Band of Blades — Military dark fantasy retreat

"The war is lost. Get the Legion to Skydagger Keep before the dead catch up."

Diced6 pool (Forged in the Dark)

Players3–5

Prep~30 min

Foundry VTTCommunity

Complexity

What is this system

Band of Blades is a stand-alone Forged in the Dark game of dark military fantasy. The Legion lost the decisive battle against the Cinder King's undead and now retreats across Aldermark toward Skydagger Keep. Players run missions as Rookies, Soldiers and Specialists, then step back to command the whole Legion: choosing missions, rationing supplies, counting the dead. Characters are shared, casualties are expected, and the campaign has a defined end. Either the Legion reaches the keep before winter, or it breaks on the road.

Setting

Aldermark, a land being overrun by the undead armies of the Cinder King. The Legion, a mercenary company from the Eastern Kingdoms, marches with one of the Chosen, a human carrying a god's power, while the Broken, Chosen corrupted by the Cinder King, hunt them toward Skydagger Keep.

What it looks like at the table

Your Sniper lies in a ruined mill as a Broken lieutenant drives rotting infantry toward the bridge your squad must hold. You spend a use of Aim, push yourself for an extra die and roll four d6: highest is a 5. The shot drops the lieutenant, but the muzzle flash gives you away, and the GM starts a clock as the horde turns toward the mill. Two Rookies are still on the wrong side of the river.

Playstyle

Tactical Survival Combat Fantasy

Key mechanics

Forged in the Dark dice

Build a pool of d6s from your action rating and take the highest die. A 6 is full success, 4-5 succeeds with a cost, 1-3 fails and things get worse.

Legion roles

Every player also holds a command post: Commander picks missions and the route, Marshal assigns squads, Quartermaster manages supplies, with optional Lorekeeper and Spymaster roles for larger groups.

Troupe play

Nobody owns a legionnaire. Each mission the Marshal chooses who goes, and players pick up Specialists, Soldiers or fresh Rookies as the wounded stay behind and the dead are recorded.

Mission and campaign phases

Play alternates between a mission on screen and a campaign phase where the Legion spends resources, tracks Time and Pressure, resolves an off-screen mission and decides when to march on.

What people say

Band of Blades is a book that will offer a unique campaign experience where no character is safe, where both the losses and the risks matter.— Seamus Conneely, Cannibal Halfling Gaming

You can very easily feel like your characters are the underdogs in a fight against an intimidating foe, but yet you still have a lot of tools to accomplish missions moving you closer to your goal.— Jared Rascher, Gnome Stew

Art & materials