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roleplaying:bitd:deep_cuts_cheat_sheet

Deep Cuts Cheat Sheet

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Threat roll

When you face a negative consequence from a dangerous opponent or challenging situation, make a Threat Roll to see if you can avoid it.

  • The GM must clearly state the threat before the roll
  • The failure of an action is also a Threat

Standard roll

The default check is risky, and the effect is standard. Make an Action roll or an Attribute roll:

  • 6 6 Triumph: You avoid the threat
    • And gain Edge
  • 6 Success: You avoid the threat
  • 4/5 Peril: suffer a reduced consequence
    • Or push yourself to prevent the effects entirely
  • 1-3 Threat: You suffer the consequence
    • Or push yourself to reduce the consequence

Controlled position

  • No roll needed.
  • If you want to achieve more-ask for Devil's Bargain.

Desperate position

  • 6: Success: You avoid the threat.
  • 1-5 Threat: You suffer the consequence.
    • Or push yourself to reduce the consequence
  • Mark XP

Additional Threats

The GM can add additional threats depending on the situation:

  • Add +1d for every additional Threat
  • Assign roll result for every Threat

Push yourself

When you suffer a consequence, you can choose to push yourself to avoid or reduce it

  • Make a roll using the related Attribute to
    • improve result of Threat roll
    • increase effect of the action you take
    • activate certain abilities
  • Mark stress according to the result of the roll:
    • 6 6: 0 stress
    • 6: 1 stress
    • 4/5: 2 stresses
    • 1-3: 3 stresses

Edge

Edge can be gained on a Threat Roll when you roll more than one 6.

  • Edge can be:
    • Spent immediately to increase the effect of an action.
    • Carry forward to add +1d to future roll.
  • While assisting teammate you can spend an Edge on their roll.
  • Edges can be accumulated.
  • Any remaining Edge you have is lost when Downtime begins.

Effects & Consequences

Effects and Consequences are categorized by levels of impact:

  • Limited 1 (ticks, heat, harm, etc.)
  • Standard 2 (ticks, heat, harm, etc.)
  • Great 3 (ticks, heat, harm, etc.)
  • Extreme 4 (ticks, heat, harm, etc.)

Devil's Bargain

The way to achieve something for a cost or facing the threat.

  • Pay the cost (from minor to major)
    • Mark stress (or ask to push)
    • Tick a clock
    • Spend coin
    • Suffer harm
    • Lose item
    • Take heat
    • Lose rep
    • Lose faction status
  • Face the threat
    • Or to try a different approach
    • If is already facing a threat and making a roll, player can ask for a Devil's Bargain to add +1d and an additional threat

Teamwork

For a teamwork characters need to be in fictional position to do so or take Devil's Bargain to get into position.

Assist

  • Benefits when help or protect teammate, or set up they action:
    • Add +1d to roll
    • Reduce the severity of a consequence
    • Improve effect or position
    • More details or questions when they gather info
  • While Assisting teammate you can spend an Edge on their roll

Cover

  • An action you take so your teammate doesn't have to face a particular threat. GM tells you what need to be done:
    • You just accomplish it
    • You need to do to get into position first
    • You need to take a Devil's Bargain to do it

Coordinate

When the team coordinates, designate a leader - they can push themselves on behalf of any other character who's acting with the team (in addition to the Scoundrel pushing themselves).

  • Group action
    • Everyone faces the same threat
    • Each player rolls individually
    • A benefit from a group action can be an increase in scale
  • Divide & Conquer
    • Team faces a variety of threats
    • Each tackles a threat with their own action

Harm

Harm Levels

If you suffer Harm at a level that has all instances filled, the Harm advances to the next highest level of severity.

  • 1. Temporary Condition (unlimited number)
    • Temporary negative conditions that can impede your character
    • If you suffer the same condition twice, bump it up to level 2 but no further if all 2 level instances are filled
    • Go away with time and doesn't require treatment for recovery
    • Some conditions might require an action to remove
    • Some conditions are removed when it makes sense in the fiction, or invoked couple of times
    • Remove all conditions when Downtime starts
  • 2. Lasting Harm (2 slots)
    • Serious injuries, ailments, or impairments
  • 3. Severe Harm (1 slot)
    • Major wounds which can incapacitate a character
    • Wound what may become fatal if not treated
  • 4. Fatal Harm
    • A mortal wound or instant death, depending on the situation
    • If not instantly lethal, you may survive if someone can treat the wound and stabilize you within a few minutes
    • Remains and must be dealt with during a recovery activity
    • Record a Scar: a permanent injury, it may be invoked like Harm

Invoking Harm

The GM may invoke harm to impede the character, creating a problem or limitation for them

  • Invoke Harm to
    • Introduce a bad outcome or new problem for the character
    • Reduce an Action and/or Attribute rating for a roll
    • Reduce the character's position or effect
  • Mark XP when Harm is invoked
  • Tough it Out
    • take 1 Stress per level of the Harm and draw a line through it.

