Interview with Shawn Tomkin
The Creator of Ironsworn, Starforged, Strider Mode, and many others!| The Lone Toad March 2025 Edition
Welcome Toad Warriors to the March Edition of The Lone Toad. Have I ever told you that writing this newsletter is one of the best things I do? Not just because it inflates my ego (it does, don’t worry) but because I get to talk to some of the best solo RPG creators out there.
I’ve had the chance to speak to several Solo RPG creators, from designers to actual playmakers, but today’s guest really stands out because Shawn designed the first Solo RPG I ever played.
Yes, without me being bored one Saturday afternoon and looking into what this whole Ironsworn thing was, I’d never be where I am today. You’ve probably seen me gush about how I love the Ironsworn games, their tight gameplay loop, excellent oracles and the perfect blend of structure and freeform.
As I was planning my Sundered Isles review, I thought to reach out to Shawn Tomkin, designer of the Ironsworn games and founder of Tomkin Press. And to my great appreciation, he said yes!
So sit back, pour yourself another Kaf, coffee, joe or whatever you call it and read about:
Shawn’s early experiences with TTRPGs and how he discovered Solo RPGs
Why he thought Ironsworn resonated with so many people
His thoughts on why Starforged became a huge hit
Why he picked the Age of Sails for Sundered Isles
and, most exciting, future plans for Tomkin Press!
So I’m actually a wizard, brought to your world to protect you against a great evil. To cast my spell of protection, I need more likes, comments and recommendations. Help me save your world!
Interview with Shawn Tomkin of Tomkin Press
Welcome to the Lone Toad, Shawn. I can’t express how happy I am that you’ve agreed to do an interview with us, and I’m sure all the Toad Warriors will be super interested! Now, for the first obligatory question that everyone has to ask: What was your first experience with RPGs?
I am a child of the 70’s, so I certainly had my run-ins with Dungeons & Dragons over the years. From there, I explored a ton of games, but I was often doing much more reading and imagining than actual playing. I liked to make my own hacks, taking RPG systems apart to see what made them click — even if my clumsy efforts never made it to the table.
I’ve been in and out of a few gaming groups over the year, transitioning from traditional and crunchy games to ones with more of a narrative focus. But the demands of life and the difficulty of aligning the schedules of a bunch of adults meant that I was always more interested in solo or small group play.
Wow, it's so interesting that you were creating hacks way back when you started so many years ago. How did you discover solo RPGs?
My earliest experiences with solo roleplaying were choose-your-own-adventure gamebooks and solo modules for systems such as Tunnels & Trolls. Those were fun, if somewhat limiting. But because I was a solitary kid (and adult!) I’ve always asked the question of any game, “how do I play this thing by myself?”
Then, the Mythic Game Emulator by Tana Pigeon opened my eyes to the possibilities of solo roleplaying. It’s a masterwork.
Mythic Game Emulator by Tana Pigeon is a lot of people’s first introduction to Solo play, but now Ironsworn brings a ton of people into solo. Ironsworn burst onto the scene in 2018. What about the game resonated with so many people?
I think it’s a combination of things. It’s an all-in-one solution for solo roleplaying, while remaining flexible for co-operative and traditional play. It hits the sweet spot, at least for me, of game and story; so, not as crunchy or complex as many traditional games, but not as light as something like a journaling-focused solo game. It’s adaptable and hackable for all sorts of fantasy adventures. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s free in PDF, which means it is highly accessible.
In my opinion, the Gameplay loop is the core of Ironsworn, even more than the Action/Challenge dice. What was your inspiration for creating the loop?
Procedural play is the secret sauce of solo RPGs, I think! A game needs its own inertia, driving the story and introducing new challenges and opportunities for your character. Otherwise, without a GM taking the reigns, things can feel a bit aimless. That’s been my challenge with solo roleplaying in the past. What am I doing? What happens next?
Ironsworn is designed so that, once you start interacting with the system and rolling dice, the game engine and your own creativity carry you forward.
Starforged was a huge leap forward in every way, from the art design to a printed Book Kickstarter. Why did you 'Level up' the game so much?
The original Ironsworn was just me. For Starforged, I was happy to lean on other folks for the aspects that aren’t totally in my wheelhouse. So, the majority of the art is from lead artist Joshua Meehan, and there are a few pieces from other artists — all of which captured the tone I was going for, but couldn’t quite achieve on my own. I also brought on consultants and editors to help polish the content.
