Blades in the Dark: seeking advice for running

10 months ago by Codemichael to c/rpg

I agreed to run a game of Blades in the Dark starting in Feb. I've not run or played it before, but I have plenty of GMing experience. The plan is to do a limited game, once or twice a month for about six months (so somewhere around nine to twelve sessions in total).

It seems like the most important thing will be getting as much of the lore in my head as I can between now and then so that I can respond to the evolving gameplay, rather than plan out any kind of storyline.

If anyone is interested in sharing their dos and don't, or other experience, my player will appreciate it.

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vzqq 12 points 10 months ago

I love blades. I love love love blades.

What I like to do is to postpone crew creation until after the first score. Front load that heist goodness. The main trouble with getting players in the blades mindset is getting them to skip preparation. They can’t prepare if you literally start the game with them hanging on the outside of a building or on top of a moving train.

I also work hard at first to get the players to contribute to the story. Having them come up with devil’s bargains for each other is always a good start. Eventually they’ll start taking more initiative.

For scores, I deliberate under-prepare. I always have a bunch of possible scores prepared, but they are just index cards with a single sentence summary on them and then three (3) obstacles. That’s it. It’s up to the players to figure out how to get it done.

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codemichael 3 points 10 months ago

What I like to do is to postpone crew creation until after the first score

That's a very interesting suggestion. I can see some wisdom in it, but I am likely going to do things by-the-book on this first go around. I could see adopting that once I've had a chance to experience some of the dynamics first hand. That said I will crack the whip on moving them past prep quickly.

I also work hard at first to get the players to contribute to the story.

Yeah, I expect this is a challenge I focus a lot on. I ran Dungeon World for a while and this was a big challenge for players.

Having them come up with devil’s bargains for each other is always a good start

I like this suggestion. Will definitely try it.

I always have a bunch of possible scores prepared, but they are just index cards with a single sentence summary on them and then three (3) obstacles.

Thanks for sharing, nice to hear some practical examples of what people are doing.

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