q u i c k s ta rt k i t

one seven design

About This Quick Start PDF

This quick start gives you the basics so you can start playing Blades before
the final game is released. By definition, it's missing some pieces, particularly
some instructional text and examples as well as the full guide to Duskwall
city which will be in the final game. As such, it's a document that you'll
have to interpret and bolster with your own understanding of roleplaying
practices. If you're brand-new to RPGs, maybe ask a more experienced
friend to run this for you.
I'm so excited to share the complete game with you in November (plus all
the amazing add-ons you unlocked during the project). Until then, I hope
you can have fun playing with this incomplete shard.
If you have questions or want to give feedback, head over to the G+
Community:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112767357581554417629

The people there are helpful and I'm usually on hand to answer questions,
too.
Please feel free to talk about the game online and share your experiences
from actual play. However, this PDF is for backers of the Blades in the
Dark kickstarter only, so please don't redistribute it. Thanks!

how to use the quick start

1. Read this whole document.
2. Print all the reference and character sheets (pages 27 through
39). You might want multiple copies of the Action & Effect
sheet (page 27).
3. Brief the group on what Blades in the Dark is all about, using
the Overview on the next page.
4. Give a summary of the situation the characters will find
themselves in for the Quick Start scenario, using the information
on page 4.
5. Create the player characters and the crew, using the instructions
on page 30 and page 37, respectively.
6. Follow the guidelines for starting the session on page 26. Ask
the players to choose a score to pursue, or create their own.
7. Start the first team operation by asking the group to choose a
plan type and provide a detail. Ask them who's on point, and
jump in to the action.
8. Now you're into regular play, as discussed in How to Use the
System (pages 16 through 18).
9. When a PC faces an obstacle or danger, they'll make an action
roll to resolve it. Consult page 11.

Attention Game Hackers

10. To see if they overcome the whole obstacle or danger (or if

there's more left to do) make an effect roll (page 12). When
they resist the effect of a threat, you also use an effect roll.

If you're excited to use this game as the basis for a hack or your own game
design, I'm glad to hear it! But be advised:

11. Continue with actions and effects (and teamwork moves) until
the operation is resolved or abandoned.

There will eventually be a CC-licensed, SRD kind of thing for Blades. This
is not it! So hold your horses on doing any kind of full-on supplements or
creating actual products or anything. That will come along once the full
game is launched. I know you're hyped to make stuff. Which is great! But
I'll have a more polished final version for you at launch later this year. In
the mean time, go ahead and toy around, just in moderation.

13. Once that's done, pick or create a new score, and start the cycle
over again.

Blades in the Dark is copyright 2015 by John Harper

All rights reserved.
version beta 08b | 04.02.2015

12. After a score, the crew will attract heat (p. 29), earn coin
and hold through development (p. 29), and have some
breathing room (called downtime) in which to recover and
pursue personal projects (p. 21). The characters and crew
also earn XP for advancement (p. 20).

materials needed
At least 7 six-sided dice.
Printed character, crew, and
reference sheets.
Pencils and erasers.
Index cards and marker.
Printed Duskwall map and
Crow's Foot map.

number of players
3 or 4 players plus 1 GM is
recommended. 2 or 5 players
is okay.

overview
overview
All the coin in the Empire is cold comfort when
a blade comes for you in the dark.
Bazso Baz
Some people like to get a big-picture overview of
a game; its premise, setting, characters, etc. before
diving in to all the details. So, here it is.

summary
You play scoundrels on the streets of Duskwall,
an industrial-fantasy city. Theres primitive
electrical technology, the printing press, strange
alchemy, and gunpowder weapons.
You and the other players create a fledgling
criminal enterpriseyour crewand then take
on illicit jobs to improve your assets and status.
Game play focuses on the moments of daring
action during a job (with occasional flashbacks
to planning sessions to improve teamwork).

touchstones

When youre pitching the game to potential

players, here are some media touchstones you
can use to relate the game to stuff with which
theyre already familiar.
The video game Dishonored, by Arkane Studios.
The Vlad Taltos series of novels, by Steven Brust.
The stories of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, by
Fritz Leiber.
The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch.
The video game Thief: The Dark Project and its
sequels, by Looking Glass Studios.
The TV show The Wire, by David Simon et al.

theme song

Furnace Room Lullaby by Neko Case.

The Game

Blades in the Dark is a game about a group of daring

scoundrels building a criminal enterprise on the
haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There
are heists, chases, escapes, dangerous bargains,
bloody skirmishes, deceptions, betrayals, victories,
and deaths.
Well play to find out if the fledgling crew can thrive
amidst the teeming threats of rival gangs, powerful
noble families, vengeful ghosts, the bluecoats of the City
Watch, and the siren song of the scoundrels own vices.

The Setting

It is the year 847 of the Imperium which united the

shattered islands of the cataclysm under one ruleall
glory to his majesty the Immortal Emperor.
The unquiet spirits of the deadfree to roam the
world since the gates of death were shattered in
the cataclysmprey on every living thing in the blasted
deadlands between cities.
The port of Duskwall, like every city-stronghold of the Imperium,
is encircled by crackling lightning-towers which create an electrical
barrier that spirits cannot pass. By law, all corpses are incinerated
with electroplasm (to destroy the spirit essence within). However,
wealthy citizens, heretics of the spirit cults, and the criminal element
often arrange for a spirit to escape destruction at the crematorium.
Rogue spirits and the illegal spirit essences derived from them are
rich trade for the black market.
The docks of Duskwall, on the cold, windswept northern tip of
Akoros, are home port for the titanic iron steamships of leviathan
hunters. The blood of those massive demons is the catalyst which
gives potency to the plasmic oils which power the city. The noble
elite make their fortunes from the fleets of leviathan hunters they
deploy on the ink-dark waters of the Never Sea.

The Characters

The scoundrels attempt to develop their crew from a ragtag group

of poor independents to a serious mid-level criminal organization

with established turf. They do this by taking illegal jobs from clients,
planning their own devious missions, making alliances, destroying
their enemies, and trying to stay one step ahead of the law.

The Players

Each player creates a scoundrel character and works with the other
players to create the crew to which their characters belong. Each
player strives to bring their PC to life as an interesting, daring,
conflicted fantasy adventure character who reaches boldly beyond
their current safety and means. The players decide as a group on
the tone and style of the game by making judgment calls about the
dice and actions, along with oversight from the GM.

The Game Master

The GM establishes the dynamic world around the characters,

especially the law-abiding civilian world and the shadowy criminal
underworld. The GM plays all the non-player characters in the
world by giving each one a concrete desire and preferred method
of action. They present opportunities to the PCs. Then they follow
the chain of action and consequences wherever it leads.

the
situation
the situation
This page describes the situation for the Quick Start. Give the
players this overview before going on to character and crew
creation. See page 26 for more details.

War in Crow's Foot

Your crew of thieves is caught up in a perilous (and possibly

profitable) situation in the Crow's Foot district.
Roric, the ward boss who ran the criminal operations in
Crow's Foot, has been killed. People say it was his second
in command, Lyssa, who did it. She now controls Roric's
impressive gang of cutthroats, who call themselves the Crows.
Can she establish dominance over the district the way Roric did?
When Roric died, the peace he had brokered between two
enemy gangs fell apart. The Lampblacks and the Red Sashes
have once again exploded into open war on the streets. Will
their old feud finally be resolved with bloodshed?
Your crew of thieves is poised to profit from all of this, or
be swept up in the chaos and destroyed. Who will you side
with? Do you have loyalties and friendships in the mix, or
are you detached outsiders coldly exploiting the situation?
We'll play to find out!

the lampblacks

ii

Originally an Iruvian school of swordsmanship, expanded

into criminal endeavors.

Turf: HQ in the office of a coal warehouse. Operates

a handful of brothels and cheap drug dens across the
district.

Turf: HQ in their sword-fighting school / temple.

Operates a handful of high-end drug dens across the
district.

NPCs: Bazso Baz (leader, charming, open, ruthless)

destroy
the red
sashes

Notable Assets: A fearsome gang of leg-breakers

and mayhem-makers. A number of smugglers on the
payroll who run their drugs.
Allies: The Fog Hounds, Gondoliers, Ironhook Prison.
Enemies: The Red Sashes, The Bluecoats, Cabbies.
Situation: The Lampblacks and the Red Sashes are at war over turf and
vengeance for deaths on both sides. Bazso Baz is recruiting every free
blade in the district for extra muscle and doesn't take no for an answer.
You're either with them or against them.

ii

the red sashes

The former lamp-lighter guild, turned to crime when their

services were replaced by electric lights.

NPCs: Mylera Klev (leader, ruthless, aggressive, art

collector).

destroy
the
lampblacks

Notable Assets: Small contingent of master swordfighters. Master alchemist; many potent potions and
essences.
Allies: The Path of Echoes, Dockers, Cabbies, Inspectors.
Enemies: The Lampblacks, The Bluecoats, Gondoliers.
Situation: The Red Sashes and the Lampblacks are at war over turf
and vengeance for deaths on both sides. Mylera is recruiting every free
blade in the district for extra muscle and doesn't take no for an answer.
You're either with them or against them.

See Starting the Game, page 26.

the crows

ii

An old gang with new leadership. Known for running

illegal games of chance.
Turf: Claims all of Crow's foot as their turf. Everyone
in the district pays up the chain to them. HQ in an
abandoned city watch tower. Operates many gambling
rooms across the district.
NPCs: Lyssa (leader, cold, calculating, killer)

reestablish
control
of the
district

Notable Assets: A veteran gang of thugs and killers.

A number of small boats. A fortified HQ.
Allies: The Bluecoats, Sailors, The Lost.
Enemies: The Hive, Inspectors, Dockers.
Situation: Lyssa murdered the former boss of the Crow's, Roric. She is a
fearsome killer, and few want to cross her, but her hold as the new leader
of the Crow's is uncertain. Some were loyal to Roric. As the power-play
continues, the Crow's hold on the district just might slip away...

factions
factions, tier, & hold
Faction Ladder

The goal of the game is to advance your crew up the faction ladder,
to tier 3 (or beyond!). Your crew begins at tier 0, with 0 hold.
Hold represents how strongly a faction can maintain their
position at their current tier. The more hold you have, the
harder it is for you to lose your position.

Advancement

To advance up one tier, you must have at least 3 hold on

your current tier, then do one of the following:
Achieve +3 faction status with a faction one or two tiers above
you, then successfully perform the next mission they request.
Take advantage of a faction one or two tiers above you
when they're reduced to zero hold. Successfully perform a
mission to take advantage of their weakness (you gain one
tier, they drop down one tier and reset to 1 hold).
Whenever you change tiers, your hold resets to 1.

Factions & Scale

Faction tier level determines the scale of that faction's gangs.

Tier 3 (top). Huge gangs. (40 people)

Tier 2 (middle). Large gangs (20 people)
Tier 1 (bottom). Medium gangs (10 people).
Tier 0. Small gangs (5 people).

Status Changes

When you execute a score, you gain -1 status with any factions
that are hurt by your operation. You may also gain +1 status
with a faction that your operation helps. If you keep your
operation completely quiet (no one knows it was you) then
your status doesn't change.
If you take on a mission given by a faction, you gain +1 status
with them when you complete it, and -1 status with their
enemies if the operation isn't quiet.

NPC Faction Project Clocks

You may also add or remove a segment on a faction's project

clock when you perform a mission or pull off a score.

Gaining Hold

Your crew generates hold primarily with development rolls

(see Heat & Development Rolls on page 29). You may also
earn hold by striking a deal with a faction that involves them
"paying" you 1 of their hold in exchange for some service or
asset. 1 hold is generally worth 1 coin.
NPC factions generate hold via downtime actions. They may
also gain hold by striking deals and trading with another
faction.

Reducing a Faction's Hold

You may perform an operation specifically to reduce the hold

of another faction. A successful operation results in -2 hold.
You may first have to gather information (see page 10) to
discover what you can do to reduce their hold.
A faction at zero hold (or less) is vulnerable to lower-tier
factions who want to move up a tier (See "advancement" at
left). A faction reduced to -3 hold instantly drops down 1 tier
and resets to 1 hold.

Faction Status
+3: Allies. This faction will help you even if it's not in their
best interest to do so. They expect you to do the same for them.
+2: Friendly. This faction will help you if it doesn't create
serious problems for them. They expect you to do the same.
+1: Helpful. This faction will help you if it causes no problems
or significant cost for them. They expect the same from you.
0: Neutral.
-1: Interfering. This faction will look for opportunities to
cause trouble for you (or profit from your misfortune) as long
as it causes no problems or significant cost for them. They
expect the same from you.
-2: Unfriendly. This faction will look for opportunities to hurt
you as long as it doesn't create serious problems for them. They
expect you to do the same, and take precautions against you.
-3: Hostile. This faction will go out of its way to hurt you even
if it's not in their best interest to do so. They expect you to do
the same, and take precautions against you.

actions
dice, actions,&& effects
effects
Rolling the Dice

Blades in the Dark uses six-sided dice. You roll several at once
and read the single highest result.
If the highest die is a 6, it's a full success. Things go well.
If you roll multiple 6s, it's a critical success.
If the highest is a 4 or 5 that's a partial success. It's a mixed
result some good, some bad.
If the highest is 1-3 it's a bad outcome. Things go badly.
If you ever need to roll but you have zero (or negative) dice,
roll 2d and take the lowest result.

Action Ratings

There are sixteen actions in the game

system that the player characters use to
overcome obstacles and face dangers. Each
action has a rating (from zero to four) which
tells you how many dice to roll when you
perform that action. Action ratings don't just
represent skill or training you're free to
describe how your character performs that
action based on the type of person they are.
Maybe your character is good at Command
because they have a scary stillness to them,
while another character barks orders and
intimidates people with their imposing size.

Attune

You may use any action to overcome an

obstacle or danger. Actions that are very
poorly suited to the situation at will put the
character in a more challenging position, but
they can still be attempted. If it's something
you're really good at, maybe it's worth it.
It's up to you which action your character
performs to overcome a problem.

Stalk

See How to Choose an Action, page 17.

Cipher
Command
Consort
Deceive
Discern
Slip
Mayhem
Murder
Prowl
Secure
Stitch
Supply
Sway
Tinker

Action Roll

You make an action roll when your character tries to do

something that's blocked by an obstacle or when they're
threatened by danger.

Effect Roll

You make an effect roll to find out the scope of your character's
action. Is this action enough to overcome the obstacle or
defeat the threat? Or is there more left to do?

An Action Roll answers two questions:

An Effect Roll answers this question:

Do you accomplish your action? -and-

What's the scope of my action?

How much trouble are you exposed to when you do this?

The possible results of the roll depend on your character's
position. There are three possible positions: Desperate,
Risky, and Controlled. If you're in a controlled position,
most of the possible dice results are good. If you're in a
desperate position, most of the results are bad. If you're
somewhere in between, it's risky, and there's a mix of good
and bad dice results.
For the details on Action Rolls, see page 11.

Resistance Roll

When you resist a bad outcome, your effect roll tells us how
much stress it will cost you to avoid the consequences. The
better your roll, the less stress it costs (or you can choose to
suffer the effect and save your stress).
For the details on Effect Rolls, see page 12.

Effect Ratings

There are six effects in the game system

which you use to determine how much
impact an action has on the situation. Each
effect has a rating (from zero to four) which
tells you how many dice to roll when you
apply that effect. For example, after youroll
to Stalk a target, you roll your Insight
effect rating to find out how much you learn
about them.

In general, a full success on the effect roll means that your

action has overcome the problem. Lesser rolls mean that
you make progress, but will have to attempt more actions to
finish the job.

Force
Finesse
Influence
Insight
Maneuver
Will

Effects Are Also Resistances

Your effect ratings also indicate how well your character can
resist negative consequences. If you get stabbed, you resist
with your Force rating. If someone tricks you with a clever
ploy, you resist with your Insight. When you encounter a
terrifying spirit, you resist with your Will. And so on. The
better your roll, the more easily you can avoid a bad outcome
by taking stress (page 7).

stress trauma

&
stress & trauma
Stress

Player characters in Blades in the Dark have a special reserve

of fortitude and luck called Stress. When they suffer a bad
outcome that they don't want to accept, they can take
stress instead, to reduce the consequences of that
danger. The result of the Effect Roll determines
how much stress it costs to avoid.
Daniel's character, Cross, is losing a fight with
an assassin sent by The Unseen. The GM describes
how the assassin slips past Cross's defenses and stabs
Cross in the chest. Daniel rolls his Force effect to resist,
and gets a 1-3: a diminished result. He can take 4 stress
to reduce the consequences of the attack (he just gets a
minor flesh wound) or Cross suffers the full consequences
of a dagger to the chest. See Lasting Effects, page 12.

Trauma

When a PC marks their 8th and final stress box, they suffer a
level of Trauma. When you mark a level of trauma, clear all
of your stress, resetting to zero. You also improve your Vice
rating by 1 (this is the only way Vice rating advances). You may
choose to be "left for dead" or otherwise dropped out of the
current conflict, only to show back up later, shaken and drained.
Trauma levels are permanent. Trauma represents how worn
down your character is. When you mark your fourth trauma
box, your character cannot continue as a daring scoundrel. You
must retire them to a different life at your first opportunity.

Retirement

When you fill your last Trauma box and retire, the amount
of coin you've managed to stash away determines the fate
of your character.

Stash 40: Fine. You end up with a well-appointed home

or apartment, claiming a few luxuries. You might operate
a medium business or several small ones.

Stress & The Supernatural

A close encounter with a spirit or demon is a harrowing

experience. By default, the standard effect is to first freeze a
person in place with fear, then panic them into fleeing from
its presence. A PC can choose to take stress as normal to
resist these effects. Exceptional NPCs, such as Rail Jacks and
occult weirdos, are more resistant to the supernatural terror
of spirits but it still takes its toll eventually.
Being possessed by a spirit inflicts a level of Trauma at the
end of every week. Once the possessed body suffers its fourth
level of trauma, it can no longer sustain its life. The possessing
spirit must either bond with the corpse (becoming a vampire)
or abandon it and seek out a new host.

Ghost Qualities
Roll 1d. Add +1 to roll for each year of ghostly existence.
1. Jealous, desperate, violent, hysterical, skittish, or fleeting.
2. Curious, deceptive, clever, probing, or knowledgeable.
3. Prophetic, insightful, true, revelatory, guiding, or
instructive.
4. Reactive, territorial, dominant, insistent, bold, or
demanding.
5. Angry, unpredictable, aggressive, wild, savage, or vengeful.
6. Mad, chaotic, vengeful, bizarre, destructive, or insane.

