DÍAZ CANALES GUARNIDO

BLACKSAD THE ROLEPLAYING GAME

A noir game by:
Manuel J. Sueiro, Pedro J. Ramos, Rosendo Chas, Iván Sánchez, Sergio M. Vergara, Edén Claudio, Juan Sixto and Javier Charro
 CREDITS
Based on the comic by
Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido
Designed and written by
Manuel J. Sueiro, Pedro J. Ramos, Rosendo Chas,
Iván Sánchez, Sergio M. Vergara, Edén Claudio and Juan Sixto
Illustrations by
Juanjo Guarnido
Additional art and design by
Javier Charro
Translated by
Gisselle Anderson
Copy editor
Monte Lin
Layout
Cecilia Jos Vielcazat

BLACKSAD: ROLEPLAYING GAME

© Dargaud - Díaz Canales / Guarnido, 2015
© 2021 Nosolorol
All rights reserved
First edition: May 2015
Published by Nosolorol Ediciones
C/ Ocaña 32, 28047 Madrid, Spain
Tel.: 912 557 003
ediciones@nosolorol.com
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INDEX
INTRODUCTION 4
What is a roleplaying game? 5
How do you play a roleplaying game? 6
Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game 8
Content 9

CHAPTER 1: CHARACTERS 10
Character sheet and stats 11
Character creation 11
Secondary characters 18

CHAPTER 2: RULES 20
Basic mechanics 21
Action resolution 21
Other kinds of actions 26
Moral 29
Instinct 35
Aspects 37
Combat 39
Health 43
Other mechanics 46

CHAPTER 3: SCRIPT 52
Narration 53
Narrative elements 54
The Blacksad comic style 55
The elements of noir fiction 56
Roleplaying 60
Directing the game 64

CHAPTER 4: THE SETTING 80

Turbulent times 81
World War II and what it brought about 81
The Cold War: economic growth and conservatism 81
The stories inside the story 82
The basis of Blacksad 82
Locations 84
Iconic characters 109

CHAPTER 5: CASES 128

Not So Lucky 129
Epilogue 136

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 INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game. Here you have the chance
to enjoy the comic by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido in a totally
different way. After this introduction we explain what a roleplaying game
is, how you play it and the game’s main traits. We then go on to mention
the rest of the chapters in this book. So, detective, it’s time to begin our
investigation.

4
What is a roleplaying game?
There’s always a first time for everything, and it might even be the game master described a situation to the person playing
your first time playing a roleplaying game. If that’s the case, as Blacksad. This player must then react while thinking about
we explain everything you need to get a taste of this fascinat- what Blacksad from the comics would do in this situation.
ing game system. Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game has been
One of the most entertaining qualities of a roleplaying game is
designed for people like you, comic fans who want to enjoy the
that the players don’t have to make rational and logical deci-
stories of Blacksad, Weekly and Commissioner Smirnov along
with characters you can create yourself. sions in order to solve problems. Instead, they can behave and
act according to how their character would in any given situa-
You might have heard the term “roleplaying game” before, tion, just like actors do. Think of the comics: sometimes, John
because this term appears in videogames and also some tech- Blacksad doesn’t react rationally and is often overcome by his
niques in psychology. Although there might be some similarity own passions and morality. This is an essential trait in noir fic-
between both terms, a roleplaying game in this context is mostly tion, also known as roman noir.
about having fun with a group. In a roleplaying game, you usu-
ally need at least another person to play with. Taking the role of a character in a roleplaying game is excit-
ing because we can even take it to another level. Roleplaying
A roleplaying game tells fictional stories, much like a storyteller games give us the opportunity to play characters very different
does. Although in a roleplaying game, the whole of the group from ourselves. Someone very prudent could play as someone
creates the story. Imagine if the narrator said the following: cocky and quarrelsome, and someone quiet could take the role
“Blacksad makes his way up the flight of stairs. Something feels of someone very loud and talkative. You can even take the role
wrong. When he reaches the third floor, he finds that the door of someone of a different gender, a different age or culture. The
of the apartment has been left ajar. The landing has all kinds only limit is your imagination!
of belongings scattered everywhere, almost as if someone had To play, a player must have their character sheet at hand, a
been looking for something.” written depiction of their character. You’ll understand it better
In a conventional story, the narrator continues to tell what hap- when you read Chapter 1: Characters, but for now it’s enough
pened, but in an interactive game, the narrator could say some- to say that it works similar to a resume; it specifies what the
thing along the lines of: character can do or cannot.

“What are you going to do, Blacksad?” The character sheet is used when the rules come into play dur-
ing the game. Every game has its own rules, and roleplaying
The player acting as Blacksad must decide what the private eye games are no exception. In these kinds of games, the rules re-
does in this situation. Will he slam the door open and surprise
solve key moments in the story; that is to say, they decide what
the intruder? Will he press his cat-like ears against the wall and
happens when something can affect the outcome of the story
listen for someone’s inside? The path he chooses affects the out-
(like a fight scene, for example). By means of the character
come of the story and that is the beauty of a roleplaying game.
sheet and the game rules, we will know if the characters are suc-
We’ve already mentioned another one of the main traits of a ro- cessful in their task or not. For example, going back to Blacksad
leplaying game: there are two kinds of players. The first player, and the open door, if he had stopped and listened, his character
known as the game master, is in charge of creating a story and sheet and game rules would tell us how he can succeed. If he
being the main narrator. The rest of the players (usually ranging isn’t successful, however, he finds the house empty and gets
from one to four people) take the role of the primary characters: ambushed from behind. You will find more about the rules in
the protagonists of the story. In the example you have just read, the following pages.

5
 You’re about to discover that though this book is similar to a sure you have a comfortable place where you can all have a
boardgame rulebook, the difference is this reads more like fic- seat and discuss the game. Try to choose a place with a table
tion. Both the rules and the setting are described in this book, because you have to take notes and roll some dice. Common
making it possible for you to direct a game of Blacksad: The places to play are, for example, living rooms, social centers,
Roleplaying Game. But that doesn’t mean that only the game coffee houses… A picnic table can also be a good option if the
master has to read the book; the players should at least read the weather is good.
chapters regarding the creation of characters and the rules. This
Every time you play, the players must have their own protag-
will make the game go smoothly because the players can also
onist or use one in the book (from pages 110 to 127). If they
apply the rules themselves.
create their own protagonists, they have the advantage of de-
fining their roles and choosing their strengths and weaknesses.
On the other hand, if they choose one that has already been
How do you play created (“pre-generated” characters, as referred to by the rol-
a roleplaying game? eplaying community), you can start playing right away, with
the only inconvenience that they must behave according to the
Now that you know the essentials of a roleplaying game, we pre-generated character given to them.
can explain how to play one. First and foremost, if you’re go-
ing to be the game master, you have to read this book to learn Once everyone has their protagonists ready, the game master
how to create protagonists, get familiar with the rules and ab- must take on the role of the narrator, describing the world that
sorb some advice. If you aren’t the game master, please tell the surrounds the characters, the activity in the scenery, etc. If we
person who is to read this. compare it to the comic book, the game master would be the
scriptwriter and the illustrator because they use their words to
Before playing, the game master must prepare a story. If it’s make the players feel and imagine what is happening.
your first time running, we suggest you start by using the ad-
The game master’s narration has to be interactive: it must give
venture on page 129. Only the game master should read this;
the players the chance to react to what they are told and make
otherwise it would be like knowing who the murderer is be-
choices for their protagonists. For example, if they roughly
fore the crime even happens!
interrogate a witness, the players must be the ones to ask the
Arrange a get-together with the people you will be playing questions (such as: ‘Where were you that night?’) and the
with and devote at least two to four hours to the game. Make game master must answer as the witness being interrogated

6
(with fear, defiance… depending on the
case). During key moments of this nar- WHAT IS BLACKSAD?
ration, the character sheet and the rules BLACKSAD IS A SERIES OF COMIC BOOKS BASED ON NOIR FICTION AND SET IN THE
will be needed in order to resolve the YEARS AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR, DURING THE COLD WAR. THE CHARACTERS
ARE ANTHROPOMORPHIC ANIMALS AND THE MAIN CHARACTER IS A BLACK CAT
situation. In these cases, the game mas- CALLED JOHN BLACKSAD, WHO WORKS AS A PRIVATE EYE. THROUGHOUT THE NU-
ter along with the players will be guid- MEROUS VOLUMES THAT DEFINE THE SERIES, BLACKSAD RESOLVES CASES, CON-
ed by chance, which gives the game the FRONTS HIS PAST AND LIVES ALL KINDS OF ADVENTURES THAT REVOLVE AROUND
THE CLASSIC THEMES OF NOIR FICTION.
uncertainty that makes it so enjoyable.
For example, amidst a pursuit involving
THE AUTHORS ARE JUAN DÍAZ CANALES AND JUANJO GUARNIDO. BLACKSAD HAS
BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS AMONG THE CRITICS AND PUBLIC AND HAS RECEIVED A
the protagonists and a criminal, if chance MULTITUDE OF AWARDS, AMONG THEM TWO EISNER AWARDS IN 2013: ONE FOR
dictates that the criminal gets away, the BEST U.S. EDITION OF INTERNATIONAL MATERIAL AND THE OTHER TO JUANJO

protagonists must find another way to

catch them.
..
GUARNIDO FOR BEST PAINTER/MULTIMEDIA ARTIST (INTERIOR ART).
SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE SHADOWS

The narration flows for as long as you

want the game to last. It usually con-
.. ARCTIC NATION
RED SOUL

cludes when the players resolve the case

presented by the game master or reach a
. A SILENT HELL

AMARILLO

certain point of the game if the adventure

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 comes in various parts. With that, the story comes to an end. When
the game is finished, you can keep the character sheets (in case you
want to play with the same characters on another occasion) and you
can dedicate some time to comment on the game, like how one talks
about a film after having watched it.

Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game

Roleplaying games can develop in a multitude of genres. The
games are usually created in a certain setting; this makes it easier
to reflect the desired tone and subject matter. Just as some exam-
ples, there are games about superheroes such as La Mirada de
Centinela, adventure games like Atomic Robo, fantasy games
such as El Reino de la Sombra, apocalypse games like Pleni-
lunio and even games based on horror films like Fragmentos.
In this case, we offer a roleplaying game specifically designed
to tell stories based on noir fiction starred by anthropomorphic
animals, like Blacksad.

The rules we’ve developed for Blacksad: The Roleplaying

Game are simple and quick. We designed this system because
we don’t want the storytelling to pause during exciting and per-
ilous situations; these rules easily support the narration. You can
create the common archetypes in noir fiction, from the tortured
detective to the femme fatale. We also look over this genre and its
source material to make an expert out of the game master, prepar-
ing them to create a fascinating world for their players. All things
considered, we created a roleplaying game to best replicate what
happens, as faithfully as possible, in the Blacksad comics. Enjoy!

WHO CAN I PLAY WITH?

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLAY WITH PEOPLE YOU KNOW:
FRIENDS, FAMILY, PARTNER… THEY MIGHT DISCOVER A NEW IN-
TEREST IN ROLEPLAYING GAMES. IF THAT’S NOT THE CASE, WE
SUGGEST YOU FIND OTHERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY PASSIONATE
ABOUT ROLEPLAYING GAMES. WHO KNOWS, YOU MIGHT EVEN
MAKE NEW FRIENDS. HERE’S SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO FIND
OTHER ROLEPLAYING ENTHUSIASTS:

YOU CAN GO TO THE STORE WHERE YOU BOUGHT THIS BOOK

AND ASK THEM. MANY STORES ORGANIZE EVENTS OR EVEN
WELCOME NEW PLAYERS INTO THEIR STORE, AND THEY WILL BE
GLAD TO HAVE YOU THERE.

YOU CAN SEARCH FOR GAMER CLUBS IN YOUR COMMUNITY.

MOST CLUBS HAVE A WEBPAGE, BLOG OR FORUM WHERE YOU
CAN FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR ACTIVITIES. YOU CAN GO
TO ONE OF THEIR PUBLIC ACTIVITIES OR CONTACT THEM AND
SAY YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PLAYING WITH THEM.

YOU CAN LOOK FOR WEBSITES, FORUMS AND COMMUNITIES

ON SOCIAL MEDIA RELATED TO ROLEPLAYING GAMES. YOU CAN
REGISTER AND POST AN AD SAYING THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
A GROUP TO ROLEPLAY WITH. THIS CAN BE A GOOD WAY TO
HELP YOU FIND PLAYERS THAT DON’T BELONG TO ANY CLUB.

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Content
Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game is divided into various
chapters and sections to make the search for information an easy
task whenever you need it. We continue by briefly describing the
content of every part in the book:
. Introduction. What you are reading right now, a first ap-
proach to the roleplaying settings and this one in particular.
. Chapter 1: Characters. Everything you need to know about
creating a protagonist and about the secondary characters
(the characters portrayed by the game master).
. Chapter 2: Rules. In this chapter we explain how to play
a roleplaying game. You need a handful of six-sided dice to
play. These dice simulate a story’s unpredictability.
. Chapter 3: Script. The game master is responsible for the
vast majority of the story. We devoted an entire chapter to
advice on running roleplaying games in general and running
a Blacksad game especially.
. Chapter 4: Setting. In this chapter, we give more tools for
the game master to use. We focus on describing the scenes
of the game where the comic’s action takes place and we also
describe some of the typical locations that frequently appear in
the noir fiction genre.
. Chapter 5: Cases. And last but not least, we offer a set of
stories for the game master to “warm up” before they start
creating their own.
. Character Sheet. At the end of this book you will find
a blank character sheet. We suggest you print it or make
photocopies of this page in order to efficiently present the
names and information of the protagonists.

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 CHAPTER 1:

CHARACTERS
In the Blacksad comics, the characters and the relationships they have with one
another are the main pillars of the stories. They give life and action to this gritty
genre, interweave with the storyline and make it move forward. Without the
characters and their complexity, the Blacksad stories would remain static, empty and
lifeless. This is why we have to give them the attention they deserve. In this chapter
we explain the steps to creating a character.

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 adventure the game master has in mind. Regardless, as we will
Character sheet and stats see in Chapter 3: Script (on page 52), noir fiction is a char-
Just like we explained in the previous chapter, the character acter-based genre, and sometimes we must make some adjust-
sheet is an essential asset in roleplaying games. In short, this ments for the benefit of the story. In any case, the main goal is
page holds the most important qualities of your protagonist, for players to have a great time and make them feel involved
whether it’s one that you created or a pre-generated one, such in the game. Search for a balance when creating your heroes
as those listed on page 110. The character sheet summarizes with broken wings.
the information that constitutes your protagonist. You can also
To make it as simple as possible, we offer a series of steps
use this sheet to write down other bits of information, clues,
that helps with the creation process. We advise that you follow
memories or things that your protagonist discovers throughout
them, especially if it’s your first time creating a character, al-
the stories they star in.
though feel free to change the order of some steps if you have
Even though you can use any blank paper to write this in- a very concrete idea of what you want.
formation down, at the end of this book you will find a page
specifically designed to represent your protagonist in an or- Step 1. Concept
derly fashion. This neat and clear page has its own spots for The first step is having a clear idea of what you want the pro-
different qualities, numeric values and everything you need tagonist to be like. The concept helps you define them and it
throughout the game. influences the rest of the steps, guiding the traits, milestones
and complications. The concept consists of three elements: the
Character creation animal species, occupation and circumstance.

In a Blacksad game, the protagonist’s initial creation as well The species names what animal represents the character. In
as their development drives the most creative moments in any Blacksad, every character is an anthropomorphic animal that
given session. Some may succeed better than others in certain metaphorically represents how they act. Unless the game mas-
stories: they can end up giving in to their darkest side or they ter says so, there are no restrictions as to what animal species
can redeem themselves from their troubled pasts. The players your protagonist can be. You can even refine them and choose a
are the ones responsible for these characters, their personal breed within the species. We suggest you take a look at the side-
growth and, generally, their conception. bar in the following page, “The Animals of Blacksad,” before
making a decision. A dog, cat, parrot, tiger, alligator and even a
The characters in this game are generally made up of aspects hawk are examples of what species you can choose from.
and stats. The stats are numeric values that give us a quanti-
tative idea of our character’s abilities. Aspects, on the other The occupation tells us what our character has dedicated their
hand, include all of those written elements (concept, traits, life to and their strengths. It doesn’t have to be a defined oc-
milestones and complications) that make a character unique. cupation, but at least it must describe a way of life. There are
Aspects are also used as a descriptive tool since during the many cliché occupations within noir fiction, but we encour-
adventure they can influence the story and the events that age you to create a new one that could suit the story. A cop, a
occur. Aspects have their very own set of rules as well (see private detective, a femme fatale, a journalist, an assassin, a
page 38). gambler or a thug are some examples.

With both of these ideas in mind, you’re ready to create your The circumstance describes the current state of the char-
protagonist. To make the character seem “alive,” take some acter, their origin, their situation, their behavior or any oth-
time with the creation process and give them the personal er aspect that frequently rounds up the other elements and
details you think are best. However, in some cases the game gives the character another level of complexity. A “corrupt
master may guide the players about what requirements the feline cop” is not the same as a “respectable feline cop,”
protagonists must fulfill. The reason behind this is to create and a “violent feline cop” is not the same as a “feline cop
a homogeneous group or a set of characters well-suited to the brought up in the streets.”

11
 As you have already guessed, you shouldn’t choose these value and 5 being exceptionally high. The higher the stats,
elements in a trivial way. Instead you should think about the easier it will be for the character to overcome a chal-
what kind of animal fits well with their occupation, and what lenge. These stats are also used to compare the characteris-
circumstances determine all the other elements. The reason tics between different characters, but keep in mind that the
is that all of this affects the story you and your friends are strongest character won’t always prevail over the weakest.
creating. The choices you make also guide you in picking
the milestones and complications of your protagonist. Fur-
THE ANIMALS OF BLACKSAD
thermore, keep in mind that the concept, species, occupation
and circumstance can be activated as aspects to cause some
IN BLACKSAD, THE ANIMALS MIGHT LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE
BEEN PICKED RANDOMLY BUT IF WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK,
effects in the game (see page 37). WE SEE THAT THEY HAVE A PREDOMINANTLY NARRATIVE
PURPOSE. THEY ARE A METAPHOR OF THE ROLE THEY PLAY
When choosing the concept, keep in mind that the stories WITHIN THE STORY. THIS ENABLES US TO RECOGNIZE THE
play out within a group of players and the game master. At CHARACTER AND EVEN THEIR PART IN THE STORY WITH
times, the game master may require certain occupations or JUST ONE LOOK.

species because they want to give a special narrative impor- IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE SPECIES CHOSEN FOR
tance to something. In these cases, the players must be in- THEIR PROTAGONISTS GIVES THE PLAYERS THE ABILITY TO

formed of this so they can keep these restrictions in mind. SEE IT AS A PART OF THE CONCEPT AND TO GIVE IT SPE-

But don’t worry; there are many more elements where you
CIAL IMPORTANCE. THE SPECIES HAS TO REFLECT WHAT
THE PLAYER WANTS THE REST TO SEE IN THEM.
can customize your protagonist.
IN THE BLACKSAD COMICS, THE CHIEF OF POLICE, HANS

Example
KARUP, IS A POLAR BEAR THAT REPRESENTS THE PURITY OF
ANIMALS WITH WHITE FUR, AND HIS PHYSICAL STRENGTH
Robert is creating a character after listening to the ini- PLACES HIM AS THE LEADER WITHIN HIS COMMUNITY. THE

tial explanation given by Cristina, the game master. With PIG THAT RUNS THE CYPHER CLUB REPRESENTS THE DEC-
ADENCE OF THAT CLUB AND THE CUSTOMERS WHO FRE-
some ideas swimming in his head, he begins the process by QUENTLY GO THERE. JAKE OSTIOMBE IS A GORILLA THAT
choosing the concept. Cristina hasn’t declared any restric- REPRESENTS STRENGTH AND FIERCENESS, WHICH HELPS
tions in the adventure they’re going to play, so the players HIM FIGHT IN HIS BOXING MATCHES. THESE EXAMPLES
have total freedom. PROVE THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOOSING THE RIGHT SPECIES
BECAUSE IT DEFINES THE MAIN IDEA OF THE CHARACTER
Robert sees his protagonist as someone with more brains AND THE INTERACTIONS IT HAS IN THE STORY.

than brawn, but not weak. He would like him to be a border TAKE THE TIME YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS DECISION. THINK
collie (a dog breed) and an investigative journalist. ABOUT THE ABILITIES AND QUALITIES IT HAS WITHIN THE
ANIMAL KINGDOM AND MAKE SURE IT SUITS THE OCCU-

Step 2. Characteristics
PATION AND CIRCUMSTANCE YOU HAVE IN MIND. MAKE
SURE YOU THINK ABOUT IT AS A WHOLE AND CONSIDER
The characters in Blacksad possess four basic characteris- THAT THESE THREE ELEMENTS CAN BE USED THROUGHOUT

tics. These represent the different areas of action that a char-

THE GAME. FINALLY, THINK ABOUT YOUR PROTAGONIST’S
BACKGROUND AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ASPECT OR SPECIES
acter has to manage: Fortitude, Reflexes, Willpower and In- COULD GO WITH IT TO COMPLETE THIS VISUAL METAPHOR.
tellect. Their stats range from 1 to 5, with 1 being a very low

12
Fortitude includes all areas related to endurance, brute Example
strength, resistance… Generally speaking, characters that Robert distributes the 12 points among his protagonist’s
have higher stats in Fortitude have better physiques than characteristics, keeping in mind the concept he has cho-
those who have lower stats, and therefore are larger in size. sen. He decides to place 2 points in Fortitude because he
In Blacksad, the differences in size are more pronounced than believes his character would be physically average rather
with humans, but much less than with real animal races: a bear than extremely strong. Then 3 points to Reflexes because
can be taller than a cat who can be the same size as a dog, but he imagines his character sneaking into places to discover
a weasel barely reaches the height of their waist. However, interesting secrets like a good border collie. His physique
there can also be short bears and tall weasels, so the previous would be more inclined to having good reflexes rather than
example isn’t an impenetrable rule, more like a guide. brute strength. Next, 3 points to Willpower considering that
Reflexes cover everything related to movement, coordina- he’s ambitious and isn’t easily intimidated; he is firm in his
tion, the ability to react and gracefulness. The characters conviction. Lastly, Robert places 4 points in Intellect, which
with high reflex stats are always alert and react quickly to means he’s smart and skilled at analyzing situations in order
stimulations, while characters with low reflex stats tend to to gain the advantage.
be clumsy and passive. Cristina, the game master, makes sure that Robert has spent
Willpower refers to presence, self-confidence and compo- his 12 points. With everything in place, they continue to the
sure. Characters with high Willpower stats are levelheaded, next step.
instill confidence and aren’t easily rattled. Characters with low
Willpower stats tend to be skittish and have low self-esteem. Step 3. Traits
While characteristics give us a general idea of the character’s
Intellect represents the most cognitive mental abilities such
abilities, traits specify in what areas your protagonist stands
as intelligence, reasoning and cunning. Characters with high-
out; this also helps set your character apart from the rest, logi-
er Intellect stats have better memories and can quickly reach
cally and in tune with its concept.
logical conclusions.
A list of defined traits doesn’t exist. It’s up to you to choose
To create your protagonist, distribute 12 points among these
what best agrees with the idea of your character. Traits should
four characteristics and remember that stats can’t have more
be brief (from one to three words), descriptive and concise.
than 5 points or less than 1. When you decided on the spe-
They can depict character abilities, things they know, behav-
cies of your protagonist, you most likely had in mind what
iors or personality qualities. They can be linked to the concept,
characteristics you wanted to emphasize. So, use your intui-
including elements of the animal’s species or their occupation.
tion and place those points with logic: bears usually have great
Fortitude, while cats have high Reflexes and owls are known Traits are linked to one characteristic; this means that your
for their Intellect. Nevertheless, remember this doesn’t have character has one or more traits tied to each of them. Dis-
to limit you. You can create a weak bear or a clumsy cat if tribute as many points among the traits of each characteris-
you want, but justify why the metaphor of the chosen species tic equivalent to the stats each one has. That is to say, one
remains valid for this character. characteristic with 1 only has one trait of +1, while another

13
14
characteristic with 5 has five points distributed among the Example
traits. Each trait must have at least +1 and no more than Now it’s time to choose the traits for each of your charac-
+3. For example, if your character has 3 in Intellect, you teristics. Robert starts by choosing the “Long-distance run-
can choose a trait with +3, one of +2 with another of +1 ner +2” trait for his Fortitude characteristic to represent
or three of +1. Also, one single characteristic cannot have the physical resistance of his protagonist. For his Reflexes
more than three traits. characteristic he chooses “Agile +2” and “Defensive attack
+1,” which means that his character is in good shape and he
Even though each player can invent the traits that best de-
has some experience in combat, but in a passive way.
fine their protagonist, the game master should limit the use
of traits that are too vague. Just for practice, think of a trait Then, Robert decides that for Willpower he can add: “Trust-
that might not work. Try to find two situations involving the worthy +2” and “Inquiring gaze +1,” which give him a cer-
characteristic with the trait and two other situations where it tain seriousness and resistance, setting him apart from the
can’t. For example, imagine you want your character to have rest. And as for Intellect: “Sharp sense of smell +2” and
the trait “Brainiac” under the Intellect characteristic. This “Always alert +2.” This reaffirms the idea that nothing es-
trait can help your character find information at a newspaper capes his attention during his investigation, just like his dog
and periodicals library or work out the possible codes for a breed suggests.
vault. But it’s not the ideal trait for tracking someone down Cristina accepts Robert’s choices and they continue to the
or lip-reading, even though you might still use Intellect in next step.
these cases. “Brainiac” is an appropriate trait in this case be-
cause the purposes are clearly defined. Step 4. Milestones
As detailed below, we include some traits that can be used in All of the characters in Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game
each characteristic. stories have a series of aspects that represent key moments of

· Fortitude: “Brute strength,” “Great resistance,” “Ath-

lete,” “Good swimmer,” “Iron fists,” “Exceptionally
thin,” “Hates exercise,” “In a soccer team,” “Knows
their backstory, making them who they are today: what they’ve
been through, their background, the relationships they’ve had
and how they’ve built and managed them… In short, their per-
sonality and nature. Their past serves as a breeding ground for
where to hit,” “Holding his breath,” “Staying awake,” all of the character’s current problems, desires and conflicts.

