Ran my first session of Blades in the Dark tonight. Been sitting on the pdf forever but finally convince the table to give a try.
It was a bit of a slow going, since we did a full set-up instead of the quick start. They picked hawkers and the Ghost Market special ability. These ideas fueled a lot of kool brainstorming of what kind of crew they were. I was looking at the quickstart and thinking it didn’t really fit anymore for who the crew turned out to be. So I went back to the factions and started asking questions about the factions, and it gave so much energy to the table.
The criminal underworld is just filled with so many interesting characters. By the time we found out who our enemies [Dimmer Sisters – hostile, Lampblacks – interfering, Silver Nails – interfering] and Allies were [Lord Scurlock – helpful, Billhooks – helpful, The Crows – friendly] there were several scores bubbling to the surface.
They decided to hit the lampblacks to collect some bodies for a sea captain haunted by and mourning for his crew. They went with an infiltration plan and rolled engagement. Top number was 3 and they found themselves in an ambush. It was a great time to explain flashbacks and it went so well! They earned a lot of stress and heat but they managed to get the job done.
Overall, top notch play and a breath of fresh air for a table that had grown a little stale. I, also, felt really supported by the book to keep things interesting and the action flowing.