The Vagabond
A downloadable mod
Homelessness is a common sight on the streets of Duskvol. The destitute and the damned roam the inbetween of every district save Whitecrown, finding refuge where and when they can before they are inevitably chased off by the Bluecoats or some other authority. Most citizens have learned to avoid the gaze of these dredges, but every so often there is a Vagabond who refuses to be ignored.
When you play a Vagabond, you earn xp when you address a challenge by getting by, finding a creative solution, or defying expectations. Lash out at the cruelty of fate, read faces, or indulge in the occasional moment of clarity. Find refuge in discard and seek a means out of the clockwork crush.
Are you a common fool or the herald of the end times? How does the heel of oppression weigh on the conscience of the forgotten? Can you ramble your way towards greater misfortunes?
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CREDITS
Blades in the Dark by John Harper.
Written by Ray Chou.
The Vagabond was designed for the Unusual Suspects Jam in September 2020.
Inspired by the Blades in the Dark Discord Community.
Playbook Image Courtesy of Louie Ortega.
"Homeless in St. Petersburg" by Andrew Kudrin is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Playbook Template Courtesy of aesopian and Small Cool Games.
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Comments
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Hey, some feedback on this — I like this playbook a lot, but I’m not totally sure about the “Filthy” special ability. I live in a city with a serious homelessness problem and the stereotype of filthy homeless people comes up a lot in political discussion. It’s usually used to dehumanize.
I wonder if you could do something interesting by inverting it? What if the ability allowed a Vagabond to become completely unidentifiable because people can’t imagine that she could be clean?
And sincere thanks for writing this; it’s a cool playbook and I can easily imagine using it in a game!
Thanks for the feedback Thanlis! I’ve taken your comments into consideration and rewritten the Filthy ability as such:
You have been ostracized from society writ large. People will actively avert their gaze and avoid you if possible. When begging or confronting others, you have +effect.
Cheers,
Ray
Thanks hugely for listening! I like the rewrite a lot.