·
“Heavy drinker.” It will also generate new milestones that influence them in the
Reflexes: “Good shot,” “Catlike moves,” “Martial arts,” future.
“Sleight of hand,” “Firearms,” “Agile fingers,” “Game When creating your protagonist, choose four initial milestones
leader,” “Good coordination,” “Hitting the dirt,” “Open- that in one short phrase each summarize these past events or

·
ing locks.” the meaningful incidents that have affected your character.
Willpower: “Smart appearance,” “Stubborn,” “Un- Milestones don’t have to be positive or negative per se: they
breakable,” “Seductive gaze,” “Charismatic,” “Iron represent what’s happened and they can be interpreted ambig-
will,” “Introvert,” “Superstitious,” “Stealthy,” “Leading uously. They can take the appearance of what you believe best
suits your idea. Milestones guide you throughout the game on

·
voice,” “Impulsive.”
how to interpret your character and the events that surround
Intellect: “Elephant memory,” “Attention to detail,”
them. They can even affect the dice positively or negatively
“Connecting the pieces,” “Infallible sense of smell,”
(see page 37).
“General culture,” “Bookworm,” “First aid,” “Always
concentrated,” “College education,” “Science.” At this point, the game master can suggest some milestones or
In the game, traits serve as aspects (see page 37) and can also ban others, in order to unite the group or give them a common
improve results when rolling the dice, as detailed in Chapter objective. As a player, feel free to give them your own per-
2: Rules (see page 21). As a special rule, and if the game sonal touch; nevertheless, you should always pay attention to
master sees it appropriate, you can remove one Fortitude the game master’s advice. This is to avoid disconnecting your
character from the initial story arcs.
trait of +1 and exchange it for one Protection point (see page
41): this represents thick skin or scales that protect your pro- Some examples of milestones are: “As a child, she lost her
tagonist. You can increase the value by one more by trading family in a tragic accident,” “He has taken advantage of every
another Fortitude trait point. opportunity life has set forth,” “Saw how his best friend died

15
 at the Invasion of Normandy,” “Pulitzer award winner,” “Vol- As for his animal appearance, since it’s a dog, Robert de-
untarily enrolled at the seminar,” “The murder of his first true cides that his character “Risked his life in a fire to save his
love became a media phenomenon,” “His drug addiction ru- friend,” which alludes to the loyalty dogs have for their own
ined his professional boxing career,” “He is considered a dog- kind, and he also “Had a clash with Blacksad,” because of
matist by his subordinates,” “One of the scientists who created how cats and dogs don’t get along.
the H bomb.”
Cristina agrees with Robert’s decisions and says how well
The protagonists in Blacksad have milestones that could be he’s settled in the animal milestones.
related to their animal characteristics. In your game, some
characters could be very loyal to their own kin, like animals Step 5. Complication
that live in packs. Some could have everyone deceived, like Who would a protagonist in noir fiction be if not for their ene-
the animals that can change their appearance, while others my within? Something that keeps them from reaching their full
could live off the rest, like scavengers. potential and keeps them chained, like the “human” they are?
These restraints give the character complexity and a certain au-
Feel free to choose your protagonist’s milestones by taking
thenticity, only if this aspect is used correctly. Cotten wouldn’t
in various perspectives to make it suit the concept. If you’re
have ended up in that abandoned old plane if his greed hadn’t
a new player, we suggest you choose two milestones related led him to work with Huk. Sam Gotfield wouldn’t have fallen
to your character’s past experiences and another two related into a spiral of madness and obsession with a nuclear attack if he
to their species; this way both sides achieve a balance. Once didn’t give in to his eccentricity, and Chad Lowell would have
you have become more experienced, you can combine them been a brilliant writer if he weren’t afraid of failure.
differently and even mix them up, joining together both per-
spectives in one single milestone. Even though it may look it, complications don’t necessarily
have to drag characters to inevitable tragedy. They are obsta-
Example cles that keep them from fulfilling their hopes and dreams in a
Robert follows Cristina’s advice and chooses two of his mile- simple way. Chad composes himself against his lack of faith
and recovers his courage, while Cotton realizes his mistake
stones based on the backstory of his protagonist and another
and makes amends by helping Blacksad.
two based on the qualities of his animal. Robert’s charac-
ter is marked by tragedy, but is strong and has overcome All of the characters must have a complication that represents
hardship. Therefore, Robert decides that his character “Was their frailty. Once more, it represents an aspect that can be ac-
raised in a Russian orphanage” and “Is considered a pres- tivated according to the certain rules (see page 37), so it must
tigious journalist among his friends.” be something relevant enough to be used in the game, but not

16
too restrictive as to not let the character advance throughout character’s state within the story and their personal descent
the storyline. Addictions, physical defects, a reputation issue, into hell. You can find more information about this attribute in
the presence of an adversary or enemy, obsessions and phobi- the section under Chapter 2: Rules (see page 20).
as are some examples of complications.
Characters start with Conscience equal to their Willpower
Example + Intellect. As the story advances and the character travers-
es into darkness, these points will descend, although they can
Robert decides that his protagonist’s complication is “Some-
also rise on some exceptional occasions (see page 34).
times acts without thinking of the danger,” something that
makes him frequently risk his own life. Cristina sees how this Drive represents the character’s ability to give it their all and
relates to his heroic act from one of his milestones and likes to make the best of a situation, including their motivation and,
this perspective. It also goes well with his occupation, where in some way, their heroism. Drive is linked to Conscience,
his actions might threaten his own safety and others’ as well. which means the character starts with the exact same number
of Drive points and Conscience points. As the game advances,
Step 6. Last details Drive points will be spent and recovered, but they can never
exceed the character’s Conscience points.
Combat stats
The characters in this gritty genre sooner or later end up facing Instinct represents the character’s impulses and how much
a combat situation, where they must fight for their lives or they trust them, maybe using them for their own benefit. In-
someone else’s. The section under “Combat” (see page 38) de- stinct points fluctuate throughout the game and they are linked
scribes the rules to simulate these scenes. Nevertheless, right to Conscience, or rather, the lack of it: characters with lower
now you merely need to know the series of combat stats di- Conscience stats win Instinct points with less difficulty (see
rectly derived from characteristics. Take your character sheet page 35). A new character starts with 2 Instinct points.
and write down (in the place destined for it) the combat stats
following these simple guides: If the game master finds it appropriate, a character can start

·· Initiative: Reflexes + Intellect

with up to 2 additional Instinct points by reducing the same
number of Conscience points (one for one). In the same way,

··
Defense: Reflexes/2 (round-up to higher value) you can reduce Instinct to add Conscience points.
Endurance: Fortitude + Willpower
Example

·
Resistance: Endurance ×3
Robert writes down the following stats in his journalist char-
Protection: Variable based on the ability to resist dam-
acter sheet:

··
age
Conscience: 7 (Willpower 3 + Intellect 4)
Conscience, Drive and Instinct

·
Conscience represents the moral integrity a character has and Drive: 7 (same number as Conscience)
their inclination to do the right thing. These points mark your Instinct: 2

17
 Name and other notes Finally, he decides that his character’s name will be Brandon
To finish, you have to choose a name for your protagonist, the Chandler. He’s dressed in a partially unbuttoned white shirt,
equipment that they usually have on them (clothes, a weapon, no tie, heathered fabric pants and a dark-colored blazer. He
money, any accessory) and anything you think might enrich always carries a notepad with him, along with a pen and pa-
the character, as long as it sounds reasonable. per. He doesn’t have a lot of money on him, but he always has
some extra change or a couple of bills in his pockets.
If you decide that this character is wearing something that
gives them extra Protection, then these points don’t have to
come from one of their Fortitude traits (see page 15). In this Secondary characters
case, the resistance to damage isn’t an inherent part of the
What gives the stories life in the Blacksad comics are, without
character, which means it can be removed at any time. None-
a doubt, the characters. Some are simply figures passing by in
theless, be consistent with the time period and the background
the background, while others come to interact with the protag-
of your character: clothes or objects that offer this kind of pro-
tection tend to be flashy and hard to find. onists and may actually become relevant in the story.

The game master always has the final word as to what starting When creating a secondary character, you can always follow
equipment is appropriate for your character. So, whatever ob- the previous rules. Use them more as a guide rather than a
jects you begin with mostly depend on your common sense. strict rulebook you have to follow step by step. This way you
can create characters quickly and have them stick to their role
Example in the story, giving them the importance you believe they de-
Robert analyzes his protagonist’s stats, which are seen as the serve. Although, if you prefer to create them ad hoc instead
following: of following the rules, keep in mind that if you design an

·· Initiative: 7 (Reflexes 3 + Intellect 4)

over-the-top antagonist, the stories where they appear might
become unbalanced.

··
Defense: 2 (Reflexes/2 rounded-up)
Under the section “Locations” in Chapter 4: Setting (page
Endurance: 5 (Fortitude 2 + Willpower 3)
84) you will find many examples of secondary characters that

·
Resistance: 15 (Endurance 5 × 3) you can use right away or you can apply some changes to fit
Protection: 0 (no armor or trade off in Fortitude traits) in your storyline.

18
Name: Brandon Chandler
CONCEPT: Ambitious journalist border collie

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Long-distance runner +2
REFLEXES Agile +2, Defensive attack +1
WILLPOWER Trustworthy +2, Inquiring gaze +1
INTELLECT Always alert +2, Sharp sense of smell +2

MILESTONES
- Was raised in a Russian orphanage
- Is considered a prestigious journalist among his friends
- Risked his life in a fire to save his friend
- Had a clash with Blacksad

COMPLICATION
Sometimes acts without thinking of the danger

POSSESSIONS COMBAT STATS MORALITY

- Notepad INITIATIVE DEFENSE ENDURANCE RESISTANCE PROTECTION CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
- Pen x x
7 2 0 5 7 INSTINCT
- Paper
x x
- Some extra change
TEMPORARY ASPECTS HEALTH
x HEALTHY
BRUISED
INJURED 1 EXTRA FAILURE
INCAPACITATED 2 EXTRA FAILURES
DYING NO ACTIVATION

BACKSTORY
Brandon lost his parents in a train accident in Russia. case: he risked himself to save his colleague Brusco
When they found him, miles away from the catastrophe, and afterwards wrote a story that enabled the
he was sent to an orphanage where he remained until criminals’ arrest. These events made him famous for his
he could return to the USA. There he settled for sharpness and determination. Brandon has grown to be
a mediocre job in the newspaper. Nonetheless, he an ambitious dog who won’t rest until he becomes the
proved his worth during a contraband investigation most prestigious journalist of his time.

19
 CHAPTER 2:

RULES
Normally, scenes in Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game are continuous, and the
players narrate how the story advances without interruption: many situations are
simply resolved with dialogue, and the plot progresses with consequences along
the way. Nevertheless, at times we need a system enabling us to know if the
characters have been successful or not.

20
 Conflicts, on the other hand, are actions where two charac-
Basic rule system ters need to know which one of them is the victor and what
Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game captures the intensity of consequences the losing party might have. Examples of con-
the original comic, bringing all the action through a simple flicts include: the clash between Hans Karup and Huk when
and narrative system. Throughout the game, you will want the previous discovered the latter having an affair with his
your character to do certain things or interact with the en- wife, Jezabel, Ivo Statoc trying to convince Blacksad to join
vironment just like your heroes (or antiheroes) in the comic him or Ivo’s thug (the mongoose) chasing down his partner
books. All these interactions are known as actions. (the lizard) to the pool hall, La Iguana.

The actions your character carries out always depend on one Teamwork is an action aiming to help other people.
of their characteristics. These characteristics serve as a scale Teamwork doesn’t expect to resolve the main issue. It
of their abilities in said action. To determine a result, we use isn’t about overcoming the challenge or beating a conflict;
six-sided dice. it’s about making things easier for another character to
do something. Examples of teamwork include: when the
Every time you want your character to perform an action, the barman at La Iguana distracted Ivo’s thug to let the lizard
first thing you must do is describe it. That is to say, tell the escape through the back door or when Agent Cougar held
rest of the players and game master that your character wants down Sergei Litvak so that Agent Coyote could inject him
to do something and how they do it. This helps determine with truth serum.
which characteristics and elements to involve and what kind
of action it is. It also determines if rolling the dice is neces- In order to resolve any of these actions, we make use of the
sary to resolve it. basic mechanics, which enables us to know the outcome.

Many actions, the simplest ones, can be automatically re-

solved but sometimes, given the difficulty or the need to Action resolution
know who won (like in a fight), the game also requires me- The only dice used in this game are six-sided dice but we
chanics that value levels of success. This is important in or- use three different colors to represent three different cate-
der to move the story forward, by intertwining the narrative gories. You can choose whatever colors you want; you can
with the mechanics, creating a game session. even have many multi-colored dice, as long you can tell
them apart. To make it simple, in this text we use red, white
A game system is necessary when a situation doesn’t guar-
and black dice.
antee a character’s success. Trying to get the snitch rat to
talk and tell us what we need to know, finding out if the vo- The action dice (black) represent the ability the character
luptuous and attractive panther is lying about her husband has to accomplish their task. With these dice, any result of
or having a fist fight with a furious rhino boxer are only , , or is considered a success while the other results
some examples of when we need game rules. This is how are ignored.
we know if a character succeeded in their task and on what
The complementary dice (white) represent elements that
level. There are three kinds of actions: challenges, conflicts
don’t depend on the character such as luck, circumstances,
and teamwork.
etc. With these dice, any is considered a success, while
Challenges are actions where a character tries to overcome every result represents a failure and nullifies a success.
an obstacle in a situation, without having to interact or com- The rest are ignored. The successes of action dice are nul-
pare their stats and abilities with another character. Some ex- lified before the successes of tension dice, while comple-
amples include: Commissioner Smirnov searching for clues mentary dice are the last to be ruled out. When it comes to
at the crime scene, Blacksad jumping across building roof- successes from action and tension dice, the higher results are
tops or Weekly trying to sneak into a house. nullified before lower results.

21
 Tension dice (red) are used in the special occasion when Furthermore, in special situations (explained on page 37),
the character acts against their own principles, giving way the results of a (in action dice) and (in complementary
to their worst impulses and making the easy choice instead dice) could be two successes instead of one, like what nor-
of doing the right thing. With tension dice, a or a is mally happens with tension dice (red), or action dice could
a success, while a equals two successes. Additionally, a have results of nullifying successes.
is a failure and nullifies a success, while other values are
ignored. Remember that failures first nullify action dice suc- Example
cesses, then tension dice and finally, complementary dice. Blacksad’s player wants to reroll the action dice (black) with
With tension dice, while a six is considered to be a double the results , along with the three complementary dice. For
success, one single failure can cancel this. this, he uses one Drive point and activates the milestone,
“The only job he’s kept is being a private detective,” which
In a normal challenge, you roll at least six dice. Your char-
describes how seriously the cat takes his job. The new roll is:
acter’s stats determine how many action dice (black) you
, , , , , . There are no new successes but also no
use. The tension dice (red), if any, are added to the set. If
failures now, so the is not nullified.
the total dice number less than six, then add complementary
dice (white) until you get a set of six dice. If the action and After rolling the dice or rerolling, if the character has a rel-
tension dice number more than six dice, then there are no evant trait for the action, some dice values can be moved
complementary dice in this roll. around. Specifically, one bonus point can be added to a die for
each +1 of that trait. Thus, if a trait has a +2, two points can be
Tension dice (red) are only used in certain situations. Most
added to the value of one die (from to , for example), or
of time, only action dice (black) and complementary dice
one point can be added to two dice (from to and another
(white) are used: action dice equal to the character’s stat plus
from to , for example). This turns dice into successes,
complementary dice in order to complete a set of six dice.
which can be done with action dice (black), tension dice (red)
Example and complementary dice (white). There’s only one exception
to this: the failure result of a tension die or a complementary
John Blacksad is investigating the murder of Natalia Wilford,
die, that is to say, a or , cannot be changed this way.
a former flame. Clues have led him to Leon Kronski’s apart-
ment, Natalia’s most recent lover. After forcing the lock open, Only in the case of “Instinct” (page 34), where failing ben-
Blacksad enters the apartment and starts searching for clues efits the character, can traits be used to subtract points from
to help his investigation. The game master tells Blacksad’s dice for each +1 the trait has.
player to roll the dice. Blacksad has Intellect 3, so the player
must use three action dice and three complementary dice in Example
order to roll six dice, the result is: , , , , , . The Blacksad has an Intellect trait called “Tracking down clues
from the action dice is considered a success and the from +1,” which can be applied to this situation, because Blacksad
the complementary dice is considered a failure. This nullifies is searching closely for any clues that could help him with Na-
the success from the action dice. talia’s murder. So the player uses this trait to add a point to a
die. After rerolling the dice, the result is: , , , , , ,
Some game mechanics, like invoking aspects (page 37) or
so he decides to make the a to turn it into another success.
the support actions (page 25), allow the player to reroll dice.
Any action dice (black) or complementary (white) can be Once the results of the dice have been modified with the character’s
rerolled, no matter the result, but tension dice (red) cannot. traits (if applicable), the successes of all types of dice are added
Each die can be rerolled; dice can only be rerolled once, and up, while keeping in mind that a in complementary and the
this result must always be accepted as valid. in tension dice are failures and therefore cancel one success each.

22
Example Once all successes and failures have been canceled (includ-
Blacksad’s player has a final result of: . The ing the added failure(s) due to difficulty), the final balance of
action dice that have obtained a and are successes but surplus successes or failures determines the action’s result.
the complementary dice are discarded because none of them If there exists one or more successes, the character achieves
are a or a . what they want, but if the result has one or more failures,
the character has not. If the balance equals zero (the same
number of failures and successes), the character does not ex-
Challenges
actly achieve what they intended but still doesn’t suffer a
In a challenge, the character confronts an obstacle in the total failure.
environment. Thus, the possibility of success essentially
depends on the character’s abilities. The game master de-
termines the appropriate characteristic and then the player
suggests the trait they believe to be the most useful in this Difficulty Example of a challenge
specific action. Afterwards, the player must roll the dice just
as we’ve seen before. Easy 0 Climb a low wall.

However, not all challenges have the same difficulty: forc- Medium 1 Dodge a moving car.
ing a lock open is not the same as forcing a safe open. The
difficulty of an action indicates the number of failures added Hard 2 Write a specialized informative text.
to the result of the dice. These difficulty failures nullify suc-
Very difficult 3 Run across the roof of a moving train.
cesses in the usual way:

First the action dice (black), then the tension dice (red), and Extremely
4 Decipher the atomic bomb formula.
finally, the complementary dice (white), and the higher num- difficult
bers always get nullified first.

Failure or success Result Effect

2 or more failures No, and what’s The character not only fails at accomplishing the goal, but things turn out to be
more… worse than expected. The character receives a temporary negative aspect that lasts
for the rest of the scene.
1 failure No The character isn’t successful and the action doesn’t grant the desired result.
No success and No, but… The character isn’t successful, yet obtains a small advantage in the form of a
No failure temporary positive aspect, which can be invoked in the next action related to the
initial goal.

1 success Yes, but… The character is successful and gets the desired result but receives an unexpect-
ed side effect. The character receives a temporary negative aspect that can be
invoked in the next action related to the initial goal.

2 successes Yes The character is successful and gets the desired result precisely as intended.

3 successes or Yes, and what’s The character is completely successful and receives an unexpected bonus advantage.
more more… The character gets a temporary positive aspect that lasts for the rest of the scene.

23
 When a character fails an action, they cannot try again unless challenges; players can suggest which trait their protagonists
they change their strategy, which would be considered a new can apply, while the game master determines the trait for the
action. Surplus failures aren’t necessarily harmful; they sim- secondary characters.
ply indicate a less desirable outcome of the action. Nonethe-
The action is resolved with a dice roll from each character,
less, results followed by “No, and what’s more…” can still
be dangerous for the character. each of them competing with each other’s successes. The
player with the highest number of surplus successes wins the
Example conflict. For all intents and purposes, the successes of the
Coming back to the search in the apartment, since there’s player who lost act as failures and cancel the successes of
nobody there and many things lie in plain sight, the difficulty the winner. That is to say, the number of additional successes
for Blacksad is easy, so no failures will be added. There are with which the character defeats the opponent determines the
two successful results (the and the of action dice), so result of the conflict.
Blacksad finds a matchbox with the logo of a club where he Sometimes, conflicts are uneven: convincing a friend who
can go and investigate. works on the police force to let you see some reports on
a case is not the same as expecting him to be your false
Conflicts alibi for a murder where you are the primary suspect. In
When a player takes action against a protagonist or a second- an uneven conflict, the opponent at disadvantage receives
ary character, it will be necessary to compare their abilities. automatic failures, just like what happens with challenge
This is called a conflict. Don’t assume that conflicts are nec- difficulties. Attempts at seduction are examples of an une-
essarily an active clash between two characters. Sometimes ven conflict (page 48).
one can be an active actor while the other is more of a pas-
sive agent. For example, when a character tries to trick or Example
convince someone. While Blacksad examines the matchbox, a cleaning lady en-
In a conflict, the game master determines the appropriate ters Leon Kronski’s apartment. Even though Blacksad tries
characteristic for the characters to use. It can be the same one to hide, he’s discovered so he quickly comes up with a story
for both, for example: two characters arm wrestling (Forti- to explain his reason for being there. This is a conflict be-
tude) or a game of chess (Intellect). They can also be differ- cause Blacksad wants to convince the cleaning lady that he
ent: one of them tries to move in silence (Reflexes) while the is Kronski’s friend who stopped by to retrieve some books.
other remains alert (Intellect). The same steps happen with The characteristic both characters have to use is Willpower.

24
 When a character takes action with the sole purpose of helping
another character succeed with their goal, it’s safe to say that
Blacksad has 3 in Willpower, so the player rolls three action
action is a support. The game master determines if the support
dice (black) for the characteristic and another three comple-
can be resolved with a challenge (if the character helping has
mentary dice (white) in order to reach six. The result is:
to face an impersonal obstacle) or a conflict (if the support
. The player uses the Blacksad aspect, “Char-
involves overcoming another character). Support is resolved
ismatic +1,” to improve the result of the action die that has a
to turn it into , an additional success. The game master with a normal dice roll. If the result succeeds, the character be-
rolls for the cleaning lady: one action die (black) for her ing helped can then use those surplus successes as free rerolls
Willpower of 1 and five complementary dice (white). The when they roll their own dice, one rerolled die per success.
maid gets: , one success. Blacksad’s player
defeats the game master by two successes, so Blacksad suc- Example
cessfully tricks the cleaning lady. The FBI agents Cougar and Coyote seize Sergei Litvak to in-
terrogate him about the whereabouts of Otto Liebber. To do
Support this, they have a needle with truth serum, but injecting this
The character’s action doesn’t always have to solve the prob- serum requires extreme precision. Cougar decides to seize
lem directly. Sometimes, the action paves the way for anoth- the painter from the back so that Coyote can inject the serum
er character, to set them up and improve their possibilities for into Litvak’s arm, who resists as hard as he can. The charac-
success. We call these actions support actions. teristic for this action is Fortitude for both characters.

25
 Cougar’s player rolls four action dice (black) for the char-
acteristic and two complementary dice (white):
Other kinds of actions
, two successes (two , the third is nullified by the ). With what we’ve explained, you can already experience most
Then the game master rolls dice for Litvak: of the adventures of your favorite characters from Blacksad
, three successes ( ). It seems Litvak might break free, by using the previous rules. Nevertheless, on some occasions
so Cougar’s player invokes the trait “Athlete +2” by spend- you might need additional rules to determine more specific
ing one Drive point to reroll the and the , and the new actions. We present a few in this section.
results are: . Additionally, that same trait enables Cou-
gar to grant one bonus point to two dice or two bonus points Extended actions
to one die, so he decides to make the a and the a . Generally, both challenges and conflicts can be resolved
This way, the result becomes: , six success- quickly with a single dice roll. However, sometimes the ac-
ful results. The number of successes where Cougar subdues tion requires various successful dice rolls in order to repre-
Litvak is three, so Cougar constrains the Russian bear, who sent the time it takes to carry out this action. To simulate this,
receives a temporary negative aspect, “Immobilized.” the extended action is resolved like a conflict or a challenge,
Now it’s Coyote’s turn. He is trying to inject truth serum into but the game master decides how many successes must be
Litvak’s arm, so the player rolls as many action dice (black) as obtained in order to complete the action.
his Reflex points (4) and adds complementary dice (white) in In an extended action, the surplus failures from a particu-
order to roll six dice in total: . Since Cougar lar roll do not subtract from the accumulated successes, but
has carried out an action with support and three successful they can generate aspects for further use in successive dice
results, Coyote’s player can reroll three dice, and that’s ex- rolls of that action. Additionally, the game master can add
actly what she does. The player rerolls the , and . The more tension to the extended action by saying that, if after a
new result is: . Litvak tries against all odds number of attempts the players cannot complete the action, a
to avoid the injection: with his Reflexes at 3 and negative consequence occurs.
with the complementary dice. Neither the game master
nor Coyote’s player reroll their dice, so the final result is four Example
successes from Coyote against two from Litvak: Coyote injects John Blacksad is tailing his friend Otto Liebber because he
the serum into the Russian’s body, just like he wanted. fears for his safety. The detective keeps watch from his hotel

26
window with a pair of binoculars and sees the scientist exit cesses, which are nullified by the and the two failures for
a multi-level parking lot. Due to his vigilance, he spots a difficulty: Blacksad can’t get out of the parking lot in time
suspicious looking guy preparing what looks to be a bomb, with Liebber and the bomb explodes in front of them, but,
and if Liebber doesn’t look out, he won’t survive. This is an at least, “They got out of the car.”
extended action where the cat must race to the parking lot to
get his friend out of there in time. Teamwork
The game master establishes that in order to complete this Some actions can be carried out with help from other charac-
action, the player must obtain three successful dice rolls ters to guarantee more success. However, not all characters
with Fortitude (this includes running out of the hotel, get- can help in the same action because they might interfere with
ting Liebber out of his car and getting out of the parking each other. The game master and players’ common sense de-
lot) at a hard difficulty level. Time is precious and the termine which actions can be used for the group action.
situation risky.
Don’t confuse a group action with support, which was ex-
Blacksad’s player makes the first roll: . plained earlier. In a support action, each character does an
Since it’s a hard action, two failures are added for difficulty, action on their own, but the effects of the action benefit an-
which makes it a result with two successes: first test passed. other. On the other hand, in teamwork, the characters work
The result of the second dice roll is: . The together in order to achieve the same objective.
nullifies the first and the two failures for difficulty
nullify the and the . The dice roll has one success: Example
Blacksad reaches the parking lot, but suffers a temporary The writers Abraham Greenberg (a bison) and Chad Lowell
negative aspect, “Liebber can’t hear him.” On the third are in a tavern at Amarillo, Texas, alongside Bill Sorrows
and last roll: . The cancels the and (a flamingo). Due to Lowell’s insecurities and restraint, he’s
the difficulty eliminates the and . This leaves a single become cannon fodder for the resolute bison and flamingo,
success, but the game master decides to invoke the tempo-
rary aspect of the previous roll, and she gives one Drive
point to Blacksad, so he must reroll all of the successes. On
this reroll, the result is: , only three suc-

27
 and Greenberg has taken it upon himself to mock Lowell un- Example
til he mans up or admits he’s a fraud. Alongside his friend, Without a doubt, the appropriate characteristic for this ac-
Sorrows, this is a piece of cake. tion is Willpower. Greenberg’s player and the game master
Greenberg’s player believes that Sorrow can support his playing as Sorrows compare each other’s Willpower stats:
character’s action, but the game master finds it more appro- Greenberg has Willpower 4 and Sorrows has Willpower 2.
priate to assign it as teamwork, because both characters are Greenberg leads the action while the flamingo gives +1 to
carrying out the same action: pressuring Lowell. Greenberg’s trait “Charismatic +2,” which turns into a +3.

