Tabletop Role-Playing Games (TTRPGs)

About Blades in the Dark

Blades in the Dark is a fantasy TTRPG set in Doskvol, a Victorian-esque city living in constant darkness under the threat of ghosts. Players take on the role of criminals establishing their group's reputation and territory.

This game is the originator of the Forged in the Dark system.

Gameplay

Players create their characters by choosing a playbook, heritage, background, special ability, and importantly, a vice. The players work together to take risks, gain territory, and advance their group's notoriety through criminal enterprise. Pushing a character's limits builds stress, which can be relieved by indulging their chosen vices.

Characters resolve their actions by rolling multiple 6-sided dice; the number is determined by their character's relevant trait. Actions may have consequences depending on their in-game risk and the dice results.

In addition to dice rolls, the game master (GM) uses progress clocks (a circle divided into slices) to track the group's progress toward completing an objective or oncoming conflict/consequences.

Other mechanics include:

• Stress. Characters take on stress to improve their odds of success, at the risk of later Trauma.
• Devil's Bargain. Players can bargain with the GM to pay a certain cost in exchange for a higher chance of success.

Edition

The original Blades in the Dark publication (2017) is the current edition.

Rulebook