13th Age: How to level up your Icon Dice rolls

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to use icon relationships in 13th Age.

A refresher: characters have between one and three relationships with the icons of the Dragon Empire. These icons aren’t gods, but instead the heroic, ambiguous and villainous movers and shakers, such as the Priestess, Prince of Shadows or the Lich King. Players roll a d6 for each relationship point with each icon. On a 6 they get a “meaningful advantage” and on a 5 they get an advantage with a complication.

The core rulebook has some general suggestions about how those play out: guiding the story in a certain direction, granting players magic items, allowing characters to have a flashback that provides a solution to a problem, or providing the players with important information. The Game Master’s Screen and Resource Book expands on those ideas, such as magical tattoos that connect a character with their allies.

Those ideas are all good and useful, but they lack a certain thematic flair; they don’t give players inspiration for ideas specific to the icons with whom they’re entangled. They’re also not laid out in a way that’s easy for players to reference.

I wanted write some new, easy to remember advantages that players can use, either as written or as a springboard for their own ideas. In doing so, I wanted to avoid purely mechanical rewards such a magic item, a re-roll, or healing, and mechanical complications such as taking damage or losing a recovery.

Luckily, I know of two other games that have similar ideas we can borrow. Numenera has a mechanic called intrusions, which allow players and GMs to take the story in new directions. The rulebook has dozens of examples. Meanwhile, Monster of the Week gives the Keeper several options for challenging the Hunters, and gives the Hunters cool ways for overcoming those. I compiled a list of my favourites from each game, added my own, and assigned three to each icon. I also provided the GM with thematic complications that go beyond dealing damage or handing out a new quest as a complication.

I hope your table finds these ideas useful!

Complications

A friend or ally becomes neutral, or someone who is neutral becomes hostile.
An NPC demands help.
Someone in trouble doesn’t take your advice.
You attract unwanted attention.
You are exposed to danger.
You lose an opportunity.
You are separated from your party
A villain learns more about you.
You get a premonition of something bad that will happen soon. You can’t stop it.
You realize you’ve made a terrible mistake.

Archmage

A magic item that is being used against you malfunctions.
You are inspired, and you finish crafting an item earlier than expected.
An inactive or ruined device temporarily activates and performs a useful function.

Crusader

A comrade in arms from your past shows up unexpectedly and provides aid.
Your foe’s weapon has a weak spot and in the course of the combat breaks.
You’re fighting at least three foes and each one is standing in exactly the right spot for you to use a move you trained in long ago, allowing you to make a basic melee attack against all of them as a single action. This attack does not trigger maneuvers.

Diabolist

You know the right words, posturing, inflection or amount of emotional manipulation that might sway a person.
Something unexpected happens that is to your advantage. A rope your opponent is hanging from might snap, or something that was supposed to last only a round or two lasts a little while longer.
Summon a demon into the world. The GM decides what type of demon and to what extent it is under your control.

Dwarf King

A device or installation works even better than you expected it would, at least in this instance.
You understand a strange magical device or effect and may attempt to manipulate it.
Enchant a weapon or armor. It gets +1 to attack or +1 AC for one battle.

Elf Queen

Observe another place or time.
The poison or disease turns out not to be as debilitating or deadly as it first seemed, and inflicts only half damage.
You are able to mediate a dispute that appears impassable.

Emperor

When you would gain a random or pre-determined magic item, receive a magic item of your choice instead of the appropriate tier.
The person you are speaking with is easily bribed.
You divert unwanted attention toward an enemy.

Great Gold Wyrm

You take the damage or effect meant for another character.
An NPC hands you a physical gift you were not expecting, putting the situation at ease or providing a new insight.
Bar a place or portal to a specific person or a type of creature.

High Druid

A poisonous snake darts out from the tall grass or a crack in the floor and attacks.
Just when it seems like the path is lost, or you are, you discover the best path forward.
A storm blows in.

Lich King

You command a mook or underling to betray their master.
You escape, no matter how well contained.
Create a feeling of dread, terror and dismay in all nearby creatures.

Orc Lord

Do one thing that is beyond normal limitations.
You charge into immediate danger without hedging your bets, taking only half damage from whatever befalls you.
You unleash your full fury and destroy an item or part of the environment.

Priestess

Banish a spirit or curse from the person, object, or place it inhabits
You guide a creature to safety.
Heal an injury, or cure a disease, or neutralize a poison.

Prince of Shadows

A trap or a dangerous device malfunctions before it can affect you.
You hide something beyond normal means of discovery.
You vanish. For a few moments, you cannot be detected by normal means, such as sight, sound or smell.

The Three

A myserious glimmer provides you with a clear answer or suggests a course of action with regard to an urgent problem.
Trap a creature. They cannot escape by normal means.
You think back through your knowledge and experiences for information relevant to the situation. Ask the GM two of the following questions: When I dealt with this creature (or one of its kind), what did I learn? What power do I possess that could help here? Do I know anyone who might be behind this? Who do I know who can help us right now?