Trauma

When you need to mark Stress, but all your boxes are marked, gain a Trauma condition for your character

  • Mark one of your Trauma boxes
  • Remove all your Stress
  • Describe your character's Trauma reaction

Invoking Trauma

Each of your characters Trauma conditions can be invoked once per session to create a problem or complication for them

  • Mark XP when Trauma is invoked
  • This replaces the end-of-session xp award for trauma
  • Only the player may invoke their character's trauma

Retirement & Recover

  • When you mark your fourth Trauma box, your character retires
  • Before that, you may be able to recover from Trauma
    • Work with the GM to create a long-term project

Load

Before the score choose your character's load style:

  • Conspicuous
    • 6 item boxes
    • Choose and mark heavy items before the score
  • Discreet
    • 6 item boxes
    • You may not bring any heavy items

If you pick something up during a score, count it as a marked load box

  • if you mark a 5th box, your character becomes conspicuous
  • If you mark a 7th box, your character becomes encumbered
    • can no longer climb, run, or swim unless they drop enough
  • You can't carry more than 9 boxes worth of load

Gathering information

  • Tell obvious information, including
    • what they know
    • what they intuit
    • what they suspect might be true
  • Base information on the appropriate aspect of a character
    • playbook
    • background
    • heritage
    • special items
    • special abilities

If there's more to discover, ask them what they do to find out. Based on their action choose one:

  • Offer a Devil's Bargain
    • a cost: Coin, Heat, Stress, or ticking a clock
    • a threat
  • Give them a lead
    • They know person, place or thing what gives them opportunity to get the information
  • Ask to start a long-term project to investigate the information

Advancement Clocks

Draw four 6-segment advancement clocks for character playbook and crew playbook. Whenever you would mark xp, tick a clock instead.

  • If all clocks filled, extra xp isn't lost. Just make an additional clock Cost of advancement in clocks:
  • 2 New special ability from your playbook or crew sheet
  • 3 Veteran special ability
  • 1 Crew Upgrade (per box)
    • If using Downtime module only Cohorts cost XP advances
  • 1-4 Action or Attribute dot
    • Depends on filled dots in Attribute or Skill rating

Downtime: Crew Phase

  • First, each cohort heals one level of Harm.
  • Then resolve
    • Fallout
    • Payoff
    • Entanglements
    • Development
    • Heat & Hold.

Fallout

The GM assesses the fallout from the score in the form of faction Status changes and the amount of Heat gained.

  • Adjust the crew's Status with factions affected by the score
    • +1 if the score significantly helped the faction.
    • +2 if the score was a major boon for the faction.
    • -1 if the score hurt the faction.
    • -2 if the score was a major problem for the faction.
    • -3 Set Status to -3 if the crew initiated war with a faction.
  • Assess base Heat, plus any additional Heat from the score
    • Base 0 for a smooth, low exposure operation.
    • Base 2 for a standard criminal operation.
    • +1 Heat per crew Tier.
    • +2 for a high profile or well-connected target.
    • +2 for open combat, destruction, or mayhem.
    • +2 if you're at war with another faction.
    • +4 if death occurred in connection to the score.
    • +2 if there are witnesses that can be questioned
    • +4 if specific crew members were identified.

Payoff

Determine the payoff from the score, rep gained, and any additional Coin from seized assets.

  • Payoff
    • 1 Coin per PC, plus Coin equal to the target's Tier x3
  • Rep
    • 1 Rep for every 2 Heat generated by the score.

­ +1 Rep per Tier of the target above the crew's Tier

  • Seized Assets
    • Take +4 Coin if you seize a load of cash.
    • Very valuable stolen items can be fenced for 2-8 Coin (but you take 1 Heat for every 4 Coin of value).
  • Tithe
    • If you're Tier 2 or lower, pay a tithe to your ward boss
    • Tithe: 1 Coin for every 4 Coin you earned from the score
    • As GM to go for debt, favor or trouble instead

Vaults and Banks

  • In addition to the crew's vaults and the Scoundrel's stashes, you may deposit Coin in a bank. When your crew has wanted levels, you lose access to all funds in the bank until you remove all your wanted levels (or devise a way to gain illicit access). Some legitimate business transactions (like a legal purchase of a property deed) may require funds in a bank to complete

Entanglements

Play entanglement if Heat is 6+ or when the fiction demands

  • When gains a Wanted level, mark crew xp and pick Bluecoats
  • Bluecoats: assail crew with a severity of your Wanted Level (adjusted down by your positive faction Status with the Bluecoats).
    • 4: Lethal force, arrests, loss of lair and all assets.
    • 3: Severe Beatings (Harm 3), an arrest, destruction of assets.
    • 2: Serious Beatings (Harm 2), interrogation, seizure of assets.
    • 1: Beatings (Harm 1), demands, observation/tailing.
    • 0: Questioning, harassment, threats, observation/tailing.
    • They can be bought off for Coin equal to your Wanted level +4.
  • Devilry: A spirit or other supernatural entity is drawn to the crew
  • Favour: A +2 or +3 Status faction asks you to do a job for them.
    • Agree to do it or lose 1 Status with them
  • Flipped: one of contacts switch allegiances
    • Remove them as an ally until you get that worked out.
  • Rascals: A cohort or contact causes problems for the crew.
    • Make amends or lose Status with aggrieved faction
  • Show of Force: A negative Status faction moves against you.
    • Make them an offer (Coin or a Claim) to back off or go to war.
  • Under Their Thumb: An authority forces you to do their dirty work
    • Or Bluecoats entanglement, as if your Wanted Level 1 higher
  • The Usual Suspects: The Bluecoats questions your connections.
    • Make a Fortune Roll based on their resilience and loyalty
    • The crew suffers 3 Heat minus the highest die.

