A poacher's widow sat sighing

On the side of the white chalk bank,

Where under the gloomy fir-woods
One spot in the ley throve rank.

She thought of the dark plantation,

And the hares, and her husband's blood,
And the voice of her indignation
Rose up to the throne of her God.

'I am long past wailing and whining-

I have wept too much in my life:
I've had twenty years of pining
As an English labourer's wife.

'There's blood on your new foreign shrubs, squire,

There's blood on your pointer's cold feet;
There's blood on the game you sell, squire,
And there's blood on the game you eat.

‘So I’ll take up my poor husband’s bow, Squire

Fletch arrows of ashwood and yew
I’ll ‘scape to the Brinkwood this evening
And there will I join with the few

‘And I will not put down my labors

I’ll take forest leaves for my bed
Until this arrow pierces your cold heart, Squire
And you in your coffin lie dead

‘So to kennels and liveried varlets

 Where you starved your own daughter of bread
And worn out with liquor and harlots
See your heirs at your feet lying dead

‘When you follow them into your coffin

And your soul rots asleep in the grave
Then Squire, you will not be forgiven
By the free men you took as your slaves

-Excerpted and adapted from “The Bad Squire,” by Charles Kingsley

Table of Contents
Basic Premise 1

Key 4

What You Need 4

Getting Started 6

Player Characters 9

Custom Mechanics 11

Starting Situation 17

A Meeting in Sothsmere 20

Downtime 24

Planning the Foray 26

Resources 26
The Foray 34
Potential Obstacles 34

One Ending, Many Beginnings 36

Payoff 36
XP 36

Tiers and Goals 37

Ally Tiers 37
Tier Goals 38

Friendly Factions 39

Enemies, Vampiric and Mundane 42

Mundane Enemies 42
Vampiric Classes 43

Basic Premise
The world is not as it should be. The rich feed, literally, upon the poor, as
blood-sucking vampires who barely bother to conceal their horrific,
parasitic nature. The downtrodden peoples of the world struggle under
the burdens of rent, payable through the sweat of their labor or the
blood of their veins. Evil has triumphed. Many have given in to despair.
But all is not lost.

In Brinkwood, you take on the role of renegades, thieves, and rebels

struggling for freedom and liberation in a castylpunk world controlled
by vampires. Radicalized by tragedy, you have taken up arms and fled
into the forests, where you were taken in by unlikely allies - the fae,
forgotten creatures of myth - who offered a different path and the
means to fight back against your oppressors.

Masks, forged of old wood and older magic, are the final tool left to fight
a war long ago lost. If you wear them, they will take their price, etching
themselves upon your very soul. But they will also let you spill the blood
of the rich and powerful vampires that now rule the land, and from that
blood strengthen yourself and your movement.

Drink the rich, before they drink you.

Introducing the Game

Before you start playing, you should distribute the one-pager to your
players (or people you want to get interested in playing), as this
document will introduce the concept of the game and explain the basics
of what they’re getting into.

Media Inspirations
“Robin Hood vs. Vampires” would be an accurate summation of
Brinkwood, but here’s a few more inspirations that might help you get a
handle on what this game is trying to do.

● Video Games: Castlevania, Devil May Cry, Bloodbourne,

Tyranny, Vampyr
● Literature: Robin Hood, Anno Dracula, Altered Carbon
 ● Tabletop Games: Castle Ravenloft, The Fury of Dracula
● Music: English Rebel Songs - Chumbawumba

Castylpunk
Castylpunk is an aesthetic genre that blends elements of gothic horror,
medievalism, anachronism, victorianism, gas-punk and fantasy.
Castylpunk worlds are usually medieval in setting, but aren’t too terribly
concerned with historical details so much as aesthetics. You might find
factories, gearworks, victorian fashion and other out-of-place setting
details, but still set against a backdrop of gloomy castles, old decaying
cities, and vaulted gothic architecture. This is a world where you’ll still
find faeries and other supernatural creatures, but driven to the fringes,
back into the darkest parts of the forest where few dare tread. The
notable exception in this case, of course, being vampires.

The “punk” in Castylpunk implies a punk aesthetic and intention

brought to bear on the setting. You aren’t here to admire the scenery, or
brood in secret castles, or soliloquize on your moral complexity or the
depths of your depravity while you drink the blood of virgins from a
crystal chalice; you are here to fuck shit up. This isn’t a game about
having sympathy for blood-drinkers and oppressors; it’s about staking
them through the goddamn heart. Be reckless. Be active. Stay mad. Stay
punk.

What is this Game About?

● Coming together, finding unlikely allies, understanding cultures
and people that might at first seem alien to you.
 ● Organizing people. Recruiting in secret. Staging a full-fledged
rebellion against the oppressors that drain people, both literally
and figuratively, of everything they have.

● Blowing stuff up. Assassinating collaborators and vampires

alike. Planning raids, taking what you need from the stores of
your enemies, waging guerilla war, and slowly but surely growing
your movement.

● Navigating the politics of underground resistance and,

eventually, revolution. Making hard choices about whose needs
to prioritize, and giving voice to a collective, democratic will in a
tyrannical world.

● Taking back power for the marginalized, dispossessed, and poor.

Putting fear into the hearts of your oppressors. Drinking the
Rich.

Dramatic Questions
● What does it take to win people’s trust, organize a rebellion, and
achieve victory? What sacrifices must be made? Who must make
them?

● How do you balance the needs of the people you’re trying to

liberate, versus the costs of overthrowing those that keep you all
in chains?

● What amount of violence, be it physical, political, emotional, or

economic is necessary to achieve liberation? How do you keep
your focus on your goals, without devolving into vengeance and
bloodlust?
Key
GM: Notes for the GM / the GM’s role in the game

Player: Notes for the Players / the Player’s role in a scenario

Idea / Note: Further description of mechanics or something

else.

One-Shot: Information useful to those playing a one-shot

version of Brinkwood.

What You Need

● 3-7 people, one of whom will act as the GM.

● This printed rules document, a copy of the player reference sheet

for each player, a copy of the GM reference sheet.

● A copy of each pre-gen background character sheet and each

mask sheet.

● Pencils, paper, laptops, tablets or a virtual tabletop such as

Roll20.

● Some standard 6-sided dice.

