BLADE BIND

A Storygame of Sword-Powered Tragedy

Craig Judd
 “Cowards and faint-hearted runaways
look for orations when the foe is near:
Our swords shall play the orators for us.”
—Christopher Marlowe, ‘Tamburlaine the Great’

The Blades are ancient supernatural entities that seek out those with strong
purpose and motivation, promising the power to achieve their goals.
As one of the Chosen, you have forged a pact with such a Blade.
With it, none can stand before you — save another of the Chosen.
What will happen when the Chosen are set at cross-purposes?
Dare you wager your soul against the will of the Blade?
What will happen if the Blade takes control?

Story 2–6 GM Card 3–6

Game players less Based hours
  1

Most weapons were once tools, used for hunting or agriculture.

But a sword is a tool with only one purpose.

To kill human beings.

2 BLADE BIND

BLADE BIND
Game Design, Writing, Layout & Illustration

Craig Judd
Playtesting & Feedback
Annette Gibson, Nathaniel Robinson, James Cooper, Todd Hurst,
Eeshwar Rajagopalan, Michael Rutkay, Christopher Swain, Steve Moore,
Lloyd Gyan, Michael Tokarski, Tania Cooper, Anna Ognibene,
Scott Vandervalk

PowerFrame-RPG.weebly.com/blade-bind.html
PowerFrame.RPG@gmail.com

Blade Bind © Craig Judd 2016.

Typeset using the Google Web Fonts Cinzel, Cinzel Decorative,
Crimson Text, PT Sans, & Lovers Quarrel. Blood splatters from
WC Rhesus A Bta. Laid out using Adobe InDesign CS6.
  3

CONtENtS
Overview 4 Scenes 40
Introduction 5 Overview 41
Expectations of Play 6 First Player 42
Summary 8 Scenes 42
Facilitating 11 Epilogue 45

Setting 12 Duels 46
Modern Day: Bargain 47
The Shadow World 14 Draw 48
Fantasy: King of Swords 15 Fight! 48
Victory and Vanquishment 56
Chosen 16 Melees 57
Example Duel 58
Overview 18
Concept 19
Blades 20
Bladebound 60
Relationships 20 Scenes While Bladebound 61
Knots 22 Duels While Bladebound 62
Threads 24 Separating 62
Will / Power 28
Enmity 30 Forbidden Lore 63
Sidestep 64
Blades 31
Active Knots 65
Resonance 32 Custom Blades 66
Techniques 33 Record Sheet 70
Blade Descriptions 33 Duelling Quick Reference 71
Quickstart Setups 72
Kickstarter Backers 74
Index 75
4 BLADE BIND

OVERViEW
 o
Overview 5

OVERViEW

Introduction
Ever since one human took up a tool and struck down another, they
have been here. Powerful entities, forged by our desire to fight amongst
ourselves, lurking in the shadow of humanity — the Blades.
Each Blade seeks out an individual who burns with dedication and
purpose, its essence drawn from the spirit-world like a moth to a flame.
It is your will that calls it forth, gives it form. The Blade offers you the
power to achieve your goals, and you accept the bargain.
You are Chosen.
The Blade is always with you, hovering just out of sight until called
to your hand. With it, you are invincible, unstoppable. You gain
superhuman senses and prowess, and shrug off the effects of lesser
weapons. Only another of the Chosen can stand in your way.
Yet power comes with a price. It always does. If your resolve should
falter, you may lose yourself to the will of the Blade. Acting on ancient
enmities forged into its very being, your Blade will not hesitate to use
you as the instrument of its own vengeance.
But the risk is worth it. You have purpose. You have the strength of will.
All you need is a little more power…
6 BLADE BIND

Expectations of Play
In Blade Bind you take on the role of Chosen warriors, using
powerful supernatural Blades to fight for your goals and beliefs!
Blade Bind is about setting up an unstable situation and seeing
how it unfolds. It sets the Chosen at cross-purposes, which means the
characters will be in conflict from the very beginning. The players,
however, aren’t in conflict — they are collaborating to produce a rich
experience for everyone at the table.
The Chosen are trying to achieve their personal goals as best they can,
but are drawn towards tragedy and loss. It is likely that one or more of
them will succumb to the will of their Blade and become Bladebound — a
self-destructive demon of battle.
The players are here for the glorious mess of fighting, recrimination and
revenge, and must be okay with seeing their character not only triumph
but suffer defeat and be changed by the rules. For the players, Blade
Bind isn’t about winning or losing, but experiencing the unfolding
drama and getting into lots of awesome sword-fights!
†† Play hard! When the game begins, there is no gradual warm-up
period. Go for your goals right out of the gate, regardless of who
stands in your way. The game is more fun when it spirals into a
mess of recrimination and revenge. If you try to play nice, you may
find yourself drawn into the fray on someone else’s terms.
†† Game the system! Doing so will lead to a complex, dramatic,
vicious experience. Think about the current state of play, who you
have a better chance of defeating, and how you can manipulate the
situation to your advantage.
†† Build on the contributions of others! Everyone can introduce
new characters, locations, and other fictional details to the
game. Unless a contribution is offensive or the majority deem it
inappropriate, don’t block other people’s creative input, but instead
build on or riff off it.
 Overview 7

Game Features
†† GMless: Each player controls one of the Chosen.
†† Player-Guided: Players take turns establishing scenes.
†† Card-Based: The Duelling system uses regular playing cards.
†† One-Shot: A complete game takes one or two sessions.
†† End-Game: The game ends when one of several conditions is met.

What You Need

†† Two to six players.
†† Around three to six hours, depending on the number of players,
which can be split over multiple sessions.
†† One pack of regular playing cards with two Jokers.
†† A record sheet for each player (or a blank sheet of paper), and a few
index cards or similar.
†† Something for each player to write and erase with.
†† Optionally, some counters or tokens for tracking points.

Inspirational Media
†† Roleplaying Games: Shinobigami, Eternal Contenders, Wield,
Fiasco, Cortex Plus Dramatic Roleplaying, Tenra Bansho Zero
†† Manga & Anime: Shadow Star, Silent Möbius, Claymore, Hellsing,
My-HiME, Shakugan no Shana
†† Computer Games: God Eater, Monster Hunter, Soul Blade/Soul
Calibur
8 BLADE BIND

Summary

“Those who cannot remember the past

are condemned to repeat it.”
—George Santayana, ‘The Life of Reason’
Gameplay Summary
Each game of Blade Bind follows the same basic procedure, although
the experiences and outcomes will differ every time.
Prelude
†† Establish the basics of the Setting (p. 13).
†† Define your Chosen (p. 17) and select a Blade (p. 20).
†† Link the characters together with a web of Relationships (p. 20),
and conflicting goals in the form of Threads (p. 24).
†† Lastly, assign Enmities (p. 30)
The prelude usually takes about an hour.
Main Cycle
†† Players take turns framing Scenes (p. 41) and fighting
Duels (p. 47) to achieve their goals.
†† As each scene wraps up, the spotlight moves to the next player
around the table.
†† Play continues in this way until something happens to trigger the
Epilogue (p. 45).
The main cycle usually lasts between two and five hours.
Epilogue
†† Narrate an Epilogue for your Chosen, and wrap up the game!
 Overview 9

Chosen Summary
The Chosen are defined by their concept, relationships, goals, and the
Blade they wield.
†† Players define Knots (p. 22), which are characters or things
important to their Chosen.
†† Each Chosen begins play with three Threads (p. 24), which are
goals targeting Knots and other Chosen.
†† Depending on their state of completion, Threads provide a number
of points of Will (p. 28).
†† Blades grant points of Power (p. 29), which defines their Chosen’s
strength in battle.
†† If Power ever becomes higher than Will, the Chosen becomes
Bladebound (p. 61) — a destructive demon of battle.
†† Blades gain points of Resonance when they Bind with another Blade
(see the Duelling Summary below).
†† Resonance is used to activate special Techniques (p. 33), which are
unique to each Blade.

Duelling Summary
†† When drawn in anger, each Blade offers a Bargain (p. 47) to
increase its Chosen’s Power. Each combatant then Draws (p. 48) a
number of cards equal to their Power.
†† To Engage (p. 51), the combatants each play a card — high card
wins Initiative.
†† The Chosen with Initiative may Attack or Disengage.
†† To Attack (p. 51), the Chosen plays a face-up card at their target.
The defender must play a Defence, or be Hit (p. 55) and lose the
fight.
10 BLADE BIND

†† There are several Defence options (p. 52); the basic ones are as
follows�
'' Playing a card higher than the Attack is a Parry (p. 52). The
defender gains Initiative.
'' Playing a card equal to the Attack is a Bind (p. 53), which
generates Resonance. After a Bind, a special play called a
Wind (p. 53) decides who claims Initiative.
'' Playing multiple cards that add up to the Attack or more is an
Evade (p. 53). This results in a Disengage.
†† When combatants Disengage (p. 55), they draw extra cards and
prepare to Engage again.
†† At the end of a Duel (p. 56), the Victor gets to decide the fate of a
Knot, or rewrite a Thread belonging to either themselves or one of
the Vanquished.