Stash 0-10: Poor soul. You end up in a reeking flophouse,

awash in vice and misery.
Stash 11-20: Meager. You end up with a tiny (but warm)
hovel that you can call your own.
Stash 21-39: Modest. You end up with a simple home or
apartment, with some small comforts. You might operate
a tavern or other small business.

teamwork
teamwork
Teamwork

When the team of PCs engages in an operation

together, the GM asks the group "Who's on point?"
One of the players chooses to put their character in
the point role.
The character on point leads the action of the team.
They go first and make decisions about how to deal
with obstacles. They're also the first to face any harm
or trouble that comes their way.
All the other PCs on the team are backup for the
character on point. The backup characters are
following their lead, on the lookout for danger, ready
to step in and help.
The point and backup roles shift as the team takes
action. During the course of an operation, each PC is
likely to have a turn in both roles. There's no official
"team leader" as far as the game is concerned.

Moves on Point

When you're on point, in addition to normal actions

and rolls, you have access to three special moves:
Lead a group action.
Overcome an obstacle or danger for the whole team.
Set up a character who follows on your action.
After you perform any special move on point, you
become backup and someone else takes point. The
special moves are detailed below.

On Point: Lead a Group Action

This is how you do the "everyone sneaks into

the manor" situation. Everyone rolls their
Prowl action, and the best result counts for
the whole team. But the player on point suffers
stress for everyone who does poorly. It's tough
covering for the stragglers.

The group action may extend to the effect roll, if

you wish. Everyone may roll for effect and take the
best result, but stress applies again for 1-3 results.
Otherwise, only the leader rolls for effect.
The group action move is good when none of the team
members are experts at a given action and can all
contribute to improve the performance of the team.

On Point: Overcome
When you overcome an obstacle or danger the whole
team is facing, you can solve a problem for everyone,
but risk stressing out your teammates.
Roll your action as normal, but if your result is less than
6 each member of the team suffers 1 stress. It's stressful
to watch a teammate do less than perfectly on an action
that affects everyone. (This stress happens on the initial
roll only, not any follow-up rolls from a 1-3 result.)
The result of the point character's roll applies to
everyone on the team.

This is how you do the "I'll lure the guard

away" situation. The point character rolls
their Sway action, and the result covers for
everyone to gain access to the manor.

When you lead a group action, you coordinate

multiple members of the team to tackle a problem
together. Describe how your character leads the team
in a coordinated effort. Do you bark orders, give subtle
hand signals, or provide charismatic inspiration?

The overcome move is good when you have an expert

on the team with a high action rating to deal with a
particular problem.

Each PC who's involved rolls for the action and the

team counts the single best result as the overall
effort for everyone. However, the character leading
the group action takes 1 stress for each character
that rolled 1-3 as their best result.

When you perform a setup action, you do something

that makes one of your teammates more effective. If
your action is a success, you add your effect dice to
the effect roll of the teammate who next takes point
and follows through on your setup (see Backup:
Follow Through).

On Point: Set Up

The only thing tougher than scrounging on

these haunted streets is trying to do it alone.
Arlyn Grel

Moves as Backup

When you're backup, in addition to normal actions

and rolls, you have access to three special teamwork
moves:
Face an effect in place of the character on point.
Assist another character on the team.

Teamwork Summary

Moves on Point
Lead a group action.
Overcome a group
problem.

Follow through on a setup action.

Set up another character.

Backup: Face an Effect

Moves as Backup

When you face an effect in place of the character on

point, you roll to resist the effect instead of them.
You may spend stress to avoid the consequences,
as normal. Describe how you intervene to face the
effect meant for them.

Backup: Assist
When you assist another character, take 1 stress
to give them 1 bonus die to their roll. Only one
teammate can assist a given roll. Describe how your
character assists.

Backup: Follow Through

When you follow through on an action set up by
the character on point, you become the character
on point. You add their effect dice to the effect roll
for your next action. (Your next action may include
a special point move, like Overcome.)

Do We Have to Use Teamwork?

Teamwork moves are options, not requirements.

Each character can still perform solo actions during
an operation. You can Sway that guard with your
charm to gain access to the manor without using
the Overcome move, leaving the rest of your team
to figure out their own way inside.

Face an effect for the

character on point.
Assist another character.
Follow through on a
setup action.

Changing Roles
You become backup after you
use any teamwork move on
point. Choose someone new
to be on point.
You must take point when you
follow-through as backup.
You can't freely shuffle
people between roles. If the
wrong person is on point, two
characters can swap if one of
them takes 1 stress. Smoothly
shifting the point role around
the team is a mini game that
requires actual teamwork
among the players. You won't
always get it just right. That's
just the nature of teamwork.

If your character can't communicate or somehow

coordinate with the rest of the team, you can't use
or benefit from any teamwork moves.

progress
progress clocksclocks
Progress Clocks

Use a progress clock for a goal that takes several

actions to resolve.
Sneaking into the Bluecoat watch tower? Start
a clock for the security coverage of the patrols.
When the PCs fill the clock with their effect rolls,
they've overcome the patrols obstacle.
Generally, the more complex the goal or problem,
the more segments in the progress clock.
A simple obstacle is a 4-segment clock. A moderate
obstacle is a 6-segment clock. A complex obstacle
is an 8-segment clock. A daunting obstacle might
be a 10-segment clock, or more!
An effect roll is used to tick segments on a
clock. Each effect result level indicates how many segments to
tick (see page 12). Also, effort spent during downtime (see
page 21) can tick a clock representing a long-term project.
Some complex obstacles should be broken into several
"layers", each with its own progress clock. For example, the
Lampblack's HQ might have "perimeter security" with an
8-segment clock, "interior guards" with a 6-segment clock,
and "Bazso's office security" with a 6-segment clock. The crew
would have to make their way through all three layers to reach
Bazso's personal safe and fine whiskey collection.

Countdown Clocks

The GM can use a progress clock to represent a countdown

threat, like reinforcements that are on the way, or the time
it takes for a burning building to collapse. When a PC takes
action, the GM fills in a segment on the countdown clock.
When the clock is full, the time-based threat manifests. The
GM also has the option to include the advancement of a
countdown as a danger on a roll. So if the PC rolls a 4/5 on a
risky move, for instance, the clock counts down, but on a 6+,
they do their action quickly enough so no countdown occurs.

Mission Clocks

The GM might make a special countdown clock for a time-

sensitive mission, to represent the window of opportunity

you have to complete the operation. If the countdown runs
out, the mission is scrubbedthe target escapes, or another
crew completes it first, etc. A mission clock might tick down
one segment per hour, or per day, or per week, depending
on its nature.

Recovery Clocks

When A PC suffers a lasting effect, like an injury, it has a

progress clock associated with it, representing the time needed
to recover. The more serious the effect, the bigger the clock.
During downtime, you can receive aid to tick segments on
your recovery clocks.

Long-Term Project Clocks

Faction Clocks

Each faction has a long-term goal they're working on when

the game begins. When the PCs take downtime (page 21)
the GM ticks forward the faction clocks that they're interested
in. In this way, the world around the PCs is dynamic and
things happen that they're not directly connected to, changing
the overall situation in the city and creating new opportunities
and challenges.
The PCs may also directly affect NPC faction clocks, based
on the missions and scores they pull off. Talk to them about
known faction projects that they might aid or interfere with,
and also consider how a PC operation might affect the NPC
clocks, whether the players intended it or not.

Some projects will take a long time. A basic long-term

project clock (like tinkering up a new feature for a device)
has 8 segments. Truly long-term projects (like creating a new
designer drug) should be broken up into several phases, each
with its own clock. The phases are, generally: 1) Figure out how
to do it, 2) Muster resources and test things out, 3) Complete
the project. Add or subtract phases depending on the details
of the situation and complexity of the project.

Campaign Countdowns

Tug-of-War Clock

For this quick start, you won't need campaign countdowns

unless you play a whole lot! If you do, by that point, I bet you'll
have all sorts of ideas for campaign countdowns of your own
design. Share them on the G+ community for others to use, too.

You can set up a clock that can be filled and emptied by events,
to represent a back-and-forth situation. For example, you might
make a "Revolution!" clock that indicates when the refugee
Skovlanders in the city start to riot over the annexation of their
homeland. Some events will tick the clock up and some will
tick it down. Once it fills, the revolution begins.

In the full version of the game, the GM has several campaign

countdowns that represent the unstable situation in the city.
When one of the NPC factions fills its project clock, the GM
advances the campaign countdown clocks. When a campaign
clock is full, a campaign event occurs. This is one of the systems
the GM uses to make the city of Duskwall come alive as a
dynamic backdrop for the game.

A tug-of-war clock is also perfect for an ongoing turf war

between two crews or factions.

Linked Clocks

You can make a clock that unlocks another clock once it's filled.
In the "Revolution!" example, above, the GM might make a
countdown clock called "Imperial Troops Arrive" when the
"Revolution!"clock fills up. A multi-phase long-term project is
essentially a set of linked clocks.

info
& planning
information
& planning
Gather Information

The flow of information from the GM to the players about the

fictional world is very important in a roleplaying game. By
default, the GM tells the players what their characters perceive,
suspect, or intuit. But there's just too much going on to say
everything it would take forever and be boring, too. So, the
players have a tool at their disposal when they want to know
more about something in the fiction. Their characters can
perform a special kind of move called Gather Information.
When your character gathers information, you ask the
GM questions about the fictional world, based on what the
character is doing to discover the details. For instance, you
decide to beat up Avrick the powder dealer to make him talk,
you could ask questions about where Avrick gets his supply,
if he's lying, what he intends to do later, etc. Or maybe you
decide to stalk the Night Market and find out who's carrying
the heaviest purses home.
A list of sample questions is provided on the character sheet,
but you can ask any question related to the situation at hand.
If the action of gathering the information is blocked by an
obstacle or exposes your character to danger, you make
an action roll as normal. If there's a question of how much
information can be gathered, then you roll for effect.

Planning

Your crew spends time planning each score. They huddle around
a flickering lantern in their lair, looking at scrawled maps,
whispering plots and schemes, bickering about the best approach,
lamenting the dangers ahead, and lusting after stacks of coin.
But you, the players, don't have to do the nitty-gritty planning.
The characters take care of that, off-screen. All you have to do
is choose what type of plan the characters have already made.
That's right; the planning phase is over as soon as you start it.
Just choose and go.
There are five different types of plan, each with a missing detail
you need to provide. To "plan an operation," simply choose the
plan and supply the detail. Then cut to the action as the first
moments of the operation unfold at the target location.

Scouting the Detail

When you choose a plan, the GM will ask you to provide a

missing detail, like the point of attack, or the social connection,
etc. If you don't know the detail, you can scout it out by
gathering information.
Some groups of players naturally fall into a creative mode
when the GM asks about the detail. They invent something
interesting and supply the detail from their imagination in
the moment. This is fun! But be aware that inventing details
this way makes scouting actions irrelevant. If you don't want
scouting and casing targets to be a focus of play, go ahead and
simply invent the detail off the cuff. Otherwise, try to refrain
from doing this. If your characters don't already know the
detail, say so, and follow up with gather information actions
to discover it. Or, play with a mix of approaches.

The Five Plans

Assault plan. You intend to do violence to a target. Detail:
The point of attack.
Deception plan. You intend to lure, trick, or manipulate.
Detail: The method of deception.
Infiltration plan. You intend to trespass unseen where
you are not wanted. Detail: The entry point of infiltration.
Occult plan. You intend to confront or exploit a
supernatural power. Detail: The arcane power you will
employ.
Social plan: You intend to negotiate, bargain, or persuade.
Detail: The social connection you're using.

Linked Plans

A common scenario is a team that wants to attempt a twopronged approach. "You create a diversion at the tavern the
Dimmer Sisters own, and when they send their thugs over there,
we'll break in to their house." There are two ways to handle this.

"No plan extends with certainty beyond the

first encounter with the enemy."
Moltke the Elder

If it makes sense, any team members who performed the setup

action can drift back in to the main operation and join the team
again so they don't have to sit out and wait.
2. The diversion is its own operation, linked to a future
infiltration plan. You play it out as a full series of team actions,
with the end goal being, "There are no guards at the house when
we infiltrate it later."
Either approach is fine. It's a question of interest. Is the diversion
interesting enough on its own to play out moment by moment?
If so, make it a full operation. If not, simplify it to a setup action
as part of the main plan.

Flashbacks

The rules for actions and effects don't distinguish between

actions performed in the present moment and those performed
in the past. When an operation is underway, you can invoke a
flashback scene to roll for an action in the past which impacts
your current situation. Maybe you bribed the district watch
sergeant to not patrol here tonight, so you make a Supply roll
to see if it worked.
The GM sets a stress cost when you activate a flashback action:
0 Stress for a normal action for which you had easy
opportunity. The Cutter Consorted with his friend Chael
to ask him to arrive at the dice game ahead of time, to suddenly
spring up as a surprise ally.
1 Stress for a complex action or unlikely opportunity. The
Hound arranged to Slip her pistols under the table ahead of
time so she could retrieve them after the pat-down at the door.
2 Stress for an elaborate action which involved several
special opportunities or contingencies. The Whisper has
already Attuned to the ghost of the former proprietor to
divine the secret of the hidden safe.

1. The diversion is a setup action that a team member performs

as part of the Infiltration plan. If the diversion succeeds, the
next teammate who follows up gets increased effect dice. (See
Teamwork, page 8, for details about setup actions.)

10

action
the action roll
roll
action roll
1d for each Action dot.

+1d if the target matches your

Background.

Desperate

Risky

Controlled

Crit: You do it and avoid the danger.

Crit: You do it with increased effect (+1

effect result level).

Crit: You do it with increased effect (+1

level) and you may create an additional
opportunity that follows on from this
action.

You take a huge risk on a slim chance.

Youre stuck in a bad position. You face
a threat thats out of your league.

You face a dangerous opponent on equal

footing. You act under fire. You take a
calculated risk.

+ +1d for the Devils Bargain

6: You do it but the danger manifests.

+ +1d for Backup (they take stress).

4/5: Things go badly. The danger manifests.

You must abandon this approach or try
again by taking a bigger risk and rolling a
desperate move.

6: You do it and avoid the danger. or you

may choose to overreach and get +1 effect
level but also face effect from the danger.

1-3: It gets worse! First, you face a more

potent effect from the danger (-1 to your
resistance result level). Then, choose:
Abandon this goal (you cant achieve it
for now) or try again by taking a bigger
risk and rolling a desperate move.

1-3: Things go badly. First, the danger

manifests. Then, choose: Abandon this
approach (you'll have to try another way)
or try again by taking a bigger risk and
rolling a desperate move.

-1d if youre hindered by any

relevant lasting effects.

-1d if you face veteran, elite, or

well-prepared opposition.

Each time you roll a desperate move,

mark a tick of desperate move xp on your
character sheet. See page 20.

When your PC pursues a goal that's blocked by an obstacle

or exposes them to danger you make an action roll.

Choose Your Action

Tell the group which action your character performs to deal

with the obstacle or danger. It's usually obvious, but make
it explicit anyway. There's some overlap among actions,
meaning several of them might apply, depending on the
specific approach you take. The choice is yours, as long as
your character actually does the action in question. You can't
roll Murder unless you proceed with serious violence.

Position & Desired Effect

Assess the strength of the character's position to perform

this action. There are three positions (from worst to best):
Desperate, Risky, or Controlled. Look at the profiles for
each position. Which of the various phrases best matches the
character's current situation?

4/5: You do it but the danger manifests.

You take time to carefully execute a plan.

You hedge your bets and play it safe. You
exploit a dominant position.

6: You do it!
4/5: You do it with reduced effect (-1
level), or try for full effect by taking a
bigger risk and rolling a risky move.
1-3: You reveal a flaw in this approach
that will expose you to danger. You may
back out now (abandon this method of
action) or go ahead with it by rolling a
risky move.

Also consider the desired effect of the PC and the possible

effect of the threat they're facing. In general, the bigger the
desired effect, the bigger the risk.

some advantage which helps you now, but works against your
overall well being, security, or future plans. Common devil's
bargains include:

By revising their approach and desired effect, a player can

modify their position. Discuss alternate goals, approaches and
effects and how the PC's position might change as a result.
Be explicit about what they'll accomplish and what they're
risking! (Even if the risk is "You don't know what will happen
if you do that.") The players need information to make good
decisions about their actions. Once you're happy with the
assessment, assemble the dice pool for the roll.

Revealing a valuable secret for a momentary edge.

The Devil's Bargain

There isn't a devil's bargain in every situation. If one doesn't

occur to anyone right away, that's fine.

PCs in Blades are reckless scoundrels addicted to destructive

vicesthey don't always act in their own best interests. To
reflect this, the GM or any other player can offer you a bonus
die if you accept a devil's bargain. Take some action or exploit

Sacrificing coin, an item or a crew asset.

Suffering stress or a lasting effect.
Betraying a teammate, friend or loved one.
Angering a powerful enemy.
Making a dangerous promise.
Adding heat to the crew with evidence or witnesses.

The devil's bargain occurs regardless of the outcome of the

roll. You make the deal, get the bonus die, and pay the price.

11

effect resistance
effect & resistance
&
When your PC successfully performs an action, you make an
effect roll to determine its scope.

Determine the Scope of Your Action

In Blades in the Dark, you overcome obstacles and face

dangers by making action rolls. But, how many action rolls
does it take to deal with a particular problem? If you're not
sure, you make an effect roll to find out.
If you've played other roleplaying games, you're probably
familiar with a system where you make a roll to attack in
combat, then make a follow-up roll for damage. The result
of the damage roll tells you if you defeat the target, or if they
still have hit points left, so you'll need to attack them again.
This system is similar, but it applies to all kinds of actions and
effects, not just attacks and damage.
The default case is a simple obstacle which has 4-segments of
scope. See the table, top right, which shows how much effect
you have for a given roll, and how many segments of progress it's
worth. When a player rolls for effect and gets a 6+, they overcome
a 4-segment obstacle. This is the standard case, so you don't need
to draw a 4-segment clock for each and every obstacle. Just keep
it in mind. When a player rolls less effect (1 or 2 segments) then
maybe draw the clock real quick, fill in 1 or 2 parts, and describe
how their effect manifests, without overcoming the obstacle.
Then ask them what they want to do next.
Lesser obstacles (a trusting mark, a weakened enemy) can have
smaller clocks. 3-segment or 2-segment clocks are fine. If you
imagine a 1-segment obstacle, that's the sign that you don't
need to roll for effect at all.
Complex obstacles (a series of guard patrols, a complex security
system, a suspicious mark, a veteran fighter) call for bigger
clocks. 8-, 10- or 12-segment clocks are good.
The vast majority of obstacles should be 4-segments. Use
smaller or larger clocks when you want to highlight something
remarkable or when the players do something "the hard way."
For example, if the player's goal is "I shove him back and run
away down the stairs," that might be a 4-segment obstacle. If they
say, "I slip past his defense, kill him, and run down the stairs,"

that might be an 6-segment clock

(or more). Tell the players what
you're thinking about the scope of
the obstacle and talk about their
goal so it's clear and they can revise
as needed.

effect roll

1d for each Effect diamond .