Teamwork actions are resolved similarly to what we’ve al- Since they’re trying to undermine Lowell’s morale, the ac-
ready seen: the players of the protagonists involved in the tion resolves as a Willpower conflict between Greenberg and
Lowell, with higher stats in Greenberg’s trait because he is
action (or the game master if the other characters are sec-
collaborating with his friend, Bill Sorrows.
ondary characters) declare the action and determine which
characteristic to use. Once the characteristic is established,
the character with the highest stat of that characteristic leads Morality
the action. The other characters give +1 to any applicable
The fight with oneself, the conflict between doing the right
trait (or to the virtual trait, “Working in a team,” if no other
thing or taking the easy road is one of the main themes in
character trait can be used), as long as their characteristic is
noir genre stories (see page 56). The protagonists of these
half or more than the leader’s stats.
stories are antiheroes who tread on the edge of morality, who
The action is resolved just like a challenge, a conflict or even risk becoming corrupt and turning into the story’s villain or
a collective support action for another character. even destroying themselves.

28
Conscience between making the right choice, no matter how hard, or the
easy road. Every decision that compromises this integrity
Will Blacksad murder the businessman Ivo Statoc in his of-
steps towards damnation, and this can cause the Conscience
fice? Will Chad Lowell confess his crimes to save an inno-
cent life? These are some of the questions that the characters stat to fall, bringing the character closer to moral ruin.
must answer based on their Conscience stats. If at any moment the character reaches 0 Conscience points,
The Conscience stats are a scale for the character’s moral the character has become an unscrupulous creature, dishon-
integrity. Characters with high stats are very self-confident; orable, selfish, despicable and wicked. This marks the mo-
they follow a strict moral code and act according to justice, ment when they leave the story as a protagonist to become
their values and righteousness. They keep a clean record part of the background cast… or maybe even a villain. We
and are measured. They act selflessly, forgive easily and talk about this afterwards on (page 33).
can even make great sacrifices for others. They avoid vio-
lence and search for solutions that benefit the rest, even if Moral dilemmas
that means sacrificing themselves. Characters with very low Throughout your Blacksad stories, the characters have to
Conscience stats are full of doubts and remorse, tend to give face moral dilemmas: shoot the culprit point-blank in the
in to their base instincts, are selfish and fall into temptation. face or take him to justice? Ignore the screams of a victim
They frequently use violence as a solution, especially when or get in danger to save her? Accept a bribe to forget what
they believe they have the advantage. They are also peevish
you’ve seen or tell the authorities? The decisions characters
and self-destructive.
make in these situations determine which path they follow.
During the game, the characters will see themselves ex- Will they listen to the voice of reason or will they take the
posed to moral dilemmas and temptations, having to decide road to ruin?

29
 Ideally, the game master will be the one to declare when the Tension dice are a good resource for the characters, but they
characters find themselves in a moral dilemma, and while all also might pay a price for them: if a tension die has a fail-
players are free to point out when a certain situation causes ure (a result of ) or a double success (a result of ), their
that kind of choice, the game master always has the final say. Conscience stat immediately loses one point. Characters can
Depending on the importance of the moral dilemma, the only lose one Conscience point for a certain action, so if ten-
game master can offer the character one to three tension dice sion dice show many results of 1 or 6, the loss of Conscience
(red) in order to help them in an action, if they choose the remains the same: one single point.
easy road and ignore the voice of their conscience.
Example
Remember that even though it’s the game master’s job to decide
Blacksad wants to discover how much Hans Karup, the chief
which situation has a moral dilemma, the player of the involved
protagonist has the right to request some tension dice (red) if they of police of “the Line,” is connected to the disappearance
believe they have rightly earned them for a determined action. the girl, Kaylie, so he sends Weekly to watch his house. Sniff-
ing around the windows, Weekly discovers Karup’s wife, Jez-
Conscience Morality abel, making love to Huk, a friend of the chief. Weekly knows
9-10 Acting for the greater good, even if that that getting in the middle of personal business isn’t right but
means sacrificing oneself for another person. if he takes some photographs, he might be able to use them
Resisting temptations and being able to sup- for a great article for the newspaper. So as quietly as possi-
press any desire to a personal moral code. ble, he starts to use his camera…
7-8 Acting rightfully in most situations, even
sacrificing oneself for someone who de- Importance Tension Examples
serves it. However, still has a few minor dice of moral dilemmas
transgressions, like acting selfishly or giv- Serious 1 die Killing someone who deserves
ing into certain impulses. it in order to protect a loved
5-6 Knowing the difference between right and one, allowing a small act of in-
wrong, but acting one way or another de- justice to happen without inter-
pending on the situation, frequently sacrific- vening, keeping an act of injus-
ing oneself for loved ones. tice a secret because a family
3-4 Acting according to one’s own interests member has been threatened…
knowing that they can have a negative effect Major 2 dice Trying to kill someone in cold
on others. blood because they deserve it
1-2 Breaking one’s own moral code without for vengeance, or covering for
hesitation, generally for selfish reasons, or someone who did, ending an in-
hurting someone if there’s a reason for it. nocent life to cover for a loved
one, not testifying in court out
0 Looking for one’s own personal benefit
of fear of getting hurt…
above all else, no matter the consequence.
Hurting others for no apparent reason. Critical 3 dice Ending an innocent life to pro-
tect oneself, accepting bribes to
look the other way for a serious
crime…

30
The game master considers this to be a serious moral di- justice. In the end, he yields to his superiors but requests
lemma and gives Weekly’s player one tension die to make Blacksad, a private eye outside of the law, to investigate for
the roll. She then rolls for action dice (black) for Weekly’s him. This moral dilemma has been resolved by Smirnov’s de-
Reflexes, one tension die (red) and one complementary die cision-making. This means that the German Shepard’s player
(white): . The failure from the complemen- must make a roll with the appropriate tension dice to find out
tary die, a , nullifies a , which leaves three successes ( if the character loses a Conscience point. The game mas-
). Since the result of the tension die is neither nor ter considers this a serious moral dilemma, and the player
, Weekly doesn’t lose a Conscience point. The game master rolls a . Smirnov’s Conscience loses one point along with
decides that the difficulty for this roll is medium, so one of a Drive point.
the successes is nullified due to the added difficulty failure.
With two successes, Weekly takes the photographs without Temptations
being discovered. Sometimes, characters in the noir genre undergo moments
In certain situations, rolling the dice might not be necessary of weakness and give into temptation, letting themselves be
to solve the presented moral dilemma. The character can led by their desires without thinking of the consequences.
simply do what’s wrong because it benefits them and thus It could be about succumbing to the charms of the wrong
resolve the situation by itself without the help of dice. In this person, drinking excessively or making a bet in the worst
case, the character still has to roll a number of tension dice possible moment. Temptation surrounds the characters in
the game master deems necessary to see if the character gets Blacksad and obstructs their path.
a result of 1 or 6, which in consequence, lowers the charac-
When a protagonist is tempted, the player can normally
ter’s Conscience by one point.
choose whether their character falls into temptation or not:
If the protagonist has Drive points when they lose a Con- after all, the players have the power to interpret their pro-
science point, then one Drive point is also lost (see page 34). tagonists however they see fit. Yet don’t we sometimes act
against our own will, as if incapable of controlling ourselves?
Example This is the reason the game master can request a challenge
During his investigation of the murder of Natalia Wilford, of Willpower to determine whether the protagonist falls into
Commissioner Smirnov has been given instructions to cov- temptation or not. In other words, if the game master be-
er for the murderer, seemingly someone “too important” to lieves the protagonist’s Conscience could lead the charac-
the city. The inspector struggles about whether to accept ter the opposite direction to what the player wants, then the
these instructions to protect his job, even though he knows game master can request a challenge of Willpower in order
it’s wrong, or to continue the investigation for the sake of to decide what happens.

31
 The difficulty of this challenge depends on how strong the If the character failed, they fall entirely into temptation: the
temptation is, as reflected in the table below. game master narrates what happens to the character based on
their impulses. In this case, if at least one failure (a result)
If the protagonist overcomes the challenge of Willpower then appears on one of the complementary dice (white), the char-
they resist temptation: thus immediately gaining one Drive acter also loses one Conscience point.
point and avoiding or rejecting the temptation accordingly.
Example
Example
Sebastian Fletcher has convinced Carl, the manager at the
Weekly goes to the Happy Dwelling Hotel looking for the Wild Note, to let him play that night in the club. Carl knows
rooster Harper Junior to ask him about his past with Se- about Fletcher’s drug addiction and worries it might present
bastian Fletcher and Bill Lenoir. As he enters the building a bad image on stage, so he warns the pianist to stay clean
he’s greeted by two sex workers; while climbing the stairs, for the performance. However, nightfall approaches and the
he bumps into another one. Weekly could fall into tempta- game master believes a challenge of Willpower is necessary
tion and cast his mission aside, so the game master requests to see if Fletcher resists temptation or not. Unfortunately,
a challenge of Willpower. Since women are one of Weekly’s the character doesn’t have any Drive points left, so he can’t
weaknesses, it is a hard temptation to overcome (2). overcome it directly (see page 34). Since the level of addic-
tion is very difficult, the difficulty level is 3. The result is:
Weekly has Willpower 4. The player rolls the dice: , a complete failure. Since one of the com-
. There aren’t any failures but since it’s a hard challenge, plementary dice is a , the pianist also loses a Conscience
the two failures for difficulty cancel the and . Weekly re- point. The game master describes how Fletcher falls into the
sists the temptation; he isn’t irresponsible and retains a sense temptation, drugging himself before going on stage, how he
of duty, but he obtains a temporary negative aspect called, has a beautiful hallucination where he is happy alongside
“The sex workers don’t trust him,” because his rejections his wife and son and how someone knocks on the door only
made them think he’s a cop. He also gains one Drive point. to bring him back to this cruel reality.

Under certain circumstances, the player can request a chal-

Difficulty Example of a temptation lenge of Willpower if they aren’t sure about how their pro-
0 Make out with a hookup in an alleyway tagonist would act in that moment, or if the player prefers
1 Agreeing to an abundant feast offered by a to let the dice decide the outcome of the situation. It can
neighborhood gangster be really fun to let the character’s fate rest in the hands of
2 Taking part in a scheme where you can get their conscience… it’s also a way to recover Drive points if
dollars for five cents. the protagonist resists. In any case, the game master has the
last say on whether a challenge of Willpower is necessary
3 Making love to the celebrity of your dreams
or not. The game master should also avoid having players
4 Keeping a large amount of money you’ve take advantage of this mechanic with irrelevant temptations:
stumbled upon they should be granted in dramatic moments where giving

32
into temptation or resisting it can make a true difference in It’s important not to trivialize redemption: it’s not about
the story or in the protagonist’s development, not every time making occasional good deeds here and there in order to
they enter a bar or someone attractive makes a pass at them. keep Conscience stats high. The redemption scene has to be
If this temptation won’t have any effect in the story, then an important sacrifice, a complete change of direction from
where’s the conflict? the road downhill, ultimately, a true and significant gesture.
If the game master and the rest of the players don’t see the
Hitting rock bottom scene as a real act of redemption, then it isn’t one.
If a character’s Conscience reaches 0, this character has fall- When starring in a scene of redemption, the character auto-
en completely: the character has been balancing on the edge matically recovers one Conscience point and faces a chal-
of the abyss for the last time and now their fall has come
lenge of Willpower on a hard difficulty (2). If the character
to an end. The character has hit rock bottom. Their moral
overcomes the challenge, one additional Conscience point is
decadence is complete and nothing matters other than their
recovered for each success. Since this challenge isn’t an ac-
own self-interest. They no longer have an ethical code and
tion per se, ignore the chart regarding the effects with surplus
are capable of any kind of atrocity without a single feeling of
failures or successes (page 23).
remorse. The character is trapped forever in their corruption
and vileness. Example
Forever? Well, not yet. The character still has one opportuni- Chad Lowell has gone a long way down the path of melan-
ty: if they redeem themselves before the story ends (see next choly: he’s stolen a car, murdered his friend, kept the death
excerpt, “Redemption”), there is still some hope left for them. a secret and is about to go on the run after a bus has run
over his agent. Lowell’s Conscience has fallen to 0 and the
A protagonist that finishes the volume (see page 55) with
remorse is going to eat him alive. Then he sees some FBI
Conscience 0 is lost forever and cannot continue as a pro-
agents arrest Blacksad for the murder of Abraham Green-
tagonist. This character can still be a secondary character or
berg. Blacksad has made many mistakes throughout his life,
even take on the new role of a villain, but in any case this
but he isn’t responsible for that death, Lowell knows that.
character goes on to be the game master’s.
Without hesitation, the young lion confesses to the murder
and gives himself in before the force of law, hoping to do
Redemption something beautiful.
Even though spiraling into ruin is the easiest and fastest path
for characters in Blacksad, they can also redeem themselves. Everyone at the table agrees that Chad Lowell has redeemed
Yes, in the process of the volume (see page 55), if the charac- himself, so he receives one Conscience point and the player
ter stars in a scene of sacrifice, puts themselves under grave faces a challenge of Willpower: . The two
danger to protect an innocent life or rejects an important per- failures for difficulty nullify the success of the action dice
sonal benefit to not wrong others or a similar act, then this and one of the complementary dice , which leaves one
reveals the character still retains a spark of hope. success. Lowell recovers one additional Conscience point.

33
 A character’s redemption is not something to be taken lightly timidate other characters, see page 50). However, a pro-
and shouldn’t happen often. Characters only have one single tagonist can try this action again by spending one Drive
chance to redeem themselves in each volume. point. Trying again isn’t rerolling the dice; it’s carrying
out an action you couldn’t normally repeat.
Drive Every time a volume commences, Drive restarts to the same
Drive represents personal identity, being true to yourself, the value of Conscience that the protagonist has. During the
ability to give it your all in the most difficult of situations. game, they can also increase (even surpass the level of Con-
When starting a new volume, protagonists have the same science) in the following cases:
number of Conscience points as Drive points, and when
Conscience loses one point, they immediately lose a Drive
point as well. During the game these points will generally be
· Facing adversity: When an aspect is invoked against a
protagonist, that character gains a Drive point. The in-
voked aspect can be from them or from another source
spent on invoking aspects, but they are also used for other
(see page 37). It’s important that the result of this in-
things:

·
vocation be directly adversarial to the protagonist (see

·
Getting a head start: In a combat situation, a protago- page 37).
nist can spend a Drive point to get a head start and act Resist a temptation: When a protagonist faces a temp-

·
beforehand (see page 38). tation and resists it by means of a challenge of Willpow-
It’s not as bad as it looks: When a protagonist is in- er, they win a Drive point. If they resist the temptation

·
jured, they can spend one Drive point or more to make by using a Drive point, they win nothing (page 31).
the injury less severe than it seemed. Injury levels can Redemption: If a protagonist is starring in a redemption
be reduced by one point with each Drive point spent scene (see page 33), one Drive point is gained for every
(see page 44). This doesn’t affect the received damage, Conscience point recovered during that scene.
which remains the same even though the injury is re- Secondary characters don’t have Drive stats to keep count.

·
duced to a lower level. The game master can utilize the effect of these points at any
Strength out of weakness: A protagonist that’s lost moment. Nevertheless, the protagonists affected must be
Resistance points can use their inner resolve to recover. given a corresponding Drive point.
They can recover half the Resistance points they lost by
spending one Drive point, effectively suffering half the
Instinct
·
amount of damage they took (see page 42).
Taking advantage of the situation: A protagonist can We all have an animalistic side, and in Blacksad that animal
take advantage of the situation by invoking aspects, ex- becomes obvious. Like all animals, we have an Instinct, an
plained on page 37. Invoking any aspect requires them impulse that tells us how to act for our own survival, which

·
to spend one Drive point. frequently ignores ethical and moral considerations.
Resisting a temptation: When faced by a temptation, Characters with low Conscience stats are more prone to
a protagonist can spend one point in order to subdue it. give into their instincts and let them be their guide regard-
This decision has to be made before rolling the dice; once less of the consequences. After all, it’s a conscience that

·
they’ve been rolled, the result must be accepted (page 31). makes us human, but in certain circumstances it can get in
Try again: The rules indicate that if a character fails an the way. Unless the game master says otherwise, only the
action, they cannot try again (for example, trying to in- characters that have a Conscience 6 or less can use Instinct.

34
Those who have Conscience stats at 7 or more are too in- Difficulty Situation
hibited by their system of values and moral standards, so 0 There could be negative consequences for
their animal side is subdued. the character in the long-term, like losing a
When a character is in a stressful or dangerous situation, job or a reputation.
the player can request a challenge of Conscience to let the 1 The consequences can affect the character in
character be guided by their instincts. Use Conscience as a the short-term, like being evicted or let off an
characteristic to determine the action dice (black) used. Add important case.
complementary dice (white) if necessary to complete the set 2 The character is about to receive a savage
of six dice, as usual. The difficulty level depends on how beating or a major social humiliation.
stressful the situation is or the level of real danger that a 3 The character or loved ones are under imme-
character faces, as seen in the following table: diate grave danger, the threat is often death.

If the character loses the challenge of Conscience, then the

character receives one Instinct point. If the results of the Example
complementary dice (white) show a failure (that is to say, a Hans Karup, the chief of police of “the Line,” is on his way
), the character also loses a Conscience point. Inversely, if to church when John Blacksad shoots accusations at him
the character wins the challenge, they gain no Instinct and, and his colleague, Huk. None of them really have an effect
not only that, the character can’t use Instinct points for the on him, except for the one suggesting that Huk is sleeping
rest of the scene. Just like with “Redemption” (page 33), this with Karup’s wife, Jezabel. The player of the chief of po-
challenge also ignores the chart regarding the effects of sur- lice believes it’s a tense situation so he requests a challenge
plus successes or failures (page 23). of Conscience. The difficulty depends on the situation that
As you can see, in this situation, losing the Conscience Karup faces: it’s clearly a social humiliation, which, due to
challenge actually benefits the character, because the his background, is even more serious. So, the game master
Instinct point can be used in their favor, which we see decides that the difficulty level is 2.
later on. In this case, it’s possible to use traits to de- The player rolls as many action dice (black) as Conscience
crease the result of the dice (see page 22). Nevertheless,
points Hans Karup has (5) and as many complementary dice
keep in mind that failing a challenge also implies the
(white) needed to roll six in total: , three
risk of losing some humanity through the possible loss
successes. In this case, Karup’s trait “Proud +1” is directly
of Conscience. Losing this challenge means giving into
related to the situation at hand, so the player invokes it by
the animal side and obtaining advantages from it; while
spending one Drive point in order to reroll the three suc-
winning, on the other hand, represents the triumph of
morality and rational control, which isn’t always the
cesses ( ), and the new result is:
. Now he uses that same trait to turn into to keep only
most effective solution.
one success. So, since the difficulty is 2, the result of the
Even though many instincts are selfish and linked to surviv- challenge is a loss and Hans Karup obtains 1 Instinct point,
al, others can be noble, such as: protecting loved ones or pro- which he keeps for later. Karup orders the fox to see him
tecting individuals we believe to be innocent, like children. after choir practice at church.

35
 The accumulated Instinct points can be used at any time dur-
ing the game to invoke an impulse. An impulse is a special
action where the character’s animal side becomes dominant
· Feline. The character’s body responds like a spring,
enabling them to perform incredible physical acrobat-
ics. The character can overcome a physical challenge of
and makes them act extraordinarily. Generally, an impulse jumping, climbing or even falling without having to roll

·
only affects one single strip (see page 54), but it doesn’t the dice.
count as an action; the character can invoke the correspond- Gut feeling. A hunch helps the character sense the in-
ing impulse and then do the action that benefits them. An nocence or culpability of other people, as if they could
impulse can only be invoked once per action. smell guilt. The character receives a clue about who is
We offer a few impulses in the following example. The game guilty or about any aspect relevant to the investigation,

·
master and the players are free to create new ones, as long as at the game master’s own discretion.
they are balanced with the existing rules. Vigor. The character can act very quickly with amazing

· Fury. Adrenaline surges through the character’s body,

making them lethal in hand-to-hand combat. The char-
acter receives +3 in Fortitude when calculating damage
speed. A second action can be carried out in this strip of
that same page.

Example

·
in their next attack. After choir practice, Hans Karup and Huk are left alone at the
Hardness. The character’s muscles seem to be able to church, where the polar bear can release his bottled up fury
endure any kind of damage. The character can reduce from Blacksad’s revelation. Karup’s player decides to spend the

·
damage from an attack by 10 points. Instinct point he gained previously to invoke an impulse of vig-
Elusive. The character’s reflexes become sharper than or, which allows him to carry out two actions in his strip. With
usual and they enable them to react quickly to any at- the right dice rolls, Karup kicks the fox (first action) and lifts
tack. The character receives +2 to their Defense starting him up to throw him into the church benches (second action).
from this strip until the next strip on the following page
Aspects
·
(see page 40).
Threatening. The character’s presence projects a fear-
Blacksad characters are painted with shades that make them
some predatory aura, which anyone in their presence
perceives as dangerous. The character can intimidate a unique, not only because they’re anthropomorphic animals,
secondary character without having to roll the dice, or but also because they have a series of facts that speak to their
they can receive two automatic successes in an attempt background.

·
to intimidate a protagonist (see page 50). In roleplaying, this is represented as aspects. Aspects de-
Bewitch. Pheromones fire off and the character becomes scribe how characters act and present themselves in different
irresistible to anyone sexually receptive. The character scenes, the details in a particular setting and the background
can seduce any secondary character without having to and tone of the story. These aspects aren’t just descriptive
roll the dice and can receive two automatic successes if elements, rather, they synthesize in a sentence a story of the
they attempt to seduce a protagonist (see page 48). characters and the condition they are at or have been to.

36
We’ve categorized four kinds of aspects from the char- Implicit aspects
acter’s point of view: personal aspects (belonging to that
The implicit aspects are all of those aspects not directly men-
character), external aspects (which belong to other char- tioned; instead, they’re implied in the narration. With the
acters, protagonists and secondary characters), situation game master’s assistance, these aspects are used the same
aspects (belonging to the scenes and situations that the way as other aspects. For example, if the characters are tak-
characters experience) and implicit aspects (implied even ing a walk at night by the harbor, you don’t have to specify
though they aren’t specified). that it’s dark out, that there are containers to hide in or that
the atmosphere is humid: all of these aspects are implied be-
Personal aspects cause of the situation of them being at the harbor at night.

We can find these aspects on our character sheet, such as the

Use of aspects
concept, traits, milestones and complication. Aspects grant
Aspects have two main functions: allowing the game mas-
characters with all kinds of shades and complexity. They are
ter and the players to interact with the story in a more vivid
mostly narrative elements, although they can also be used to
manner, getting them directly involved, and the other is to
improve some of our character’s actions. If your character serve as a tool to obtain certain advantages.
is a polar bear, the chief of police and a racist (like Hans
Karup), we can deduce from the aspects that he’s strong and The first function is already implied in the personal aspects.
Just one look allows us to capture the important peculiarities
fierce (because of his species), with a high social status (be-
of the characters, objects and the environment, while having
cause of his occupation) and that he judges people based on
more fun bringing them into play.
their race (his circumstance).
The second function is carried out by the invocation of as-
External aspects pects. A player can invoke an aspect to create a series of ad-
vantages, as long as the following factors are fulfilled: firstly,
These aspects are similar to personal aspects, only that the invocation of the aspect has a narrative cause (that is to
they’re applied to the other characters (including the sec- say, the use is relevant), the aspect also has to be available for
ondary characters). The same way personal aspects express invocation and, finally, the player must spend one Drive point.
a character’s complexity, external aspects give details about
If these factors are met and the players along with the game
other characters.
master reach a common consensus, the aspect can be in-
voked to gain one of the following effects:
Situation aspects
Scenes and situations that surround the characters also have
aspects that showcase their unique nature. Situation aspects
· Positively affect a personal dice roll: The player can
reroll any dice they want from their current dice roll.
Also, the result of a in action dice and complementa-
allow us to describe the places our characters go to, the ob- ry dice are now considered two successes, instead of
jects they interact with and even the climate that fills the one, like what usually happens with tension dice (red).
scene. Any descriptor used by the game master to describe As we explained on page 22, tension dice cannot be re-
an action or the scenery can be considered a situation aspect. rolled when invoking an aspect.