Card Values
You normally use the card value; In a Wind (p. 53), cards are
high card wins. ranked by suit. If suits match,
the high value wins. From high
†† 2–10: face value
to low:
†† Jack: 11
S Spades
†† Queen: 12
C Clubs
†† King: 13
D Diamonds
†† Ace: 14
H Hearts
Jokers don’t have a value; You can use S H D C instead
instead, you draw a new card if you prefer, or any other suit
and then play a card from your order agreed upon by all players.
hand on top of the Joker. The
suit is wild.
 Overview 11

Facilitating
Although Blade Bind is GMless, it may help to have one player act
as facilitator — someone who guides the group through each stage of
the game and acts as the main authority on the rules. The facilitator is
usually the person who owns and has read the book. If the group has
played before, then you may not need a facilitator.
Encourage the rest of the group to read the book as well, but recognise
that you’ll probably end up explaining things during play. Make sure you
have a good grasp of the basics, and know where to look things up.
†† The facilitator is also often the host. Make sure you have all the
materials you’ll need (p. 7).
†† Once everyone is assembled, summarise what the game is about and
discuss the expectations of play (p. 6).
†† New players are likely to be a bit lost when it comes to defining
a setting (p. 13), so be prepared to go with one of the example
settings and encourage people to add their own details.
†† Help everyone create their Chosen (p. 17). Lead by example,
using the random card-draws as inspiration and demonstrating that
they are not hard-and-fast results. Invent some peripheral details.
Discuss the nature of the emerging relationships. Offer suggestions
for Threads (p. 24), since this step often slows down new players.
Don’t be afraid to go with straightforward, obvious choices.
†† Offer to take the first scene (p. 42), unless someone else is keen.
Play hard right out of the gate, and go straight for one of your goals.
†† You’ll probably need to adjudicate the first few Duels (p. 47)
until people get the hang of it. Also offer commentary and suggest
narrative details to get people into the habit of visualising the fights.
†† Keep an eye on people’s Will and Power scores (p. 28), and make
sure they are updated after each Duel (p. 56).
†† Once the game ends, guide everyone through the Epilogue (p. 45)
and draw the session to a close!
12 BLADE BIND

SEttiNG
 w
Setting 13

SEttiNG

“The world may end up

under a Sword of Damocles...
on a tightrope over the abyss.”
—Andrei Gromyko, ‘Time Magazine’
Blade Bind takes place in any world where ancient blades form pacts
with those who are driven to achieve greatness.
The following two setting outlines are only suggestions. The world is
but a backdrop for melodrama writ large; the focus is on the characters
and their conflicts, and the setting only matters insofar as it supports that
aim. You can set your game pretty much anywhere and any time — talk it
over as a group, and pick a milieu that appeals. Everyone then builds on
that basic idea, adding details as the game develops.
Assume that either your Chosen all know each other, or can identify
other Chosen on sight. The Blade grants supernatural senses, and the
Chosen are also connected by the web of fate. In most settings, Blades
remain hidden until summoned, but in some worlds they may be
permanently manifested.
14 BLADE BIND

Modern Day: The Shadow World

Since time immemorial, the Blades have shaped human history from
the shadows. They appear when ambition calls them, and vanish in the
aftermath of blood and ashes once their influence plays out. Even now,
hidden from the world at large, secret societies and mystical cabals strive
to harness their ancient power and change the world.

Sacred Seal
Blades normally exist in a shadow-dimension outside our world.
Whenever a Chosen summons their Blade, they can choose to create a
mystical Seal around the area. Within the Seal, time is frozen for all but
the Chosen and the objects of their desires. They may unleash the full
force of their fury, but any damage caused — even to people — only exists
within the Seal. Once the Blades are dismissed and the Seal falls, the
world continues as though nothing had happened. But of course, it has.
After a duel, everything changes.
The Sacred Seal is the main reason the general public remains ignorant
of the Blades and the impact the Chosen have on the world.

Organisations
Many seek to use the power of the Chosen for their own ends.
†† Governments covertly recruit and field Chosen, waging a new
Cold War against their international adversaries.
†† Corporations and organised crime syndicates thirst for
influence. Harnessing the power of a Blade would make them
unstoppable.
†† Mystical orders and ninja clans hoard forbidden lore and seek to
manipulate the flow of history.
†† The Church sends sanctified Chosen to crusade against the
demonic Blades. It is rumoured that many Blades lie dormant in the
Vatican’s vaults.
 Setting 15

Fantasy: King of Swords

A kingdom is carved by the sword, and there are no swords more
powerful than the Blades of old. They say the Chosen who wield them
have the power to defeat entire armies and raze cities to the ground!
None can stand before them — save another of the Chosen.
Yet violence begets violence, and calamity follows conquest. Built
upon shattered ruins and sundered thrones, Valendra is a land in
constant turmoil. Farmers eke a pittance from the soil while bandits and
opportunists leech off the work of others, and a wealthy few hoard their
treasures in fantastic citadels. Can a hero seize the moment and unite the
realm, or will it fall once more to the cycle of destruction?

Organisations
The Blades are forces of nature that shape the face of the world, and
many do not even bother to conceal themselves. The Chosen are
legendary figures, spoken of in fear and awe.
†† Guardians: An ancient and mystical order seeks to protect the
realm from the Blades’ fury, and tries to steer the Chosen onto the
path of peace. But what happens when a Guardian is Chosen?
†† Lost Knights: Once a proud martial order, the Lost Knights now
wander the land seeking purpose. Some will stand as champions for
the oppressed, some seek the security of a rich patron, and others
strive for power in their own right.
†† Lord Heron: This Lord’s influence dominates the people as his
citadel dominates the countryside. With one of the Chosen by his
side, none can oppose him as he drains the citizen’s wealth to fill his
coffers.
†† Bandits: Many soldiers from defeated armies turn to banditry,
preying upon the weak. But sometimes the oppressed take arms and
rise up as well, fighting to claw back their due. For the lords and
merchants, the end result is the same.
16 BLADE BIND

CHOSEN
 C
Chosen 17

CHOSEN

“Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive;

plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live.
When people fall into danger,
they are then able to strive for victory.”
—Sun Tzu, ‘The Art of War’
18 BLADE BIND

Overview
Each player takes the role of a Chosen, a character who wields one of the
supernatural Blades.
Chosen are defined by their concept, their Blade, their relationships with
others, and their goals. The following game terms relate to the Chosen:
†† Each player creates a Knot (p. 22) — something in the game world
such as a character, item, or organisation — that represents an
important focus or motivation for their Chosen.
†† Players then create Threads (p. 24), which are goals tying their
Chosen to Knots and other Chosen.
†† Threads provide the Chosen with points of Will (p. 28). The
more complete a Thread is, the more Will it provides. If a Thread
becomes impossible to achieve, it ceases to be worth any Will.
†† Blades grant points of Power (p. 29) to the Chosen. All Chosen
start with 2 Power, but this increases as the game progresses.
†† If Power ever becomes higher than Will, the Chosen becomes
Bladebound (p. 61). They lose themselves to the will of the Blade,
and become implacable monsters bent on destruction.
If you want to skip the setup and jump straight into a game, the
Forbidden Lore chapter includes two quickstart setups (p. 72)
As an example, we’ll follow the creation of a Chosen named Siân.

Fleshing Out the World

Players are free to introduce new characters, organisations and
locations to flesh out the world and provide context to their
concept, relationships, Threads, and Knots. Adding details to the
world may be useful for creating new Knots and Threads later in
the game. It could be said that a Knot is just a thing that happens to
be important to one of the Chosen at a particular moment.
 Chosen 19

Concept
The only thing that unites the Chosen is their determination. Besides
that, virtually anyone in the world may be Chosen — young or old,
rich or poor, strong or frail, it matters not. Race, gender, sexuality,
personality and ideals — all are equal. The Blade is but a tool, and one
that only the Chosen have the
power to wield.
Concept
Firstly, you will need a name and
2 Follower
a rough concept for your Chosen.
3 Fool
Describe their appearance and
4 Agent
personality in a few words. Discuss
5 Socialite
your ideas with the other players.
6 Wanderer
You don’t need much detail at this
7 Teacher
point, as the rest of the creation
8 Rebel
process will help you figure out
9 Devout
who they are.
10 Neophyte
If you’re having trouble finding J Warrior
inspiration, you can either wait Q Protector
and see what develops, or draw a K Leader
card to decide your Chosen’s basic A Ascetic
archetype and approach. Jk Trickster
Siân is a young woman with a Approach
punk aesthetic — slight of build,
S Violent, volatile,
with short dyed hair, multiple
antagonistic
piercings, and tattoos.
C Selfish, needy, corruptible
For her archetype, she draws 4S.
She sees herself as an agent in the D Professional, cool,
service of a powerful leader or analytical
organisation; she is determined,
H Caring, considerate, self-
aggressive, and merciless in
sacrificing
carrying out her patron’s wishes.
20 BLADE BIND

Blades
Blades are ancient, powerful supernatural entities that each take the form of
a large sword with a giant eye. It is bound to the soul of its Chosen, existing
just outside reality until summoned to their hand. It grants the wielder
astonishing physical prowess, and only another of the Chosen can hope to
stand in their way. Yet the Blades have their own agendas, ancient enmities
lying beneath the surface. If the Chosen falters on their path, the Blade may
seize control and turn them into the instrument of its own vengeance.
Each Blade has a set of special
Blades Techniques (p. 33) that are
activated by spending Resonance.
2 Vargr
(p. 32). You gain Resonance
3 Kunlun
by Binding with other Blades in a
4 Oni
Duel (p. 53), and when you are
5 Miko
Vanquished (p. 56).
6 Devil Wing
7 Michael Choose a Blade, or draw a card
8 Glass Edge at random and see the list. Refer
9 Buluc Chabtan to the Blades chapter (p. 32)
10 Set for full details. Write down your
J Claíomh Solais Blade’s name and Techniques on
Q Brass Dragon your record sheet or an index card.
K Templar Your Blade and Techniques are
A Laozi public knowledge, so don’t hide
Jk Your choice, or create a them if a player wants to know.
custom Blade (p. 66).
Siân chooses Vargr, a bestial
Blade that matches her aggressive
personality.