+ +1d if you have a Fine Item.

-

-1d if your opposition is especially

resistant to this effect.

4/5: Your effect is partial.

2 segments.

resistance roll
1d for each Effect diamond .

Critical: You resist fully. 0 stress.

6: You resist it if you take 1 stress.

+ +1d if you have a Fine Item.

-

-1d if your opposition is especially

potent with this effect.

Arlyn's action roll goes badly while she's fighting a Red

Sash on a rooftop, and she's forced over the edge. She resists
the harm from the fall using her Finesse effect rating (she
catches a laundry line and slows her fall on the way down).
She rolls a 4, meaning she can avoid any harm from the
fall by taking 2 stress.
Your character's remaining stress boxes indicate how much
trouble they can avoid. When you're maxed out on stress you
can't wriggle out of bad outcomes anymore (unless you take
trauma). If you've played other RPGs, you can think of stress
as your "hit points." But you get to decide when to spend them.
NPCs can't take stress. They just suffer whatever effect level
you roll against them. Things may be tough for your fledgling
crew, but at least you have a safety net that your enemies don't.

Armor

6: Your effect is complete.

4 segments.

1-3: Your effect is diminished.

1 segment

Resist the Danger

When you face a danger and resist

its negative outcome, you roll one
of your effect ratings to find out
how much stress it will cost to
avoid the consequences. This is
always optional. You don't have to
take the stress; you can suffer the
full consequences, instead. This
usually means you take a Lasting
Effect (see below). Sometimes this
is a good idea, especially if you
expect to face worse things soon.

Critical: Your effect is extreme.

6 segments.

If you have a type of armor that applies to the situation, you

can mark one armor box to avoid a negative effect, instead of
taking stress. (All of your armor is restored when you have
downtime.) If an NPC has armor, you'll usually take a -1d
penalty to your effect roll.

4/5: You resist it if you take 2

stress.
1-3: You resist it if you take 4
stress.

Lasting Effects

A lasting effect persists beyond the current situation. Physical

injuries produce obvious lasting effects, but social influence,
fatigue, arcane events, etc. can also have long-term effects.
When a PC suffers a lasting effect, make a note
of it on an the character sheet, along with its
recovery clock. Most lasting effects should be 6or 8-segment clocks. If a lasting effect hinders a
broken
character's action, they take a -1d penalty to the
leg
action roll. If multiple lasting effects apply to the
action, take a -2d penalty.
When a PC inflicts a lasting effect on an NPC,
put it on an index card for future reference. It
can be used as leverage until the target takes
time and effort to recover from it. Leverage seduced
might create a new opportunity for action (if
an NPC has the "Seduced" lasting effect, for
example) or might improve a PC's position for a future action
or both.

12

example
of play
example of play
Breaking Into the Manor House

Rivka and her crew of scoundrels are on a job. They heard

from their smuggler friend, Hoxley, that the Dimmer Sisters
had recently acquired a valuable arcane relic from the time
before the cataclysm, The Eye of Kotar.
Rivka's crew has a -2 status rating with the Dimmer Sisters,
which means they're enemies. Stealing the Eye will hurt the
sisters, loosen their hold in the underworld, and put a valuable
treasure in the crew's vault, to boot. Everyone agrees that this
is the job they want to pursue.

The Plan

Rachel, the GM, asks the question that kicks off every job
in Blades in the Dark: "Okay, you want to rob the Dimmer
Sisters. Excellent. What's the plan?"
The players look at the list of plans on their character sheets
and quickly choose one. "I vote for infiltration," says Dylan.
"Yeah," says James, "Let's keep this nice and quiet. We already
have enough heat as it is." The other players agree.
The GM asks the group for the detail that completes the plan:
"What's your point of entry?"
"Well," says Rivka. "We've cased the Dimmer Sisters' manor
before. I think using the underground canal entrance is good.
We have cistern keys to deal with any gates down there, and
that approach will keep us out of sight from witnesses on the
street." Everyone agrees.
"Cool," Rachel says. "That's the plan your characters made,
probably huddled around their sketch of the Dimmer's manor
house and the canal map. Now, on to the operation! So...
you're making your way through the underground canal,
poling your gondola silently through the disused tunnels."
"I have a lantern held out," Allison says. "But it's shuttered
down to a faint glow. Is it all moldy and slimy down here?"
"Oh, yeah," Rachel says. "The walls are covered in glistening
wet ooze, completely obscuring the stone. The water is black
and oily. There's a stench of waste and rot."
"Ugh," says James.

On Point

The GM asks the question that starts the action on a team

operation: "Okay, who's on point?"

desperate if you had to do this in the middle of a fight, or if they

knew we were coming. So risky seems right." Everyone agrees.
"Cool," Allison says. "Cylene's Attune rating is 2."

"Well," says Allison. "When we cased the place last time, the
Dimmer's had some arcane wards set up, plus some goons
patrolling around. We'll have to assume that's still true."

"Okay, take 2 dice. You're on point, so you get to decide: are

you leading everyone to attune together, or are you handling
this yourself to overcome the obstacle on behalf of the team?"

The GM shrugs. "Yeah, they haven't had a reason to change

things. It's been quiet with them. Your last recon still counts."
The GM checks her notes, but doesn't find the Dimmer Sisters'
details from the last time. Oh well. Rachel quickly makes a
new set of progress clocks for their security, based on what
she knows about the Sisters' operation. She puts them out on
the table for everyone to see. Wards: 6, Patrols: 4, Locks: 6.

"And what's the difference, again?"

"I'll take point," Allison says. "The Sisters are all

whispery like me, after all. Wards are my thing."

"Right. Or, if you handle it yourself to overcome the obstacle

for the whole team, then you're the only one who rolls, but
whatever you roll counts for everyone."

"Great," says Rachel. "Your gondola bumps against

the ancient dock below the Dimmer's manor. An
open stone doorway lies beyond, shrouded in pitch
blackness. When you shine your lantern toward it,
the darkness is not dispelled. A coldness creeps over
everyone. You can see your breath mist in the air."
"'Hold up, everyone,'" Allison says, in character. "'I'll
take care of this.' Cylene's eyes glow softly and she
approaches the doorway, sending out arcane power
against the protective wards that must be there."
"Okay," Rachel says. "Your first obstacle. It sounds
like you're using the Attune action to get past it."

wards

"If you lead, everyone will roll to attune, and the team will keep
the best result. But, you'll take stress for everyone who fails
their roll, since you're leading and covering their mistakes."
"Okay. So we have a better overall chance, but I risk some stress.
Especially because these yahoos aren't any good at attuning."

"That sounds good," Dylan says."

"Yes," Rachel says. "But, if Allison doesn't roll a full success,
the rest of you take stress. It's tough to stand by and watch
someone do something and not do it just right!"

patrols

"Ha! Yeah," Sarah says. "That is so true."

"Okay," Allison says. "So if I lead, I risk stress. And if I overcome,
they risk stress. Got it. Since I'm pretty good at this, I think
'overcome' makes sense. They're just gonna hold me back."

locks

"Yep. Attune it is. How strong is my position here?"

"You're dealing with arcane wards set by the Dimmer sisters
specifically to catch someone breaking in to their home. You're
going after them where they're strong and prepared. But this
is something you're prepared for, as well. You're a professional
Whisper who does this for a living, and you're not under any
other pressures. Sounds like the definition of a risky position,
to me: You face a dangerous opponent on equal footing."
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Sarah says. "It would be

"You're on point, it's your call." James says.

"Okay," Rachel says. "So you have 2 dice so far. You also get
a bonus die if your background matches the target in this
case, The Dimmer Sisters, since they set up the wards."
"My background is Noble," Allison says.
"Yep, same as the Dimmers. Take a bonus die."
"Sweet. Any more dice?"
"Two more, if you want them. A teammate can give you a
bonus die if they assist you and take one stress. And you can
accept a devil's bargain for a bonus die."

13

"Okay... let's talk teamwork first. Who wants to back me up?"

"I'll do it," Dylan says. "You know I never leave your side,
Cylene. No matter how weird things get. That's 1 stress for
me." Dylan passes the bonus die over.
"Aw, you're the best, Frost," Allison says.
"Nice," says Rachel. "What does Frost do to assist?"
Dylan thinks for a moment. "Frost walks up beside Cylene
and silently places his hand on her shoulder. He closes his
eyes and opens his mind, letting her take whatever strength
from him she needs."
"Whoa," Sarah says. "That's cool."
"Yeah, awesome!" Allison says. "Okay, Rachel... let's hear your
devil's bargain."
"Hey," Rachel says, "It's not just my job! Anyone can propose a
devil's bargain. Think of a cost or complication or nasty little
twist and if Allison accepts it, she gets a bonus die."
"Oh, I have one," James says. "It's the obvious thing. When you
meddle with the Dimmer's wards, you leave a trace of yourself
behind. They'll be able to figure out who did it. Eventually."
"Oh, that's good. So mean, and so good," Allison says. "I love it.
Yes. Devil's bargain for me. We're good? I have 5 dice. Let's roll."
"Okay," Rachel says, "Let's do it."
Allison rolls all her dice and keeps the highest. It's a 6!
"Suck it," says Allison. "Full success."
"What's it say for a full success on a risky move?" Rachel asks.
Allison reads from the reference sheet:
6: You do it and avoid the danger. or you may choose to
overreach and get +1 effect level but also face an effect
from the danger.
"Hmm," Allison says.
"Oh jeez," James says. "You're going to overreach, aren't you?"
"I sure am," Allison says. "I'm gonna show these Dimmer's
who's boss. Spoiler alert: it's me."
"Here we go," Sarah says.
"Okay, wait. First, what's the danger?" Dylan asks.
"Oh, damn! I should have said that to begin with," Rachel

says. "That's part of the risky move. You should know what the
danger is so you can decide if you're taking the risk or not."
"Eh, it's fine," Allison says. "It's not like we were gonna turn
around and leave. We're here to do a job. But I'd like to know.
What's the danger?"
"Well, the Dimmer's don't mess around," Rachel says. "So
it's the obvious thing. The darkness in the doorway isn't just
as barrier, it's a trap. It swirls out and wraps you in choking,
cold vapors. You feel your heart stop."
"Holy crap."
"Yeah. Uh, sorry. They do have a certain reputation about
how they deal with interlopers."
"Yeah. No, I get it. It makes sense. We know they have a pile of
bodies in their basement, after all. But, yeesh. Maybe I don't
want to show them who's boss."
"No, you're good," Dylan says. "I'm your backup, right? I can
face danger in your place. I got this. Go ahead and smash
them. I'll deal with the death vapors."
"Ooookay," Allison says. "If you say so! I overreach."
"Okay, you're gonna roll your effect to see if you can bypass
this whole ward problem with this one action, or if there's still
more stuff to do. More you know death vapor stuff to do."
"Wonderful. And I choose which effect to roll, based on what
Cylene did, same as picking my action. So this is definitely
Will. I'm attuning and channeling my willpower, and Frost's,
too, to bypass the barrier ward."
"Yep. Take dice equal to your Will. Do you have a fine quality
item that applies to this?"
"Yep, I have my fine spirit mask. It helps me see arcane energy.
So, 2 Will + fine item, that's 3 dice. No devil's bargain, thanks.
Let's roll it." Allison rolls and gets a 6 again! A complete effect.
"Bam," Allison says. "That's a complete effect, so that's 4 ticks
on the Wards clock."
"Yep," Rachel says. "But... it's actually a critical result! Since
you decided to overreach, you get to bump up your result by
a whole tier. From a success to a crit."
"Oh right! Bad ass. So that's 6 ticks on the clock, right? I beat
the whole thing."

14

"You sure do," Rachel says. "We'll get to that, but

first we have to find out what happens with the
heart-stopping death vapors."

"Nice," Rachel says. "So, Allison, you totally wrecked the

wards. Want to tell us what happens? Remember, you leave
some trace of yourself behind, from the devil's bargain."

wards

"Oh yeah."

"How are you resisting the vapors, Frost?" Rachel asks.

"Uh... Force is my best effect rating... but, no. I can't use
force against death vapors, "Dylan says. "I guess Frost has to
summon his Will against this stuff."
"Well, it depends," Sarah says. "Are the vapors actually
attacking his lungs and heart, physically? Because resisting
physical attack is totally a Force thing."
"Yeah, that's true," Rachel says. "I guess the vapors are both
arcane and physical, really. It's up to you, Dylan."
"Okay, yeah, that does make sense. Frost is really tough and
can push through pain and damage, so sure. I'll roll Force."
"Okay," Rachel says. "So... Frost, you step between Cylene and
the death vapors. You feel them envelop you, filling your
lungs, withering your organs. You collapse on the
dock, face down in the muck. Not moving.
Not breathing."
"I struggle with every ounce of strength
within me!" Dylan says. He rolls and the
dice betray him. He gets a 3. A weak
effect.
"Oh no," Allison says.
"Ouch! Okay then. So I'm gonna
die, huh? Yeah, no thanks," Dylan
says. "I'll take stress to avoid that
effect. Obviously. Thanks to my
awful roll, that's gonna cost me 4
stress! Which is almost all I have left,
but hey, that's what stress is for, right?"
"Right! Tell us how Frost resists the vapor
and doesn't die."
"Oh, yeah, I think it's just like you said, but,
after a beat, he suddenly twitches and stands
up, alive after all. He pulls his pipe from his
belt, lights it, and takes a long, thoughtful drag.
'Well, shit.' he says."

"Right. So, from behind my spirit mask, my eyes glow even

brighter, and twin beams of pale blue light spill out, burning
through the death vapors and ripping the arcane energy of the
ward apart. This causes a chain reaction through all the wards
across the building, and they each fade out silently, one by
one. In their place, a single scorched rune remains, a symbol
that encodes my name in an ancient language."
And that's the first part of the operation in the bag. Allison
used her teamwork move on point to overcome the wards for
the whole team, so now she hands off the point position to
someone else. Maybe James steps up so Dor can be on point
and use his Lurk talents to lead the team past the Dimmer's
patrols and find where they keep their artifact collection.

Questions to Consider
What if the team had no Whisper? How would things have
gone differently? Can anyone deal with arcane stuff, or does
it require a specialist? Would they need to hire an NPC
whisper for the operation?
What if they didn't know about the wards ahead of time
and just blundered into them? How would you handle that?
What if Allison had rolled lower for her effect, leaving more
to do with the wards? She's handing off point to someone
else, so how might they deal with it? Maybe they just do
a setup action and hand point back to Allison again, or
maybe they think of something else. Are the PCs daring
and proud, or ultra-cautious and pragmatic?
What if the Dimmer Sisters had been tipped off to this
infiltration? Maybe there was an opportunity for that,
or maybe the PCs planned their operation secretly and
attacked before the Dimmer's were wise to it. Could that
question be resolved by an action roll? How would you
handle that?
Setting the danger of the ward to "you die" was pretty harsh!
Do you think that's a fair move, given the Dimmer's lethal
reputation? When would you threaten a lethal effect like
that?

15

how to use the system part i

The game is a conversation between the people at the table.
You're talking, narrating actions, speaking in character,
making jokes, sketching maps, speculating about what
might happen, all that good stuff. But it's just talking, right?
There's a thing that happens in a roleplaying game where the
conversation shifts. Where you go from just talking to using
a mechanic. What's that like?

Triggering the Action Roll

This shift in the conversation is the GM's responsibility (they

should always be on the lookout), but anyone can call for it.
So, when do you call for it? You call for an action roll when
any of these happen:
A player character faces an obstacle that blocks or
complicates the achievement of their goal.
A player character faces danger from a threat an NPC;
a dangerous situation or environment.
A player character leads or gives orders to an NPC or
NPC group, which faces an obstacle or danger.
Someone grabs the dice and gets all excited about making
a roll.
So, then, what do you actually say? I like to first ask the
player how they're accomplishing their action. Which of their
action ratings will they use? Then, I suggest the position
the character is in, to start a brief conversation about that.
To use the action mechanic we need to know the strength of
the character's position Desperate, Risky, or Controlled.
It's like:
Player: "So he has the amulet? Okay, no, I'm forcing him
to hand it over, right now."
GM: "Okay then. How are you gonna do that?"
Player: "I look him square in the eye and I Command
him to hand it over."
GM: "Cool. Sounds pretty risky to me. He's no push-over
and his goons are standing right there."
And then the other players chime in and suggest an alternative
position, or the player revises their statement to something

more or less daring, or everyone just nods and we've shifted

into using the mechanic.

Why We Do This

What's the point of this shift into a mechanic, anyway? Why

not just talk it out? The main reason is this: when we just
talk things out, we tend to build consensus. This is usually a
good thing. It helps the group bond, get on the same page,
set expectations, all that stuff. But when it comes to actionadventure stories like Blades in the Dark, we don't want
consensus when the characters go into danger. We want to
be surprised, or thwarted, or driven to bigger risks, or inspired
to create a twist or complication. We want to raise our hands
over our heads and ride the roller coaster over the drop.
When the mechanic is triggered, the group first dips into
being authors for a moment as they suss out the position,
the danger, and the details of the action. Then, author mode
switches off and everyone becomes the audience. What will
happen next? We hold our breath, lean forward in our seats,
and let the dice fall.

The Purpose of Dangers & Stress

Some GMs get frustrated when they feel like the enemy NPCs
or threats "aren't doing anything." They almost inflict harm
on the PCs, but then the PCs take stress (or even trauma) and
avoid the harm. This is by design!