● Some way to access the Blades in the Dark SRD or a copy of the
Blades in the Dark rulebook.
Session 0

Getting Started
If you’re planning to play Brinkwood as part of a larger campaign, it is
advisable to start with a “Session 0” where you and your friends figure
out what kind of campaign you’re going to play.

Background Reading
Consider reading the following lore entries as a group, rotating
clockwise with each player reading a new paragraph.

Our story begins in Cardenfell, a county on the island of Orslae, itself

part of an archipelago known as The Bloody Isles. Cardenfell is rich in
natural resources, with deposits of coal and silver, as well as large tracts
of fertile farmland. In many ways it is the beating heart of the Isles, as
the saying goes, “Blood flows from Cardenfell.” It is controlled by one of
the most powerful and favored Vampire Counts of the entire Crimson
Crown, and is as jealously guarded as it is viciously exploited.

The vast majority of the population of Cardenfell is kept at or below a

subsistence level of economic growth. Most of the population is made up
of peasants, obligated to pay rent in blood, silver, or labor to the liege
lord or landlord who owns the property they live and work on.
Blood Sterling is the currency of the “civilized” world, and is a powerful
mixture of silver and blood, capable of transforming a person into a
vampire. Imbibing Blood Sterling grants otherworldly powers at the cost
of drinking human blood.

Important to note is that Vampires are not born, or forced into their life,
or even incapable of leaving it. A vampire who stops drinking blood will
find their power wither away and their mortality slowly return. But most
are unwilling to sacrifice the “gifts” of the blood, even if it means they
would no longer need to feast upon their fellow man.
Along the edge of Cardenfell, straddling it’s border, lies the forest
known to all manner of folk as the Brinkwood. Since time immemorial,
it has been left unmolested as all know it as a realm of the Fae. Mothers
and fathers warn their children away from it, telling legends of wights,
wisps, beasts of snapping teeth, birds of sharp talons and vines of
twisting thorns. Few are foolhardy enough to venture within.

But you are not to be deterred by bedtime stories, and where vampires
fear to tread, you might find allies. The forest proved itself dangerous
and wild, snagging you with thorns, harrying you with beasts, and
disturbing your nights with strange cries and calls. But still you
persisted, and in time, the Fae, curious as they were, sought you out.
Under the great trees of the forest, on altars of ancient stone, you spilled
your blood and pledged yourself to your cause, and the Fae pledged their
assistance.
Concept
Your group should have a good idea of the intended concept of
Brinkwood from the one-pager and background reading, but you should
discuss whether you want to make any changes to the concept of the
game.

Aim
Once the Concept is established, discuss your Aim. Your Aim should be
to have fun as a group, but what exactly that means might vary based on
individual expectations. Discuss these questions:
● Brinkwood is designed with an explicit “win state”, i.e. when you
successfully overthrow the vampire lords’ regime in Cardenfell.
Is everyone on board with this goal?
● Brinkwood can be played with lose states, such as total-party-
kills or character death. Is losing in these ways an acceptable
outcome? Should character death be mechanically determined or
story-based? The answer can vary from person-to-person.

Tone
Take a moment to discuss the Tone of your game. Brinkwood was
designed for a dark, though adventurous, tone. It can be played as a
black comedy at times, or as a more serious war-and-mud story. Make
sure you establish and agree to the Tone you want for your game.
Subject Matter
You should discuss the subject matter your game will address. For this,
we recommend the Lines and Veils tool by Ron Edwards.

Lines and Veils

Lines are hard lines, things you don’t want to come up in the game and
want the GM and your fellow players to steer away from. Veils are a little
looser, describing things you want fast-forwarded by without going into
too much detail about the nitty-gritty. Every player should lay out their
Lines and Veils, and these should be recorded down and made visible to
all players. Please note that players are not expected to state why
something is a line or veil for them, though room should be made if the
player bringing up the topic wants to discuss it.

Some potential lines and veils that should be discussed are listed below:
● Violence: Brinkwood contains violence by its nature, but the
exact level of that violence is up to the players. Think of movie
ratings, PG, PG-13 or hard R. Do you want descriptions of bloody
gore? PG-13 action and stakings? Or more cartoon-esque
violence where enemies puff away into smoke?

● Child Exploitation: Cogscampers are the children who work in

the factories that dot the world of Brinkwood. This is meant to
mirror real-world exploitation of children during the industrial
age, but some groups might want to tone-down or excise this
element of the game completely.

● Sexual Violence: It is highly recommended that Sexual Violence

be a hard line.
● Lack of Consent / Compulsion / Mind Control: In a great deal of
vampire fiction, vampires are depicted as being able to compel
people to do things against their will. How much of this you want
in your game is worthy of discussion.
Safety Tools
Your group should also consider which safety tools to use, if any. A full
discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of different safety tools is
beyond the scope of this document, but some to consider might be the
X-Card by John Stavropoulos or Script Change by Brie Beau Sheldon.

No matter which Safety Tools you choose to use, you should make it
clear that the safety tool is not intended to override common sense or
be leaned-on as an excuse to “push” more traumatic content.
Brinkwood is designed to be an adventure game, not an exploration of
trauma or emotional pain.

Thermian Argument
The Thermian Argument is a term used to describe the pattern of
justifying objectionable or harmful content in a work by making
reference to the fact that it exists in the game world.

This, in the opinion of the designer, is a flimsy and foolish argument,

and should not be used to leave in any part of the game that would be
harmful or damaging to the players. There is no aspect of Brinkwood
that should not be changed or excised in order to improve the play
experience for a specific group. There is nothing you can change or alter
that will fundamentally break the play experience or the world.
Have fun together. Make Brinkwood your own.

Player Characters
Have each player select a pre-generated character from the list below,
and pass them the background sheet for that player. Consider reading
out the descriptions of each pregen and passing around their
background sheets for consideration.
Merryn, the Clever Sailor - born to wheedle through the tight machines
of Cardenfell’s factories, the scaly, beleafed Merryn found a second
home as a sailor. Merryn lived merrily, until a vampiric passenger
helped themselves to a midnight snack - their entire crew. Merryn
swore to avenge his found family and crew, no matter the cost.

Ennor, the Exiled Foundling - Raised by a curious fae in the heart of the
Brinkwood, Ennor found joy and peace where many feared to tread. They
lived happily with their fae parents, until a group of Hunstmen spilled
their fae blood on the edges of the Brinkwood. Shocked by the cruelty of
the vampires, Ennor exiled themselves from their corner of the woods,
swearing not to return until the Vampires were defeated.