Relationships
The lives of the Chosen tend to be intertwined. Each player draws a card,
and uses it to define a relationship between their character and another
Chosen. The other player may opt to decline the relationship, unless
everybody else has declined it already.
 Chosen 21

You can establish two relationships

between a pair of characters, so Relationships
long as both players agree on how 2 By Reputation
they work together. Unless all 3 Acquaintance
players at the table agree, a pair of 4 Neighbour
relationships cannot include more 5 Vendor and Client
than one Face card, Ace, or Joker. 6 Students
For example: Parent and Child + 7 Work Colleagues
By Reputation may be a long-lost 8 Rivals
child or absent parent. 9 Companions
10 Childhood Friends
Once the relationships are J Relatives
established, discuss how the Q Siblings
characters are connected. K Parent and Child
Sometimes the initial relationships A Lovers
infer other connections. Write Jk Twins
down the details of all your
relationships on your record sheet. Tone

For example: A and B are Siblings, S Violent, volatile,

while B and C are Parent and antagonistic
Child. Therefore, A is C’s aunt or C Selfish, needy,
uncle, even though they didn’t use a codependent
card to establish a relationship.
D Professional, civil,
You don’t need to connect detached
everyone to everyone else. It’s
alright if some characters don’t H Protective, fond,
have many connections — supportive
everybody will have at least one.
Siân draws KD. She and another player decide that she is Esteban’s
daughter, and that they have a fairly cool, detached relationship. They
don’t hate each other, they just don’t get along all that well.
Maya’s player establishes a “codependent work colleagues” relationship
with Siân. Obviously they both serve the same master, but they decide
Maya encourages Siân’s violent side to avoid getting her own hands dirty.
22 BLADE BIND

Knots
Each player creates a unique Knot related to their Chosen. In essence, a
Knot can be anything you think is worth fighting over. They most often
represent characters, items, organisations, locations, or even information
— however, you can’t pick a Chosen or Blade as your Knot. While your
own Knot is often something you want to protect or control, you need
not have a positive relationship with it — you might be highly motivated
to destroy it, for example. You are free to define any other information
about your Knot, such as relationships with characters, an organisation’s
charter, or the true nature of an artefact.
Knots motivate the Chosen to fight, but they don’t usually have any
other effects. If you want to introduce a Knot that has a specific game-
effect, see the Forbidden Lore chapter (p. 64).
If you’re stuck for inspiration, you can draw a card on the Quickdraw
Knots table to come up with a random Knot.
Write your Knot’s name and any details on an index card or a blank sheet
or paper, and put it in the middle of the table. Once created, Knots become
playing-pieces that anyone can try to influence. You decide whether you
are in control of your own Knot to begin with, but it can change hands or
be destroyed as the game progresses.
Since she’s an agent in the service of an organisation, Siân creates a Knot
to represent her patron — Vance, head of a mystic cabal. Siân sees him as
a leader and visionary, and will act on his orders.

Two-Player Games
If you only have two players, create a third Knot that both Chosen
can be invested in. These make good targets for Possess Threads
(p. 24), where control can swing back and forth, although neither
Chosen may control this Knot at the start of the game.
 Chosen 23

Quickdraw Knots
Characters Organisations
2H Pet or animal companion 2D Charity
3H Sidekick 3D Club or association
4H Celebrity 4D Secret society
5H Diplomat or mediator 5D Academic group
6H Test subject or experiment 6D Guild
7H Liar or manipulator 7D Martial order
8H Mentor or teacher 8D Mystic cabal
9H Young heir 9D Family
10H Dark omen 10D Gang
JH Leader or visionary JD Organised crime
QH Prophet or prophecy QD Religion or cult
KH Head of an organisation KD Government department
AH Supernatural entity AD Corporation
Locations Items
2C Underground or concealed 2S Locket or ring
3C Abandoned or ruined building 3S Chalice or dish
4C Private home or fortress 4S Orb or gem
5C Safe haven or refuge 5S Piece of armour
6C Shop, restaurant, nightclub 6S Memento
7C Academy or training ground 7S Key
8C Library or museum 8S Shield
9C Ship or other large vehicle 9S Artwork
10C Laboratory or test facility 10S Deck of cards
JC Landmark or natural feature JS Contract
QC Church or temple QS Forbidden knowledge
KC Organisation headquarters KS Weapon
AC Place of power AS Book
Red Joker: Rift between worlds
Black Joker: Dormant Blade
24 BLADE BIND

Threads
The Chosen are connected by the threads of fate, creating a web of
conflicting motivations. Threads represent goals and ambitions, and
provide the Chosen with points of Will (p. 28).
Each Chosen defines three Threads. Everyone first comes up with
a Thread that connects to the Knot they created, but once those are
defined, the other two can connect to any other Knots or Chosen.
Threads are made up of a Subject (who will or will not achieve the
goal), an Intent (the outcome, to be achieved or avoided), and an Object
(the Knot or Chosen that is at stake). The options are summarised in
this table, with full descriptions of each possible combination on the
following pages.
Subject Intent Object
I will
Nobody will Destroy
Anybody will » » [KNOT]
[CHOSEN] will Control
[CHOSEN] will not
I will » Defeat » [CHOSEN]
Each Thread may be Loose (not currently achieved), Secured (achieved,
even if temporarily), or Cut (impossible to achieve). Depending on their
strength and current state, Threads provide the Chosen with points
of Will. The Thread descriptions opposite summarise the conditions
that must be met, and how much Will the Thread is worth (each 
represents a point of Will, and  means no Will), for each possible state.
If you’re unsure what to pick then go with a Protect or Possess Thread for
your own Knot, a Vendetta or Possess Thread for someone else’s Knot, and
a Rival Thread with another Chosen. If in doubt, choose a Strong Thread.
You choose whether you control your own Knot at the start of
the game. This choice affects the state of any Control-type Threads that
target it. You cannot start with control of someone else’s Knot.
 Chosen 25

Strong Threads
VENDETTA — I will Destroy [KNOT]
 Secure: You destroy the Knot.
 Loose: The Knot exists.
 Cut: Someone other than you destroys the Knot.
PROTECT — Nobody will Destroy [KNOT]
 Secure: The Knot exists.
 Cut: The Knot is destroyed.
POSSESS — I will Control [KNOT]
 Secure: You control the Knot.
 Loose: You don’t control the Knot.
 Cut: The Knot is destroyed.
LIBERATE — Nobody will Control [KNOT]
 Secure: Nobody controls the Knot.
 Loose: Someone controls the Knot.
 Cut: The Knot is destroyed.
RIVAL — I will Defeat [CHOSEN]
 This is a special Thread. It starts at 2 Will, and is
considered Loose.
+ Each time you score a Hit on the named Chosen, this
Thread gains 1 Will (to a maximum of 3, when it is
considered Secured).
− Each time the named Chosen scores a Hit on you, this
Thread loses 1 Will. If it reaches 0, the Thread is Cut.
26 BLADE BIND

Weak Threads
ELIMINATE — Anybody will Destroy [KNOT]
 Secure: The Knot is destroyed.
 Loose: The Knot exists.
ALLY — [CHOSEN] will Destroy [KNOT]
 Secure: The named Chosen destroys the Knot.
 Loose: The Knot exists.
 Cut: Someone other than the named Chosen destroys the
Knot.
FOIL — [CHOSEN] will not Destroy [KNOT]
 Secure: The Knot exists, or is destroyed by someone
other than the named Chosen.
 Cut: The named Chosen destroys the Knot.
SECURE — Anybody will Control [KNOT]
 Secure: The Knot is controlled.
 Loose: Nobody controls the Knot.
 Cut: The Knot is destroyed.
SUPPORT — [CHOSEN] will Control [KNOT]
 Secure: The named Chosen controls the Knot.
 Loose: The Knot is controlled by someone other than
the named Chosen.
 Cut: The Knot is destroyed.
OPPOSE — [CHOSEN] will not Control [KNOT]
 Secure: The named Chosen doesn’t control the Knot.
 Loose: The named Chosen controls the Knot.
 Cut: The Knot is destroyed.
 Chosen 27

Write each of your Threads on your record sheet, also noting their
current state and how much Will each is worth. Threads belong to you,
but they are public knowledge.
Siân chooses these three Threads. Her Will is discussed on the next page.
†† PROTECT: Nobody will Destroy Vance
†† SUPPORT: Maya will Control the Staff of Light
†† RIVAL: I will Defeat Nat

Priming Conflict
When assigning Threads, look for ways to oppose the other
Chosen’s goals. If someone takes a Protect or Possess Thread,
consider taking a Vendetta or Eliminate Thread against the same
Knot. Several Chosen could fight to Possess or Liberate a Knot. If
someone wants to Destroy a Knot, consider Protecting it.
By deliberately looking for opportunities to place yourself at odds
with the other Chosen, you’ll be priming the game for conflict. A
variety of Thread types also prevents the game from stagnating.

Revenge Threads
A Cut Thread can be instantly rewritten as a Revenge Thread, seeking
retribution against the Chosen who Cut your Thread by destroying
something they care about. You may need to take a Revenge Thread to
avoid becoming Bladebound (p. 61).
If a Revenge Thread is Cut, you cannot replace it with another Revenge
Thread.

Revenge — I will Destroy [KNOT]

 Secure: You destroy the Knot.
 Loose: The Knot exists.
 Cut: Someone other than you destroys the Knot.
28 BLADE BIND

Will / Power
The fluctuation of Will and Power dictates whether it’s the Chosen or
the Blade that’s in charge. So long as Power is no greater than Will, the
Chosen remains in control. However, if Will slips below Power, then
the Chosen becomes Bladebound — the Blade takes over and uses the
Chosen to lay waste to everything in its path in pursuit of its Enmity.
The game works a little differently for the Bladebound. See the
Bladebound chapter (p. 61) for details.

