Anyone really interested in how PC Rail Jacks will work in Blades in the Dark? I’ve been re-reading Mr. Harper’s Ghost Lines rules. Anyone run that at some point previously? No skills, unlike BitD, and the special moves you get are around your Rail Jack gear. Page four could be useful for anyone running BitD, as it gets into rumors and city-level events.
Rail jacks are specifically mentioned as NPCs that don’t get fazed by ghosts, in BitD. Whereas in the Ghost Lines rules they’re taking a hit of trauma, but obviously still able to work. Will be interesting to see how that maps, and how Train Jobs and Side Work map onto the scoundrel’s Heists.
That gear list really implies that rail jacks are always immediately identifiable, when suited up. I imagine some fairly traumatized ones staying in their gear all the time, just in case.
We incorporated some jacks into an early playtest of Blades, and they were a natural fit. I love Ghost Lines!
Love Ghostliines! Though I prefer the Ghostlines Dark hack of the rules. I’ve run it a few times. I too am curious how they’ll work in.
To add I think the Ghostlines system especially the Ghostlines Dark hack is great for one-shots — arguably better than a BitD version would be since BitD is more fiddly rules wise and takes more explaining. Their ghosts questions are great and useful for BitD most likely. And as mentioned the side jobs chart is useful. I am curious what they are going to do with incorporating them into the BitD rules in that BitD is very focused on turf and mapping out ownership in a certain city and rail jacks aka line bulls are very much roamers from town to town. Sure they have certain towns they likely spent their main time in but they go where the job takes them.
Was thinking about the level of technology. I seem to remember someone saying the Ghostlines worldscape is supposed to be later than the BitD worldscape. Granted that this is a fantasy world so there is no need to be historically accurate in regards to tech. That said I always played my Ghostlines with tech in the mid-1800s so guns were colt revolvers and the like and trains used airbrake systems — though of course were powered by electroplasm or deadstone coal. BitD firearm weapons are all flintlocks so making the tech more like late 1700s or very early 1800s. Interesting as steam trains weren’t invented till 1830 and the colt revolver was 1825. Prior to that trains were all horse drawn.
Again this is fantasy so whatever and we have electroplasm to power stuff but it makes me want to rethink what train tech I would include in a BitD game. Likely not airbrakes which would make the train length shorter with fewer cars and require either hired brakemen or the rail jacks would double as brakemen.
Can you tell I geeked out on train tech when I ran Ghostlines? 🙂
It also works to suggest that the technology used on the trains is proprietary and perhaps stems from a more technologically advanced city. In my Duskwall, the use of firearms is heavily restricted with a thriving underworld market. In a circumstance like that, you can definitely upgrade what the rail jacks would have relative to the locals (because rail jacks get ex officio licenses for their weapons.)
Huh, somehow I never heard of Ghost Lines Dark. That’s pretty neat! Thanks, Colin.
Good idea Andrew Shields!
In my Ghostlines world I had smaller trains powered by lighting oil (aka electroplasm I guess?) and the big trains were all steam powered by burning deadstone coal (coal that is really compressed souls mined from the land of the dead near spirit wells).
Some more train tech geeking…
If we stick to just electroplasm (aka lighting oil?) then I can imagine that the technology of the BitD world has yet to discover steam engine technology or know about it but haven’t put much effort into it as electroplasm has met all their power needs. As such, with electroplasm powered trains they wouldn’t likely have traditional steam engine air brakes on the trains. BTW air brakes work by having a tube run the length of the train that is kept pressurized at all times. If the pressure drops, by pulling the brake handle or if a train decouples, then the brakes release.
In a electroplasm-based tech world they may have some other electricity tripped brakes however. Basically run an electric wire along the length of the train that works like an air brake in that it is kept live at all times. The brakes them selves can be pneumatic with compressed air tanks on each car or compressed electroplasm spirit gas or something.