Ifig, the Scion Deserter - Ifig traced their lineage to a proud line of fae
and deepfolk warriors, trained to fight both on land and sea. When the
Vampires took power, their family was conscripted into the service of a
local vampire lord. But after seeing the cruelties of the blood-drinkers
first hand, Ifig found they could not stomach such barbarism. Instead,
they swore to restore the Freedom their ancestors once so proudly
defended.
Tekla, the Bloody Scholar - Born to an unlikely pairing of syl- and
dvarfolk, Tekla dreamed of reclaiming the mysteries of her parent’s
past. Tekla threw themselves into their studies, devouring tome after
tome. It wasn’t long before the Vampires came for Tekla, offering them
blood for the skills they had so long honed. Enraged by the gross
misuses of their knowledge the vampires suggested, Tekla cleverly
dispatched her would-be patrons, earning them their bloody moniker.
Now, they swear themselves to Wisdom, a slow, sure path to the
vampire’s defeat.

Visant, the Emerald Friar - A crown of tines and emerald scales marked
Visant as special to their artisan parents. They apprenticed for a bit,
before finding a calling to the Faith. They studied dutifully, but soon
grew disenchanted with the theology of the Reformed. Visant insisted
Faith should aid the meek, not enrich the elect. They swore to Industry,
build a Faith that aligned with the convictions in their soul.
Custom Mechanics
Brinkwood runs on top of the default Forged in the Dark SRD. This
section will cover which mechanics have been changed, added, or
removed from the default Forged in the Dark SRD. Beyond these specific
mechanics, it’s safe to assume you can pull in any missing mechanics
from the Blades SRD that you feel are needed.

Essence in Addition to Stress

bladesinthedark.com/stress-trauma

Associates instead of Dangerous Friends

bladesinthedark.com/character-creation

Masks instead of Playbooks

bladesinthedark.com/character-creation

Blood Sterling instead of Coin

bladesinthedark.com/coin-stash

Hobby and Pact instead of Vice

bladesinthedark.com/vice

Forays instead of Scores

bladesinthedark.com/score

Band instead of Crew

Stress and Essence
The default “Stress” mechanics have been split across Stress and
Essence for Brinkwood. This means that anything you could do with
Stress in the SRD can be also done with Essence, including resisting
consequences and pushing yourself.

Removing Stress
As noted in the Hobby section, you may remove stress from your
character by performing a downtime action.

Essence
Essence, in contrast to Stress, is first gained, then later spent. A player
character may gain Essence by taking an “Oath” immediately before
beginning a Foray. Players should note down that an Oath has been
taken and roll a number of dice equal to their lowest Attribute. The
player’s current Mask then gains an amount of Essence equal to the
highest die result.

Note that if the terms of an Oath are not fulfilled, the player character
will gain 1 Stress before each Foray until it is, and will not be able to take
another Oath until the current Oath is complete..

Drinking the Rich

The Masks you wear allow you to drink the blood of vampires, converting
it into Essence. The more powerful the vampire, the more essence you
will gain from drinking their blood.
Drinking is usually a time-intensive process, and if time is an issue, you
may require either a Fortune roll to determine how much blood you
drain before you need to move on, or multiple Skirmish rolls if draining
the blood of a struggling vampire.

Effect Essence Gained

Limited 1

Standard 2

Great 3

Fortune Roll Essence Gained

1-3 2

4,5 3

6 4

Critical Full Essence

Fortune Roll Modifiers

● Start with 1d
● +1d if vampire is unconscious / incapacitated
● +1d if you have more than a few minutes to drain the vampire’s
blood
● +1d if you are in a rarely patrolled quiet place, or locked room
 ● -1d if guards are patrolling nearby or are likely to investigate
soon

Mask Actions
Each Mask has a set of actions associated with it. These actions can be
used either the same way all other actions are, or you may “spend” their
dots in order to increase an associated effect of a related action by +1.

Sava, wearing the Mask of Torment, uses the Skirmish action to fight a
group of huntsmen. She needs to be more effective, so she’ll spend a
point of Vivisect to help her slice her way through the huntsmen.

Spent action dots are refilled at the end of each Foray. Record the
“permanent” action dots in the bar in line with the mask action, and
erase the action dot “uses” as they are used up.

Downtime Actions

Long-term project
When you work on a long-term project (either a brand new one, or an
already existing one), describe what your character does to advance the
project clock, and roll one of your actions. Mark segments on the clock
according to your result: 1-3: one segment, 4/5: two segments, 6: three
segments, critical: five segments.

Fletching and Gathering Supplies

Fletching and Gathering Supplies are two unique long term projects.
When you fletch arrows, you gather ashwood and refine it into ashes to
mask your presence and arrows and stakes to attack vampires. When
you gather supplies, you gather the necessities your band needs to
survive and thrive. Both of these long-term projects start as 4-clocks,
and when filled, add either a unit of Ashwood or Supplies to your
stockpile.
Recover
Ask another character to wear the Mask of Torment and tend to your
injuries. The “healer” rolls either Suture or Tend, depending on the
severity of the injury as determined by the GM. Alternatively, ask your
Fae to tend to your injuries, in which case the GM will roll Fortune equal
to your Tier. You may spend Supplies to increase the effect level of the
roll.

Tick a number of segments on the patient’s healing clock according to

the roll outcome: 1-3: one segment, 4,5: 2 segments, 6: 3 segments,
Critical: 4 segments

When you fill your healing clock, reduce each instance of harm on your
sheet by one level, then clear the clock. If you have more segments to
mark, they “roll over.”

Note that it’s the recovering character that takes the recovery action.
Healing someone else does not cost a downtime activity for the healer.

Practise Hobby
Narrate how your character spends their time practising at their hobby
to relieve stress. Roll dice equal to your lowest attribute rating, i.e. the
attribute with the fewest number of dots in its first column.

Clear stress equal to your highest die result. If you clear more stress
levels than you have marked, you lose resolve. On your next foray, cross
off a number of essence slots equal to the the amount of “leftover”
stress levels. These essence slots cannot be used until your next
downtime.

XP
At the end of each session, the group should discuss the XP questions
asked at the bottom of the Background sheet for each character as well
as each Mask used. XP gained from the Background sheet should be
recorded in the XP Bar of one of the Attributes. XP can be divided across
multiple Attributes.