Will
All Chosen start with some free points of Will, plus the Will granted by
each of their current Threads — which vary from 1 to 3 depending on
their types and current states. Each Chosen can have up to three Threads
at a time, so they will start with between 4 and 12 Will.
Free Will
†† For a two-player game, Chosen start with 1 free point of Will.
†† For three players, the Chosen start with 2 points of Will.
†† With four or more players, the Chosen start with 3 Will.
Thread States
†† Secured: 3 Will (strong) or 2 Will (weak)
­— The Thread is completed or currently being held.
†† Loose: 2 Will (strong) or 1 Will (weak)
— The Thread is in progress, striving for completion.
†† Cut: 0 Will
— It is no longer possible to complete or maintain the Thread.
Vendetta, Eliminate, Ally, and Rival Threads always begin play Loose.
Protect and Foil Threads always start off Secure, but also have no Loose
middle ground — they are either Secure or Cut. All of the Control-based
Threads can start as either Loose or Secure, depending on whether each
Knot is Controlled by its creator or not. No Threads start play Cut.
 Chosen 29

Siân’s Threads are currently worth 6 Will, plus her 3 starting points for
being in a four-player game, for a total of 9 Will�
†† PROTECT: Nobody will Destroy Vance
(Since Vance is alive: Strong, Secure — )
†† SUPPORT: Maya will Control the Staff of Light
(Since Maya doesn’t Control the Staff: Weak, Loose — )
†† RIVAL: I will Defeat Nat
(Since it’s a starting Rival Thread: Strong, Loose — )

Power
Power dictates the effectiveness of your Blade. A higher Power lets you
draw more cards when you draw your Blade at the start of a duel, and
accumulate more Resonance to activate your Techniques.
All Chosen begin with 2 Power.
†† If your Power is less than your Will, you may voluntarily increase
Power by 1 at the start of each Duel. If you decide not to, but
then cross Blades against your Enmity, your Power increases by 1
anyway.
†† When you are Vanquished (p. 56), your starting Will drops by 1
until your initial points are gone; after that, your Power increases by
1 each time you are defeated.
†† You cannot voluntarily decrease Power.
†† If Power becomes higher than Will, then you become Bladebound
(p. 61). You no longer gain Power in the same way, and follow a
set of special rules.
Note your current Power on your record sheet by shading in the dots.
The first two dots have been filled in for you.
As with all Chosen, Siân begins play with 2 Power.
30 BLADE BIND

Enmity
Each Blade feels Enmity towards one of the other Blades — an ingrained
hatred forged into its very being, leading to bloody battles throughout
the centuries. Blades always want to defeat their Enmity Blade, but so
long as their Chosen is in control the Blade’s desire can be held in check.

Assigning Enmity
After you’ve defined all the Relationships and Threads, pick a
card to represent each Blade. You can use their index or reference cards,
or simply assign each Blade a regular playing card. Shuffle these cards
together to form a deck of Blades.
Deal a card out to each player. The card you are dealt indicates your
Blade’s Enmity.
†† If one player is dealt their own Blade, they swap cards with the
player to their left.
†† If two or more players are dealt their own Blades, each of those
players passes their card around to the left until it reaches one of the
other affected players.
Note your Blade’s Enmity on your record sheet.
Siân gets dealt Maya’s Blade, Miko; ironically, if she becomes Bladebound
she’ll try to destroy her co-worker. Nat’s Blade, Kunlun, ends up with
Enmity towards Vargr.

Enmity in Play
In any Duel where you did not voluntarily increase your Power, if you
cross Blades with your Enmity your Power automatically increases by 1
and you draw a card straight away.
In addition, a Blade gains 2 points of Resonance any time it
Binds (p. 53) against its Enmity.
Enmity also determines which character a Chosen will attempt to
destroy if they become Bladebound (p. 61).
 Blades 31

BLADES
 b
32 BLADE BIND

BLADES

“The sword — the first, for a time the only force:

the force of iron.”
—John Lothrop Motley, ‘The Rise of the Dutch Republic’

Resonance
Blades start with 0 Resonance, and gain it as the game progresses. You
spend Resonance to activate your Blade’s special Techniques.
†† Each time a pair of Blades Bind (p. 53), they both gain a point of
Resonance.
†† If a Blade  Binds against its Enmity (p. 30), it gains an extra point
of Resonance.
†† You also gain a point of Resonance if you lose a Duel (p. 56).
A Blade may not hold more Resonance than the Power of its Chosen. If
it would gain more than that, the excess is lost.
Once earned, points of Resonance stay with the Blade until spent. It can
also be lost due to the effects of some Techniques. The Chosen decides
when and how to spend the Resonance in their Blade.
 Blades 33

Techniques
Each Blade has a Technique that costs 1 Resonance, one that costs 2
Resonance, and one that costs 3 Resonance.

Technique Descriptions
Each Technique is written in a standard format:
«Cost» Technique Name (When you can use it) — Effects.
Timing Notes
†† Any: At any time.
†† Once per Exchange: At any time, but only once per Exchange.
†† Before a Motion: Just before cards are played for an Engage,
Attack, or Wind.
†† Engage/Attack/Bind/Defend/Parry and such: When you
perform the listed action.
†† Defended/Parried and such: When your opponent responds in the
specified manner.

Blade Descriptions
Laozi

«1» Renew (After an Exchange) — Discard any number of cards

and draw an equal number.
«2» Immutable (Vanquished) — The Victor may not rewrite any
of your Threads.
«3» Executioner (You Hit a Bladebound) — Kill the Bladebound
and end the game.
34 BLADE BIND

Vargr

«1» Marauder (Bind) — You gain Initiative.

«2» Vigour (After an Exchange) — Draw a card.
«3» Reaper (Attack) — Your Attack targets all combatants in the
fight.

Kunlun

«1» Implacable (Engage) — Engage any opponent, even if already

Engaged.
«2» Second Sight (Any) — Look at a combatant’s hand for up to
ten seconds.
«3» Negate (Any) — Cancel one use of any Technique.
 Blades 35

Oni

«1» Direct (Engage) — Skip the Engagement and gain Initiative.

«2» Disharmony (Parry/Parried or Bind) — Your opponent loses
all their Resonance.
«3» Ultimate Attack (Attack) — Play two cards and add their
total together.

Miko

«1» Grapple (Parry/Parried or Bind) — This Exchange, your

opponent may not Disengage while they have Initiative.
«2» Counterattack (Parry) — Your Parry becomes a Counter.
«3» Ward (Before a Duel) — Name one Knot; it cannot be
Destroyed this scene.
36 BLADE BIND

Devil Wing

«1» Blur (Defend) — Evade with any two cards.

«2» Retreat (Before an Engagement) — Leave the scene. You do not
count as Vanquished.
«3» Vampire (Parry/Parried or Bind) — Steal a card from your
opponent’s hand at random.

Michael

«1» Harmony (Once per Exchange) — One combatant gains or

loses 1 Resonance.
«2» Seal (Once per Exchange) — Name a suit. This Exchange, one
combatant may not play cards where the final result matches
that suit.
«3» Silence (Any) — All other combatants lose all Resonance.
 Blades 37

Glass Edge

«1» Nimble (Defend) — Dodge with any low card.

«2» Whirlwind (Attack) — Your Attack affects all combatants
who are Engaged with you.
«3» Reflect (Defend) — Bind with any card.

Buluc Chabtan

«1» Augur (Engage or Wind) — Before revealing cards, name a

suit. If any other combatant reveals that suit, draw a card.
«2» Stealth Attack (Attack) — Your opponent must play their
Defence card first. They may React.
«3» Blood Sacrifice (When you Hit) — Draw two cards.
38 BLADE BIND

Set

«1» Wary (Parried) — Disengage.

«2» Deception (Defended) — Change your Attack to any suit.
«3» Shadow Step (Defend) — Defend and Disengage without
playing a card.

Claíomh Solais

«1» Call of Battle (Before a Duel) — Enter a scene in which you do

not have a relevant Thread.
«2» Heavy Hitter (Parried) — Your opponent discards a card.
«3» Relentless (Your hand is empty) — Draw two cards.
 Blades 39

Brass Dragon

«1» Bolt (Attack) — Attack a combatant you aren’t Engaged with.

«2» Blindness (Before a Motion) — Your opponent must play their
cards at random this Motion.
«3» Take the Lead (Before a Motion) — You gain Initiative.

Templar

«1» Shield (Any) — You may play any number of cards to help
Defend other combatants.
«2» Hunter (Opponent Disengages) — Cancel the Disengage and
gain Initiative.
«3» Invincible (You are Hit) — You are not eliminated, and
instead Disengage.
40 BLADE BIND

SCENES
 s
Scenes 41

SCENES

“When the sword is once drawn, the passions of men

observe no bounds of moderation.”
—Alexander Hamilton, ‘The Federalist Papers’

Overview
†† Players take turns framing scenes for their Chosen.
†† When it’s your scene, you can try to influence a Knot or another
Chosen in some way.
†† If any Chosen stand in your way, you must either back down or
fight a Duel. The winner of a Duel gets to change the situation to
their advantage.
†† Several different events can trigger the Epilogue, where everybody
narrates what happens to their character. The game then draws to a
close.
42 BLADE BIND

First Player
Deal one card to each player; high card gets to frame the opening scene.
Split ties in suit order (SCDH).
Before the opening scene begins, gather up all the cards used during the
setup and shuffle the deck.

Scenes
Players take turns framing and playing out scenes that focus on their
Chosen striving to achieve their goals, fighting for what they believe in,
and struggling to maintain control over their Blade. When it’s your turn,
you and your character are called the Focus.