Alternately if you want to keep the tech lower stick with pre-air brake train technology which involved having a brake wheel on each train. If the train had to stop then a bunch of brake men would scramble to all turn the wheel to apply the brakes. It’s definitely a dramatic means of stopping though not as effective means of stopping. Before the advent of pneumatic air brakes, trains couldn’t go as fast nor be as big and heavily loaded.
Charlie Vick yeah Ghostlines Dark is great. I love the simplicity of the hack with Cthulhu Dark and it works well. Here’s a link http://nickwedig.libraryofhighmoon.com/2013/01/ghost-lines-dark/
Colin Fahrion These are great musings. I would not standardize the trains of the Blades in the Dark world any more than our world. The tracks behind my house have a brisk traffic of coal trains (over 100 cars on most of them), container trains, Amtrak sleek little passenger trains, and also trucks and such doing work on the lines with specialized undercarriages.
I think it’s valuable to separate leviathan oil from electroplasm for train purposes. If nothing else, creating an almost religious respect for using life energy, either from demon whales or from what is compressed at crematoriums in different cities.
Good stuff.
Also I made quick character backstory generation cards. They were really useful for when I ran Ghostlines as a one shot game. They can be found on this link: https://plus.google.com/106616256436870535017/posts/RxUB5WhGpkt
Andrew Shields ah yes I never really thought of that the leviathan oil being the Ghostlines lighting oil and electroplasm being a completely different stuff. I like that. In my Ghostlines game since Leviathans weren’t part of the world myth I had lighting oil as refined crude sludge of ancient compressed souls drilled up from the land of the dead near spirit wells. Deadstone coal being the solid form of ancient compressed soul matter mined up.
Colin Fahrion I think the idea of energy bears further consideration rather than hasty conclusions. You get to decide what’s most fun. =)
It may be there are different flavors of rocket fuel, so to speak. The refinement of fuels could be a trademark of different cities; maybe one makes the lightning oil you describe, Duskwall contributes the leviathan oil, and maybe electroplasmic conversion technologies render various fuels compatible for trains.
Yeah that’s a good point there could be several energy technology sources which makes for an interesting world. I do love the idea of extremely dangerous mining operations near active spirit wells. So many ideas for adventures in small mining towns.
In my one Ghostlines games, I had a miner strike happening and the mine company was secretly shipping train cars full of hollows to be used as workers and strike breakers. It all went wrong however when a horde of ghosts invaded the train and possessed the bodies. Nothing like a train car being taken over by naked bodies of dead men with ghastly glowing eyes possessed by demented spirits!
Colin Fahrion That is good stuff, right there.
Now dreaming up a BitD train adventure… Would be interesting to have a crew of thieves with a mission to steal something while onboard the train without running afoul of the rail jacks. Of course, the heightened potential of ghosts causing trouble would make things interesting. Then even if things go well on the train they have to make their way in a strange town before they can board a train back to Duskwall. Of trouble occurs on the train tracks delaying their departure all the better. If they road to Wintercliff, that town could make for a good mining town up in the mountains.
Colin Fahrion Hey, we don’t need any system, but if you wrote up the premise and names, travel times, descriptions of rail jacks, notes about the destination, and so on–that could be AWFULLY sweet to borrow.
I already have a lot of that in my head — and some on paper — from when I ran Ghostlines so I should be able to kick something out!
Certainly would make for some territory disputes. I bet the small mining town would already have a local couple of criminal gangs, which wouldn’t appreciate interlopers coming in after pulling a train job. They might see the train line as theirs alone to plunder.
Some of them may work with the bulls to smuggle goods over the rail. Any heat from the crew’s job could cause friction between the local inspector(s) and the small-town smugglers – maybe the crew gets away with it, but a mule for the locals gets caught. You could get in some devil’s bargains to that effect – what hardworking PC would turn down getting away with stuff at the cost of screwing some random NPC? And then suddenly the townie rogues are very interested in framing out-of-towners…
Actually if you use my character background cards and just randomly select ones of each category you can quickly come up with Rail Jack (aka Line Bull) NPCs.