSED to.  Conflicted relationships give you access to either the aligned or opposed themes, however there’s a twist:  Roll a simple save.  If you succeed, there’s no further impact.  If you fail, the GM gets an additional complication die.

Complication Dice

A complication die can be used by the GM at any time to create some extra tension, create a bigger challenge or hit a little harder.  A complication die may be used any time there is a mechanical aspect in the game (e.g., when dice are used to resolve something).  Some examples of a complication die in use:

·      Increasing the DC of a test.

·      Momentarily increasing the defenses of a monster.

·      Increase or Decrease Damage dealt to a target.

·      Decrease the value of a skill-check.

·      Create a small situation, nuisance or difficulty (increasing based on dice spent).

The complication should be impactful but not overwhelming in most circumstances.  Wherever possible, the GM should narrate why the complication occurred, tying it back to the icons the characters align to and oppose.  At Adventurer tier, the complication die is a D6.  At Champion tier, the complication die is a D8.  At Epic Tier, the complication die is a D10.  GMs start each session with 0 complication dice.   The GM is free to use any number of complication dice at a time.

Gaining and Using Favors

Favors are the benefit of icon rolls.  At levels 1-5, you gain one favor for each Favor Award.  At levels 6-10, you gain two favors for each Favor Award.  All favors are based on THEMES, not just on the icons themselves. This means favors from identical themes (even when sourced from different Icons) can be combined, either by one or multiple players (though all participants must be a part of the current scene).  The effect, though, is only applied in a single instance or to a single character, unless otherwise stated.   Favors with mechanical effects increase in power with tiers, just like complication dice ( e.g.,+d6/+d8/+d10). Favors can be used at any time and are declared by the player or occasionally called on for use by the GM.

Mild Favor (Consumes One Favor)

·      Proxy thematic minor character in a non-combat scene.  

·      Gain a thematically appropriate insight to your current situation.

·      Redirect the attack of a minor opponent of the racial groups indicated (before they attack).

·      One-time use of a cantrip-like power of the appropriate theme

·      One-time mechanical advantage for common activity (bonus to hit, damage, skill roll)

·      Recover 1 Recovery Dice worth of HP.   

·      Describe how the theme allowed you to refresh yourself as though you had had a long rest.

Moderate Favor (Consumes Two Favors)

·      Proxy a thematic major character or a group of minor characters in non-combat scene.

·      Gain a thematically appropriate understanding of your current opposition.

·      Acquire a minor magical item for long term use.

·      One time use of a 1^st or 3^rd level spell of the appropriate theme.

·      Gain a theme appropriate +1 background for the entire session. 

·      One-time mechanical advantage for thematically appropriate ritual.

·      Recover 2 Recovery Dice worth of HP.

·      Describe how the theme allowed you to refresh your group as though you had a short rest.

Major Favor (Consumes Four Favors)

·      Change a decision of a major character in combat.  

·      Gain a thematically appropriate understanding of your overarching opposition.

·      Acquire a major magical item for long term use.

·      Acquire a relic for short term use.

·      One time use of a 5^th or 7^th level spell of the appropriate theme.

·      Gain a permanent theme appropriate +1 background.

·      Recover 5 Recovery Dice worth of HP for free.   

·      Resolve a significant (non-HP) injury.

Monumental Favor (Consumes Eight Favors)

·      This is a truly campaign shifting event.  In most cases, the GM and players will have to work together to determine what’s appropriate here.  Examples based on the Dragon Empire setting might include things like a one-time use of a 9^th level spell or flawless casting of a ritual, or even a resurrection.