13th Age kind of snuck up on me. I had pre-ordered it when it was announced because it was sold as a storytelling blend of 3e and 4e Dungeons and Dragons, both of which I enjoyed. Due to massive delays (hey, it happens) I was completely surprised when I found that book delivered to my door…at which time I completely ignored it due to being caught up in other games and systems. Months later, I finally cracked the book open and was really impressed. I’m not going to go into full review mode here, but 13th Age takes the best parts of several editions of D&D and meshes them together with come pretty cool story-game mechanics. I dig it.
At the core of 13th Age are the Icons. These are the major players in the world and the ones whose conflicts will define the Age. Player characters have both positive and negative relationships with multiple Icons making them agents and enemies of the most powerful people and organizations in the world. The default list of Icons is very good and very familiar, giving strong, but skeletal archetypes out of familiar fantasy elements. Even though there is a lot (and I mean a lot) of room to play around with the exact details of each Icon, I think the first thing that a lot of GMs are going to want to do is to make their own Icons. I did. And the results of my brainstorming come in after the jump.
What follows are the Icons for my 13th Age. Some are from the book, some from the web, some from other games, and some are original (or as original as putting a face on a trope can get). I did list the ones I was using from the book just so I could list my thoughts on them. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!
The Prisoner: It is said that whatever crime The Prisoner committed is what ended the last Age, but the Icons who lived through it aren’t talking. Bound in an inescapable labyrinth, The Prisoner is only able to communicate with a select few individuals. Those he chooses pursue his mysterious agenda which, for some reason, does not seem to include escape.
I wanted an Icon that was mysterious, powerful, and had just enough influence seeping out of the cracks in his cage to mix things up. What’s The Prisoner want? What did The Prisoner do? Why will no one talk about it? Lots of stories to explore. The Prisoner basically replaced The Prince of Shadows as a wildcard.
The Lord of Night: He is a legendary vampire that has haunted the dark places of the world for centuries. When the Dragon Empire was besieged, all were surprised when he answered The Emperor’s call with his undead legions. His loyalty bought him rule over The Black City which he and his undead aristocracy now control as official Imperial nobility. He and his agents seek to continue to expand his influence, much to the concern of many of the Icons.
What can I say, I love undead, and while the Lich King is cool I really wanted to have portion of the Dragon Empire ruled by bloodsuckers. Is he evil? Is he good? Are his people well-treated or are they being quietly harvested? And if there are atrocities being committed, just who is powerful enough to stand against him? You could do anything from Ravenloft to Warhammer Fantasy’s Sylvania, to straight up Dracula. Oh yeah, and The Dwarf King is no longer an Icon because Bitey here turned him into his vampire thrall who then took half the dwarven population on a crusade to drive back the creatures of the Underdark.
The Exile: The true ruler of the Dragon Empire, by his reckoning, The Exile was denied his birthright by the current Emperor and his allies. He now wages a shadow war to reclaim his throne and to put the Dragon Empire back on the right course. Knowing he will rule nothing if the empire is destroyed, he takes great interest in driving back the evils of the world.
As you’re probably noticing, one of the themes I’m weaving throughout these Icons is the evolution of The Dragon Empire. I loved the idea of The Three from the main book (which is why they’re included here) and I thought it’d be interesting to take it one further with The Emperor making more alliances with questionable Icons. The Exile wants to bring back the days of the glorious Dragon Empire before The Three, The Lord of the Nights, and The First of the Forged became integral parts, never mind that The Empire would likely not exist had they not intervened. So while The Exile is working to undermine The Emperor and his allies, he still needs a stable world to rule and he will fight to keep it that way…especially if it earns him allies.
The Emperor: Crowned at the turn of the Age, the latest Emperor has had to make many compromises in order to preserve his lands. He calls the changes necessary, but both his allies and his people are worried about the future of the empire.
Basically, from the book, only now his actions taken to save The Empire may have compromised the very foundations it was built on. Even his own people question how far he has gone…and how far he will go.
The Dark Mother: For the longest time the Dark Mother slumbered in her pit, long forgotten by the world, a myth. She has awoken in the current age, still bearing the scars of her battle The Archmage. The Dark Mother is spoiling for a fight, and has reclaimed her position as absolute leader of the northern orcish warbands.
I took this from this great article about gender-flipped Icons. I wasn’t really going to use The Warlord and I like the idea of the “Mother of Monsters” lurking at the edges (or not) of the world far better.
The First of the Forged: The Forgeborn were created by collaboration between the Dwarves, the Elves, the Archmage, and the Three to act as frontline soldiers against great threats. After centuries of subservience, they rebelled against their makers led by The First. After long-existing on their own, The First and his people answered the call to defend the Empire. Now, the Forgeborn are recognized as full citizens of the Empire with The First ruling as an imperial nobleman.
Yup, I’ve always loved The Warforged so I had to do this. The Warforged have finally earned their place in society, but is The First satisfied or hungering to oppress those who spit on his people? Does it have an urge to kill those who created it or does it only wish for peace?
The Unclean One: He is a cancer that rots the world. A foul corruption given life, his very presence mutates the world around him. He does not seek to destroy life but to infect and change it. To perfect it, he would say. Though currently contained through great effort, those loyal to him are blessed with terrible gifts which they use to spread his rot across the earth.
There’s just so much you can do with disease and mutation. This kind of character always makes a great (and disgusting) foe whether you play him up like Nurgle or some media incarnation of Pestilence. He killed The Elf Queen and corrupted her woods. It was only the combined forces of several of the Icons that drove him back into the deep marshes. He seems like pure evil, but is there something more behind his actions?
The Wildling: The fall of the Elves, the rise of The Unclean One, and the expansion of the Dragon Empire forced the High Druid to transform herself into a warrior for nature. No longer content to stalk the edges of civilization, she now actively attacks it. It’s said she can take the form of anything she’s eaten the heart of.
I like to think of The Wildling as a savage version of The High Druid that was driven to extremes to fight for nature. She is dangerous, unpredictable, and powerful, much like nature itself.
The Archmage: See the book
Straight from the book. So iconic, so versatile. Why bother changing it up? Of course, now he has new ally and enemy Icons to contend with.
The Great Gold Wyrm: See the book.
From the book. I figured that I was introducing so much gray to many of the good guys that I wanted to keep someone as a shining beacon.
The Diabolist: See the book.
I really like the Diabolist. I like to think of her kind of like a “crossroads demon” from Supernatural who goes around fulfilling people’s desires at the cost of corrupting them. She’s the one common people turn to when they have absolutely nowhere else to turn.
The Priestess: see the Book
Again, more than interesting enough just straight from the book. Of course, in this Age she is fighting for the soul of The Dragon Empire itself versus The Lord of the Night? Do you think The Emperor’s actions have upset her? Do you think she’d ally with The Exile?
The Three: See the book.
What’s not to love?