#112: Talking About Doskvol
First edition of my new series, What We Talk About When We Talk About Cities.
I. Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first edition of my new series, What We Talk About When We Talk About Cities. If you want to know more about what I'm doing here, you can read the introduction post.
You all voted and so today, we’re starting with a look at Doskvol (or Duskwall), the city of fog and whale-light in Blades in the Dark designed by John Harper and published by Evil Hat in 2017. I'm focusing specifically on the City Guide to Doskvol, a section of the book which runs from page 237 to 309 (around 70 pages, 6 by 9 inch format).
Reminder: This isn't a critique or a review. My intention is to primarily just understand what this game thinks is important when it comes to building a city that is fun to play in.
Key Features
The game starts with a brief history of the city. This consists of a half-page of text and a one page timeline. While the text was fun to read, the timeline I didn't really feel like reading - which makes sense, it's a reference. I just checked when the big war ended (only 2 years ago!) and stopped there.
One page about telling time (there is no sun!) and one page about calendars and seasons. The stuff about time is extremely interesting because a city covered in darkness (with a particular hour where it fills with fog) is a perfect place for heists. This section is basically a subtle but effective pitch for why playing in Doskvol is fun!
Some diagetic worldbuilding in the form of excerpts from in-world books that talk about energy (because light is central to Doskvol) and food (eating becomes complicated if there's no sun). Interesting, but not sure what the benefit of it being diagetic is. I think it would probably have been fine as just simple text.
One page each about the underworld, academia, and the ghosts of Doskvol. One page about language and culture.
One spread each for the 12 districts in Doskvol. Each district gets a little intro paragraph that the GM can essentially read to the players, 4 landmarks, 3 notable NPCs, some visual details, and numerical ratings for wealth, security, criminal influence, occult influence. This is a very pared down description - tightly defined and expertly laid out. It’s written to be referenced, not read like a novel.
One page called "Overheard in Duskwall" with snatches of dialogue you might hear while passing by - works as scenario hooks and showing off the fact that people seem to speak in weird Victorian voices. Then, one page of tables with rumours about weird stuff happening in the city.
15 pages about the Factions. Each faction has key NPCs, locations, objectives and relationships with other factions. This is the most dense and powerful section for me. I know that in play, you’ll be coming back to it again and again. Every faction has a thread that you could pull on that will draw you into the machinations of Doskvol as a thriving city.
An assortment of random tables: buildings, streets, people, demons, forgotten gods. A list of vice purveyors. A score generator.
One page about the world outside Doskvol and a map.
Conclusions
The most interesting thing for me is that Doskvol as a city was clearly designed to be a playground for scoundrels and thieves. It is a setting designed for this game. (Even as it draws on some very obvious inspirations.)
But even as the book lays out Doskvol, the guide isn’t written for scoundrels. While every district has a Wealth rating, the city isn’t filtered through a lens of “things to steal” or anything like that. There’s a world in which this book is only interested in the city in terms of its functional use to the PCs: “Here is place to steal stuff, here is a place to lie low from the cops”.
But that’s not what this Doskvol is. Instead, every faction in the city is mapped out and interconnected. It’s a city which will live, breathe and die even if the PCs do nothing - a place of blood and heartbreak, silver and dusty death.
Yours at the start of a long journey,
Thomas
PS. This issue is a bit like one hand clapping. We only start seeing patterns emerge when we have things to compare against. Up next is Spire, the vertical-est city in the world, from Grant Howitt and Christopher Taylor. It has a very different approach to worldbuilding from this book. Looking forward to teasing those differences out!
In other personal news: After hearing that Marx Shepherd, host of the Yes Indie’d Podcast was stepping down at the end of the 2022, I reached out and offered to keep it going. Marx graciously agreed and so, I will be in your podcatchers from 2023 as I take over one of my favourite indie spaces. I think of it as the newsletter expanding! Just space to do things that don’t fit in this format. Keep your ears open for more news on that in the new year!
II. Listen of the Week
Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast Actual Play Podcast produced by Jeff Stormer and Possum Creek Games won the Best of the Best award at the New Jersey Web Fest. Brennan Lee Mulligan also took an award home for best performance in an AP. I don’t know how I missed this when it came out but it’s a really slick production of a very innovative game.
New podcast! Yochai Gal (designer of Cairn) and Brad Kerr discuss adventures in Between Two Cairns. I liked their first episode where they discuss The Isle, an experimental adventure by Luke Gearing and Spearwitch.
III. Links of the Week
Reddit AMA with the designer of the Monty Python RPG from Exalted Funeral
It’s about a videogame but regardless, there’s a neat article in the Guardian about how the Discworld MUD (text-based, multiplayer RPG) based on the works of Terry Pratchett has been operating for 30 years.
Interesting approach to mapping out spaces: building out a flowchart by thinking about logic and theme
Deeper in the Game has a blog about framing dungeons as disaster zones
On his Walking Mind blog, Rob Donoghue sketches out a rough system for playing in the world of Amber
Database of folks (self-submitted) who do reviews in the TTRPG/D&D space that you can reach out if you’d like. Just make sure it fits their interest.
Another Ironsworn Starforged resource: Stargazer is super comprehensive web app for solo play.
The Far Horizon Co-op launched a newsletter. They’ve published games like Brinkwood, The Roleplayer’s Guide to Heists, among other things. It’s good to see them going strong.
IV. Small Ads
All links in the newsletter are completely based on my own interest. But to help support my work, this section contains sponsored links and advertisements. If you’d like your products to appear here, read the submission form.
MÖRKTOBER is here! Each day in October, make something for MÖRK BORG inspired by the prompts and share it. An item, scroll, weapon or anything else. Tag it #MÖRKTOBER2022.
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A new bundle collecting Infinity, the scifi RPG that uses the 2d20 system from Modiphius. There’s one bundle with factions and supplements and one bundle with all the core books.
Hello, dear readers. This newsletter is written by me, Thomas Manuel. I’m half-man, half-beast, half-journalist, half-game designer.
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