Blades in the Dark: The Artifact Job (Queer & BIPOC-Friendly Spooky Surreal Heist Campaign)
In a gaslamp world touched by ghosts and dead gods, a heist crew is tasked with acquiring a rare artifact, & survive against its powerful god's curse.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
Bi-weekly / Tuesday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 2.5–3 hours
1 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
1/5
About the adventure
Become an audacious thief willing to risk it all for a great score! Discover the powerful magicks of ancient artifacts... and struggle against the even more powerful machinations of your rivals... as you learn more about the ghost-touched city where you live, and what may lurk beyond it... ❦ You've taken up to trading all manner of rare and special items under cover of the dim Doskvol sky. Some of those artifacts, unfortunately, just so happen to be cursed. Merely touching or gazing at one may spell doom for most mortals. But they're also worth a lot of coin. Sometimes, more coin than trouble. But remember, the gods may be be forgotten by man, but that doesn't make them any less present--or less dangerous. ❦ Join this table if you're into: * playing a team of talented criminals down on their luck and in over their heads like you're in a Guy Ritchie movie; * set in a bleak gaslamp world like the Dishonored games; * where you discover the haunting and surreal power of a priceless relic like Hellraiser! As a GM I’m really invested in bonding surreal worldbuilding with down-to-earth dramatic storytelling, and I pride myself on leaning into players’ improvisations at the table and giving you moments to feel powerfully badass as well as leaning into whatever drama or comedy you want for your characters.
Game style
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
2 years on StartPlaying
About me
I'm a poet, science fiction and fantasy writer, and game designer from Trinidad and Tobago! I'm really passionate about telling stories and using collaboration and performance to do so together at a table, which is why I'm excited about playing and making TTRPGs. In particular, I love discovering and expanding on the worldbuilding of players, making room for really interesting character play, and giving PCs opportunities to be cool in as many different narrative ways as possible. I always want to make room for an inclusive and welcoming experience in the story, at the play table, and even before we roll dice. At present, I'm really into Forged in the Dark and Powered by the Apocalypse games like Blades in the Dark, Apocalypse Keys, and Thirsty Sword Lesbians, but I'm always on the lookout for new indie stuff to play and always intrigued to discover a new system as a player, a GM, and designer.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Character and crew creation will be discussed during Session 0. During that session, we'll work together to discover what crew you'd like to play (Shadows may be ideal but I can make anything work!) as well as discuss character relationships and their crew's relationship to other elements of the world. Feel free to come with questions or with initial character ideas!
Presently aiming for every other Monday or Tuesday afternoon or evening starting in mid-July). Am generally flexible, though--calendar discussions will be part of Session Zero!
What to expect
Preparing for the session
Mics are required; webcams would be preferred but not necessary. Players will create their own characters. Discord and Roll20 are required. Character sheets and virtual die rolling will take place in Roll20.
What Brandon brings to the table
I will make the Roll20 game instance and provide a text and voice chat in Discord for us to play and discuss in (or, if Zoom is preferred for play, I'll have a link ready 30 minutes in advance of our play time). PDFs of Blades in the Dark will be provided for players who do not have copies of the rules. As a GM, I'm big on dramatic NPC relationships, factions with vivid and complex interests, pulling threads on deep relationships between PCs, and missions that are often sudden and intense. I'll also bring strong weird worldbuilding that can swing from revelatory to mildly creepy to outright silly.
Equipment needed to play
Computer
Internet
Microphone
Webcam
Platforms used
Safety
How Brandon creates a safe table
Before play, each player will be sent a Digital RPG Consent Checklist to anonymously submit Lines and Veils. There will also be a Session 0 to more clearly discuss those Lines and Veils, and to discuss character and crew creation beforehand.
Content warnings
Safety tools used