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Dice ExploderAuthor: Sam Dunnewold
A show about tabletop RPG design. Each episode we bring you a single mechanic and break it down as deep as we possibly can. Co-hosted by Sam Dunnewold and a rotating roster of designers. Part of the Many Sided Network. diceexploder.com Language: en-us Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Doskvol's Lightning Barriers (Blades in the Dark) with Nova
Episode 2
Tuesday, 24 February, 2026
Transcripts available at diceexploder.comIn Blades in the Dark, you play as criminals in Doskvol a haunted city where the ghosts are such a problem that they built giant lightning barriers around the whole city to keep them out. That sentence alone already makes me want to get the game to the table, and we haven’t even gotten to the rules of Blades in the Dark yet.That’s the conversation I wanted to take a crack at today: rules are important, they can radically shape play, but the fiction a game brings is just as important. Doskvol’s lightning barriers mean you can’t just run away into the wilderness after you’ve committed some crimes, and that’s just as important for ratcheting up the tension and consequences of your campaign as the mechanic of devil’s bargains...Further ReadingBlades in the Dark by John HarperMythic Bastionland by Chris McDowallApocalypse World 3e/Burned Over by Meguey & Vincent BakerWanderhome by Jay DragonVincent Baker on How Apocalypse World Is Structured (like an onion)In Praise of Legwork by Sam Sorensen1d20 Diegetic Rules, 1d20 Hypo-Diegetic Rules by Sam SorensenThe Rule Book: The Building Blocks of Games by Jaakko Stenros and Markus MontolaSocialsNova on Bluesky. Nova’s blog, Playful Void.Sam on Bluesky and itch.The Dice Exploder blog is at diceexploder.comOur logo was designed by sporgory, our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey, and our ad music is Lilypads by Travis Tessmer.Join the Dice Exploder Discord to talk about the show!CreditsOur logo was designed by sporgory, our ad music is Lilypads by Travis Tessmer, and our theme song is Sunset Bridge by Purely Grey.This episode was edited by Em Acosta.
