Prayers in the Dark

A rules module for Blades in the Dark

Duskvol is a haunted city and not everything that haunts it was once human. The forgotten gods of the
old world still linger and may grant their influence to a scoundrel in need, for a price. Not everyone
wants to believe these powers exist and many who know that they do still denounce dealing with them
as madness. The practice is spoken of in hushed tones (if at all) but when you’re alone, or desperate, or
just greedy enough: the forgotten gods are listening.

When a scoundrel seeks the aid of the gods on an action roll: roll 2d6 and consult the table of forgotten
gods to determine which power hears their prayer.

The affinities and desires of each deity can be decided as a group, by the GM alone, or you can use the
table of examples provided below. The chosen affinities establish broad themes for that god, a key to
understanding what kinds of actions they approve of and what types of payments they require. The
inclinations of each god should remain consistent over time; these are ancient powers and are set in
their ways.

For example:
The Rapturous Chord demands ecstatic experiences and sensory excess.
The Burned King deals in sacrifice, revenge, and nobility.
The Closed Eye oversees both protection and neglect.

Once you’ve determined which power has heard the prayer, consider how the action being attempted
aligns with their theme. If the action is in line with the god’s affinities their help can be more effective or
their price lower, if you’re acting against their inclinations they may be of little help or demand a high
price.

For example:
Tesslyn the Lurk is staking out an old manor, hoping that the assassin that killed their crewmate will
return to the lair hidden in the attic. Tesslyn has taken a long watch and needs a little extra help to stay
sharp, they mutter a prayer to whatever is listening.

The Rapturous Chord has little interest in this dull, monotonous activity but if Tesslyn can promise it an
offering of serious debauchery in the near future it may lend some aid.
or
The Burned King wants to see retribution done against the assassin and it will easily assist in the task at
hand, so long as Tesslyn swears to commit an act of vengeance against the assassin.

Determine the assistance available and its cost before offering the deal to the player. The scope of what
the gods can offer should be scaled to suit the tone and needs of your story but as a baseline the offer
can take the form of +1d, increased position, or increased effect. This divine intervention may increase
an action from zero effect, making the seemingly impossible possible. For particularly resonant actions
and high costs, automatic success can also be considered. The nature of the cost should be inline with
the themes of the forgotten god and proportionate to the aid granted. The means of aid should be in
keeping with the source.
For example:
Tesslyn accepts the aid of The Rapturous Chord and an intense jolt of pain shocks them awake, their
stake-out gains increased position and they owe the god an offering of excess.
or
The Burned King approves of Tesslyn’s goals and shares some of its divine determination with them.
Fully committed to the task at hand, Tesslyn gains increased effect but the Burned King will be
displeased if Tesslyn shows the assassin mercy.

The forgotten gods are esoteric beings and do not negotiate or speak in human terms. Dealing with them
is a strange but intuitive experience: a character feels their call is answered and understands what will
be expected of them in return, they are free to accept it or turn away.

If the player rejects the bargain there are no further consequences but if they accept it they are bound to
follow through on whatever the god requires as payment.

If a character is reluctant or slow to pay their debts the GM may begin a clock representing the patience
of the deity to which the debt is owed, while this clock exists the character will find divine aid more
costly to receive from any god. By default the clock will tick once per downtime and any time the
character has a clear opportunity to pay their debt but does not.

If the character outright refuses to pay their debt or if the patience clock is filled, they will be considered
to have reneged on the bargain. The scorned god will not aid them again and will grant aid proportional
to their debt to their enemies. If a character seeks the aid of the forgotten gods and the dice roll
indicates a god they have failed to pay in the past, their prayer has fallen on deaf ears and they may not
make another attempt to seek aid.
Example Affinities
# Forgotten God Affinities # Forgotten God Affinities

11 The One Within Many Collaboration, Conformity, Identity 41 The Forsaken Legion Oaths, Obligation, Betrayal

12 The Silver Fire Purification, Revelation, Pain 42 The Unbroken Sun Remembrance, Forfeiture, Hope

13 The Rapturous Chord Excess, Sensation, Experience 43 The Revelation Truth, Prophecy, Consequences

14 The Fallen Star Change, Turmoil, Destruction 44 The Radiant Word Power, Authority, Deference

15 The Lord of the Depths Drowning, Forgetting, Loss. 45 The Shrouded Queen Lies, Secrets, Safe-Keeping

16 The Silent Song Anonymity, Beauty, Fruitless labour 46 The Reconciler Armistice, Atonement, Concession

21 The Lady of Thorns Penance, Trial, Suffering 51 The Cloud of Woe Apathy, Doubt, Despair

22 Our Blood Spilled in Glory Violence, Hubris, Contest 52 The Broken Circle Endings and Beginnings

23 The Ram Stubbornness, Force, Resilience 53 The Conqueror Triumph, Accomplishment, Adversaries

24 The Empty Vessel Purity, Ignorance, Potential 54 She Who Slays in Darkness Predation, Ambush, Patience

25 The Closed Eye Protection and Neglect 55 The Dream Beyond Death Madness, Peace, Eternity

26 The Hand of Sorrow Grief, Regret, Reaping 56 The Blood Dimmed Tide Wounds, Scars, Aftermaths

31 That Which Hungers Avarice, Deprivation, Anticipation 61 The Guardian of the Gates Vigilance, Defence, Denial

32 The Thousand Faces Schism and Consensus 62 The Maw of the Void Darkness, Transition, Emptiness

33 The Web of Pain Connection, Compassion, Grievance 63 The Keeper of the Flame Jealousy, Inspiration, Motivation

34 The Pillars of Night Grandeur, Awe, the Stars 64 The Throne of Judgement Justice, Arbitration, Corruption

35 The Burned King Sacrifice, Revenge, Nobility 65 The Lost Crown Ruin, Memory, Abdication

36 The Father of the Abyss Hears your prayer but does not answer. 66 The Golden Stag Pursuit, Attainment, Martyrdom

“Prayers in the Dark” by John Bowler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence
If you use these rules in your game, I’d love to hear how it goes. Please leave a comment on the itch.io page.
This work is based on Blades in the Dark, product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for use under the
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license