Blades in the Dark A Grimdark Fantasy RPG Where You Play Criminals Trying to Thrive in a Supernatural Victorian City!

Stepping into the shadowy alleys of Doskvol, you aren’t playing as valiant knights or noble wizards. Nope, in Blades in the Dark, you’re the scum of the earth—a band of scoundrels pulling heists, making deals with supernatural entities, and vying for control of a city steeped in industrial grime and occult whispers.

Developed by Evil Hat Productions, this tabletop RPG leans heavily into narrative-driven gameplay with its unique “Forged in the Dark” system. Forget meticulous dungeon crawls and endless combat encounters; Blades is all about tense decisions, cunning plans, and high stakes heists.

Doskvol: A City Shrouded in Mystery

Doskvol itself is a character, pulsating with life yet teetering on the edge of chaos. It’s a Victorian-inspired metropolis choked by smog, haunted by whispers of forbidden magic, and ruled by powerful factions vying for dominance. The city’s oppressive atmosphere, coupled with its vibrant underworld, creates a fertile ground for daring escapades and morally ambiguous choices.

Imagine a world where clockwork automatons stalk the streets alongside shadowy creatures born from nightmares. Where opulent mansions hide illicit gambling dens and secret rituals. Doskvol is a place of stark contrasts, where the line between right and wrong blurs with every shadow you encounter.

Playing as the Shadows

In Blades in the Dark, players assume the roles of characters known as “crews.” These crews are composed of specialized individuals with distinct skills and motivations:

Each crew member has their own backstory and motivations, creating a dynamic interplay within the group. As you embark on daring missions, you’ll need to utilize each crew member’s unique abilities to overcome challenges and achieve your goals.

The “Forged in the Dark” System: Embracing the Narrative Flow

Blades in the Dark’s gameplay is driven by its innovative “Forged in the Dark” system. Instead of traditional dice rolls, the game uses a pool of six-sided dice (d6) to determine success and failure. The number of dice you roll is determined by your character’s skills and the difficulty of the task at hand.

Here’s where things get interesting:

• Success with Style: Rolling high results not only grants success but also allows for “style points.” These points can be spent to add dramatic flair to your actions, gain bonuses, or even influence future events.
• Failure Doesn’t Mean Defeat: Even when you fail a roll, the game encourages narrative creativity. Instead of simply halting the action, failures often lead to unexpected complications, forcing players to improvise and adapt their plans on the fly.
• Stress and Harm: Combat isn’t about hit points and death blows. Instead, characters accrue stress and harm as they face danger. Stress represents mental strain and vulnerability, while harm reflects physical damage.

This system encourages a more cinematic approach to gameplay, focusing on storytelling, collaboration, and player agency.

Beyond the Heist: Unveiling Deeper Themes

Blades in the Dark isn’t just about stealing shiny trinkets and escaping with your loot. It delves into deeper themes of social inequality, political corruption, and the struggle for power in a world teetering on the edge of collapse. As you navigate Doskvol’s underbelly, you’ll encounter morally complex situations that challenge your loyalties and force you to question the very nature of right and wrong.

Are you willing to betray your comrades for personal gain? Will you fight against the oppressive forces that control the city, or will you succumb to their allure and join the ranks of the powerful? These are just some of the questions you’ll face as you forge your own destiny in the shadows of Doskvol.

Blades in the Dark isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a gritty, challenging RPG that rewards creativity, collaboration, and a willingness to embrace the darkness within. So gather your crew, sharpen your blades, and prepare to plunge into the depths of Doskvol—where every decision has consequences and every shadow hides a secret waiting to be uncovered.