# Ancient Wonders tags: #game/rpg/starforged ![[Ancient Wonders (cover).jpg]] So, you've stumbled upon **Ancient Wonders**, a supplement for the _Ironsworn: Starforged_ roleplaying game. In essence, it's a toolbox for game masters who feel their science fiction universe is a bit too… beige. This book provides a staggering number of tables and rules to generate everything from "realistic" solar systems to colossal, universe-defying megastructures left behind by aliens who were clearly overcompensating. It’s for those who look at the vast, empty void of space and think, "This could use more ridiculously large, abandoned construction projects and planets that actively try to kill you." It assumes your players are less interested in the mundane details of space travel and more in stumbling upon ancient, terrifying constructs that probably should have stayed lost. ## **Contents** ### Chapter 1: Introduction This is the part you'll probably skip, but shouldn't. It lays out the grand vision: a galaxy littered with the awe-inspiring, and frankly hazardous, leftovers of bygone eras. It explains that while the book is designed for Starforged, you can technically bolt these ideas onto any sci-fi game, provided you're willing to do the conversion work yourself. It also introduces the core concept of using "Oracles" (fancy dice tables) to answer your every question, removing the pesky need for creative thought. ### Chapter 2: Solar Systems Here we learn to build our own little corners of the galaxy. Forget simple star-hopping; this chapter offers a "realistic" solar system generator. You'll get to determine planetary orbits, asteroid belts, and even the specific heat of each planet based on its star. It’s a detailed, almost loving, approach to cosmological cartography for those who enjoy the administrative side of universe-building before the players inevitably blow it all up. ### Chapter 3: Planets Expanded Because the planets in the core rulebook were apparently not varied enough in their lethality, this chapter provides an "expansive planet generator." You can create everything from anomalous worlds that defy physics to tidally-locked planets with one side perpetually burning and the other perpetually freezing. There are, of course, endless tables for biomes, surface features, and even rules for exploring underwater, just in case the dry land wasn't dangerous enough. ### Chapter 4: Alien Megastructures The main event. This is where you get to litter your galaxy with architectural marvels that make a Dyson sphere look like a garden shed. The book provides rules for discovering and delving into these behemoths, complete with their own unique mechanics and truths. You can find everything from planet-sized computers to stellar engines. It’s a catalog of cosmic white elephants, each more impressive and inexplicably abandoned than the last. ### Chapter 5: Alien Megacities If a whole megastructure is too much, why not explore a single, continent-spanning ghost town? This chapter provides generators for creating the ruins of ancient civilizations. You can explore everything from cities built on the ceiling of a colossal cave to cities that float in the clouds. It's urban exploration on a scale that makes you wonder about the property taxes. ### Chapter 6: Denizens and Phenomena A structure is just a structure until something inside tries to kill you. This chapter populates your ancient wonders with constructs, bio-mechanical horrors, and reality-bending anomalies. It's a bestiary for places that shouldn't exist, filled with things that have had eons to develop a deep-seated resentment for intruders. ### Chapter 7: Special Companions Assets Your standard-issue sidekick isn't going to cut it here. This chapter introduces "Special Companions," which are essentially companion characters on steroids. From ace pilots to grizzled xenoarcheologists, these are the NPCs you hire when you're reasonably sure your next expedition is a one-way trip. ### Chapter 8: Item Assets Loot! This section provides rules for advanced, upgradeable gear and priceless artifacts called "Splinters." Because what's the point of risking your life in a billion-year-old deathtrap if you can't walk away with a shiny new experimental weapon or a gadget that violates several laws of thermodynamics? ### Chapter 9: Additional Moves Finally, for the player who has everything, a few new tricks. This chapter adds new game mechanics for things like making camp (because even in a hostile alien structure, you need your beauty sleep), taking a hiatus, and, most importantly, "failing forward," which is a gentle way of saying you get to learn from your near-fatal mistakes. ## References - [Ancient Wonders - DriveThruRPG](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/468140/Ancient-Wonders)