Iron Horizon: A Mech Rebellion Campaign | Beginner Friendly | Cy

Creating your character

Characters and mechs are built together at Session Zero as a group. This is intentional. The connections between pilots matter as much as the pilots themselves, and building together means everyone arrives at Session One with history already in place. During Session Zero we will: * Walk through the Cypher System together — no prior experience required, I'll teach you everything *Choose your Descriptor, Type, and Focus from the options in the Iron Horizon Player's Guide — all of which are custom-built for this setting *Build your Junker mech step by step — choosing your chassis, your mods, your paint job, and your mech's name *Establish your PC Connections — the threads of shared history that link your pilots before the campaign begins *Run through Lines and Veils and set up our safety tools together The Player's Guide contains all available Descriptors, Types, and Foci. These have been written specifically for Iron Horizon and its tone. If you have an idea for a pilot concept that doesn't quite fit what's on the page, bring it to Session Zero — I welcome suggestions for additional Descriptors or Foci that fit the setting, and we'll work it out together. Character creation uses standard Cypher System starting stats. No mechanical experience is required or assumed.

Preparing for the session

Before your first session you will receive a link to the Iron Horizon Player's Guide — a custom document written specifically for this campaign covering everything you need to know about the setting, the factions, and how to build your pilot and mech. You do not need to own any rulebooks. If you want to go deeper on the Cypher System itself, a free SRD is available and I'll point you to it, but the Player's Guide has everything required to play. We run on Foundry VTT hosted on The Forge for the virtual tabletop and Discord for voice. Both are free to use as a player. I'll send you setup instructions before Session Zero so you arrive ready to play, not troubleshoot. No prep is required before Session Zero beyond reading the Player's Guide and showing up with a rough idea of who your pilot might be. You don't need to have it figured out — that's what Session Zero is for.

What Avner brings to the table

What I Provide Every player receives the Iron Horizon Player's Guide before Session Zero — a custom-written document covering the setting, factions, pilot types, mech building, and everything you need to create your character. No rulebook purchases required. No homework beyond reading it and showing up with a rough idea of who your pilot might be. Sessions run on Foundry VTT on The Forge with a purpose-built campaign environment — maps, tokens, handouts, faction intel, and a living record of what your crew has done and who they've become. Ambient music and soundscapes run throughout every session, scored to the scene — quiet tension in the corridors of Juncture Station, something heavier when the mechs deploy. My GM Style I am a story-first GM. My job is to build a world that responds to who your character is, put them in situations that matter, and make sure every player leaves each session with at least one moment that belonged specifically to them. I track what your pilot cares about, what they're afraid of, and what they haven't dealt with yet — and I use all of it. I do character voices and distinct NPC personalities. The factions of Iron Horizon have real people in them — people with agendas, contradictions, and the occasional crisis of conscience. The Orion executive who believes in what the corporation stands for. The Blades of Talmor operative who has stopped being able to tell the difference between justice and revenge. The frontier contact who likes your crew more than is professionally advisable. These people will feel like people. Combat is cinematic and consequence-driven, not a tactical puzzle. I use the Cypher System because it keeps the action moving and the spotlight on the story rather than the grid. That said, your choices in a fight matter — positioning, cyphers, who you protect and who you leave exposed all have weight. I embrace the Rule of Cool when it serves the moment, and I will always find a way to make your best idea work. I will also never protect you from the consequences of your worst one. I run towards character moments, not away from them. If your pilot has unfinished business with a faction, I will use it. If your mech has a name and a history, that history will show up in the fiction. If you write a backstory hook, it will become a plot thread. The more you give me, the more the campaign will feel like it was built specifically for your crew — because it will be. What I Expect From You Show up. Be present. Be curious about the other pilots at the table, not just your own character. The best sessions happen when the crew is invested in each other, not just the mission. You don't need experience. You don't need to know the rules. You need to want to tell a story with a group of people who are all in on the same thing. That's the table I'm building. Come find out what your mech is called.

Homebrew rules

Iron Horizon runs on the Cypher System with several custom systems built specifically for this campaign. All of these are covered in the Player's Guide, but here's what to expect: The Junker Builder Your mech is not a vehicle — it is a character in its own right. Rather than choosing from a standard equipment list, you build your frame from the ground up using the Junker Builder system. You'll choose a chassis that sets your mech's stat distribution, armor rating, and passive ability. You'll pick two mods that reflect the specific choices your pilot has made about what their machine needs to survive. You'll choose a paint job that carries a mechanical effect — a defensive reroll, a stealth ability, or an intimidation tool. And you'll name it. The name is not optional. Cyphers as Junker Attachments Cyphers in Iron Horizon are single-use field systems — illegal tech, battlefield salvage, one-shot mech mods. They are consumable and tactical. You select your loadout before each mission from what is available. Your carry limit is tied to your Intellect Edge. What you bring defines how you fight. Artifacts as Permanent Upgrades Artifacts are installed mech systems that stay with your frame until they fail. Each has a depletion rating. When you push a system hard enough to risk it, you roll against that rating. Hit it and the system breaks — it can be repaired, but the clock only resets with replacement. This creates a maintenance loop that runs across the campaign. Every mission your gear gets a little closer to the edge. Everything Else Outside of the mech systems above, Iron Horizon plays standard Cypher. The Cypher System is already designed to get out of the way of the story — the homebrew adds texture and tactical identity to the mech layer without adding mechanical complexity to the pilot layer. If you can play Cypher, you can play Iron Horizon.

How Avner creates a safe table

I run a Session Zero before the campaign begins. We'll use Lines and Veils to establish what's off the table and what we handle with care, and I keep an open door policy — you can always step away without explanation, no questions asked. We use Stars and Wishes at the end of every session. Stars are moments that landed. Wishes are things you want more of. It keeps the game pointed at what the whole table actually wants and keeps communication open without anyone having to make it a big deal. This is a table built on trust, collaboration, and the shared goal of telling a story worth remembering. Iron Horizon deals with themes of corporate authoritarianism, survival, grief, resistance, and found family. Mature themes handled with care, never gratuitous, always purposeful. Think PG-13 to soft R. Specific content will be shaped entirely by your Session Zero and the Lines and Veils your table establishes together.