XP gains from the Mask questions should be recorded on the Mask XP

wheel. When this wheel fills, the group should discuss whether or not to
gain a new special ability for the mask or whether to add an action dot to
one of the Mask Actions. The player who last used the Mask has the final
say on what special ability or action dot to gain.

Background XP
At the end of each session, mark 1 attribute XP...
● If you brought into play your upbringing, profession, or personal
history.
● If you took a course of action because of your tragedy, or if you
brought into play some aspect of your relationship to your band
or your Fae

Mask XP
At the end of each session, mark 1 Mask XP (or 2 if performed multiple
times)...
● If you fulfilled your oath.
● If you defeated a vampire of a higher Tier than you.
Session 1

If you are planning to play Brinkwood as a player and not as the GM,
stop reading here! The rest of this document contains spoilers only
intended to be read by the GM.

Starting Situation
A friendly faction, the Diggers, are under the thumb of the Powdermen,
a semi-sanctioned gang of black-powder wielding thugs who are
unofficially controlled by the local Vampire Count. The Diggers are
outmanned and outgunned, and therefore forced to pay an extorted
“protection fee” to the Powdermen. Helping the Diggers even the odds
with the Powdermen would go a ways to raising their opinion of your
fledgling rebellion, and a thumb in the eye of the Vampire Count is
always a good thing for you.

To that end, the Diggers have invited you to the village of Sothsmere, to
discuss an interesting bit of intelligence they recently ran across.
The Diggers
The diggers are a movement of peasant farmers, sharecroppers, and
agriculturists who have come together to share their fields and to try to
reclaim land deemed “unusable” by the powers that be. They
experiment with new crops and communal living arrangements, doing
their best to stay away from lands controlled by landlords or patrolled by
bailiffs. Their support would mean more potential rebels in your ranks,
as well as a solid source of food and other supplies.

Clindre
Clindre is a leader among the Diggers of Sothsmere, and is your initial
point of contact. She is an older woman, middle-aged with several
grown children. She is a widow, and has sympathies with your cause.
Her main concern is feeding people, and she is quick to remind your
band that any army they would seek to put together “would march on its
stomach.” She has sharp, quick eyes under a wrinkled brow, and speaks
in a slightly hoarse tone of voice.

The Powdermen
The powdermen are a gang with an unofficial monopoly on the use of
black powder guns. No one is quite sure where they get the powder they
use, or how they get the weapons that make them such a force to be
reckoned with. It is widely rumored that the local Vampire Count assists
them, in exchange for them keeping a watchful eye out in the criminal
underworld of Cardenfell, reporting any “treasonous” activity. They
operate mainly in towns, but have recently taken to harassing
communities of Diggers out in the villages.

Fenaesl
Fenaesl is a lieutenant and gang leader in the Powdermen’s
organization. He’s a loan-blood, drinking the Blood Sterling about once
a month. He resents his vampiric masters hold on him, but not enough
to stop drinking the blood. He hopes to prove himself, through
viciousness or cunning, and gain the Blood Sterling necessary to become
a fully-fledged vampire. He carries with him a fine set of pistols, and
can use his vampiric powers to move quickly and adeptly.
Starting Your Session
Begin your session by reviewing the concept, aim, tone, and subject
matter of your game. Check in to see if anyone wants to add any more
lines or veils, and remind people that lines and veils can be added later
at any point during the game. Review and explain any safety tools you
are using.

Next, have the players introduce their characters. Consider asking about
their appearance, background, or tragedy. Ask questions and be a fan of
your players.

Finally, before you begin, go clockwise around the table and ask each
player one of the below relationship questions to establish some shared
history between your player characters. Players should discuss and agree
on the answers to these questions together.

Feel free to ask more questions to further detail out the player
character’s relationships.

Relationship Questions
● You helped ___________ out of a tight spot. What was it?

● You let ___________ get away with something. What was it?

● You took the fall for something __________ did. What was it?

● You helped ___________’s family out when times were lean.

What did you give them?

● You talked __________ out of doing something stupid. What

was it?

● You admire something about _________, What is it?

● You trust ____________ for some reason. What is the reason?

A Meeting in Sothsmere
Begin your first session here, introducing your players to the village of
Sothsmere and the world. Describe how Clindre welcomes the players
into her home, a cozy, thatched-roof cottage, offering them some
tankards of ale and a meal. Describe the food she’s prepared, a
shepherd’s pie that she slices up and offers to the players. Be sure to
mention how this is likely the best meal any of the players have been
offered in days, possibly some of the best fare available to the common
folk in Cardenfell. If asked about the quality of the food, Clindre will
smile proudly and tell the band that the secret is the fine ingredients,
grown in abundance and in great variety thanks to the land the Diggers
have reclaimed. She might wax poetic a bit about how she hopes one
day, all land will be communal, and used responsibly so that all have
enough to eat.

Over the meal, Clindre should ask the band a little bit about themselves,
be reason being that she likes to get to know the people she conspires
with. This is an opportunity for the players to get in character, and share
a bit of their backstory with the group. She’ll answer any questions
about her own background honestly, but try to focus on the player
characters. She is most certainly probing for any sign that they might be
spies or agents of the Crimson Crown, but she should conclude that the
band seems trustworthy enough.

Over after-dinner tea and biscuits, she’ll lay out the intelligence the
Diggers have come across. Their spies have confirmed what many
suspect, that the powder mills of the local Vampire Count are diverting
gunpowder to supply the Powdermen. The powder trade line runs
through Sothsmere, and on the outskirts of town, the caravan guards
meet with the Powdermen, handing over a few casks of black powder.

She concludes by explaining that the Diggers don’t have the muscle to
ambush or attack this meeting, but has heard that your band may have
the muscle necessary to do something about it. She adds that stealing
the powder would likely be beneficial to your cause, but blowing it up
would also serve both of your ends.

Walls Have Ears

As the tea is cooling, don’t let the players linger too much on asking
questions of Clindre. Remind them that if they need more information
later, you can always flashback to this scene and ask more questions of
Clindre.

Instead, after the Digger’s reconnaissance has been shared, have the
players roll a fortune roll based on their Survey. This is a good
opportunity to explain the basic rolling rules.
 Core Mechanic
You roll several at once and read the single highest result.