Choose a Scene Type

There are three types of scene: Decisive, Manipulative, and Wavering.
Decisive Scenes
Like a decisive bolt of lightning, the Chosen strikes at one of the Knots
in play (which includes other Chosen) with the intent to destroy, defeat,
control, or liberate it. Most often, the aim is to Secure one of your own
Threads, but you might also be attempting to aid or sabotage another
Chosen.
The Focus player declares their intent and describes where, when, and
how the attempt is taking place. The nature of the Thread will likely
decide which Knots or minor characters are present.
The souls of the Blades call out to one another. Any Chosen with a
Thread that refers to either the Focus Chosen or the targeted Knot may
choose to join the scene by describing their arrival.
If none stand in their way, then the Focus player can simply narrate
how they Secure the Thread. No mundane force can hope to oppose the
power of the Chosen, and those that try may be swept aside as easily as
toy soldiers.
 Scenes 43

Manipulative Scenes
Sometimes you may want to try and convince one of the other Chosen to
join your cause, stop them acting against you, or find out what their true
aims are. You can also use a Manipulative scene to simply get to know
the characters better without necessarily having an ulterior motive.
The Focus player describes the location and other circumstances, and
also decides which other characters are present. They may select one key
character who cannot refuse the invitation, but others may decline if
they wish.
Manipulative scenes are played out in character. The Focus can propose
a change to one Thread belonging to another Chosen in the scene, and
that Chosen can negotiate terms and conditions. In the end, if they agree
to the change then their Thread is rewritten as agreed. If they refuse,
then the Focus can either accept their decision or force the issue by
drawing their Blade and triggering a Duel.
In addition to negotiating a Thread change, anyone present may freely
trade or liberate any Knots that are under their control. This may lead to
other Chosen joining the scene in order to contest the exchange.
If at any point the Focus decides to strike at a Knot that’s present, then
it becomes a Decisive scene instead. Any Chosen not yet present, but
with Threads that refer to the Focus or the Knot, may make a sudden
appearance.
Wavering Scenes
If the Focus player doesn’t have any good ideas for their scene, they
should open it up to the table for suggestions.
If the Focus still doesn’t know what to do, one other player can seize
the initiative and frame a Decisive or Manipulative scene for their own
Chosen so long as it also involves the current Focus. If more than one
player wants to frame such a scene, then the one closest to the Focus
player’s left has precedence.
44 BLADE BIND

Play it Out
Play out the scene in-character. Describe the location, the time of day,
the weather, and the people present. Even if everyone knows it’s going
to go straight to a Duel, take the time to exchange challenges, taunts,
justifications and recriminations.
If two or more characters cross Blades, a Duel takes place. That’s no
reason to stop roleplaying, though — describe how your Blade manifests,
narrate the over-the-top action as you trade blows and pull off narrow
escapes, and keep the dialogue flowing as you vie for supremacy! The
scene ends once you’ve resolved the Duel.
If there’s no Duel, draw the scene to a close once the main point has
been addressed. Try not to meander; if the scene doesn’t seem to be
going anywhere, the next Focus player can call for it to wrap up within
a minute or so. If something is left unresolved, you can always frame a
new scene on your next turn and lunge straight for the heart of the issue.

Duelling
Duels occur when two or more Chosen draw Blades and stand opposed.
The complete Duelling rules are in the next chapter (p. 47).
In order for a Knot to be at stake, it must clearly be part of the scene. The
Threads of all Chosen involved in a Duel are always at stake. You don’t
need to declare your intentions before the fight, but they often come up
during roleplay. There’s nothing stopping you from changing your mind
and claiming an unexpected prize once you achieve Victory, however.
Once a Duel is declared, all Chosen present must decide whether to join
in or sit out. If any sit out but decide to join in later, they draw one fewer
card for each Exchange already fought. If a Chosen is the target of a Duel
but doesn’t want to fight, they are automatically considered Vanquished.
Duels continue until one Chosen emerges as the Victor. The Victor gets
to destroy, claim, or liberate a Knot that’s at stake; rewrite or author
a Thread belonging to one of the Vanquished; or rewrite or author a
Thread of their own (p. 56).
 Scenes 45

Duels usually cause changes to Will and Power scores. If a Chosen’s

Power exceeds their Will, they will become Bladebound (p. 61) and
vanish at the end of the scene along with their Blade.
The end of a Duel always marks the end of a scene.

Next Scene
Play proceeds to the left around the table, with each player framing
a scene for their character in turn. This process continues until the
Epilogue is triggered.

Epilogue

“If you wait by the river long enough,

the bodies of your enemies will float by.”
—Sun Tzu, ‘The Art of War’
The Epilogue signals the end of the game, and can be triggered in three ways:
†† Tragedy: One Bladebound slays another.
†† Stability: All Chosen have nothing but Secured Threads, and none are
Bladebound. They have miraculously reached a state of equilibrium.
†† Champion: One Chosen has three Secured Threads and a Power
of 9 or higher without being Bladebound. The Champion achieves
ultimate power, and may modify or embellish the Epilogues of any
other Chosen.
Go around the table, with each player summarising their character’s
achievements and losses, and narrating what the future holds for them.
Once the Epilogue is complete, the game draws to a close. While you’re
clearing up, chat about how it went, any memorable moments, and if
there’s anything you’d like to see (or not see) the next time you play.
46 BLADE BIND

DUELS
 w
Duels 47

DUELS

“The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight,

and the only reason a warrior fights is to win.”
—Miyamoto Musashi, ‘A Book of Five Rings’
Duels occur when one Chosen steadfastly opposes another. Chosen are
Vanquished if they are Hit, and as the Victor you can impose your will
on them or seize the goal they were preventing you from achieving.
A “Duel” is literally a fight between two people. If three or more Chosen
are involved, it’s called a Melee — the basics of combat are the same,
but Melees have a few extra rules to manage the additional combatants
(p. 57). The rules are written with both Duels and Melees in mind.

Bargain
At the start of a Duel, your Blade offers to grant you more Power. You
may opt to increase your Power by 1 or refuse the offer. You cannot
accept the offer if it would cause you to become Bladebound.
Crossing swords with its Enmity causes your Blade’s power to surge. If
you refused the Bargain but then Engage with your Blade’s Enmity, your
Power immediately increases by 1 and you draw a card. This does not
apply if you accepted the initial Bargain, or if your Power is equal to Will.
48 BLADE BIND

Draw
Blades only appear when called by their Chosen. Once you have accepted
or rejected the Bargain, describe how your Blade manifests. Some appear
in a flash of light or a flickering shadow; some grow out of their wielder’s
body; others may plunge from the sky or erupt from the ground.
When you manifest your Blade, draw cards equal to your Power.
If you are joining a Duel that’s in progress, draw one fewer card for each
Exchange that’s already been fought. You may only join at an Engage.

Fight!
Once Blades are drawn, Duels are fought over one or more Exchanges
(where combatants come together and trade blows) by following these steps:
1 Engage: At the start of an Exchange, combatants reveal hidden
cards to decide who wins Initiative (p. 51).
2 Attack: The combatant with Initiative chooses whether to Attack
by playing a card (Step 3/p. 51), or to Disengage (Step 5/p. 55).
3 Defence: When Attacked, the defender must play one or more
cards in Defence (p. 52). Different plays can result in a Disengage,
a change in Initiative, or the Defence suddenly becoming the Attack!
'' If they can’t play a successful Defence, the defender is Hit
(p. 55), ending the Exchange and removing them from the fight.
This will end a Duel (p. 56), but may not end a Melee (p. 57).
4 Next Motion: If the Exchange hasn’t ended due to a Disengage or
Hit, return to Step 2.
5 Disengage: If the Duel hasn’t ended, the combatants discard all the
cards that were played to the table, draw cards, and return to Step 1.
See p. 71 for a quick-reference summary of the duelling manoeuvres.
†† Combatants may also spend Resonance (p. 32) to activate
Techniques (p. 33) whenever the activation conditions are met.
 Duels 49

Duel Flowchart Bargain

Draw
equal to Power 1 + 1 per opponent fought
Bind equal cards engage Redraw
see below decide Initiative

Initiative-Holder Surrender

Feint Attack Disengage

Joker single card

Defence
preliminary

Attack
replace Joker

React? Defence
High suit (or value) gains Initiative

Defender gains Initiative

higher, same suit

equal

higher

lower, same suit

lower

multiple cards, equal or greater

Counter Parry
Defender gains Initiative

Bind Dodge Evade

Attacker keeps Initiative

Wind Hit

Vanquished

Decision Points Timing

Between Motions
Attacker Defender Both Between Exchanges
50 BLADE BIND

Duelling Terms
†† Duel: An entire fight, from †† Wind: A struggle for
start to finish. It’s a Melee leverage and control when
(p. 57) if there are more two Blades are locked
than two combatants. together. Rhymes with
“bind”.
†† Engage: When two
combatants come together †† Parry: A Defence that turns
and begin an Exchange. aside the opponent’s Blade
and shifts Initiative to the
†† Disengage: When two
defender.
Engaged combatants break
apart and recover. †† Riposte: An Attack
performed after a Parry.
†† Exchange: A sequence
of manoeuvres, from an †† Counter: A Defence that
Engage until the Disengage. strikes at a weak point in
an incoming Attack.
†† Initiative: The combatant
with Initiative may choose †† Feint: A “fake-out” Attack
to Attack or Disengage. that attempts to lure the
defender into committing
†† Motion: One pair of
to a Defence too early.
cards played as part of
an Exchange (an Engage, †† Evade: A Defence that
Attack/Defend, or Wind). involves losing ground and
just getting out of the way.
†† Attack: An attempt to Hit
an opponent. †† Dodge: A Defence that
keeps pace with the
†† Defence: A card played in
attacker but cannot gain
response to an Attack.
the advantage.
†† Bind: When two Blades
†† Hit: The result of an
lock together.
inadequate Defence. It only
takes one Hit to knock a
combatant out of the fight.
 Duels 51

Engage
Circling each other, seeking an advantage, the combatants are drawn inexorably
together...
Each combatant chooses a card from their hand and plays it face-down.
When everyone has made their selection, flip the cards face-up.
†† Highest card gains Initiative and becomes the attacker. They may
choose whether to play an Attack, or to Disengage. The other
combatant is the defender.
†† Equal cards between two Engaged combatants results in a Bind.
†† If a combatant reveals a Joker, they draw a card and then replace
the Joker with a card from their hand. If both play Jokers, then the
replacement cards are both played face-down and flipped.

