Standard Reference

Document
 Brinkwood is a Forged in the Dark Game.
Blades in the Dark™ is a trademark of One Seven
Design. The Forged in the Dark Logo is © One Seven
Design, and is used with permission.

Brinkwood is a production of the Far Horizons Co-Op,

a gathering of designers, artists, and TTRPG enthusiasts
dedicated to democratic decision-making, fair pay for fair
work, and equitable distribution of work and profit.

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 Credits
Writers
Artists Ginger Laura Armstrong
W.H. Arthur
Sabaa Bismil Alex Black
Steph Cheung Adrianna Burton
Myca Labelle Allie Bustion
Olivia Rea Justin Ford
Mohamed Saad Biscuit Fund Games
Byron Swain Siôn Rodriguez y Gibson
Brian Yaksha Liam Ginty
V.J. Harris
JW van Heerden
Josh T. Jordan
Editors Austin Knight
Marek Jones
Michelle Bernhardt Eli Kurtz
Maria Mison
Simon Moody
Jamila R. Nedjadi
Pam Punzalan
Dyer Rose
Lian Xia Rose
Michelle Shepardson
Drea Silvertooth
Shannon Strucci

Designers
Erik Bernhardt - Game Design
Jón Gísli Björgvinsson - Faction Design
O. Hybridity - Monster Design
Francita Soto - Layout Design
Brian Yaksha - Worldbuilder

III
 Table of Contents
Credits..............................................III
Table of Contents....................... IV
About Brinkwood.............................1
Acknowledgements........................1
Licensing...........................................1
Attribution........................................................................ 2
Compatibility..................................................................... 3

Core Principles................................3
Setting Bible....................................5
Basic Premise..................................................................... 5
Castylpunk......................................................................... 6
The Bloody Isles.............................................................. 6
Blood Sterling and Vampirism.................................... 7
The Brinkwood.................................................................. 8
The Wyld ........................................................................... 9

IV
Mask Design...................................10
Naming and Core Design............................................. 10
Mask Actions................................................................... 10
Mask Abilities................................................................. 11
Mask Design Checklist................................................ 11

Reflections.....................................12
Introduction................................................................... 12
Introductory Worldbuilding.................................... 13
Factions............................................................................ 13
Vampires............................................................................ 13
Servants............................................................................ 14
Locations.......................................................................... 14
Victory and Endgame.................................................... 15
Reflection Design Checklist.................................... 15

Checklists.......................................16
Mask Design Checklist................................................ 16
Reflection Design Checklist.................................... 16

V
 About Brinkwood
Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants is a Forged in the Dark tabletop
roleplaying game about building a rebellion that will overthrow the
blood-soaked vampires that oppress and dominate the castlypunk
world your character inhabits.
In Brinkwood, you take on the role of brigands: renegades, thieves, and
rebels struggling for freedom and liberation in a castylpunk world
controlled by vampires. Radicalized by tragedy, you have taken up
arms and fled into the forests, where you were taken in by unlikely
allies—the fae, forgotten creatures of myth —who offered a different
path and the means to fight back against your oppressors.
Masks, forged of old wood and older magic, are the final tool left to
fight a war long ago lost. If you wear them, they will take their price,
etching themselves upon your very soul. But they will also let you spill
the blood of the rich and powerful vampires that now rule the land,
and from that blood you strengthen yourself and your movement.
Mask up. Spill blood. Drink the Rich.

Acknowledgements
The layout and design of this SRD draws inspiration from LUMEN by
Gila RPGs, the Trophy SRD by Jesse Ross, and the Blades in the Dark
SRD by Evil Hat.

Licensing
The License
This SRD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.
So long as you attribute your work using the following attribution and
agree to the following conditions, you have the right to create new
works derived from this SRD. This includes both free and commercial
products that are designed for or based on the core rules presented in

1
this SRD. Any material presented in this SRD may be freely copied,
remixed, and re-used with proper attribution as described below.
Using this license means that you cannot imply or state that The
Brinkwood CoOp Team or the Far Horizons CoOp is endorsing or
sponsoring you unless you have made a special arrangement with us.
You may not use this license to create any work that is sexist,
racist, homophobic, pro-fascist, or expresses a positive opinon of
discrimination based on gender identity or sexuality. We reserve the
right to revoke this license from any media or work that we find to be
in violation of this policy.