● If the highest die is a 6, it’s a full success—things go well. If

you roll more than one 6, it’s a critical success—you gain some
additional advantage.
● If the highest die is a 4 or 5, that’s a partial success—you do
what you were trying to do, but there are consequences:
trouble, harm, reduced effect, etc.
● If the highest die is 1-3, it’s a bad outcome. Things go poorly.
You probably don’t achieve your goal and you suffer
complications, too.

If you ever need to roll but you have zero (or negative) dice, roll two
dice and take the single lowest result. You can’t roll a critical when
you have zero dice.

Action Rolls
For an Action Roll, players roll a number of dice equal to the number
of dots in the relevant Action Rating. See the reference sheet or the
Blades in the Dark SRD for a more detailed breakdown of the Action
Roll.

Whichever player rolls the best (or multiple characters if more than one
rolls a 6) hears the sound of a twig snapping outside the cottage window.

Outside is a Powdermen spy who has been listening in on the band’s

conversation. If he escapes, he will notify his allies of the pending
ambush, and the Powdermen will be better equipped / more on guard for
any possible ambush. If he is caught, the players can dispatch him
quickly, with Clindre offering to dispose of the body, saying “He’ll make
rich food for the worms of our fields.” If the band wants to show mercy,
they can hand the spy over to Clindre, who will keep him quiet until
after the ambush.

As the party pursues the Powdermen spy, consider using two racing
clocks, one for the Powdermen’s escape, and another for the party
catching him. With each action the player’s take, advance the escape
clock by 1 tick, or by more if consequences are called for, unless the
player rolls a Crit, in which case you should reduce the escape clock by 1.

If, after catching the Powdermen spy, the players want to take time to
interrogate him, dissuade them from doing so. Mention that the spy is
unlikely to know anything terribly valuable, and if they have relevant
questions for him later, they can always flash back to this scene.
Instead, tell them that they’ll get +1 to their Engagement Roll the next
time they engage the Powdermen due to the intel the powdermen spy
spills as to their tactics, route, and forces.
 Using Clocks
A “clock” is a segmented circle, commonly used in Forged in
the Dark games. It is usually divided into either 4, 6, or 8 segments.

As the GM, you should consider carefully when to use clocks, and
which clocks to show players.

Progress Clocks are clocks that track the progress of the players as
they perform some action, and are created when the players take
some action that they reasonably wouldn’t be able to accomplish with
just one action, such as chasing down a Powderman spy.

Some groups like seeing progress clocks for just about everything they
do, while others feel it breaks the immersion. It’s good practice to ask
your play group if they want to “see” progress clocks or if they’d
rather it be kept behind a veil.

Danger Clocks are clocks that track the progress towards some bad
outcome or danger, such as alerting a group of guards or sounding an
alarm. These should always be shown to the players, to display how
close they are to a failure state. Also, you should always consider using
a Danger Clock before hitting the players with a harsh or game-
altering consequence, such as guards being alerted during a stealth
foray or reinforcements arriving during an assault plan.
Downtime
After the Powdermen spy has been dealt with, the game shifts to the
Downtime phase. In this phase, we introduce the players to some of the
Downtime mechanics as they become relevant.

Pay-Off
Explain to the players that Clindre sends you off with some supplies as a
token of the Digger’s goodwill. Note to the players that future Forays
will likely end with them gaining other resources, Reputation, and Favor
with factions.

Your Fae
Narrate how the players arrive back in their forest refuge, and how their
Fae benefactor welcomes them back. Play your Fae according to the
personality decided in Session 0, or with the characteristics below if
you’re playing a One-Shot. Generally speaking, your Fae should be
curious and welcoming. Maybe preparing some strange, small gift for
each character they think they’ll like.

Esmera, Fae of Dawn

Esmera is child-like and playful, appearing to the band as a small,
androgynous child, clothed in a dress woven from leaves and spider
webs. Atop their head is a ring of dandelions with golden filigree
stems. Their cheeks are perpetually rosy, and their are shining
 sapphires where their eyes might have been. They are excitable,
curious, and enthusiastic.

Potential Gifts:
● A very interesting stick
● A living horse made of glass that “didn’t come out quite right”
● A pile of leaves that your Fae picked out by themselves
● A water-logged book written in a long-dead language with runny
ink
● A very clever toad
● A very squishy ball of… something

Your Fae should ask questions of the party, inquiring about what they
did, particularly curious for strange details or other oddities.

Potential Questions:
● What color were Clindre’s spoons? What were they made of? Can
they have one?
● Did the shepherd’s pie taste like shepherd? Or did it taste more
like a lovely hug?
 ● Who caught the spy? Were you scared? Did you help each other?
Did the spy seem nice?
● What is black powder, anyway? Does it taste good? Can you use it
to play games?

When the Fae has been satisfied (or if someone distracts them, or asks
them to leave off for a while) you should move forward into the player’s
downtime activities.

Downtime Activities
Instruct the players to look over their possible downtime activities and
choose 2 to perform. When someone is ready with their first action,
have them narrate what they do. Feel free to jump around between
players until everyone has spent 2 downtime actions. If anyone is not
sure what downtime activity perform, suggest they “Gather Supplies”,
as supplies are always useful. Maybe your Fae invites the character to go
hunting, or go looking for Ashwood.
Planning the Foray
Once downtime is finished, move the game into the Planning Phase.
First, remind the players of the intel they’ve been given. They know
where and when the exchange between the caravan and the Powdermen
will take place; now they need to decide what to do about it. Direct their
attention to the Plans section, and ask for ideas on which plan they
should take.

If the players want to discuss first whether to detonate the black

powder, or whether to try and steal it, suggest that they try and steal it
first, and if they need to, blow it up instead.

Gathering Information
If the players want to play out additional planning steps or Gather
Information, allow them one “Gather Information” check each, noting
that they have limited time to scope things out before the meeting is set
to take place.

Resources
There are several valuable resources that your band will use as a whole.
You start with the following resources during play, and may gain more
throughout the course of the game.

● 4 Supplies
● 0 Steel
● 1 Black Powder
 ● 1 Ashwood
● 2 Blood Sterling

Supplies represent the food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities

needed to survive in the Bloody Isles. Supplies can be spent in the
following ways:
● Each downtime, one unit of supplies must be spent. Otherwise,
the Tier of the entire refuge is temporarily reduced by 1 until
supplies are spent once again. If multiple downtimes pass
without supplies being spent, the Tier of the refuge is reduced
each time, until it hits a minimum of zero.
● Supplies can be spent to provide additional downtime activities.