Attack
The combatant with Initiative must play a card to Attack, or else the
Exchange ends with a Disengage.
Attack — any card
Seizing the initiative, the attacker swings at their opponent with deadly intent!
The attacker plays a card face-up.
†† The defender must play one or more cards against it or take a Hit.
Feint — Joker
The attacker attempts to draw out their opponent’s defence.
The attacker plays a Joker and draws a card.
†† Once the defender plays a card, the attacker replaces the Joker with
a card from their hand. The suit is wild — they may declare it to be
any suit of their choice.
†† The defender may React if necessary to bolster their Defence.
52 BLADE BIND

Defence
When Attacked, the target must play one or more cards in Defence or be
Hit, losing the fight.
Essentially, Defence cards may be higher than, equal to, or lower than
the Attack. You can get better results by playing a matching suit.
†† Defender’s card is higher — they Parry, or may Counter if the suit
matches the Attack.
†† Defender’s card is equal — the Blades Bind.
†† Defender plays two or more cards that add up to the Attack or
higher — they Evade.
†† Defender’s card is lower, but the suit matches the Attack — they Dodge.
†† Defender’s cards are lower or they play no card — they are Hit.
Parry — single card higher than Attack
The defender turns aside or sidesteps the attack, gaining the upper hand.
The defender plays a card higher than the Attack. They gain Initiative,
and may then:
†† Riposte: Play their own Attack.
†† Counter: If the Parry is the same suit as the Attack.
†† Disengage.
Counter — single card higher than Attack and same suit
Taking advantage of an opening, the defender turns the tables by striking first!
If Parry and Attack are the same suit, then the defender may turn the
Parry card into an Attack.
†† The original attacker can use their Attack card to React in Defence,
but it can’t be used as a Dodge even though it’s the same suit.
†† All cards played as part of a Counter (including Countering a
Counter) are part of the same Motion.
 Duels 53

Bind — single card equal to Attack

Both Blades come together with a resonating blow.
The Defence card is the same value as the Attack.
1 Shuffle the discard pile back into the deck.
2 Both combatants draw a card, and gain 1 Resonance if their Blade
has the capacity (Resonance can’t be higher than Power).
'' When you Bind against your Enmity, you gain 1 extra
Resonance.
3 For their next Motion, both combatants must play a Wind.
Wind — single face-down card
With Blades locked together, the two combatants struggle for dominance on
the razor’s edge!
In the Motion following a Bind, both combatants play and reveal a face-
down card. The high suit is the Attack card (SCDH, then split by high
value); low suit (or value) is the Defence card.
†† The defender may React if necessary.
Evade — multiple cards totalling Attack or higher
The defender avoids the blow but loses ground.
The defender plays multiple cards totalling the Attack card or higher.
†† Number cards use their face value. Face cards have the following
values — J=11, Q=12, K=13, A=14.
†† Evading triggers a Disengage.

Replacing Cards
To replace a card, play a new card from your hand on top of the old
one. The old card is ignored, and you use the new card’s value. This
lets Jokers remain as a reminder that a card’s suit may have changed.
54 BLADE BIND

Dodge — single card lower than Attack but same suit

The defender avoids the blow but does not gain the advantage.
The defender plays a single card lower than the Attack but of the same suit.
†† The attacker keeps Initiative.
†† Note that when Reacting to a Counter, you can’t use your original card
to Dodge!
React — single card, or one or more cards added to original
Split-second reaction time means the difference between life and death!
Sometimes in a Wind, Counter, or Feint, a combatant may suddenly
discover that their Defence is inadequate. In these cases, they have two
options:
†† Use their existing card as part of a Defence. If the suits match then
they can Dodge on a Wind or against a Feint (but not against a
Counter), or else they may add one or more cards to form an Evade.
†† Replace their existing card with a single card from their hand. This
may allow them to Dodge, Bind, Parry, or Counter.
Flow — Joker
The defender matches their opponent’s rhythm and frustrates their attacks.
The defender plays a Joker and draws a card, then replaces the Joker with
a card from their hand. The suit is wild — they may declare it to be any
suit of their choice.

Dodging a Counter
When you play an Attack and your opponent Counters, you can’t
use your original Attack card to Dodge when you React. That’s
because the Counter already matches your Attack suit, so every
Counter would automatically be Dodged. However, you can React
with a new single card of the same suit to Dodge a Counter.
 Duels 55

Outcomes
Hit — defender Vanquished
The attacker’s Blade strikes true, vanquishing their foe!
The defender is Vanquished (p. 56), ending the Exchange and
knocking them out of the fight.
Disengage — end Exchange, draw cards
The fighters separate and catch their breath before diving back into the fray.
Discard all the cards that were played to the table during the Exchange.
Players keep the cards that are in their hands.
The combatants draw 1 card, plus 1 card for each opponent they just
exchanged blows with. For an opponent to count, there must have been
at least one Attack or Wind; Disengaging straight after the Engage doesn’t
grant an extra card.
If you Disengage straight after the Engage, you only draw 1 card.
In a one-on-one Duel, you’ll normally draw 2 cards.
In a Melee (p. 57), you draw 1 card plus 1 for each opponent that you
resolved at least one Attack/Defend or Wind against.
If someone needs to draw a card but the deck is empty, shuffle the
discards to form a new deck.

Between Exchanges
†† If there are still enemies on the field, combatants may surrender;
doing so means they are considered Vanquished.
†† In a Melee, if only allies remain and a combatant does not wish to
claim Victory for themselves, they may stand down peacefully. They
are considered neither Victors nor Vanquished.
†† If more than one combatant remains, play another Engagement.
There can be only one Victor.
56 BLADE BIND

Victory and Vanquishment

Victor
Once the Duel is over, the Victor may claim one of the following prizes:
†† Destroy, control, or liberate a Knot that was at stake.
†† Rewrite a single Thread, or create an entirely new one, for either
a Vanquished Chosen or yourself. Remember that each Chosen
cannot have more than three Threads at a time.
You must describe how your prize comes to pass. Dealing with Knots is
usually fairly obvious. Rewriting or creating a Thread may mean demanding
obedience or convincing the Vanquished to take a different path. Authoring
your own Thread usually means you’ve found something new worth
fighting for, so take the time to explain your motivation and reasoning.
Rearranging Threads and Knots may change the Will scores of multiple
Chosen. Make sure everybody checks the new state of all their Threads.

Vanquished
†† All Vanquished gain 1 Resonance and decrease their starting
Will by 1. This is from their free points of Will, not the Will from
Threads. The Blade uses the moment of weakness to exert greater
control.
'' If you have already lost all your starting Will, then you increase
your Power by 1 instead.
†† If a Thread is Cut, its Chosen may rewrite it as a Revenge Thread
(p. 27), unless it was a Revenge Thread to begin with.
'' If the Victor opts to rewrite one of your Threads, they do so after
you define your Revenge Thread (this usually only happens if
your Rival Thread gets Cut).

Reshuffle
At the conclusion of each Duel, gather all the cards and shuffle the deck.
 Duels 57

Melees
When more than two combatants are involved in the fight, the same
basic rules apply. The fighting procedure works as follows:
1 All combatants choose and play an Engage card.
2 From highest to lowest Engage cards, each combatant chooses a
target to fight an Exchange against. Each Exchange is between a pair
of combatants, although a combatant may be in multiple Exchanges.
'' If you’re already Engaged when it gets to your turn, skip this step.
'' If the value of your Engage card matches your chosen opponent’s
Engage card, you immediately Bind.
Siân plays a KS, Nat a 10D, and Maya an 8C. Siân Engages Nat.
Since Nat is now Engaged, he can’t choose to Engage anyone else. Maya
also Engages Nat. This creates two Exchanges — Siân/Nat and Nat/
Maya, with the first name in each pair currently holding Initiative.
3 Next, fight one Motion in each Exchange. Go through the
combatants in order of Engage cards. When it’s your turn, consider
each of the Exchanges you are currently Engaged in�
'' If you are the defender, or if you’ve already played a Motion in
this Exchange, ignore this Exchange for now.
'' If you had a Bind last Motion, you must now play a Wind.
'' If you have Initiative, you may Disengage (end and discard this
Exchange), or Attack as normal.
4 Once all Exchanges have played a single Motion, go back to Step 3
and resolve the next set of Motions.
5 Once all Exchanges have reached a conclusion (Disengage or Hit), deal
with combatants who want to surrender or stand down. If more than
one combatant remains, draw cards and Engage again at Step 1.
Once Disengaged, a combatant cannot Engage again until the start of the
next Exchange.
58 BLADE BIND

Example Duel
Siân, wielding Vargr, faces off against Nat, wielding Kunlun. They describe
their Blades manifesting — Vargr whirls through the air and bites into the
ground in front of Siân, while Nat extends his hand to grasp Kunlun’s hilt as it
erupts straight up from the earth like a monolith.
Both Chosen currently have 8 Will and 4 Power. Siân accepts Vargr’s Bargain,
increasing her Power to 5. Vargr is Kunlun’s Enmity, so Nat will have no choice
— his Power increases to 5 as well.
Both players Draw 5 cards (equal to Power), and prepare to fight!

