Hello!
Has anyone tried to incorporate parts of Blades in the Dark/Scum and Villainy into other RPG systems? How’s that working for your groups?
I’m more than a year deep into my FFG Star Wars campaign, and we’re slowly transitioning more into Scum and Villainy territory. I like the idea of scoundrels trying to navigate the treacherous criminal politics of a rotten city (Nar Shaddaa), pulling off heists that could piss off the wrong (or right) people, and gaining notoriety and status in the underworld.
I haven’t been able to read or play Blades in the Dark/Scum and Villainy yet, but the concept sounds like the kind of experience I’ll be aiming for in the next story arc. However, I’d like to retain the core FFG system and my players’ characters rather than introduce them to something totally new mid-campaign.
Do you think using parts of Blades in the Dark/Scum and Villainy to simulate the people and factions of Nar Shaddaa in an ever-evolving criminal campaign within the FFG Star Wars/Genesys system will work out well enough?
Factions and clocks are pretty easy to incorporate in any other RPG and can be really useful.
The way Blades handles consequences has made me more creative at coming up with results for threat/despair (and, through improved effect, sort of for advantage/triumph) in the FFG Star Wars game I just finished running the first arc of. Clocks (or equivalent “keep track of this many ticks” type things) have sort of existed in my mind for a long time already (at least as far back as complex skill checks in Alternity), but Blades reinforces their usefulness.
Probably the most unique thing I’ve ported from Blades (and other systems in the same vein) is the idea of success with consequences for systems that are normally more black and white — in this case, two 5e D&D games I’m about to start running. An example: “Oh, you missed the Bugbear’s AC by 4 points? Well, you can push yourself for extra effort to hit him, but there’ll be a side effect — your blade gets caught on his armor and as he pushes you away, you’re disarmed. Your call!”
Quite a while ago I used the math of bitd to create a success with consequences table for using cohorts in 5e d&d. I will see if I can find it.
Absolutely! I’ve used Fortune rolls in other games (such a deliciously simple and “Why didn’t I think of that?” rule) and have entertained using Threat and Despair (from GeneSys) to fill in clocks.
I’m a fan of the Cypher System (and by loose extension) and Invisible Sun and have been thinking of how to apply clocks to those.
Flashbacks and Cut to the action (engagement roll) are good for quicker pacing in other games.
Klaus Erkens, Story Points in GeneSys could be great flashback currency.
I had a rogue player wanting to do a solo session when the rest of our d&d group was unavailable, so I set up a robbery scenario and had him perform an Engagement roll to set the scene.
I also tried to convince my players to use flashbacks, and even went so far as to incorporate a special magical currency into the setting that allowed them to “create thruths” in the world. They ended up hoarding it.
This was long before I ever ran a Blades game, but it made me crave this game so badly! I’m glad I was able to convince some folks to get into it with me.
It’s a shame when that happens.That’s one thing that I think is quite sensible about Inspiration in 5th Ed. D&D: you can only have one instance of it at a time, so you may as well spend it so that you can then get it again.
Benjamin Davis They wouldn’t even use inspiration without being prompted either. I ended up buying a handful of sparkly gold d20s to hand out as inspiration so they would have a physical representation, and that helped a bit.
That’s a great call. Physicality is so powerful.
Benjamin Davis, so true! I ran “Gods of the Fall” (the Cypher System) and the players absolutely loved physical XP cards. The FFG GeneSys dice are another hit, between the shapes and colors.
We never really leave childhood and I think that’s great!
I’ve used the flashbacks in a Fate game before and it was great (it helps that Stress came from that system)
Alexander Newcombe Although it’s an uneasy comparison, with the way Fate Stress goes away at the end of every scene, while Blades‘ is … rather more lasting.
Then again, in a lot of ways Blades Stress is more like Fate points.
That’s probably a better comparison, yes
It really strikes me how interesting a combination it is.
Alexander Newcombe I did it in Fate with a simple “Create Advantage”. You came prepared to this Scene.
If you want a limitation you can Limit this to Stunts or use Fatepoints as currency.