Steel is a force to be reckoned with, and is hard to come by. It can be

spent in the following ways:
● 6 steel may be spent to permanently upgrade your band’s
weapons and armor. Any bladed weapon your crew uses gains the
fine quality, and Heavy Armor can absorb an extra consequence.
● 4 steel may be spent to permanently upgrade a cohort’s weapons
and armor. A cohort upgraded in this way gains the Steel quality,
making them more capable in battle. They also gain an extra slot
of armor.
Blood Sterling is the dire currency of the Bloody Isles, and while you
may find it distasteful, it does have its uses.
● Blood Sterling may be freely converted into supplies at a 1:1 ratio
as you purchase goods from local towns and villages.
● Blood Sterling may be converted into essence at a 1:1 ratio.
● Blood Sterling may be spent to gain +1d on an engagement roll,
usually by paying some sort of bribe.
Black Powder is a combustible substance used to fire pistols and rifles
with great force and to detonate large explosions. If you choose to spend
a unit of powder either before or during a Foray, each member of your
band ticks off the Powder equipment box. The three powder charges
next to the Powder equipment box may be spent on the following:
● Upgrading the effect of a weapon that uses black powder, such as
a pistol or a rifle.
● Upgrading the effect of a detonation or explosion.
● A unit of black powder may also be used to temporarily give a
cohort the Powder trait for a single foray, making them more
effective at causing explosions, sieging walls, and firing guns.
● A unit of black powder may be spent to gain +1d on an
engagement roll, usually by blowing something up.

Ashwood is gathered from the fallen branches of Ashen trees, a special

tree that grows only in forests home to the Fae. The garlicy smell of
ashwood confounds a vampire’s senses, and piercing a vampire’s flesh
with ashwood causes them dire harm. If you choose to spend a unit of
ashwood either before or during a Foray, each member of your band
ticks off the Ashwood equipment box. The three ashwood charges next
to the Ashwood equipment box may be spent on the following:
● Upgrading the effect of a weapon or attack that uses ashwood
against a vampire, such as firing a bow or staking a vampire.
● Upgrading the effect of any effort to avoid the detection of a
vampire, by burning ashwood in a censer.
● A unit of ashwood may also be used to temporarily give a cohort
the Ashwood trait for a single foray, making them more effective
in fighting vampires and evading their detection.
Masks and Oaths
Once the players have decided on a Plan and found a relevant Detail, ask
them (possibly in character as your Fae) to choose which Mask they will
wear for this Foray. Point them to the Mask Reference, which has details
on each mask and their strengths. Once each player has chosen a mask,
ask if they would like to swear an Oath to gain power for their Mask. You
should strongly recommend this to your players, as it will allow them to
avoid more consequences and make full use of their abilities. Remind
the players that they do not need to set a specific goal for their Oath, and
they may decide in play exactly how they plan to fulfill the terms of their
Fae Pact.

If your players are not playing a One-Shot, remind them

they will be able to change their Mask from Foray to Foray,
switching things up depending on the circumstance.

Mask Building
Hand out the Mask sheets to each player, describing how your Fae
carefully presents these precious tools to each player. Consider having
the Mask whisper or hum to each player character as they take hold of it.
 Mask Interactions
Terror speaks in a shivering, quiet whisper, “Do not be
afraid. Fear is for our enemies. Today, the Powdermen learn to fear
their victims.”

Violence roars like a crashing wave into your thoughts, “BLOOD!

BLOOD! RIVERS OF IT, WE SHALL BATHE WITHIN IT! YOU AND I, WE
MAKE SUCH BEAUTIFUL THINGS WITH THE RENDED FLESH OF
THESE VAMPIRE-SERVANTS.”

Lies creaks in a soft, worn voice, “Hmm? Time again to take the
stage? Very well, let us give these would-be brigands a show they’ll
not soon forget.”

Riot speaks in a tumultuous clammer as manifold voices spill into

your ears, “Friend! Ally! Comrade! Today we rally our forces! Today
we take back the land! Today we hunt, we fight, we liberate!”

Torment sobs faintly in your ear, quiet, shaking noises. They sniffle,
and speak in a small whisper, “Alright. I’m ready. Lets not let
anyone get hurt this time, okay?”

Judgement greets you with a steely silence, as if considering

something carefully, “Hm. These Powdermen are a tool, servants of
some corrupt master. What will be your verdict, I wonder? Shall they
 die on our blade, or shall we offer them a chance at redemption?”

Ask the players to look over their chosen masks. They should assign two
dots to one Mask Action, and one dot to another Mask Action.

Remind the players that Mask Actions work a little differently than
regular actions. They are more broad than norma actions and can be
used for a greater variety of things without an effect penalty. Mask
Actions may also “spend” their dots to increase the Effect of a different,
related action roll. Remind players that dots spent in this way replenish
at the end of the Foray.

Also, ask the players to pick out one Special Ability for their chosen
Mask. Let the players know that if they have trouble picking a Special
Ability, to choose the top one, as it is the recommended starting choice.

If you’re running a One Shot, you may want to go ahead and pick out
the dots and special ability for each Mask ahead of time, just to keep
things moving along a little faster.

During the Foray, when the players put on their Masks, ask them to
describe how the Mask twists and changes to reflect a new
 appearance, representative of the mask’s nature and their character’s
relationship to it.

Item Loadout
Ask the players to choose their “load” for this Foray. Advise the players
that they do not need to choose what specific equipment they will bring
on this Foray. Instead, their load determines how much stuff they can
bring, and can be spent to have equipment as necessary during the
Foray. Advise the players on the impact of which load they choose as
follows:

Light Load: You move swiftly and silently, and you do not appear to be
suspicious.

Medium Load: You move normally, and you appear like a traveler,
equipped for the dangers of the road.

Heavy Load: You move a bit more slowly and with a bit more difficulty,
and you appear like a bandit or revolutionary, ready to do violence.
Engagement Roll
Now comes the Engagement Roll, the roll which will determine whether
the players start in a controlled, risky, or desperate situation. Gather up
some dice according to the following chart:

● 1d for sheer luck.

