Court of Blades: Intrigue and Romance Forged in the Dark

Court of Blades takes place in the vibrant, fantasy renaissance city-state of Ilrien, in a world populated by scheming nobles, court magicians, and dashing duelists. As a noble retainer, you will engage in the polite civil warfare of the great families. You will host lavish balls, and manipulate the courts, uncover the plots of your rivals, protect the city from arcane dangers, manage your own intrigues and personal scandals, leverage your reputations, connections, and so much more. Inspired by infamous warring families like history's Medicis and Pazzis, Shakespeare's Montagues and Capulets, or Game of Thrones' Starks and Lannisters, in Court of Blades you will take on the role of a talented retainer to a newly risen House of the Esultare in the great city of Ilrien. The Esultare, composed of the six Houses Major, are considered to be the most powerful families in the Principalities. Amongst them they have their own pecking order, and every citizen of Ilrien is aware of every house’s position within that order. You’ve already risen so high, but to secure your place and ensure that the house you serve ascends to the highest seat of power in the Principalities, you will have to learn about your rival houses, advance your house’s agenda, and risk your lives in a world of duplicity and magic. We play to find out if our noble retainers can play the Great Game and win it all, or if they'll fall prey to the machinations of their rivals or their own human failings. The Game System Court of Blades is a campaign-length game built on the Forged in the Dark system. It is a fiction-first, d6 dice pool game that is easy to play and focuses on the action, while giving you all of the tools you need to tell incredible stories with mechanical support. Responsibility for shaping the story is shared equally amongst the group, and there is very little GM prep-work to be done before each game. It uses a core resolution mechanic that asks the players whether their current action is being done from a controlled, risky, or desperate position. Each situation will result in a number of different outcomes beyond mere success or failure. In Court of Blades, even a "bad roll" will change the landscape, affect the scene, and drive the story in interesting and satisfying directions. The Playbooks you'll find inside. Players will each choose one of our six core Playbooks to build their retainer, ranging from the political mastermind, to the powerful magician. Or change the game with one of our two advanced Playbooks, the Kiss and the Curse. One bound by fae blood, and the other by dark and forgotten magic. The Bravo is a dashing sworn-sword, quick of wit and unmatched in combat. The Bravo gains xp when they address a challenge with violence or panache. The Hawk is a dangerous bounty hunter, menacing and unflappable in the face of danger. The Hawk gains xp when they address a challenge with pursuit or observation. The Eye is a master agent and infiltrator, cannier than a skulk of foxes and just as hard to catch. The Eye gains xp when they address a challenge with stealth or perception. The Couth is a street-wise wildcard, lucky or dangerous enough to rise from the gutter. The Couth gains xp when they address a challenge with evasion or mayhem. The Knack is a magical expert, gifted with arcane power and knowledge of the hidden world. The Knack gains xp when they address challenges with arcane knowledge or power. The Key is a political mastermind, able to craft arguments and devices with ease. The Key gains xp when they address challenges with expertise or calculation.