Murder Ballet

A John Wick-inspired RPG by Ben Sandfelder

(Version 1.2)
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION __________________________________ 2
WHAT YOU NEED ____________________________________ 2
BEFORE THE GAME ___________________________________ 2
HOW TO PLAY _______________________________________ 3
THE UNDERWORLD _______________________________ 4
THE RULES OF THE HIGH TABLE _______________________ 5
WHAT DO ASSASSINS DO? ____________________________ 5
CREATING AN ASSASSIN __________________________ 7
DECIDE YOUR ABILITIES ______________________________ 7
YOUR ACCOUTREMENTS ______________________________ 7
CHOOSE AN EXPLOIT _________________________________ 7
FINISHING TOUCHES _________________________________ 7
CREATE YOUR GHOST STORY __________________________ 7
GHOST STORIES _____________________________________ 8
CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT ___________________________ 9
EXPLOITS _________________________________________ 10
THE MENU ________________________________________ 11
ARMOR ___________________________________________ 12
OTHER GEAR ______________________________________ 12
SERVICES AND ASSOCIATES __________________________ 13
PLAYING THE GAME _____________________________ 15
PREPARING FOR A MISSION __________________________ 15
MISSIONS AND COMBAT _________________________ 16
SETTING THE SCENE ________________________________ 16
MOVEMENT ________________________________________ 16
THE ENVIRONMENT _________________________________ 17
YOUR TURN ________________________________________ 18
PLAYER ACTIONS ___________________________________ 18
GETTING WOUNDED ________________________________ 20
VEHICLES __________________________________________ 21
HOSTING A GAME _______________________________ 22
DESIGNING A MISSION ______________________________ 22
THE MISSION AREA _________________________________ 24
PLACING ENEMIES __________________________________ 26
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS ______________________ 28
RIVALS ____________________________________________ 28
MINOR ENEMY _____________________________________ 28
ALLIES ____________________________________________ 28
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS ______________________ 29
ASSASSINS _________________________________________ 29
ASSOCIATES________________________________________ 30
ORGANIZED CRIME __________________________________ 32

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Introduction
Murder Ballet is a tabletop roleplaying game –
part board game, part improv theater, set in the
evocative world of the John Wick movies.
One player, the Host, creates a scenario called
a mission, while each other player creates an
Assassin, their avatar in the game’s world.
In a session, your assassins prepare for their
mission by dealing with the enigmatic
characters of the darkly glamorous Underworld.
When the Assassins are ready, the Host begins
the mission. The Assassins must strategically use
their skills to defeat waves of enemies and
powerful rivals in a well-choreographed dance
of violence.
What You Need
Gather the following materials:
• 2 to 7 players. Murder Ballet works slightly
better with smaller groups.
• These rules, ideally on a laptop, tablet, or
printed, for quick and easy referencing.
• An easel of graph paper, a wet erase mat, or
wrapping paper, with 1-inch squares.
• Numbered tokens or miniatures to represent
each of the characters.
• Pencils, erasers, and extra paper.
• A stack of 3x5 notecards.
• A whole lot of 6-sided dice.
• Around 20 quarters, or toy pirate coins.
Before the Game
A few things need to happen before your group
can start playing:
• Establish boundaries and safety tools.
• The players create their Assassins.
• The Host designs a scenario.
Boundaries and Safety Tools
Safety Tools are an excellent way for tabletop
gaming groups to check in with each other and
make sure that everyone is enjoying the game as
much as possible. There’s a huge range of tools
available online. However, no number of rules
can replace a candid conversation about
boundaries with your friends.
Since this is a John Wick RPG, the rules assume
you’re comfortable with R-rated action and
violence. Even still, there are specific topics your
group should discuss before the game to make
sure everyone can have fun.
• How graphic should the Host’s narration get?
• Are there specific types of violence the Host
should avoid describing, or omit completely?
(Eye injuries, car crashes, etc.)
• How does the group feel about harm to
bystanders? Hostages? Allies? Pets?
• How does the group feel about torture,
mutilation, and horrific injuries?
• Are there other topics (cultural considerations,
romance, the in-game use of drugs and
alcohol…) that the group wants to discuss?
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How to Play Being a Good Player

Following these basic expectations can help you
The general flow of the game is this: and your group have more fun playing the game.
Communicate. Tell other players how you’re
• The Host describes a scenario.
feeling, and how your character is feeling! Most
• Each player describes what their Assassin does
inter-player conflict can be avoided by asking
in that scenario.
the group, “are you all ok with my character
• The Host may call for dice rolls to decide if an
doing this?”
Assassin’s actions succeed or fail.
Respect your Group. Always remember the
• The Host describes the outcomes of each
boundaries discussed before the game. Keep in
Assassins’ actions.
mind that the Host can’t plan for everything.
Find reasons for your character to get involved
Rolling Dice and avoid derailing the Host’s general plan too
When the rules tell you to roll, roll a 6-sided die. badly. For example, if the mission is set in a
If you get less than or equal to a target number warehouse, don’t propose attacking the target in
(usually one of your Assassin’s Abilities), you their home. Keep in mind that while character-
succeed. Otherwise, you fail. versus-character drama can spice up the story,
Failing Forward. For assassins, “failure” just the players should always be collaborating with
means it doesn’t go the way you planned. Even each other.
when you fail, you will usually still make some Share the Spotlight. Don’t talk over your fellow
progress, but it may take additional time, or players. At the same time, create space for more
create a new complication, or come at a cost. reserved players to speak up. Create chances for
Modifiers. Sometimes, you receive a modifier – other players to ask questions, share opinions, or
a bonus or penalty to a roll. Modifiers are do awesome things.
applied to your target number, not the die. For
example, if you need to roll a 4 or less, but have
a +1 bonus, then you need to roll a 5 or less.
1s and 6s. Rolling a 1 always succeeds, and
rolling a 6 always fails, even if modifiers would
increase the target number above 6 or below 1.
Multiple dice. Sometimes, you will be asked to
roll multiple dice, and take best (lowest) or
worst (highest) of all the rolls. Positive and
negative dice cancel each other out. For
example, if one rule says to take the best of 3
dice, and another says to take the worst of 2
dice, you would roll 2 dice, and take the best
result, because 3 positive dice minus 2 negative
dice would leave 1 positive die remaining.