The PCs in the game start out as huge underdogs. The stress
system gives them a special ability to survive when they
otherwise wouldn't, so they have some hope of achieving
their long-term goals.
The purpose of threatening harm is not always to inflict it,
it's to describe it. The threats become manifest in the minds
of everyone playing, even if they're avoided.
"The ghost is entangled with your soul."
"You hear the bone snap as you hit the cobblestones."
"You can tell that she'll never trust you again."
The bad outcomes are spoken aloud. They hang there in the
room as horrible potential. They're scary. Then the player

gets to roll their resistance, look you in the eye and say, "No.
It's not that bad. I take the stress instead." It's empowering.
They look danger in the face and laugh. That's the nature of
a scoundrel.
Describing the harmful outcomes with gusto is your job, not
inflicting them. The purpose of the effect and stress mechanics
is to add interesting fictional details to the game when it
comes to harm and trouble. Instead of simply saying, "You
take 3 damage," you describe how the blade catches under
their armor and digs a bloody furrow across their ribs. It
becomes real in the ongoing fiction of the game. Then the
player can resist it with a simple statement of mechanics, "No,
I take the 2 stress instead. It's just a scratch." But the only way
they can know whether it's worth it to pay the cost is if you
describe the potential harm. Each cycle of threat and stress
requires this input of new fiction. And that, after all, is what
we're here to do.

NPC Threat Levels

The severity of the danger that you describe (and the

position for the action roll) determines the threat level of the
opposition. If they're facing an NPC that you've described as
a standard thug, then the dangers will be things like wrestling
them to the ground, or punching them in the face, or maybe
cracking a rib with her blackjack if she's got the upper hand.
If they're facing an NPC that you've described as a master
assassin, then the danger might be a lightning-fast move that
puts a dagger in the PC's heart.
Since NPCs don't have stats and action ratings, it's by the
severity of their dangers and harm (and the position of
the PC's action roll) that their capabilities are manifest in
the game.
This is something that will grow and evolve over time as
you play the game. Talk to the group about it as you go. Do
you want a more deadly, high-stakes, kind of game? Then
PCs and NPCs should threaten lethal harm all the time.
Injuries are bloody and leave permanent scars. Do you want
a more cinematic, adventurous kind of game? Then describe
dangers with less dire consequences. People are "left for dead."

16

how to use the system part ii

Explosions make you look cool when you dive out of the way.
You don't have to decide on one approach and stick to it. Be
flexible and let it change over time according to what the
group is most excited about.

No Whiffing

Every time you roll the dice in Blades, the situation changes.
There's no such thing as a "nothing happens" result from a
roll. How does this work?
The "failure" results for action rolls (1-3) are not simply
"misses." The character's action has a tangible outcome.
Something happens which changes the character's
circumstances. On a controlled failure, the character spots
a flaw in their approach, and can decide to withdraw or push
their luck with a risky move. On a risky failure, the character's
action fails, but the threat hits them. Things get worse. On
a desperate failure, the threat dominates and makes the
situation much worse.
In each case, the player gets a choice to push their luck and try
again. It's more dangerous, but if the player cares enough to
keep trying (and facing dangers) they can overcome a string
of unlucky rolls and achieve success at a cost.
Also, remember that an effect roll always makes progress. Even
on a 1-3 result, you have some effect, and tick 1-segment if a
clock is involved. There aren't any "zero segment" outcomes.
When describing a character's effect, something concrete
always happens. They don't just swing and miss, or try to
persuade but get ignored, or any other kind of null result.
The action has an effect.
Your punch connects with a meaty thud. They stagger for
a moment but don't go down. They snarl and grapple you!
She looks at you sideways, "You want me to tell you that? I
don't know, love... you're asking quite a lot. What's in it for me?"
You slip past the sentry near the stairs, but before you can
get further into the house, another patrol rounds the corner
ahead, lanterns held high. You barely squeeze into a dark
alcove before the light hits you.

A bad effect roll can't "undo" a successful action roll. If you

try to sneak past a guard and roll a 6+, but then roll a 1-3 on
effect, the guard doesn't spot you. You already did it without
danger as a result of the action roll. The low effect roll just
means that this problem isn't solved yet. You're not free and
clear of this problem yet; there's more left to do. But so far
you've done it without trouble.

How to Choose an Action

When an action roll is called for, the character is usually

already in motion, doing something in the fiction. This thing
they're doing will almost always determine which specific
action rating to roll. However, a player is free to revise their
character's action in order to use a different action rating, as
long as the character performs the new action in the fiction.

Failing Gracefully

The system of Blades in the Dark is designed to fail gracefully.

That is, if you just use the core action roll and forget extra details
or special cases, it will be okay. The game will sail along just fine.
The game is better when you use all the details, but the whole
thing doesn't come crashing down if you don't.
If you want to ease in to the system in play, just start with the action
roll. Then, when something bad happens to a PC and they want
to resist it, add effect rolls. When the group starts asking about
teamwork and helping each other, bring in the teamwork moves.
When they wonder about how much loot they get and how their
crew rises in the underworld, bring in the development and faction
stuff. Don't feel like you have to explain everything up front.
The same goes for the fiction. Don't feel like you have to get
everything perfectly right every time. If you say something
about an NPC and then realize later that it was wrong, just
revise it. No big deal.
"I told you that Trayga was seen at the docks, but that was all
wrong. I was thinking of someone else. It was supposed to be Arlo."

For example, Nox wants to sneak in to the secret meeting

room of the Circle of Flame. The GM asks her how she does
that and Nox's player says she'll climb the outside of the
tower and slip in through a window. Climbing is a Prowl
action, so that's what she'll roll.

"Oh! Well that changes things. Okay, got it."

Nox's player can change her mind at this point, and say,
"Hmmm... I'm not good at Prowl. I want to climb in
using Slip, instead. It's like I'm slipping my way in, right?"
No. Nox can certainly use Slip to sneak in through
misdirection or subtle action but Nox cannot "use
Slip" to climb the tower. The action of climbing is... well,
climbing. Athletic moves like that are the Prowl action. If
Nox wants to Slip, instead, that's fine, but that means she
is not climbing the tower.

"Oh, sure. But that means you would have been heavy loaded
when you bluffed the butler, right? Kinda hard to hide that."

In other words, a player is free to choose the action they use

to overcome an obstacle, but their character must perform
that action. You can't freely substitute the rating of one action
while doing another (unless you have the Slide's Adaptation
special ability).

What's true for the PCs is true for the NPCs, and vice versa. If
you establish that the Whisper PC is the only one who can talk
to the ghost they summoned (due to a special "summoning
language" that binds them together), then that fact becomes
true for NPC-summoned ghosts, as well.

And also:
"Oh, dammit, I would have totally brought my wrecker tools on
this job. I forgot to mark it. Can I have them anyway?"

"Oh, yeah, right. Can I just take 1 stress and we call it good?"
"Works for me. It's not a big deal."
Fly casual. If you're not sure what to do, keep it simple. Go
with what's obvious to you. Add mechanics when you're
comfortable. Forgive each other's mistakes. Have fun.

Setting Precedents

If you establish that a skilled NPC can instantly kill an

unsuspecting victim, then the PCs can try it, too.
Each time you make a judgment call or establish new details
about the game world, they become available to everyone as
a new tool in play.

17

putting
ittogether
all together
putting it all
I like to think of the Blades system as a guitar. I've built this
thing with strings that make particular sounds, but you're
the one who plays it. You decide which chords to strum and
what kind of music comes out. Is it fast and rocking? Slow
and moody? Jangly and weird? Up to you. The system itself
gives you an instrument to play the music on, and it's distinct
from other instruments. A guitar is not a piano.
Let's look at some examples of playing chords on this guitar.

Murder in the Night

Arlyn (a PC) has found out where her enemy, Tress, sleeps.
Maybe this discovery was a long-term project that Arlyn has
been doing during her downtime. Arlyn's player says, "I'm sick
of Tress's shit. I'm gonna sneak in there tonight and kill her."

Version I

Let's say this is a minor side issue. Tress isn't that important;
just an annoying enemy NPC that needs killing. The GM says
"Yeah, well, you know where she sleeps now. It's not like she
has a fortress and guards or anything. You're using Murder,
yeah? Okay, sounds risky to me. There might be a witness
or you could leave some evidence behind or something like
that. Let's roll and see." And Arlyn's player makes an action
roll to accomplish the murder, just like that.
Maybe Arlyn makes an effect roll to resist if the danger of a
witness or evidence manifests. But they probably skip Arlyn's
effect roll on the actual murder, because no one is really that
curious about how thoroughly the murder is done. It's just
done. Simple and quick, doesn't derail the session, but gives
Arlyn's player some satisfaction. And if the roll goes badly,
with desperate follow-ups, etc. then you've just spun out some
interesting problems to deal with, and maybe Tress is a more
important enemy NPC now, too.

Version II

Let's say this murder is a fairly important thing in the

campaign. Tress isn't a big, powerful NPC, but she's an
important character and everyone is like, "Oh shit, you're
gonna kill Tress? Dang." You want to spend a little time with
it, and the other players are interested.

The GM sets the scene, describing the twisty little street

where the building with Tress's flat is. Laborers shuffle to
and from work, weak light from cheap lanterns flickers on
the cobblestones, a few vendors call out their wares of eel
pies and boot-black. Tress's window, four stories up, is dark.
"What do you do?"
And they play it out as a series of actions. First Arlyn prowls
around to a rear entrance and creeps stealthily up the stairs,
avoiding any prying eyes. Then she secures entry to the flat,
past Tress's modest lock. Then she murders Tress there in her
sleep, quiet as death.
Or maybe Arlyn just walks boldly up the stairs, kicks down
the door and kills Tress in the ensuing struggle. It's up to her
player. But since this is an important moment, the GM puts
it all in context in a little scene, with specific details, and it's
played out action by action.
Here's an aspect of the game that may be interesting if you've
played other RPGs. In Blades, the GM doesn't decide the steps
needed to kill Tress. The GM doesn't say, "Okay, first you need
to roll Prowl to sneak in. Okay, now you need to roll Secure
to pick the lock," etc. The player decides what the steps are, by
saying what their character wants to accomplish and how they
do it, which determines the action and effect rolls. The player
says, "I don't want any witnesses, so I'll Prowl around back
and sneak in." They set the goals and go after them.

Arlyn's effect rolls for her actions determine how involved

it all is. Like, maybe the GM imagines that Tress's modest
security is only a 2-segment clock (this is just in her mind,
she doesn't even bother to write it down). But if Arlyn rolls
diminished Finesse effect (1 segment) when she secures entry
then maybe the GM steps in and says, "Heh, okay. The lock
on her door is modest, but not that modest. Let's say there's
1 segment left to go. Want to keep picking the lock or do
something else?" And that complicates things slightly, since
Arlyn rolls again, with another chance for trouble to creep in.
No one has to decide ahead of time how difficult or
complicated it is to kill Tress. You just play in the moment,
using the fictional details as imagined to prompt the questions

about what Arlyn does, and then see how effectively she
does it. Each successful roll accomplishes a concrete goal
determined by the player (and affirmed by the group), leading
up to the goal of murder.

Version III

Let's say Tress is an important NPC and the whole group is

invested in getting rid of her. When Arlyn's player says, "I'm
sick of Tress's shit. I'm gonna sneak in there tonight and kill
her," the other players say, "Yes. We're going with you." The
GM asks what the plan is, and who's on point, and the murder
becomes a team operation. This is just like Version II, but with
the team at her back, Arlyn's chance of success rises and the
stress from resisting effects and such gets spread around the
team instead of concentrated on her alone.

Version IV

Just for fun, let's flip it around. Let's say that Tress is the PC
in this scenario. An enemy NPC has discovered where Tress
sleeps and decides to sneak in at night and murder her. You
can totally do this! The GM says, "You know Arlyn? That killer
who hates your guts? I guess she figured out where you sleep
because she shows up in the middle of the night to murder
you. Let's see how that goes."
This triggers an action roll for Tress, since she's facing danger
from a threat. Maybe the GM says, "You're sleeping and Arlyn
is picking the modest lock on your door. What do you do?"
The player says, "Uh... well, I'm sleeping. So... I don't know?"
Another player says, "You could discern the attack. Discern
covers 'anticipate and foresee' actions, right?" "Oh, right. Cool.
It's like a little flashback, almost. Maybe I heard a rumor or
got a weird vibe when I went to bed. I'll start with that."
And you follow the actions and effects to see where it goes.
Maybe that Discern roll is desperate, and it doesn't go well,
and Arlyn is suddenly on Tress, stabbing away, and Tress rolls
Murder or Mayhem to fight back, and rolls Force to resist the
stabbing, etc.
As GM, you can push as hard as necessary, because everything
comes down to action rolls, resistance, stress, flashbacks and all.
You can't just dictate outcomes, so everyone is on equal footing.

18

action, effect, & resistance example

arlyn vs. the red sash

1

The Situation: Arlyn (a PC) is

facing a member of the Red Sashes on
a rooftop in Crow's Foot. The Red Sash
fighter stands between her and her goal of
reaching the Lampblack's HQ to warn them
of an impending Red Sash attack.
When a PC pursues a goal that's blocked by
an obstacle or danger, you make an action
roll. Arlyn's player chooses Murder for
her action. She draws her fighting knives
and rushes at the Red Sash, attacking and
maneuvering in close combat.

The GM makes a progress clock for

this obstacle. Since the Red Sash is a
highly trained sword-fighter and has
the luxury of fighting defensively, to delay
Arlyn, it's an 8-segment clock.
Arlyn's player has described an aggressive
attack. What's her position? Everyone agrees
that it's not controlled. There's definitely
danger here. But is it risky or desperate? After
a brief discussion, the group settles on risky.
The Red Sash is a dangerous sword-fighter,
but is roughly on equal-footing with Arlyn.

Obstacle:
Red Sash
Action:
Murder

red sash
sword
fighter

If the position is risky, then Arlyn is

facing danger. What is it? Why is this
risky? Everyone agrees that it's the
obvious thing: the Red Sash will threaten an
injury to Arlyn. If she was taking her time
and probing for an opening first, maybe
the risk would be different. If she had the
longer weapon with more reach, perhaps she
wouldn't have to charge in. But as it stands,
the Red Sash can threaten a wound with their
longsword right out of the gate. Arlyn's player
accepts the risk and rolls the dice.

Arlyn's player makes an action roll

using Murder rating (plus any bonus
dice) and gets a 5. She successfully
makes her attack, but also faces the danger
at hand. She rolls for her effect using her
Force rating (plus any bonus dice) and
gets a 4. Arlyn makes 2 ticks of progress on
the clock. Then she rolls to resist the danger
of the Red Sash's counter-attack (using her
Force rating again) and gets a 5. She can
resist the harm if she takes 2 stress, or she
can instead suffer a lasting effect.

Position: Risky

Action Roll: 5

Effect Roll: 4

The danger is, the Red

Sash fighter inflicts
a wound with their
longsword.

You do it, but face the

effect of the danger.

Partial: 2 segments.
Resistance Roll: 5
Partial: 2 stress.

red sash
sword
fighter

stress
This sequence of position, action, effect, and resistance continues
until the situation changes, or Arlyn overcomes the obstacle, or
she's taken out of the fight (by a serious lasting effect).

Arlyn either takes 2 stress or suffers a lasting effect and

records it on her sheet, as seen below.
lasting effects

19

advancement
advancement & coin & coin
It would be a terrible shame if Madame Tesslyn's
lotus supply went up in flames, wouldn't it? Such
a waste of quality product. Of course, if such
a tragedy were to happen, I would be only too
happy to accommodate her clientele while she got
back on her feet. And the arsonist would warrant
some measure of my gratitude as well.
Rolan Volaris

Scores

One way you advance the level of your crew is by executing criminal
jobs that suit your crew type. These activities are called scores. A
score is one operation one smuggling run, one rogue spirit hunt, one
assassination, one jewel heist, etc. If the operation was profitable (you got
the reward you were going for), you count it as advancement for the crew.

Development

Your scoundrels and crew didn't just spring into existence tonight. You
have a complex history of favors, commitments, debts, and promises that
got you where you are today. To reflect this, after each score, you roll dice
to find out how much hold they gain, how much of their hard-won riches
they manage to hold on to, and what past entanglements come calling.
See Heat & Development Rolls on page 29.
The game will naturally flow from executing a score, to downtime, to
development, to dealing with old debts, and then moving on to a new score.

PC Advancement

At the end of each session, each player does all of the following:
Ask the other players which action category your character best
embodied during the previous session (Blade, Book, Cloak, or Mask).
Mark 1 advancement tick in that category.
Choose one advancement category (actions, effect, or playbook) to
which your character devotes their personal training time. Mark
1 advancement tick in that category. If your crew has the Training
upgrade for that category, mark +1 advancement tick.
Review your playbook advancement items, and mark 1 playbook
advancement tick for each item that you did during the previous session.
If you've done the same item multiple times, you can take multiple ticks.
When you mark 4 action category ticks, clear the ticks and add a
dot to one of the actions in that category. (Level 3 and level 4 skills are
locked until you get the Expertise and Mastery crew training upgrades.)
When you mark 6 playbook advancement ticks, clear the ticks and
choose a new playbook special ability, or add +1 to an effect rating,
or add two items from another playbook to your list of item options.
You may spend any ticks you have for desperate moves to supplement
other advancement ticks. For example, if you have 1 tick in Blade and 3
ticks in desperate moves, you can combine those ticks (4 total) to add a
new Blade action dot. You can't spend desperate move ticks on their own.

Crew Advancement
At the end of each session:

Review the crew advancement items, and mark 1 advancement tick

for each item that you did during the previous session. If you've done
the same item multiple times, you can take multiple ticks.
When you mark 6 crew advancement ticks, clear the ticks and choose
two (a given item may be chosen twice):
ffA new crew upgrade.
ffIncrease one of your crew effects by 1 (except Renown).
ffAdd a new special ability.
In addition, each PC gets 1 coin (+2 per crew tier) as their share
of the profits, which they may keep as spendable currency on hand or
permanently stash away for retirement. A character can hold up to 2
personal coin. Any excess must be stashed or spent immediately.

Coin

When the crew completes a profitable score, they're rewarded with coin.
Coin is an abstract measure of significant wealth. The few silver pieces
the scoundrels use in their daily lives are not tracked. If a scoundrel wants
to toss a few silver around to achieve something, roll the Supply action.
You can spend coin 1-for-1 to increase the result level of any Acquire
Asset, Reduce Heat, Recovery, Project, or Gather Information roll. (So a
1-3 becomes a 4/5, a 4/5 becomes a 6, etc.). You can do this after the roll.
1 coin: A coffer of silver pieces. A fine artwork. A handful of
common jewels. The monthly take of a small business.
2 coin: A fine piece of art. An exquisite jewel.
3 coin: The monthly take of a thriving business.
4 coin: Liquidating a significant asseta boat, a property deed.
More than 4 coin is an impractical amount to keep lying around. If
the crew has a vault, they can store up to 8 coin, otherwise any coin
beyond 4 must be spent as soon as possible, or distributed among the
crew members.
1 parcel of silver coins or other bulk currency takes up 1 item slot
when carried.

