Chimera - BitD Playbook

Introduction to Chimera

Some madman under the name of science took a scalpel to your flesh, cutting and sewing until half of your organs were no longer yours. You woke up in pain and fear, filled with strange urges that are not your own yet call to you stronger than what you've ever felt before.

Be reborn as the marvel of science and the occult - a creature with extraordinary abilities taken from animals, free and curious to finally see what the world has to offer.

Who did this to you and why?

Who or what do you see when you look into the mirror?

Will try to hold onto your humanity or let the beast take control?

Description

This is a playbook for Blades in the Dark where you take on role of an escaped experiment. An abomination created by combining humans and animals. What kind of traits did you receive from this and how do they affect you. You are a wild card looking for place where to fit in.

Loosely inspired by The Island of Doctor Moreau

Disclaimer

It is currently untested, but a test will be run in my next campaign. I am looking for any kind of feedback. Especially one that makes the playbook better.

Character sheet

If you are using Blades in the Dark Configurable Character Keeper & Lite Virtual Tabletop (VTT) by Roezmv by Roezmv you can add the playbook by inserting the following column into the PCDB sheet at the end of existing playbooks (I advice to use CTRL+SHIFT+V so it doesn't override formatting)

Chimera

Marvel to science and crime against humanity

‣ You addressed a challenge with your animalistic traits or your unnatural nature  ‣ You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background  ‣ You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas

‣ You addressed a challenge with your animalistic traits or your unnatural nature  ‣ You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background  ‣ You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas

Stress

Trauma

0

0

0

Vice

Purveyor

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

0

1

0

0

0

Unexpected friends, rivals

Milo, an animal peddler

Cenile, a smuggler

Hando, a scientist's assistant

Bip, a fellow experiment

Mixie, a circus member

1|A muzzle and a collar

1|A patient robe

0|A fine disguise

0|Fine animal snacks

0|A syringe of leviatan blood

0|A vial of calming essense

0|Scent masker

Special abilities

BORN OF EXPERIMENT (mandatory): You start with one permanent animalistic trait from the animalistic trait list and you also gain a bonus weird vice of embracing your animalistic side. Each time you gain trauma, you also gain another permanent animalistic trait. You can pay 1 stress to invoke one of your animalistic traits. This cost is on top of any other cost related to the action, like pushing yourself or gaining stress from resisting consequences.

NINE LIVES: You may expend your special armor to resist a consequence using your animalistic trait (as long as it makes sense in the fiction), or to push yourself to invoke one of your animalistic traits with an increased effect.

GHOST HERDING: You can use command or attune to compel animals or creatures with animalistic traits to follow a simple command.

ANIMAL INSTINCTS: You gain +1d when you study or survey using your animalistic senses.

FEEL THEIR PAIN: You gain +1d when using consort or sway with a victim of abuse or misfortune as you can relate to their pain.

LEARNED TO ENDURE IT: You can push yourself to become resistant to one type of environmental damage for a brief moment. You can pay 1 more stress to gain one of these additional benefits: you become immune rather than resistant - it lasts for a minute.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT: When cornered by the enemy, you may ignore consequences of harm and gain +1d for trying to fight or escape the enemy.

SUDDEN MUTATION: You can push yourself to manifest another animalistic trait till the end of the score. You may immediately invoke this trait as part of pushing yourself (meaning no need to pay the 1 stress).

THE BEAST'S REST: When indulging your weird vice gained from this playbook it also acts as a recovery activity as part of it.

Credits

Based on the design and world of Blades in the Dark by John Harper

Written and Designed by Trampod

Essential consultations by Alicja "Allie" Murias

Original cover image by Trampod

Blades in the Dark playbook template found on the Unusual Suspects

Structure of credits taken from The Pledge by NotWriting

This work is based on Blades in the Dark, product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.