Attribution
In order to use this license, you must include the following text in the
main body of any derived work or wherever you include your own
copyright:
This work is based on Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants (brinkwood.net), product
of Erik Bernhardt and Far Horizons Co-Op, and licensed for our use under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/).
Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants is based on Blades in the Dark (found at http://
www.bladesinthedark.com/), product of One Seven Design, developed and
authored by John Harper, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons
Attribution 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

All the text has to be the same size as the rest of your copyright section
— that’s one of the license requirements.
If you are publishing electronically, you can link the following phrases
to their URLs instead of printing them separately:
Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants: https://www.brinkwood.net
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC-BY) License: https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Blades in the Dark: http://www.bladesinthedark.com/
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license: https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

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 Compatibility
You may use this license to release free or commercial products,
including products that are designed for and compatible with the
core rules of Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants, without express written
permission from the publisher, as long as you do not violate any other
terms of this license.

Core Principles
These core principles are presented as suggestions to help you match
your game to the tone and style of Brinkwood. While you are not
required to follow these principles by the terms of the license, you are
highly encouraged to do so, or at least only deviate from them with
purpose and careful thought.
Anti-Apologism: Apologism is writing that seeks to excuse, diminish,
or apologize for certain ideas, concepts, or realities. Brinkwood is
anti-capitalist, anti-colonial, anti-fascist, anti-racist, and against both
discrimination based on sexuality and gender expression or identity.
Writing on Brinkwood should not engage in apologism for any of these
topics or attempt to minimize their harm.
Pro-Justice: Brinkwood is pro-social justice, and while writing that
deals with the complicated realities of bringing about a better world
is acceptable, justice should be written about as a positive force in the
world.
Anti-Cyclical: Brinkwood does not ascribe to the theory that all
revolutions or rebellions are doomed to failure or recidivism. In
Brinkwood, the actions of the player characters will bring about
positive change, there will be no backsliding back into oppression,
or “becoming just as bad” as the forces that the players worked to
overthrow.
Change Is Possible: Brinkwood is pro-change. The setting is not
doomed to return to a stalemate or a status quo. The actions of the
player characters will change their world for the better, they will not

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be undone post-hoc.
Pro-Cooperation: Brinkwood is pro-cooperation. When players
interact with allies and factions, the net benefit should always be
positive. While orchestrating a rebellion between different, competing
factions is a balance to be struck, in general, all factions want to work
together, do not wish to betray the rebellion, and are committed to
their shared ideals.
The Fae: The Fae, however they manifest in the text are a positive
force. They will not seek to betray the player characters or turn against
them. They are first and foremost people, and may fail, get angry, be
disappointed, or lash out, but they ultimately want to help the players
and want them to succeed.
The Masks: Likewise, the masks, however they manifest in the text,
are a positive to neutral force. They may push the players, fail to
understand them, or hurt them inadvertently, but as characters, masks
should be portrayed as wanting to help, or at the very least, not wanting
to betray or turn on the players.

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 Setting Bible
This setting bible is intended to present the world and setting of
Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants. Material from this setting bible may
freely be remixed, re-used, or re-printed. You may use the material
in this setting bible to expand upon or change up the original world
presented in Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants. You may also choose to
create a wholly original setting, or a setting tied only loosely to the
core setting, as outlined in the Reflections section of this SRD.