My friends at Absolute Tabletop gave me a hand with managing the production and fulfilment of the Starforged Kickstarter, and I have since partnered up with Modiphius as the distributor.
Crowdfunding is an excellent opportunity to give a project more visibility, but it’s also a huge responsibility. I wanted Starforged to be a really high-quality production and to make sure that backers were duly rewarded for their support. I’m proud of how it turned out.
Starforged gained over 6,700 Backers on Kickstarter. Was its astronomical success a surprise to you?
Yes! It comes down to a generous and supportive community that helps spread the word.
Just last year, you decided to set sail yet again with Sundered Isles, a large expansion to Starforged. Why did you pick the fantastical age of sails for this expansion?
I have always been a fan of seafaring adventures. I grew up reading Treasure Island and Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin books. Master and Commander is one of my favorite movies. The first three Pirates of the Caribbean films are a lot of fun. Black Sails is one of my all-time favorite television shows. In spite of my tendency to get seasick in the mildest of swells, there’s something about those great wooden ships and the open horizon that calls to me.
Spacefaring and seafaring are closely aligned in themes, and Starforged seemed like it would serve as a solid platform for a world of fantasy seafaring adventure. Starforged already has rules and guidelines for ships, a focus on discoveries and exploration, and the assumed setting is fairly anachronistic and low-tech. So, Sundered Isles isn’t a massive departure from what already existed, and it was a fun opportunity for me to explore one of my favorite genres.
You also work on other studios' solo games for their projects. Examples are Dragonbane and The One Ring. Which one of those products was particularly memorable?
Every project I work on has its own opportunities and challenges. I really enjoy working out the procedures and gameplay modifications to help support solo play.
The most memorable is probably Strider Mode for The One Ring, simply because it’s a massive privilege to have even the most minor role in that world!
Obviously, RPGs are a big part of your life these days. How has the success of the Ironsworn games changed your everyday life?
It’s made it very busy! Juggling the day job and the Tomkin Press side-hustle is a big challenge, but I love working on games and interacting with the Ironsworn community. It’s amazing to find your passion — even if it took a few decades. I am enormously lucky and grateful.
I'm really excited about the future of Tomkin Press. Are there any Irons in the fire (see what I did there) you can tell the Toad Warriors about?
This year, I am planning on an update for the Ironsworn Lodestar Reference Guide, which is a pay-what-you-want product that consolidates the most commonly referenced materials. The update will incorporate stuff from Ironsworn’s expansion, Delve, which I’ve been meaning to do for a while. And it will probably include some new, bonus material.
Next year, I am hoping to release a new supplement for Starforged. It’s tentatively titled Crucible, and is focused on urban adventures in a sci-fi megacity.
Beyond that, some more Starforged resources, and eventually a new edition of Ironsworn.
I am also working on cool projects for other publishers, not all of which I can talk about (yet!).
That is super exciting, Shawn and I’m so looking forward to seeing those projects. You know I’ll be first in line to buy or back them!
Thank you for sharing your time with us, Shawn.
Thank you for providing such a great resource for sole roleplayers!
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You can find more about Ironsworn and the other games mentioned at:
Be sure to check out Load Toad’s review of Sundered Isles if you haven’t yet done so.
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Other RPG Stuff
I’ve been unwell (Yes, again. I’m considering pledging my soul to Pappa Nurgel) this last week and didn’t interact with RPG stuff too much besides playing Knights of the Old Republic on my tablet (So good, so many memories; I love that D&D 3.5 engine gameplay), and reading the odd thing here or there.
Check out YEARNING, a Solo Exploration TTRPG where you draw out the map of a cave system as you explore it. Made by Friend of the Toad and fellow Aussie creator Reyes Makes Games. I love the art style and writing, Yearning will be an excellent pallet cleanser from all the Ironsworn games I’ve been playing.
Love for Valencia bundle - Support a great cause by helping the people of Valencia, Spain, who were devastated last year. This 5 euro bundle has a whopping 770+ game things in it, including Cargoth: Ruinous Edition!
Before I got sick, I played a session of my custom Five Parsecs from Home campaign that centres around a combat engineer squad battling buggy aliens in a grinding war. I’m hoping to start working on the write-up soon, but here are some photos.
The Next Lone Toad!
The next Lone Toad, I’m attempting the impossible, the improbable, the ill-advised. Yes, a categorisation of solo RPGs. Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading Toad Warrior! Until next time.
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This was great. And I'm definitely checking out Yearning!
Good Stuff! Shawn always comes across as a real nice guy!