Iron Oath: A Daggerheart Marathon

The Airdnd Frontier

I remember an initial message on the Runehammer discord a few years ago that said something along the lines of, "I'm looking to put together a group for a weekend marathon. Only respond if you're 100% in."

And I was. I knew this was what I needed next for my tabletop hobby obsession. Two years and two Outriders marathons later, I look back and I know my gut was right.

We're not the first to do this. Many events around the world aim to capture this idea, and it's very simple: Get away, get immersed for a few days, and tell a great story. I know Runehammer in Philly is doing more of these now than ever. And whether it's a structured event you buy a ticket for, or something you plan for your home group, I would say from experience: The "Airdnd" model for gaming getaways is the pinnacle for the TTRPG Hobby. Get inspired, and plan one!

Iron Oath Planning

After the Outriders' events, I knew I wanted that experience with my home crowd. So I posed the question: "Hey guys, what do you think about a gaming getaway?" Everyone was in. So I started some prep work. I knew I wanted to play Daggerheart to mix things up, and I started filling a google doc.

I am very blessed to have a pool of players floating around 10-12 people at any given time. We generally have multiple campaigns running to accommodate the number of people. And we have a few other GMs ready to go. So as I started to plan Iron Oath, I knew it would need a second GM. I asked my friend Josh, and it started with a shared Google Doc as we parsed through the rulebook and cards.

Here is what we came up with:

• We chose one of Daggerheart's blank maps, calling it "The Duskmire"

• We chose a central base, calling it "Blackspire Fortress"

• Our players would all be Wardens of the Iron Order, regional heroes operating from Blackspire

• All adventures would start and end at Blackspire, so our parties could be mixed each session. Before sessions, we gave them the war council's orders and let them figure out who to send on which mission

• We used a "guild chest" for consumables, each with its own potion prop, as well as physical game props to make each session feel a bit more special.

• We would start with a prequel session the week before to get some of the players acquainted with the system.

• The weekend structure would include a Thursday session zero, two sessions on Friday, two sessions on Saturday, and an epilogue.

• Players would prepare by getting their characters built and getting minis 3D printed

• Session zero, we would make some connections and gave them time to roleplay at Blackspire.

• We would more heavily prep the first day, and the GMs would separate and chat to mold future sesions from player actions and level of success.

• Lastly, one of the couples coming to the event committed to making a food plan and doing the shopping, and cooking. This was a huge commitment that took the load off of GMs so we could focus on all the map builds and story progression.

During our prequel the week before, our heroes arrive in The Duskmire and watch in horror as Judikar the God of Justice cuts down the Goddess of Harvest. Our marathon would take place 300 years in the future.

Wardens of the Iron Order

We arrived at a beautiful Vrbo in Harrison, Maine, on a Thursday afternoon. The weekend was centered around the rise of Judikar and stopping his strategic plan to take over The Duskmire. We began at Blackspire fortress with the Festival of the Gauntlet, a celebration to honor the legacy of Wardens long passed. This festival was interrupted by a frontal assault and a waterborne rear attack. Our players split, and the action began.

The front gate of Blackspire is attacked by peasants corrupted by the Grasp, a divine curse Judikar used to build his army. Flaming hay bales and blowing up an ale cart saved the day.

The rear wall is attacked by trained soldiers and demons using portals to gain entry. The enemy succeeded in corrupting the Fountain of Blessing.

The morning sessions ended around lunch. We let things settle, jumped in the lake, played mini golf, and kicked off the night sessions. The Friday night sessions were where everything clicked. We hit a special flow state where people were comfortable with the system, and the teamwork was shining.

The Wardens stealthily hunt for a lord with captured enemy plans, using incredible teamwork and assassinations.

The stealth mission was a success, retrieving battle plans from Judikar's forces. Nyx, our Infernis Seraph, was able to decipher the language and bring this information to the war council.

A second team of Wardens hunt for the senile arch wizard, Elandor Atrapor, and bring him to safety before the enemy can corrupt him. Alora, our bard, and Ludovic, one of our wizards, excelled in RP to convince Atrapor to go with them.

The first full day finished on an incredible high. We had completed about nice hours of gameplay at this point. I was initially worried that this much gaming would be too much for some of us. I was unexpectedly surprised to hear that after two sessions in one day, people were itching to continue. At this point, we had started bringing in players to the war council meetings to make their choices more meaningful.

We ended Friday night around the campfire, while Josh and I were secretly listening to most of the small talk to flesh out the next days sessions. Saturday morning, our next mission began.

One group traveled south to aid in the assault on Willowcross, fighting waves of Beastmen and rescuing some locals from The Grasp curse.

They followed the coastline to secure the Strait of Ember Tides, so Judikar could be restricted in his troop movement. They faced General Arkavos and his ice wyvern mount.

The decoded map revealed a location that Judkiar was using to teleport small forces all over the continent. The second team was able to close and destroy the portal and ruins, leaving Judikar more restricted in his mobility.

We then moved into our finale sessions. Two teams would head to Mount Scoria to interrupt a summoning of a Demon of Wrath, while the other team would descend under the volcano to break arcane anchor chains that held him to the material plane.

Facing sister fire giants, our wardens bravely broke the anchor chains and quickly fled to aid the others.

Our session ended with all our players sending home the last attack on the demon summoning, as he was banished back to the abyss.

Our Wardens succeeded, taking a total of four deaths. Two casualties chose to avoid death, and two chose to risk it all. Both of those risking it succeeded, one being a critical success. We have that roll on video as all the players erupt, seeing two 5's on the duality dice.

We ended with the avatar of Judikar meeting the Wardens at their fortress to say he underestimated them... But this was only the beginning. And the last essence of the Goddess of Harvest materialized to purify the Iron Order's Fountain of Blessing.

We then went around the table, asking everyone their favorite moments from each character and what their favorite moment was. This reflection captured just how epic the marathon was. Iron Oath 2025 was a huge success.

Reflections - Making a Marathon Successful

This event was perfect from start to finish. Yes, there were a few moments of GM bloopers and system misunderstandings. All common gaming issues. None of that squashed the vibe. The common response I heard was, "I don't want to wait a whole year to do it again." Looking back, there are a few things I would highlight to consider as you plan your events to make them special:

• Be a host first. People need to eat and sleep. People need breaks. The gaming is better when we're fed, rested, and full of energy.

• Choose the right location. We specifically chose a lakeside Vrbo with at least two tables fit for gaming in the photos. We had one person sleeping on a couch, so next year we'll consider an even larger place.

• Give your players a solid framework. This story isn't connected to any other campaign, so we needed a clear hook for them to build characters from. "You are all Wardens of the Iron Order" worked perfectly for us. One guild with a clear purpose: protect the Duskmire.

• Prep in a descending fashion. Prep enough to have a solid start and a moldable finish. A lot changed from what we assumed would happen to what the finale actually looked like.

• Bring the right people. I was clear with everyone I invited; this is all for gaming, and it will be a lot of table time. Some people aren't ready for that, and that's okay.

• Take photos, videos, and retell the stories. It keeps it alive for future events, but more importantly, it's an adventure many people never get to do. Revel in the adventure.

Conclusion: Get Away With Your People

As I learned in Philly, there is really nothing like this experience. No convention will compare to the immersion you'll get when you get away with your people to tell a great story. A lakeside house and 70-degree weather doesn't hurt either. For our event, the total cost per person was $320, including the house, food, and mini golf. That's less than most spend going to Gen Con or PAX. Something like this is a much better spend in my perspective.