Basic Premise
The world is not as it should be. The rich feed—literally—upon the
poor, as blood-sucking vampires who barely bother to conceal their
horrific, parasitic nature. The downtrodden people of the world
struggle under the burdens of rent, payable through the sweat of their
toil or the blood of their veins. Evil has triumphed. Many have given in
to despair. But all is not lost.
In Brinkwood, you take on the role of brigands: renegades, thieves, and
rebels struggling for freedom and liberation in a castylpunk world
controlled by vampires. Radicalized by tragedy, you have taken up
arms and fled into the forests, where you were taken in by unlikely
allies—the fae, forgotten creatures of myth —who offered a different
path and the means to fight back against your oppressors.
Masks, forged of old wood and older magic, are the final tool left to
fight a war long ago lost. If you wear them, they will take their price,
etching themselves upon your very soul. But they will also let you spill
the blood of the rich and powerful vampires that now rule the land,
and from that blood you strengthen yourself and your movement.
Drink the rich, before they drink you.

5
 Castylpunk
Castylpunk is an aesthetic genre that blends elements of gothic horror,
medievalism, anachronism, victorianism, gas-punk and fantasy.
Castylpunk worlds are usually medieval in setting, but aren’t concerned
with historical details so much as aesthetics. You might find factories,
gearworks, victorian fashion, and other out-of-place setting details, set
against a backdrop of gloomy castles, old decaying cities, and vaulted
gothic architecture. This is a world where you’ll find faeries and other
supernatural creatures, but they’ve been driven to the fringes, back
into the darkest parts of the forest where few dare tread. The notable
exception in this case, of course, being vampires.
The “punk” in Castylpunk implies a punk aesthetic and intention
brought to bear on the setting. You aren’t here to admire the scenery,
brood in secret castles, or soliloquize on your moral complexity while
you drink the blood of virgins from a crystal chalice; you are here
to fuck shit up. This isn’t a game about having sympathy for blood-
drinkers and oppressors; it’s about staking them through the goddamn
heart. Be reckless. Be active. Stay mad. Stay punk.

The Bloody Isles

Brinkwood takes place in Cardenfell, a county on the island of Orslae,
the largest island in a small archipelago off the coast of a continental
mainland called the Crimson Empire. Together, the Orslaen
archipelago is often referred to as The Bloody Isles, and its subjects are
ruled by the Crimson Crown of the mainland. Almost everywhere else
in the so-called “civilized” world, vampires dominate as well.
Cardenfell is rich in natural resources with deposits of coal and silver,
as well as large tracts of fertile farmland. In many ways it is the beating
heart of the Isles, and as the saying goes, “Blood flows from Cardenfell.”
It is controlled by one of the most powerful and favored Vampire
Lords of the entire Crimson Crown, and is as jealously guarded as it is
heavily taxed.

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 The vast majority of the population is kept at or below a subsistence
level of economic growth, with most of the population being peasants
obligated to pay rent in blood, silver, or labor to the liege lord or
landlord who owns the property they live and work on. Officially,
serfdom was abolished on the Bloody Isles shortly after the Crimson
Crown took power, but with the land and resources firmly in the hands
of vampires, most people have seen little change in their economic
station.

Blood Sterling and Vampirism

At least a century ago, someone invented blood sterling. Some say it
was a secret cabal of alchemists; others whisper it was the Crimson
Queen herself. Officially, blood sterling has always existed, and is just
as natural as anything else. To say otherwise can get you hanged.
Despite the rumors, someone figured out how to mix silver and blood
together, transmuting the two substances into something incredibly
powerful. When melted down and imbibed, it grants its drinker
vampiric power. As the would-be vampire drinks more, their strength
grows. At first, they feel hail and healthy: strength returns to old bones,
youth colors pallid cheeks. Soon, they shun the light of the sun. Then,
silvered fangs grow in. Before long, they find they no longer need the
concoction of blood and silver; instead, they may simply feed upon the
unsuspecting populace. There are rumors of still more power granted
to the now fully-fledged vampire: mesmerism, transformation, foul
magic, and other deviltry.
Blood sterling forms the foundation of capital, commerce, and trade
throughout the “civilized” world. The Vampire Counts keep great
stores of the stuff, and extract blood and silver from their populace
in equal measure to manufacture more. Coins of it are minted, and
pass from the hands of commoners to the vaults of the rich, inequality
steadily growing day by day.
The coins of blood sterling bear grisly monikers, individual to the
different realms of the world. On the Bloody Isles, eight tear-shaped
“drops” can be exchanged for small “dram” coin. Five drams combine