37
 Example If at any moment the invocation of an aspect negatively af-
The example of page 22, where Blacksad was searching for fects a protagonist, said protagonist receives a Drive point.
clues in Leon Kronski’s apartment, his player invoked the This includes the way the game master makes use of aspects:
milestone, “The only job he’s kept is being a private detec- secondary characters do not have Drive stats and the game
tive,” to reroll the action dice (black), which resulted in master is free to invoke aspects without having to spend any
and the three complementary dice (white). The new results of these points. However, the protagonist negatively affect-
were: . If the result had been a or a , it ed by how the game master uses an aspect receives a Drive
would have been a double success. point.

· Negatively affecting the dice roll: The player forces

an opponent (or their own protagonist, if failing the roll
benefits them, like in the case of “Instinct,” page 34) to
Complications
Generally, in film noir and particularly in Blacksad, the
characters not only have to fight against their enemies or
reroll the dice the player chooses. Also, in that dice roll,
struggle with solving enigmas, they also have to fight with
the results of in action dice are considered failures
themselves and their own weaknesses. As we have seen in
that nullify successes, like what usually happens with
Chapter 1: Characters (page 16), the protagonists have a
complementary dice and tension dice . Once again,
complication, which is considered an aspect for the purpose
tension dice cannot be rerolled.
of the game rules.
Example
A protagonist that becomes negatively affected when in-
In the example on page 26, when John Blacksad runs to voking a complication receives one Drive point in the usual
save his friend, Otto Liebber, from the explosion in the park- way. However, in this case, the affected player can reject the
ing lot, during the last extended action dice roll, the game Drive point and spend one of their own to avoid said invoca-
master invoked the temporary aspect, “Liebber cannot hear tion, which shows the protagonist living with this limitation
him,” the result from the previous dice roll. The player had and occasionally overcoming it.
to reroll the successes. The new results were: . If
one of the results of action dice had been a , the die would
have been a failure, nullifying a success. Combat
· Adding a narrative element to the scene: The player can
introduce an element to the story related to the invoked aspect.
One of the most important elements in the Blacksad stories
is combat. Some examples include when Blacksad faced
the lizard man in the middle of a street covered with fog or
Example when Chad Lowell shot his friend Abraham Greenberg in
The coward Samuel Gotfield has sold out to Senator Gallo an outburst of rage. Violence is one of the key ingredients
and confessed the whereabouts of the Twelve Apostles. The in the noir genre, and in the Blacksad roleplaying game
FBI quickly rushes to the location, but John Blacksad arrives we have opted for a quick system to represent this. This
just in time to see them arresting people. Blacksad wants to system uses the basic game mechanics we’ve seen and uti-
rescue Alma Mayer, but how can he do this without making lizes the same concepts. Generally, combats are resolved
a scene? The player spends a Drive point and declares that through challenges with difficulty defined by the Defense
Blacksad has an FBI badge with his fake name. This badge of the target. To understand better how an action is carried
allows him to impersonate an FBI agent and flee with Alma out, the combat is divided into a series of sequences that
without having to face Cougar and his colleagues. define time in the scene.

38
Combat sequence they want. On the other hand, if they want to delay their
In a combat sequence, the characters attack and respond action, spending a point isn’t necessary. In any case, the
to the attacks they receive. The combat sequence allows order is reestablished in the following page. In the sur-
us to encapsulate the combat in pages, much like a comic prise page, the surprised characters do not participate
book. Each page is divided into strips, which correspond and, therefore, cannot take action.
to each character’s turn. Thus, a page is made up of strips 3. Once all of the characters have had their strip and have
of each turn and, once everyone has taken an action, it carried out their action or actions, the page ends and a
moves on to the next page. A page is a way to measure new one begins: the character with the highest Initiative
time in an abstract manner and is equivalent to five to ten acts once again and steps 2 and 3 repeat until the end of
seconds in the game’s story. Each strip is a fraction of the combat.
this time range and many successive strips can practically
occur at once, but they are sequentially resolved to make Initiative
it simpler. The basic combat sequence develops in the fol-
Initiative stats are fixed values determined by adding the
lowing manner:
character’s Intellect and Reflexes. This means that, under
1. The game master decides which characters are aware of normal circumstances, the characters act in the same order.
the presence of their opponents. If the combat has fight-
If a protagonist and a secondary character happen to have the
ers unaware of their opponents, an initial page of sur-
same Initiative, the protagonist decides who gets to act first
prise is created before starting normal combat. On this
on each page. If the characters happen to reach an impasse or
surprise page, only the characters aware of combat have
if we are dealing with only secondary characters, the game
a strip; those surprised cannot act yet. If all of the char-
master decides the order of the strips.
acters are aware of their opponents, the surprise page
doesn’t exist and combat directly starts on a normal page Nevertheless, during a combat page, anyone can spend one
where all characters have their strips to act. Drive point to give their protagonist a head start and act
2. On a page, characters act in turns and in order based before their turn. When many players decide to get a head
on their Initiative. If one of them wants to get a head start, the one who acts first is the one who declared head
start, they can spend one Drive point to act whenever start first.

39
 Example Example
After the explosion in the parking lot, John Blacksad chases Blacksad pounces on Ribs to knock him down. Blacksad’s
down the one responsible: the crocodile hitman called Ribs, player rolls the dice, taking into account that Blacksad has
who is standing in front of a shoe store window when Black- Reflexes 4: . Ribs’ Defense is 2, so the player
sad gets to him. Both of their Initiative stats are compared: uses Blacksad’s trait “Street fight +2” to turn the into a
they have the same, 7. Since Ribs is a secondary charac- and guarantee at least one success. Blacksad and Ribs crash
ter, Blacksad’s player gets to decide who acts first, and, of into the store, but the cat gets punctured by “Shattered glass
course, picks Blacksad. from the store window” in the form of a temporary aspect.

Attack Long-range attacks

The attack action should be, according to the logic explained Unlike what happens in hand-to-hand combat, with long-
previously in the section “Basic mechanics,” a conflict (see range attacks there exists another factor that must be con-
page 24). However, to reduce the number of dice rolls and sidered when determining the difficulty of the attack: the
to keep combat thrilling and brief, it is resolved like a chal- distance between the assailant and the target.
lenge. Additionally, one single dice roll determines if the at- In Blacksad we have simplified distance in an abstract way
tack has an impact and how much damage it inflicts. into four categories: immediate reach, short, average and
long. Melee weapons are used for close combat and can only
To perform an attack, we use the character’s Reflexes
be used at immediate reach, that is to say, when the attacker
along with a trait that seems appropriate. As opposed to
and the target are at a touching distance, while long-range
other challenges, the difficulty of dice rolls isn’t a value
weapons can be used in the other categories, depending on
fixed by the game master, rather it is determined by the
the weapon. You can see the weapons and their reach in the
target. The difficulty of an attack corresponds to the tar-
“Attack and weapons” table.
get’s Defense, since it’s presumed that the target defends
itself. If by any chance the target isn’t defending itself, the The distance between the shooter and target is added to the
Defense would be 0. target’s Defense, according to the table on page 41:

Like in any challenge, the character rolls the dice, rerolls if Remember that the target’s Defense is 0 if they aren’t aware
there exists the possibility to do so, applies the appropriate of being targeted. This is important, because it’s hard for
trait and, last but not least, adds up the successes. Remember characters at an average or long distance to know they are
that the target’s Defense is the attack’s difficulty, hence, the being attacked until it’s too late.
failures nullify the successes of that dice roll. If the final re-
sult has one or more successes, the attack has landed and the Damage
harm inflicted depends on the number of successes obtained When an attack succeeds, it’s time to determine the damage.
(see page 41). This depends on the surplus successes in the attack dice roll

40
(after discarding those nullified by failures, including the To represent this, the characters and some objects can pos-
target’s Defense, which as we recall, acts as extra failures). sess Protection. A leather jacket or a tough polar bear skin
Each success inflicts damage depending on the kind of attack could give 1 Protection point, a thick jacket made of furs
performed, as seen on the next chart. Remember that a or scaly skin like that of a crocodile gives 2 points, a brick
on a tension die equals two successes, so it inflicts double wall a 4 and a metal plate, 5 or more. Characters with Pro-
damage. By game master choice, a result of “No, but…” (a tection subtract those points from the total damage inflicted
balance of zero between success and failure) could be con- upon them.
sidered a scratch instead of a failure with a temporary posi-
tive aspect. A scratch only inflicts half of the damage shown Natural and external protections don’t wear away because
on the chart, rounded down. this game doesn’t intend on being simulationist. We con-
sider that during a brawl, the gunshots, blows, stabs and
Example other strikes don’t always hit the same place. The game
In the example of the brawl between Ribs and Blacksad, the master can decide, however, on any wearing away de-
private detective hit the crocodile with a single success (the pending on the situation or if parts of the body remain
dice roll originally had three successes, but when Rib’s De- unprotected (like a bulletproof vest, which was still un-
fense discarded 2, there left only one success to inflict dam- safe in Blacksad’s time and its use not very common).
age). Since this combat is without weapons, each success Moreover, if a character has many different sources of
produces as many damage points as the character’s Forti- protection, they aren’t added together. Instead, the highest
tude value (in Blacksad’s case, 3). The total damage of this value is the only one taken into account to determine the
attack is 3. If Blacksad had got one more success, he would total Protection.
have inflicted 3+3=6 damage points.
Attack or weapon Damage Reach
Protection No weapons Fortitude Immediate
In this game, a gunshot could end with the dramatic death of Knife Fortitude+1 Immediate
your character. Generally, the characters don’t wear armor, Saber, sword Fortitude+2 Immediate
but they can wear thicker clothing, take cover or have unusu-
Shotgun 10 10 Short
ally tough skin (see page 15).
Shotgun 12 9 Short
Reach Distance Defense Hand gun .22 6 Average
Immediate Less than 3 m +0 Hand gun .38 7 Average
Short 3 to 20 m +1 Hand gun .45 8 Average
Average 21 to 50 m +2 Rifle 8 Long
Long 51 to 200 m +3 Hunting rifle 10 Long

41
 Example so the player spends a Drive point to invoke “They got out
Ribs has very tough crocodile skin that gives him Protection of the car,” left over from the extended action to reroll the
1. This value is subtracted from the damage inflicted upon and . The new result is: , five successes.
him by Blacksad, 3 − 1 = 2, and that’s the total result of The player now uses the trait “Feline agility” +2 to improve
damage points subtracted from his Resistance points. the 2 to a 4 and turn it into another success. This way, the
final result is made up of two successes and Blacksad doesn’t
Other sources of damage suffer any harm.
Sometimes, characters not only have to face other characters, The game master rolls for Liebber: . The
they also have to face other sources of damage, such as fire, three successes ( ) subtract from the four failures for
explosions, falls and poisons. When a character encounters a difficulty, which results in a single failure. Liebber doesn’t
source of damage that isn’t the consequence of another char-
escape harm from the explosion, the equivalent to a car
acter’s action in combat, it is resolved similarly to a chal-
bomb, inflicting 10 damage points (10 × 1 failure). However,
lenge: the game master establishes a difficulty according to
he receives a positive aspect, “Near death experience.”
the gravity of the damage by using the following chart as a
guide. The player must roll the dice for their Reflexes (for As you can see, damage can prove to be very lethal. Use
fire, falls and explosions) or Fortitude (for poisons). these tables as a guide to their effects and as a ruler to create
other kinds of threats.
If the character overcomes the challenge, they have escaped
the harm without any side effects other than a scare and the
mess it might have caused. If, on the contrary, they don’t Health
overcome it, the character suffers damage depending on the
number of failures of the dice roll: if there are no failures, In the violent stories of film noir, the lives of the characters
the damage is equivalent to half the corresponding damage always hang by a thread. An argument can unleash a violent
of the source; if they obtain one or more failures, the damage bar fight with broken bottles, and a chase can culminate into
is equal to the source damage multiplied by the number of deadly gunfire. The violence in Blacksad is very present and,
failures. therefore, so is mortality.

Example Danger Difficulty Example

In the example from page 26, Blacksad rushes to get Otto Minor 1 Marked with an incandescent
Liebber out of the parking lot, which is about to be blown branding iron.
to pieces. He gets him out of his car but time has run out: Normal 2 Pushed into a small bonfire.
a huge explosion occurs inside the parking lot. Blacksad’s Grave 3 Leaping off a moving car.
player must make a roll for Reflexes. The result is: Critical 4 A nearby explosion.
, three successes. The explosion has a difficulty of 4,

42
 Once the character has time to rest, like in-between scenes,
COMBAT NARRATION Resistance points are completely recovered.
IN BLACKSAD: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME, THE NARRATION
OF SCENES AND COMBAT BECOMES IMPORTANT, BECAUSE In combat, a protagonist can spend a Drive point during their
THEY BRING THE SENSATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL COMIC strip to regain half of the Resistance points lost from a source
TO THE GAME TABLE. THE GAME MASTER AND THE PLAY- of damage, even if the protagonist is unconscious.
ERS MUST DESCRIBE AT LENGTH WHAT THEIR CHARAC-
TERS DO AND WHAT HAPPENS AROUND THEM. THE CIGA-
RETTE SMOKE THAT FOGS THE DARK CORNERS OF JAZZ
Health and injury stats
‘N FUN, THE TEARING OF A LOCK OF HAIR AS A SIGN OF Even though reducing Resistance points is the main effect of dam-
INTIMIDATION OR THE PLEASING WIND IN YOUR FACE WHILE age, as we’ve seen in the previous section, sometimes characters
YOU SPEED DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN A CONVERTIBLE.
can receive a little more than bruises. Injuries represent real dam-
WHEN YOU INVOKE AN ASPECT IN COMBAT, USE OF YOUR age, grave wounds, broken bones, bleeding, ruptured organs…
IMAGINATION TO DESCRIBE THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT
INVOCATION IN A RELEVANT MANNER. FOR EXAMPLE, Every time a character receives damage from an attack, the
WEEKLY COULD MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVE A LETHAL GUN- inflicted damage must be compared to their Endurance. If the
SHOT THANKS TO HIS CAMERA, WHICH HAPPENED TO BE damage is less than said value, it then produces a loss of Re-
IN THE EXACT SPOT WHERE THE BULLET HIT. FOR THIS THE
sistance points and nothing more: it’s not serious enough to
PLAYER WOULD HAVE ACTIVATED THE ASPECT, “JOURNAL-
IST,” TO FOIL THE ATTACKER’S DICE ROLL.
injure the character. However, if the damage is equal to their
Endurance or more, it produces additional injury.

The gravity of an injury is determined by how many times

Resistance stats the damage surpasses the character’s Endurance. If it’s the
same or more, but not double, it’s a minor injury. If it doubles
Resistance represents the character’s vigor and resilience to
Endurance, without being tripled, it’s a serious injury and
physical harm, and is usually the value of triple their Endur- so on and so forth. The table on page 45 shows the kind of
ance. When a character suffers damage, these must be sub- injury inflicted based on the damage.
tracted from their Resistance points.
When a character receives an injury, their health bar advanc-
For the purpose of the game, a character does not suffer pen- es towards their death a number of times based on the gravity
alties when their Resistance drops: it is an abstract measure- of the injury. So, if the character suffers a serious injury, the
ment of how much a character can endure until they yield. health bar advances two levels from being Healthy to be-
So, when it reaches 0, the character becomes unconscious. ing Injured. If the character then receives a minor injury, the
health bar moves to Badly Injured.

·
Resistance points represent exhaustion, pain and shock more
than real harm or injuries (see the next section for more infor- Healthy: The character is in good shape and hasn’t suf-
mation about this), in such a way that they recover quickly. fered any kind of serious injury.

43
 · Bruised: The character is harmed, but it isn’t a major First aid and injury recovery

·
injury so they can act normally.
In the Blacksad comics, characters die dramatically and only
Injured: The character is seriously wounded. All of a few recover from their injuries (usually the main charac-
their actions have an automatic failure added to their ters, such as Blacksad and Weekly).
dice rolls. While Injured, the highest value of Resistance
First, remember that Resistance points recover to their max-

·
points they can have are double their Endurance points.
imum value with a resting scene, but keep in mind that this
Badly Injured: The character has multiple injuries and
depends on the character’s state of health (see the list on
possibly even a bone fracture or a damaged organ. They
page 45).
receive two automatic failures in all of their actions and,
while in this state, they cannot have Resistance higher In relation to injuries, this becomes a little more complicat-

·
than their Endurance. ed. A character needs rest and medical care to recover from
Dying: The character’s life hangs by a thread because of these injuries. According to the character’s state of health,
their injuries. The injuries won’t stop bleeding and their recovery is more or less slow or complicated. The moment
body might very well have reached its limit. The char- a character is injured, they can receive first aid to reduce the
acter only has a few seconds to say their last words and gravity of the injury. The character that provides aid must
will inevitably die if someone doesn’t do something fast. overcome a challenge of Intellect at a difficulty determined
by the suffered injury, according to the following table.
Example
A character can only receive first aid one time per injury, no
Otto Liebber survives the explosion at the parking lot but
matter the result. If the challenge is overcome, the severity of
he doesn’t escape unscathed. He receives 10 damage points,
the injury is reduced one level and therefore, the character’s
which is two times his Endurance. He receives a serious in-
health improves by one level. This is the only way a charac-
jury and his health meter advances two levels, until reaching
ter can recover from a Dying state.
“Injured.” Even if he rests, the maximum number of Resist-
ance points he can have is double his Endurance, 10. After some time, depending on the state of their health, the
character should attempt a test of recovery: a challenge of
Like we said on page 34, one of the uses for Drive points is to
Fortitude. Both time and difficulty depends on the charac-
reduce the gravity of an injury: spending one Drive point per
ter’s health level, as you can see in the next chart.
level so the inflicted injury becomes mere superficial dam-
age and only a loss of Resistance points. So, a grave injury If the character succeeds, they recover one health level and
can become a serious injury by spending one Drive point, go back to being on the previous level. The character then
to minor by spending two points or completely ignored by lets the corresponding time pass before getting into the next
spending three points. This does not affect the loss of Resist- test. If the result of the dice roll doesn’t overcome the chal-
ance points; instead it keeps the inflicted damage from being lenge, the character stays in their current condition.
serious, with only pain and shock, which passes as soon as For the character’s recovery to go well, they must be resting
the character rests. most of the time, without exerting themselves and follow-
ing adequate hygiene and health precautions: like changing
Consequences bandages, cleaning wounds… If this isn’t done, the character
Characters that have reached the Dying state and have been able acquires the aspect, “Inadequate care,” or similar, which the
to recover do not do so entirely. A character that recovers from game master can invoke when the character does a test of
this state receives a new complication related to the cause of that recovery. In the same way if a character recovers in a hospi-
received injury, such as losing an arm or eye or getting a perma- tal, medicated and tended to appropriately, they receive the
nent limp. This new complication can be invoked the usual way aspect, “Under medical supervision,” which can be invoked
by following the invocation rules for aspects (page 36). for their benefit when doing the test.

Fire Explosions Falls Poisons Damage

Minor explosion Small bomb 3m Viper 6
Average explosion Dynamite 6m Hemlock 8
Big explosion Car bomb 9m Cyanide 10
Total explosion Gas station explosion 12 m Botulinum toxin 12

44
Example Blacksad’s player does the test for recovery: , one
Just when he discovers the whereabouts of Leon Kronski, the success, but the detective slept on an uncomfortable and rick-
most recent lover of the murdered Natalia Wilford, John Black- ety bed in a filthy cell and hasn’t even cleaned his wounds.
sad is brutally beaten by two hired thugs. Even though he tries to Because of this, the game master invokes the aspect, “Inad-
return the blows, they outnumber and easily subdue him. Black- equate care,” giving one Drive point to the character and
sad takes a minor injury: when one of the thugs pounded his forcing him to reroll the die with a success ( ), which turns
face against a stone grave, it inflicted damage that surpassed into a , a failure. Since Blacksad has the aspect “Resistant
his Endurance (6), but still less than double. The minor injury +2,” his player uses it to increase the to a and gets the
changes the character from Healthy to Bruised (see page 44), success he needs. Blacksad goes to a previous health state,
and, since Blacksad doesn’t receive any immediate medical at- Healthy. He still has some scratches, but he’s recovered from
tention, actually quite the opposite, he must spend a day resting his injuries, at least the physical ones.
in order to recover. When he’s about to reach his apartment, the
cops take him to a cell where he sleeps all night.

Kind of Health
Other game mechanics
Inflicted damage
injury level
Less than Endurance None 0 Chases
Equal or more than Endurance Minor 1 When the FBI agents run down the green Beetle driven by
Equal or more than Endurance ×2 Serious 2 John Blacksad and Neal Beato (or so they think) or when
Equal or more than Endurance ×3 Grave 3 Blacksad pursues the masked man down through the streets
of New Orleans, the readers experience all that unleashed
Equal or more than Endurance ×4 Lethal 4
adrenaline in these chases.

45
 Injury Difficulty
Minor 0
Serious 1
Grave 2
Lethal 3

Health levels Time Difficulty

Bruised One day 0
Injured One week 1
Badly injured One month 2

To represent this, the game uses an abstract chase system and

categorizes the characters into four types of basic distances:

· Short. The characters can almost touch. They are a few

·
inches from pushing each other or even grabbing each other.
Average. The characters are about twelve footsteps apart

·
from each other. They could reach each other if they sprint.
Long. There’s a considerable distance between the charac-

·
ters (many feet), but visual contact hasn’t been lost.
Very long. Characters have lost visual contact, but there’s a
trail left behind that can be followed to continue the chase.
Every time a chase comes into play, the game master determines
what initial distance the characters find themselves. From this
moment, those involved carry out Reflexes conflicts to deter-
mine if the distance becomes shorter or increases. Every time
the chaser wins, one level of distance is reduced until reaching
short distance, when the pursuer can then try to catch the runner
with a new conflict of Fortitude (pursuer) against Reflexes (run-
ner), if the chase is on foot. In a car chase, players roll Reflexes
against Reflexes. If the pursuer wins, the chase ends, but if the
runner wins, the distance once again increases.

But if the runner is the one that wins a conflict, the distance in-
creases by one level. If they manage to increase the distance past
“very long,” it means they finally escape their pursuer.

Example
The FBI agents Cougar and Coyote are determined to catch John
Blacksad for the murder of Abraham Greenberg and the disruption
of public safety. After the failed attempt to arrest him at the Sunflow-
er Circus and seeing how the green Beetle is getting away at full
speed, the agents get in their dark blue Buick and start a car chase.

The game master determines that the distance from where the blue
Buick starts off to the Beetle (supposedly with Blacksad) covers a
long distance, given that even though the agents can see the car,
they are many feet away. The driver is Cougar so his player rolls

46
the dice in the conflict of Reflexes: , two success-
es. The game master, in secret, asks Blacksad’s player to roll the
dice so that the agents’ players still believe it’s the cat driving the
Beetle. With the action dice corresponding to Filipe Papaleguas,
the true driver, he rolls: (because the correct thing is
for Papaleguas to give himself up) , a success. Papaleguas’
success is subtracted from the agents’ resulting in a success that
benefits the agents: Cougar and Coyote reduce the distance to av-
erage, but they acquire the temporary negative aspect, “Driving
on the edge of a gorge.”

Now it’s time for the second conflict to try and reduce the dis-
tance to short, but since they have a temporary negative as-
pect, Coyote decides to carry out a support action to make
it easier for Cougar. Coyote shoots the Beetle’s tires with his
M1911. This is also a Reflexes conflict of Coyote trying to hit
the target and Papaleguas trying to dodge the bullets. Coyote’s
player rolls the dice: , and she uses the aspect,
“Good shot +1,” to improve the to a and turn it into
another success, making them four in total. Blacksad’s player
rolls the dice for Papaleguas: , a success. The
difference between the successes of the first and the second is
three, which will be the number of dice that Cougar’s player
can reroll when he rolls for the car chase conflict. Coyote hits
the target on the Beetle’s back tire and inflicts the temporary
negative aspect, “Flat tire.”

It’s time to see if the agents can get closer to their target. Cou-
gar’s player rolls: . Thanks to Coyote’s support,
he can reroll three dice, and chooses , because he has
a better chance at getting a success with action dice than with
complementary dice. The new results are: , two
successes. Blacksad’s player rolls the dice: .
Fortunately for the agents, their players can invoke the aspect,
“Flat tire.” Cougar’s player pays one Drive point to Blacksad’s
player (which goes to the game master, because the real charac-
ter is Papaleguas), and he must reroll the action dice: . No
success, because since the aspect affected the roll negatively, the
nullifies failures like a complementary or tension die does, so
the becomes discarded. Cougar wins this second conflict and
the distance between both cars reduces to short.

