Forged in the Dark (2017)

Overview

Forged in the Dark is a tabletop roleplaying game framework and System Reference Document created by John Harper. Released in 2017, it is the underlying engine that powers Blades in the Dark and has since been used by independent designers to build countless other games, such as Scum and Villainy and Band of Blades. It excels at telling stories about capable but flawed groups of people pulling off daring missions against overwhelming odds. The system it directly evolved from is
Blades in the Dark https://groupfinder.eu/library/blades-in-the-dark
Description Instead of being a single game, Forged in the Dark is an open license toolkit. Players form a crew, whether they are space smugglers, military mercenaries, or rebel outcasts, and undertake dangerous missions known as Scores. The system is heavily narrative and focuses on failing forward, meaning a bad dice roll never stalls the story, but instead introduces a new complication. It completely eliminates tedious planning phases by throwing players directly into the action. System Overview & Key Features
The d6 Dice Pool To resolve a risky action, a player rolls a pool of six sided dice based on their action rating. The highest single die determines the result. A six is a full success, a four or five is a partial success with a consequence, and a one to three is a bad outcome.
Position and Effect Before the dice hit the table, the Game Master establishes the Position (Controlled, Risky, or Desperate) and the Effect (Limited, Standard, or Great). This ensures everyone understands exactly what is at stake and how much impact the action will have.
Progress Clocks The game tracks complex threats and long term projects using circular clocks divided into segments. A stealth mission might have a clock for the guards going on high alert, filling up bit by bit as the players roll partial successes or failures.
Stress and Resistance Characters have a Stress track that they can spend to push themselves for extra dice or to assist an ally. More importantly, players can spend Stress to resist any consequence the Game Master introduces, allowing characters to survive deadly situations by sheer willpower.
Flashbacks Players do not need to spend hours planning a heist or mission. When they encounter an obstacle, they can simply spend Stress to declare a flashback, narrating how their character anticipated the problem and set up a solution in the past.
Phases of Play The game flows through specific phases. Free Play is where characters gather information and choose a target. The Score is the actual mission. Finally, Downtime allows the crew to recover from injuries, reduce their heat, and work on personal projects before the cycle begins again.
Additional links bladesinthedark.com https://bladesinthedark.com - Official System Reference Document and rules database evilhat.com https://evilhat.com - Official Evil Hat Productions website

Active games and players

en English
Homebrew
Homebrew
BitD
Blades in the Dark
...
Online
Michelle
TTRPG Table Fit Profile I am looking for a cooperative, consent-based, story-focused TTRPG table with about 50% roleplay, 30% combat, and 20% exploration. I enjoy character-driven storytelling, party relationships, meaningful combat, exploration, mystery, downtime, and emotional moments that feel earned rather than forced. I like games that are sincere without being too serious, and funny without becoming constant jokes or bits. Consent and boundaries are important to me. Heavy themes, major trauma themes, intense character conflict, PvP, romance/flirting, sexual content, or anything that could strongly affect another player’s character should be discussed first. Lines and veils should be respected. I fit best with people who want to tell an awesome story together, share spotlight, cooperate, listen to each other, and make sure everyone’s character matters. I am not a good fit for bigotry, discriminatory humor, main character syndrome, edgelord behavior, disruptive rules-lawyering, non-cooperative play, PvP/romance/sexual content without consent, trauma dumping, or using RPGs as therapy. As a player, I appreciate clear, fair, cooperative DMs who respect boundaries and care about character arcs. As a DM, I value respectful players who compromise, share spotlight, and care about the party and shared story.
en English
DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
DND5.5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E (2024)
...
Online
hisownsidekick
Hi! All told, I only have about a year of experience playing and GMing, and it's been a looong time, so I'm sure I'm quite rusty. My time zone is CST and my schedule is open. I have no strong preferences when it comes to frequency of sessions, system, or setting. Back when my friends and I actively played, I mostly GMed, using DnD 3.0/3.5, with a little Spycraft on the side. Even though that was years ago, I've never stopped thinking about RPGs, listening to actual play podcasts like The Adventure Zone and Acquisitions, Inc., reading random supplements and forum posts, and playing video games based on tabletop systems/adventures. I love backstory, lore, and worldbuilding and enjoy combat and dungeoncrawling, too. I remember my very first RPG session, when I was a kid, immediately opened my eyes to the creativity and improvisation that the format allows. All I'd done in our first battle was ready my weapon and lightly wound an unlucky bandit... while the far more experienced players of the group spent their first few turns positioning themselves technically, slinging buffs and debuffs, and throwing a tarp over the intimidating-as-hell bandit leader and then setting it ablaze with a torch. I was astounded; I knew I had to have more. The Discworld and Hitchhiker's Guide series of books are dear to me, though I'm down for nearly any fantastical story and setting (much like Pratchett and Adams themselves). Potentially relevant-to-tabletop video game series I've enjoyed are The Witcher, Knights of the Old Republic, Fallout, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, Divinity, Baldur's Gate, Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, Legend of Grimrock, and many more. I like to let other players choose their specializations first, so I can try to fill any gaps we have, then build the character's background and motivation from there. That way, everyone who really wants to play a specific role is happy and the group as a whole is well-rounded. Plus, it's just fun to mix things up from game to game, so I've never really had a favorite class, though I do enjoy playing support (gotta have a healer/medic!). If you have the patience to help me shake off the rust and adapt to your setting and system, I'll do as much or as little reading, roleplaying, and rolling as you need. Ugh, this is really starting to sound like a sales pitch, ha ha... sorry. I'll finish by simply saying that I'm excited to meet you and see what adventures you've got brewing!
en English
DND5E
Dungeons & Dragons 5E
...
Pittsburgh
Online
Zack Carns
Group organized who runs games and events in the Pittsburgh area of all systems and types.

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