First Exchange
To Engage, both players secretly choose a card and then reveal them at the
same time. Siân plays 8C and Nat plays 6H. With the high card, Siân wins
Initiative.
When you have Initiative, you may choose to Attack or Disengage. Siân
Attacks by playing a face-up 10D. Nat plays QH in Defence; since it’s higher
than the Attack, it’s a Parry — he defends successfully and gains the Initiative.
Each set of Engage or Attack/Defence cards is called a Motion. For each
new Motion, play the cards to the side of the old Motions to form a line.
Now that he has Initiative, Nat Attacks with AS! Luckily Siân was holding an
Ace in reserve, so she Defends with AD. Since the two cards are equal value,
this results in a Bind. There aren’t any discards to shuffle back into the deck
yet, so both players draw an extra card and gain a point of Resonance (except
Nat gains 2 Resonance because the Bind was against Kunlun’s Enmity).
In the Motion following a Bind, both combatants must play a Wind. They play
face-down cards and reveal them like an Engage, but the card with the highest
suit (SCDH) immediately becomes the Attack. Siân plays JC and Nat plays
9D, so Siân’s card is the Attack. Nat must React to Defend himself, either
adding cards to his 9D or playing a new single card. Nat plays 4S which
combines with his 9D to beat the Jack’s value of 11, so he Evades and this
Exchange ends with a Disengage.
An Exchange is made up of all the plays between an Engage and a Disengage.
 Duels 59

Since both characters fought against one foe, they both draw two new cards. All
the cards played to the table are discarded. Neither player wants to surrender,
so they prepare to Engage again. Siân has four cards and Nat only has three.

Second Exchange
Siân Engages with 2S, and Nat with 7H, so Nat gains Initiative.
Nat Attacks with KC. Siân plays a Joker, which is a Flow — she draws a
card, then plays a card from her hand on top of the Joker and gets to choose its
suit. She plays 5D but declares it a 5C — a low card that’s the same suit as the
Attack is a Dodge. She defends, but Nat keeps Initiative.
However, since he only holds one card to Siân’s two, he plays it safe and
Disengages. Both players draw two cards and discard the previous Exchange.

Third Exchange
Nat Engages with 6S against Siân’s 4H, and gains Initiative.
Nat Feints by playing a Joker as his Attack. He draws a card, and waits to
see Siân’s Defence. She plays 10C, and Nat plays KD on his Joker to replace
it (he doesn’t change the suit). Siân must now React to bolster her Defence; she
replaces her 10C with a 3D, and Dodges. Nat keeps Initiative.
Both players now only have one card. Nat Attacks recklessly with QS, but Siân
Defends with KS. This would normally be a Parry, but because it’s the same
suit as the Attack it’s a Counter. Nat must now Defend against the KS, but he
has no cards left. He isn’t allowed to use his QS as a Dodge (because a Counter
must be the same suit as the original Attack), and so he is Hit. The Duel comes to
an end.

Aftermath
While dealing with the aftermath, they gather up all the cards and shuffle the deck.
As the Victor, Siân chooses to Destroy a Knot that she has a Vendetta against,
increasing her Will to 9. Unfortunately, Nat had a Protect Thread to the same
Knot. As the Vanquished he loses one of his starting Will (or would have gained 1
Power if he had no starting Will left), but losing the Thread reduces his Will by a
further 3. He’s now at 5 Power and 4 Will, meaning he becomes Bladebound.
60 BLADE BIND

BLADEBOUND
 b
Bladebound 61

BLADEBOUND

“By the sword you did your work,

and by the sword you die.”
— Aeschylus, ‘Agamemnon’
When Power surges higher than Will, the Blade fuses with the wielder
and they become Bladebound — a demon on the battlefield. Their
ultimate goal is to destroy the Blade to which they have Enmity.
Typically, the eye on the Blade closes or disappears, instead manifesting
where the Chosen’s face should be. Their head becomes a dark blur of
flickering heat-haze, and the Blade becomes an extension of their body.

Scenes While Bladebound

When you are Bladebound, your will is not your own. When a
Bladebound is the Focus character:
1 If their Enmity is also Bladebound, the two must face off in a Duel
to the death. If one Bladebound strikes down another, then the
Vanquished Blade shatters and its Chosen is slain. This ends the
main phase of the game, and leads to the Epilogue.
2 If their Enmity is not Bladebound, and the Bladebound character
still has any Loose Protect, Ally, or Control-type Threads, they must
62 BLADE BIND

make every effort to Cut them instead of completing them. They

will not act to complete any other Loose Threads. This is the Blade
making it harder for its Chosen to recover from the Bladebound state.
3 If their Enmity is not Bladebound and the Bladebound character has
none of the above Loose Threads left, they must instead attempt
to Cut a Thread belonging to their Enmity’s Chosen. If that is not
possible, they must Duel their Enmity. The aim is to force their
Enmity to become Bladebound.
When not the Focus character, Bladebound will not join other scenes
unless the Focus character seeks them out.

Duels While Bladebound

†† Any time a Bladebound draws cards, they may then discard any
number from their hand and redraw an equal number. This includes
the initial Draw, Binds, Disengages, and some Techniques.
†† While Bladebound, each Victory increases Power by 1 and each
Vanquishment reduces Power by 1. Bladebound cannot increase
their Power voluntarily before a Duel.
†† In Victory, a Bladebound can only choose to Destroy a Knot. They
cannot opt to Control Knots or write Threads.

Separating
If a Bladebound’s Power is ever reduced so it’s equal to or lower than
their Will (through losing Power, or gaining Will from new Threads
imposed upon them), then the Chosen recovers from their Bladebound
state and regains control of their Blade.
When a Chosen and Blade separate in this way, draw one card:
†† Number: Reduce Power by 1.
†† Face or Ace: Regain one of your initial points of Will.
†† Joker: Both of the above effects.
 Forbidden Lore 63

FORBiDDEN
LORE
 b
64 BLADE BIND

FORBiDDEN
LORE

“Ignorance is the curse of God;

knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.”
— William Shakespeare, ‘Henry VI, Part 2’
This chapter houses optional rules, additional content, resources, and
information.

Sidestep
Once you have mastered the Duelling system, you may decide to include
this additional Defence option.
Sidestep
The defender evades the attack and outmanoeuvres their opponent.
The defender plays multiple cards all of the same suit, totalling the
Attack card or higher. They gain Initiative, and may then�
†† Attack
†† Disengage
 Forbidden Lore 65

Active Knots
Knots are usually MacGuffins — they motivate the Chosen to action, but
don’t actually do anything themselves. This option gives one or more
Knots another function in the game, and provides other reasons to fight
for their control or destruction.
†† Tool: One or more Chosen may need to control this Knot to move
their plans forward.
†† Key: This may be a literal key, or something else — a sacrificial
dagger, secret knowledge, or the chosen one.
†† Lock: This may be a literal lock, or something else — a sacrifice,
puzzle or guardian, or a place of power. When the Key and Lock are
brought together, the Chosen who controls them will receive some
grand prize.
†† Power: Controlling the Knot grants the Chosen +1 Power. This
bonus cannot make them Bladebound.
†† Will: Controlling the Knot grants the Chosen +1 Will.
†† Prize: This may be a title or ultimate artefact of power. In addition
to the regular ending, whoever Controls this at the end of the game
is considered the Champion.
66 BLADE BIND

Custom Blades
You can design your own unique Blades simply by choosing a set of 1-,
2-, and 3-Resonance Techniques. Describe your Blade however you like.
The following lists include some additional Techniques not used by the
pregenerated Blades.

1-Resonance Techniques
»»Augur (Engage or Wind) — Before revealing cards, name a suit. If any
other combatant reveals that suit, draw a card.
»»Blur (Defend) — Evade with any two cards.
»»Bolt (Attack) — Attack a combatant you aren’t Engaged with.
»»Call of Battle (Before a Duel) — Enter a scene in which you do not
have a relevant Thread.
»»Direct: (Engage) — Skip the Engagement and gain Initiative.
»»Grapple (Parry/Parried or Bind) — This Exchange, your opponent may
not Disengage while they have Initiative.
»»Harmony (Once per Exchange) — One combatant gains or loses
1 Resonance.
»»Implacable (Engage) — Engage any opponent, even if already Engaged.
»»Marauder (Bind) — You gain Initiative.
»»Nimble (Defend) — Dodge with any low card.
»»Renew (After an Exchange) — Discard any number of cards and draw
an equal number.
»»Reset Destiny (Any) — Shuffle the discards into the deck.
»»Shield (Any) — You may play any number of cards to help Defend
other combatants.
»»Shift (Evade) — You gain Initiative instead of Disengaging.
»»Wary (Parried) — Disengage.
 Forbidden Lore 67

2-Resonance Techniques
»»Blindness (Before a Motion) — Your opponent must play their cards at
random this Motion.
»»Counterattack (Parry) — Your Parry becomes a Counter.
»»Deception (Defended) — Change your Attack to any suit.
»»Disharmony (Parry/Parried or Bind) — Your opponent loses all their
Resonance.
»»Heavy Hitter (Parried) — Your opponent discards a card.
»»Hunter (Opponent Disengages) — Cancel the Disengage and gain
Initiative.
»»Immutable (Vanquished) — The Victor may not rewrite any of your
Threads.
»»Kite (Engage) — Draw a card. You cannot Engage or be Engaged this
Exchange.
»»Lure (Disengage straight after an Engage) — Draw a card.
»»Manoeuvre (Dodge) — You gain Initiative.
»»Prayer (Any) — Play the top card from the deck.
»»Retreat (Before an Engagement) — Leave the scene. You do not count
as Vanquished.
»»Seal (Once per Exchange) — Name a suit. This Exchange, one
combatant may not play cards where the final result matches that suit.
»»Second Sight (Any) — Look at a combatant’s hand for up to ten
seconds.
»»Stealth Attack (Attack) — Your opponent must play their Defence
card first. They may React.
»»Vigour (After an Exchange) — Draw a card.
»»Whirlwind (Attack) — Your Attack affects all combatants who are
Engaged with you.
68 BLADE BIND