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The Underworld
This section contains a brief primer on the world
(or rather, the Underworld) of John Wick and
Murder Ballet. Players and the Host should read
this to get an idea of the setting before creating
their Assassins or writing a mission.
Hidden in Plain Sight
The Underworld exists right under our noses.
Assassins walk the streets of our cities, looking
just like anyone else.
It’s a world of honor, obligation, glamor, and
decadence. Some criminal elements – organized
crime, street gangs, maybe even corrupt
politicians – may know about the Underworld,
but they only exist on its periphery. They have
no idea how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Coins
The Underworld doesn’t care much about real-
world money. Their currency are special golden
Coins. The exact value of a Coin is relative – it
represents a favor, so to an extent, its buying
power is based on the person offering the coin.
Most services in the Underworld cost a single
Coin, but it’s customary to pay more for
challenging or dangerous tasks.
Low Tech
The Underworld eschews digital technology as
much as it can. Most Assassins have relatively
modern cell phones and can call each other
without issues. Calls to Hotels, or other major
figures in the Underworld, must go through
Administration, a network of switchboard
operators who can screen callers and decide
whether to connect them.
There are no computers, except for a few
retrofitted terminals. No information is stored on
these – they are exclusively used to interface
between assassins’ modern phones and analog
machines. Most messages are sent by
teleprinters. Records are transcribed on
typewriters and filed away in indexed boxes.
Similarly, banks used by the Assassins leave no
digital footprint. Physical wealth is kept as
physical items, with paper records, kept in vaults
in well-hidden Underworld banks.
WUXIA. The radio station WUXIA, operated by
Administration, spreads news throughout the
Underworld using a coded doublespeak. During
especially urgent open contracts, the radio
station will receive tips and share regular
updates on the location of the targets.
The Continental Hotels
There is a Continental Hotel in almost every
major city in the world. These places serve as a
safe harbor, hangout, and base of operations for
assassins in that city.
To anyone else, it looks like an opulent hotel
– and it may even operate as one! However,
offer them a Coin instead of a credit card, and
you gain access to their other amenities.
The High Table
The whole Underworld answers to the High
Table, an enigmatic council of the twelve richest
and most powerful assassins. Instead of dirtying
their own hands, they use their complex
networks of debts and favors to act through
intermediaries.
Members of the High Table serve for life,
which means anyone wanting to climb the ranks
must challenge a sitting member for their seat
or be named as a successor before a member
dies (or gets assassinated…)
The Elder. There are whispers of a mythical
figure in the deserts of Morocco – an Elder who
“sits above the High Table.” He cannot be found,
but he can find those he wishes to speak with. In
these rumors, it’s ambiguous if the Elder is one
of the twelve, or an even greater authority…
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The Rules of the High Table
“Rules. Without them, we’d live with the animals.”
– Winston
There are a few rules that are sacred among all
assassins in the Underworld.
No Business on Hotel Grounds
It is absolutely forbidden to attack or kill anyone
on the grounds of a Continental Hotel. This rule
extends to the steps of the hotel, the patio, even
the parking garage, if the hotel has one.
This rule is so sacred that touching Hotel
grounds – even with a fingertip or toe – puts
you under the Hotel’s protection.
Markers Must be Honored
Blood Oath Markers are silver medallions with a
barbed edge. Inside is a fingerprint stamped in
the blood of the one who gave the medallion.
A Marker represents a life-debt. Whoever holds
a Marker may demand any favor from the one
who gave it – even if the favor could lead to
that person’s death. When the task is complete,
the owner of the Marker adds their own bloody
fingerprint to it, marking the debt as settled.
Some Hotels keep a ledger of Markers, which
is also fingerprinted when a Marker is given or
fulfilled, simply for record-keeping purposes.
Since a Marker represents a life-debt, the
penalty for refusing to honor one – or killing the
one who holds your Marker – is death.
Excommunicado
Anyone who breaks these rules may be declared
Excommunicado. Other grievous offenses
(decided by the Host) can have one declared
Excommunicado as well. Once branded as such,
Hotels are no longer safe ground, and Assassins
are expected to kill the target on sight.
Being declared Excommunicado can only be
forgiven by a member of the High Table, or one
of their Adjudicators, and usually requires
sadistic acts of atonement.
Adjudicators
Adjudicators are deputized by the High Table to
enact justice over a broken rule, to hunt down
elusive Excommunicados, or to brutally punish
anyone who aids or harbors one.
They carry a special Coin that marks their
privileged status, and command Enforcers –
fearsome, heavily armored kill teams who can
make short work of even talented Assassins.
The Old Ways
There are other, older rules known only to
Harbingers, direct advisors to the High Table.
This obscure code covers laws that many
assassins find archaic. One example is High
Table Duels, in which a clan can challenge a
High Table member to a trial by combat.
If you ask a Harbinger, learning and exploiting
the Old Ways is the best counterbalance to the
High Table’s ever-expanding influence.
What Do Assassins Do?
Operations Without
The High Table gets its wealth and its power by
loaning out their services to the rich and
powerful outside of the Underworld. A politician
may ask the Underworld to make an opponent
disappear. The politician pays the Hotel, who
pays the High Table, who pays the assassin
chosen for the job in Underworld Coins.
Outside forces that touch the Underworld are
inevitably pulled into it, as the High Table
promises more support, while demanding more
services and favors in return. And so, their
influence expands.
Operations Within
Assassins frequently end up fighting amongst
themselves as ambition, grudges, and vengeance
all tangle in a nasty web. Many assassins have
no qualms betraying their allies if it advances
their own reputation or agenda.
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That’s the reason for the High Table’s two
sacred rules. If there weren’t safe areas to meet,
then the Underworld would destroy itself with
treachery and paranoia. If the life-debts of
Markers weren’t enforced, then no Assassin
would bother issuing them or honoring one.
Clans
Within the Underworld, there are various clans
that compete for the High Table’s favor. These
range from groups like the Ruska Roma to crime
syndicates like the Mafia or Yakuza. While only
twelve clans have seats at the High Table, there
may be any number of more obscure ones, and
there is no shortage of clanless free agents.
Gambits to advance a clan’s status, or the
settling of clan rivalries, tends to be a major
source of operations within the Underworld.
Conducting Business
Assassins are expected to act with discretion.
Most assassins wear suits, or otherwise dress
like a dark reflection of high society. They must
be able to appreciate art, fine food and drink,
history, and similar pursuits. People of the
Underworld treat each other with courtesy and
respect – even if they are bitter rivals, and
especially within Continental Hotels.
There are no strict rules against harming
bystanders, and law enforcement knows not to
meddle in the Underworld’s business. Still,
harming bystanders during a mission is
considered sloppy and unprofessional.
Violating these basic expectations can affect
an Assassin’s reputation in the Underworld. The
last thing anyone wants is a bounty on their
head over a faux pas.

Contracts
Anyone in the Underworld can order a hit, called
a “contract,” on anyone else. This contract must
be paid in real-world currency, not Coins.
Normally, a contract to kill one target is given
to one assassin. “Open” contracts are reported to
Administration, instead. A few minutes later,
every Assassin receives a text with the details of
the contract. For Underworld-adjacent people,
completing a contract could be a means of
becoming an Assassin.
As far as the High Table is concerned, this is
all unofficial business, because Coins are not
changing hands. Still, the High Table may open
contracts on Excommunicados, as an extra
incentive for assassins to hunt them down.

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Creating an Assassin
This section is for players – it contains the step-
by-step process of making your Assassin.
• Decide your Abilities
• Choose your Accoutrements
• Choose an Exploit
• Write down a few finishing touches.
• Create your Ghost Story
Decide Your Abilities
Every Assassin has six abilities:
Hot is used to charm and manipulate.
Cold is used to sneak and threaten. It also
determines your pool of Focus points.
Swift is used to run, jump, dodge, or drive
around obstacles. It determines your speed.
Deadly is used to kill people.
Tough is used to wrestle with adversaries,
endure harm, and bounce back from injuries.
Wise is used to sense peoples’ intentions,
detect danger, and notice small details.
Setting your Abilities
All your Abilities start at 2. During character
creation, you have 9 points to distribute
between them. You cannot increase an Ability
above 5. You could make the following spreads:
• 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2 for a well-rounded specialist.
• 5, 5, 5, 2, 2, 2 for an extreme specialist.
• 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3 for a versatile jack-of-all-trades.
Your Accoutrements
All assassins start with:
• Any pistol, 2 reloads for it, and a knife.
• Fashionable clothing.
• A cell phone.
• 1d3+1 Coins, which you can spend on
additional gear now, or save for later.
Encumbrance
Assassins travel light. At most, you can carry:
• Three knives, a pistol, and one other weapon.
• Up to four reloads for each pistol, and up to
two reloads for other firearms.
• The armor and clothes you are wearing.
• Your cell phone and your Coins.
• Up to two pieces of additional gear.
Choose an Exploit
Every Assassin starts with one Exploit, an
Choose one from the following section.
Finishing Touches
The final steps of creating your Assassin involve
filling in some details.
Armor Save. If you bought armor, note its
Armor Save.
Focus Points. You have a number of Focus
points equal to your Cold +1.
Speed. Your Speed is equal to your Swift +1.
Wounds. You can take a number of wounds
equal to your Tough.
Weapon Notes. Write down the ammo, range,
and notes of the weapons you chose.
Name and Description. Come up with a name
for your Assassin, and a brief description of what
they look like. Assassins generally borrow names
from mythology, such as Ares or Charon, or use
plain, everyday names like John.
Create Your Ghost Story
Every Assassin has a Ghost Story. Roll or choose
an option from each of the following tables.
Once every player has completed their Ghost
Story, go around the table, reading the Ghost
Story of the player to your right. The Host does
not read anyone’s Ghost Story but should take
notes on all of them.
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Ghost Stories
Ties to the Underworld
D66 Underworld Ties
1–2 1 You belong to an Underworld clan.
2 You’re related to a notorious assassin or
associate.
3 Your romantic partner was secretly an
assassin or associate, but you found out.
4 Your family owns a Continental hotel.
5 Your relative is (or was) Excommunicado.
6 Your relative sits on the High Table.
3–4 1 An assassin, associate, or clan raised you
after your family was killed.
2 An assassin, associate, or clan raised you
after killing your family.
3 An assassin saved your life. You became
their protégé in return.
4 You saved an assassin’s life. They trained
you to protect you from their rivals.
5 You were raised in an orphanage that
trains children for Underworld jobs.
6 Your family made a deal with the High
Table. You were trained as part of it.
5–6 1 After moving, you found several Coins in
a hidden cache in your new residence.
2 Your first job out of school was working
for an associate.
3 A clan invited you into the Underworld
when you fell on hard times.
4 Before becoming an assassin, you were in
a gang that works with the Underworld.
5 As an outsider, you killed an assassin,
claimed a bounty, and earned your place.
6 As an outsider, you earned your place by
killing an Excommunicado.
When Did it Happen?
D66 Unfortunate Timing
1–3 1 When you were still a dumb teenager…
2 While you were training…
3 During your first mission…
4 After your first mission…
5 You drew a lot of attention after…
6 You made a lot of enemies when…
4–6 1 One time, between missions…
2 At the height of your career…
3 Things just weren’t the same after…
4 An Adjudicator made you atone after…
5 Everyone thought you were dead when…
6 You tried to leave the Underworld after…
What Did You Do?
D66 Defining Event
1–3 1 A romantic partner was killed.
2 A mentor was killed.
3 A relative was killed.
4 A trusted associate was killed.
5 One or more bystanders were killed.
6 A close ally of the High Table was killed.
4–6 1 You killed another assassin.
2 You were on the run from a rival.
3 You took a bullet to the face.
4 You were seriously messed up.
5 You botched a mission. Badly.
6 You went on a rampage.
And It was All Because…
D66 Fatal Mistake
1–2 1 Bad Luck.
2 You got careless.
3 You got greedy.
4 You hesitated.
5 You made a mistake.
6 You crossed the wrong person.
3–4 1 You wouldn’t let things lie.
2 You were in love.
3 You were double-crossed.
4 You double-crossed someone.
5 You kept a promise.
6 You spared the wrong person.
5–6 1 Someone left loose ends.
2 They threatened someone close to you.
3 They hurt someone close to you.
4 They killed someone close to you.
5 You gave the wrong person a Marker.
6 The High Table demanded it.
Expanding your Ghost Story
The tables on the following page create a basic,
vague narrative. For example:
“Nemesis’ family made a deal with the High Table.
She was trained as part of it. During her first mission,
she killed another assassin, and it was all because
someone left loose ends.”
The group can collaboratively work to expand a
Ghost Story like this by deciding who the other
assassin was, what the loose ends were, and how
much it mattered to the High Table member that had
Nemesis trained. All of this informs how other
characters perceive your Assassin.
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Character Advancement
After every mission, your character gains a new
Exploit, up to a maximum of six Exploits.

