Got a score coming up with my Bravos (yes I GM a lot of Blades groups haha). We just restarted after a rather long break, so I had a small time skip where the crew was doing their own thing the Billhooks had started encroaching on the crew’s turf. So like the bloodthirsty tyrants they are, they killed 3 and the rest made a run for it (they have Crows Veil so no bells). They do however leave the bodies in the street, so they do have hell coming later (thanks to the many suggestions from this place and Reddit) because this isnt the first time they’ve just killed their problems.
They decide to set up a meeting with the Billhooks to sort them out and negotiate why the heck they’re on their turf. Meeting goes south when the Billhooks point guns at them and tell them its their turf now. Spider flashes back to hiring his own large gang to be waiting in the wings to shoot them up. More dead bodies, woo! They leave one survivor and send him back to say “you have 2 weeks”.
And like the Ruthless leader the Spider is, he suggests hitting their base and murdering them whilst they have the element of surprise right now. After a few good gather info rolls, they find out the Billhooks are based in a Butchers Shop at the back end of the docks.
Engagement roll comes up a 6. They grenade the rear entrance and get their allies The Lampblacks to attack the front of the shop as a distraction. The Whisper attunes and finds out that their main base is hidden beneath the shop. They nade down the trap door to make sure no one is beneith them, and roll a 5. The spider falls through the crumbling floor, ladder destroyed. The rest of his crew are in the shop above him, and the Billhooks beneath know hes there as they opened a door to check what the ruckuss was about. End sesion (hound had to go home).
So Spider is in deep shit. I’ve planned for next session having Erin be revealed as the new leader of the Billhooks. They’re down there with a large gang of goons (10 clock) and 2 ghosts (6 clock each). Erin herself is gonna be an 8 clock to take down. Theres also an 8 clock for the bluecoats arriving (billhooks and lampblacks outside caused the bells to go off).
So they’re against the clock. I made some rolls to see how the fight goes outside. Its a stalemate, but when the bluecoats arrive, Lampblacks get arrested (theyre on the Billhook payroll).
Am I being too hard on my tier 2, wanted level 2 crew of Bravos who like to kill anyone they meet? Or is this a good wake up call that they cant just shoot away all their problems?
I like it, but my blades XP is limited.
I think it’s good to know there’s a pack of goons, 2 ghosts, and a tough leader. I also think it’s premature to decide how to mechanize them as challenges. Depending on how the characters respond, maybe they’re a clock and maybe not.
I like to wrap the mechanics around player attempts, rather than game world elements. “How does it look for this attempt, this combination of problem solving and problem?” If they snipe the leader that’s different mechanics than if the whole crew attacks in melee.
Too me, it seems you are too hard. But I might well be mistaken – each group decide how they play their campaign together. It’s not for me to judge based on this post. ^_^
However, I strongly recommend talking to all your players and hear them out. Is this the way they wanna play it? What type of challenges are fun and exciting? Is the campaign too hard or too easy? Communication in Blades is key. It should be a narrative dialogue between everyone involved. Be a fan of the characters. If war, violence and brutalities are what you all want – go for it and have fun. 🙂
In one of my campaigns, the players first started to fight brutally with the Billhooks. But after a turn of events, Erin and the character crew’s leader became ‘soulmates’ through a Devil’s Bargain, setting the basis of a strange romantic (?) relationship. The crew ended up helping Erin gain control of the Billhooks, who later became the crew’s Patron after their leader impressed and seduced her though gifts and services. Very unexpected, very unorthodoxed – but very fun and entertaining. Erin promised the group to grow strong together through neverendingwar. And all this started with a Devil’s Bargain – “You and Erin are Soulmates”.
Daniel Echegoyen Ulleland
“Too me, it seems you are too hard”
I have to ask how do you see an attack on a gang’s home base (of equal Tier) playing out when their hold hasn’t even been weakened?
Or when multiple members of a gang don’t report in, do you think they are going to be on high alert or relaxed?
Omari Brooks
With strong hold, they probably have good security and controll over their territories. And they probably send out some ‘spotters’ or patrols to check out missing crew. Perhaps even make Bluecoats take a sweep of the area.
But I’d definetely talk to the players. Do they really want one big fight at the enemy HQ, or do they want to defeat them in another way? What is their goal? Can the power struggle between the leaders be exploited?
I get that they play Bravos, and probably want to do a lot of fighting, and even if they don’t wanna spend too much time gathering information and making an elaborate plan, there are many ways of doing this without one big mess of a fight. But hey, perhaps this is exactly what your group wants. 🙂
The Billhooks have allies, some quite powerful ones as well (Ministry/Bluecoats). They could easily pull some strings to make the Bluecoats help them out if they feel somethings off.
IMO, fighitng enemies with moral wheels of 10, two ghosts of 6 and a ‘boss’ of 8 seems way to much too me, but it perhaps not if they are strong enough and have enough capabilities and support. You as their GM probably have better understanding of the characters assets and abilities.
Important thing is that you talk to the players and play the game in an exciting way for you all. Suggest alternative methods, ask what they expect, what are their goals, and make Duskvol come alive. As long as you all have fun! 🙂