A journal/solo/adventure

Adventure exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It’s a space that can only be created in you. When you adventure, you take on the role of a character and explore the pieces of a new world. On this adventure, you will run into problems that do not have predetermined solutions, and you will use yourself and your character to solve (or fail) them.

This is the guidebook to that adventure, to finding that place. It is impossible as a simple writer for me to know every possible solution to every problem, to know ever answer to your questions. You will concoct plans for which my common-sense will not always prevail, or that have outcomes far beyond the scope of your own lived experiences.

That’s why it’s called a guidebook. I am writing it to help guide you. What this book can do for you is teach you a manner of divination that will allow you to answer any question thrown your way, whether you ask it of the world or yourself.

In this way, the act of adventuring is tapping into some kind of magic shared between you and this book. It’s more like tarot than scientific calculation. You are creating magic and this is your spellbook. When you’re ready, you can grab your dice and we can begin.

THE GAME

Beyond being a guide to adventure, Blackbirds is a character creation game. Follow the steps in the book to create a unique character, root them in a fantasitical world, and push them out the door onto adventure.

Blackbirds is a 2d6 + skills system. You roll against a difficulty and then narrate the success/failure in your journal. The skills themselves each have their own unique voice and you're encouraged to assign actors or other people you know to the skills to help differentiate their voices in your head. The more points put into a skill, the louder their voice will you.

Increasing your skills after character creation requires interacting with people/places/things and becoming attuned to them. When you attune, you get to assign another point to a skill. This lets you show in what way these things have affected you. A weapon *could* be attuned to Power to help with fighting, or it could be attuned to Anima to show its spiritual significance to you.

When creating your character, each aspect of their history will give you attunements to increase your skills as well as avenues of communication with the world. You get to choose a parentage (who or what birthed you), an age (how you related to the history of the world), and a contact (a physical person, creature, or deity that you can talk to).

THE BOOK

The book itself is 68 b&w pages with a full-color cover and the full character creation experience. It also includes an equipment list, spells from the Book of Black, and 100 injections/treasure to use. It's full of beautiful public domain art that's been digitally manipulated and made to provoke an abstract feeling.

Writing and Layout: Batts
Edited by: Wall Parker
Cover art by: Sam (Skullboy)
Interior art is Public Domain & Nate Treme & Evlyn Moreau