At this moment, Cougar can try to force the Beetle to stop. Since
it’s a chase between two vehicles, the conflict is once again about
Reflexes. The result of Cougar’s player is: ,
two successes; Blacksad’s player: , one success.
The result benefits the agents by one success, so they are able
to stop the car, but they get a temporary negative aspect, “Car
crashed into some trees.” Cougar and Coyote approach the Bee-
tle to arrest Blacksad, but then they see who the driver really is…

47
 Seduction receives two automatic failures every time they attempt to
seduce this victim.
Using desire to manipulate others is one of the clichés of film
noir. Moved by baser instincts, a character can be bewitched The attempts of seduction are considered to be unequal
by another who controls them on a whim like a marionette. conflicts (page 24), meaning whatever the seducer tries to
We aren’t talking about seduction in romantic terms. We achieve works as an additional difficulty when rolling for
aren’t talking about love or falling in love; these matters can the conflict of Willpower. Of course, the more risky and
be entirely up to the narrative. We are talking about the dark dangerous the seduction, the more difficult it becomes to
side of seduction: emotional manipulation and the use of sex succeed.
as a technique for manipulation.
Seduction is a process that prolongs through time. Every at-
Resisting the charms of another character is a matter of tempt of successful seduction gives the seducer an automatic
Willpower, technically considered a temptation (page 31), and accumulative success for the following tests of seducing
but in a conflict. Just like with temptations, if the conflict the same person. These accumulative successes aren’t lost
is lost and there exists at least one failure (a result of ) in with failed attempts: the victim simply doesn’t take the bait
the complementary dice (white), the victim loses one Con- that time, but the attraction remains. Exceptionally, if the vic-
science point. Protagonists can also spend a Drive point to tim accumulates three consecutive successes, the influence
avoid being seduced.
the seducer has over them vanishes and the automatic suc-
When a character tries to seduce another, this character must cesses are then eliminated. The victim afterwards achieves
offer something that covers an existing need (affection, un- the aspect, “Free from their influence,” “Disenchantment” or
derstanding or more often than not, sex) in order to get the whatever corresponds. It’s up to the game master to decide
victim to do something. It’s important to mention that there how often a conflict of seduction can be carried out: some
must be at least some attraction for this seduction to work. affairs are very quick and intense, but an appropriate fre-
If the victim does not find the other attractive, the seducer quency would be once a week.

48
Keep in mind that seducing someone is not magic; it’s a pro- though for now she doesn’t seem to be getting much out of it,
cess of emotional blackmail, subtle and unsubtle manipula- each successful conflict turns into an automatic success for the
tion. Seduced characters don’t act hypnotized or like zom- next, successes she will use to convince Huk to do something
bies without a brain who only take orders; what they do is act terrible: to arrange the kidnapping of the child, Kaylie.
on behalf of the seducer in any way possible, trying to please
them and do what they are asked to do. This objective gives Jezabel’s player three failures for diffi-
culty, but since she has four accumulated successes from the
Example previous conflicts, the failure disappears and in their place
Jezabel Karup has noticed that due to Huk’s interest in her, stays an automatic success. It’s time to roll the dice:
he’s the perfect person to carry out her plans. If she gains , out of which only the is a success, and a double
his trust, he could get rid of Hans Karup. But first she must success at that. This is added to the automatic success of
seduce him with a conflict of Willpower. The difficulty is 0, how “seduced” the fox is. Huk’s result is: ,
because Jezabel is only spending time with Huk to clear a success which nullifies one of Jezabel’s (which are now two
the ground for her seduction. Her player rolls the dice: successes). Also, since he rolled a with the complemen-
(her intention is clearly immoral) , the result tary dice (white), Huk loses one Conscience point. Jezabel
has three successes. Huk’s player obtains: . wins again: the fox is completely willing to arrange the plan.
There are no successes in this last dice roll, so Jezabel wins. Her vengeance is one step closer.
Huk becomes smitten by her charm and Jezabel obtains the
temporary aspect, “Irresistible,” applicable to their rela- Difficulty Example of an objective
tionship. 0 None, just to spend some time together.
1 Cheating on a current partner.
Every few days for a brief period of time, Jezabel keeps on
seducing Huk, sleeping with him and making him more vul- 2 A minor felonious act. Leaving a current
nerable to her. For the purpose of the game, this translates to partner.
three successive conflicts of Willpower. Thanks to luck and the 3 Stealing from someone dangerous.
aspect, “Irresistible,” the new results benefit Jezabel. Even 4 Murder.

49
 Intimidation nents subject to the intimidation, you only roll with the high-
est Willpower stat of the group and the result is considered
One look can be as lethal as a bullet. Well, maybe not like a
the morale of the group. If the one intimidating loses, the
bullet, but it can be pretty lethal. Petrifying others with your
attempt has failed and they cannot try it again with the same
intimidation, beaming with a terrible presence and strength,
characters for the rest of the scene. If there’s a victory, the
is a good way to reduce a combat to a simple glaring duel or
intimidated characters receive a +1 to the difficulty of their
to start one by demoralizing the opponents.
next action against the character for every success obtained.
Intimidating an opponent requires a conflict of Willpower. They also gain the aspect, “Intimidated,” which lasts the en-
At first, the difficulty for the one intimidating is 1, but it can tire scene. By game master choice, a pitiful performance by
change based on the following: the intimidator can make that aspect disappear. On the con-

· The character is physically superior to their opponent

trary, if the conflict has been lost but the one intimidating
performs effectively, the game master can allow the player

·
(surpassing with at least 2 Fortitude): −1.
to make a new test of intimidation.
The character is physically inferior to their opponent

··
(they are surpassed by at least 2 Fortitude): +1. Example
The character has a reputation in their favor: −1. Working as a bodyguard for Hewitt Mandeline, John Black-

··
The character has a reputation that does not favor them: +1 sad has to deal with con artists and petty thieves of little
They exceed the character in numbers: +1 standing, which he can get rid of with a mere glare or a
tugging of the ears. One of those cases is at a poker game

·
They exceed the character in armor: +1
in Las Vegas where luck, as always, smiles at Mandeline.
The character exceeds the other in armor: −1
Refusing to lose at the game, one of the gamblers (a hare)
These difficulties can accumulate, but, in any case, the diffi- takes all the money he can from the poker table and flees
culty cannot be less than 0 or more than 4. the room, only to bump into Blacksad standing watch by the
Once established, the difficulty counts as failures in a usual door. A physical fight won’t even be necessary: Blacksad
dice roll, and the conflict is resolved. If there are many oppo- will intimidate him.

50
Since he is physically superior to his opponent (Blacksad’s
Fortitude is a 3, while the hare’s is a 1), the initial difficulty
of the conflict is reduced to 0. Blacksad’s player rolls the
dice: , one success in total. The game mas-
ter rolls for the hare: (because he is trying to get
away with money that doesn’t belong to him) . One of
the tension dice failures nullifies the success (even if it’s a
double success, one failure is enough to nullify it) and the re-
maining failure improves Blacksad’s result to two successes.
The hare is frightened by the detective and returns the money
to Mandeline.

51
 CHAPTER 3:

SCRIPT

There are two main techniques used in roleplaying games to tell a story:
narrating and roleplaying. Narrating describes events and occurrences,
scenes and characters that the protagonists come across, though in truth
the game’s rules determine some events. The other technique, roleplaying,
is a more straightforward way to express a character’s personality and
allows players to get into the shoes of their respective characters.

52
 The player has decided on their own to risk introducing a detail
Narration to the story: one of the musicians knows Harry. Is this allowed?
No one can argue that the responsibility of a comic’s story- Of course! The game master has the last say when accepting or
telling falls to the scriptwriter, who develops the plot and puts denying the players’ contributions but the idea is to only reject
words into the mouths of the characters, and the illustrator, who ideas that are incoherent or might be disruptive to the proposed
describes every action through images along with subtle details main plot. Sometimes, when the contribution is especially ad-
like the non-verbal body language of the protagonists. Both vantageous for the players, the game master may request one
scriptwriter and illustrator are so intertwined that it is difficult or more Drive points in exchange.
to use them as a metaphor when explaining how to narrate a Another example: the protagonists are meeting at the basement
roleplaying game. Who illustrates the roleplaying game? Who of one of their homes to plan a robbery. In this case, if the game
writes the script? master grants the opportunity, the player whose character owns
Just like an improv exercise, in a roleplaying game there is no the house can describe where they live:
script: one person, the game master, offers a series of guide- “You see a rusty old piano huddled in the back,” the player ex-
lines (a setting, an initial situation, some secondary characters, plains. “The kitchen sink is piled with dirty dishes and on the floor
a conflict...) and some performers, the players, improvise ac- next to the fridge are a multitude of empty bottles of whisky. The
cording to those guidelines. The responsibility of the narra- basement is full of junk, a dusty crib and many other items that
tive in roleplaying is, therefore, also shared. The game master could suggest at some point there used to be a child in the house.”
guides the players’ improvisation and ensures the narration
With this, the player slipped in a detail about their character’s
remains coherent (at least under the premise that has been pro-
backstory. Later on in the story it could be discovered, for ex-
posed). But everyone, game master and players, contributes
ample, that the baby had died in their sleep and their spouse
elements to the narrative.
left, leading them to alcoholism. The characters’ backstories
One example: the protagonists get to a club to meet a contact become the unifying thread of their adventures, and these de-
claiming to have information about the case they’re investigat- tails make the game’s world a more believable setting.
ing. Traditionally, the game master describes what they see as
The balance of how much the game master and players contribute
they enter the club: to the narrative is a matter of taste. If we grant the game master
“It’s a club full of smoke in which many dozens of regulars with more narrative responsibility, the players can experience the
crowd together around a stage where a jazz band is playing story first-hand, as if it was really happening to them. If, on the
noisily. Your contact sits at a lonely table, in a dark corner.” other hand, we grant this responsibility to the players, the authori-
ty in the story merges into a purely collective creation.
But immediately the players react and describe their characters’
actions: If you’re reading this chapter intending to be the game master,
you can choose the level of narrative responsibility that you see
“It seemed like ages since Harry last set foot in The One- fit. If you reach an agreement with your group first, though, you
Armed Pianist,” says one of the players. “Not since that can all be on the same page from the start. According to the se-
night she confessed there was someone else. Maybe that’s lected style, the game master has more or less influence on the
the reason why he stumbles and bumps into everyone as he story but in both cases, they always have the last say. Even though
reaches the informer’s table, as if sleepwalking. One of the contributions made by the players are always welcome, the game
musicians playing on stage greets him.” master has to decide if a contribution fits the style of the game.

53
 game master can jump to the next scene by saying something
Narrative elements along the lines of “the next morning” or “what are your charac-
In Chapter 2: Rules, we mentioned elements used to struc- ters going to do that night?”
ture the game, specifically in combat. Just like in movies with
Of course, narration isn’t always done in real time. If we want
shots, scenes and sequences, a comic book has strips, pages
to emulate a common scene with the protagonists traveling
and chapters. But even though these elements have a purpose
somewhere or how they gather all of the equipment they need
in the rules, they are mostly narrative elements.
for the robbery, the way to do that is by using voice-over:
The minimum narrative element of this game is the strip. In a
“The protagonists had all the necessary equipment at hand,
strip a character can punch another, leap from a fire escape into
gathering it was only going to take a matter of days: the car
the alleyway, grab a suspect by the collar and threaten to beat
for their escape, an acetylene torch, the chains bound to the
them up if they don’t talk, etc. Anyone who has read a comic car to drag away the gate bars…”
knows that one single strip can include a myriad of details (an
image may be worth a thousand words, as they say), so we Voice-over can be narrated by the game master alone or with
define that the complete description of a place or a situation is help from the players, and we assume that each one corre-
also linked to this narrative element: sponds to a strip of the described action: “Jack used a cold chis-
el to break the warehouse lock in order to get to the acetylene
“When I reached the crime scene, I could see that the naked torch” (the success of this action could depend on a roll of dice,
body of the victim had been placed with her arms and legs by spending one Drive point or, simply, the game master decid-
to form a cross, drawn inside a circle made with that green ing to ignore the cost for something essential to the plotline’s
powder used by sanctuary custodians. The image immediate- progression). This group of strips also forms a scene because,
ly reminded me of Da Vinci’s famous drawing, the Vitruvian even though they don’t happen all at once, it does create a sub-
Man. Something wasn’t right.” jective continuity for the players.
Another element in a strip is the so-called caption or text box, A chapter is made up of one or more scenes that narrate an
the comic technique equivalent to an omniscient narrator in episode of the story. For example, an investigation can last for
films or voice-over. days, and in that process, there can be alternating scenes where
Depending on the importance of a strip, we can dedicate more the protagonists interrogate the suspects or investigate crime
or less time describing it: there are small strips with very spe- scenes along with others where they unravel themselves in
cific information (like a character attacking another) but also their day-to-day lives. Chapters have a specific narrative inten-
others that take up half a page or even an entire page, full of im- tion (an investigation, a journey, a bank robbery) so they con-
portant details. So, a page can be an ensemble of very defined clude when their purpose has been met (the protagonists find
strips, where each character can carry out a specific action (like the culprit, they’ve reached their destination, they escaped the
what happens in combats, page 38) or a single strip with a lot bank alive). Of course, in a chapter there can be different kinds
of information. of scenes. For example, in the bank robbery, the planning of the
robbery could be a scene for sure. The summary that describes
Following our metaphor in dividing the story, we use the term how they get the car and the other necessary equipment could
scene to refer to one or more pages that describe the same be resolved with voice-over in another scene; getting into the
event. For example, the protagonists reach the crime scene, bank could be another and reaching the rendezvous point to
where they can speak to the police detective in charge to try hand out their share another.
and find out what they’ve discovered. However, they might
How many chapters should our story have? The sky’s the limit.
also have the chance to take a look around to come to their own
Even an episode as long as the bank robbery could be reduced
conclusions. Another example could be an unexpected clash
to one chapter of a long story: then the cops could arrest the
with the protagonists when arriving at night at the office; they
protagonists and that could be the start of a new chapter (in-
discover a group of masked intruders trashing the place. This
terrogations, cop abuse, traitors who file a lawsuit against their
causes a confusing brawl, which concludes with an interroga-
own colleagues, etc.). The story could even continue behind
tion of one of those intruders. These strips don’t necessarily
bars.
have to describe actions that happen in the same sitting (a car
chase across the city is a good example of what you can nar- There are thin comic books and thick comic books, and at
rate in one page), but continuity mustn’t be forgotten. In other times you won’t be able to read a whole book in one sitting, so
words, a scene has to be a connected situation without digres- we’d better not leave off in the middle of a chapter. The idea is
sions for the protagonists. When a transition is in order, the to resolve a chapter of a story during a game session.

54
Finally, by joining chapters together, we can make what we call
volumes, which constitutes more or less long stories. The best
example includes the Blacksad series, which currently holds
five volumes: Somewhere Within the Shadows, Arctic Nation,
Red Soul, A Silent Hell and Amarillo.

In reality, there’s one more division. In the comic world we

have graphic novels, like 300 (by Frank Miller and Lynn Var-
ley), and series, like those that follow the adventures of John
Blacksad. What’s the difference? Both graphic novels and se-
ries are made up of volumes, only the length of a series is indef-
inite. Applying it to our game sessions, we want to express that
some chapters can more or less progress quickly inside a larger
story arc (we’ll call them graphic novels). On the other hand,
there are stories where the only unifying thread is the same
group of starring characters (we’ll call them series).

The Blacksad comic style

So, we are going to tell a story together. But what kind of story?

Ever since the first volume of the series, Somewhere Within

the Shadows, the authors’ intentions are clear: Blacksad is a
worn-down detective who guides us, by means of voice-over,
through an emotional desert disrupted by the murder of a for-
mer love. These references leave no doubt about us witnessing
a dark film story (often called film noir).

Nowadays, we consider a great variety of movies to be dark

films and they might have in common somber characters and
crime stories that end in tragedy. However, to be more specific,
Blacksad is mainly inspired by a kind of film style that reached
its peak in Hollywood around the 30s and 40s. These kinds of
films were based on a literary genre called hardboiled (which
referred to the genre’s depiction of “tough guys”).

In any case, this build of film noir is merely a framework.

Blacksad has many more pop culture references, both historical
and contemporary. In fact, there’s a subgenre to keep in mind
when setting the atmosphere in a Blacksad story. A subgenre
that inherited the hardboiled cop and crime stories, only having
gone through a racial screening: blaxploitation, a B-film gen-
re aimed at and starring African-Americans set in poor, urban
neighborhoods, with sex and violence commonplace.

Blacksad isn’t a blaxploitation comic, and we don’t want to

confuse you, even though many critics have pointed out that
there some subtle references relating to this genre. When one
thinks of the classic hardboiled detective, the first image that
comes to mind is that of Humphrey Bogart, with his long
trench coat and fedora. However, Blacksad is Black and could
have been inspired by the blaxploitation and hardboiled detec-
tive, John Shaft. Nonetheless, where Shaft is built as a heroic

55
 character for some African-Americans, in Arctic Nation we see only a bottle of whisky helps them forget it all. This character
how Blacksad is disregarded and considered just another Black has lost their faith in humanity, they’re pessimistic, defeatist
man by racists and how the Black Claws don’t consider him and constantly harassed by their human weaknesses. And their
to be Black enough (the white patch of hair around his muzzle self-destructive behavior steadily takes them into damnation.
shows he’s multiracial).
However, the Blacksad creators have decided to represent a
In any case, Blacksad is a meticulously created series with suc- more optimistic version of the protagonist. Of course, Black-
cessive references to historical characters and moments. The sad knows the darkest parts of the soul but he seems to have
authors include racial conflicts as especially important elements enough strength left to resist the blows that life throws at him
to illustrate the time period that the main character lives in. with a philosophic attitude. And if we used such an extreme
example as the one in the previous paragraph, that self-destruc-
The elements of noir fiction tive veteran, the series would most likely conclude after the
first volume. If we want to play more than one game, we have
We previously discussed references that connect Blacksad to to ration out the character’s spiral into hell.
film noir. In any narrative we can find a number of tropes that
have repeated themselves since ancient times, in literature Living in a corrupt world forces our originally pure character
and films, TV, comics, etc. And when we focus on a specific to make difficult moral decisions, which on some occasions go
fictional genre, these tropes can be unmistakable signs that against their principles. This constant friction entails a moral
identify a work as part of that genre. So, for example, if we decay and leads them down a descending spiral of utter dark-
wanted our story to have a film noir build all we have to do ness. Will they be able to escape this vicious circle of violence
is think of classic films to get an idea of the distinguishing before it’s too late? Sometimes love can help redeem our pro-
marks that characterize them: The Maltese Falcon, The Big tagonist, but redemption means the end of their adventures. As
Sleep, Gilda, Touch of Evil… a general rule, our character always treads on the edge of the
knife, with the occasional slipping from one side to the other.
The protagonist For John Blacksad, the most defining moments are those forc-
In the common detective story, we very often have a protag- ing him to make important decisions that alter his priorities.
onist that portrays a cynical investigator living a world dev- How can one win a fight against the powerful when they cheat?
astated by corruption. In truth, it can be someone who makes Is love really above everything else? Even above law? Can a
a living as a detective or a person with a dark past (criminal, good man commit a terrible act?
cop, military, etc.) who find themselves being led by the cir-
cumstances that started the story. The character begins the ad- The system
venture at a moment in their life where they’ve lost all faith in In film noir, the figures representing public powers (the
humanity, living by inertia or, at least, have turned their back State, law and justice) are either corrupt or incompetent.
on their principles, and now in a way, they are lost. A dramatic Occasionally, the protagonist comes across someone who
turn of events is the only way to pressure the character into doesn’t agree with how things work, but this person gets
abandoning the emptiness of their aimless life. But, of course,
overruled by the system, with both their hands and feet tied.
our protagonist is a magnet for problems.
Whether the protagonist tries to encourage them to rebel or if
Blacksad was a war hero in Europe but one incident during the character is rebellious in nature, embarking on a quixotic
this time changed him, made him adopt a very different, distant fight against powerful figures most likely ends tragically: the
attitude (we know these details because of a report on Blacksad civil servant encouraged to do what’s right is exiled to the
that appears at the beginning of Red Soul). Back in the USA, in ends of the Earth, the thug we’ve convinced to testify against
part due to the economic crisis but also probably because of his their mobster boss reappears at the bottom of the river with
emotional baggage, he takes on any job he can easily do (at the their feet deep in cement… The least that can happen is that
beginning of Red Soul he’s working as a collector for a mobster the powers that be simply discredit the character.
and in Amarillo he even agrees to be a driver for a rich Texan,
Smirnov is an honest dog and a good cop but, in the comics,
driving him from New Orleans to Tulsa).
we can see how sometimes he is unable to act against the shady
The golden age of film noir took place around the 1940s and dealings of higher authorities. Knowing he’s inside a corrupt
1950s, so the ghost of the Second World War still haunts some system, he could resign but from his position he at least has a
of the characters. In these movies, often the protagonist is a fighting chance. This allows him to help Blacksad informally
war veteran who hasn’t yet recovered from those horrors, and so that he can act from outside the system.

56
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PLAYERS

EXPERIENCING THE STORY MAIN FOCUS. INSTEAD IT LIES IN EVERYONE EQUALLY LOOK-
WHEN WE READ A MYSTERY NOVEL OR WATCH A THRILLER, ING TOWARD THE FINAL RESULT, EVERYONE CONTRIBUTING
IT’S ENTERTAINING TO SHARE THE SAME PERSPECTIVE AS ON TELLING A GOOD STORY.
THE PROTAGONIST WHERE WE CAN UNEARTH EACH CLUE
IN THIS STYLE, THE PLAYERS HAVE ACCESS TO MORE INFOR-
ALONGSIDE THEM, CONNECTING THE DOTS UNTIL WE CAN
MATION THAN THEIR CHARACTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE GAME
DISCOVER, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO THE MURDERER IS. THIS WAY,
MASTER COULD NARRATE A SCENE WHERE THE CHARACTERS
IF THE STORY IS APPROPRIATELY BUILT, EACH TURNAROUND
AREN’T PRESENT BUT THE PLAYERS CAN DEDUCE WHO THE
IN THE SCRIPT SURPRISES US, AND THE EXPERIENCE TURNS
MURDERER IS. HOWEVER, WHEN THE PLAYERS ROLEPLAY AS
INTO A ROLLERCOASTER FULL OF TENSE RISES AND VERTIG- THEIR CHARACTERS, THEY HAVE TO PRETEND THEY DON’T
INOUS FALLS. KNOW THE MURDERER’S IDENTITY. THIS CAN INFUSE MANY
IN THIS NARRATIVE STYLE, THE PLAYERS LEAVE THE DETAILS SCENES WITH A LOT OF TENSION: IF ONE OF THE PROTAG-
OF THE PLOT IN THE HANDS OF THE GAME MASTER. THE ONISTS IS LEFT ALONE WITH THE MURDERER, THE CHARAC-
REALISM OF THE MYSTERY DEPENDS ON THE GAME MASTER TER CAN TREAT THEM CASUALLY, BUT THE PLAYERS WILL BE
GIVING ENOUGH CLUES BUT NOT TOO MANY, SO THE INCI- ITCHING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE MURDERER ATTACKING
DENTS PUSHING THE CHARACTERS FORWARD HAPPEN AT AN BY SURPRISE.
APPROPRIATE PACE, ETC. IN AMARILLO, BLACKSAD STARTS THE ADVENTURE TRACKING
IN JOHN BLACKSAD’S FIRST ADVENTURE, SOMEWHERE WITH- DOWN WHOEVER STOLE THE CAR HE HAS TO DELIVER TO TUL-
IN THE SHADOWS, THE PLOTLINE DEVELOPS LIKE A CLASSIC SA IN EXCHANGE FOR A FAT BUNDLE OF DOLLAR BILLS. WE
DETECTIVES’ STORY AND THAT WAY THE READER DOESN’T READERS WITNESS NOT ONLY THE INVESTIGATION BUT ALSO
DISCOVER THE REAL MURDERER UNTIL THE END. THE MISFORTUNE OF ONE OF THE THIEVES.

THIS STYLE ALSO ALLOWS THE PLAYERS TO SUGGEST THEIR

SHARING AUTHORSHIP OWN IDEAS, BE IT FOR DESCRIPTIONS AND COLORFUL ANEC-
ANOTHER OPTION IS TO FOCUS ON TELLING THE STORY AS A DOTES OR FOR THE TURNAROUNDS IN THE SCRIPT AS WELL
GROUP, WHERE SURPRISING PLAYERS WITH TWISTS ISN’T THE AS POSSIBLE ENDINGS.

57
 Powerful figures Film noir stories don’t usually delve that much into social is-
sues. It is common for the male protagonist to know a woman
In a corrupt world, the ones who obtain power have no other
who lives in the shadow of someone powerful: it doesn’t matter
choice than to be corrupt: politicians who abuse of their priv-
if it’s a spouse, a sister or a daughter. It doesn’t matter if she’s
ileges, mafia leaders and millionaires who believe themselves
innocent or a femme fatale; the protagonist sees himself irre-
above the law, etc. The system is made for those in power. Be- missibly obligated to protect her. The purpose of this female
tween them and the protagonist lie an infinite number of obsta- character is to transform the case into a personal issue for the
cles: twisted intrigues, minions willing to break their legs, civil protagonist. It ties him to the plot, even though it might only
servants determined to bury them in paperwork and corrupt end up being mere obstacle. She’s an influence that prevents
cops who hide the decisive evidence from the investigation. the investigator from being as efficient as he could be.
Nevertheless, the ones in power feel so secure in their ivory
towers that they believe themselves invincible, and that is pre- The Blacksad comics, without discarding gender standards,
cisely their biggest weakness. build female characters more complex than usual. For exam-
ple: Alma Mayer, who, even though living in the shadow of
The millionaire Ivo Statoc from Somewhere within the Shad- her wealthy husband, Samuel Gotfield, proves to be a brilliant
ows, Mr. Oldsmill from Arctic Nation, Samuel Gotfield in writer and independent enough as to not drown with him in his
Red Soul or Faust LaChapelle in A Silent Hell are all pow- well of paranoia. Also, Alma was once a scriptwriter for Hol-
erful figures who believe they aren’t constrained by what’s lywood, where she likely became part of the Twelve Apostles.
right or wrong. Red Soul has clear references to witch hunts, and it might not
be all that crazy to think that a group of socialists called the
The weakling Twelve Apostles are directly inspired by the Hollywood Ten.
They had the doubtful honor of being included in the first of the
The protagonist of a film noir story isn’t a hero; their mission
McCarthyism blacklists, which banned the supposed commu-
isn’t about defending the weak. Nonetheless, under all that
nists from working with the main film studios.
cynicism that enables them to live among the shadows, there
still exist the embers of their principles. For this reason, when
our protagonist faces an obvious injustice, something inside
The case
moves them, and if an injustice is being committed against a In classic detective novels, the case is either a murder or a dis-
defenseless person, it might just be enough for them to act. appearance. Why did the client call our protagonist instead of
reporting it to the police? Like we’ve seen in the previous sec-
The social dimension that the creators have given Blacksad tion, cops in a noir scenario aren’t to be trusted, but maybe the
shows us a much more human character than usual for film client doesn’t want anything to do with cops because they have
noir. Even though the origin of their adventures tends to happen something to hide. From the very first moment, clues seem to
unexpectedly or directly from a case, our protagonist speaks on point towards a clear direction, but we have to turn many cor-
the same level as the oppressed and quickly joins their side. ners until reaching our destination.

