Interesting notes from Rob.
Originally shared by Rob Donoghue
Have moment while grabbing dinner to capture a few bits of subtext that have converted to text for me by virtue of actually playing Blades in the Dark (with many thanks to Sean Nittner for running a great game).
1. Hunger for XP is more palpable then expected.
2. The cadence of flashbacks is a little more nuanced than I expected. One thing that really popped up in play is that the mechanic explicitly supports characters using skills they rock at, even if those skills are useless in the immediate context of the job. For example, my Spider’s social skills weren’t of any use while breaking into the Bank of the Dead, but I could freely lean on them while rolling in flashbacks. Upshot, everyone gets to really keep leaning on their awesome.
3. Clocks do such a great job of softening 4-5 results in a fruitful way. Without clocks, it’s easy for a 4-5 to not feel great if the complication overshadows the success (and it forces the GM to think fast for a good complication). Ticking a clock is productive to the arc of play, but it does not infringe on the player’s moment of success. Play really felt smoother once there were a handful of clocks in play.
All good points.