The Game

This city is a Möbius strip, floating through the void. It’s the nexus of all the ’verse, where eternal planes and infinite primes meet. It’s a rough home for cutters and bashers, hungry for coin and glory. It’s a battlefield between the city factions as they fight over territory. It’s a city of gods, demons, and stranger things which lurk. No wonder that scoundrels and freebooters flock to the Nexus of the verse.

In the City of Blades, you will play Freebooters who work for one of the minor political factions of Sig. You will help your faction rise the ranks, seize territory, and get ridiculously wealthy so you can retire in luxury.

In the City of Blades, you might

• Eliminate a couple of troublesome Enforcers who are causing trouble in your neighbourhood.

• Steal important ritual object from the Goddess of Rivers and Sacrifice to weaken her hold over the docks.

• Convince the Dustkeepers to help you steal the territory currently held by the League of Exterminators.

• Negotiate an alliance with a community of irate refugees who just arrived in the city.

This is a game about clever spies, renegade sorcerers and reckless smugglers. You are going to get rich or die trying, so let’s get started.

The Rules

Sig is a city of contrasts and strange bedfellows. This setting was originally presented in Sig: Manual of the Primes by Genesis of Legend Publishing. The system used is derived from Blades in the Dark, published by Evil Hat Productions. These two elements come together to form Sig: City of Blades.

This game is Forged in the Dark, designed to enable bold heists and backstabbing faction politics. Of course, any game set in the nexus of the verse is bound to have a few changes to the rules. Here are a few of the newest elements.

Modular Characters

Sig: City of Blades has modular characters, with each Freebooter consisting Culture, Lineage, and Devotion. Culture reflects your Freebooter’s identity and upbringing. Lineage represents your family that shapes your prowess, whether it be by blood, ichor, adoption, or choice. Your Devotion represents your character’s religious obligations and/or faith in one of the immortal Powers of the City of Blades. Each of these provide a pair of potential Advancesto choose from, ratings in four Actions, and a Drive (which you can use to reduce stress).

The Map of Sig

The city itself has an important role in the game. The game comes with a map of the city which is divided up into 48 distinct pieces of territory which function as claims. Every claim is controlled and defended by one of the many factions of the city, who maintain their position (Tier) and gain benefits associated with them. As Freebooters, your mission is to “liberate” claims from your rival factions though audacious heists and subtle schemes. If you want a workshop, you better seize one from someone else!

Living with Consequences

Enemy actions, bad circumstances, Planar Bargains, or the outcome of a roll can inflict consequences on a PC. Consequences may be minor, moderate, or major in severity, leading to different impacts on the Freebooter’s initiatives. As characters suffer stress, they also expose themselves to more severe consequences based on the GM’s discretion and the fiction.

• Minor: A stumble, unwanted attention, an expense, or a minor injury.
• Moderate: entrapment, a curse, collateral damage, or a moderate injury
• Major: Betrayal by someone you trusted, duress, imprisonment, or a life-threatening major injury.

The Crews

Every player portrays a Freebooter; a scoundrel and adventurer who lives in Sig. You work for one of the great Factions of Sig such as

The Glimmer Knights

The Glimmer Knights are an ancient Polari chivalric order formed when the stars were still young and sun hid its face. The Order now serves the Performers Guild as peacekeepers and knee breakers, who swear an oath to the Queen of Rime and Woe and uphold a strict code of honour. Their duty is to act as neutral arbiters, clever diplomats, and defenders of the peace.

The Order of Ashen Keys

The Order of Ashen Keys was a secretive group of mercenary warcasters who saved the accumulated lore known as the Invisible Collage. Generations upon generations of mercenary sorcerers have continued its long tradition. They are prized for their independence and are trusted to act on their own initiative for the good of the Sage Collegium. They are obsessed with gathering and protecting forbidden lore, no matter the cost.

The Daughters of the Raven

The Heralds Guild has long needed a small group of elite messengers who could transport more sensitive cargoes. The Daughters of the Raven are the all-female cohort of smugglers and spies who deliver these most important packages. They are tenacious and renowned for their skill in infiltration. They also have their own secret mission to take vengeance on those who harm the most vulnerable.