GM:Blades in the Dark

X Worldbuilders:

GM James R

Blades in the Dark is a roleplaying system released in 2017 that focuses mostly on putting together a "crew" and taking advantage of the corrupted and dark streets of a city hit by "perpetual darkness and ghosts"

Adapting Blades in the Dark

The Era

Because Blades in the dark has emerging Victorian era technologies, it is recommended to place the adventures between 800 and 1295 PR.

Duskvol

The most popular (and default) setting of blades in the Dark is the city of Duskvol (or Duskwall). While Duskvol has yet to be established in Quelmar, you can also set your adventures in Ostrom in Pteris, or Ahol in Osugbo. Both cities are heavily gothic, having been established with heavy influences from Sweeney Todd and the Batman canon.

Ahol has the benefit of already being heavily based on London, and has already been used in B.i.t.D, canonically placing the major factions in the area.

Ostrom pulls heavily from Batman lore, but can be turned into a very vigilante-filled Blades in the Dark adventure, and also requires restructuring of the "Gangs" of the B.i.n.D as Ostrom has already established factions and villains.

If those cities don't fit your needs, create a city of your own (or place the actual Duskvol into the Quelmar canon)!

Ghosts

The reason for needing to destroy bodies and souls can relate back to Asmodeus and his many pacts with the realm. Because Tiamat has connections the Baator and the hells, it can be said that reanimated souls (that would have otherwise rotted in hell) are then given by Asmodeus to Tiamat in her war, so every body is a ticking bomb that would bring the war inside the electric walls.

Cataclysm

The Catacylsm that causes the city's perpetual darkness can either be the natural cure of Ostrom (the city has clouds that block sunlight, or it can be the result of the Dragon war in Ahol.

Leviathans

Because the Realm is undergoing the second war against the Dragons in this era, the easiest fantasy substitution for the Leviathans is Dragons of Course! Making Taimat the "Queen of Leviathans".

Languages

• Akorosian = Common
• Skovic = Dwarven or Elven
• Hadrathi = Troverthian (old human language of Osugbo)

Void Sea

The Void Sea can be swapped for any local bodies of water, or instead, hunters can be sent towards the center of the realm, where eldritch energies around Kiston always provide an opportunity for electroplasmic blood.

Examples

These pages show examples of adapted Blades in the Dark Material adapted for Quelmar.

• The Neighbours