Getting Out
When a character reaches six Exploits, it may be
time for that character to try to get out of the
Underworld (meaning, time for the player to
retire that character from play).
Getting out is no easy task. It often requires
calling in favors like a Marker and performing
Herculean tasks against all odds. However, for
those who succeed, it is a way to leave the
Underworld behind.
Some characters decide to go up rather than
out. A seat at the High Table is the highest an
assassin can ever hope to climb. Your assassin’s
last act could be making a play for a seat –
either by challenging a member or being chosen
as a member’s successor.

Sample Character
Writing down your character's information doesn't
take a lot of room - it should all fit on a single 3x5
notecard. You can arrange it like this:

Name: Nemesis
Hot 2 Cold 4 Swift 4 Deadly 5 Tough 3 Wise 3
Focus Points: 5/5 Speed: 5 Wounds: 0 / 3
Exploits: Ruthless - Enemies count as Cover 4.
Gear:
• a knife (point-blank, discrete, light, melee)
• a 9mm pistol (close range, 12 shots, discrete, burst
3, light), 2 reloads. Ammo:
• a ballistic vest (Armor Save 2)
• 1 adrenaline shot.
• a nice suit
• a cell phone.
• 1 Coin.

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Exploits
Exploits are the unique abilities of your Assassin.
As you continue to play the game, you gain
additional Exploits.
Ability Increase
Increase one of your Abilities by 1, up to a
maximum of 5. You can gain this exploit
multiple times, but only once for each Ability.
Anything’s a Weapon
You can kill with anything – a book, a coffee
mug, a plastic bag, even a fucking pencil.
Whenever you Fight, if you roll a 1, you may
wound the target in addition to stunning them.
You can Execute enemies without a weapon.
Arsenal
You can carry up to two knives, two pistols, and
two other weapons at a time. However, you can
only carry half as many reloads for each gun.
Blood Oath Marker
Someone owes you a life-debt. You have a silver
Marker bearing their bloody fingerprint. You may
demand a favor from them, and the laws of the
Underworld say they must accept – no matter
how dangerous the favor is. When the favor is
done, you add your fingerprint to the Marker.
The debt is settled, and you lose this Exploit.
Close Associate
You have a deep partnership – bordering on
actual friendship – with an Associate. That
Associate may offer you their services without
charging you a Coin. In extreme circumstances,
they may bend the rules of the Underworld for
you (but they will never break them).
Deep Pockets
You’ve accumulated a lot of coins. If you start a
session with 0 Coins remaining, gain 1d3 Coins.
Disarm
When you Change Weapons, you may choose to
take a weapon from a stunned enemy within
point-blank range.
Face in a Crowd
You have an uncanny ability to vanish in crowds.
When you Hide while using a crowd as cover,
roll 3 dice and take the best result. Crowds do
not count as difficult terrain for you.
Implacable
When an enemy Fights you, roll Tough. On a
success, you’re not stunned.
Incredible Focus
Whenever you spend a Focus point, roll a die. If
you roll a 1, the Focus point is not lost.
Knife Throwing
You can carry up to six knives at a time. When
you Shoot, you may throw knives even if you
have another weapon readied at the time.
Moving Shadow
You treat dimly lit or dark areas as if they were
cover with a cover save of 2. You can Hide in
dim light or darkness, even if there’s nothing to
hide behind.
Additionally, if you Fight and Execute an
enemy in the same turn while you are hidden,
you remain hidden, so long as no other enemies
can see you when your turn ends.
Ruthless
You can use stunned enemies as cover with a
cover save of 4. When you succeed on a cover
save, the enemy you’re using as cover is
wounded. You can’t use rivals as cover.
Unstoppable
Instead of suffering a cumulative -1 penalty for
each wound you receive, you only suffer a -1
penalty for every 2 wounds.
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The Menu

Melee – Intimate, Daring Buying Weapons

Type Ammo Range Notes Firearms you purchase come loaded, with 2
Knife NA Point- Discrete, Light, reloads. 1 Coin can buy up to 3 knives.
blank Melee, Thrown
Med. Melee NA Point- Melee, Thrown Weapon Stats
blank
Large Melee NA Point- Deadly, Melee Ammo. The number of times you can shoot a
blank weapon before it must be reloaded.
Range. The effective range of this weapon. You
Pistols – Crisp, Finessed may Shoot at targets one range increment
beyond this one, but with a -2 penalty.
Type Ammo Range Notes
Pistol, 9mm 18 Close Burst (3),
Discrete, Light Weapon Notes
Pistol, .45 8 Short Burst (2), Armor-Piercing. Targets can’t use armor to save
Discrete, Light against this weapon.
Pistol, Dueling 1 Close Deadly, Discrete Burst (X). When you Shoot this weapon, you
Revolver 6 Short Deadly, Discrete
may fire up to X shots at once. If you do, roll that
many dice and take the best result. When you
Rifles – Robust, Precise are hit by a burst weapon, you must roll that
Type Ammo Range Notes many saves and take the worst result.
Assault Rifle 30 Medium Burst (3), Deadly Deadly. Wounds caused by this weapon are
Battle Rifle 20 Long Burst (2), Deadly deadly (see the Getting Wounded section).
Bolt-Action 5 Long Deadly, Slow
Discrete. Discrete weapons are small and
Rifle Reload
Sniper Rifle 6 Extreme Armor-piercing,
compact enough to be easily concealed. A
Deadly, Heavy character only carrying discrete weapons is not
Submachine 20 Short Burst (4), Light visibly armed, and the weapons can only be
Gun found by a physical search.
Heavy. These weapons are cumbersome. When
Shotguns – Big, Bold you Change Weapons, roll 3 dice and take the
Type Ammo Range Notes worst result if your current weapon or the one
Sawed-Off 2 Close Deadly, Discrete, you are switching to is heavy.
Burst (2) Light. Light weapons are quick to ready. When
Pump- 8 Close Deadly, Slow Reload you Change Weapons, roll 2 dice and take the
Action best result if the new weapon is light.
Sport 8 Close Burst (2), Deadly, Melee. When you Fight with this weapon, you
Shotgun Heavy, Slow Reload
may wound enemies instead of stunning them.
Slow Reload. These weapons have time-
consuming reloads. Whenever you reload the
weapon, roll 3 dice, and take the worst result.
Thrown. When you Shoot, you can throw this
weapon at a target within close range instead of
firing a gun.

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Armor The Host may rule that certain areas or

situations can cause interference.
Armor protects you by preventing wounds. Extra Ammo. Up to 4 reloads, for any
Armor Saves. When you get hit, you can choose combination of firearms. Keep in mind the total
to use your armor’s Armor Save instead of your number of reloads you can carry!
Swift, Tough, or a cover save. Flashlight. Flashlights dimly light all squares
Armor and Cover become more important as in a 90-degree cone, extending from your square
you take Wounds, because your Swift and Tough to short range in a direction of your choice.
are gradually reduced by penalties from wounds. Squares within close range are brightly lit
Ballistic Vest. A vest of thick, bullet-resistant instead. You can mount flashlights on rifles and
fabric that can be worn beneath clothing. shotguns. On your turn, you can turn a flashlight
Plate Carrier. Military-style body armor. Metal on or off with the Interact action.
plates between layers of Kevlar. Type Summary
Tailored Suit. A custom-tailored suit with an Adrenaline Ignore Wound penalties for a time.
advanced bulletproof fabric sewn into the lining. Ammo Belt Extra ammo for your weapons.
While it can stop bullets… one should still Earpiece Lets characters communicate.
expect a nasty bruise. Extra Ammo Up to 4 reloads for firearms.
First Aid Kit Can be used to treat wounds.
Type Armor Save Notes Flashlight A light source.
Ballistic Vest 2 Discrete Grenade, A dangerous explosive grenade.
Plate Carrier 3 Fragmentation
Tailored Suit* 3 Discrete Grenade, A grenade that burns at extremely
*Tailored Suits are unique and must be custom-made. Incendiary high temperatures.
This process requires finding a Tailor and costs 3 coins. Grenade, A grenade that creates a cloud of
Smoke obscuring smoke.
Armor Notes Grenade, Stun A grenade that blinds and deafens
Discrete. As with the weapon trait, discrete people when they explode.
armor can either be hidden beneath clothing, or Motion An adhesive device that emits a
Tracker chime when it detects movement.
looks indistinguishable from clothing. Physical
Night Vision See in dim light or darkness.
inspection can discover it. Scope Reduces penalties for range.
Suppressor Quiets the sound of firearms.
Other Gear Zip Ties A bag of simple restraints.