20

downtime
downtime
The bone must be reset, Im afraid. Here,
breathe this black lotus vapor while I consult
Edvards treatise on anatomy.
Melvir Kepp

Crew Downtime

NPC Downtime

summary

Recover from lasting effects.

Plan an operation to: generate +1 hold, to make an enemy

vulnerable, or to inflict -1 hold on a vulnerable enemy.

When you have downtime between operations,

the crew recovers from lasting effects (like
injuries), restores their armor, and indulges in
vice to clear stress.
Each PC also gets the option to take a special
downtime action, like working on a long-term
project, reducing heat on the crew, or acquiring
an asset for the next score.

When you're not pursuing a score, your crew can spend some time
recovering and dealing with other issues. During a downtime phase,
each crew member may do all of the following:
Indulge your vice to clear stress.

The NPC crews and factions also do things when you take downtime.
The GM advances their project clocks and chooses a downtime
action for each faction that they're interested in at the moment:

Restore all of your armor.

Execute an operation (above).

In addition, choose one extra downtime action, which may include

the actions above as well as:

Gather information on the PCs (may be opposed by a PC roll).

Achieve a short-term objective they're in position to accomplish.

fWork
f
on a long-term project.

Acquire a new asset.

fReduce
f
heat on the crew.

GM: Take downtime actions and advance clocks for the factions
you're interested in right now. Don't worry about the rest. Later,
when you turn your attention to a faction you've ignored for a while,
go ahead and give them several downtime actions and clock ticks
to "catch up" to current events.

fAcquire
f
use of an asset (including hiring +1 scale worth of people
for one of your gangs).
A PC can take several downtime phases in a row, but each additional
downtime costs 1 coin or 1 hold. When you complete a score,
you reset and get a "free" downtime phase again.
See page 28 for the rules for all the downtime rolls.
GM: If a player can't decide which special downtime move to pick,
offer them a project idea. You know what the player is interested
in and what they like. Suggest a project that will head in a fun
direction for them.
You got that weird vision when you were messing around with
the altar to the Forgotten Gods, remember? You want to get to
the bottom of that, probably. Okay, start a project8 segments
called... "Weird God Vibes." What do you do to work on that?

21

gm
gm: goals, principles, & actions
GM Goals

This is what you're trying to accomplish when you run the game.
Play to find out what happens. Don't steer the game toward
certain outcomes or events. Be curious!
Bring Duskwall to life. Give each location a specific aspect
(crowded, cold, wet, dim, etc.). Give each NPC a name,
detail and a preferred method of problem solving (threats,
bargaining, violence, etc.). Give each action context the
knife fight is on rickety wooden stairs; the informant huddles
among the wreckage of the statue of the Weeping Lady; the
Lampblacks' lair stinks of black lotus smoke.
Convey the fictional world honestly. Spirits are terrifying.
Friends are really friends they'll help when they can but it
cuts both ways. If someone is reasonable, they'll listen to reason.
Don't keep pointless secrets so you can "reveal" them later. Let
it come out when it comes out. Find reasons to reveal the cool
things in your head.

hollows, weird sounds, arcane energies, and strange cults

everywhere. How does the haunted city manifest here?

Surround them with industrial sprawl. Duskwall is crowded

with factories and their choking soot clouds, buzzing electric
lights, ironworks, clanking machines.
Consider the risk. Think about the risks and dangers inherent
in most things the scoundrels do. A risky move is the default
action almost all the time. When they've taken great care and
are building on successes, they might make controlled moves.
When they have to improvise off the cuff or when they're in
over their heads, they're probably making desperate moves.
Go with your gut. Call the positions as you see them, but be
open to revision.

GM Actions

The player characters have sixteen actions they use. You have
actions, too. When it's your turn to contribute to the game, and
you're not sure what to do, look at your list of actions and pick one.

GM Principles

First and foremost, ask questions.

Be a fan of the PCs. Present the world honestly things really

are stacked against them but don't make yourself the enemy
of the PCs. They have enemies enough. Be interested in the
characters and excited about their victories.

When things are getting started:

Let everything flow from the fiction. The game's starting

situations and your opening scene will put things in motion.
Ask how the characters react and see what happens next. NPCs
react according to their goals and methods. Events snowball.
You don't need to "manage" the game. Action, reaction, and
consequences will drive everything.
Hold on lightly. Rewind, revise, and reconsider events as
needed to accommodate the action of the game.
Address the characters. "Silver, where do you go to look for
the Red Sashes?" not "Sara, where does Silver go?" This puts
Silver front and centerhis preferences, desires, and style.
Silver comes to life as a character.
Address the players. "Sara, how do you want to handle this?"
not "How does Silver do that?" This puts Sara front and center
her preferences, desires, and style. Sara can consider what
she wants, then filter it through Silver.
Paint the world with a haunted brush. There are ghosts and

What plan did you make?

Who scouted it out? (fill in the plan detail)
Who's on point? (cut to the action)
And when things are underway:
How do you do that? (which action do you use?)
What's your goal? (which effect do you want?)
Cut to the moment of crisis. When they say, "We should break
in to the Dimmer Sisters' house," say "Okay, sounds like a plan.
Infiltration? Okay, what's the point of entry?" Then, when they
answer, "All right, so you're on the rooftop of the fabric store
across the alley from their house. It's quiet and dark in there.
Who's on point?"

they can react in time, they can make an action roll. If they're
hit with trouble, they can roll to resist it. Go ahead and say,
"The Unseen told you what would happen if you interfered.
They firebomb your lair while you're sleeping." The players
will interrupt, flashback, scramble and deal with it! It'll be fun.

Tell them the consequences and ask. "Yeah, you can totally
smash him. But he'll remember this. And he's friends with
Inspector Krop, remember? Still want to do it?"
Offer a devil's bargain. Think of a fun complication or reckless
decision. Offer them the bonus die in exchange. If you don't
have a good idea, you can offer the devil's die in exchange for
heat or stress.
Show the downside of their vice. Take a look at the purveyors
of vice (p. 35). How do their connections factor in to the
current situation in a problematic way?
Make a progress clock or tick one down. Keep a stack of
index cards handy. Make clocks like crazy! Keep them out
where everyone can see.
Ask the players. Ask them if this seems desperate. Ask
them where their character eats their meals. Ask them who
their character slept with last. Ask them questions they can
answer from within their character's POV things they know,
suspect, experienced, or hope for.
Actions ripple through the network. Every event has
consequences, good and bad. What one faction loves, another
hates. How is a certain faction connected to this? How might
they know about it?
Think off-screen. What's happening elsewhere? Put it on
screen. Show something only the audience sees.

After every GM move, ask "What do you do?"

Telegraph trouble before it strikes. Show them a threat that's

about to hit, then ask them what they do. Then it's easy to know
what's at stake when they roll.
Follow through and hit them hard. You've telegraphed the
threat, so go ahead and follow through when it hits. Players
have several tools at their disposal to deal with adversity. If

22

gm
gm: best practices
Convey the ongoing fictional space as accurately as is
desirable for this group. Be concise. Use small details
when they help to convey a bigger picture.

Lead an interesting conversation. The game is nothing but

a conversation between you and the players. The goal of the
conversation is to answer the question "What happens now?"
in the most engaging way possible. The most interesting
conversations are those that are curiousasking questions
and prompting ideasrather than dogmatic or one-sided.
Be curious about what the other players have to say.
Create an atmosphere of inquiry at the table. This
means you play to find out what happens, not to make
sure something specific happens. Will they go to war
with the Fog Hounds? Is Nyla badass enough to take out
the thugs by herself? Can they avoid or predict Casta's
betrayal? Play to find out. Don't contrive events ahead
of time or manipulate play to bring them about.
Ask questions to lead the assessment of the fictional
space when engaging the mechanics. "Which of the
position profiles matches your situation here? Taking a
calculated risk, or is it a reckless move?"
Help the players use the game system to pursue the
goals of the characters. Don't let them flounder. When
they have a goal, ask them about any opportunities they
have to pursue it. Present two possible approaches from
that opportunity and ask if they want to choose one or
invent a third way.
Don't block. It's not your job to say "you can't do that."
You're not the sole authority on what the characters can
and cannot do. Instead, ask them: "You need to create an
opportunity to attempt that, right?" Ask them how they
might create an opportunity they need. Don't block. Show
them that there's a path to their goal, even if it might be
a long or dangerous one.
Earn the trust of the group by being a supportive and
fair advocate of the integrity of the fiction. It's your job
to portray a fictional world with integrity, not one that's
contrived and "set up" for particular outcomes. When
you advocate for something, the players know that you
do so on behalf of this integrity, not to get your way or
to arrange situations to your liking.

Keep the meta channel open. When you portray an

NPC, tell the players things that are going unsaid. Invite
them to ask their Gather Information questions
to dig deeper. The characters have a broad spectrum of
senses and intuitions to bring to bear in the fiction; the
players have only the narrow channel of your few words.
Help them out by sharing what they might suspect, intuit,
feel, and predict.
Be a curious explorer of the game in play. Ask the
players questions to feed your own interest in the ongoing
fiction in which the PCs are the protagonists. Your game
series is a cool TV show and you're its biggest fan. When
you're curious about something that a PC says or does,
ask them about it! "I'm curious, though, when you tell
him you'd do anything to help, do you really mean that?
Anything? Are you that kind of person? Or are you just
manipulating him?" These questions will often lead to
goals, approaches, and rolls.
Advocate for the interests and capabilities of the NPCs.
Your job is to convey the fictional world accurately,
remember? Believable NPCs with interests and capabilities
make for a more compelling fictional world. Don't be a
push over. When the PCs take action against an NPC,
remind the players of their interests and capabilities. "But
Quellyn won't just go along with all this, right? They're a
witch, wanted by the spirit wardens. How are you going to
contend with that?" When the PCs act in alignment with
the interests of NPCs, remind the players of their support
and friendship.
Bring the elements of the game system to life on screen
(especially effects). When an NPC is influenced,
what does that look like? When a PC is hunted by the
guards, what fictional details convey that change in their
situation? Ask the other players for ideas if you want to.
"Do they come rushing over with lantern lights trained
on you?" "Oh, no, maybe they have electric lights here,
and they all come on with a massive crackle of energy."

23

gm
gm: techniques & bad habits
Play Goal-Forward.

Poll the group about what goal they're pursuing, either in

the bigger picture of the game (best used at the beginning
of a session) or in this microcosm of the present moment
(best used when things are underway and the situation is
snowballing). Once you know the goal, have a conversation
about opportunities, actions, and effects. The pursuit of
opportunities and positions to enable certain approaches,
the acquisition of information and resources, and the nested
conflicts and that result will drive the action of the game.
What are you trying to accomplish? Do you have an
opportunity to do that? How do you want to go about it?
Follow this chain of events as actions and consequences play
out. Let the players lead where the game goes next.

Cut to the Action

Solicit a goal and plan, then cut to the action and use dice
rolls to move the situation forward. Don't be afraid to resolve
something! They want to eliminate Ulf Ironborn and then
they plan it and do it, despite the odds and dangers? It's done.
Don't string things out.

Put it in Context

The game is a conversation between the real people at the

table, but the action happens in the fictional space. Always
place actions and effects in the fictional context. Where is it
happening? Who's there? What's the vibe? What interesting
details distinguish this context as the haunted industrialfantasy world of Duskwall?

Put it on Screen

The game is a conversation, but roleplaying can still be a

visual medium in the imagination. Take every opportunity
you can to bring the game to life in the minds of the players.
Describe the action as if it's on screen in a TV show. What
does that look like on screen?

Put it on a card.

Use index cards for NPCs, locations, job offers, leads, etc.
It's easy to lose track of things if you don't have a record of
it. By putting important things on index cards, everyone can
see them spread out on the table and incorporate them into
the game.

Bad Habits. Avoid These!

Don't Roll Twice for the Same Thing

Calling for a specific action roll. This bad habit usually

happens if you've GM'd other games where this is kinda
your job. You might say, "Give me a Murder roll," or "That's
a Consort check" or whatever. Don't do that! Get used to
saying this, instead: "How do you do that?" Ask them
which action they use.

When a PC faces danger, they make an Action roll. Also, you

can roll Resistance to avoid a bad outcome. However, don't
roll twice for the exact same thing.

Letting planning get out of hand. Some players will plan

an operation forever if no one stops themeven if they hate
doing it! They think it's worth the trouble if they can cover
every potential issue or avoid some bad outcome. This is
not how Blades in the Dark works. Everything is resolved
by action and effect rolls, so get to them! If someone has
a cool maneuver or idea, that's great, but, at best, it's still
a controlled action roll. They can't plan and discuss their
way out of making the rolls. An idea is not execution.
Not giving them what they earn. If they get into position,
make the roll, and have their effect, they get what they
earned. Don't weasel out of it! Things are hard enough
on them already. Don't be a skinflint about victories;
defeats will come without your thumb on the scales. The
scoundrels are at the bottom of the faction ladder, but that
doesn't mean they're ineffective. It means they needs lots
and lots of victories to make it. They're good at the game,
they just started out with negative points on the board.
Saying no. There's always a better answer than "no" or "you
can't do that." Offer a devil's bargain! "So... you want to
seduce the most experienced madame in the city. Uh huh.
Okay then. That's desperate, with a -1d penalty. And here's
my bargain: regardless of how this goes, you fall in love with
her." Or tell them to start the first phase of a long-term
project clock. That's what they're there for. "You want to
trace every contraband route into Duskwall? Okay, start a
long-term clock. The first phase is... 'Assemble the list of
all the contraband dealers.'" Saying no is boring.

For example, Arlyn is dueling a Red Sash on the roof. The

Red Sash drives her back with a flurry of feints and slashes,
and there's a danger that Arlyn will be forced over the edge
during the skirmish. Arlyn's player makes an Action roll to
see how her counter-attack goes and if the danger manifests.
She rolls badly and the danger manifests. This means that
Arlyn is forced over the edge and falls off the roof.
But she can roll to resist, right? Yes. She can resist the harm
that results from the fall. But she shouldn't roll to resist being
forced over the edge. That's already been determined by her
Action roll. The resistance roll answers "how bad is the fall?"
Does she simply take some stress and catch herself on a railing
on the way down, or does she end up with a lasting effect as
she breaks her leg when she hits the street?
Here's another example: Cross is sneaking into the Red Sash's
temple, trying to elude the notice of their guards. He rolls
Prowl and gets a result that the danger manifests. A guard
notices him! But how much? How alerted is he? Cross's player
can roll to resist the effect. If he pays the resulting stress cost,
then the guard hasn't raised the alarm or seen Cross's face, but
the danger did manifest as a result of the Action roll. So what
happens? This is the classic case where the guard and his partner
say, "Hey, did you see that?" "What?" "Something over there by
the pillar." "Probably nothing." "Yeah, I'm gonna check, though."
If Cross's own Effect roll is enough to overcome the obstacle,
then he hears that conversation in the distance behind him as
he slips inside the temple. If he hasn't overcome the obstacle
yet, then he's hidden behind the pillar as the guard strolls
over to investigate.
In other words, the Action roll determines whether a danger
manifests or not. The Resistance roll determines how much of
that danger manifests or how bad it is. Don't roll both Action
and Resistance to determine the same thing. Each roll has a
concrete result that affects the situation.

24

duskwall notables

gm reference
gm goals

Names Adric, Aldo, Amison, Andrel, Arcy, Arden, Arilyn, Arquo,

The Eye, anonymous leader of The Unseen. The Hand,

chief lieutenant. Groll, a mid-level thug with ambitions.

Arvus, Ashlyn, Birch, Bird, Branon, Brace, Brance, Brena, Bricks, Candra,
Canter, Carissa, Carro, Casslyn, Cavelle, Chime, Clave, Coil, Corille,
Cross, Crowl, Cyrene, Daphnia, Drav, Edlun, Emeline, Flint, Frog,
Frost, Grine, Helles, Hix, Holtz, Hook, Kamelin, Keel, Kelyr, Kobb,
Kristov, Laudius, Lauria, Lenia, Lizete, Lorette, Lucella, Lynthia, Mara,
Milos, Mist, Moon, Morlan, Myre, Nail, Narcus, Naria, Needle, Noggs,
Odrienne, Orlan, Phin, Polonia, Pool, Potch, Quess, Remira, Ring,
Roethe, Sesereth, Sethla, Silver, Skannon, Skeever, Skinner, Song, Stavrul,
Stev, Syra, Talitha, Tesslyn, Thena, Thistle, Thorn, Timoth, Tocker, Una,
Vauri, Veleris, Veretta, Vestine, Vey, Volette, Vond, Weaver, Wester.

Lyssa, a crime boss. Cold and calculating. Killed her

former boss, Roric.

Family Names: Brogan, Tyrconnell, Dunvil, Comber, Millar, Slane,

Strangford, Dalmore, Edrad, Lomond, Clelland, Arran, Scapa, Kinclaith,
Coleburn, Penalten, Strathmill, Haig, Morriston, Penderyn, Danfield,
Hellyers, Walund, Templeton, Michter, Bowman, Prichard, Keel, Wathen,
Clermont, Rowan, Booker.

Lady Devira, a city magistrate on the payroll of criminals.

Ask questions!

Looks Man, Woman, Ambiguous, Concealed.

Elstera Avrathi, resident diplomat of Iruvia.

When things are getting started:

What plan did you make? (and what's
the detail?)
Who's on point?

Affable
Brooding
Bright
Dark
Fair

Play to find out what happens.

Bring Duskwall to Life.
Convey the world honestly.

gm principles

Be a fan of the PCs.

Let everything flow from the fiction.
Hold on lightly.
Address the characters.
Address the players.
Paint the world with a haunted brush.
Surround them with industrial sprawl.
Consider the risk.

gm actions

And when things are underway:

How do you do that? (which action
do you use?)
What's your goal? (which effect do
you want?)
Cut to the moment of crisis.
Telegraph trouble before it strikes.
Tell them the consequences and ask.
Offer a devil's bargain.
Show the downside of their vice.
Make a progress clock or tick one down.
Ask the players.
Actions ripple through the network.
Think off-screen.

