Mastering the Shadows: Advanced Gameplay in Blades in the Dark
Welcome to Duskvol, the dark and industrial city of the underworld. In Blades in the Dark, you can become a daring thief, assassin, or scoundrel trying to make a name for yourself in the criminal factions. This is part three and the final installment of this mini-series. If you missed the first episodes we give our first impressions and guide to character creation, check it here.
Get ready to level up your Blades in the Dark game! We're diving into advanced gameplay techniques to enhance your experience. From fiction-first gaming to supernatural elements, we'll explore important aspects of playing at a high level. Join us as we discuss Doskvol's history and cultures, advanced abilities, and more. So grab your dice and let's dive in!
Blades in the Dark is a tabletop roleplaying game that takes place in Doskvol, a city of darkness and danger. The game is designed to be fast-paced, gritty, and full of action, with players taking on the roles of daring scoundrels trying to make their way in a world of gangs, corrupt officials, and supernatural beings.
In this blog, we'll be discussing advanced gameplay techniques to help game masters enhance their Blades in the Dark experience. From fiction-first gaming to supernatural elements, we'll explore important aspects of playing at a high level.
Fiction-First Gaming
One of the most important aspects of Blades in the Dark is its focus on storytelling. Players should be encouraged to prioritize the narrative over mechanics, and to use the mechanics to drive the story forward. This means that players should be triggering action rolls based on the fiction, rather than trying to force the fiction to fit the mechanics.
Choosing Actions
When players trigger an action roll, they should be encouraged to choose the most appropriate action for the situation. The game's various actions cover a wide range of possible actions, from sneaking around to fighting to socializing. Each action has a specific set of consequences, which should be explained to players before they make their choice.
NPC Threat Levels
NPCs in Blades in the Dark can range from low-level grunts to powerful gang leaders and supernatural beings. Players should be aware of the level of threat posed by each NPC they encounter, and should adjust their actions accordingly.
Failing Gracefully
Failure is an important part of Blades in the Dark, and players should be encouraged to embrace it. When a player fails a roll, they should be given the opportunity to fail gracefully, which means that they should still make progress towards their goal, but with some sort of cost or complication.
Abstraction vs. Details
Blades in the Dark strikes a balance between abstraction and detail. Players should be encouraged to focus on the big picture, but also to pay attention to the details that make the game world come alive. Each action has a specific level of abstraction, which should be explained to players before they make their choice.
Running the Game
As the game master, it's important to have a clear understanding of your goals, actions, principles, best practices, and bad habits. You should be focused on creating an exciting and engaging world for your players, while also ensuring that the game runs smoothly and everyone has fun. When starting a new game of Blades in the Dark, it's important to set up the game's initial world and introduce elements that create tension and uncertainty. This might include the dark future, strange forces, and other elements that help to establish the game's unique tone and atmosphere.
Supernatural Elements
Blades in the Dark includes a variety of supernatural beings, including ghosts, hulls, and vampires. Players should be encouraged to explore these elements of the game world, and to use them to add depth and intrigue to their stories. Make sure to lean into these at every possible turn.
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Changing the Game
Players should be encouraged to expand the game's scope and make it their own. This might involve tweaking existing elements or creating new ones, and should be done in a way that enhances the game world and drives the story forward.
Overview of running the game
Running Blades in the Dark requires a unique skill set, and the game master (GM) has a crucial role to play. The GM's primary goal is to create an engaging world and story that the players can explore. They need to be able to improvise and adapt to the players' actions and decisions.
The GM should also have a set of principles, such as "play to find out what happens," and "think offscreen too." These principles help guide the GM's decisions and ensure that the game remains engaging and unpredictable.
Finally, the GM should be aware of best practices and bad habits. For example, they should avoid railroading the players and forcing them into specific actions. Instead, they should provide a sandbox-style world that allows the players to explore and make their own decisions.
Explanation of starting the game, starting situation, the dark future, and strange forces:
Blades in the Dark begins with the players taking on the roles of a gang of criminals in the city of Doskvol. The GM should provide a starting situation that creates tension and uncertainty, such as a rival gang encroaching on the players' territory.
The game also has a unique "dark future" mechanic that allows players to predict future events and make plans accordingly. This mechanic adds a layer of strategy to the game and encourages players to think ahead.
Blades in the Dark also has a supernatural element to it, and strange forces such as ghosts, hulls, vampires, magnitude, rituals, and crafting can all play a significant role in the game world.
FInal Thoughts
As a GM, your goal should be to create a setting and atmosphere that is both engaging and unpredictable. You can do this by starting the game with a clear starting situation and introducing strange forces, such as supernatural beings or powerful factions, that create tension and uncertainty. The players should feel that they are part of a dynamic world that is constantly evolving, and they should be motivated to explore and interact with the different elements of the game world.
One important aspect of the game world is the presence of ghosts, hulls, vampires, and other supernatural beings. These entities can be used to create a sense of danger and to challenge the players' skills and abilities. They can also be used to provide important information or clues that can help the players progress through the game.