Using items is an Interact action.

First Aid Kit. You can use a First Aid Kit on
Adrenaline. A shot of adrenaline you can use
yourself or another character. Roll Wise. Failure:
on yourself or another character. Allows that
heal 1 Wound. Success: heal 2 Wounds. First Aid
character to ignore wound penalties for 1d6+3
kits have one use. A character can only benefit
turns. A character can only benefit from an
from a First Aid kit once per mission.
adrenaline shot once per mission.
Grenade, Fragmentation. As an action, you can
Ammo Belt. A competition belt that gives easy
roll or throw this grenade to a point within short
access to extra ammo. An ammo belt increases
range. At the start of your next turn, it explodes,
the number of reloads you can carry to six for a
wounding everyone in a 3-square radius.
pistol, and four for another gun.
Grenade, Incendiary. As an action, you can roll
Earpiece. Allows characters to communicate
or throw this grenade to a point within short
from extreme range on a secure radio channel.
range. At the start of your next turn, it ignites

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everything in that square. The grenade burns hot
enough to melt through thin steel – it’s mainly
used to destroy equipment. It deals 3 damage to
vehicles each round.
Grenade, Smoke. As an action, you can roll or
throw this grenade to a point within short range.
At the start of your next turn, it explodes. All
squares in a 3-square radius are filled with thick
smoke for 3 rounds. Characters can’t see through
those squares, and characters in those squares
can’t see beyond point-blank range.
Grenade, Stun. As an action, you can roll or
throw this grenade to a point within short range.
At the start of your next turn, it explodes.
Everyone within a 3-square radius is stunned.
Scope. Can be attached to any weapon.
Reduces the penalty for shooting beyond the
weapon’s normal range from -2 to -1.
Suppressor. Can be attached to a pistol or rifle.
Quiets the sound of the weapon firing, so that it
can only be heard by people within short range.
Motion Tracker. Can be attached to any
relatively flat surface, such as a wall. When a
creature moves within close range of the motion
tracker, it emits a doorbell-like chime. This can
reveal the location of hidden enemies that move
within close range of a motion tracker.
Night Vision. Night vision can come as
conspicuously large goggles, or a scope attached
to a rifle. Either way, it’s not discrete. You can
toggle it on or off with an Interact action. While
using night vision, you treat light differently:
• Bright light becomes blindingly bright.
Treat it as total darkness.
• In dim light, you can see as if it were
brightly lit.
• In darkness, you can see as if it were
dimly lit.
Zip Ties. When you Execute a character, you
can put zip ties on them instead of killing them.
Once zip-tied, the character’s hands are
restrained and unusable. You can remove zip
ties with a knife and an Interact action.
On Grenades…
Sometimes, assassins just need to blow stuff up.
However, using grenades to eliminate targets is
considered sloppy, inelegant, and a little bit gauche.
Services and Associates
The Host will tell you which services are
available in the city the mission is set in.
Services
Type Summary
Banking Store extra gear.
“Dinner Discretely dispose of a body.
Reservation”
Doctor Recover wounds with treatment.
Hotel Stay 2 weeks per Coin
Information Gain extra clues about a mission.
“Sommelier” Procure weapons
Special Delivery Have items waiting for you in the
mission area.
Tailor Get clothes, disguises, or armor.
Valet Service Borrow a vehicle.
Banking. You can store Coins and extra gear in
guarded vaults across the Underworld. In
general, it takes about a week to transfer items
from one city’s vaults to another city’s vaults.
“Dinner Reservation.” Underworld cleaners can
quickly, quietly, and discretely dispose of
corpses. The usual cost is 1 Coin per body.
Doctor. Hotel Doctors can treat wounds for 1
Coin each. Roll Tough for each wound healed.
For each failure, you need 1 full day of bedrest.
Hotel Stay. One coin gets you two weeks at a
Continental Hotel, with all the Hotel’s amenities
and unlimited drinks in the lounge.
Information. You can buy information from
others in the Underworld, such as the blueprints
of an area, the number of guards, or rumors of a
secret entrance.
“Sommelier.” The services of a Sommelier, the
weapons dealers of the Underworld, may be
needed to secure suitable weapons for missions.
Special Delivery. You can buy new gear, or have
gear delivered from a bank. These items can be
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delivered to a Hotel or the mission area. If items
are delivered to the mission area, they’re hidden;
the Host should give you a hint about where to
find them.
Tailor. Tailors can provide armor and clothing,
including disguises, ensuring that you have
proper attire for any engagement. The services
Valet Service. You can loan a car from the
Hotel garage. It will be waiting for you at a
destination of your choice. It is courtesy to tip 1
to 3 coins if the vehicle is damaged or
destroyed.
Associates
Associates are the oil that keeps the Underworld
running. Players with the Close Associate Exploit
can choose from the list below:
Adjudicator. An Adjudicator makes for a
powerful ally. One would never tolerate you
breaking the High Table’s rules… but could
recommend ways to obey the letter of the rules,
if not the spirit.
Administration. Also known as “Accounting,”
these telephone operators handle all
Underworld communications. They can connect
you to people or places that might overwise
refuse to take your calls.
Banker. Knowing a banker could let you store
items for free or have them moved extra quickly.
A banker could also let you peek at someone
else’s Vault but would never let you steal.
Clan Leader. Clans can provide shelter,
manpower, or other resources, but they are
bound under the High Tables’ rules. Clans may
have their own codes of conduct and laws as
well, which may further restrict the kinds of help
they can provide.
Concierge. Hotel Concierges take the comfort
and safety of Hotel guests extremely seriously.
They will defend you on Hotel grounds, and may
help with other personal favors, such as
boarding your pet, relocating your family, etc.
Crime Lord. Knowing a crime lord in a city
gives you access to services the Underworld
can’t provide. When you rely on a crime lord, you
never get exactly what you asked for…
Doctor. A friendly doctor would never turn
away a friend in need. They may heal you free of
charge when your life depends on it.
Harbinger. A Harbinger may have the ear of a
High Table member. More importantly, they
have a thorough knowledge of the Old Ways.
Hotel Manager. Hotel Managers are the lords
of their respective Hotels. They can arrange
meetings with major players in the Underworld,
shelter those with bounties on their heads, and
post bounties themselves, on your behalf.
Informant. You can plant an informant in
another city’s Hotel, a local crime syndicate, or
the company of another Assassin. Your
informant can be your eyes and ears there, so
long as they aren’t caught.
Sommelier. A Sommelier friend can always
suggest the perfect weapon for any situation, or
sneak you free reloads occasionally.
Tailor. Any tailor can provide basic armor and
clothes – but knowing a tailor means they can
make you look incredible. Not to mention, they
can make you an Assassin’s Tailored Suit.
Trackers. Inconspicuous and anonymous,
trackers seem offensively under-dressed for the
Underworld. However, they are absolute masters
of hunting down quarry. If you need to find
someone who’s disappeared, a Tracker is the
best option. Many trackers keep dogs as loyal
companions – don’t mess with their dogs. Ever.
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Playing the Game
A session of Murder Ballet is split into two parts:
preparing for a mission, and the mission itself.
Preparing for a Mission
The prep phase of a session must answer at
least these four questions. Each of these
questions – and possible answers – will be
explored in the Host’s section.
• Where is the mission set?
• Who are the major characters?
• What are the stakes of the mission?
• What services are available?
Timing. Assume the complexities and
formalities of scheduling a meeting, getting to
places, and handling business takes most of a
day. As a result, one Assassin can do one of the
following things during each day of preparation.
Meet with Characters
The easiest way for the players’ Assassins to get
information is by talking to people.
In these scenes, the players can simply
describe what their characters say, or roleplay it
out themselves, while the Host takes on the role
of the characters they are interacting with.
Using Rolls. In a scene like this, the Host may
call for rolls for a range of actions:
Hot: to get extra information through charm
and persuasion.
Cold: to get extra information using threats or
intimidation.
Wise: to tell if a character is being honest, to
tell a convincing lie, to eavesdrop on another
conversation nearby.
Procure Services
During this scene, the players can also procure
services from the previous section or contact an
associate and secure their help.
Limited Services, Time Constraints
Controlling access to services is one of the tools the
Host can use to adjust the difficulty of a mission.
Certain services may be unavailable in a city, or for
a time. For example, the Sommelier could be out of
town, so the players cannot acquire new weapons or
reloads before the mission.
Time constraints limit how many services the
players can use before the mission. If there is only
one day to prepare, then each Assassin can only do
one thing before the mission.
Scout the Mission Area
In some cases, it may be possible for the
Assassins to explore the mission area ahead of
time, or at least view it from afar.
Using Rolls. Players should tell the Host how
their Assassins investigate the area, and the
Host can use rolls to decide how much to reveal.
Hot: asking around, questioning people.
Cold: sneaking around, keeping a low profile.
Swift: climbing around, exploring.
Tough: forcing a way in.
Wise: watching from a distance, searching for
alternate entrances or exits.
Working Together
When multiple Assassins work together on a
task in scenes like this, the Assassin with the
highest Ability rolls an extra die for each
Assassin helping and takes the best result.
Focus Points
Your character has a pool of Focus Points, which
you can use to twist the odds in your favor.
When you spend a Focus point, choose from the
options below:
• Change the result of a roll to a 1.
• Ignore your Wound penalty until the end of
your turn.
• Take an additional action.
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Missions and Combat
During a mission, the players and the Host take
turns. Rolls are more frequent, and there are
stricter rules around what the players can do.
Setting the Scene
The mission starts when weapons are drawn. It’s
extremely helpful to have a map with a grid, so
that the players have a clear picture of where
everyone is.
Once every character is placed on the map,
they all act in turns.
Turn Order
The turn order is fixed.
• Enemy Rivals.
• The players’ assassins.
• Other Enemies.
• Allies and other characters.
Rivals, being major characters, have the unique
ability to get the jump on the Assassins.
However, because of their skills, the players
always act before other enemies. Anyone else,
such as allies or bystanders, go last.
Player Turn Order. Players can act in any order,
though it’s recommended that you just go
clockwise around the table, unless players
specifically want to coordinate their turns.
Movement
Squares
Movement, ranges, and so on are measured in
squares, meaning squares on the map. Typically,
a map will use five-foot squares. Others may use
ten-foot squares. It doesn’t matter which size
you use.
Since larger maps generally have more open
space anyways, just assume the sparse terrain
lets characters move and shoot proportionally
farther on their turns.
Diagonals. Every other diagonal move counts
as two squares of movement. For example,
moving two squares diagonally would count as
moving three squares.
Occupied Squares. Characters can move
through squares occupied by allies, but that
square counts as difficult terrain. Characters
can’t move through an enemy’s square.
Dangerous Terrain
Dangerous terrain, such as fire, wounds any
characters who move through it, or end their
turn in it. Characters can’t claim a cover save
against dangerous terrain – they must roll Swift,
Tough, or their armor save.
Difficult Terrain
Squares may be marked as difficult terrain.
These contain obstacles that require the
character to clamber, climb, squeeze, or swim.
Each square of difficult terrain counts as one
extra square of movement. For example, moving
through one square of difficult terrain would
count as two squares of movement.
Falling (and Jumping)
Falls can be nasty. Your assassins can fall 1 story
(about 14 feet) and be fine. If you fall 2 or more
stories, you’re stunned, and take 1 automatic
wound for every story you fell – no save.
For example, a character thrown from a four-
story rooftop would be stunned and take 4
wounds automatically. This means it’s possible to
survive extraordinary falls… but it’ll hurt.
Jumping. Jumping counts as part of your
movement. When you jump over a square, you
can ignore dangerous or difficult terrain in that
square. At the Host’s discretion – based on the
scale of the map – you may be able to jump
over two squares at a time. Whenever you jump,
Roll Swift.
Fail: you make the jump, but you land stunned.
Success: you make the jump.
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The Environment
Interacting with Cover
Cover At the Host’s discretion, the characters’ actions can
Some squares (or edges of squares) may be create or destroy cover. For example, one character
marked as cover. Draw a line between the could create cover by kicking over a table (using the
attacker and their target. If any of the spaces in Interact action). Another could Dash at a glass
between have cover, the target can roll a cover window, and smash straight through it.
save instead of using armor, Swift, or Tough. Destroying Cover with Attacks. A quick-and-easy rule
is that whenever a character succeeds on a cover save,
Cover Save. A cover save is based on the
the cover save offered by that terrain is reduced by 1,
relative durability of the cover, and how much of
or 2 if the weapon being used is deadly. When the
the target is visible. cover’s cover save is reduced to 0, it’s destroyed.
Multiple Types of Cover. If there is more than
one type of cover between the attacker and a Range
target, only use the best Cover save. Weapon ranges are abstracted into a few broad
categories, shown on the table below:
Material Cover Save
Canvas, glass, foliage 2 Range Number of Squares
Wood, plastic, sheetrock 3 Point-Blank 1 square away.
Concrete, metal, stone 4 Close Up to 6 squares away.
The cover is at least 1 +1 Short Up to 12 squares away.
square thick. Medium Up to 24 squares away.
Less than half of the +1 Long Up to 36 squares away.
target is visible.
Extreme Anywhere on the map.