58
Twists in the story are also important in Blacksad, but not as necessarily related to the genre. Although, one of the most
important as in the noir novels the comic draws inspiration utilized concepts in noir is the fake death: the protagonist
from. The protagonist’s emotional journey holds a greater has to investigate the death of a person, but the true inves-
importance than the mystery. So, while in Agatha Christie tigation results in searching for the reasons that forced this
mysteries the reader discovers the clues at the same time as person to fake their own death.
the detective and the mystery isn’t solved until the last page,
Another very distinctive trope is that of the falsely accused: the
in Blacksad the reader finds out the murderer’s identity or
protagonist is accused of a crime they haven’t committed; all of
the missing character’s location before the protagonist does.
the evidence points towards them. They have to go through an
ordeal to prove their innocence and can only free themselves
The setting by collecting enough evidence against the true culprit.
The setting in a film noir story is the mirror reflection of the
Related to the previous concept is the case of mistaken identi-
morality of the society it represents. Thus, the usually filthy
ty: this leads the protagonist to step into the shoes of a stranger
streets teem with panhandlers, and most incidents happen at
being pursued for unknown reasons. Finding out these reasons
night. You could even say that the characters live in an endless
constitutes the bulk of the investigation.
night. Rain is also another constant in these scenes. The light-
ing, whether in a movie, a TV series or a comic, usually accen- Another common theme is the world of gambling and ille-
tuate contrasts to represent the characters living in a world of gal betting: this doesn’t have to be the only reason for the
good and the bad (sometimes taken to the extreme, like in the murder of the victim (if they owed money, for instance). It
Sin City comics). could also express the protagonist’s humanity (if they were
the one who had a problem with gambling). Sometimes, the
The Blacksad comics, on the other hand, do not cling to the
world of gambling has one foot in legality and another in the
typical settings navigated by the typical detective in a noir nov-
shadows, which gives us the chance to challenge the protag-
el. Juanjo Guarnido presents an infinite number of colors with
onist.
richly drawn backgrounds that not only give us the feeling of
walking alongside Blacksad but also enhances the dramatic Classic detective novels often portray a criminal world from
value in the scenes. the perspective of someone who was once honorable but
under the given circumstances has to work with low-life
Other tropes individuals. Another common element of film noir is the
robbery: whatever the circumstances, the protagonist finds
Even at their peak, the vast majority of these films were barely
themselves in the planning of a robbery, a bank robbery, a
considered mainstream cinema, considering their formulaic na-
rival gang… the key to this trope is that the main character
ture. These stories tended to be filled with oft-repeated elements.
has to maintain their principles as an honorable thief despite
The most common case in film noir is murder. This con- the negative influence of their peers, who have much less
cept can lead to an endless number of different plotlines not scruples than they do.

59
 A transversal issue in noir is betrayal: the protagonist had a col- The character’s voice
league, a boss or a significant other they trusted but who, gener-
Usually, characters that we roleplay have much of ourselves in
ally moved by greed, betrays them. The rest of the story usually
them: our usual expressions slide into the lines of the dialogue
revolves around undoing the problems caused by this betrayal.
we improvise, our angry and sad tones quickly take over when
Vengeance usually isn’t the main motive, and even though in
we get into character. We soon discover that the character’s
some cases they have the chance to repair the damage, we have
we’ve chosen tend to think the same way we do.
already mentioned how noir stories tend to end badly.
When the voice of the character we play is practically the same
Even more common is betrayal combined with another one of
as our own, the first impression it creates with the other players
the previous topics mentioned: the client hires the detective
to investigate a crime that in reality the client has committed can be confusing (and even more so if you are the game master
themselves and tosses out a variety of evidence that frames playing all the secondary characters). Who is this person talk-
someone else. We insist that the noir protagonist is not a hero ing? Is it the cop or the bookmaker? In addition, if the same
and, therefore, in some stories they are used and cheated on, voice is used for a secondary character or a protagonist, it ends
realizing it at the last moment. up feeling repetitive.

A simple trick to grant more personality to a character is to give

Roleplaying them a peculiar voice: if it’s a child you can use a high-pitched
voice, if it’s an elder simply use a rougher voice. Modulating
Before anything else we want to clarify that great acting abili- the volume of your voice can serve as a distinctive factor, along
ties aren’t necessary in order to play a character in roleplaying with the use of prosody and different accents. But be careful,
games. The main objective when playing a character in a game don’t betray the tone of the scene: a child’s voice can sound
isn’t to win the Oscar. That said, it’s obvious that the more se- ridiculous in a dramatic scene and a poorly played accent can
riously you take your character’s portrayal, with all the details be confusing at best or offensive at worst.
that make them unique, including their way of speaking and
what they say, the better it fits in with the story. We’re going In reality, the most effective way to finding a character’s voice
to see the types of characters in a roleplaying game and some is to ask yourself about their background, their personality and
tricks to make your performance work for the benefit of the their motivations that might have led them to use certain ex-
story. pressions and not others. Sam Spade from The Maltese Falcon
used a monotonous tone that portrayed his cynicism and his
In a Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game story we have two loss of passion. For Elsa in The Lady from Shanghai, every
kinds of characters: the protagonists (performed by the players)
phrase in her dialogue becomes an insinuation.
and the secondary characters (generally played by the game
master). In Chapter 1: Characters, you have the rules to cre- Given that, like we’ve mentioned at the beginning, it’s likely
ate your character sheet (page11), but you can also use one of that much of ourselves leaks into the characters we play. It’s
the character sheets for the main characters from the Blacksad interesting to define the character with a few inalienable as-
comics (page 110). You can also find a multitude of secondary pects, and if these aspects are opposite to our personality (for
characters in Chapter 4: Setting (page 85). example, having to play as a clearly misogynistic and psychot-

60
ic murderer), think about how to roleplay this character and the suspect (success surely depends on a rolling of the dice).
these hateful traits to convey their villainy. In the Blacksad se- Another important detail is that the description isn’t especial-
ries along with classic detective stories, it’s commonplace to ly advantageous to the character. It gives the game master the
cross paths with hateful and even abhorrent characters. It’s part chance to put the protagonist in a tight spot: if there are a lot
of what defines these kinds of stories. of people, it might be harder to follow the suspect and keep
them in sight. Also, if the character is worried about the sus-
Focusing on a character, even when they are secondary and
pect recognizing them in the reflections of the shop windows,
have only brief appearances, enriches the story and the world
it may be because there’s not enough distance between them.
of the game. If in a game we enter a club called The One-Hand-
When a player puts their character in tight spots, the narrative
ed Pianist and we end up making friends with the owner, the
orangutan named Smiley, we might be able to turn to him for gains traction and the game master can reward this with one or
help in the future. As we go on creating new secondary charac- more Drive points; this is usually known as “playing to lose,”
ters, an ecology of characters grows organically. and we discuss what this means later. Lastly, the description in-
cludes the various efforts the character is making to hide from
Voice-over the suspect. It’s not a sloppy description. The game master will
appreciate the attention to detail because of what it provides to
In this game we want to capture the spirit of the detective sto-
the narrative, and this might slightly reduce the difficulty of the
ries that inspired the Blacksad comics (these influences are
dice roll or even grant the protagonist a positive aspect for this
mentioned on page 55) and one of the most used resources in
strip sequence.
classic film noir is the so-called voice-over.
This style of narration is a little more difficult than just simply
“There are mornings when you have trouble digesting your
declaring actions, which is done in most roleplaying games.
breakfast... especially when you find yourself in front of the
We suggest you to try and use the voice-over technique in your
dead body of an old flame,” says John Blacksad in the first
group and to only use it when you feel comfortable doing so.
strip of Somewhere Within the Shadows. The narrator’s voice
The most important thing is to keep a fluent narrative, and if
is represented in the comics as a text box and in the case of this
every time a player has to think for a long while about how
genre, the narrator is also the protagonist. To emulate this style
they’re going to say it in voice-over, maybe this technique
in your games we suggest that the narration done by the players
be treated like a voice-over. hinders the game more than it helps. We assure you it’s about
getting used to it. When you’ve had a few sessions utilizing
“The suspect moved away into a street crowded with people,” voice-over it grows all the more natural.
the player narrated. “So, I lower my fedora and start to follow
him at a certain distance. If he sees my face, he will recognize Anthropomorphic animals
me right away, so I try to hide it by all means, avoiding my
Like we said in Chapter 1: Characters, a unique trait in
reflection in the shop windows, making sure there’s always a
Blacksad characters is that they are drawn in the shape of an-
passer-by that can serve as a wall.”
thropomorphic animals. The metaphorical intention is clear:
Many details stand out in this narrative example. To start with, reptiles are lowlifes and dogs are cops, the wise guy is a weasel
the player didn’t take for granted they will go unnoticed by journalist, the boxer that used to work as a bodyguard is a huge

61
 gorilla, etc. The characters’ exteriors represent who they are The path towards damnation
and, sometimes, even their own animals at heart.
When playing an antihero, the usual thing is to “play to lose”:
How do you roleplay an anthropomorphic animal? We suggest the protagonist trusts the femme fatale until the very end, they
that you generally roleplay the character as a human. Only meet with their adversary even if it seems like a trap and they
accept the case no matter how suspicious the client is insisting
from time to time might it be interesting to use your animal’s
on how it’s going to be a piece of cake, etc. Even if your group
morphology to provide something to the narrative. For exam-
has agreed (or the game master has decided) that the plot re-
ple, in Somewhere Within the Shadows, John Blacksad speaks
main a mystery for the players and that discovering each new
to a boxer, Jake Ostiombe, and asks him about the time when clue is the most entertaining part of your game, solving the
he was the bodyguard of a recent murder victim. Ostiombe, a mystery doesn’t have to have a happy ending. In fact, we’ll see
sarcastic gorilla, talks about the victim with very little respect. how happy endings in the Blacksad comics are extremely rare.
Blacksad, seemingly unperturbed, listens to him while leaning
In this game, the protagonists always tread on the edge of a
against a large punching bag. However, when the conversation
knife. Surrounded by the worst of scum, in a world where in-
finishes and the detective leaves, we can see how he had ripped
justice is commonplace, resisting this influence becomes dif-
open the leather bag with his claws: even after so many years ficult. Only one step away from the void, they often slip and
without seeing the victim he still has feelings for her. teeter very close to falling into the abyss. Other times they can
In the Blacksad comics we can also see some jokes related to get far enough away to feel secure, but this feeling never lasts.
the characters’ animal natures. In Somewhere Within the Shad- Playing as a protagonist requires thinking about their weak-
ows, Blacksad expresses how he doesn’t like rats: “A matter of nesses, which time and again tempt the character and the foun-
instinct,” he says. In Arctic Nation, old Cotten, a blind crow, dations they hold onto in the hardest of moments. Our char-
says he would’ve liked to be a pilot in the war: “Ironic, isn’t it? acter could have a problem with alcohol, the purest of typical
A bird who can’t fly.” detective novel clichés, and their foundation can be a younger
sibling they see as a daughter or son. In hard times, the balance
Finally, it’s pretty clear that the color of their fur or feathers is tips one way or the other: sometimes, they remember their sib-
really important to the series. In fact, in Arctic Nation, John is ling and this gives them strength to keep going. But also, it
rejected both by the white supremacists (a snow fox, a polar could happen that the only action they can manage is to drink
bear and a white tiger) and the Black Claws (a street gang with and drink until falling into oblivion.
a bull, a black horse and a Rottweiler): it’s clear that Black- If we think about John Blacksad as a character, we see he
sad’s white muzzle makes him multiracial. Racial problems has two opposite and dramatic poles that remain unchanging
are an especially important issue in the series’ second volume, throughout all of his adventures: a negative one with violence
although they do manifest one way or another in the rest. and a positive one with love. Blacksad tries to redeem him-

62
self for the atrocities that he surely experienced in the Second the hands of the game master, sometimes the players only fo-
World War. Alas, violence pursues him and only love fills his cus on their characters and lose perspective on building a story
heart with hope for a better world. based on the contributions made by different people. But if the
premise of the game has been clearly explained, the game mas-
Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to get out of the vicious cycle
ter shouldn’t have to reject any ideas from the players.
of violence. And these two dramatic poles in truth don’t have
the same importance in a story like in the Blacksad comics. Try to be as flexible as possible regarding the facts and situa-
Our protagonists aren’t heroes, but injured characters, touched tions narrated by the game master. Of course, there might be
by darkness and their path towards damnation most likely a an endless array of details in a roleplaying game that challeng-
one-way trip. es your suspension of disbelief, the same way it does in any
fiction, be it a movie or a novel, a comic or TV series. There
In any case, we have to keep in mind that whether our protag-
aren’t two people with the exact same idea of what is credible
onist ends up in an asylum for veterans banging their heads
or not, and with different opinions, the game master might have
against padded walls or if they are redeemed by love, their cy-
to serve as the final arbiter.
cle has concluded and it is time to create a new character.
One of the problems the game master may encounter is keeping
In Chapter 2: Rules, we explain how to capture this difficult
the group together. If the characters split up during the game,
path of balancing on the edge of the knife with the game sys- it can be fun narrating in parallel what each one does separate-
tem (page 28). ly… for a while. But while the characters remain separated,
the rest of the players end up as spectators while one character
Good player practices acts; in the long-term it might cause some of the players to
Previously we have insisted that narrating a roleplaying game drift off. The game master might have to bring the group back
can be a collective effort and that the result can be much more together sometimes, and this can to be done by working with
fun. However, even in cases where the narrative responsibility the players.
is shared, clearly the game master has a bigger job. The task
Though roleplaying resembles a group conversation, try to not
of presenting the initial situations and the conflicts driving the
interrupt too often when other players are speaking to each
story falls to them. The appropriate thing for a player is to be
other. Remember to share the spotlight. In the case when the
receptive, to some extent, to this effort and to play in good faith
narration from the game master or a player isn’t clear, it’s okay
with the proposed game.
to ask for clarification. But also remember suspension of dis-
The most important advice you have to keep in mind is when belief: everyone has a different point of view on how fiction
roleplaying, even though your character is one of the protago- works. If you don’t agree with something that is happening,
nists, the integrity of the story may overrule your plan for your ask yourself whether if it’s a difference of perception or a mis-
character. Since a lot of the narrative responsibility falls into take that can be quickly corrected. If it’s the first case, you can

63
 offer a simple reason as to why it should happen differently but the victim? Who is the victim? If someone has disappeared,
respect the choices of the people involved. In every game with was it a kidnapping or did the missing person run away from
rules, there can be rules disagreements, and these discussions something or someone? What was the missing person like? If
can end up monopolizing the game. In the case of a player be- someone falsely accused one of the protagonists, who framed
ing uncomfortable with the subject matter or upset about an them? Why have they chosen the protagonist as the scapegoat?
outcome, however, take a break to give everyone time to recov- What links the accused to their adversary? The questions must
er, reflect and potentially change the narrative to avoid harm. all go along the same thread. When preparing the plotline,
Additionally, a good game master appreciates any constructive you can just simply ask yourself the following: Who? What?
criticism about their game session when it has finished. When? Where? How? And in truth, these will be the questions
raised by the investigators when the case falls into their hands.
Directing the game For the time being, it’s enough to simply answer the previous
questions with a couple of straightforward sentences. For ex-
Like we’ve said, the game master’s job demands extra effort,
ample:
but it’s a very creative task and, therefore, the potential reward
is also greater. What? (The incident or driving force of the story): a
diplomat of the UK Embassy in New York has been mur-
The game master creates the plot and proposes a starting point
dered and the protagonists, journalists working in the tabloid
in the story. They also create the secondary characters that the
What’s News, have received a tip of something very shady
protagonists come across, characters with their own motiva-
about this death.
tions. They also have to think of possible paths that the players
can take their characters down, clues, rising incidents, scenar- Why? (The causes that have led to the current situation):
ios, etc. The victim, a double agent, supposedly worked for the Brit-
ish Intelligence, but was really sending information to the
While some people might prefer to be the game master while
Soviet Union.
others prefer to be players, it is recommended that everyone try
both responsibilities: being a game master from time to time Who? (Who is involved): The assassin is an American spy
helps you as a player be more engaged with the game’s rules, that discovered the victim passing on information to the Soviet
and at the same time, being a player helps you as a game master Union, endangering the American way of life. The protagonists
understand the players’ needs. discover that they have a common ally, the contact of the vic-
tim in the KGB.
Creating your own stories
How? (The details of the incident): the assassin sneaked into
In other roleplaying games, the game master is a kind of adver-
the British Embassy and shot the victim in his sleep, using a
sary, the mastermind behind the enemy’s actions and obstacles
silencer, but didn’t find the hiding spot where the victim had
that the heroes come across. However, in Blacksad the most
hidden the microfilm.
important thing is the story we tell and, like we mentioned be-
fore, the group shares responsibility to a greater or lesser ex- Where? (The setting of where the adventure takes place):
tent. However, there’s an exclusive obligation for the game A press conference takes place at the British Embassy. There
master: to plant the seeds of the story. is also a meeting with the KGB agent in a dark alleyway in the
business area and a tense gathering at a federal building with
The Plot worried agents because of the protagonists’ meddling in this
The concept that initiates a story can be very simple: the mur- national security issue.
der of someone known to the protagonists, the hiring of the
When? (Deadlines, decisive moments): The protagonists dis-
protagonists to investigate a disappearance, the accusation of
cover that the victim hid the microfilm in a vending machine,
one of the protagonists of a crime and their colleagues helping
which will be removed from the Embassy within a few days.
prove their innocence, etc. In the section “The elements of a
film noir story” (page 56), we offer some common elements
used in film noir, but simply going through the many works of
Structure of the short story
Once you have the idea of the story and you’ve answered the
this genre can provide new sources of inspiration.
main issues the characters might encounter, it’s time to struc-
Defining the driving force of the plot is important, but it’s even ture your story. Most of the fiction we have read or watched
more important to give it some sense in our story. If there’s a inherited classic storytelling structure: the introduction, the cli-
murderer, who is it? Why did they do it? What linked them to max and the ending.

64
THE INTRODUCTION things are definitely going to go wrong; at some point it will be
The first phase of this structure presents the setting where the used as a weapon. It’s key to any fiction. The dramatic tension
story takes place. This setting is not just a place but also the must be fed one spoonful at a time. If you want the players to
previous situations leading up to this moment. It’s the envi- become immersed in the game’s events and not merely specta-
ronment the characters live in right before an incident captures tors, you can’t expect them to immediately buy in because of
their attention for the rest of the adventure. a terrible event written on the sheet of paper. It’s necessary to
Describing the previous situation can be very interesting: it lead them into the drama without them being aware of it.
gives us the chance to know the protagonists before the defin- Let us take the plot of Arctic Nation as an example. When John
ing incident so the changes that the characters suffer through Blacksad reaches “The Line,” the first thing he sees is a black
become more evident. It might be that our detective used to
vulture hanged from a streetlight with his hands tied behind
be an honest man before circumstances forced him to take jus-
his back. The crowd observes in morbid curiosity, but with an
tice into his own hands; maybe our writer had never delved
air of indifference. Then he speaks with the person who hired
that deep into an investigation to prepare a book and it ends up
him to investigate the disappearance of a girl. This person tells
changing her dramatically.
him about what the neighborhood was like before, when it was
On the other hand, plot hooks can be introduced in this ini- founded and about the effects of the end of the war. She also
tial presentation for subsequent dramatic developments. Let us tells him about a street gang known as the Black Claws, which
ponder that, for example, if at the start of a film a character could be involved in the disappearance. After this conversa-
we don’t know just simply dies, it would be normal for us to tion, Blacksad encounters a conflict that turns the current situa-
feel indifferent. We can understand the drama it may mean to tion of “The Line” into something personal, although this event
the other characters, to their loved ones, but we don’t know belongs to the following phase.
them yet either. However, if we come to know a character as
an endearing person who has built relationships with the other Ultimately, the disappearance of the girl is merely an excuse
characters and has explored issues we identify with, then when for our protagonist to get involved in the story. What becomes
the character sacrifices themselves for the others, the scene be- truly important are the racial conflicts and social differences
comes much more moving by the end of the film. The same that have intensified after the Second World War. These aren’t
happens in thriller films. The film shows us a pair of scissors on narrated in an abstract manner like in a history book but rather
the table: from the very moment we set eyes on them we know through the characters’ experiences.

65
 Therefore, much like the previous example, our pro-
tagonists could experience a number of scenes where
they receive the bits and pieces of the backstory, thus
allowing them to emotionally position themselves. So
how many scenes do we need? Exploring the world
can be fascinating but there is time for that in the
second phase. For this phase we only need to lay the
groundwork.

In fact, we can often decide to dive directly into the

story’s conflict. This can happen with a well defined
setting or because the groundwork was presented be-
fore starting the game:

“This adventure is going to take place in a depressed

neighborhood called ‘The Line,’ ruled by white su-
premacists who find themselves constantly clashing
with a street gang known as the Black Claws. The
private detective and his allies have to investigate the
kidnapping of a girl in the community.”

As the game master, describing your story plan in

a less detailed fashion or in a less informal manner,
however, can be useful for a shorter game.

Another common option is to simply ask each player

what their character has been up to recently (or since
the last game, if it belongs to a series) or what the
character has gotten themselves into when this new
adventure begins.

Nonetheless, why only choose one option? What can be

most rewarding to the story is a combination of the three:
have each player explain what their characters have got-
ten themselves into, then narrate a couple of events to
link those circumstances to the current moment. Then
last but not least, play out some scenes to see how the
protagonists cope with a situation that leads to the con-
flict, hence getting to the heart of the game.

CLIMAX
The climax is the core of the story. Throughout the
introduction we most likely have shown the tensions
between the secondary characters and succinctly de-
fined each of their motivations and goals (at least the
most obvious ones) but our protagonists haven’t taken
a side yet.

The time has come to get to know each secondary

character in depth. We discover that most of them
have lied, including the characters we were certain
were the good guys because in a noir story everyone
has skeletons in their closet. It’s definitely time for
the protagonists to start answering those questions

66
from when you designed the story (and as we have explained ENDING
before, maybe the issue will be to solve the mystery or to After the resolution (or not) of the conflict, we have the op-
simply follow the narrative thread along with the players). portunity to describe how things have turned out after the
player characters’ intervention in the story. This can occa-
In Red Soul, our protagonist discovers a plot to assassinate
sionally be resolved in the shape of a narrated epilogue,
an old college professor he admired during his short-lived although some extra scenes can be played out to discover
attendance at university. In this case, Blacksad’s position- how the adventure has affected its protagonists and their sur-
ing immediately becomes personal because he shares a pa- roundings (especially when it’s not about a self-conclusive
ternal-filial relationship with the professor. However, ap- episode, but part of a series). This phase is in truth a mirror
pearances can be deceiving and as the characters advance reflection of the first phase, the introduction.
through the plot, their motivations can be tested.
The key to a good ending is clearly showing that the protago-
If the players are experiencing the game at the same perspec- nists have gained or lost something, learned something about
tive as their characters, the key to this phase is to ration out the themselves or submerged deeper into the darkness.
information as the tension rises until reaching a critical mo-
ment. Even if the players are helping you narrate, even though Suspension Of Disbelief
they hold more information than their characters (such as, for We have already discussed the suspension of disbelief from the
example, knowing who the murderer is and why they did it), players’ point of view but it’s important to revisit this point
you still have the upper hand in building up the tension within because when it comes to creating your story, you have to ask
each scene: the idea is to conceive each scene as a story in yourself similar questions.
itself with its own introduction, climax and ending.
Suspension of disbelief is when we overlook details in a
When we have properly built up the tension throughout the work of fiction that probably doesn’t quite fit if we thought
game, the time has come when everything falls into place twice about it: we suspend our critical sense in order to
and the characters take a course of action. This either re- enjoy other aspects of the work. It would be impossible
solves the conflict or ends in such a clear defeat that contin- to enjoy Sin City if every time a character leapt from the
uing to fight becomes futile. second floor to the ground unharmed or crashed through
If losing is a possible result in this critical scene, you must a police car’s windshield undeterred, we said to ourselves
tread carefully so that even when the protagonist is defeated, there’s no way someone could have survived that. From the
the player still feels their loss has an important purpose in start we lay out groundwork on what can and cannot be ex-
the story. Your character dying on the last page of the comic pected and we take poetic license to overlook realism in fa-
is a tragedy, more so after all that effort it took to build the vor of eloquence: where vulgar criminals can turn into Ho-
meric heroes. In the Blacksad series the authors take some
character. Nevertheless, your character may have sacrificed
liberties as well; for instance, the protagonist can recover
themselves for their comrades and had a chance to say a few
from a terrible beating overnight or survive an explosion
last words to them, which the other protagonists will remem-
that blew up a car, even though the comic claims a more
ber throughout the rest of their journey. Of course, in reali-
realistic tone.
ty, a victory doesn’t mean a positive outcome if the way to
achieve it involved betraying all of their beliefs. The limits of what is allowed in a story can be very subtle.
In classic detective fiction, we might come across an elderly
So, what happens when towards the end the protagonists are
woman called Marple who gets on a murder case right under
stuck and can’t connect the dots like we thought they would?
the cops’ noses, but this may not be the kind of story we’d want
We have to keep in mind that when you are the one who
to see in a Blacksad comic.
knows what’s going on, when you are the one who created
the story, everything seems very logical. However, a player When it comes to putting your imagination to work, you have
only has a few clues, so their conclusions can widely differ to keep in mind the difference between what is realistic and
from the game master’s thoughts. In the section “Starting the what is likely. But above all you have to make sure you are on
game” (page 76), we discuss how to make our game accessi- the same page as your players because in the end, this is a very
ble to players without it seeming like a railroad track where subjective matter.
one cannot wander off without leaving the story. The issue is
that at the end of this phase, in the climax, the players must Connecting With The Players
end up with a sense of closure. If this isn’t the case, the result You already have a framework of the story you want to tell,
could be pretty anticlimactic. but it might be a generic adventure, something that could hap-

67
 pen to any group of protagonists. When we discussed the cli- our story, a few secondary characters, possible scenarios,
max as part of the structure to any narrative, we explained that etc. However, everything is still very abstract.
the characters can go from considering the initial situation as
As we see further on, directing a game consists of combining
a simple case to making it personal. Nonetheless, what if we
took it a step further? How can we get the players to engage the material you have prepared with responding to the protago-
with our game? nists’ actions. You can’t limit yourself to only planning scenes
like a comic strip because the story can change as we turn the
The most effective way to connect with the reader would be, page: it’s necessary to prepare extra material, even if you know
without a doubt, to get to know them personally and learn what that many details might never appear. Think that whatever hap-
matters to them. But since the writer or the illustrator of Black- pens, what doesn’t appear in that week’s game is still available
sad didn’t know whose hands the comic would end up in, they
for other sessions.
connected with the reader through universal issues (solitude,
heartbreak, injustice, etc.). If we add that Díaz Canales and Therefore, the time has come to better define the broad ideas
Guarnido placed their protagonists in a world effectively built we have of our characters and places.
on historical parallels to ours, allowing them to explore social
When creating any fiction, if we examine the components that
issues with the appropriate distance, the reader’s sense of fa-
miliarity grows. our fictional world takes from the real world, the setting and the
events that follow can be more realistic. Besides, why invent,
Nonetheless, in the case of a roleplaying game, you have an for instance, how the United States postal system worked dur-
advantage the creators of Blacksad lack: you know your play ing the Fifties when we can find a webpage that has all the in-
group and you know what they’re interested in. You only need formation we need? If we use the real world as the background
to think about what kind of fiction they enjoy to get an idea of our story, each history book, each Wikipedia webpage turns
of what they want in a story. If you want to be sure, start a into a supplement full of ideas for adventure and scenarios.
conversation with your players. The more you coordinate your
expectations as a game master with that of your players, the In addition, building more detailed secondary characters makes
more powerful the storytelling will be. it easier to improvise their response to the protagonists: when
you have clear motivations and goals for the secondary charac-
Drawing Beyond The Comic Strip ters, this becomes as simple as performing as them, the same as
By looking at our story like a detective does, we can get an with your own character. Regarding the characters, it can also
idea of the driving force of our story, the plot. In addition, be interesting to position them in their own historical context,
we have structured the story in a very general fashion. We for instance, worried about the crisis that has devastated the
have defined the starting point (a historical period, an en- country, still obsessed about the Second World War or afraid of
vironment...), the conflict that gets our protagonists to take this new threat that could end up with the total destruction of
the matter personally and, lastly, the choices only they can the Earth: atomic power.
make that will certainly change them forever. Additionally,
we’ve also drawn a few (metaphorical) outlines: how we We discuss the general threads that characterize the time period
can incorporate the topics that our players want to see in set in Blacksad in Chapter 4: Setting (page 81).

