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<blockquote>''For the magic weapon, see [[Blade in the Dark]].''</blockquote>'''''Blades in the Dark''''' is a game by John Harper in which players work together as a gang of criminals in a dark fantasy setting. It was used to tell the exploits of [[The Six]] in episodes [[Marielda Episode 03: The Crosstown Job Pt. 1|3]] through [[Marielda Episode 14: The Killing of the King-God Samothes By The Traitor Prince Maelgwyn Pt. 4|14]] of ''[[Marielda (season)|Marielda]]''. The game was still in beta at the time, and some rules and examples were slightly fleshed out over the course of the season.
{{Infobox Game
| title      = Blades in the Dark
| image      = Blades in the Dark.png
| caption    =
| creators    = John Harper
| players     =
| link        = [http://www.evilhat.com/home/blades-in-the-dark/ Official site]
| appears_in  = [[Marielda (season)]]<br>[[GenCon Liveshow Marielda]]
}}
{{For|This page is for the game by John Harper. For the magic weapon|Blade in the Dark}}


== Basics ==
'''''Blades in the Dark''''' is a game by John Harper in which players work together as a gang of criminals in a dark fantasy setting. It was used to tell the exploits of [[The Six]] in episodes [[Marielda Episode 03: The Crosstown Job Pt. 1|3]] through [[Marielda Episode 14: The Killing of the King-God Samothes By The Traitor Prince Maelgwyn Pt. 4|14]] of ''[[Marielda (season)|Marielda]]''. The game was still in beta at the time, and some rules and examples were slightly fleshed out over the course of the season.


=== Actions ===
{{Quote|''Blades in the Dark'' is a tabletop role-playing game about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There are heists, chases, occult mysteries, dangerous bargains, bloody skirmishes, and, above all, riches to be had — if you’re bold enough to seize them.
When a player performs an action, the results are determined not only by their roll but by whether they are acting from a ''controlled'', ''risky'', or ''desperate'' position, as well as whether they will have a ''great'', ''standard'', or ''limited'' effect. Much like in ''[[Dungeon World]]'', actions often partially succeed, with complications.


Enemies or other obstacles are represented by clocks with a number of segments representative of their difficulty; to overcome them, players must complete enough successful actions to fill those segments.
You and your fledgling crew must thrive amidst the threats of rival gangs, powerful noble families, vengeful ghosts, the Bluecoats of the city watch, and the siren song of your scoundrel’s own vices. Will you rise to power in the criminal underworld? What are you willing to do to get to the top?|source=''Blades in the Dark'' store page}}Since its release, a number of games have been developed using rulesets based on that of ''Blades in the Dark''. These are referred to as Forged in the Dark (FitD) games. ''Friends at the Table'' has returned to Forged in the Dark systems with ''[[Scum & Villainy]]'' (''[[Twilight Mirage]]'') and ''[[Beam Saber]]'' (''[[PARTIZAN]]'').


In a particularly difficult situation, the GM may choose to offer a player a ''devil's bargain'', giving them a lifeline in exchange for some lasting negative consequences.
==External links==
*[http://www.evilhat.com/home/blades-in-the-dark/ Official site]
*[https://evilhat.com/product/blades-in-the-dark/ Store page]
*[https://johnharper.itch.io/blades-in-the-dark itch.io]
{{Games}}
{{Patreon Games}}
{{NavboxMarielda}}
[[Category:Games]]


=== Stress ===
Whether as a result of the things they witness on heists, their attempts to resist harm, or by pushing themselves too hard, characters accumulate stress as the game goes on. If they build up too much stress, their character will be traumatized, with permanent effects on their behavior and psyche. To relieve stress, characters must indulge their vices, but there is a risk that they will overindulge and bring consequences back onto themselves or their crew.
==== Trauma Conditions ====
* ''Cold'': You are not moved by emotional appeals or social bonds.
* ''Haunted'': You are often lost in reverie, reliving past horrors, or seeing things.
* ''Obsessed'': You are enthralled by one thing: an activity, a person, an ideology.
* ''Paranoid'': You imagine danger everywhere. You can’t trust others.
* ''Reckless'': You have little regard for your own safety or best interests.
* ''Soft'': You lose your edge. You become sentimental, passive or gentle.
* ''Unstable'': Your emotional state is volatile. You become instantly enraged or fall into despair, act impulsively, or freeze up.
* ''Vicious'': You seek out opportunities to inflict savage violence.
A character who suffers trauma is brought out of action for a time. If a character acquires four trauma conditions, they can no longer continue life as a daring scoundrel and must retire to a different life or go to prison to take the fall for the crew. If a player allows their trauma condition to impede the mission, they gain experience.
=== Planning scores ===
To cut down on time spent planning a method of attack, players choose a basic type of plan when pulling off a score, then roll to see how well their plan has started off before adjusting on the fly. They can also use flashbacks to have retroactively set some part of the plan up before the crime was in process.
Between scores, a downtime period takes place during which characters can recover, indulge in their vice, and work on downtime projects.
== Goals and principles for the GM ==
=== Goals ===
* Play to find out what happens
* Bring Marielda to life
* Convey the world honestly
=== 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
== External links ==
* [http://www.evilhat.com/home/blades-in-the-dark/ Official site]{{Games}}
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Meta]]
[[Category:Marielda]]
[[Category:Marielda]]
[[Category:Blades in the Dark]]

Latest revision as of 03:13, 19 November 2023

This page is for the game by John Harper. For the magic weapon, see Blade in the Dark.

Blades in the Dark is a game by John Harper in which players work together as a gang of criminals in a dark fantasy setting. It was used to tell the exploits of The Six in episodes 3 through 14 of Marielda. The game was still in beta at the time, and some rules and examples were slightly fleshed out over the course of the season.

“

Blades in the Dark is a tabletop role-playing game about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There are heists, chases, occult mysteries, dangerous bargains, bloody skirmishes, and, above all, riches to be had — if you’re bold enough to seize them.

You and your fledgling crew must thrive amidst the threats of rival gangs, powerful noble families, vengeful ghosts, the Bluecoats of the city watch, and the siren song of your scoundrel’s own vices. Will you rise to power in the criminal underworld? What are you willing to do to get to the top?”

– Blades in the Dark store page

Since its release, a number of games have been developed using rulesets based on that of Blades in the Dark. These are referred to as Forged in the Dark (FitD) games. Friends at the Table has returned to Forged in the Dark systems with Scum & Villainy (Twilight Mirage) and Beam Saber (PARTIZAN).

External links[edit | edit source]

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