Shooting through Cover. If a character knows

exactly which square a target is in, that Lighting
character can shoot through thin cover (edges,
The brightness of an area affects how far your
not entire squares) even if the target is
character can see.
completely out of view. For example, a character
Lighting is measured from the target, not the
could shoot through a wall if they knew an
attacker. For example, if you’re in dim light, you
enemy was directly on the other side. The Host
can see a target standing in bright light, but the
may decide some cover is too durable to shoot
target can’t see you unless you’re within short
through.
range.
Shooting past characters. Other characters –
Penalties. When you roll Wise to see anything
whether they’re allies or enemies – grant cover
in a dim room (for example, when you use the
with a cover save of 3. Most characters are over-
Hunt action), roll two dice and take the worst
cautious and will miss instead of hitting an ally.
result. If the room is dark, roll three dice instead.

Lighting Maximum Range

Darkness Point-blank.
Dim Light Short range.
Bright Light Extreme range.

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Your Turn
On your turn, your Assassin can move squares
equal to your Swift and take one action.
You can break up this movement. For example,
if your Swift was 3, you could move one square,
shoot, then move two more squares.
Threatened Squares
Squares within point-blank range of an enemy
are threatened squares. If you move into a
threatened square, you cannot move away from
that character. You can still move into other
squares threatened by the same character.
Threatened Penalty. While in a threatened
square, you cannot Hide, and you have a -2
penalty on rolls to take any action except Fight.
Stunned Characters. Stunned characters do not
threaten squares – you can move away from
them and take actions without a penalty.
Additionally, stunned characters cannot defend
with Agility.
Player Actions
On your turn, choose one of the actions
described here:
Change Weapons
Roll Swift.
Failure: Switch to a different weapon you’re
carrying or scavenge one from a dead character
within point-blank range.
Success: As above, but you may immediately
Fight, Shoot, or Reload the new weapon.
Dash
Roll Swift.
Failure: Move a number of additional squares
no greater than the die roll.
Success: Move a number of additional squares
no greater than the die roll + your Swift.
Execute
You must have a weapon in hand. Roll Cold.
Failure: Wound a stunned character within
point-blank range. That character doesn’t get a
save to avoid this wound. If you’re using a gun,
reduce your ammo by 1.
Success: As above, and if the character is killed,
you terrify enemies within Close range that
witness the execution. On their next turn, they
cannot move closer to you, and must move away
from you if they are able. Rivals are not affected.
Subduing Characters
If a character would be killed by an Execution, the
player can choose to subdue them instead. Subdued
characters are knocked out, restrained with zip ties,
or injured in a way that still takes them out of the
fight. “Consider it a professional courtesy.”
Fight
Roll Tough.
Failure: You stun one character within point-
blank range. If the character is already stunned,
move them one square in any direction.
Success: You can immediately Fight or Execute
the same character, or Fight another character. If
you Fight again, you can keep Fighting until you
Execute a character, you fail a roll, or you’ve
Fought a number of times equal to your Tough.
Hide
You must have Cover from any enemies that can
see you. Roll Cold.
Failure: You can move a number of additional
squares no greater than the number rolled.
Success: As above but place a “decoy” token in
your current square first. Enemies will act as if
you are still in that square – moving towards it,
shooting at it, etc. At the end of your turn,
remove the token if an enemy can see you, and
you don’t have cover. Also remove the token the
next time you Fight, Execute or Shoot someone,
or if an enemy can see the Decoy token, and the
token doesn’t have cover.
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Hunt
Roll Wise.
Failure: Choose one:
• Remove a Decoy token left by a hidden
character. That character is no longer hidden.
• Ask the Host which direction your target is.
• Ask the Host if anything is hidden within Close
range of your Assassin.
• Ask the Host how many characters are
currently within Short range of you. (This
includes enemies you can’t see, such as hidden
enemies and enemies in nearby rooms).
• Ask the Host a yes-or-no question about a
character you can see.
Success: Choose two of the above.
Interact
You may interact once per turn. Roll Swift.
Failure: You use an item, such as a first aid kit
or grenade, or interact with the environment.
You can use this action to open or close a door,
hit a switch, pick up an item, etc.
Success: As above, then immediately take
another action.
Improvise
Do something that doesn’t neatly fit into any
other action. The Host will tell you what to roll,
and what happens on a success or failure.
One in the Chamber
When you reload most weapons, if there is still any
ammo in it, then you should have a full magazine
plus one additional shot. Revolvers and sawed-off
shotguns are the exceptions. If that touch of realism
is important to your group, you can have the extra
bullet. Who knows? You may need it…
Shoot
Reduce your ammo by 1, then roll Deadly.
Failure: Wound one character within range.
Success: Wound one character within range,
then you may Shoot another character. You can
keep Shooting until you run out of ammo, you
fail a roll, or you’ve Shot a number of times
equal to your Deadly.
Taunt
You must target a Rival. Roll Hot.
Failure: On their next turn, the rival must Fight
or Shoot you if they are able.
Success: On their next turn, you decide where
the rival moves, and you may choose one of the
following actions for the rival:
• The rival Dashes towards you.
• The rival Fights you.
• The rival Shoots at you.