68
Russian Dolls
BRAINSTORMING
In this section it seems like we’ve only explained how
WE SUGGEST BRAINSTORMING AS A TRICK THAT YOU CAN
to plan out a volume. However, this guide is much more USE WITH YOUR PLAY GROUP TO INTRODUCE A NEW STORY.
flexible: with this advice you can plan a series, a graphic HAND OUT SOME PIECES OF PAPER TO EACH OF THE PLAY-

novel, a volume, a chapter or even a scene. All of these

ERS AND ASK THEM TO WRITE DOWN SUBJECTS THAT INTER-
EST THEM AND ALSO PLOTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO PLAY. OF
narrative elements are like Russian dolls where some fit COURSE, THIS IS NOT ABOUT USING ALL OF THE SUGGES-
inside the others. TIONS AND ENDING UP WITH A JUMBLED MESS. THE IDEA IS
TO USE THEM AS INSPIRATION TO CREATE YOUR OWN STORY.

Couldn’t a one-on-one combat between two people be a THE PLAYERS MAY ASK YOU: BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT ME
small story? Of course, to avoid a monotonous succession of TO WRITE DOWN ON THIS PIECE OF PAPER? HERE ARE A
FEW ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES:
blows, narrate it following the introduction, climax and end-
ing structure. The protagonist can start the fight with threats - I DON’T WANT TO THINK A LOT, I JUST WANT TO KICK
SOME BUTT.
and could also roll dice for Intimidation to determine what
- A LOVE STORY WITH A TRAGIC ENDING.
the opponent feels as a response. Strictly speaking, combat
can be one roll of dice after another, so if the players make
- A SUPPOSEDLY PRECIOUS ITEM THAT TURNS OUT TO BE
A FAKE.
an effort describing their actions, it not only becomes more
- HORROOOOOORR.
thrilling, but it can also involve spending Drive points and
invoking aspects of the scene itself. Lastly, the conclusion
- A DEBT WITH THE MAFIA.

of the fight can entail a new clue, a bitter defeat, the conse- - THE KIDNAPPING OF A POLITICIAN’S DAUGHTER.

quences of having fought in a public area, etc. - A COMBINATION OF THE THIRD MAN AND NORTH BY
NORTHWEST.
The important thing you have to remember when putting to-
gether all the pieces is that each one must have a clear narrative
goal. It doesn’t make sense to present a combat if it doesn’t The Reach Of Your Game
affect the evolution of the story or its characters. With this we The first thing you have to do is estimate the number of
aren’t saying that each page of the chapter must be defined be- scenes it may take to form the story. The planning of your
fore the game, we’re only saying that if an opportunity comes games can vary a lot depending on if it’s a long story told in
up, use it but give it meaning within the story. chapters and even volumes, or if it’s a simple idea that can be
resolved in a few pages.
Turning a story into a game In a previous section discussing the plot, we put an example
There are endless ways to turn your story into one or sev- for a game, a murder at an embassy that has an espionage
eral roleplaying game sessions. All of the material you’ve plot (page 64). How many scenes would an idea like that
prepared up to this moment could very well end up being a have? How many chapters? Reviewing the questions we’ve
videogame, a movie or a comic book. It’s time to turn your asked ourselves, specifically the “where” and “when,” can
story into a roleplaying game. help you try to evaluate its reach.

69
 When creating the plot and asking ourselves
“where,” we thought of three interesting moments: a
press conference at the embassy, an arrangement to
meet with a spy from the KGB in a dark alleyway or
an interrogation carried out by some federal agents
inside an FBI building. So, you could say that the
story requires these three scenes at the very least.

Regarding the “when,” in the example, the vending

machine will be released very soon after the em-
bassy incident, and everyone will use that opportu-
nity to get their hands on the microfilm. This could
mean that the characters only have a few days to
resolve the situation.

Let us see how we can fit this story into one chap-
ter, which constitutes a single volume.

The game master starts by explaining how the char-

acters have gotten themselves in such a mess:

“The chief editor of What’s News called a meeting

with you in his office to tell you that he received
a tip about a conspiracy related to the death of a
cultural attaché at the British Embassy.”

“It’s very odd for them to give a press conference

to explain the death of a diplomat, when the of-
ficial report assures that he died in his sleep of
heart failure,” said the chief while nervously
pacing back and forth in his office. “Don’t come
back until you know what’s going on. Exposing
the dirty laundry of those pretentious Brits would
place this issue on the same level as some of the
most prestigious newspapers.”

First scene: an undercover murder

The game begins at the press conference taking
place at the embassy, which leads to the protago-
nists sticking their nose in a lot of places, speak-
ing discretely with some embassy workers and
having them confirm that the diplomat was, in
fact, murdered.

Second scene: the press investigation

This scene can have more or less pages, depend-
ing on the ideas that the players come up with and
the freedom with which you allow them to do so:
an investigation going through public documents,
researching the newspaper archive or interviewing
anyone that can offer a lead.

Third scene: an unexpected ally

One night, when the leads start to run out, the
protagonists might receive a call from a man who

70
wants to meet and offer some secret information. It happens the death of the diplomat; the press investigation could have
to be a spy from the KGB, who attempts to use them to get been much longer and full of obstacles set up by the British
information without revealing himself. The spy used to ac- Embassy, Uncle Sam and the assassin; the attempt to sneak
cess the embassy as a visitor, and in one of the common are- into the embassy to get the microfilm could take up a full
as, from a hidden corner of the vending machine, he gathered chapter of action and risk...
information from the deceased diplomat. However, getting
In conclusion, the length of the story is a choice you must
into the embassy has become risky and that is why he tries to
make rather than a calculation. It’s about defining an objec-
get the protagonists to collect it for him.
tive and adapting the story to take up the time you need.
Fourth scene: involuntary spies
If the protagonists decide to enter the embassy, they see that Linear Or Open-Ended
they have placed guards everywhere and it’s impossible for The amount of freedom we give our players can range from
them to mess with the vending machine without being seen. the most limited, in which they only play their characters,
Curiously, they discover that the machine is broken (with all the way to total freedom, where the players decide which
a large “out of order” sign on it). It will be easy to find out paths the game takes. A story is linear when one scene in-
what company manages these machines and, as a matter of variably leads to the next, no matter what the players do;
fact, discover that it will be removed that very week. in an open-ended story, on the other hand, the game master
decides the starting point but not the conclusion, which lies
Fifth scene: Uncle Sam
in the hands of the players. The planning of one or the other
That night, two cars are waiting for them at the exit of the
is very different.
press. Taken to a federal building, they undergo an interro-
gation (this leads to a typical scene where many characters As we have seen, a simple way to plan out a linear game is
get questioned in parallel, similar to the film, The Usual Sus- to come up with a number of scenes and chapters. Despite
pects). The FBI is concerned about the protagonists’ med- this, it requires one of the following: either the game master
dling in national security matters. The protagonists also wit- creates the illusion that the players have absolute freedom
ness a woman watching them from afar arguing with the FBI and are the masters of their own destiny, when in reality they
agents. ride a railroad track; or the players can obey the predeter-
mined script as if their characters follow a strict destiny and
Sixth scene: The real meaning of patriotism
build around the given structure. Players who expected to be
When they find the machine, they also encounter the KGB
immersed in the plot may feel frustrated if their actions have
spy and the American assassin who murdered the British
no effect, where only the predetermined scenes get the full
agent: everyone wants the microfilm and the protagonists
color treatment, with the rest merely rough, penciled lines. In
are in the way. The questions that should be explored in this
spite of that, like we have said before, sometimes the issue
scene include: Is the United States of America in the right
isn’t that the plot must surprise the players, instead it is to
in the story? Is there by any chance a good faction? What
create a story together. In this case, the linear story could be
responsibility does the media have in this story? With the
the most appropriate. Once again, ask yourself what style fits
truth? With the nation?
more with what you want to tell.
The chapter can conclude with another scene by the game
A linear story is more similar to a film or a comic. As you
master, a kind of epilogue to emphasize these questions that
flip through the pages, you encounter the events, scenarios
have been up in the air.
and characters waiting for you from the very beginning. An
Why have we chosen to fit our story into one chapter and open-ended story is more like a videogame (specifically, like
volume? In reality it didn’t have to be that way. It’s your those called a sandbox). It’s a living and breathing world
decision as the game master to lay out the story shorter or where the secondary characters have their own goals, which
longer to fit the pacing. they chase down even when their paths don’t cross the pro-
tagonists’, a world that continues even when you stay still.
Let us consider the series 24: the director of the antiterror-
ist unit only has twenty-four hours to prevent a monumental Specific scenes aren’t planned when it comes to open-ended
catastrophe. Each chapter of this series equals only one hour stories, whereas the setting is detailed as well as the plots
in real time in the life of the protagonists. In the example and goals of the characters involved. That is, because of its
of our espionage plot we’ve divided the scenes that could nature, an open-ended story is unpredictable. The protago-
have been chapters: the press conference at the embassy nists may have goals, but these can change halfway through
could have been a sequence to discover the conspiracy after the story, and in any case, if this doesn’t happen, the conclu-

71
 sions the players reach don’t have to match what the game was waiting for an especially important delivery from the
master had in mind. When does an open-ended story con- diplomat, some microfilm that held information about the
clude? Whatever the protagonists’ and secondary characters’ United States’ espionage activity in other countries. He in-
goals may be, in an open-ended story we define a conflict tended to gather the package the same morning the diplo-
and when resolved, the chapter has ended. mat’s corpse was found: despite the diplomat being offi-
cially dead due to a heart attack, the embassy shut down
In the same way we have structured our example accord-
under lock and key (the protagonists can discover later that
ing to a number of scenes, we are going to attempt to
the cause of death was a bullet to the head). The KGB spy
set out the espionage plot of the British Embassy as an
plans to get the protagonists to fetch the microfilm, which
open-ended story.
he will later snatch away from them. Which explanation
Before, we had to think about relevant scenes, but for this we does the KGB spy give to the protagonists? Does he men-
are only preparing the first one. No matter how open-ended tion the American assassin looking for the microfilm? It’s
the story may be, it makes little sense to give the protagonists also helpful to ask yourself if this character is an inhumane
the chance to reject the adventure: this is about the players crook that will put the protagonists in danger or if he tries
facing the proposed conflict in the way of their choosing. It’s to avoid any harm coming their way.
not about them taking the day off to spend it with the fami-
Another interesting character in the plot is the American
ly. So, we take advantage of the previous example of linear
assassin, who discovered the British diplomat’s plans,
narration along with the first scene: the press conference at
sneaked into embassy and murdered him with a silenced
the British Embassy.
gun. Though she trashed the diplomat’s room, she couldn’t
The protagonists are going to want to know who the deceased find the microfilm (she didn’t know that the diplomat had
diplomat was. You don’t have to think about how they get already placed the package in the vending machine’s hiding
the information; this is something they will suggest to you. spot). When the protagonists start their investigation, the
You only have to respond by using common sense and the American assassin immediately realizes they have valuable
groundwork you have prepared. The only thing you have to information and decides to keep a close eye on them. She
think about is precisely what kind of relevant information has enough authority to prod the FBI and have the agency
they can find out about the diplomat. bring in the investigators for questioning, but in the end,
they are more useful out in the streets searching for the
The anonymous phone call, which alerted the press that microfilm. Will the assassin get a chance to speak with the
something is strange about the death of the diplomat, came protagonists? Will she try to convince them that helping her
from a KGB spy, the diplomat’s link to the Soviet Union. is what a patriot should do? It’s interesting to ask the same
The diplomat and the Soviet spy exchanged messages in questions with this secondary character as you did with the
the vending machine located in the common area of the other, about her integrity and the empathy she might feel
British Embassy, where visitors can easily access. The spy towards the protagonists at a given moment.

72
The only one who knows that the microfilm is in the vend- the vending machine is a jumble of scrap metal, making it
ing machine is the Soviet spy, so he is the one that must impossible to recover the microfilm.
talk to the protagonists at all costs (in any case, doing so
Planning an open-ended story requires a perspective very
benefits his objectives). The only one who knows who mur-
different from a linear approach. Which is the better way?
dered the diplomat and what the microfilm contains, as a
We suggest experimenting with both styles. After a few tries,
matter of fact, his killer: the American assassin. These two
secondary characters pull the protagonists in different di- you can decide for yourself what best meets your needs and
rections along with another difficulty: the vending machine that of your story. Think of it not as an excluding choice; be-
is going to be removed because it doesn’t work and it’s so tween a linear story and an open-ended one there are infinite
old that they aren’t going to repair it. It’s going straight levels of freedom you can give your players.
to the junkyard, the metal press. When does this happen?
How could they find out when this happens? If they speak Narrative Thread
to the Soviet spy, he tells them about the vending machine We have previously discussed some resources to capture the
and this could lead them into getting into the embassy us- background of the Blacksad comic series for our roleplaying
ing their journalist credentials: there they discover that the game. We have, for instance, talked about text boxes as a way
machine has an “out of order” sign and they have no way to emulate voice-overs so common in detective films (page
to extract the microfilm without catching the royal guard’s 61). Here we want to mention other narrative techniques
attention, who stands guard at a door nearby. If they still in- more related to the language of film, to help the reader of our
sist on acting as spies, let them deal with the consequences. comic discover the details of the story. The techniques that
we describe next can be used without any preparation, when
When is the game over? The simple answer: when someone appropriate, but we explain them in this planning phase in
gets their hands on the microfilm or it is destroyed along case you have opted for a more linear story.
with the machine in the hydraulic press. Who could get
their hands on the microfilm? If the protagonists commit One of the most commonly used narrative techniques in fiction
an act of clumsiness at the embassy, the United Kingdom is in medias res, based on, as the Latin expression indicates,
could be pleased to find out this information. The microfilm starting in the midst of the action. Imagine at the start of the
could end up in the hands of the Soviet spy and be used as game, without an interceding explanation, describing to your
a weapon against the United States, or they could end up in players that their protagonists are racing in a car through the
the hands of the American assassin and not reveal the Unit- streets of San Francisco while being chased down by another
ed States’ violations against the international law. Lastly, car. It’s during the night with scarce lighting, so it will be dif-
if the protagonists elude both sides, they can publish the ficult to elude the pursuers (unless the driver’s driving check
information found on the microfilm in their newspaper (or proves to be exceptional, for instance). They can decide to stop
at least, take it to the newspaper to later discover that they but this then forces them to confront the four thugs in the other
had made an agreement with Uncle Sam to not reveal the car. Even though the protagonists know full well what’s going
information). They can also find out, a little too late, that on, the players don’t. This makes the players focus on the ac-

73
 tion, given that they can’t ignore the situation and have to
go with the flow. Thus, the main advantage of this technique
is that the game doesn’t start with disparate conversations
where the players are still trying to immerse themselves in
the environment. If you are skilled at describing the situ-
ation, they have to hop on the moving train of the game
and almost immediately get into the skin of their respective
characters. The only thing you have watch with this tech-
nique is to not let it get out of hand because after the action
concludes the players will want to know what happened. It
can suffice with a small description on your behalf telling
them how they got there or to rewind a moment back and
play out the scene that led to the car chase.

Regarding this rewind, the next narrative technique we

want to explain is the flashback, that is to say, breaking the
chronological sequence of the events. In the majority of sto-
ries, the events taking place aren’t related chronologically.
They are often presented according to their purpose in the
story. For instance, in Somewhere Within the Shadows, the
narration begins at the crime scene but we soon find out that
Blacksad knew the victim: he describes it with voice-over
narration and then goes on by using images. In some nar-
ratives, even the chronology can alter from top to bottom.
An example in modern film noir would be True Detective,
where the narrative from the past and the present is jumbled
together. The present timeline builds up in the shape of inter-
views with the people involved in an old case, and the other,
in the form of flashbacks, goes over the relevant events that
took place in that investigation. Each episode gathers a se-
ries of scenes in the present and a series of flashbacks that at
first have one meaning but changes as we place new pieces
of the puzzle together. Showing only a partial view of the
events allows the scriptwriters to mislead the audience into
coming up with the wrong conclusions, which nonetheless,
give the necessary impression of progress. When the true
answers begin to unfold, the audience is caught by surprise.

However, altering the chronological order of events isn’t

required to have different narrative threads. In Amarillo,
we follow the journey of John Blacksad, but we also know
the story of the poor and miserable individual that our detec-
tive is chasing down, a cursed writer named Chad Lowell.
In a roleplaying game, every time the group splits up a new
narrative thread takes place. You can go beyond and divide
your story regarding the different points of view: if we adapt
the Red Soul story to a roleplaying game, one group could
play the story of Alma and John and the plot of the old pro-
fessor. With another group, we could adopt the perspective
of the FBI agents investigating the case. Another option in-
cludes playing both parts of the story with the same group,
by alternating a session with the federal agents and another

74
with the group of Bohemians surrounding Alma and her hus- Unlike a series, a graphic novel expects to develop a particu-
band, Samuel Gotfield. lar story arc and, therefore, must end at some point. To set an
example, in the graphic novel From Hell by Alan Moore, we
When the different narrative threads are in synch, you can resort
have a story arc that covers the entire story; the conspiracy
to a parallel narrative. This is a common technique in films
behind the murders in Whitechapel blamed on Jack the Rip-
and is generally made up of action sequences in which the pro-
per. However, this novel is divided into volumes and chap-
tagonists have to split up in order to achieve an objective. If you
ters and each one of these develops different plotlines that
want to narrate a robbery in your game, it might include a group
finally converge into one single plot. Throughout its different
of characters creating a diversion in the street while the rest en-
parts, the clues about the general plot are cast in a more or
ter the bank through the sewers: instead of playing the scenes of less clear manner. This way the reader can piece together the
one team and then another, you can play alternate scenes, so that story in their mind, a story that contains all the other stories.
what happens to one group affects the other one waiting. This is (As we discussed when creating our story, every narrative
a very interesting way of creating dramatic tension. is formed by plotlines that include other plots that also have
Use these narrative techniques to make a pastiche of your sto- other plots, like a Russian doll. See page 69).
ry, be it beforehand or during the game session, and try to take When it comes to planning your story in the shape of a graphic
other techniques from these kinds of films, series, TV, comics novel, first you have to think about each chapter separately and
and novels. You will discover that the mechanisms of fiction are then see what purpose they have inside the story arc. Just like in
almost always the same and once you’ve mastered them you a game session where you gradually reveal information about a
can tell any story with them. specific plot, you also have to reveal information about the gen-
eral story arc, though at a much slower pace. For example, the
Continuity chapter might narrate a murder investigation, the death of a sex
Perhaps your story only had one chapter and you didn’t expect worker whom apparently, no one is going to miss. But the pro-
your characters to go beyond a session but it did, such was the tagonists discover her pockets full of daisies, and even though
case of the Blacksad comics, so now you intend to link a few in that moment they can’t link that detail to any other, they dis-
games together. There are some things you should consider. cover some chapters up ahead that it’s the mark of a murderer
In the “Narrative elements” section (page 54) we discuss se- taunting them. The murderer’s plot doesn’t have much continu-
ries and graphic novels: the main difference between some of ity in the first few chapters but it gradually gains importance un-
them is how they use continuity. We have decided to call the til it becomes the main plot. In the last volume, the protagonists
Blacksad comics a series because the unifying thread of the have to face their antagonist and perhaps, by then, they have
different volumes is the protagonist and his world. Since the gathered enough pieces in order to take them out.
story arc develops volume after volume, the length of it can Graphic novels are in truth a type of series that in other con-
be indefinite. By taking our game to a series, at first, we won’t texts (superhero comics, for instance) could be called a lim-
have to prepare anything special but we have to pay attention ited series. So, everything we’ve explained about series can
to the progress of the protagonists along with the secondary be applied here as well: we change the world by interacting
characters and the background. From the very first volume, with it, we make friends, enemies, etc.
John Blacksad starts to slip down his own descending spiral
all the way to the fifth volume, when he sets out onto a des- When we have more than enough time to develop a story, like
perate escape and ends up realizing that it is futile. The story what happens with a series, the idea is that each chapter has a
of our protagonist has moments linked very subtly to form a specific narrative purpose. A common example is a chapter to
profoundly human portrait (or cat-like, if anything). examine the story of a character, who up until that moment, we
didn’t get the chance to meet. Harriet, one of the protagonists,
As the game master you must pay attention to the decisions is an arrogant giraffe, cold even. She certainly doesn’t seem
of your protagonists because decisions always entail conse- to have grown up in a bad neighborhood where the rest of the
quences. Perhaps in one chapter one of them tricks a police protagonists have spent their entire lives. What happened to her
inspector, the nearsighted bulldog that only got in the way of that made her so distrustful towards others, incapable of show-
their investigation. So maybe when they need his help later, ing any sign of empathy? Perhaps if the rest of the protagonists
they find that door closed shut. And, of course, you have to knew her story, how she grew up in a high-class neighborhood
see how the protagonists’ car ended up after the car chase, and how her parents, fully involved in the world of politics,
including the gunfire. Will they have money to buy a new were embroiled in a false plot of corruption to get them out of
one? How does this affect their small detective agency that the way because their integrity seemed too bothersome... May-
already had trouble making ends meet? be, if the characters found out how Harriet had come across

75
 her parents’ lifeless bodies in the basement of her own home, want to use, gender standards that must be respected and even
hanging from a beam, side by side... But they never will. The details about the background. This is also the moment for your
players, however, could take on other characters during this players to propose character ideas, making sure they fit in with
chapter, like Harriet’s friends when she was only a teenager. the others and most of all, your setup.
Maybe at a party hosted by Harriet’s family, they might have
A comfortable way to do this is by exchanging emails. As the
the opportunity to see the origins of the characters that the pro-
game master you can make your proposal by offering a sim-
tagonists know in the present day: the superintendent, Mayor
ple synopsis, like a movie trailer along with a list of similar
Robbins, Senator Macintosh...
story references. Although, a truncated proposal could fit in a
Lastly, we advise that as the game master you use everything your social media post or you could also send it to your chat group:
players mention during and after the game in order to nourish “I want to make a game in L.A. Confidential style where the
your sessions. If your players have the time, something that works main issues are corruption in the system and the impossibility
very well to keep the fire going is to have them take turns writing of beating the powerful.”
a journal of what happened in the last session (perhaps the best
format is a blog online). This allows any player who has missed Starting the game
the session to find out what happened. This also can prove useful With the planning phase over, the time has come to get all that
for you to remember the details that have been more relevant to prepared material and put it into practice. No matter how linear
the game group. And, why not exchange emails with the players your proposal may be, or how meticulous, even though you
where they can give you an idea of what they have in mind for the have drawn every comic strip, rest assured that the players will
next session? Or even just open a chat forum for the game, which find a way to step out of the script. In truth, that is part of their
makes many things much easier for you. mission. Directing a game session requires a great deal of flex-
ibility: you have to be able to flex out of shape, quickly adapt to
Setting the groundwork of your game any proposal offered by your players and integrate it as much
With a story in mind, having decided how many sessions it as possible into your own idea, while also making sure that the
approximately takes, to build it in a linear or open-ended way narrative pace doesn’t drag. The moment of truth has come.
and what narrative techniques to use, now is the time to meet It’s showtime!
with your game group.

