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. Monstrous Companion: Upgrade your Familiar Spirit, your relationship improves and it can now assume the form of a monster. This is an expert cohort (Bodyguard) (p 96) that is Intelligent. It has potency when fighting the supernatural, and gains an arcane ability: ghost-form, mind-link, or reduces non-potent damage. Take this ability multiple times to choose an additional arcane ability for your pet each time.
3. Pact Ward You may expend your special armor to resist harm, or to push yourself on an Attune or Command action.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
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

☐ Black Lotus.

☐ Fetish.

◯ Familiar Spirit.

☐ Fine potent melee weapon.

◯ Memento.

☐ Power robe.

• Black Lotus ☐: A tar-like resin made from the leaves of the plant. Induces hours of stupor and visions. Adds effect to Attune rolls. Alchemic, Consumable, Volatile “Woozy,” lvl 2 harm.
• Fetish ☐: A figurine or medicine bundle made of bones and feathers, increases the effect of a single use of a power. Consumable, Playbook.
• Familiar Spirit ◯: A monster camouflaged as an item or a small animal that acts as an agent of your patron. This is an expert (loremaster) (p 96). It can pick Intelligent as a flaw, allowing an edge as normal.
• Fine and Potent Weapon ☐: A masterwork hand weapon like a dagger or sword. This weapon carries a magical sigil, making it potent. The fine quality improves the effect while the potency allows you to damage supernatural targets.
• Memento ☐: An item reminding you of your goals and passions. Reduces the stress cost of an orphic power by one. One use per score. Playbook.
• Power Robe ☐: An extravagant robe displaying your power and allegiance. +1d on Command rolls. If you're carrying this item as a second outfit to change into, it is ☐-☐. Conspicuous, 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 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.