Reload
You must have at least 1 reload left for your
weapon. Roll Swift.
Failure: Reduce the number of reloads for your
weapon by 1. Your weapon’s ammo is
replenished to its original value.
Success: As above, and you may immediately
Shoot with the weapon.

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Getting Wounded
Your Assassin and rivals can take superhuman
levels of punishment. Whenever you’re
wounded, you get to roll a save.
Saves. You can use your Swift, your Tough,
your armor, or cover to roll a save. Since your
Swift and Tough get lower as you accumulate
wounds, cover and armor become important the
longer a fight goes on.
Saves
Roll Swift, Tough, your roll Armor Save, or your
Cover Save (your choice).
Failure: You gain a Wound.
Success: Nothing happens. You dodge at the
last second, or the attack only causes superficial
damage, like a cut or bruise.
The Meta
There’s a rock-paper-scissors to combat in Murder
Ballet, encouraging different fighting styles for
different types of enemies.
• Fighting is ideal for fast enemies; stunning them
prevents them from saving with Swift and limits
their movement on their next turn.
• Armor-piercing weapons or Executions can quickly
dispatch enemies with high Armor saves.
• Deadly weapons punch through Tough characters;
as they can’t save with Tough.
• If an enemy is in good cover, use stealth or speed
to get a better angle and negate their cover save.
• Burst weapons are especially effective (and
dangerous) because they force targets to roll
multiple saves. When all else fails, use more ammo.
Being Stunned
Stunned characters are knocked prone, dazed, or
otherwise incapacitated for a few critical
seconds. Until your next turn, the following
penalties apply:
• You don’t threaten squares; enemies can move
away from you if they choose.
• On your next turn, you can only move if you
take the Dash action.
• You can’t attempt saves using Swift.
• Enemies can Execute you.
Wounds
Wounds represent injuries taking their toll on a
character. You have a cumulative -1 penalty to
all Abilities for every Wound you receive.
Deadly Wounds. Certain unpleasantries can
cause deadly wounds instead of normal ones.
When you receive a deadly wound, you can’t
save against it with Tough.
Getting Taken Out
You can endure Wounds equal to your Tough.
Any more than that, and you’re taken out. For
example, a character with Tough 2 could take
two wounds – a third would take them out.
For rivals, this usually means they’re killed.
However, your assassin has plot armor. They are
usually knocked out instead. If every player’s
assassin is taken out, then a friendly character
may rescue you, or the enemies may capture you
all for torture, questioning, or both.
Choosing to Kill Player Characters
Your group should discuss whether you want to
include character death before the game. As
guidelines, you can stick to one of the following
themes:
High Stakes. Assassins who get taken out are killed.
Roll up a new character, buddy.
Dramatic Deaths. Assassins only die if the Host and
the player both agree it’s better for the story.
Plot Armor. The rules as written, with Assassins
miraculously surviving injuries in implausible ways.
They’re the main characters, after all.
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Vehicles
Cars, motorcycles, and such can often add some
dynamic elements to a fight: mobile cover, a
quick getaway, or a battering ram.
Using Vehicles. Characters get into vehicles,
drive them, or climb out of them using the
Interact action. Remember, the Interact action
can only be used once per turn.
Cover. Vehicles provide cover to anyone inside
of them. Assume characters inside vehicles can
find a way to Shoot out of them.
Fighting. Characters inside a vehicle can only
Fight other characters inside the vehicle.
Vehicle Stats
Vehicles have three stats:
Durability. The number of wounds the vehicle
can withstand before it becomes inoperable.
Vehicles take wounds just like characters.
Speed. The number of squares the vehicle can
move in combat. This is abstracted – most
drivers don’t have the time or skill to reach a
vehicle’s top speed while weaving through
traffic and maneuvering around obstacles.
Passengers. The number of passengers (not
counting the driver) a vehicle can hold.
Vehicle Durability Speed Passengers
Motorcycle 4 10+2d6 1 the vehicle takes a wound. If the vehicle moved
Car, Coupe 6 8+2d6 2 at least 6 spaces first, the vehicle takes 2
Car, Sedan 8 8+2d6 4
Car, SUV 10 6+2d6 4
Car, Pickup 10 6+2d6 3 Getting Hit. If a vehicle hits a character or
Truck
Car, Van 10 6+2d6 7 wounded. If the vehicle moved at least 6 spaces
Moving Vehicles
When a vehicle moves, it is considered a moving
vehicle until the end of the next round.
• Characters can’t get into a moving vehicle.
• Characters who get out of a moving vehicle
take a wound. If the vehicle moved at least 6
spaces, it’s deadly (see the Wounds section).
Turning. Vehicles can move forwards or
backwards, but not in the same turn. Vehicles
cannot move side-to-side, nor can they turn in
place. Vehicles can move diagonally.
A vehicle must move at least 1 space before
and after making a 90-degree turn. For example,
to make a U-turn, the vehicle would have to
move 1 space north, 2 spaces west, and then 1
space south.
Driving in Reverse. While moving backwards,
the driver rolls Swift twice and takes the worst
result for any rolls to steer the car.
Out of Control. If nobody uses an Interact
action to drive a moving vehicle, the Host may
roll a d6. On a 1 or 2, the vehicle moves its
speed diagonally left. On a 3 or 4, it moves
diagonally right. On a 5 or 6, it goes straight.
Vehicles and Damage
Vehicles do not get to save against wounds, and
they are too big to benefit from cover. If a
vehicle is shot at, it gets hit.
0 Durability. Vehicles don’t explode in a
cinematic fireball at 0 Durability – that just
means a tire has popped, or the engine has been
damaged, and the vehicle is no longer drivable.
Hitting Things. Each time a vehicle hits
something – an obstacle, a wall, another vehicle,
or a person – the driver must roll Swift. Failure:
wounds instead.
another vehicle, that character or vehicle is
first, it’s deadly (vehicles just take 2 wounds).
Characters cannot make Armor saves against a
hit from a vehicle.
Crashing. If a moving vehicle is reduced to 0
Durability, it’s crashing. At the end of the round,
the vehicle veers 1d6 spaces in a direction
chosen by the Host, and everyone in it is
wounded. If the vehicle hits anything before it
finishes this movement, it’s a deadly wound.
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Hosting a Game
Hosting is as much an art as it is a science. If
your players are having fun, you are being a
good Host! The guidelines in this section can
help you be an even better one.
Designing a Mission
As it says in the Playing the Game section, the
players need four pieces of information before
they can start a mission:
• Where is the mission set?
• Who are the major characters?
• What are the stakes of the mission?
• What services are available?
Where is the Mission Set?
The source material for this game goes all over
the world – New York City, Rome, Casablanca,
Berlin, Paris, and Osaka, to name a few.
You can choose a real-world city as the setting
for your game, or even invent your own! If you’re
using an existing city, be sure to research that
city, so you can portray it fairly, if not accurately.
Take great care to avoid tropes and stereotypes
that exoticize a city’s culture or its residents.
Once you’ve picked a city, decide where it’s
Continental Hotel is. Don’t let the city’s real-
world topography limit you here – movies
regularly invent buildings to fit their story.
A good city for Murder Ballet is dense, with a
lively art scene and rich history. Some real-world
examples include:
• Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Budapest, Hungary
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Hong Kong, China
• Istanbul, Turkey
• Karachi, Pakistan
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Melbourne, Australia
•
•
Montreal, Canada
Mumbai, India
• Nairobi, Kenya
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• San Francisco, United States
• Seoul, South Korea
Who are the Major Characters?
Once you’ve chosen a setting for the mission,
you can begin naming major characters. How
many characters do you need?
Associates. A great start is to look at the list of
Associates in the previous chapter. Generate one
character for each role listed there.
Targets. Finally, start thinking about who the
party will be going after in their missions. What
are their goals? Why does the Underworld want
them dead? There will be some tools to assist
with this in the following pages.
Rivals. Next, you need to generate rivals –
powerful enemies who can give the players’
Assassins an even fight. Who has a vested
interest in protecting the targets? Are there any
characters from the players’ Ghost Stories who
could make an appearance?
Allies. Are there any characters who could help
the players? What’s their motivation to help, and
what could they want in return?
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What are the Stakes? No Sommelier. If the players can’t restock

weapons and ammo, then they have to work
The stakes of the mission establish why the
with what they have, or what they can find.
players should care, what they stand to gain, and
No Deliveries. The players can’t buy new items
what happens if they fail.
or have items waiting for them in the mission
Rewards. Possible incentives for completing a
area. This can change their strategy.
mission could include:
No Tailor. The players won’t be able to buy or
• Avenging a wrong. upgrade their armor or secure disguises.
• Collecting a bounty. No Valet. The players will not be able to bring
• Earning Coins. their own vehicles or have one pick them up.
• Earning a character’s forgiveness.
• Earning a character’s respect.
• Humiliating or killing a rival.
• Increasing the Assassins’ reputation.

Stakes. Stakes represent the possible

repercussions, should the players fail.

• An ally becomes a rival.

• A damaging secret is exposed.
• A friend or associate is put in danger.
• A rival’s reputation may improve.
• A rival gains a new ally.
• The Assassins’ reputations are tarnished.