Another important aspect of the game world is the crafting system. This system allows players to create and modify equipment, weapons, and other items, giving them greater control over their characters' abilities and equipment. The crafting system is an important part of the game, and players should be encouraged to experiment with different crafting options and to think creatively when designing new items.
Mastering the shadows in Blades in the Dark requires a combination of strategy, creativity, and storytelling. By focusing on the fiction, choosing appropriate actions, and handling failure gracefully, players can create a rich and engaging game world that is both challenging and unpredictable. With a little practice and experimentation, game masters can create a game that is truly unique and rewarding for their players.
Capes and Crooks - A 5e Superhero RPG
Capes and Crooks utilizes the core rules for the 5th Edition of the world’s greatest roleplaying game and adds its own unique twist. You will take on the role of a superhero (or a villain if you prefer) and completely customize your character with unique origins, roles, powers, and alter-egos. With a group of friends and a bit of imagination, you will strike out on dangerous missions and terrifying challenges, from stopping bank robbers and handling deadly hostage negotiations to slaying monstrosities created from a mad scientist’s experimentations. You will also have to deal with the realities of a law and order society that doesn’t exactly look kindly on those with powers. This book contains a world setting, character creation rules, equipment, powers, enhancements, magic items/tech, monsters, villains & NPC’s, and a full adventure.
Capes and Crooks takes place in the ultra-modern world of Terra, a place of science, technology, evolution and even ancient lost magic. 25 years ago people around the world found themselves mysteriously imbued with fantastical gifts. Now called deviants, these people take on many roles as they struggle to find their place in this new world. Some wish to use their gifts to help others, some to gain wealth and power, and some to do evil to satisfy their darkness. In a world where what is right, and what is the law often conflicts, how will you choose to use your powers and conceal your identity from those who wish to stop you?
There will always be good and evil; light and dark. There will always be Capes and Crooks!
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Unearthed Tips and Tricks
Encounter: Shadows Over Evernight: The Moonstone Heist
The players are hired by Kethril Blackthorn, a wealthy elf merchant, who wants to retrieve the Moonstone of Evernight from the vault of Lord Harodin Valtor, a powerful and corrupt nobleman who rules over the city of Ashenport. The Moonstone was stolen from Kethril's family many years ago, and he wants it back to restore his family's honor.
Lord Valtor's vault is located in Castle Valtor, a heavily guarded fortress on the outskirts of Ashenport. The players must find a way to get inside undetected. They learn that Lord Valtor is hosting a masquerade ball in his castle, and that many of the guests will be wearing masks and costumes.
The players must come up with a plan to sneak into Castle Valtor during the ball, find the vault, and steal the Moonstone. They could disguise themselves as guests, sneak in through a secret entrance, or use magic to teleport inside.
Once inside the castle, the players must avoid detection by guards and other guests, and find their way to the vault. They could disable security systems, pick locks, or use magic to bypass obstacles.
When they reach the vault, the players discover that it is protected by magical wards and traps. They must use their skills and spells to disarm the traps and bypass the wards, and finally retrieve the Moonstone.
However, as they try to leave the castle with the Moonstone, they are confronted by Lord Valtor and his guards. The players must fight their way out, using their weapons and spells to defeat the guards and escape with the Moonstone.
Once they have escaped, the players must return the Moonstone to Kethril Blackthorn and collect their reward. However, they may discover that the Moonstone has some unexpected properties, and that Lord Valtor is not the only one interested in it...
Game Master Tip: Information Gathering
As a Game Master, it's important to remember that the flow of information between you and the players is crucial to a successful game. While you'll naturally describe the world around the players and their characters, you can't possibly cover everything. That's where the players' ability to gather information comes in handy.
When a player wants to know something specific about the world, their character can gather information. This might involve asking questions of an NPC, searching an area for clues, or recalling something they learned in the past. If the information is common knowledge, you can simply answer their question. If there's an obstacle in the way (such as an NPC who doesn't want to talk), you might call for a skill check to see if they succeed in gathering the information.
For example, if a player wants to know where a band of goblins is holed up, they might talk to a local shopkeeper who has heard rumors. You could then call for a Wisdom (Insight) check to determine how much information the shopkeeper reveals, based on the roll result.
Note that each attempt to gather information takes time, and the opportunity to gather information might be fleeting. Players can try again if they don't initially get all the info they want, but they might only get one chance to roll for a particular question.
Some common ways for players to gather information include Perception checks to spot clues, Investigation checks to search an area for clues, and Insight checks to understand the motivations of NPCs. Sometimes, players will need to maneuver themselves into position before they can gather information, such as by using Stealth to eavesdrop on a conversation.
Finally, some questions might be too complex to answer immediately with a single gather information roll. In these cases, you might instruct the players to start a long-term investigation project during downtime. Players can track their progress on this project using a progress tracker, and once the tracker is filled, they'll have the evidence they need to ask several questions about the subject of their investigation.
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Keep your blades sharp and spells prepared heroes!
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