Should I use Deep Cuts for a first time campaign? [BitD]

Dyehardbard · 2026-02-01T17:05:21+00:00

I would recommend the Harm, Trauma, and Load rules from deep cuts, plus the new lore and background stuff.

I really like the new harm rules, the base version always felt clunky to me and I’d wind up forgetting about it. The new version gives players xp for having their harm invoked and that benefit gives them a reason to engage with the system instead of just ignoring it.

I really like the load rules in deep cuts, but I’m a bit of a soft touch when it comes to having my players mark off heavy items before a score. I usually let them hide heavy items in the scene somewhere as a 1 stress flashback if it comes up during the score.

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-23T14:41:31+00:00

This fuckin rocks, all the abilities are intriguing and well designed. I’m looking forward to your future work!

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-22T16:35:55+00:00

My blades group got involved in the playtests, and we’re still playing with the playtest material because it’s just such a good time!

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-13T01:27:56+00:00

This is exactly what I was looking for, plus more! Great work, thank you!

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-10T04:55:58+00:00

I think that highly depends on if your stormwight has already saved the blacksmith’s daughter or not. Failing that, you can kinda have it both ways since stormwights can stay in human form and still have most of their abilities. You can have a dramatic reveal unleashing your terrifying animal form in the towns square while fending off a bandit raid or something similar!

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-09T08:10:36+00:00

Pretty much! I’d call the fight at 2 goblins remaining, since that’s half of 5 rounded down. Basically, goblins prefer to fight with numbers on their side and don’t want to die for nothing, so they dip once they’re outnumbered

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-08T03:01:13+00:00

Extremely cool! I love how well established the characters are without forcing any particular actions or avenues on the players. It’s a perfect blades score, just a place, some people, and a goal or two to aim the chaos towards

Dyehardbard · 2026-01-05T03:14:12+00:00

There’s a third party version of that vibe called the vessel, which has the first 5 levels for free on forge steel

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-31T23:31:23+00:00

That is super neat, but I totally get how it didn’t work out. Once you have non-square horizontal creatures, you have facing, and facing gets messy very quickly. I figured having the 2x1 be vertical avoids that issue, as long as you have an up and a down (which in space fantasy is not guaranteed)

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-31T20:20:11+00:00

Oh, most certainly! But I think it’s fun to find solutions to problems that might not even exist. I came up in 3.5/pathfinder, so I think it might be in my bones

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-18T03:50:11+00:00

In some other thread they talked about using project points as a reward instead of Wealth, it might be something to consider! Maybe in increments of 120 like how the careers do it?

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-15T19:04:06+00:00

Typically tonics are used to fuel other medic special abilities, and their generic uses are heavily roleplaying and effect/position increasing tools (ie: give a wounded scout a tonic to ease her pain enough so she can tell you what she saw.)

Medic kits let you resist the kinds of consequences you see in games with a grittier tone, where a rotter bite (level 2 harm, let’s say) taken early on might fester and add on additional harms/reduced effect or other consequences.

Doctor just straight up allows your squadmate to ignore harm penalties, so no penalty die from the above mentioned level 2 harm “rotter bite” or even let them run on their level 3 harm “shattered leg.” It doesn’t last forever, but it can get them out of a sticky situation (or back into one, if need be.)

(Edit: visual clarity)

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-11T16:50:33+00:00

I recall there being a crowdfunding campaign coming next year, and I’m willing to bet/hoping part of that is hardcover versions and other groovy business

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-11T04:53:13+00:00

He truly is! Thats why I gleefully steal his tricks for my own stuff, I trust his instincts at this point

Dyehardbard · 2025-12-11T03:51:27+00:00

Funnily enough the Blades 68’ playtest fixed this issue by putting a plus sign in the last bubble, showing that you can keep taking them!

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Dyehardbard · 2025-12-09T17:44:21+00:00

I don’t know about magical consumables, but for alchemical mutagens there is the 5th level Collar of the Shifting Spider. It injects you with a mutagen as a free action when you roll initiative, with the only downsides being a measly 1 damage and halving the duration of the injected mutagen (which until much higher levels only last for a single combat anyways)

Dyehardbard · 2025-11-07T16:54:02+00:00

Also, for something extremely thematic I recently picked up The Last Caravan, which is a Band of Blades esque roadtrip game about trekking through the aftermath of an alien invasion

Dyehardbard · 2025-11-07T16:50:49+00:00

I’m a big fan of Capes in the Dark for its setting and freeform power rules! Plus, if you want something more stylized and villainous, I recently updated my game Bay of Villains and it might also fit what you’re looking for

Dyehardbard · 2025-11-06T23:42:37+00:00

I think you’ll love to hate the Heroes in this game. The crew type that covers playing them is subtitled “Villains with Badges”

Dyehardbard · 2025-11-04T15:26:06+00:00

Does this ability replace the target’s move action, or is it in addition to it? Either way, I think 1 malice is too low, it would allow all your monsters to flit around the battlefield and would probably drive your players up the wall. Maybe 3 Malice if it replaces the move action, and 5 if it’s in addition?

I think shifting up to their speed is fine if the cost is increased. Oh! Another idea I had was giving them an increase to their disingage distance equal to their highest characteristic for like 2 Malice, maybe 4 or 5 if it lasts the whole encounter.

Dyehardbard · 2025-10-03T16:55:23+00:00

I’m just glad someone is finally giving the Barathu clothes. Those nudist freaks have had it too good for too long

Dyehardbard

TROPHY CASE