The World of Darkness Reforged
Two key facts about me:
- I am one of those 90s kids whose life was irrevocably changed by exposure to White Wolf's Mage the Ascension at an impressionable young age.
- I recently GM'ed a campaign (~24 sessions) with John Harper's Blades in the Dark, another 'there's before this and there's after this' experience. See this post about my thoughts on BitD.
Add a long-standing interest into TTRPG Design (dating all the way back to Amber Diceless) and the natural question arises:
What could a World of Darkness game look like in a post-BitD world?
Let's pin down some basics first:
What is a World of Darkness game?
Thematically, WoD games (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, etc.) take place in an dark urban fantasy setting, 'a world much like our own, but where people care less and the shadows are deeper'. The characters' dual nature (Human-Other) gives them the Power to fight back against the System... at the expense of the very reason they are fighting, their Humanity. There is a Faustian bargain at the heart of the World of Darkness.
Mechanically, the games are famous for their d10 dice pool engine: combine an Attribute and a Skill to form a dice pool, roll the d10s and count your successes. The WoD system introduced the idea of 'partial success with narrative consequences' to many people, and its 'fistful of d10s' feel contrasted well to D&D's d20 and GURPS/Call of Cthulhu's d%.
What is the core game loop of BitD?
- The characters are a Crew on the look-out for profitable Scores.
- During a Score, the characters expend various resources, primarily Stress and Harm, to get things done, overcome obstacles and deal with complications.
- Complete a Score, reap the rewards (Coin and Reputation).
- During Downtime, deal with all the Heat accumulated during the last Score and look out for any Entanglements.
- Also during your (limited) Downtime: heal Harm and Stress, train to improve your stats and/or gather info for the next Score.
What is the core resolution mechanic of BitD?
- When a character intends for something to happen:
- If it is within their control and competence, it just happens.
- If it can be done at a cost, then it is done once the player burns the corresponding resource (Stress, Coin, Heat or even Harm).
- If there is significant risk of failure or the effectiveness of the action is in question, the player rolls for it. If they outright fail the roll, they need to pivot; but the majority of the time what they want happens, perhaps at an increased cost or after multiple rolls.
- Expended resources can only be restored by spending Downtime Actions. So the ultimate cost of success is counted in 'wasted' Downtime Actions.
How well do BitD mechanics fit the core WoD themes?
- Characters in the World of Darkness are supernatural Others imbued with reality-bending Powers. Vampires can call on their ancient Blood, Werewolves can give in to their all-burning Rage, Mages can work their Will into the very fabric of reality.
- The BitD resolution mechanics fit this well; players, via the Stress and Devil's Bargain mechanics, can almost always push for Success at a Price. In the BitD setting this is explained as pure grit, with a bit of Plot Armor (warning: TV Tropes!) thrown in. But in WoD this can be seen as a diegetic application of the character's supernatural abilities; the characters are supernaturally manipulating the world around them.
- Conversely, on the macro level the characters are typically up against entrenched and powerful enemies - Elder Vampires, Eldritch Spirits, or even Reality itself in the case of Mage. The characters are always outnumbered and overstretched, and that is a great match for the core Score-Downtime game loop of BitD.
Ready to sketch out the outline of a 'World of Darkness Reforged' game?
Yes! Let's do it:
- The game setting is a City; a breeding ground for conspiracies, home to the eldritch and the uncanny.
- The characters are supernatural Others, imbued with reality-bending powers that allow them to push for success even under dire conditions - if they are willing to pay the price that is.
- The characters are also Human, with weaknesses that get them in trouble, and skills that get them out of it.
- The characters are integral parts of a Group bound by fate, circumstance or a common purpose. The Group features communal resources, liabilities and advancements.
- Time is divided into Acts, when the Group is actively pursuing a specific goal, separated by Downtime, when they recuperate, deal with fallout from the last Act and prepare for the next one.
- During Downtime, the effects of the latest Act ripple outwards through the City, echoing back to the characters in the form of rumours, signs and entanglements.
What about the mechanics of such a game?
- Action resolution revolves around the question:
'Is it possible and if so, what will it cost?'. - The characters' powers and abilities allow them to attempt the impossible, as unlikely and expensive as it might be.
- The Risk of an Action, the odds of outright failure, and the Cost of an Action, how many total Resources it will require to see it through, are set by the GM before the Player rolls.
- Resource recovery occurs at a certain fixed rate by devoting Downtime Actions to it.
- Every round of Downtime Actions for the players gives a chance for the GM to move the plot forward; advance the plans of an enemy, bring a disaster closer or let a window of opportunity close.
Update (22/02/2026): Version 0.5 of the SRD can be found here.