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into a “phial.” Seventy-two phials taken together are a pound of blood
sterling, though few common folk will ever see so much blood sterling
in one place. Instead, it’s commonly stored in the vaults of vampires,
who trade it with paper notes bearing the heraldry of their lineage.
Important to note is that vampires are not born, forced into their life,
or even incapable of leaving it. A vampire who stops drinking blood
will find their power wither away and their mortality slowly return,
but most are unwilling to sacrifice the “gifts” of the blood, even if it
means they no longer need to feast upon their fellow man.
Still, vampires are not invulnerable. The scent of burning ashwood
deceives their senses, and while they are supernaturally resilient,
arrows and stakes made from the wood of ash trees will pierce and
corrode their flesh. Thus, ashwood is highly controlled, and carrying
arrows of it is a crime punishable by death. The vampires enforce
other bans, though it is uncertain whether these substances are
actually dangerous to them, if they just wish to give the impression
that they might be, or if there are other socio-political reasons for their
control. These substances include pure silver, gunpowder, bows, and
steel. Open flames are also strictly controlled, as it said that flame will
envelop a vampire as easily it will any other man.

The Brinkwood
Along the edge of Cardenfell, straddling its border, lies the forest
known to all manner of folk as the Brinkwood. Since time immemorial,
it has been left unmolested as all know it as a realm of the fae. Mothers
and fathers warn their children away from it, telling legends of wights,
ghosts, beasts of snapping teeth, birds of sharp talons, and vines with
twisting thorns. There are few foolhardy enough to venture within.
But you are not to be deterred by bedtime stories, and where vampires
fear to tread, you might find allies. The forest proved itself dangerous
and wild, but still you persisted, and in time the fae, curious as they are,
sought you out. Under the great trees of the forest, on altars of ancient
stone you spilled your blood and pledged yourself to your cause, and
the fae pledged their assistance.

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 Now, the forest is your home. It is no less deadly, but now you exist
in detente with it, avoiding the worst of its dangers and harvesting
what fruits of it you need to live. The forest is ally and rival, shielding
you with its ashwood from the senses of vampires and with its legends
from the peering eyes of folk. But each day you must earn its respect
and prove your intentions to the spirits and beasts who now call you
neighbor.

The Wyld
What is beyond the world of Brinkwood? The Wyld. None have seen the
Wyld, the home of the fae, but its reverberations can be felt as its magic
ebbs outward from the Brinkwood.
The Brinkwood is a “hedge” of sorts, erected by the fae or their
progenitors to separate the two worlds. It was said that in ancient
times magic flowed freely from the Brinkwood, but as the Crimson
Crown rose to prominence, the fae fortified and sealed the Brinkwood,
leaving only a few sparse cracks for magic to flow through.
Ordinary folk may perceive the magic of the Wyld as it grows out of
the cracks in the Brinkwood, and it is most prominent in places of wild
wilderness. It is perceivable in villages, and nearly dead in cities and
towns. Rumors speak of ancient mages, druids, and witches that could
weave and use the Wyld’s magic to perform great works of magecraft,
but that knowledge is all but lost to time. The exact nature of the Wyld
in your game of Brinkwood, as well as what it is still possible to do with
it, is left to the discretion of you and your playgroup.

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 Mask Design
Masks are core to the identity of Brinkwood but are also highly flexible
and moddable, making them a good choice for prospective designers.

Naming and Core Design

Masks in Brinkwood are framed by the fiction as magical tools and
weapons, granted to the brigands by the Fae. Thus, their identity and
“Name” are often based around some feature or aspect that would be
useful to the brigands, but also esoteric enough to be “made” by the
fae. The “names” of masks are often negative in connotation, though it
is not strictly necessary for them to be. Some examples of core masks
include Violence, Ruin, and Lies. The idea with this name and design
of masks is to explore the positive aspects of traditionally negative
characteristics.
From a fictional standpoint, it may be useful to consider why a mask
was made by the fae. Was it crafted early on in their conflict against the
vampires? Does it predate such conflict altogether? Or was it made in a
last-ditch effort, late in the conflict as the fae fled back towards hedges
such as the Brinkwood? Is it a new mask, born after the fae had already
retreated?