Development

These crew upgrades cost Coin instead of crew advances:

  • 6 coins
    • Camouflage, Rigging, or Underground Maps & Passkeys.
  • 8 coins
    • Composed, Hardened, Ordained, or Steady (per box) Ironhook Contacts, Ritual Sanctum.
  • 10 coins
    • Barge, Lair Upgrade, Quality, or Training Mastery (per box)
      Upgrade a Cohort to Elite quality.

Heat & Hold

  • Reduce Heat
    • For each +2 Status with a Tier 3+ faction, reduce Heat by 1.
    • Reduce Heat by 1 for each Coin or Rep they expend
    • Ask the GM if there's anything else you can do to reduce Heat
  • Assess Hold
    • Hold on their Tier is measured by your number of turf claims
    • Strong hold: number of turf claims greater or equal your Tier
    • Weak hold: number of turf claims is lower than your Tier

Downtime: Scoundrel Phase

  • Restore your Armour and Special Armour
  • Remove all level 1 Harm.
  • Add 1 tick to your Healing clock if you have a safe place to rest.
  • The rest of the downtime consists of Vice and Activities.
    • Each player can do these in any order
    • Each pursuit includes a question or two to prompt roleplaying and future game play possibilities.

Vice

When indulging vice, spend 1 Coin and clear all of your Stress

  • If your stress level was 6 or more, you overindulge:
    • 1 Get Wild: Damage property; terrify citizens.
      Take -1 Status with the appropriate faction or citizenry
    • 2 Big Spender: You indulge lavishly; spend +1 Coin
    • 3 Brag about your exploits: +1 Heat
    • 4 Attract Trouble: Face entanglement
    • 5 Tapped: Your purveyor cuts you off. Find a new one
    • 6 Wasted: Your Vice costs a downtime activity
  • Instead of overindulgence, you can choose to be lost to your vice. Play a different character until this one returns.

Debt

You may go into debt with a provider if they agree.

  • Note the initial Coin you owe
  • Make a 4-segmented clock and tick it every Downtime
  • If the clock fills, the provider takes steps to get their money back
  • To remove a tick:
    • pay Coin equal to half the initial amount (round up)
    • or do a favor
  • Resolve your debt: pay the initial amount and have no ticks

Supply Clocks

Clock to track acquired supplies or other acquisitions:

  • Example applications:
    • Product stockpiles
    • Blackmail secrets
    • Promised favors
    • Provision in the deathlands
  • For a significant expenditure, tick the clock multiple times.

Activities

Each Scoundrel may pursue two free activities during downtime.

  • Additional activities cost 1 Coin or 1 Rep each.
  • If you have level 3 Harm or survived a mortal wound, you must use at least one of your downtime activities to Recover.

Acquire

Gain temporary items, services, vehicles, or cohorts for the crew.

  • Make a 4-segmented supply clock for the acquisition
    • tick each time it's used in a consequential way
  • Pay 1 Coin for every level of Quality higher than the crew's Tier.
  • Pay +1 Coin for a special feature
  • If the acquisition is very rare, restricted, or prohibited, ask the GM:
    • how much extra Coin and/or Heat is required to get it
    • or if you'll need to acquire it with a score
  • Acquire a personal item in the same manner, comparing its Quality to your Lifestyle rating.

Recover

  • When you recover in a safe location:
    • gain ticks on your healing clock equal to your crew's Tier+1.
  • When your healing clock fills
    • reduce each instance of Harm you have by one level.
    • when you remove all Harm, clear your healing clock.
  • With services of a Physicker:
    • remove an instance of Harm with a level equal to or less than their Quality
    • Physickers on the playbooks (like Sawtooth) are Quality 2
    • For each Coin you pay, increase the Physicker's Quality by one
  • Stay in a private hospital:
    • remove all of your Harm
    • then choose: Take 1 Heat and pay 2 Coin -or- pay 3 Coin
    • there are no public hospitals in Doskvol

Train

Use this activity to spend xp to get an advance for your character. (You don't advance instantly as in standard Blades)

  • Acquire an instructor if you don't already have one
  • Act as an instructor in an area of your expertise
    • When you're an instructor, you may spend xp to advance.

Work

  • Accomplish a simple project
  • Quick side job
    • earn 1 Coin
    • ask the GM if you can charge more for your work
  • Work on long term project
    • make an 8-segment clock
    • When you spend an activity working on it, mark a number of ticks equal to your Action rating
    • Add +1 tick if you have a workshop or special advantages
    • Elaborate projects require multiple clocks to complete.
roleplaying/bitd/deep_cuts_cheat_sheet.txt · Last modified: 2025/03/31 19:37 by curufea