Lady Blackbird (role-playing game)

Lady Blackbird: Adventures in the Wild Blue is a steampunk fantasy role-playing game (RPG) created by John Harper and released in 2008. It is designed for one-shot play or short campaigns and emphasizes collaborative storytelling and character-driven narratives. The game is notable for its pre-generated characters, concise ruleset, and focus on player agency.

Gameplay:

Lady Blackbird utilizes a simple dice pool system. Players roll a number of six-sided dice based on their character's Traits, Skills, and Possessions. A roll of 4 or higher on any die indicates success. The game master (GM) presents challenges and narrates the unfolding events, but the players are encouraged to actively shape the story through their characters' actions and decisions.

Setting:

The setting of Lady Blackbird is a vibrant, steampunk-inspired world called the Wild Blue. This region is characterized by floating islands, airships, and magical phenomena. The game's pre-generated characters are all passengers on the airship Lady Blackbird, which has been hijacked by pirates.

Characters:

The game provides pre-generated characters with detailed backstories, motivations, and relationships. These characters typically include:

• Lady Blackbird: A runaway noblewoman.
• Naomi Bishop: Lady Blackbird's bodyguard, a skilled gunslinger.
• Captain Cyrus Vance: A renowned pirate captain.
• Snargle: A goblin tinkerer.
• Kale Arkam: A psychic mage.

These pre-generated characters are designed to be instantly playable and provide players with a strong foundation for their characters' actions and decisions. Players can choose to play these characters or create their own using the game's rules.

Rules:

Lady Blackbird is known for its streamlined rules. The core mechanics revolve around dice rolls, spending character resources (such as Refresh and Secrets), and invoking character Traits and Skills. The rules are intended to be lightweight and flexible, allowing the GM and players to focus on storytelling and character development.

Legacy:

Lady Blackbird has been influential in the indie RPG scene, inspiring other games with its focus on pre-generated characters, concise rules, and collaborative storytelling. Its accessibility and emphasis on player agency have made it a popular choice for introducing new players to role-playing games. The game is available for free download on John Harper's website.