Mask Actions
Each mask features 4 “Mask Actions.” These actions are similar
to standard actions from most Forged in the Dark games, but are
typically slightly more expansive in their uses. Mask actions are always
“themed” to their mask, expressing aspects or actions that the mask
would encourage the wearer to take or special magic that the mask
would enable.

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 When defining these actions, it is helpful to say what they can be used
for, but also what other actions might substitute or be better suited to
a given task. For example:

When you Crack, you force a small but critical break.

You might force a break in an enemy’s defenses, or shatter a key support in some
structure. You might tear apart a door or other barrier, though Wreck may be
better.

Mask Abilities
Mask abilities, like Forged in the Dark special abilities, are fairly broad
in their uses. Some common effects of mask abilities are:
Ő +Effect or +1d in limited circumstances
Ő Allowing the brigand to do something that would usually be very
difficult or impossible
Ő A magic ability or action that fits the theming of the mask.
Keep in mind that by default, all mask abilities cost 1 essence, and
therefore if you write a mask ability that deviates from this standard, it
should be noted in the text of the ability itself.

Mask Design Checklist

∆ Mask Name
∆ Background / Lore (~1 paragraph)
∆ (4) Mask Actions
∆ (6~8) Mask Abilities

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 Reflections
Reflections are alternate settings for Brinkwood: The Blood of Tyrants.
They are not bound by a cohesive canon or timeline, and can represent
any time or place, fictional or historical, that you, the author, can dream
up. This section is intended to provide a recommended structure,
though you are not, of course, bound to follow it to the letter.

Introduction
The introduction should consist of a brief, introductory paragraph or
two that introduces your setting and what the reader should expect
from it. Think of this as the “hook” someone might read out loud to
their friend group to try and get them on board for a game in your
setting.

Example

The world is not as it should be. The rich feed, literally, upon the poor, as blood-
sucking vampires who barely bother to conceal their horrific, parasitic nature.
The downtrodden people of the world struggle under the burdens of rent, payable
through the sweat of their labor or the blood of their veins. Evil has triumphed.
Many have given in to despair. But all is not lost.
In Brinkwood, you take on the role of brigands: renegades, thieves, and rebels
struggling for freedom and liberation in a castylpunk world controlled by vampires.
Radicalized by tragedy, you have taken up arms and fled into the forests, where you
were taken in by unlikely allies - the fae, forgotten creatures of myth - who offered
a different path and the means to fight back against your oppressors.
Masks, forged of old wood and older magic, are the final tool left to fight a war
long ago lost. If you wear them, they will take their price, etching themselves upon
your very soul. But they will also let you spill the blood of the rich and powerful
vampires that now rule the land, and from that blood strengthen yourself and your
movement.
Drink the rich, before they drink you.

12
 Introductory Worldbuilding
This section of your reflection should establish the basics of your
setting and the world that the players will encounter. You can lean
pretty heavily on pre-established lore from Brinkwood: The Bloow
of Tyrants, but at minimum, your worldbuilding should answer the
following questions:
Ő Who are the player characters (generally speaking)?
Ő What are the Fae? What is this setting’s version of the Brinkwood?
Ő What are the Vampires?
Ő What are the Masks?

Factions
Potential allies are key in any game of Brinkwood. In this section, you
should detail at least 3 factions that the player characters can ally with.
Your descriptions of these factions should provide insight into each
faction’s goals and what they have to offer the larger rebellion.

Vampires
No matter what you call them, every reflection of Brinkwood has
vampiric antagonists for the players to contend with. You should
define a few vampires that exist in your setting, including at least one
major “vampire lord” along with several lesser vassal vampires as well.
You should detail each vampires strengths and weaknesses, as well as
at least three schemes they will pursue during the campaign.