What Services are Available?

The services available to the players controls
what kinds of preparations they can take.
Consider the repercussions this may have.
No Banking. The players must be austere with
their equipment – they can only bring what their
Assassins can take with them.
No “Dinner Reservations.” The players will have
to hide/dispose of bodies themselves to keep a
low profile.
No Doctor. Wounds are especially unforgiving,
as there’s no way to get rid of them between
missions, except for procuring first aid kits.
No Hotel Stay. No Hotel means no safe area.
The Assassins will need to stay vigilant – rivals
can attack at any moment.
No Information. If the players can’t get
information about the mission site, then they
must scout it themselves… or go in blind.

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The Mission Area the players have items delivered to a mission

location, this is the best place to hide them.
You’ve picked a setting for the mission, created Ideas for your map’s side room could be:
the cast, established the stakes, and decided
• A control room full of security cameras.
what services are available to the players
• A locked room with hostages.
beforehand. Now, you need to design the actual
• An office with personal letters or records.
mission area.
• An armory.
Two or Three Entrances One Big Room
The map should have two or three entrances, so
Near the center of the map should be one big
the players can choose their approach. Entrances
room – a playground for the most memorable
can also serve as warm-ups: easy challenges
action. Make sure to include plenty of cover or
that set the tone for the other rooms.
obstacles, to keep any combat in the room
Extra entrances can also be used as alternate
interesting.
exits. Once the players have dealt with the
Ideas for your map’s one big room include:
mission target, escaping through a different exit
may be safer than leaving the way they came. • The main auditorium of a concert venue.
Ideas for entrances include: • The nave of a cathedral.
• An open courtyard with a hedge maze.
• An obvious entrance with several guards.
• A museum gallery.
• A locked backdoor in an out-of-view area.
• A secret tunnel beneath the area. A Trick Room
• Rooftop access and a nearby building.
This room has a gimmick that makes for a more
challenging fight. The easiest kind of gimmick is
A Crossroads
subverting the amount of cover, the lighting, or
The crossroads serves as a junction between
the range used in other rooms. Other tricks
other rooms and a decision point for the players.
could include moving obstacles, changing
From here, the Assassins must decide which
elevation, difficult terrain, or interactive
route to take through the area, and which
elements.
challenges to take on first.
Ideas for your map’s trick room could be:
You can arrange hallways so that the players
must double back through the crossroads room, • A room with a single piece of cover in the
and fight through it from another direction. center (like a pillar, or a statue).
Ideas for your map’s crossroads include: • A dimly lit storage room in a brightly lit area.
• A claustrophobic, maze-like room in a wide-
• A foyer or lobby.
open area.
• A central courtyard.
• A parking garage, where vehicles suddenly
• An actual junction where hallways intersect.
come into play.
A Side Room
A side room should be off the beaten path – in
the opposite direction from the mission’s target.
It should have extra information, extra supplies,
or something else to make it worth the detour. If

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The Target’s Room Dead Ends

The least accessible room should be the target’s
room. Place doors and hallways so that the
players must go through any entrance, the
crossroads room, your one big room, and one
other room to get here.
To really control when and how the players
reach the target, you can make it a choke point
with only one entrance or exit.
Ideas for the target’s room include:
Dead ends are doors or hallways on your map
that lead “out of bounds.” You can use these to
add a touch of movie magic to the space.
• Extra doors can make a space feel bigger,
without forcing you to map everything, or
include superfluous rooms.
• You can use these extra doors as “spawn
points” for more enemies.

• A secluded lounge or office. Think about an action scene in any movie.

• An emergency bunker behind a vault door.
• A penthouse suite.
Doors and Hallways
Once you’ve designed all your rooms, you need
to connect them. You can use the following
general rules to do so:
How often is it that the protagonists check
behind every single door, or explore every room?
Ask the players to suspend their disbelief and
accept that any doors leading off the map “don’t
lead anywhere important.”

• Each room should connect to at least two

other rooms.
• The big room and the crossroads room can
connect to three (or even four!) instead.
• The target’s room can only connect to one
other room if you prefer.
• To minimize “dead” space between rooms,
hallways should run parallel to most rooms,
instead of perpendicular to them.
• Doors create natural divisions between rooms
by blocking lines of sight. Use doors if you
want what’s in the next room to be a surprise.
• Remember that hallways can be used as choke
points. The players and the enemies can both
use them to trap or bottleneck each other.
That’s why it’s important to include multiple
entrances and exits in each room!

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Placing Enemies
Once you’ve finished your map, the next step is
placing enemies around it.
How Many Enemies?
A single Assassin can kill as many as five
enemies in a single turn – it takes quite a few to
present a real challenge. You can generally use
the following guidelines to decide how many
enemies to place in a room.
Easy: 1 enemy per player.
Average: 2.5 enemies per player (round down).
Challenging: 4 enemies per player.
Dangerous: 5 enemies per player.
How Many Fights?
In a single mission, the Assassins can handle
several fights. Try the following combinations:
• One fight of each difficulty.
• Two easy fights, two dangerous fights.
• Two challenging fights, two normal fights.
• Three challenging fights, one easy fight.
• A dangerous fight and three normal fights.
Adjusting the Difficulty. You can modify the
combinations above.
• To add more fights, add one easy fight, and
lower the difficulty of the most difficult fight.
• Whenever you raise the difficulty of a fight,
lower the difficulty of a more difficult fight.
• Whenever you lower the difficulty of a fight,
raise the difficulty of an easier fight.
Number of Rooms. The number of fights should
be less than the number of rooms. If every room
had enemies, it could quickly get overwhelming.
Unoccupied rooms offer a breather between
fights. Not to mention, fights can easily spill
over from one room into an empty one.
Using Rivals
Since rivals can chain actions like the players’
Assassins, any fight with a rival instantly has
higher stakes, and a greater challenge.
Enemy Count. For each Rival you place in a
fight, treat the number of players as one lower.
For example, if you have four players fighting
two rivals, calculate the number of other
enemies as if there were only two players. Rivals
still count towards the total number of enemies.
Using Allies
Treat allied rivals as extra players. If the party
has allies that aren’t rivals, increase the
difficulty of the easiest fight. Frankly, chances
are the allies won’t last the entire mission.
Players controlling allies. If you want, you can
delegate control of an ally to a player. That way,
you can focus on controlling the enemies.
Reinforcements!
Having a dozen or more enemies on the map at
a time can bog down the pacing of the game.
If a fight would have more enemies than you
feel comfortable running, set the excess
enemies off to the side. When the number of
enemies gets manageably low, you can have
some of the extra enemies emerge from
entrances or “dead end” doors around the map.
Ad-Hoc Reinforcements. If the players are doing
extraordinarily well, you can add an easy fight’s
worth of reinforcements, just to give them a
little more challenge.
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Other Considerations
As you design fights for your mission, make sure
to think about other factors that can impact the
difficulty and fun of each encounter.
Armor. Enemies with armor are harder to kill –
which can prolong a fight. Armored enemies
work best in fights with fewer enemies.
Cover. In an area with no cover, wounded
assassins can quickly get overwhelmed. Cover
also gives enemies more survivability, which can
both slow down a fight and deter characters
from moving.
Interactivity. Interactive elements can add
more excitement and strategy to a fight!
Consider some of the following ideas:

• Tables that can be flipped to create cover.

• Fire extinguishers that explode like smoke
grenades when they are shot.
• Lights the players can turn off or shoot out.
• Difficult and dangerous terrain.

Lighting. Darker rooms force characters to get

closer – negating the chief benefit of weapons
with longer ranges. This can help or hinder
either side of the fight.
Range. If either side has longer-range weapons
than the other, that side can attack before the
other side can retaliate. Make sure to add cover
and alternate routes, so that players or enemies
can’t get pinned down.
Space. Especially open or narrow areas can
affect the challenge of a fight, too. In narrow
areas, characters may have trouble moving
around each other. In open areas, it’s easier for
characters to get flanked or surrounded.

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Supporting Characters Enemy Abilities

Enemies do not have Abilities, and do not have
Rivals to roll for their actions in combat. Instead,
assume they always fail their rolls. This has a few
Rivals are explained before other enemies immediate effects on their gameplay:
because they are the most like the players’
Assassins and use most of the same rules. • Enemies do not get any free movement on
Exploits. Just like the players’ Assassins, their turns – they must Dash to move.
exploits are special rules that apply to enemies. • Enemies move 1d6 squares when they Dash.
Gear. Equipment carried by an enemy will be • Enemies cannot Hide; they just move 1d6
listed here. If a section is omitted, then the rival squares instead.
doesn’t have any gear of that type. For example, • Enemies cannot use Swift or Tough to avoid
if there is no Armor Save line, then the rival isn’t wounds. Enemies behind cover or wearing
wearing armor. armor may still make Armor or Cover saves.
• Enemies are killed by a single wound.
Rival Stat Block • Enemies never get additional actions from a
successful roll in combat.
Below is an example of a rival’s stat block.
Movement and Wounds. Just like the players’ Many enemies will have Exploits that slightly
characters, rivals can move a number of spaces bend these rules, granting additional movement,
equal to their Swift on their turn and survive a or additional actions in specific circumstances.
number of wounds equal to their Tough.
Enemy Stat Block
Rival Name [Rival]
A quick description of the rival. Since enemies don’t have Abilities, their stat
blocks can be extremely abridged.
Abilities
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
Enemy Name [Enemy]
3 3 3 3 3 3 A quick description of the enemy.

