Author: Dave Turner

How often does your Crew’s Load impact the game?

So far, my group has tended toward what seems like short Scores. They last for 5-7 rolls at most. Most players choose a Normal Load (5 boxes) and they have the Shadows’ upgrade that gives them two bonus boxes.

With four scoundrels in the group, we’ve never even come close to any particular character running out of Load and getting in a bind. Given that there are three Load options, I sense that choosing your Load for a Score is meant to be at least a little consequential. It’s supposed to be a potential limitation if play goes a certain way. My reading shows that a scoundrel’s choice of load might have implications for Scores with a more social or deceptive approach. You can’t stroll into a masquerade ball with a Normal Load without drawing a lot of attention and possibly jeopardizing your Score. Our crew hasn’t taken an approach to any Score where this type of limitation might come up.

What have been your experiences with Load? I’ve already anticipated some potential answers. Yes, I could run Scores longer than 5-7 rolls and eventually exhaust a scoundrel’s Load through different Consequences. Yes, I could use Consequences to directly remove points from a scoundrel’s Load to represent a loss of gear after a bad roll. Yes, I could put more social obstacles in a Score that could make choosing a Normal or Heavy Load more trouble than it’s worth.

I’m mostly curious about how Load has influenced play (if at all) for other groups. How often has choosing one level of Load over another had any noteworthy impact in play? Has anyone run a Score where a group of 3-4 scoundrels with Heavy Load were in danger of multiple scoundrels running dry?

Thanks! 🙂

How do you (or would you) play the Spider’s Weaving the Web ability?

It has two components:

1. Gain +1d to Consort when you gather information on the target of a Score.

2. Gain +1d to the engagement roll for that operation.

In today’s game, our Spider Consorted with a contact in order to gather information. He failed the roll (rolled 1-3). Later, at the start of the Score, the players argued that the Spider should get the +1d to the engagement roll even though the Consort roll failed (the Consequence from the failed Consort roll was social Harm, i.e. “Nasty Rumors” as a Level 2 Harm).

My initial reading suggested that the two components are somewhat contingent. As long as there was a partial or full success, the engagement roll bonus can be applied. But if the Consort action fails, then no engagement bonus.

I eventually sided with the players, but I’m having second thoughts. On their reading, the Spider gets +1d to Consort rolls to gather info and then, regardless of success, always gets +1d to any and all future engagement rolls for effectively all of their Scores.They see the two components as separate, not connected.

What do you think?

Failed Scores

Does anyone have any experience with Scores that failed? I’m interested in stories about how the group handled a Score that went south and which the PCs simply abandoned without achieving the Score’s stated Goal.

How did the group decide to abandon the Score? How were Downtime procedures handled? Was there any Downtime at all?

The current Bundle of Holding includes some old-school city books from Flying Buffalo and the Grimtooth’s Traps series. These products were produced way back in the day for AD&D/OSR-style play. They have a heavier fantasy and magical vibe than the base assumptions of Blades. But these books are full of shops, NPCs, locations, traps, and treasures that an enterprising Blades GM could adapt without too much trouble.

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Catalyst