Worn
Lean
Wiry
Huge
Chiseled

Athletic
Stout
Scarred
Rough
Striking

Lovely
Handsome
Slim
Delicate
Bony

Plump
Squat
Weathered
Cold
Sad

Stern
Open
Languid
Calm
Fierce

Ulf Ironborn, a brutal Skovlander, looking to seize a ward.

Mylera Klev, leader of the Red Sash gang. Prizes fine art.
Baszo Baz, leader of the Lampblacks. A lover of whisky.
Merrul Brime, a secrets broker, proprietor of the
Hooded Fox.
Mordis, a merchant of the night market. A fence. Hides
his true appearance under a heavy robe and hood.
Taffer, a merchant of the night market. A cultist.
Grel Oro, a merchant of the night market. A smuggler.
Kurt Skyhold, resident diplomat of Skovlan.
Tyrsin Nol, resident diplomat of Severos.
Andris, a spy and informant with flexible loyalties.
Krop, a constable of the watch. Refuses bribes.
Lewit, Jol, Cinda, Reyf, bluecoats of the watch.
Rolan Wot, a judge-inspector. Rooting out corruption.

vice

Casslyn Mora, a judge with family ties to criminals.

When they overindulge or spend coin, their purveyor may

offer them a lead on a new score.

Belindra, a jailor of Ironhook Prison.

Ereth Skane, an advocate with unseemly vices.
Denkirk Sol, an advocate with surprising scruples.

flashback stress costs

0 Stress for a normal action for which you had easy
opportunity.
1 Stress for a complex action or unlikely opportunity.
2 Stress for an elaborate action which involved
several special opportunities or contingencies.

Polix, attache to the Lord Governor of Duskwall. A secret

spiritualist and rune-binder.
Nyryx and Hoxan, rogue spirits possessing the bodies of
streetwalkers, looking for a whisper to serve.
Levyra, a spirit medium.
Kember, a distiller of essences and potions, proprietor of
the Devils Tooth.
Raffello, a master painter obsessed with the unnatural.

What do you do?

teamwork: on point

The Dimmer Sisters. People say theyre witches who

drink blood. Never seen outside their home.

Lannic, an expert art forger.

teamwork: backup

Lead a group action.

Face an effect for the

character on point.

Overcome a group problem.

Assist another character.

Set up another character.

Follow through on a setup.

gather information

planning

downtime

What do they intend to do?

What might I suspect based
on this?
What's the danger here?
Where could I go to find X?
Ask about a detail for a
plan.

Choose the plan the characters have

made, establish a detail, cut to the action.
Assault plan: Point of attack.
Deception plan: Method.
Infiltration plan: Entry point.
Occult plan: Arcane power.
Social plan: Social connection.

Choose your carried Items.

Restore your Armor.
Recover & indulge your Vice.
and choose 1:
Reduce heat on the crew.
Work on a project clock.
Acquire an asset.

city wards (richest to poorest)

Whitecrown
Brightstone
Six Towers
Charterhall
Nightmarket
Silkshore

Coalridge
The Docks
Crows Foot
Dunslough
Barrowcleft
Charhollow

locations

Undercross
Echo Gardens
The Night Market
The Canals
Chalk Street Bridge
Candle Street Bridge
Gaddoc Rail Station
Heartbreak Square
The Anvilworks
Black Circle
Cathedral Hill
Bellweather Crematorium
Ironhook Prison

taverns

The Hooded Fox

The Hook & Line
The Leaky Bucket
The Four Roses
The Devils Tooth
The Black Tree
The Cat & Candle
The Broken Anchor
The Red Lamp
The Nail & Bottle
The Six Arms
The Silver Keel
The Old Rasp
The Moons Daughter
The Rabbits Foot
The Harping Monkey

action roll bonus dice

+ Assist (They take 1 stress)
+ Devil's Bargain.
Background (Action)

+ Fine Item (Effect)

starting
the game
starting the game
Explain the Situation
Read or summarize the info on page 6.

Make Characters and the Crew

Follow the procedures on page 31 and page 38. Ask some of these
questions while they do it:
Have you ever been locked up? For what crime?
Why did you become a scoundrel?
How did you join this crew? Did another member vouch for you?
Were you a founding member?
What's your vice? What is it, specifically? (what kind of drug,
etc.) Why does that thing consume you?
Who do you trust the most on the crew? Who do you trust the
least? What's that about? Or will we find out in play?
Has [faction] ever tried to recruit you ? What happened? You,
uh, don't secretly work for them, do you?

The First Scene

After they make characters and the crew, tell them this:
You're in the office of the Lampblack's leader, Bazso Baz. He
wants your answer. Are you with them, or against them? What
do you say? Will you side with the Lampblacks? Will you just
pretend to? (Good luck, Bazso is very sharp). Will you tell him
to fuck off?
Are you actually here to kill him for the Red Sashes? (If so, do a
flashback and pick a plan for the assassination.)
Play Bazso. React to their answer how he'd react. If they're with
him, he has the perfect assignment for thiefy types like them: go
steal the Red Sashes treasury from their vault. If they're against
him, he says he's very sorry to hear that. They better get off his turf
and stay out of the war, or they're all dead. He threatens them with
easy confidence. What are they gonna do?

The Next Scenes

Play the NPCs. Mylera, Bazso, and Lyssa all have thiefy things that
need doing, so they'll offer the PCs jobs (until the PCs make an
enemy of them, of course). Use the scores tables on page 40 for
ideas. Also, each faction is vulnerable to thievery in some way.
How can the players use their crew's strengths to profit from this
situation? Ask them how they want to gather information, which
leads to a plan (or vice versa).

Score I

Don't waste time waffling around. Give them straightforward

avenues to pursue at first. "Do you want to rob the Crow's card
game on Bell street? It's probably not defended much right now."

Who's on point?

There are three sample starting scores, at right. Offer those, ask them
which they want to pursue. Ask them to pick a plan and provide
the detail, then ask who's on point, and get to it.

Score II

The Campaign

This quick start isn't really meant for a campaign, but, you can easily
play out the consequences of the starting situation over several
sessions. Who ends up running the ward? Do the PCs use the
situation to rise up in the faction ranks? Do they manage to play for
all three sides, or do they have to take a stand? Plenty of material
to work with there.

One of the gang leaders (Bazso Baz or

Mylera) offers you a score: Go rob the
treasury of their rival.
Where is it? Maybe it's a secret.
What's the plan? Provide the detail.

One of the gang leaders (Bazso Baz or

Mylera) offers you a score: Plant this strange
artifact somewhere in their rival's HQ.
What does it do? It's covered in weird
runes and makes your head go swimmy
when you hold it in your hand. Want to
bother to find out what it is, or not?
What's the plan? Provide the detail.
Who's on point?

Score III
Lyssa is vulnerable. She needs assistance if
she's gonna seize control of the ward.
Steal some loot and bring it to her to help
her pay for bribes and thugs to seize the
ward. Profit and status both, for you.
What's the plan? Provide the detail.
Who's on point?

26

action, effect & resistance rolls

action roll
1d for each Action dot.

+1d if the target matches your

Background.

Desperate

Risky

Controlled

Crit: You do it and avoid the danger.

Crit: You do it with increased effect (+1

effect result level).

Crit: You do it with increased effect (+1

level) and you may create an additional
opportunity that follows on from this
action.

You take a huge risk on a slim chance.

Youre stuck in a bad position. You face
a threat thats out of your league.

You face a dangerous opponent on equal

footing. You act under fire. You take a
calculated risk.

+ +1d for the Devils Bargain

6: You do it but the danger manifests.

+ +1d for Backup (they take stress).

4/5: Things go badly. The danger manifests.

You must abandon this approach or try
again by taking a bigger risk and rolling a
desperate move.

6: You do it and avoid the danger. or you

may choose to overreach and get +1 effect
level but also face effect from the danger.

1-3: It gets worse! First, you face a more

potent effect from the danger (-1 to your
resistance result level). Then, choose:
Abandon this goal (you cant achieve it
for now) or try again by taking a bigger
risk and rolling a desperate move.

1-3: Things go badly. First, the danger

manifests. Then, choose: Abandon this
approach (you'll have to try another way)
or try again by taking a bigger risk and
rolling a desperate move.

-1d if youre hindered by any

relevant lasting effects.

-1d if you face veteran, elite, or

well-prepared opposition.

Each time you roll a desperate move,

mark a tick of desperate move xp on your
character sheet. See page 20.

4/5: You do it but the danger manifests.

effect roll
1d for each Effect diamond .

+ +1d if you have a Fine Item.

-

-1d if your opposition is especially

resistant to this effect.

You take time to carefully execute a plan.

You hedge your bets and play it safe. You
exploit a dominant position.

6: You do it!
4/5: You do it with reduced effect (-1
level), or try for full effect by taking a
bigger risk and rolling a risky move.
1-3: You reveal a flaw in this approach
that will expose you to danger. You may
back out now (abandon this method of
action) or go ahead with it by rolling a
risky move.

resistance roll
Critical: Your effect is extreme.
6 segments.
6: Your effect is complete. 4 segments.
4/5: Your effect is partial. 2 segments.
1-3: Your effect is diminished. 1 segment.

When there's a difference in

Scale, use the modifiers at right
for Effect and Resistance rolls.
For example, when one PC fights
a small gang, they're mismatched.
When the four PCs try to defeat
the patrols and security systems of
a Tier III facility, they're outclassed.

1d for each Effect diamond .

Critical: You resist fully. 0 stress.

6: You resist it if you take 1 stress.

+ +1d if you have a Fine Item.

-

-1d if your opposition is especially

potent with this effect.

4/5: You resist it if you take 2

stress.
1-3: You resist it if you take 4
stress.

Scale (applies to effect and resistance rolls)

Mismatch: +1d if you're larger. -1d if you're smaller.
Overwhelmed: +1 result level if you're larger. -1 result level if you're smaller.
Outclassed: Larger gets critical effect. Smaller has a diminished effect.
If larger size is a hindrance, reverse the large / small modifiers above.

downtime rolls
recovery roll
1d for each Action dot.
Increase the rolled result level by +1
for each parcel of coin you spend.

acquire asset roll

Critical: Tick 6 segments of
recovery.

1d for each Supply action dot.

6: Tick 4 segments of recovery.

Increase the rolled result level by +1

for each parcel of coin you spend.

4/5: Tick 2 segments of recovery.

1-3: Tick 1 segment of recovery.

Heal Thyself

You may attend to yourself but its far from

ideal. You suffer 1 stress.

When you recover, you treat one type of harm

physical, social, occult, etc. If you have
several different types of harm to recover, you
must take additional downtime actions.

vice roll
1d for each Vice rating.

Increase the rolled result level by +1

if you choose an overindulgence.

6: You acquire a fine asset.

4/5: You acquire a standard asset.
1-3: The asset isn't available right now.

Temporary Use

When you acquire an asset this way, its for one use only. This may be a single instance (like
pouring a vial of poison into a goblet, or luring a rogue ghost into a spirit bottle) or a single period
of use (like hiring a boat for a couple hours).

reduce heat roll

Critical: You clear 6 stress.

1d for each Renown rating.

6: You clear 4 stress.

Increase the rolled result level by +1
for each parcel of coin you spend.

Critical: You may acquire a rare or

unusual form of a fine asset.

6: Reduce heat level by 3.

4/5: You clear 2 stress.

Increase the rolled result level by +1

for each parcel of coin you spend.

1-3: You clear 1 stress.

Leads: If you spend coin or overindulge, the
purveyor will be willing to discuss a lead on a
new criminal job, if youre interested.

1d for each Action dot.

Bad Rep. You let word get around about your
vice problem. Lose one status level with your
least understanding faction connection until you
assure them that youre reliable. Mark the status
box with a slash to show the temporary reduction.

Tapped. You really overdo it. Your current

purveyor cuts you off and you need to find a
new source for your vice.

Lost. You lose yourself in your vice. Play a different

character (maybe "graduate" one of the NPCs from
your crew's units to PC status) until this one returns.

4/5: Reduce heat level by 2.

1-3: Reduce heat level by 1.

work on a long-term project

Overindulgences
Broke. You pawn off your assets to pay for a
massive indulgence in your vice. Lose access
to all but one of your personal items or gear
(its your choice which one to keep) until you
next complete a profitable job.

Critical: Reduce heat level by 4.

When you have downtime, each PC restores all of their armor, rolls to recover from lasting effects,
and rolls to indulge their vice. They may choose one additional action from the rolls on this page.

Increase the rolled result level by +1

for each parcel of coin you spend.

Critical: Advance the project clock

by 6 segments.
6: Advance the clock by 4 segments.
4/5: Advance the clock by 2 segments.
1-3: Advance the clock by 1 segment.

A character may perform additional downtime actions, for

1 coin or 1 hold each.

heat & development rolls

heat roll

When you complete a score

Roll dice based on the events of last

session:

Critical: The crew takes 6 heat.

1d Smooth & quiet. Low exposure.

4/5: The crew takes 2 heat.

2d Under control. Medium exposure.

3d Loud & chaotic. High exposure.
4d Wild. Devastating exposure.

+ +1d if killing was involved.

+1 result level for a high profile
target.

6: The crew takes 4 heat.

1-3: The crew takes 1 heat.

development roll
1d for each crew Resources effect
diamond.

Crime Pays
Set the default coin reward based on the
nature of the score:

Wanted Level

1 coin: Small job, nothing fancy.

If you need to take heat, but don't have any

boxes left, you must mark a box of wanted
level instead. The bad news is: wanted level
marks are permanent. The good news is: when
you mark a wanted level, reset your heat to zero
and advance your Renown by 1 (this is the only
way to advance Renown).

2 coin: Standard crime work; decent loot.

-1 result level if the action happened

on turf you or a friendly (+3 status) Your wanted level represents the threat level of
Bluecoats and Inspectors sent after you when you
faction control.
attract the attention of the law.

When you complete a score, roll Heat. Then, if the

score was a success, roll Development.

3 coin: Something special; a fine haul.

4 coin: A major score; serious wealth.

When you complete a successful score

Critical: Your crew gains +2 hold
and +2 coin. Roll an entanglement,
below.
6: Your crew gains +1 hold and +1
coin. Roll an entanglement, below.
4/5: Your crew gains the default
rewards. Roll an entanglement, below.
1-3: Your crew gains hold -orcoin. Roll an entanglement, below.

Set the default hold reward based on the importance of the target: 1 hold per Tier of
the target, +1 hold if the target is in the public eye or is high profile in some other way.
Modify the default coin and hold rewards based on the outcome of the development roll.

Entanglements (Heat level 1-4)

Entanglements (Heat level 5-8)

1: Unquiet Dead. The rogue spirit of a past

victim finds its way to you. Pay 1 coin to a
Whisper or Rail Jack to exorcise it, or deal with
it yourself.

1: Demonic Notice. A demon approaches

the crew with a dark offer. Accept it or hide
until it loses interest in you and lose 2 hold.

2: Rivals. A faction with whom you have a

neutral status throws their weight around. Pay
them 1 hold or 1 coin, or lose 1 status with
them.
3: Old Debts. A friend calls in their marker.
Pay them 1 coin or agree to perform the favor
they ask.
4: The Little Guy. An equal- or lower-tier
crew asks you for a hand. You may give them
1 coin or 1 hold in exchange for a favor of
your choosing.

2: Vengeful Dead. The rogue spirit of

a vindictive enemy finds its way to you. Pay
2 coin to a Whisper or Rail Jack to exorcise it,
or deal with it yourself.
3: Show of Force. A faction with whom you
have a negative status makes a play on your
turf. Pay them 2 hold or 2 coin, or go to war.
4: Opportunists. An equal- or lower-tier
crew plans to betray you to facilitate their climb
up the ladder. Give them 2 hold or endure
whatever comes of their betrayal.

5: The Law. The Bluecoats aren't messing

around right now. Pay them off with 1 coin
or take +1 heat.

5: Investigation. An Inspector of the watch

has started a file on your crew's crimes, to build
a case for your arrests. Pay them off with 2 coin
or take +2 heat.

6: Cooperation. A +3 status faction asks you

for a favor. Agree to do it or give them 1 hold.
If you don't have a +3 faction status, you avoid
entanglements right now.

6: Cooperation. A +3 status faction asks you

for a favor. Agree to do it or give them 2 hold.
If you don't have a +3 faction status, you avoid
entanglements right now.

character creation
1. Choose Playbook

Your playbook represents the nature of your character, their

special abilities, and how they advance. Playbooks arent unique
multiple players can choose the same one.

2. Choose a Special Ability

Choose 1 starting special ability. Note: the Veteran ability can
be taken twice, which is why it has two dots. Each time you
choose it, fill one dot.
2. Choose a Heritage

...and detail it with a note about your family life. Ex. Skovlan:
Ore Miners.

3. Choose a Background

...and detail it with your specific history. Ex. Academic: Former

Legal Advocate.

4. Assign Action Dots

Assign 6 dots (in addition to those already marked for your

playbook). No action may be higher than 2 (until you unlock
Expert training for the crew).

5. Assign Effect Diamonds

Assign 3 diamonds to effects (Force, Finesse, Insight, Will) in

addition to those already marked. No effect may begin higher than
2 (but may advance further after character creation).

6. Choose Items Carried

You own all of your items. Check the boxes for the items you're
currently carrying. The number of items you check determines
your movement speed and conspicuousness (items in italics
don't count toward your load): 3: Light (youre faster and less
conspicuous. you can blend in with citizens). 4 or 5: Normal
(you look like a scoundrel, ready for trouble). 6: Heavy (youre
slower. you look like an operative on a mission). Some items count
as two items for load (they have two connected boxes). Note that
the Cutter playbook can carry a heavier load.

7. Choose A Favorite Friend

You begin with all of your friends. Mark the one who is a close
friend, long-time ally, or lover.

8. Choose Your Vice

Pick your preferred vice from the list. You indulge your vice to
clear stress. Your vice rating begins at 1.