3-Resonance Techniques
»»Blood Sacrifice (When you Hit) — Draw two cards.
»»Executioner (You Hit a Bladebound) — Kill the Bladebound and end
the game.
»»Invincible (You are Hit) — You are not eliminated, and instead
Disengage.
»»Negate (Any) — Cancel one use of any Technique.
»»Omniscience (Once per Exchange) — One opponent must play the rest
of this Exchange with an open hand.
»»Prescience (Any) — Change your card to any suit.
»»Reaper (Attack) — Your Attack targets all combatants in the fight.
»»Reflect (Defend) — Bind with any card.
»»Relentless (Your hand is empty) — Draw two cards.
»»Shadow Step (Defend) — Defend and Disengage without playing a
card.
»»Silence (Any) — All other combatants lose all Resonance.
»»Take the Lead (Before a Motion) — You gain Initiative.
»»Time Shift (Any) — Discard a card and pick up any one card from the
discards.
»»Ultimate Attack (Attack) — Play two cards and add their total
together.
»»Vampire (Parry/Parried or Bind) — Steal a card from your opponent’s
hand at random.
»»Ward (Before a Duel) — Name one Knot; it cannot be Destroyed this
scene.
 Forbidden Lore 69

0-Resonance Techniques
These Techniques are unusual because you don’t need to spend
Resonance to activate them — instead, they have some other cost,
drawback, or special circumstance that must be met.
You may choose a 0-Resonance Technique instead of a 1-Resonance
Technique.
»»Absorb (You Hit) — Steal 1 Resonance from your opponent.
»»Madness (Draw) — Lower your starting Will by 1 to draw one extra
card.
»»Tune (Draw) — Draw one fewer cards to gain 1 Resonance.
 BLADE BIND
Record Sheet

Chosen Relationships
Name:
Concept:
Description:

Threads Will
Subject Intent Object Initial
Thread 1 »
Thread 2 »
Thread 3 »

Blade: Power
Enmity: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

«Resonance» — No higher than Power

Techniques
«1»

«2»

«3»

Duelling Quick Reference

Attack
Attack (Any single card) — Defender must play a successful Defence or be Hit.
Feint (Attack with a Joker) — Attacker replaces the Joker once they see the Defence. Defender may React.

DEFENCE
Parry (Single card higher than Attack) — Defender gains Initiative.
Counter (Parry suit matches Attack) — Parry card becomes an Attack. Previous attacker may React.
Bind (Single card equal to Attack) — Both combatants draw a card and gain 1 Resonance. Next Motion must be a Wind.
Evade (Multiple cards totalling Attack or more) — The Exchange ends with a Disengage.
Dodge (Single card less than Attack but same suit) — Attacker keeps Initiative.

OtHER
engage (Start of Exchange) — Everyone plays and reveals a face-down card. High card gains Initiative.
Disengage (End of Exchange) — Everyone draws a card, plus one card for each opponent just fought.
Wind (After a Bind) — Both combatants play a face-down card. High suit becomes the Attack. Defender may React.
React (Sudden Defence) — Defender may use original card, or add one or more cards to it, or play a single new card.
Joker (Any play) — Draw a card, then replace the Joker with a card from your hand. The suit is wild.
 Duelling Quick Reference
Engage
Engage (Start of an Exchange) Disengage (End of an Exchange)
— Everyone plays a face-down — Everyone draws a card, plus
card and reveals. High card gains one for each opponent they just
Initiative, and may Attack or exchanged blows with.
Disengage.

Attack
Attack (Any single card) — Feint (Attack with Joker) —
Defender must play a successful Replace Joker once you see
Defence or be Hit. Defence. Defender may React.

Defence
Parry (Single card higher than Counter (Parry same suit as
Attack) — Defender gains Initiative, Attack) — Parry becomes an Attack.
and may Attack or Disengage. Previous attacker may React.
Bind (Single card equal to Attack) Wind (After a Bind) — Both
— Both combatants draw a card combatants play a face-down card
and gain 1 Resonance. Next and reveal. High suit becomes the
Motion must be a Wind. Attack. Defender may React.
Evade (Multiple cards equal to Dodge (Single card same suit as
Attack or more) — The Exchange Attack but lower) — Attacker keeps
ends with a Disengage. Initiative.

Other
React (Sudden Defence) — Joker (Any play) — Draw a card,
Defender may use original card, then replace the Joker with a card
or add one or more cards to it, from your hand. The suit is wild.
or play a single new card.
72 BLADE BIND

Quickstart Setups
Choose characters and then spend a little time fleshing out the details.

Three-Player Setup
Siân Nemo
†† Concept: Violent Wanderer †† Concept: Selfish Ascetic
†† Relationships: Nemo’s †† Relationships: Siân’s
antagonistic childhood friend, antagonistic childhood friend,
Rocco’s reluctant companion Rocco’s civil acquaintance
†† Knot: Order of Omega †† Knot: Abbey of Nothing,
†† Threads: Venice
'' I will Destroy the Abbey †† Threads:
 '' Nobody will Destroy the
'' I will Control the Order Abbey 
 '' Siân will not Control the
'' I will Defeat Rocco  Order 
†† Blade: Miko '' I will Control the Grail
†† Enmity: Michael 
†† Blade: Michael
Rocco
†† Enmity: Templar
†† Concept: Aloof Wanderer
†† Relationships: Siân’s
reluctant companion, Nemo’s
civil acquaintance
†† Knot: The Holy Grail
†† Threads:
'' I will Control the Grail

'' Nobody will Control the
Order 
'' I will Defeat Nemo 
†† Blade: Templar
†† Enmity: Miko
 Forbidden Lore 73

Four-Player Setup
Siân Nat
†† Concept: Violent Agent †† Concept: Caring Neophyte
†† Relationships: Esteban’s †† Relationships: Esteban’s
emotionally distant daughter, supportive companion,
Maya’s codependent colleague Maya’s antagonistic brother
†† Knot: Vance, head of Cabal †† Knot: Runestone Forest
†† Threads: †† Threads:
'' Nobody will Destroy '' Nobody will Destroy the
Vance  Runestone Forest 
'' Maya will Control the Staff '' I will Destroy Vance
of Light  
'' I will Defeat Nat  '' I will Defeat Maya 
†† Blade: Vargr †† Blade: Kunlun
†† Enmity: Miko †† Enmity: Vargr
Maya Esteban
†† Concept: Professional †† Concept: Selfish Protector
Devout †† Relationships: Siân’s
†† Relationships: Siân’s emotionally distant father,
codependent colleague, Nat’s Nat’s protective companion
antagonistic sister †† Knot: Staff of Light
†† Knot: Ouroboros Cabal †† Threads:
†† Threads: '' Anybody will Destroy
'' I will Destroy the Vance 
Runestone Forest  '' I will Control the Staff of
'' I will Control the Staff of Light 
Light  '' I will Control the
'' Nobody will Control the Runestone Forest 
Cabal  †† Blade: Brass Dragon
†† Blade: Miko †† Enmity: Kunlun
†† Enmity: Brass Dragon
74 BLADE BIND

Kickstarter Backers
Bystanders
Arcana Games, Ballistic Interactive, Blue Room Board Games,
Michael Tree, Rusted Portal Games

Knots
Brandon Bright, Casiodorus Rex, ennui, Jamie Le Rossignol,
Joshua Ramsey, Lucas Hyon, Mark R. Lesniewski, Rich M.,
Scott Vandervalk, Sebastian, Steve Lord, Ting Yue

Chosen
Anna Ognibene, Clay Gardner, Edouard Contesse, Guy Shalev,
Jason Miller, Lakshman Godbole, Loki Dankmyer, Matthew Nielsen,
Michael Stevens, Nick Wedig, Steven D Warble

Bladebound
Arlene Medder, Brian Isikoff, Cecilia Kingsly, David Comer, David Hall,
Ewen Cluney, Joe J Prince, John Beadle, Jörn Kiwitt, Joseph Le May,
Kane Hills, Lawrence “L.B.” Lubomski, Liam Murray, Michael Lawler,
mostlegendary, Nathaniel Robinson, Rachel E.S. Walton, Richard Gant,
Sharon and Jake, Steve Moore

Champions
Andy Kitkowski, Bayushi Rei, Sean Costain

Bladesmith
Ryan Woodland
 Forbidden Lore 75

Index
A F S
Attack 51 Feint 51 Sacred Seal 14
Flow 54 Scenes 41–45
B
Decisive 42
Bargain 47 H
Manipulative 43
Bind 53 Hit 55
Wavering 43
Bladebound 28, 30,
I Sidestep 64
61–62
Initiative 48, 51, 57 Stand Down 55, 57
Separating 62
Surrender 55, 57
Blades 5, 20, 32–39 J
Custom 66 Jokers 10, 51, 54 T
Techniques 33
C K
0-Resonance 69
Card Values 10, 53 Knots 22, 56
1-Resonance 66
Chosen 5, 18–30 Active 65
2-Resonance 67
Concept 19
M 3-Resonance 68
Counter 52
Melees 57 Threads 24–27, 56
D Revenge 56
P
Defence 52 States 24, 28
Parry 52
Disengage 55 Strong 25
Power 29, 30, 47, 56
Dodge 54 Weak 26
Draw 48 Q
V
Duelling Terms 50 Quickdraw
Vanquished 56
Duels 44, 47–58, 62 Blades 20
Victor 56
Concept 19
E
Knots 23 W
Engage 51
Relationships 21 Will 24, 28, 56
Enmity 30, 61
Wind 10, 53
Epilogue 45 R
Evade 53 React 54
Exchange 48, 55, 57, Relationships 20
58 Reshuffle 53, 56
Resonance 30, 32, 56