Category: Blades in the Dark: Actual Play Reports

First time playing, Great Experience.

So a month or two ago I ordered the book and was very pleasantly surprised to receive a quality hardback copy. I must’ve glossed over that detail when purchasing.

Tonight I ran the game for the first time with three friends. The crew consisted of an addle-brained Leech named Caulston who likes to experiment on dead bodies (Vice: Weird), An Iruvian Whisper named Umin, whose vice is luxury, and a Hound named Teric who is ex-military and has an obligation to a deceased comrade.

They decided to make a crew of Assassins and took Crow’s Veil. Odd to me since only the Hound had a dot in Prowl but hey, they can do it how they want! Certainly not Dishonored’s Whalers.

Anyway, glossing over Duskwall’s factions, the group took an immediate interest in wanting to fuck with the Spirit Wardens. Which is why they chose Crow’s veil. They also wanted to be allies with the Reconciled and have their lair close to the Spirit Wardens so they chose Charterhall. We decided they lived in an ancient crypt beneath the partial ruins of Charter Wall; a relic from a time before the Crematorium was built and the dead were still buried. They also reasoned that Caulston and Umin had academic backgrounds and had attended one of the Academies in the District, so they knew it well.

Again, odd choices but I figured we’re learning this game together so we’ll see how it rolls.

So, we started with the opening Scenario in Bazso Baz’s office. I used the Assassin’s option. Oh! The Iruvian Consulate sounds like it would be in the Charterhall District! Our Iruvian Whisper had some qualms about taking the job and Bazso eyed him suspiciously but they all ended up taking the Score after they successfully swayed Bazso to pay one Coin up front.

The gather information phase almost turned into a mini score as I tried to teach these guys the game. I did give them a bonus die for gathering info in their Hunting Grounds. The Hound surveyed a great sniping position. The Leech distracted some Bluecoats while the Hounded eyeballed the building. The Whisper did a lot of ‘Face’ work; he is Iruvian, had Academic credentials, and due to his Luxury Vice went everywhere dressed as best he could. So He just walked in the consulate and asked for work. The Consul received him well and had a pre-teen postal porter give him a tour. On the tour, Umin met the mark in person and impressed him. Then asked where a good place was to relax after work. The Mark, a bookkeeper named Jorah, suggested Maslow’s Tavern.

So the crew decided the Plan was Social and the detail was carousing at Maslow’s Tavern. I made the Tavern up on the spot of course. Liquor in front, gambling den in back. The gambling den was run by a bunch of University upper class. The Engagement roll landed the crew in a controlled position. The Crew went in Light. They found Jorah playing craps, and doing pretty well. Umin, hailed him and after another winning throw, offered a drink spiked with Caulston’s Standstill poison (Trance would have been better in hindsight but we didn’t know all these details yet). Jorah refused. So the crew let the night wax on. I made a Fortune roll for Jorah’s gambling and he kept winning, “This is the luckiest night of my life!” lol. Finally Umin approached him again (this time after pouring the contents of the spiked flask into a house mug) after another winning throw. Jorah was so exhilarated at his winnings that he took the drink and declared a round on him. Then he became paralyzed… Umin tried to console the crowd that Jorah was a lightweight and he would take him home…banking on his common Iruvian heritage to earn the crowd’s trust. But they weren’t altogether buying it.

At this point, Caulston our Leech, who had been idly drinking at the bar all night, wanted to make an exaggerated distraction by stumbling into the craps table and well, ‘wrecking’ the craps game. He successfully did so but the Door men hauled him up and gave him a light beating before throwing him out on his chin. The distraction was enough for Umin to carry Jorah out and (finally) took a more aggressive tone (utilizing his two dots in Command) with the crowd. They went out the back door where Teric, our Hound was waiting. They prowled alleyways for about a block before Jorah started coming to. Teric slit his throat.

About midday the next day, rumors started circulating that an Iruvian man was found murdered. Then at Dusk, the victim was properly Identified. The Spirit Wardens were perplexed why the belltower didn’t ring, but their official statement was that the Deathseeker Crows were merely delayed.

The next morning the Crew was paid. Little Heat was generated so the only Entanglement was Eckart the corpse thief, The Leech’s contact, was taken in for questioning but he didn’t know anything.

Caulston who took a beating relieved his stress and began working on a Silencer for Teric’s rifle. Umin wanted to start a project to find an ancient power, forgotten god or demon to use his “Occultist” ability with. I didn’t know at the time it was his character’s ability pick so I would have fleshed it out more beforehand if I was aware.

Anyway, it was a great first session to learn the ropes. And with a lot of great rolls, the crew got away with little consequence.

The name of the Crew? The Bizarre Blokes (ugh)