9. Record Name, Alias, & Look

Actions

Actions are grouped into four categories: Blade (the bloody actions
of battle), Book (the actions of knowledge and reason), Cloak (the
subtle actions of the shadows), and Mask (social actions).
Attune to spiritual forces and electroplasmic energy;
understand spectrology, ancient lore, rituals, and occult
practices.
Cipher information with books and academic knowledge; do
research; employ codes and secret messages; forge documents.
Command obedience with your force of personality;
intimidate or threaten; execute an action with one of the
crew's units.
Consort with your friends and contacts to discover information
or gain access to people or places; acquire new connections.
Deceive with falsehoods, disguise, or bluff; detect lies; evade
questions and scrutiny; conceal your true intentions.
Discern what's really going on; put the pieces together; gain a
deeper understanding; focus and judge; anticipate and foresee.
Mayhem wrecks with savage force; brawl and wrestle; fight
in a group skirmish.
Murder a target with precision violence; execute a killing
and leave little evidence; engage in skillful combat.
Prowl about unseen and overcome physical obstacles;
general athletic ability.
Secure entry into a protected area by defeating locks and
avoiding alarms or traps; secure an area against infiltration.
Slip away from scrutiny or suspicion, slip an item out of
someone's pocket; use misdirection or distraction; sleight of
hand; blend in a crowd; remain inconspicuous.
Stalk a target to discover where it is, where it's going, where
it's been, and who's connected to it.
Stitch up wounds and provide long-term care; remove a
lasting effect penalty for one sequence of action.
Supply the temporary use of an asset by mustering finances;
bribe or coerce with money; trace supply routes for goods
and services.
Sway attitudes and behavior with charm, manipulation, or
bravado; seduce and lure; make a convincing case.
Tinker with devices and chemistry to create, modify, or
repair.

Effects
Force: How hard do you hit? How strong is your hold? How
scary is your display of violence? How badly do you wreck it?
Finesse: How quickly or smoothly do you do it? How much
ground do you cover? How good is the position you take?
How subtle is your action?
Insight: How much do you find out? How detailed or broad
is the information? How accurately can you predict with this
knowledge?
Will: How strong is your will? How thorough is your
influence over someone else? How brave are you? How much
inner energy can you muster?

Names Adric, Aldo, Amison, Andrel, Arcy, Arden, Arilyn, Arquo,

Arvus, Ashlyn, Birch, Bird, Branon, Brace, Brance, Brena, Bricks,

Candra, Canter, Carissa, Carro, Casslyn, Cavelle, Chime, Clave, Coil,
Corille, Cross, Crowl, Cyrene, Daphnia, Drav, Edlun, Emeline, Flint,
Frog, Frost, Grine, Helles, Hix, Holtz, Hook, Kamelin, Keel, Kelyr, Kobb,
Kristov, Laudius, Lauria, Lenia, Lizete, Lorette, Lucella, Lynthia, Mara,
Milos, Mist, Moon, Morlan, Myre, Nail, Narcus, Naria, Needle, Noggs,
Odrienne, Orlan, Phin, Polonia, Pool, Potch, Quess, Remira, Ring,
Roethe, Sesereth, Sethla, Silver, Skannon, Skeever, Skinner, Song, Stavrul,
Stev, Syra, Talitha, Tesslyn, Thena, Thistle, Thorn, Timoth, Tocker, Una,
Vauri, Veleris, Veretta, Vestine, Vey, Volette, Vond, Weaver, Wester.
Family Names: Brogan, Tyrconnell, Dunvil, Comber, Millar, Slane,
Strangford, Dalmore, Edrad, Lomond, Clelland, Arran, Scapa, Kinclaith,
Coleburn, Penalten, Strathmill, Haig, Morriston, Penderyn, Danfield,
Hellyers, Walund, Templeton, Michter, Bowman, Prichard, Keel, Wathen,
Clermont, Rowan, Booker.

Looks Man, Woman, Ambiguous, Concealed.

Affable
Brooding
Bright
Dark
Fair

Worn
Lean
Wiry
Huge
Chiseled

Tricorn Hat
Long Coat
Hood & Veil
Short Cloak
Knit Cap
Slim Jacket
Hooded Coat

Athletic
Stout
Scarred
Rough
Striking

Tall Boots
Mask & Robes
Suit & Vest
Thick Greatcoat
Loose Silks
Waxed Coat
Long Scarf

Lovely
Handsome
Slim
Delicate
Bony

Plump
Squat
Weathered
Cold
Sad

Stern
Open
Languid
Calm
Fierce

cutter

special abilities

look

Deadly: Any attack you make in combat does +1 effect or

ignores 1 armor, your choice, moment to moment.

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Not As Bad As It Looked: After a battle, you instantly get

two ticks toward recovering from lasting effects.

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Wolfpack: Take 1 stress to give your team +1 Force in battle.

name

stress

trauma

armor

+heavy

Battleborn: You get special armor against physical attacks in

combat. When you roll a critical in combat, clear 1 stress.

battleborn

lasting effects

coin

notes

Not to be Trifled With: In combat, you ignore 1 level of

scale (you fight a small gang on equal footing).

stash

Daring: When you roll 1-3 and choose to try again with more

risk, you get +1d.
Experienced: Choose an additional background with which

you get a bonus.
Veteran: Choose a special ability from another playbook.

items (3,4)Light. (5)Normal. (6,7)Heavy. Items in italics don't count.

A Blade or Two
Throwing Knives
A Pistol & Shot
A Large Weapon
An Unusual Weapon
Armor
+Heavy
Burglary Tools
Climbing Gear
Books / Maps
Spectrology Gear
Subterfuge Supplies
Tinkering Tools
A small personal item

teamwork: on point

teamwork: backup

Lead a group action.

Face an effect for the

character on point.

Overcome a group problem.

Assist another character.

Set up another character.

Follow through on a setup.

Fine hand weapon

Fine large weapon

Manacles & chain

Rage essence vial

Wrecker tools

Concealed
blade

Spiritbane charm

dangerous friends

Marlane, a pugilist

Thena, a veteran warrior

Chael, a vicious thug

blade

command

mayhem

murder

stitch

book

attune

cipher

supply

tinker

cloak

prowl

secure

slip

stalk

mask

consort

deceive

discern

sway

Mercy, a cold killer

Grace, an extortionist

Stras, a clever blade

playbook advancement

Defeat a superior opponent.

Solve a problem with violence.
Destroy an enemys asset, influence, or resource.
Express your character's flaws, obsessions, secrets, or shortcomings.

gather information

planning

downtime

What do they intend to do?

What might I suspect based
on this?
What's the danger here?
Where could I go to find X?
Ask about a detail for a
plan.

Choose the plan the characters have

made, establish a detail, cut to the action.
Assault plan: Point of attack.
Deception plan: Method.
Infiltration plan: Entry point.
Occult plan: Arcane power.
Social plan: Social connection.

Choose your carried Items.

Restore your Armor.
Recover & indulge your Vice.
and choose 1:
Reduce heat on the crew.
Work on a project clock.
Acquire an asset.

desperate rolls

effects
force

finesse

insight

will

action roll bonus dice

+ Assist (They take 1 stress)
+ Devil's Bargain
Your Background matches

+ the target.

hound

special abilities

name

Detached: Take -1d to an action roll to clear 1 stress.

look

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stress

trauma

armor

+heavy

coin

notes

Predator: Take +1d to rolls against injured, weakened, or

vulnerable targets.
Marked Target: When you gather information about a

person, you and your team get +1d effect against them.
Cold: You get special armor vs. mental effects (fear, confusion,

etc.). When you roll a critical while hunting a target, clear 1 stress.

cold

lasting effects

Unorthodox: Take 1 stress to substitute one effect rating for

another.

stash

Daring: When you roll 1-3 and choose to try again with more

risk, you get +1d.
Experienced: Choose an additional background with which

you get a bonus.
Veteran: Choose a special ability from another playbook.

items (3)Light. (4,5)Normal. (6)Heavy. Items in italics don't count.

A Blade or Two
Throwing Knives
A Pistol & Shot
A Large Weapon
An Unusual Weapon
Armor
+Heavy
Burglary Tools
Climbing Gear
Books / Maps
Spectrology Gear
Subterfuge Supplies
Tinkering Tools
A small personal item

teamwork: on point

teamwork: backup

Lead a group action.

Face an effect for the

character on point.

Overcome a group problem.

Assist another character.

Set up another character.

Follow through on a setup.

Fine pair of pistols

Fine long rifle

Electroplasmic ammunition

A fine trained hunting pet

Far-sight spyglass

Concealed blade

Spiritbane charm

deadly friends

Bell, a duelist

Oman, an assassin

Celene, a sentinel

blade

command

mayhem

murder

stitch

book

attune

cipher

supply

tinker

cloak

prowl

secure

slip

stalk

mask

consort

deceive

discern

sway

Melvir Kepp, a physicker

Veleris, a spy

Casta, a bounty hunter

playbook advancement

Hunt or ambush a challenging target.

Establish your dominance over a person or situation.
Seize control of an enemy's asset, influence, or resource.
Express your character's flaws, obsessions, secrets, or shortcomings.

gather information

planning

downtime

What do they intend to do?

What might I suspect based
on this?
What's the danger here?
Where could I go to find X?
Ask about a detail for a
plan.

Choose the plan the characters have

made, establish a detail, cut to the action.
Assault plan: Point of attack.
Deception plan: Method.
Infiltration plan: Entry point.
Occult plan: Arcane power.
Social plan: Social connection.

Choose your carried Items.

Restore your Armor.
Recover & indulge your Vice.
and choose 1:
Reduce heat on the crew.
Work on a project clock.
Acquire an asset.

desperate rolls

effects
force

finesse

insight

will

action roll bonus dice

+ Assist (They take 1 stress)
+ Devil's Bargain
Your Background matches

+ the target.

lurk

blade

special abilities

name

Ambush: When you attack from hiding or spring a prepared

trap, add +1d to your roll.

look

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stress

trauma

armor

+heavy

shadow

lasting effects

coin

notes

stash

Composure: Add an additional stress box.

Intensity: You may spend 2 stress on any roll, for +1d.

Scout: When you fill segments of a progress clock for any

kind of reconnaissance or infiltration, fill +1 segment.
Shadow: You get special armor vs. detection and security.

When you roll a critical on an athletic feat or during an
infiltration, clear 1 stress.
Daring: When you roll 1-3 and choose to try again with more

risk, you get +1d.
Experienced: Choose an additional background with which

you get a bonus.
Veteran: Choose a special ability from another playbook.

items (3)Light. (4,5)Normal. (6)Heavy. Items in italics don't count.

A Blade or Two
Throwing Knives
A Pistol & Shot
A Large Weapon
An Unusual Weapon
Armor
+Heavy
Burglary Tools
Climbing Gear
Books / Maps
Spectrology Gear
Subterfuge Supplies
Tinkering Tools
A small personal item

teamwork: on point

teamwork: backup

Lead a group action.

Face an effect for the

character on point.

Overcome a group problem.

Assist another character.

Set up another character.

Follow through on a setup.

Fine lockpicks

Fine, light climbing gear

Shadow essence vial

Silence potion vial

Dark-sight goggles

Concealed blade

Spiritbane charm

keen friends

Telda, a beggar

Darmot, a bluecoat

Frake, a locksmith

command

mayhem

murder

stitch

book

attune

cipher

supply

tinker

cloak

prowl

secure

slip

stalk

mask

consort

deceive

discern

sway

Roslyn Kellis, a noble

Petra, a city clerk

Loop, a bounty hunter

playbook advancement

Discover a powerful or compromising secret.

Infiltrate a new, challenging, or interesting location.
Execute an operation without being detected.
Express your character's flaws, obsessions, secrets, or shortcomings.

gather information

planning

downtime

What do they intend to do?

What might I suspect based
on this?
What's the danger here?
Where could I go to find X?
Ask about a detail for a
plan.

Choose the plan the characters have

made, establish a detail, cut to the action.
Assault plan: Point of attack.
Deception plan: Method.
Infiltration plan: Entry point.
Occult plan: Arcane power.
Social plan: Social connection.

Choose your carried Items.

Restore your Armor.
Recover & indulge your Vice.
and choose 1:
Reduce heat on the crew.
Work on a project clock.
Acquire an asset.

desperate rolls

effects
force

finesse

insight

will

action roll bonus dice

+ Assist (They take 1 stress)
+ Devil's Bargain
Your Background matches

+ the target.

slide

blade

special abilities

look

Ace: When you lead a group action using your highest-rated

action, you suffer 1 less total stress from the failed rolls.

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Im Outta Here: When your cover is blown or you need to

flee, take +1d to rolls to escape.

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Adaptation: Take 1 stress to substitute one action rating for

another.

name

stress

trauma

armor

+heavy

suspicious

lasting effects

coin

notes

Trust in Me: You get +1d when you roll vs. a target you have

a relationship with.
Suspicious: You get special armor vs. persuasion or deception.

When you roll a crit while manipulating someone, clear 1 stress.

stash

Daring: When you roll 1-3 and choose to try again with more

risk, you get +1d.
Experienced: Choose an additional background with which

you get a bonus.
Veteran: Choose a special ability from another playbook.

items (3)Light. (4,5)Normal. (6)Heavy. Items in italics don't count.

A Blade or Two
Throwing Knives
A Pistol & Shot
A Large Weapon
An Unusual Weapon
Armor
+Heavy
Burglary Tools
Climbing Gear
Books / Maps
Spectrology Gear
Subterfuge Supplies
Tinkering Tools
A small personal item

teamwork: on point

teamwork: backup

Lead a group action.

Face an effect for the

character on point.

Overcome a group problem.

Assist another character.

Set up another character.

Follow through on a setup.

Fine clothes & jewelry

Fine disguise kit

Fine loaded dice, trick cards

Trance powder

A cane-sword

Concealed blade

Spiritbane charm

low friends

Bryl, a drug dealer

Bazso Baz, a gang leader

Harker, a jail-bird

command

mayhem

murder

stitch

book

attune

cipher

supply

tinker

cloak

prowl

secure

slip

stalk

mask

consort

deceive

discern

sway

Arlynne, a tavern owner

Nyryx, a prostitute

Lanette, an informant

playbook advancement

Gain someones trust or betray someone who trusts you.

Pass yourself off as someone or something youre not.
Make a new friend, ally, lover, rival, or enemy.
Express your character's flaws, obsessions, secrets, or shortcomings.

gather information

planning

downtime

What do they intend to do?

What might I suspect based
on this?
What's the danger here?
Where could I go to find X?
Ask about a detail for a
plan.

Choose the plan the characters have

made, establish a detail, cut to the action.
Assault plan: Point of attack.
Deception plan: Method.
Infiltration plan: Entry point.
Occult plan: Arcane power.
Social plan: Social connection.

Choose your carried Items.

Restore your Armor.
Recover & indulge your Vice.
and choose 1:
Reduce heat on the crew.
Work on a project clock.
Acquire an asset.

desperate rolls

effects
force

finesse

insight

will

action roll bonus dice

+ Assist (They take 1 stress)
+ Devil's Bargain
Your Background matches

+ the target.

whisper

special abilities

look

Channel: Use electroplasmic energy to produce supernatural

effects. Costs stress equal to the magnitude of the energy (0-4).

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Compel: You can attune to the ghost field to compel a spirit

or demon to follow a direct instruction you give it.

vice affiliationdrinkdrugsfaithgamblingloversluxuriesweird

Strange Methods: When you tinker with a device, tool, or

weapon, you may include electroplasmic or arcane features.

name

stress

trauma

armor

+heavy

beyond

lasting effects

coin

notes

Summon: Perform a ritual to force a supernatural being to appear

before you. Costs stress equal to the magnitude of the being (2-6).
Beyond: You get special armor vs. supernatural effects. When

you roll a critical while dealing with arcane powers, clear 1 stress.

stash

Daring: When you roll 1-3 and choose to try again with more

risk, you get +1d.
Experienced: Choose an additional background with which

you get a bonus.
Veteran: Choose a special ability from another playbook.

items (3)Light. (4,5)Normal. (6)Heavy. Items in italics don't count.

A Blade or Two
Throwing Knives
A Pistol & Shot
A Large Weapon
An Unusual Weapon
Armor
+Heavy
Burglary Tools
Climbing Gear
Books / Maps
Spectrology Gear
Subterfuge Supplies
Tinkering Tools
A small personal item

teamwork: on point

teamwork: backup

Lead a group action.

Face an effect for the

character on point.

Overcome a group problem.

Assist another character.

Set up another character.

Follow through on a setup.

Fine spirit anchor

Fine lightning-hook

Fine spirit mask

Demon blood vials

Ghost key

Demonbane charm

Spiritbane charm

strange friends

Nyryx, a possessor ghost

Hoxan, a rogue spirit

Scurlock, a vampire

blade

command

mayhem

murder

stitch

book

attune

cipher

supply

tinker

cloak

prowl

secure

slip

stalk

mask

consort

deceive

discern

sway

Setarra, a demon

Quellyn, a witch

Flint, a spirit trafficker

playbook advancement

Solve a problem with arcane power or knowledge.

Learn something new about spectrology or demonic lore.
Dominate, control, or destroy a ghost, demon, or other occultist.
Express your character's flaws, obsessions, secrets, or shortcomings.

gather information

planning

downtime

What do they intend to do?

What might I suspect based
on this?
What's the danger here?
Where could I go to find X?
Ask about a detail for a
plan.

Choose the plan the characters have

made, establish a detail, cut to the action.
Assault plan: Point of attack.
Deception plan: Method.
Infiltration plan: Entry point.
Occult plan: Arcane power.
Social plan: Social connection.

Choose your carried Items.

Restore your Armor.
Recover & indulge your Vice.
and choose 1:
Reduce heat on the crew.
Work on a project clock.
Acquire an asset.

desperate rolls

effects
force

finesse

insight

will

action roll bonus dice

+ Assist (They take 1 stress)
+ Devil's Bargain
Your Background matches

+ the target.

standard items

cutter items

slide items

A Blade or Two: Perhaps you carry a pair of large fighting

Fine hand weapon: A finely crafted one-handed weapon

Fine clothes and jewelry: An outfit of such fine make as

Fine large weapon: A finely crafted two-handed weapon

Fine disguise kit: A theatrical make-up kit equipped with

Manacles and chain: A set of heavy manacles and chain,

Fine loaded dice, trick cards: Gambling accoutrements

Rage Essence Vial: A single dose of Rage Essence, which

Trance powder: A dose of the popular drug, which induces

knives. Or a sword and dagger. Or A heavy cleaver and long

stiletto. Up to you.

of your choice.

Throwing Knives: A brace of six light blades, suitable for

of your choice.

throwing.

A Pistol & Shot: A flintlock pistol, devastating at 12 paces,

slow to reload. A small pouch of powder and shot.

A Large Weapon: A weapon meant for two-hands. A

weapon of war, like a battle-axe, greatsword, warhammer,

or pole-arm.

An Unusual Weapon: A curiosity of the blacksmith's art

or a tool turned into a weapon. A whip, a flail, a hatchet, a

shovel, a length of chain, a razor-edged fan, steel-toed boots.