● Was the band unable to catch the Powdermen spy before he
escaped? If so, take -1d.
● Did the band spare the life of the Powdermen spy after
capturing him? If so, take +1d from the intelligence he
provided.
● Would this plan take less than a day to plan or is extremely
straightforward? If so, take +1d. Is the plan overly complicated
or contingent on a lot going right? If so, take -1d.
● Ask the players if they think any of their associates can
provide help or insight on this foray. If so, take +1d. Decide if
any of the player’s rivals be interfering in this operation. If so,
take -1d.
● Can the band’s Fae provide any especially useful help for this
foray, based on their nature? If so, take +1d.
● Are the Powdermen especially vulnerable to this type of plan,
or does the detail expose some weakness? If so, take +1d. The
Powdermen aren’t expecting to be deceived, so a Social or
Deception plan would put them at a disadvantage. The
Powdermen aren’t particularly fond of their current
lieutenant, a detail that if worked into the plan might give an
advantage.
● Are the Powdermen especially strong against this sort of plan?
If so, take -1d. The Powdermen are brigands, first and
foremost, and are well-prepared for an open-fight. An Assault
plan would be at a disadvantage against them.
Next, roll the dice and interpret them according to this chart.

Highest Roll Starting Situation

Double 6’s (Critical Success) Controlled, and the powdermen
are weakened in some way.

6 Controlled

4, 5 Risky

1-3 Desperate

It’s up to you as the GM to organize your thoughts and determine what

the starting situation means in the narrative. Here is an example of
potential starting positions for a Stealth plan:

Critical: The band starts in perfect position for an ambush, and the
Powdermen and caravan guards are suspecting that the other might
double-cross them. They may even start fighting each other at first!

Controlled: The band starts in a perfect position for an ambush.

Risky: The band starts in a pretty good position for an ambush, but a
caravan guard is moving towards your position to look around.

Desperate: The Powdermen heard you as you were getting into

position, have drawn their weapons, and are actively searching for you
as the caravan guards stick close to their wagons, wary of ambush.
The Foray
Narrate the start of the foray, describing how the players approach their
plan and the starting situation they’ll find themselves in. Ask players to
add in details about how they approached. The idea is to “cut in” to the
action when the players first encounter an obstacle to their path.

Potential Obstacles
It’s difficult to impossible to say exactly what sort of obstacles your band
will encounter, depending on the path and the plan they take, as well as
their objectives. Here’s a list of potential obstacles that might prove
useful for this foray.

Powdermen Gang - Threat 1

Chances are no matter what, your band will have to deal with the
Powdermen, either by fighting them off, tricking them, escaping them,
or through some other means. The Powdermen wield rifles of Black
Powder and iron daggers.

Caravan Guards - Threat 0

The Caravan is protected, namely by some guards protecting the black
powder. They will likely need to be misled, tricked, or fought if you want
to get at the black powder. They wear leather armor and wield halberds
and crossbows.

Rough Terrain - Threat 0

If you want to grab the powder and leave fast, you’ll have to contend
with the rough, muddy state of the cobblestone road.

Black Powder - Threat 1

The powder provides its own complications. It can be delicate, prone to
exploding if shaken about too much, or it can be well-hidden, or secured
with chains.
Strong Box - Threat 2
There is another item in the caravan: a strong-box containing some
ingots of Blood Sterling, a bribe paid by the Vampire in charge of the
powder mill, intended to curry favor with an Armory master at the
caravan’s destination. It’s heavy and difficult to move by itself, and the
shackle lock keeping it closed is strong.

Fenaesl - Threat 2 - Vampire Loan-Blood and Powdermen Lieutenant

Fenaesl is covered in more detail in the previous section, but he provides
his own set of challenges and obstacles. He will likely need to be tricked,
fought, or escaped to get away with the black powder.

Suggested Sub-Clocks: Vampiric Speed - 6, Vampiric Fortitude - 6

Threat and Effect

You’ll note that these obstacles have an associated Threat
level. This describes, numerically, how dangerous the given obstacle
is. When determining a player action’s effect, subtract the Threat of
the enemy from the group’s Tier - in this case, Tier 0. For each level of
Threat the enemy is above the group’s Tier, decrease the player’s
effect one level, from standard to limited or from limited to none.
Note that this will make it impossible for the band to beat Fenaesl
without using their special abilities, pushing themselves, expending
resources, or using other means to boost their effect.
Once the players have withdrawn from the Foray, either by securing the
black powder (and escaping any pursuers) or by blowing it up before
running away, the Foray ends and the game shifts back into downtime.
One Ending, Many Beginnings
When the players return to their forest refuge, they are greeted in their
refuge by their Fae and Clindre. If they succeeded, the Fae and Clindre
are congratulatory. If the Foray ended in failure, they are sympathetic
and understanding. Either way, Clindre tells the band that the Diggers
are grateful for your assistance, and are looking forward to working
together in the future. She offers another unit of supplies, regardless of
the mission outcome.

If this was a one-shot, you can end the game here. If you have a
chance, please let me know what you thought of the game on
twitterby messaging @ErikTheBearik!

Payoff
● If the foray was a success, the band gains 4 Reputation and 3
ticks on the Diggers Favor clock.
● If the band secured all of the black powder, they gain 3 units of
powder.
● If the band only managed to steal some of the black powder, they
gain 1d3 units of powder.
● If the band discovered the strong box and brought it (or its
contents) back to the refuge, they gain 4 blood sterling.
XP
At the end of your session, it’s time to award XP. Run through the XP
questions on both the Background Sheet and the Mask Sheet and discuss
the answers to the questions. The GM holds final authority on how much
XP is handed out, but you should give players a chance to say why the do
(or don’t) think they deserve an XP reward for certain questions.
Tiers and Goals
As your band grows in size and strength, they will also advance in Tier.
However, you will need allies to advance as well. To advance from a
“Weak” to a “Strong” hold on a Tier, the band will need to fill up a
“Rep” clock with 8 segments. To advance from a “Strong” hold to the
next Tier, they will need to have a certain number of Allies at a certain
tier as well.

