Blades in the Dark
1st EditionBest For
Groups who want a continuing criminal-crew campaign with improvised heists and consequences that change their standing among rival factions.
Core Mechanic
Roll d6s equal to an action rating and keep the highest result. A 1–3 produces a bad outcome, 4–5 succeeds with consequences, and 6 succeeds fully. Multiple 6s produce a critical success. Before an action roll, the GM sets its position and effect to establish the danger and intended impact. Players can add a die by pushing with stress or accepting a Devil's Bargain.
The dice procedure is brief. Position and effect require interpreting the situation before rolling. Personal stress and recovery interlock with the crew's economy and faction conflicts. These connections require learning several procedures across missions and downtime.
- Free to tryQuickstartA free starter you can actually play
- Get it nowSold newIn print or as a legal PDF
- ✓IndexFind any rule by page number
- ✓GM guidanceA chapter on how to run the game
- ✓Examples of playRules shown in action at the table
- ✓Quick referenceCheat sheet or summary tables
- ✓Cross-referencesRules point to each other by page
5 of 5 book tools found in the core book
Highlights
Flashbacks establish earlier preparation during a heist, allowing the group to enter the action without planning every contingency. Resistance lets players reduce or avoid consequences at a potential stress cost. Crew advancement changes the group's influence and resources alongside its relationships with rival factions.
Considerations
Action outcomes depend on table judgments about fictional risk and effect rather than fixed difficulty numbers. Recovering harm and clearing stress compete with personal projects for limited downtime activities. Filling the trauma track normally forces a scoundrel into retirement or prison.
Third-Party Publishing
Rules license Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (SRD only)
The Forged in the Dark SRD permits new games and other derived works with attribution. The Duskwall and Shattered Isles setting, NPCs, artwork, maps, and Blades in the Dark branding are excluded.
The Forged in the Dark logo has separate attribution requirements. Translating the complete core book requires a separate agreement.
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