Armor: A heavy leather tunic with a high collar, heavy

gloves.
+Heavy: The addition of chain mail or metal plates,

a metal helm.

Burglary Tools: A set of lockpicks. A small pry-bar. Vials

of oil to silence squeaky hinges. A coil of wire and fishing

hooks. A small pouch of sand.
Climbing Gear: A large coil of rope. A small coil of rope.

Grappling hooks. A small pouch of chalk dust. A climbing

harness with loops and metal rings. A set of iron pitons and
a small mallet.

Books / Maps: A small collection of slim volumes on a

variety of topics. Blank pages, a vial of ink, a pen. A number

of interesting maps.

Spectrology Gear: A vial of quicksilver. A pouch of black

salt. A spirit anchor in the form of a small, heavy stone. A

spirit bottle. A vial of electroplasm, designed to break and
splatter on impact.

Subterfuge supplies: A theatrical make-up kit. A selection of

blank documents, ready for the forger's hand. Costume jewelry.

A reversible cloak and distinctive hat. A forged badge of office.

suitable for restraining a prisoner.

greatly enhances the user's strength, resistance to pain, and

irrational aggression for the span of several minutes.

Wrecker tools: A heavy sledgehammer and crowbar.

Iron spikes. Heavy gloves.

hound items

Fine pair of pistols: A pair of finely crafted pistols.

Fine long rifle: A finely crafted hunting rifle, deadly

at long range.

Electroplasmic ammunition: A bandolier of

electroplasmicly charged shot, suitable for harming spirits

and demons.

A fine trained hunting pet: An animal companion that

obeys your commands and anticipates your actions, of a

species of your choice.

subtly altered to favor particular outcomes.

a dreamlike state.

A cane-sword: A slim sword and its sheath, disguised as

a noble's cane.

whisper items

Fine spirit anchor: An arcane item which can hold a ghost

in place near it.

Fine lightning-hook: A long, two-handed pole with a

loop of heavy wire at the end, connected to an electroplasmic

capacitor. Suitable for grappling a spirit and dragging it into
a spirit bottle.

Fine spirit mask: An arcane item which allows the trained

user to see arcane energies in great detail. Also affords some

measure of protection against ghostly possession.

Demon blood vials: A small set of tough crystalline vials,

containing blood from demons.

clearly over extreme distances.

Ghost key: An arcane device which can open ghost doors.

lurk items

Demonbane charm: An arcane trinket which demons

Fine lockpicks: A finely crafted set of lockpicks.

Fine, light climbing gear: A finely crafted set of climbing

gear which is less bulky and heavy than a standard set.

Shadow essence vial: A vial of shadow essence designed

to break and splatter on impact, releasing an ink-dark cloud.

Spiritbane Charm: A small arcane trinket which ghosts

sound within 10 paces of the drinker for a span of several minutes.

prefer to avoid.

an impressive array of expert appliances to fool the eye.

Far-sight spyglass: A device which allows you to see

Tinkering Tools: A set of tools for detailed mechanist

work. A jeweler's loup. Measuring devices.

to pass as a wealthy noble.

Silence potion vial: A vial of golden liquid that negates all

Dark-sight goggles: A mechanist device that allows the

wearer to see in pitch darkness as if it were day.

prefer to avoid.

crew creation
1. Choose Crew Type
Your crew type represents the nature of your crew, its special
abilities, and how they advance. In the full game, there are
several to choose from. In this quick start, you're Thieves.
2. Choose a Special Ability
Choose 1 starting special ability for the crew.
3. Choose Reputation
Your crew's reputation represents how you use your Renown
effect rating to impress or frighten other crews.
4. Assign Crew Upgrades
Mark 2 upgrade boxes. If you choose one of the gangs
(Adepts, Killers, Thugs, Rooks, Shadows, Rovers) also choose
which NPC among their roster is the leader of that gang).
5. Assign Effect Diamonds
Assign 3 diamonds to crew effects (Gangs, Lair, Morale,
Resources, or Transport) in addition to those already marked.
No effect may start higher than 2.
5. Choose A Favorite Contact
You begin with all of your contacts. Mark the one who is
a close friend, long-time ally, or partner in crime.
6. Assign Faction Status Ticks
Each player assigns a positive tick and a negative tick with any
Tier 1 or Tier 2 faction (to represent past interactions). Then, as
a group, assign one positive and one negative tick at Tier 3. Say
why you have good or bad status with these factions.
7. Crew Name, Lair Details, & Patron or Boss
Your crew has a patron or ward boss who has helped you get
started. They may sometimes come to you with requests. In
the quick start, this person is Lyssa, the new boss of Crow's
Foot. Choose a quality that best describes her.
Thinking of a name for your crew can be very hard at first.
It's okay to start out without a name and later acquire one
based on what the crew is like.

8. Tier, Hold, & Cash

You begin at Tier 0, with 0 Hold. You start with 2 cash.

Crew Upgrades

Crew Effects

Adepts: Your crew has a gang of scholars, tinkerers,

occultists, and chemists.

Gangs: How effective are your gangs (Adepts, Killers,

Thugs, Rooks, Shadows, and Rovers)?

Killers: Your crew has a gang of assassins and murderers.

Lair: How useful is your base of operations? (It's workshop,

library, etc.) How secure is it?

Thugs: Your crew has a gang of toughs, brawlers, and

roustabouts.
Rooks: Your crew has a gang of con artists, spies, and
socialites.
Shadows: Your crew has a gang of scouts, infiltrators,
and sneak-thieves.
Rovers: Your crew has a gang of sailors, carriage drivers,
and deathlands scavengers.
Hidden Lair: Your lair has a secret location and is
disguised to hide it from view.
Secure Lair: Your lair has good locks, alarms, and traps
to thwart intruders.
Library: Your lair has a collection of useful books,
documents, maps, intelligence reports, and case files for
use in research.
Quarters: Your lair includes living quarters for the crew.
Vault: Your lair has a secure vault. You can store up to
8 cash, instead of just 4. Your vault can also be used as
a holding cell.
Workshop: Your lair has a workshop appointed with tools
for tinkering and alchemy, as well as a library of books,
documents, and maps.
Blade, Book, Cloak, Mask Training: Your crew
has access to special training. When you choose the
corresponding action category for your personal training
during PC advancement, you mark +1 segment.
Expertise: Your crew has access to expert level training.
You may advance your PC action ratings to 3. This upgrade
costs 2 advances to unlock.
Mastery: Your crew has access to master level training.
You may advance your PC action ratings to 4. This upgrade
costs 3 advances to unlock.

Morale: How well can your crew and gangs hold together
during adversity?
Resources: How well can you develop, given your
available assets and debts?
Transport: How quickly can you get your gangs in
position? How advantageous is your maneuver?
Elite Gangs: When you employ an Elite gang, you get +1d
effect (like a fine item).

Renown
Your Renown starts at 1. It represents how much clout you
have among the other crews and factions. Your renown
advances when your Wanted Level increases. You roll your
Renown when you try to reduce Heat on your crew.

tier
hold

thieves

factions

gangs

Adepts

Hidden Lair

Blade Training

Fine Building Plans

Dowler, an explorer

lair

Killers

Secure Lair

Book Training

Fine Rooftop Routes

Laroze, a bluecoat

Thugs

Library

Cloak Training

Elite Shadows

Amancio, a fence

Rooks

Quarters

Mask Training

Prison Escape Methods

Fitz, a collector

The Unseen

iii

The Silver Nails

iii
Lord
Scurlock

iii
The Hive

iii

The Circle of Flame

ii
The Crows

ii

The Lampblacks

ii
The
Red
Sashes

ii

The Dimmer Sisters

ii

Ulf Ironborn

The Fog Hounds

i
The Eels

i
The
Lost

Duskwall Council

iv

Skovlander Refugees

iv

Ironhook Prison

iii

Spirit Wardens

iii
Bluecoats

iii
Inspectors

Leviathan Hunters

iii
Sailors

ii
Dockers

ii
Gondoliers

ii
Cabbies

i
Rail Jacks

Shadows
Vault

Expertise

Secondary Lair

Adelaide Phroaig, a noble

Rovers

Mastery

Thief Rigging (-1 load)

Rigney, a tavern owner

The Weeping Lady

The
Path
of
Echoes

The Forgotten Gods

ii 5

Deathlands
Scavengers

i 3

tier
name

lair
absentbolddrivencarelessfiendish hold
meticulouspatientruthlesssavvyweird

ward boss

coin

wanted

heat

renown ambitiousbrutaldaringprofessionalsubtlestrange

roster

special abilities

Everyone Steals: Each PC chooses to take level 1 in Prowl,

Slip, Secure, or Finesse (choose one which is currently zero).
Pack Rats: Your lair is a jumble of stolen items. When you

roll to acquire an asset, take +1 result level (as if you'd spent
coin on the roll).
Slippery: When you roll entanglements during development,

roll two dice and keep the one you want. Also, when you reduce
heat on the crew, take +1d to the roll.
Overwatch: When you're backup and you face an effect for the

character on point, you can share the stress cost between 2 PCs.

others

adepts

killers

thugs

Vincen

Crane

Zana

Kyra

Dro

Chalk

Tor

Tevis

Whistler

Alpha: When you lead a group action, you do +1d effect.

Experienced:
Choose an additional reputation with which

you may employ your Renown.

Vetta

Aslyn

Grip

Veteran: Choose a special ability from another crew.

rooks

shadows

rovers

crew advancement

Lyzelle

Avery

Kam

Execute a profitable heist, robbery, or shakedown.

Corlane

Merrick

Ruby

Gain access to a new avenue of thievery or type of victim.

Grevor

Adra

Hester

Complete a profitable side job (of your own or for a client).

Quinn

Sloane

Drake

Contend with challenges above your current station.

crew effects

morale

resources

transport

notes

crew upgrades

Workshop

contacts

Church of the
Ecstasy of the Flesh

iii

7
6
5
4
4
3
3
3
5
3
2
3
3
8
2
9
6
7
9
8
5
4
4
3
3
5

ii 4
i 3

scores

To generate a score, roll or choose on the following tables. Still a work in progress.

1. CLIENT / 3. TARGET

2. WORK

4. LOCATION

5. TROUBLES

civilian

skullduggery

mood

barriers

Academic or Scholar

Stalking or Surveillance

Haunted or Cursed

Stronghold (high walls, etc.)

Laborer or Tradesman

Sabotage or Arson

Abandoned or Decrepit

Masterwork security (locks, etc.)

Courier or Sailor

Lift or Plant

Busy or Crowded

Natural Feature (cliff, island)

Merchant or Shopkeeper

Poison or Arrange Accident

Lavish or Refined

Safe, lock-box, vault

Artist or Writer

Burglary or Heist

Dank or Dismal

Runes / Wards

Doctor or Alchemist

Serene or Silent

Electroplasmic Security

criminal

violence

type

dangers

Drug Dealer or Supplier

Assassinate

Ship or Dockside

Traps (deadly or entangling)

Mercenary or Thug

Disappear or Ransom

Canals or Grotto

Toxic Substances

Fence or Gambler

Terrorize or Extort

Town House or Apartment

Clockworks / Automatons

Spy or Informant

Destroy or Deface

Tavern or Restaurant

Alarms

Smuggler or Thief

Raid or Defend

Shop or Marketplace

Rogue spirits

Crime Boss

Tower or Keep

Electroplasmic Devices

political

underworld

type

opposition

Noble or Official

Escort or Security

Manor or Villa

Guards / Scouts / Sentries

Banker or Captain

Smuggle or Courier

Sewer or Slaughterhouse

Bluecoats / Imperials

Revolutionary or Refugee

Blackmail or Discredit

Workshop or Factory

Guard Dogs / Lookouts

Clergy or Cultist

Con or Espionage

Barracks or Bunkhouse

Trained Killers / Thugs

Constable or Inspector

Locate or Hide

Rail Station

Whispers / Bound Spirits

Magistrate or Ward Boss

Library or School

Hollows

strange

unnatural

ward

Ghost of (roll again)

Curse or Sanctify

Whitecrown or Brightstone

Occult Collector

Banish or Summon

Six Towers or Charterhall

Vampire or Other Undead

Extract Essence

Mightmarket or Silkshore

Demon (disguised)

Place or Remove Runes

Coalridge or The Docks

Possessed or Hollow

Perform / Stop Ritual

Crows Foot or Dunslough

Barrowcleft or Charhollow

6. TWIST OR COMPLICATION
1

An element is a cover for heretic spirit

cult practices

A seer has foreseen this job and

warned the parties involved

Rogue spirits possess some/most/all of

the people involved

Rogue spirits haunt the location

The job furthers a demons secret

agenda

The job furthers a vampires secret

agenda

An element is a front for a criminal

enterprise

2
3

The job is a trap laid by your enemies

The job is a test for another job

The job furthers a merchant lords

secret agenda.

The job furthers a crime bosss secret

agenda.

Job requires travel by electro-rail

Must visit the Deathlands to do the

job

Job requires sea travel

4
5

The job furthers a revolutionarys

secret agenda.

The job furthers a city officials secret

agenda

purveyors of vice
affiliation

lovers

The Silver Nails, a mercenary company.

Jewel, Bird, and Shine, Catcrawl alley, the

Docks.

The Unseen.
The Hive.
The Circle of Flame.

drink
Mardin Gull, The Leaky Bucket, Crow's Foot.
Pux Bolin, the Harping Monkey, Nightmarket.
Helene, Silver Stag casino, Silkshore.
Harvale Brogan, The Centuralia, Six Towers.

Madame Tesslyn, The Red Lamp, Silkshore.

Rolan Volaris, The Veil, Nightmarket.
Eldrin Prichard, The Silver Swan pleasure barge,
Brightstone canals.

luxuries
Singer, bath house, Crows Foot.
Travens smoke shop, Coalridge.

Freyla, The Emperors Cask, Whitecrown.

Dunridge & Sons fine fabrics and tailoring,

Nightmarket.

drugs

Chef Roselle, The Golden Plum, Six Towers.

Avrick, powder dealer, Barrowcleft.

Rolan Volaris, The Veil, Nightmarket.
Madame Tesslyn, The Red Lamp, Silkshore.
Travens smoke shop, Coalridge.
Eldrin Prichard, The Silver Swan pleasure barge,
Brightstone canals.

Maestro Helleren, Spiregarden theater,

Whitecrown.

weird
The hooded proprietor of a half-flooded grotto
tavern near the docks. Strange passageways
lead to stranger chambers beyond.

faith
Sister Narya of the Weeping Lady.
The ruins of the Temple to Forgotten Gods,
Coalridge.

[... MORE TO COME HERE ...]

Nelisanne, Church of the Ecstasy of the Flesh,

Silkshore.
Lord Penderyn, The Palace of Echoes, Brightstone.

gambling
Spoggs dice game, Dunslough.
Grist, boxing, the Docks.
Helene, Silver Stag casino, Silkshore.
Master Vreen, hound racing, Nightmarket.
Lady Devera, The Dusk Manor Club, Whitecrown.

40

the
unquiet
the unquiet
dead dead
They say anything can be sold on the streets
of Duskwall. But have you ever tried to unload
a cursed spirit bottle? Yeah, all of sudden the
market dries up.
Flint

details
A spirit rises from its corpse three days
after death, unless the body is dissolved in
electroplasm before then.
Bellweather Crematorium (operated by the
bronze-masked Spirit Wardens) handles most
of the corpse disposal in Duskwall. But rogue
spirits still haunt the city.
Ghosts are not the only undead. A variety of
strange beings stalk the darkest shadows.

Spectrology

Its said that the cataclysm which shattered the earth, banished the
sun, and turned the seas to black ink was caused by a sorcerer who
dabbled in forbidden magic and tore down the Gates of Death.
But who believes such ancient tales? Whatever the truth of it, one
thing is certain: once a body dies, its spirit does not disperse as they
once did long ago. It becomes a ghost: a spectral entity composed
of electroplasmic vapors.
It takes roughly three days for a ghost to become free of the corpse.
It is then free to wander the world, consumed by darker and darker
urges until it goes entirely mad and monstrous. If the corpse is
dissolved in electroplasm before then, the spirit, too, is destroyed.
But there are other ways for body and spirit to relate...
Soul. A living body with its own spirit. The normal state of affairs.
Possessed. A living body containing two (or more) spirits.
Hollow. A living body without a spirit. Usually dim-witted and
easily controlled.
Hull. A clockwork body animated by a bound spirit.
Undead. A dead body animated and sustained by a spirit.
Sometimes called a vampirethough only some crave hot
blood.
Ghost. A spirit without a body. Craves life essence and
vengeance on its earthly enemies. Can coalesce into semi-solid
electroplasmic vapor or diffuse into a fine haze.
Spirit-Well: A rift in reality where ghosts and other
supernatural beings congregate to draw energy. In ancient myth,
a spawning ground for demons.
Electroplasm: The energetic residue distilled from spirits
and leviathan blood.
Whisper: A person sensitive to spirits. May be able to summon
and communicate with ghosts.

41

duskwall

the wide world

blackvale

Tycheros

Akoros

[Dark forests, rocky hills. Rich coastal cities and some mining colonies deep inland.]

lockport

Skovlan

duskwall

Severos

[Windswept grass plains. Outside the Imperial cities, some native Serverosi still live
in tribes, scavenging the deathlands on their ghost-hunting horses.]

Iruvia

arvaedh
whitehollow

[Golden deserts. People say that some positions of power are openly held by demons
in Iruvia.]

The Dagger Isles

wintercliff

Akoros

tyrmoor

[Tropical, jungle. People there live without lightning barriers. How do they manage
that?]

Skovlan

ilysia

[Cold, mountainous, wild. The last holdout from Imperial control. The war of Skovlan
Unity ended only a few years ago.]

Tycheros

[A far off land, disconnected from the Empire. People say the Tycherosi (rudely
called "Strangers") have demon blood. If you play one, tell the group what your
telltale demonic feature is.]

a note about the world

The islands have wildly different climates due to magical weirdness from the
cataclysm. The "water" of the Never Sea seems to be composed of opaque black ink,
but it's possible to see constellations of shimmering stars far below the surface. The
sun is a dim ember, providing only purpleish twilight at dawn and dusk; leaving the
world in darkness otherwise.

imperial
city
sevrin

Severos
south
point

cullfield
thorn
irondale

sunfall
bright
harbor
(eldira)

Don't expect realism here.

The
Dagger

Isles

Iruvia
mistport

kethrys

u'duasha

alduara