Gear Gear
Type of Armor. Armor Save X. Type of Armor. Armor Save X.

Weapon Name. Ammo: XX. Range: Close. Notes: Notes. Weapon Name. Ammo: XX. Range: Close. Notes: Notes.

Other Gear. If the enemy is carrying other gear, it will be Other Gear. If the enemy is carrying other gear, it will be
listed here. listed here.

Exploits Exploits
Exploit Name. The rules regarding the rival’s exploits Exploit Name. The rules regarding the enemy’s exploits
will be written in a paragraph like this. will be written in a paragraph like this.

Minor Enemy Allies

Minor enemies are, by and large, something for Allied characters may use the stat blocks of
the players to blast through so their characters rivals or enemies, as appropriate, and follow the
feel powerful. While they are threatening in same rules. The only difference is that they go
numbers, they are easily eliminated. last in combat.

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Knife-Happy Slasher [Rival]

Character Descriptions They prefer “cutlery enthusiast.”
The characters in this section are sorted by Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
theme. 2 3 5 4 3 3

Assassins Exploits
Knife Throwing. When the Knife-Happy Assassin Shoots,
Charming Snake [Rival] they can throw a knife instead of using a gun.
The last person you want to have your number. Moving Shadow. Treats shadows as cover with a cover
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise save of 2. Can hide in dim light or darkness. While the
Knife-Happy Slasher is hidden, Fighting and Executing an
5 4 3 4 2 3
enemy doesn’t reveal their location.
Exploits
Gear
Grovel. The Charming Snake can roll Hot to save against
Knife. Range: Close. Notes: Discrete, Light, Melee
Executions. On a success, the Charming Snake isn’t
wounded. Other Gear. 5 more knives. One is their favorite.
Sudden but Inevitable Betrayal. The first time the
Charming Snake Fights, Shoots, or Executes an ally, the
Charming Snake can roll twice and take the best result. Unstoppable Brute [Rival]
Then, the Charming Snake changes sides (allies become Some assassins aren’t known for their subtlety.
enemies, enemies become allies).
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
2 4 3 4 5 3
Gear
Pistol, 9mm. Ammo: 12. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (3), Exploits
Discrete, Light
Anything’s a Weapon. The Unstoppable Brute can
Knife. Range: Close. Notes: Discrete, Light, Melee execute characters without using a weapon. When the
Unstoppable Brute Fights and rolls a 1, they may cause a
wound in addition to stunning the target.
Friendly Neighborhood Sniper [Rival] Throw. When the Unstoppable Brute fights a character,
Could probably snipe you from across town. the target is stunned and pushed one square in a
direction of the Unstoppable Brute’s choice.
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
3 4 2 5 3 4 Unstoppable. The Unstoppable Brute suffers a -1
penalty for every 2 wounds, instead of a -1 penalty for
Exploits each wound.
Inescapable Aim. You can’t make cover saves against
attacks from a Friendly Neighborhood Sniper. Gear
Plate Carrier. Armor Save 3.
Gear
Pump-Action Shotgun. Ammo: 12. Range: Close. Notes:
Sniper Rifle. Ammo: 6. Range: Extreme. Notes: Armor- Deadly, Slow Reload
piercing, Deadly, Heavy
Pistol, 45. Ammo: 8. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (2),
Pistol, 9mm. Ammo: 12. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (3), Discrete, Light
Discrete, Light
Other Gear. Suppressor, Wind gauge

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Associates Dog [Rival]

Such a good dog! Endanger at your own peril.
Adjudicator [Rival] Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
These ruthless assassins are judge, jury, and executioner 2 3 5 4 2 3
for Excommunicados or anyone affiliated with them.
Exploits
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
4 4 3 3 3 4 Rip and Tear. Whenever the dog fights, the target is
stunned and takes 1 wound.
Exploits Scent. The dog may roll twice and choose the better
Voice of the High Table. The Adjudicator has the result when hunting.
authority to declare someone Excommunicado, absolve
someone’s Excommunicado status, or “deconsecrate” a Gear
Hotel, removing its protections for everyone inside. Bite. Ammo: NA. Range: Point-blank. Notes: Burst (2)
Will of the High Table. The Adjudicator chooses a rival Hotel Manager [Rival]
or one of the players’ Assassins and rolls Cold.
The Managers of Continental Hotels are charismatic and
Failure: The target cannot Fight, Shoot, or Execute the wise, but rarely get their hands dirty.
Adjudicator on their next turn.
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise
Success: On the target’s next turn, the Adjudicator 4 4 3 2 3 5
decides where the target moves and chooses its actions.
The Ajudicator can only make the target attack an ally if Exploits
that ally has been declared Excommunicado. Declare Excommunicado. The Hotel Manager has the
power to declare someone Excommunicado,
Gear
immediately revoking their Hotel protections.
Assassin’s Tailored Suit. Armor Save 3, Discrete.
Expert Manipulator. Outside of combat, if the Hotel
Pistol, 45. Ammo: 8. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (2), Manager ever needs to roll Hot or Cold, they can roll
Discrete, Light Wise instead.
Knife. Range: Point-blank. Notes: Discrete, Light, Melee Eyes and Ears Everywhere. The Hotel Manager knows
the Ghost Stories of every player’s Assassin, and the
Concierge [Rival] Ghost Stories of any rival assassins. The Hotel Manager
The chief protector of a Hotel, and enforcer of its rules. is also aware of any Markers their Assassins have ever
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise given or received.
4 3 3 4 3 4
Gear
Exploits Assassin’s Tailored Suit. Armor Save 3, Discrete.
Hotel’s Vengeance. If an ally of the Concierge is Pistol, 45. Ammo: 8. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (2),
wounded, the Concierge rolls an extra die and takes the Discrete, Light
best result when Fighting, Shooting, or Executing that
character’s attacker.
Inflexible. The Concierge cannot be taunted.

Gear
Assassin’s Tailored Suit. Armor Save 3, Discrete.
Pistol, 45. Ammo: 8. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (2),
Discrete, Light

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High Table Enforcer

Heavily armored soldiers sent to hunt rogue assassins.

Exploits
Suppressing Fire. When a High Table enforcer Shoots,
whether the target is wounded or not, the target cannot
move closer to the enforcer on their next turn.

Gear
Enforcer Armor. Armor Save 4. Shooting a High Table
Enforcer with a weapon that isn’t deadly causes them to
be stunned, but not wounded, on a failed armor save.
Fighting and Executions work normally.
Submachine Gun. Ammo: 20. Range: Short.
Notes: Burst (4).
Other Gear. 1 Stun Grenade

Hotel Attendant
Many of a Hotel’s staff are also its security.

Exploits
Suppressing Fire. When a Hotel Attendant Shoots,
whether the target is wounded or not, the target cannot
move closer to the Hotel Attendant on their next turn.

Gear
Armor Save 2. Ballistic Vest.
Pistol, 9mm. Ammo: 12. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (3),
Discrete, Light

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Organized Crime Bruiser

Burly enforcers usually found haunting seedy clubs.
Mob Boss [Rival] Exploits
The intimidating leader of an organized crime syndicate.
Iron Jaw. If a Brute would be stunned, roll a d6. On a 3
Hot Cold Swift Deadly Tough Wise or lower, the Brute is not stunned.
3 4 3 3 3 5
Throw. When a Brute Fights a character, the target is
Exploits stunned and pushed one square in a direction of the
Bruiser’s choice.
Bodyguards. The Mob Boss can use allied characters
within point-blank range as cover with a cover save of 4. Gear
On a success, that character is wounded instead of the
Armor Save 2. Ballistic Vest
Mob Boss.
Pistol, 45. Ammo: 8. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (2),
Command. The Mob Boss rolls Wise.
Discrete, Light
Failure: one allied character they can see within short
range takes an additional action. A character can only be
commanded once per round. The Mob Boss can’t Hired Gun
command other rivals or the players’ Assassins. They wear military-style weapons and armor, but do
Success: As above, and the Mob Boss can command they have the skill to back it up?
another character. The Mob Boss can keep commanding
characters until they fail a roll, there are no more Exploits
characters within short range to command, or the Mob Suppressing Fire. When a Hired Gun Shoots, whether
Boss has commanded a number of characters equal to the target is wounded or not, the target cannot move
their Wise. closer to the Hired Gun on their next turn.

Gear Gear
Pistol, 45. Ammo: 8. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (2), Plate Carrier. Armor Save 3.
Discrete, Light
Assault Rifle. Ammo: 30. Range: Medium. Notes: Burst
Knife. Range: Point-blank. Notes: Discrete, Light, Melee (3), Deadly
Other Gear. Ski mask with a skull on it.

Punk
A young, scrappy fool in way over their head.

Exploits
Runs Fast. When a Punk Dashes, roll 2d6 and use the
total.

Gear
Pistol, 9mm. Ammo: 12. Range: Short. Notes: Burst (3),
Discrete, Light
Knife. Range: Point-blank. Notes: Discrete, Light, Melee

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