Monster (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

As a monster, you are Power made flesh — a physical embodiment of your own Powers. Your inhuman nature makes social life difficult; you need someone to navigate civilization with. Your mind works like that of a highly intelligent animal: capable of problem-solving and simple speech, but reliant on a close friend to deal with groups or outsiders.

Trauma Condition — Monster

Your Powers come instinctively, triggered by motion, breath, or emotion. Your body and mind are not human.

Monstrous Body

Your form is markedly inhuman. If Race is used in the game, you choose an original race and gain its benefits, but your current body is far removed from that origin. Normal clothing and equipment fit poorly; you cannot wear armor and simple garments count as an Inventory item (see Monster Clothes). Using human tools is often awkward.

Monstrous Mind

You are Intelligent but not Sapient. When interacting with strangers — especially crowds — you must make periodic Consort rolls to maintain control. Failure triggers a fight-or-flight response. Consequences create fear and loathing in bystanders.

Monstrous Vulnerability

You are tied to all Powers you know and can be influenced or compelled by Attune, Command, and Sway Powers that target such beings. You may choose to be extradimensional, native to a plane of Power. If so you can be summoned and dismissed. This grants mobility and narrative benefits but also makes you vulnerable to hostile Attune powers, worsening your Position and giving the GM more options for Consequences in such situations.

Special Abilities

Beast Within

Take a moment to shift between a humanoid and monster form. Humanoid form disables Powers and Monster Playbook Abilities (except this one) but returns you to your mundane form and suppresses the Monstrous Body aspect of Trauma Condition — Monster and failing a Consort check for Monstrous Mind makes you change into monster form after a fight-or-flight reaction.

Beast Within

Take a moment to shift between a humanoid and monster form. Humanoid form disables your Powers and Monster special abilities (except this one), suppresses the Monstrous Body aspect of Trauma Condition — Monster, and lets you interact socially. The transformation reduces any clothes and armor to tatters.

When you fail a Consort roll due to Monstrous Mind, you shift into monster form as a part of your fight-or-flight response. You can usually get away so that people only see your monstrous form from a distance.

Invulnerability

You are highly resistant to damage. When you take physical harm that is not Potent or made by silver or fire, make a Wreck roll. 1-3: No effect. 4-6: Reduce level of harm by one. Critical: Reduce level of harm by two.

Large

At over three meters tall, you reduce harm from direct strikes by one level. This does not apply to area effects, elements, falls, or mental attacks. Gain extra Effect on Wreck rolls but worse Effect with Prowl used for stealth.

Natural Weapons

You possess Fine and Potent natural weapons, such as claws, fangs, or a powerful stomp. Fine quality increases Effects against enemies of higher Tier, and Potent allows you to harm supernatural opponents.

Special Movement

You have an unusual movement ability, such as flight, amazing leaps, rapid swimming and the ability to breathe water, very fast running, wall walking, or the like. Gain +1d and Prowl gains increased Effect. You can take this ability again to choose additional movement options.

Terrifying Apex

When you Push an attack, add one of the following to a successful action: increase Effect against objects — fight a gang at scale (p. 211) without losing Effect — panic onlookers with your unleashed power.

Additional Playbook

Select another playbook. You gain immediate access to its Inventory and XP conditions. From now on, you can choose its Special Abilities. You can take this special ability multiple times, each time selecting a new playbook. Prerequisite: To select a playbook, you need an action rating of one in each of its starting actions.

Powers

You can learn these powers, expending a Special Ability for each. You cannot select powers marked in red.

Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, and Water.

Dramatic Encounters

˄ ˅ Casey, a carnie.

˄ ˅ Alex, a child.

˄ ˅ Pete, an officer.

˄ ˅ Jordan, a survivalist.

˄ ˅ Riley, a savant.

Inventory

☐☐ Fine Wrecker Tools.

☐ Light Camping Gear.

☑ Memento.

☐ Monster Clothes.

• Fine Wrecker Tools ☐☐: A specialized set of tools for destruction scaled for you. A powerful drill. A mallet and steel spikes. A prybar. Fine quality improves effect.
• Light Camping Gear ☐: Compact, personalized gear for resting outdoors. Allows one downtime action. Without camping gear, effective rest is impossible. Playbook.
• Memento ☑: A keepsake tied to your past. Spend 1 Stress before rolling to gain +1d on a Resistance roll. Playbook.
• Monster Clothes ☐: Monster Clothes are tailored to your physique, ensuring you appear presentable — or even stylish — to those willing to accept your monstrous nature. Without these, you have only minimal clothing unless you start the score in humanoid form. Playbook.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge using brawn or by avoiding being a hindrance.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Prowl 1

Wreck 2

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one.