Tier Advancement
Tier 0 - A Small Band (2) Tier 1 Allies

Tier 1 - Forest Refuge (3) Tier 1 Allies, (1) Tier 2 Ally

Tier 2 - Covert (3) Tier 1 Allies, (2) Tier 2 Allies, (1) Tier 3
Rebellion Ally

Tier 3 - Open Rebellion Victory against the Vampire Lord

Ally Tiers
Your allies will have their own Tiers, and will need help in order to
advance. When first turning a friendly faction into an ally, you will need
to help them accomplish a goal by filling their 8-Segment Favor clock.
This will add the faction as Tier 1 Ally.
Thereafter, whenever you fill up an ally’s Favor clock by helping the
allied faction achieve their next goal, their Tier will increase by 1.

Tier Goals
With each new Tier you unlock, the goals of your band should change.
This chart provides a summary of which goals your band should pursue
as they advance in Tier.

Tier Goals
Tier 0 - A Small Band ● Taking care of basic needs
● Gathering allies
● Freeing prisoners
● Recruiting radicals, outsiders, etc
● Treating with faeries / gaining their
permission / blessing.

Tier 1 - Forest Refuge ● Dealing with logistics, staving off

starvation, building shelter,
counteracting sickness
● Building a reputation, recruiting
allies, helping people out
● Feeding, training, educating people
● Spreading influence to other
communities
● Securing aid, donations, safehouses

Tier 2 - Covert ● Secret raids

 Rebellion ● Distributing radical literature,
counteracting vampire propaganda
● Storing weapon caches, building
fighting cells
● Dealing with internal politics

Tier 3 - Open Rebellion ● Warring with the vampires

● Securing and raiding supply lines
● Making strategic, high-level
decisions
● Taking fortifications

Friendly Factions
You are not alone in your struggle. There are many other groups in
Cardenfell who share your disdain for the vampires, and whose ideology
aligns with your own. However, each has their own priorities, goals, and
challenges to overcome. Your task is to do your best to coalesce these
factions into a unified whole, capable of overthrowing the Vampire
Lords who oppress you all.

The Diggers are a hearty group of renegade farmers and agriculturists,

dedicated to reclaiming land deemed unusable by the powers that be and
using it to build communal farms.

Coggers are the beginnings of a worker’s movement in the factories and

workhouses of the Bloody Isles. Their focus is on improving working
conditions, better wages, and protecting their fellow workers.
Fletchers are those who practice the forbidden crafts of fletching arrows
and crafting bows. Hunted relentlessly, they do their work in secret, and
hope to keep the knowledge of their craft alive.

Scribblers are writers, teachers, and scholars, seeking to spread

knowledge and literacy throughout the Bloody Isles. While they do not
face official sanction from the Vampires, radical writers and thinkers
have been known to turn up dead.

Stokers are arsonists and radicals, devoted to burning down everything

the vampires hold. They are well-known for the collateral damage their
activities cause.

Fixers are craftspeople devoted to preservation and repair. While a

culture of disposability has overtaken much of the population, Fixers
seek to preserve and conserve broken things.

Witchers are healers and medicine-folk who have avoided execution

and persecution. They seek to keep the healing arts alive and to tend to
the sick and injured.

Poisoners are scholars of alchemy and nature. They seek to build up

toxins in their own blood that are harmful to the vampires, pass their
blood as rent, and in doing so subtly weaken the vampiric hold on
society.

Guilders are the progressive elements within the few remaining crafting
guilds. They see the writing on the wall with regards to the rise of
industry, and seek to dismantle the vampire’s reign before it claims
their own vocations.

Prayers are a radical strain of persecuted monks, nuns, priests, and

layfolk who reject the bloody “prosperity theology” of the so-called
Reformed Faith, instead turning back to core tenants of aiding the poor,
communal duty, and respect for individual expression of faith.

Lawyers are those educated folk who seek to use their knowledge of the
unjust laws of the vampires as a weapon and a shield, using legal
proceduralism and intervention to thwart the worst excesses of
vampiric abuse.
Enemies, Vampiric and Mundane
Mundane Enemies
Not every foe you face will carry vampiric blood. Some are collaborators,
sycophants, or beneficiaries of the vampiric order’s stranglehold on
society. They are considerably weaker than their vampiric masters, but
still pose a threat.

Huntsmen are skilled hunters that help vampires out in sporting

“hunts” of faeries and track runaway serfs or rebels.

Landlords are non-vampiric Squires and Lords who own property and
therefore charge blood-rents from peasants

Bailiffs are men with clubs who keep the peasants in line, brutal
enforcers for landlords who often line their own pockets with the misery
of others.

Powdermen are brigands and thieves with a bit of vampire backing.

They use a monopoly on gunpowder weapons to terrorize the
underworld.

Ghuls are former folk, drained of all but a single drop of vampiric blood.
They are the slaves, carrion-eaters, and underclass of Cardenfell. No one
is quite clear where they come from, but some whisper that to be turned
into a ghul is the fate of those who fail to make rent.
Wisps are collaborators, folk who aspire to vampirism, rising above
their fellows by hoarding wealth. They spy on others, sow discord, and
keeping the myth of “ascending” to vampirism alive.

A Bit-Blood is a mundane enforcer who get small drinks of blood from

their vampiric masters. They are stronger and tougher than most, and
are frequently led by vampires or found leading lesser enemies.

Vampiric Classes
Even within the ranks of vampiredom, there is a strict hierarchy. Largely
based on the accumulation of blood and silver, the “ladder” of vampiric
privilege is held up as a meritocracy, hiding the bloody and vicious truth
of “ascending” through the ranks. Each rank both hates and aspires to
the rank above, putting on airs or attempting to emulate the fashions
and practises of the level above them. In this way, Vampire society is
bound together, not through love or loyalty, but through envy and greed.

“Loan-Fang” is a derogatory term for an unlanded vampire beholden to

another for Blood Sterling. They are addressed as “Niece” or “Nephew”
in the polite terminology. They are occasionally employed as spies,
bounty hunters, or found leading groups of more “mundane” muscle or
Bit-Bloods.

Kith are Vampires with a bit of Red Sterling and land. They control
minor fiefs, and are little better than landlords. They are addressed as
Sir, Madam, or Squire.
Kine are Vampires of society, a true bourgeoisie above “sullying” their
hands with the lesser details of extracting blood and rent from the
peasantry. To address Kine as anything other than M’Lord or M’Lady will
earn a peasant a whipping.

The Pure Lines are Vampire high nobility, who control other vampires
and large vaults of Red Sterling. They are the most powerful, most
removed from day-to-day affairs. Their name is a bit of propaganda, as
many claim their blood is “purer” than lesser vampires.