Band of Blades (Beginner, LGBTQ+, BIPOC Friendly)
The dead march on your heels as you retreat through foreign land. You're the last of the Legion, maybe the last hope for humanity.
TYPE
SYSTEM
LANGUAGE
EXPERIENCE
AGE
$10.00
/ Session
Details
Weekly / Friday - 6:00 PM UTC
Session Duration / 3.5–4 hours
Campaign Length / 20–25 Sessions
0 / 5 Seats Filled
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About the adventure
The world is falling as the Cinder King's undead armies march; extinguishing, corrupting all that stands in their way. The living gathered all their forces at Karlsburg, all the loyal legions in a valiant stand against the foe. The living lost. You are the remnants of one of the Legions on retreat from an overwhelming foe. Hope will be the last thing to die. Band of Blades is a cinematic, narrative driven game focused on the Legion - a band of mercenaries and soldiers trying to survive against overwhelming world-changing odds. The players take charge of the Legion - it's command and the rank and file soldiers. You will make important decisions that will direct the course of this arduous journey and decide the fate of your people, as well as take charge of soldiers and heroes in action-packed or dramatic missions. The game uses the intuitive Forged in the Dark system where every roll puts narrative first and pushes the story forward for good or ill. What to expect: ⚔️Focused sessions, consisting of an in-depth cinematic mission, followed by back-at-camp scenes of planning and roleplay. ⚔️Themes of horrors of war, low fantasy, dark atmosphere, desperation and tough choices. ⚔️Switching of perspectives as the players are free to pick a character to play and portray. ⚔️Player freedom to shape the Legion, their choices, relationships, history and path forward. ⚔️Rules lite gameplay with focus on player freedom and creative choices. ⚔️Choices truly do matter. Real risk of character death is a norm and the Legion can succumb to losses, resulting in a tragic end. First Session free.
Game style
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
5.0
(5)
1 year on StartPlaying
Highly rated for: Creativity, Inclusive, Sets the Mood
About me
Hello friend. My name is Edgar I'm a storyteller, writer and artist with just about ten years of GM experience. It all began when I was a wee lad and got invited to game of, would you believe it, Dungeons and Dragons. I fell in love with tabletop roleplay right then and there, seeing it as collaborative art and storytelling. At my table we are inclusive, welcoming and attentive. I've run many systems in my time and played around with a bunch of themes. If I had to pick favorites, I'd go with mystery and horror, so even if we're doing wacky hijinks in Faerûn, I am liable to throw in a puzzle or a scare. While the rules of the system are an important framework, I believe that the 'rule of cool' is a universally excellent rule. As a GM my loyalty is to the story that we are all creating together, with all the curveballs and out-of-the-box chicanery players are oft to do.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
- Band of Blades has a revolving cast of Legionnaires that players can create and flesh out. The character creation in this system is fast and very intuitive, allowing players to jump in and out of various fun characters. - During the free session 1 we will create the Legion command - each player will have a character in a leadership position that interacts with the campaign aspects of the game. - In addition on session 1 we will create a Specialist for each player - a 'hero' character, more experienced than the rank and file. Think of them as main characters, as opposed to secondary characters that are the rest of the soldiers.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
All you need is a Roll20 account, Discord account, and a decent mic.(cam not necessary but preferable)
What Edgar brings to the table
A Band of Blades session has a clear but flexible structure. - First half is the Mission: A combat/mystery/exploration task that a few legionnaires are sent out to do. Players take the role of these soldiers and take up their task head on. - Second half is the Campaign: The mission is over and we are back at Legion camp. Players deal with the upkeep of their Legions people, gear and projects. Engage in roleplay, delve into interpersonal drama and relationships. Figure out ways to even the odds and plan for their next moves and missions. I do voices for most characters, at the very least enough to differentiate them. We will use ambient/combat music on roll20 for the atmosphere. Band of Blades system provides intense combat/encounters without crunch and naturally embraces the rule of cool.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Platforms used
Safety
How Edgar creates a safe table
- I will be sending my players an RPG consent checklist. - During session 0 we will re-establish the themes and topics of the game. - X/N cards can be used on video or discord chat, whichever is more comfortable. - We will have a 10-15 minute break around the middle of the session. - After the session if you have any concerns, questions or comments, I highly encourage my players to voice them.
Content warnings
Safety tools used