The Antiquarian, a propagandist for the Duke who views the bloodlines and
breeding of the mortals and the vampires under the Crimson Crown to be worthy
of exploration. The Antiquarian believes the blood of ancestral lines can lead to
a profound mandate which will define the fate of the Empire. They see baleful
potential in the phrenological and bone structure of all in their purview, and they
will champion those they believe have been chosen by the “will of blood.”
Schemes: Extract Samples (6), Study Bloodlines (6), Cull the Lines (8)

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 Servants
Vampire servants are a catch-all of the various monstrosities,
collaborators, and other villains who aid their vampiric masters. These
are typically organized by Tier, with each Tier of servant being more
and more powerful. For each Servant, you should detail their strengths
and weaknesses, as well as ascribe a descriptor such as Courtier or
Enforcer to each.

Tier 2: The Forsworn are the personal guard and army of the Duke. Bit-bloods
all, they are equipped with the finest armor and the sharpest swords the Duke can
muster. Rumors persist of cruel experimentation, hidden behind black helmets and
mechanical oculars, performed by the Duke’s surgeons to make his soldiers loyal,
unthinking, and unfeeling. Enforcer.

Locations
A world is nothing without places. In this section you should outline
and describe several key locations in your game world, be they
regions, cities, or even specific buildings or neighborhoods. These
locations should include evocative details, such as descriptive scenery,
explanations of local importance, or key character who live there.

Drancaster Bridge
Positioned over the Cardenfell River between Drancaster and Grismont, Drancaster
Bridge is a natural chokepoint for the flow of trade and people between the north
and south of Cardenfell. A harsh toll is levied on any who wish to cross it, and many
merchants (and smugglers) choose to ply the waters of Cardenfell River instead of
crossing over the Bridge.

The Marshlands
The Marshlands south of Cardenfell form a natural barrier between the lowlands of
the Veins and the rest of Orslae. While over land travel is possible, it is complicated
by muck, disease, and frequent humidity. No wonder, then, that most “civilized”
folk prefer to travel by ship rather than risk the winding mire-roads.

14
 Fell’s Hollow (Isle)
Fell’s Hollow was once a proud keep, standing as a bulwark of Orslae’s defenses
against continental aggression. But with Orslae’s fall to the Crimson Crown, it has
become a cruel joke, a withering husk of its former strength often used to punish
wayward noblemen with isolation and exile. Such cruelty and neglect breeds anger,
and anger breeds treachery.

Victory and Endgame

Brinkwood is a game with an ending. The players triumph, the vampires
are defeated, the rebellion succeeds. But how exactly this manifests can
be unique and individual to your setting. In this section, outline what
goals might lead the player characters to success, or some possible
visions for how the game might end. An “end game” that triggers when
certain conditions are met is another valid option as well.

Reflection Design Checklist

∆ Introduction (1~2 paragraphs)
∆ Worldbuilding, answer questions:
Ő Who are the player characters (generally speaking)?
Ő What are the Fae? What is this setting’s version of the
Brinkwood?
Ő What are the Vampires?
Ő What are the Masks?
∆ Factions (3+ allied factions)
∆ Vampires (!+ vampire lord, 3+ lesser vampires)
Ő Vampiric Schemes for each vampire
∆ Servants (1~3 per Tier)
∆ Locations (3+)
∆ Victory and Endgame

15
 Checklists
Mask Design Checklist
∆ Mask Name
∆ Background / Lore (~1 paragraph)
∆ (4) Mask Actions
∆ (6~8) Mask Abilities

Reflection Design Checklist

∆ Introduction (1~2 paragraphs)
∆ Worldbuilding, answer questions:
Ő Who are the player characters (generally speaking)?
Ő What are the Fae? What is this setting’s version of the
Brinkwood?
Ő What are the Vampires?
Ő What are the Masks?
∆ Factions (3+ allied factions)
∆ Vampires (!+ vampire lord, 3+ lesser vampires)
Ő Vampiric Schemes for each vampire
∆ Servants (1~3 per Tier)
∆ Locations (3+)
∆ Victory and Endgame

16