Soulsworn (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

In a world where the supernatural reigns and dark forces lurk, you find yourself in a pact with a monstrous patron. Whether it's a lord of hell, an enchanting fey, an alien beyond human ken, a revenant laughing at death, or something else, you've willingly traded your soul for unearthly powers. Bound by this unholy bargain, you now wield dark magics and command otherworldly creatures to do your bidding.

Touchstones: Faust, Elric of Melnibone.

Trauma Conditio—Cerberic

Your pact has three facets, like the three heads of Cerberus.

1. Invocation: You must invoke the name of your patron to wield your powers.
2. Aura: You emit a malignant aura that causes animals and common people to be reluctant to associate with you.
3. Demands: Your patron imposes demands on you, and failure to fulfill these demands may result in adverse consequences. While your patron cannot strip you of your powers, it will use its servants and influence against you if you go against its wishes. This can worsen your position on actions against servants of your patron and situations relating to your patron's interests.

Special Abilities

1. Casual Blaster: When you use a power to make an attack that is fine and/or potent, you can opt to remove these qualities. For each quality you choose not to use, the stress cost of the power use is reduced by one.
2. Pact Ward You may expend your special armor to resist harm, or to push yourself on an Attune or Command action.
3. Ritual: You can Study an occult ritual (or create a new one) to summon a supernatural effect or being. You know the arcane methods to perform ritual sorcery. You begin with one ritual already learned. See p 222.
4. Sacrifice When you kill a person, you can dedicate their soul to your patron to recover one stress. You can recover up to eight stress per score this way. Killing someone usually requires great outcome.
5. Spirit Ally You have a spirit ally you can summon using Advanced Attune powers. You have an established relationship with this creature, which gives you +2d on Attune checks against it. Your ally will advance in tier as you do.
6. Spirit Beacon: You know how to sanctify an area with arcane substances and methods so it is attractive to creatures tied to one power that you know. If such creatures are nearby, they will be drawn towards this area. This takes a minute and consumes ritual supplies from your load.
7. Unnatural Presence: When you unleash violence using powers or summon a creature, it's especially frightening. When you Command a frightened target, take +1d.
8. Powers: Air, Animal, Barrier, Darkness, Death, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Ice, Flux, Illusion, Kinesis, Life, Light, Metal, Mind, Order, Plant, Space, Time, and Water.

Dark Allies, Dire Foes

˄ ˅ Ardyn, a dealer in forbidden goods.

˄ ˅ Draxon, a soulsworn.

˄ ˅ Invar, an inquisitor.

˄ ˅ Lorin, a rich patron.

˄ ˅ Thalon, a cultist.

Items

☐ Drug that gives you +2d to a single action roll for a power, but inflicts medium harm: disoriented. This consequence cannot be resisted.

■ Familiar Spirit, a monster camouflaged as an item or a small animal that acts as an agent of your patron.

☐ Fine potent melee weapon, usually a sword or dagger.

☐ Simple Disguise, a mask or costume that can be donned quickly

☐, ☐, ☐ Ritual supplies that can reduce the stress cost of a power by 1. One use.

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 powers or coercion.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Attune 1

Command 2

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