Blades in the Dark || Beginner Friendly

Creating your character

The table will build the CREW, a shared group playbook, along with individual SCOUNDRELS with a variety from CUTTER, a dangerous and intimidating fighter, to SPIDER, a devious mastermind. We'll set the table's expectation by making these choices as well, and what type of criminal activities the group will focus on, establish major antagonist as well as what few allies you've made along the way.

Preparing for the session

To participate in the chat on Discord, you'll need a mic. Webcams are encouraged, as they can help improve communication, but not required. Discord accounts are free and you should install the software before the game. I'll provide a link to the Discord server used for the game. Foundry will be hosted on the website Forge-vtt.com and making an account is free to set up any time before the game. You don't need to know the rules beforehand. If you've seen any amazing Actual Plays or read the rules, great! However, I'll be teaching everyone the rules as we play for anyone unfamiliar, and I'll help you translate your intentions into the rules where necessary. Your only concern should be enjoying the game and bringing your character to life. You can use physical dice if you have a favorite set! You can also use Foundry to automate rolling according to the rules.

What Travis D. brings to the table

I'll provide the voice server via Discord. Foundry has all the tools required to bring character ideas to life. While most of the game will be Theater of the Mind, we'll use the Foundry to track characters. I have a great command of the system and love helping players get into a new game. I also enjoy helping people find their voice or style or roleplaying, and creating a comfortable environment we can explore together. Open-ended games like this require adaptability and on-the-fly adjustments, and together with the players I look forward to exploring the collaborative world we create. Expect cinematic styling, off screen reveals and an immersive story built around the PCs.

How Travis D. creates a safe table

This game will feature a heavy amount of Roleplay; That doesn't mean you must do character voices, or even speak in character if you find that difficult, but it does mean being invested in your character and their experience. Who are they? What would they do in this situation, might it be a bad choice, but the choice they'd make? How does whats unfolding around them shape their life, and where will they end up by trying to react to these happenings? It doesn't mean we need to know in advance these answers, rather much we'll be Playing to Find Out, and along the way guiding the story of these heroes. Sharing the Spotlight and juggling the action, as well as the beats of the story, primarily fall in my responsibilities, but feel free to suggest alterations to scenes or exciting ideas. As long as we share the table respectfully and don't talk other each other, we're all taking on all the roles of director, actor and audience collectively in this game. And who knows what is fun to watch better than an audience themselves? Game will be held on Discord (Mic required, webcam optional but encouraged), with player aids and characters sheets on Foundry. Primarily a Theater of the Mind game. Lines & Veils handled in Discord, and Breaks will be 10 minutes in the middle. Stepping away for any reason is also completely fine, but if able please check in if it's a slight pause the table can wait for or if you prefer not to interrupt the flow of the game. Post game debrief will occur wrapping up the session, but feel free to use StartPlaying to message any additional thoughts that occur later before the next game. Stars and Wishes can be discussed before stepping away as well, but will also have a Discord channel for the game so there is no stress to think of all the cool things you'd like to see immediately.