How to handle running Blades in setting with different species/ancestries/races
How to handle running Blades in setting with different species/ancestries/races
I was thinking of running a campaign of Blades in the Dark in New Capenna. It's a setting from Magic: the Gathering which is a 1920's style crime city, last city in postapocalyptic wasteland of what was once a typical fantasy world.
There is one problem. New Capenna has fantastic races/species/ancestries, whoever you wanna call it. There are humans, demons, cap people, bird people, rhino people. I know Blades is by default a game in a setting only with humans. Are there any ways to reflect mechnically choice of different species by a player? Any guide hwo to decide which abilities wouldn't break game balance? Or should I just lift ancestries from one of other Forged in the Dark games, like Band of Blades or Scumm and Villainy, and change names?
I would go the Scum and Villainy way. If you play a 'monster' race, replace your starting ability with a 'Xeno' one. Player and GM should work on it together. Quote from the rules:
If you want to play a xeno with unique abilities, replace your starting ability with the following: “Xeno: You may spend stress (0-2) to perform an inhuman feat only members of your species can do.”
Reflavouring is always an easy and safe method. Someone else have already done the balancing. And if you don't faind exaclty what you are looking for you have examples to work off.
That being said... For example getting into the baron's mansion undetected through the third story balcony is the same conflict regardless if you are flying or climbing the walls like a gecko. You have position and effect for balancing. Flying may be Desperate (easy to spot/shoot down) and Great for example.