Creating a game group is not only about finding a day when

Your Game
From the very moment the session begins, you as the game
you can all meet. The really important thing is for you to es-
master have to be the engine of the videogame, describing
tablish the groundwork on what can make the game as fun as it
the scenes and the environment, playing the secondary char-
can be for all of you.
acters, responding to the protagonists’ actions and keeping in
The best you can do is talk with the players and explain the mind the progress taking place in the background and what
story you want to tell: the tone, some narrative techniques you could affect them.

76
The players can help you as much as you allow them to but view. Wouldn’t that be too chaotic? You get to decide which
you are going to have to improvise like crazy. Everything proposals fit in and which ones don’t.
you planned in the prep phase of the game will be of great
However, the rhythm of the game also gets disrupted if you
use to you now. And if it isn’t enough (it never will be), re-
keep rejecting your players’ ideas. So, be flexible when it
sort to what you know, the fiction you have read or seen and
comes to accepting contributions (hence it is integral to come
copy, copy, copy.
to an agreement with the general outline before the game).
When you don’t know what to do, simply perform. Think of
the secondary characters as normal people, with their own mo- Keeping the group together
tivations, fixations, weaknesses... There’s no better way to get Reuniting the group can become a living hell for the game mas-
into a story than having the characters talk to you first hand: ter, and more so when each player creates their own characters
instead of describing how the father of the protagonist gets without incorporating the others. “My character is a solitary
down on his knees and shakes his daughter, terrified of the pos- ninja who never leaves his motorbike’s side,” a player could
sibility that the gunshot killed her, simply talk as the character: declare before the stupefied game master, who now has to won-
“Sweetheart, sweetheart, my girl, say something, darling, an- der: “How am I going to get a ninja, a mad scientist and an
swer your dad.” What if you’re not good at performing? Don’t Amazon woman into the same group, when I told them that we
worry, it’s pure practice: the sooner you dive into it, the sooner were playing a game of The Kingdom of Shadow?”
you’ll master it.
In Blacksad we can efficiently resolve this issue: the players
Don’t forget that no matter how much your players help you should have some limitations in creating their characters. Like
out, this right now is your responsibility; tomorrow someone in the case of contributions to the narrative, the game master
else gets a turn to run a game but today it’s yours. Each game has the final say over which protagonists fit, not only in the
master has their own favorite subjects, influences, their own story but also among themselves.
way of interpreting the rules, etc. What would Blacksad be like
In the example that we’ve been using of the espionage story,
if with the very same script by Juan Díaz Canales, the illustra-
the excuse to keep the group united is as simple as making
tor was someone else instead of Juanjo Guarnido? What if the
them all work for the sensationalist newspaper What’s News
illustrator had been Régis Loisel? And what about Juan Gimén-
and that they have been assigned to look into the case of the
ez? It’s pretty clear that it wouldn’t be the Blacksad we know
embassy death. It is assumed that during the planning of the
today. We’ve suggested you share (to some extent, at least) the
game, the game master had already explained the limitations
responsibility of storytelling with the players, but their contri-
to the players: “You all have to be journalists,” for example.
butions should adjust to a common guideline, with the game
master as the guide. Imagine a novel written by several people Once the game master offers the initial hook (“You work at
and that depending on each author, the way the narrator talks the newspaper What’s News and you are assigned a case”),
changes, along with their tone, their gender or their point of splitting up the group will mostly be the responsibility of the

77
 players. Characters that are too individualistic can harm the Good directing practices
narrative pace. In a roleplaying game, the group tells the story,
In the section “Roleplaying” (page 60), we discussed the play-
so if each player tells their own, the game master’s structure
ers’ responsibility and how they can push in favor of the game
falls apart. Although it may be interesting to show scenes of
by helping the game master. We are going to do the same with
the protagonists that have nothing to do with the main story (in
the task of direction.
the end, a noir story is nothing without its protagonists), each
player must avoid hogging the spotlight. We have already warned about this, actively and passively.
Even though the game master has the final say with the rules
At any rate, like what happens with many other aspects, it’s
and to the style of the story, it isn’t about being a dictator. When
about keeping a certain equilibrium: it doesn’t make sense to
it comes to the players’ proposals to the game, we have to be
crowd four characters in one room to question a single suspect,
as flexible as possible, mostly because having to constantly re-
nor is it about each of them being the protagonist of one indi-
ject ideas interrupts the game and becomes frustrating for those
vidual story. And what if you want to develop the story of one
who make suggestions. As a general rule, if you always have
protagonist, make a game session focusing on that character,
to be rejecting the players’ contributions to the narrative, that
like we discussed in the section “Continuity” (page 75)?
means that you didn’t explain something clearly when you pro-
posed your idea.
Setting the pace
In a roleplaying game, the pace is marked by the portioning of Along these lines, it’s important to recall that as a game master
information and events. The game can be more or less linear you mustn’t abuse your power: in Blacksad, the game master
but the game master always has the chance to reveal new in- isn’t the antagonist of the players, you all tell the story together.
formation and cause events that force the players to advance. Ask your players for assistance and give it to them in return
when they ask you for it.
Learning to set the pace is a matter of practice, nothing more.
The same way you would raise your voice at certain moments This said, we have to be clear about how a game session may
of a speech to make sure that the audience hasn’t fallen asleep not be the moment to argue. There might be players who don’t
or establish commonality by means of a joke or some person- see your interpretation of the situation as realistic or players
al anecdote to help them empathize with you. During a game who know the rules better than you and could try to take advan-
session you also have to make sure that the players are gripped tage of that… In many of those cases, it doesn’t matter who is
by the story and not thinking about what they have to do when right: leave the argument for after the game. When the session
they get home. It’s not about obsessing over this because you finishes, there will be an opportunity to analyze any mistakes,
can never please everyone (sometimes, you might have some- inconsistencies or matters that the players don’t agree with so
one who doesn’t get into the game and there is no way of over- you can reach an understanding for the next session. However,
coming that, no need for drama!). Even so, keeping a close eye be open to adjusting your game due to a player’s dissatisfac-
on your players’ reactions allows you to react accordingly and, tion, the potential harm in subject matter and table interactions
especially important, manage the pacing. or your own perspectives. There is a difference between a rule
interpretation and actual hurt feelings. Take a break, take a
It is essential to maintain the dramatic tension. From the mo- breath and see if you can come to an understanding.
ment you propose the story, the tension must always be on the
rise until the climax and up to the decisive moment when the Be impartial with your players. You mustn’t fall into the temp-
protagonists resolve the conflict or retreat because victory has tation of giving more spotlight time to your significant other or
obviously gone out of their reach. to your best friends. This not only shortchanges the other play-
ers but also limits you in the narrative. The appropriate thing
To set the pace, you have to think about the time range of your
to do is to treat each player according to their personalities (at
comic pages. Some pages are full of strips, packed with bal-
least, to the extent possible): getting to know your players will
loons and text boxes. Others are pure action and our gaze goes
help you adapt better to their suggestions and offer them things
across the page at full speed. At the beginning of a session, if
that motivate them the most.
the protagonists want, they can get into a philosophical discus-
sion. They can discuss concepts as abstract as ethics and mo- In conclusion, the game master’s job requires you to be a step
rality. However, as the story progresses, we can’t stop at these further from your players and see the story from above because
kinds of situations. You have to poke your players and interrupt there has to be someone that won’t lose sight of the objective:
them with phone calls or have thugs appear at the detective focusing on the story being built according to the patterns pro-
agency by breaking the door down, make them feel the tension posed at the beginning, seeing that the matters needing to be
that their characters are experiencing. dealt with don’t disappear and respecting the tone.

78
NUMBER OF PROTAGONISTS
WHEN YOU HAVE ALREADY RUN SEVERAL ROLEPLAYING GAMES, YOU BEGIN TO WONDER HOW MANY PLAYERS IT
IS BETTER TO PLAY WITH. YOU QUICKLY REALIZE THAT AT A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PROTAGONISTS, THE PLAYERS
SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITHOUT INTERACTING (FOR INSTANCE, DURING AN ACTION SITUATION, WHERE TIME
SLOWS DOWN AND WE RESOLVE ONE COMIC STRIP AT A TIME, THE PROTAGONISTS ACTING IN ORDER OF INITIA-
TIVE). THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR THE GAME MASTER TO MANAGE THE DETAILS OF EACH CHARACTER AND TO
KEEP THE GROUP TOGETHER (THIS COULD LEAD TO HAVING TOO MANY PARALLEL NARRATIVE THREADS).

THERE ISN’T AN IDEAL NUMBER OF PLAYERS. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE GROUP AND THE GAME MASTER, BUT
GIVEN THE KIND OF STORIES WE CAN NARRATE IN BLACKSAD, WE SUGGEST YOU KEEP THE NUMBER OF PROTAG-
ONISTS TO A MINIMUM.

NOTE THAT DETECTIVE STORIES USUALLY HAVE ONLY A FEW PROTAGONISTS. THE BLACKSAD SERIES HAS ONE
VERY CLEAR PROTAGONIST AND, OCCASIONALLY, A COUPLE OF CHARACTERS THAT HELP HIM OUT: WEEKLY (THE
JOURNALIST WHO ACCOMPANIES JOHN IN ARCTIC NATION AND IN RED SOUL) OR NEAL BEATO THE LAWYER
(WHO SHARES JOHN’S PATH IN AMARILLO). ALTHOUGH, IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT YOU CAN FIND NOIR STORIES
WITH SEVERAL PROTAGONISTS (SUCH AS L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, WITH A STIFF AND PURITAN COP, ANOTHER THAT
IS TOO VIOLENT AND THAT LAST ONE HUNGRY FOR NOTORIETY). AND IN A STORY LIKE THE ONE WE HAVE AS AN
EXAMPLE, THE MURDER AT THE EMBASSY, WE COULD COUNT ON EVEN MORE PROTAGONISTS: A PHOTOGRAPHER
WHO TAKES TOO MANY RISKS TO TAKE THE PERFECT SHOT, AN OLD INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST THAT THEY ARE
TRYING TO RETIRE, A YOUNG FEMALE JOURNALIST TRYING TO MAKE HER WAY IN A MAN’S WORLD, AN EX-COP
THAT WORKS FOR THE NEWSPAPER MAKING SURE THAT HIS INVESTIGATORS DON’T GET INTO TROUBLE, A CHIEF
EDITOR WHO MISSES WORK AT THE FARM AND QUICKLY SEES HIMSELF DRAGGED INTO THE CASE, ETC.

IS THERE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS? WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PLAY BLACKSAD WITH ONLY ONE. EVEN
THOUGH, WITHOUT A DOUBT, A ROLEPLAYING GAME BECOMES RICHER WITH THE MORE CONTRIBUTORS IT HAS, IT
CAN OFTEN BE VERY INTERESTING TO PLAY A FOCUSED STORY IN THE STYLE OF BLACKSAD, ONE PROTAGONIST
HARASSED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES, COMPLETELY ALONE.

79
 CHAPTER 4:

THE SETTING
Before getting started on a new book, every comic author takes
the time to analyze the world where their stories will take place,
since the setting and the secondary characters inhabiting it play
essential roles. Something similar happens in a roleplaying game.

80
 Nevertheless, in the streets and day-to-day lives, things wer-
Turbulent times en’t as great. Many veterans returned home having changed
The Blacksad stories are set in the United States of America psychologically and physically, without finding a place for
during the Fifties. It’s a transitional period set between two themselves in the world. Some ended up being private detec-
dark moments: the horrors of World War II, which concluded tives or cops and others sunk into the world of crime. Along
in 1945, and the beginning of the Cold War, an entire period with them came many more immigrants fleeing from the hor-
shrouded by distrust and fear. Stories such as Red Soul and A rors of their own homes. The prosperity we talked about was
Silent Hell wouldn’t make any sense without characters influ- there, but not for everyone: some neighborhoods in the big
enced by this historical context, like the scientist Otto Liebber cities were impoverished and others formed ghettos. All that
or Joachim, the trumpet player. A Blacksad game master must glitters is not gold.
have this context in mind to build a credible setting and to
anchor the motivations and worries of their characters. Our
goal is not to illustrate an extensive historical disquisition, but The Cold War: economic growth
to give the main brushstrokes to help you develop interesting and conservatism
stories.
After World War II, the United States and the USSR were the
two primary world powers. It appeared inevitable for them to
World War II scrutinize each other with distrust: the United States came back
from the war strengthened and this increased the consumerism
and what it brought about of its citizens, which kept improving their economic situation.
Even though World War II started in 1939, the United States The USSR, with their socialist character, believed the United
didn’t actively take part until 1941. The US supported the Al- States would use their position of power with the other capi-
lies by providing supplies and then participated more active- talist countries and the atomic bomb to claim supremacy, with
ly by the end of that same year, when the Imperial Japanese a new war if necessary. This distancing between them grew
Navy Air Service attacked Pearl Harbor’s military base. Many as time passed, to the extent that any action done by one of
young Americans, inspired by the Army’s advertising cam- these nations, regardless of intent, was treated as schemes and
paigns, decided to take that step and enlisted. They journeyed strategies by the other. Thus began a political war but with the
to what they thought a mission for brave heroes but instead constant threat of atomic bombs as a deterrent: the Cold War.
witnessed a compilation of the worst horrors devised by hu- Coming back to the situation inside the United States, there
man beings. were several booms during the Fifties, the main ones being the
Focusing back in the US, everyone seemed to share the same economic growth, the expanse of suburbs and the baby boom,
fighting spirit, due to the government’s advertising machinery, along with the increase of conservatism and social protests.
which stressed the importance of cooperation: from farmers The economic growth was partly due to the increase of con-
who provided the hard-earned food for the troops, to students sumerism at every level and the peak of advertising: everything
working hard to become productive citizens, to even mothers that appeared on television was an object of desire. People not
who prepared food they would have otherwise cast aside, such only wanted more possessions, they also wanted more variety
as entrails, to feed their families. The political situation also and more quality: clothes, books, cars... Anything that could
led to women taking over in male-dominated industries as part be manufactured experienced a growth that increased the vol-
of their patriotic duty when the men went overseas. ume of the middle class in the country, willing to invest their
earnings to reach a better quality of life.
The United States of America didn’t start the war but they did
finish it: the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Perhaps the greatest exponent of the growth of the middle
1945 was a pure demonstration of power that led to the end of class was the blooming of suburbs in the outskirts of the city.
the conflict. Now the world had to pick up the pieces and go The (male) American dream consisted of having a respectable
home. The USA came back reinforced from the conflict, being job and a loving wife who took care of the children and waited
one of the only countries involved to have grown economical- for her husband in a beautiful house with a yard. This dream
ly, consolidating a position of worldwide power lasting many came true thanks to the enormous growth of these neighbor-
decades. Only the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics could hoods, where everyone (white) could move to if they could
stand up to them in the following years. afford it, leaving the city to the least privileged.

81
 The baby boom was another one of the great phenomena of the
decade. With the end of the war and the beginning of prosper-
The basis of Blacksad
ity, many Americans saw this never-before-seen time of peace The Blacksad comics have a series of recurring themes to con-
and were encouraged to have children. The increase in child sider when translating the spirit of the stories by Díaz Canales
population meant more mouths to feed and minds to educate, and Guarnido to the roleplaying game. Some of these themes
but also more future consumers. are typical of film noir, in general, and others only appear in
the stories of the cat detective. These recurring topics can
With this scenario of economic growth, development of the serve as inspiration when it comes to creating the stories and
middle class and birth boom came a change of public opinion. characters from the comics.
Society turned more conservative: “traditional” values, rac-
ism and xenophobia, the demonization of sex and eroticism. Background characters
Meanwhile the distance between the US and the USSR grew, The Blacksad stories contain mysteries waiting to be unraveled
making anyone far from the norm a “commie” undermining (murders, disappearances, robberies, etc.) and many of these
the fundamentals of capitalist and democratic society. unfold in captivating ways. Nevertheless, the film noir stories
we want to model address issues other than discovering the
Fortunately, not all American citizens had the same world murderer, like what happens in the Agatha Christie novels or in
perspective. The decade of the Fifties was also a moment of series such as Murder, She Wrote or Columbo. On the contrary,
social protests, including the Supreme Court decision, Brown if you go through the stories following John Blacksad you will
v. Board of Education, desegregating schools (on paper), when see that that the heart lies with the secondary characters: getting
the Black activist, Rosa Parks, was arrested for not giving up to know their past, their motivations, why they act the way they
her seat in a bus to a white man and the outrage over the mur- do. With this, we want to express that you don’t need a spectac-
ular ingenuity or to be able to imagine impossible crimes. It’s
der of Emmett Till. These protests grew in range and intensity
enough to build interesting characters that the protagonists can
throughout the next decade. The Blacksad comics take place
interact with. On many occasions, the plot will unravel before
during this earlier time and place of inequality, right at the
them as if a lucky coincidence, like when Blacksad saw the pho-
cusp of change. tographs taken by Weekly in Arctic Nation or encountered the
bikers in Amarillo. That isn’t a bad thing… it prioritizes certain
The stories inside the story characters and their development in the plot.

All of Blacksad’s stories have a strong social commentary in Vestiges of the past
their background, although perhaps, Arctic Nation and Red The past mistakes we made or the ones committed against us
Soul have especially obvious conflicts built into the plot. are constant themes in the noir genre. Many motivations of
However, there are hints throughout all of the stories: John the secondary characters in Blacksad relate to their past, be-
Blacksad has fought in World War II, Samuel Gotfield lives cause they regret it, because their past impacts their present
in fear of nuclear war and the La Iguana pool hall is a place
where people from other species aren’t welcome.
STORIES TO LEARN FROM
When you play this roleplaying game, it might rewarding to WHEN WE RECOMMENDED YOU TO REFLECT THE REALITY
OF THE TIME PERIOD, TAKE CARE OF THE POTENTIAL HARM
keep this social background present and part of the narrative. AT YOUR GAME TABLE. WE WANT YOU TO LEARN FROM THE
However, this may include characters that manifest attitudes SOCIAL REALITY OF THE TIME TO SYMPATHIZE WITH THOSE

that are sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic or transpho-

MARGINALIZED WHO, LIKE JOHN BLACKSAD OR DINAH SMITH,
STRUGGLE UNDER SOCIETY’S RIGID DEFINITIONS AND OPPRES-
bic. In a similar vein, protagonists who are female or people SIVE SYSTEMS.
of color can face discrimination and exclusion from certain BLACKSAD CAN PRESENT AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO
professions and places. United States society in the Fifties had GET INTO THE SHOES OF A MARGINALIZED PERSON FAC-

a long road ahead to get where we are now (and unfortunately,

ING THESE KINDS OF OBSTACLES. HOWEVER, THE PEOPLE
OF YOUR TABLE MAY ALREADY BELONG TO ONE OR MORE
we still have some way to go) in matters of equality. Discuss MARGINALIZED GROUPS AND MAY NOT WISH TO ENGAGE IN

with your group how much historical “accuracy” everyone THESE TOPICS. DISCUSS LIMITS AT YOUR TABLE AND IDEN-
TIFY POTENTIAL HARM TO REMOVE FROM YOUR GAME. RO-
wants, keeping in mind that these themes can be explored LEPLAYING GAMES, AS WELL AS ENTERTAINING, CAN ALSO
safely and successfully as long as you all remain aware of po- SERVE AS A MOMENT TO REFLECT, EMPATHIZE AND LEARN.
JUST LIKE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COMICS!
tential harm.

82
or because it has come to light. The protagonists should have protagonists tend to become very inquisitive about everything
backgrounds that invite these things to happen, like when if they learn that each time you introduce a detail, it is linked
Blacksad investigated the death of a past lover in Somewhere to the case.
Within the Shadows. The game master should introduce the
past in their stories as a relevant part of the plot, like what Life is sadness sprinkled with moments
happened to Otto Liebber in Red Soul and Faust in A Silent of happiness
Hell. In fact, resolving a case often entails exploring the pasts
Neither Blacksad nor the rest of the characters surrounding
of the involved characters, even though all of the details don’t
him are happy, or at least not for long. All of them have some-
always come out into the open. This happens with Dinah and
thing torturing them, chasing them or catching up with them.
Jezabel in Arctic Nation.
Hans Karup from Arctic Nation lives tormented by his mar-
riage, whereas Luanne, the assistant to the knife-thrower in
The importance of detail Amarillo, got into the circus by running from her past. Our
The strips in the Blacksad comics are full of interesting mo- very own Blacksad is another one of those characters marked
ments occurring in the background. Your game sessions by sadness.
should have a similar richness where the protagonists can star
in these small stories, considering that they also might have From the loss of an ex-lover in Somewhere Within the Shad-
something to tell: children playing ball in a humble neighbor- ows to getting involved with another in Red Soul, it looks as
hood, a couple fighting because one of them flirted at one of if his destiny is to remain alone. Sometimes, he finds himself
the protagonists, etc. in a worse situation than when the case started. Your character
should also have a similar sadness weighing on their shoulders.
It’s also important that, from time to time, you introduce de-
tails that will have relevance later to the story. For example, in Nevertheless, sadness is not a constant in the Blacksad comics
Red Soul, Blacksad rejects an invitation to a dinner party but and characters do experience times of joy: the children play-
later accepts when he gets a lady friend to go with him. In A Si- ing in Arctic Nation, the family dinner with Commissioner
lent Hell, picking up an old flyer from a street musician’s cart Smirnov in Red Soul or John meeting up with his sister in Am-
seems to have no relevance but afterwards becomes the key arillo. These small moments of happiness help the protagonist
to resolving the case. Introducing these kinds of details help believe in better times. Make sure your characters also have
give your stories flavor, especially if done with moderation: these moments of light before falling again into darkness.

83
 Justice beyond justice
Blacksad is full of characters getting away with
crimes, although this doesn’t mean that they don’t
end up punished for their actions. This can either be
because someone took justice into their own hands,
like Blacksad himself with Ivo Statoc, or because of
an ironic twist of fate, like Oldsmill, defender of the
white race who has a disabled son as a result of in-
breeding. Or even Faust LaChapelle, who fell ill just
like those he had deceived in the past.

Your Blacksad stories should also include this kind of

ironic justice beyond the common kind, as a way of ex-
pressing that even those who have fled from the law can
end up getting what they deserve... in some occasions.

People over animals

The characters in Blacksad are anthropomorphic
animals. Just by looking at some of the images you
can tell it’s not a children’s story, and that the char-
acters are, above all else, people more than animals.
The same way other comics have utilized anthropo-
morphic animals, such as Maus and Usagi Yojimbo,
Blacksad characters at times exhibit behaviors and
qualities that remind us of the animals they represent
(for example, Blacksad moving comfortably between
the shadows like a cat and Cotten, the crow, enjoying
shiny objects). Their behavior and their way of think-
ing, though, still obey human behaviors, like the thirst
for power, sex or money.

When you decide what species your character belongs

to, let instinct guide you (for instance, dogs are al-
ways alert, so they can be law enforcement officers)
but don’t forget that, above all, they are people with
motivations and particular interests. Their animal na-
ture can emerge in some exceptional cases to support
the narrative and, in fact, there is a rule system for this
(page 34).

Locations
Locations play an important part in any film noir sto-
ry. At times they are even considered characters them-
selves. As the game master, you should give life to your
locations, describe it and make it real in the player’s im-
aginations. This is as important for the story as it is to
build a case worth investigating.

It is true that stories of the film noir genre can occur

anywhere. Although, if you look over the Blacksad

84
comics and compare them to a novel or a movie you can The Back Room
identify patterns: a series of recurring locations where these Even though it belongs to other locations, the back room
stories can develop. If you take it a step further, you will also plays an important part in the noir genre that it deserves its
discover that these locations aren’t used indiscriminately. own section. In a general sense, a back room is the area in
What happens at a gymnasium is different to what happens the back of any business, in which access is limited to the
behind the scenes in a theater. In this manner, the location staff and their circle of trust. It is, therefore, an ideal place for
also tells the players something about the story, preparing criminals to meet, to seal a deal that cops can’t know about
them for what might happen in the scene. and for all kinds of legally dubious activities.

Next, we present the most frequently used locations of this A back room can also be a place for comradery, to meet up with
genre and later explain how to create specific ones. friends after a long day of work and to play some poker. In a
sense, these kinds of activities can also be clandestine, although
Archetypical locations focused on finding refuge from the demands of family life.

The following locations are frequently used in the genre. Not

all of them appear in Blacksad but all of them could, without a Artist
problem. Beside each of these locations, you can also find the Suggested Species: Parrot, Turkey, Skunk

game stats of a secondary character commonly found there. It CHARACTERISTICS

can serve as a guide to create your own secondary characters FORTITUDE Body Language +1
REFLEXES
or to improvise one during a game session.
Skilful Hands +2, Fragile Material +1
WILLPOWER Disciplined +2
INTELLECT
The Art Gallery
History of Art +1, Painting Techniques +2

The Fifties art scene sees some artists struggling in pov- COMBAT STATS

erty while others becoming part of the economic and in- INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

tellectual elite. The poor and the wealthy meet at art gal- 6 2 0 3
leries, properties dedicated exclusively to show the talent
of the artists exhibiting their work there. The best ones
are ample and well-lit places, generally of light colors so Rich heiress
the paintings, statues and other artistic representations ap-
Suggested species: Ermine, cat (Siamese), dog (Poodle)

propriately pop. Of course, not all galleries are the same, CHARACTERISTICS
and the neighborhood they belong to says a lot about the FORTITUDE Play tennis +1, Stay up all night +1

seriousness of the place and the kinds of the artists you REFLEXES Dance +1, Pianist fingers +1
WILLPOWER
can find there.
Obstinate +2, Authoritarian +1
INTELLECT Literature +1, Music +1

Art galleries tend to have only a few staff members: the COMBAT STATS
person in charge of the gallery, a couple of assistants and
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE
security, sometimes limited to art galleries of a certain
category. This is not to say that art galleries are empty: 4 1 0 5
there is always someone curious taking a look around, and
during the days of an opening exhibition, galleries invite
all kinds of important people. In fashion galleries, it’s Rich kid
common to encounter politicians, commissioners, pres-
Suggested species: Cheetah, white tiger, dog (Chihuahua)

tigious artists and other personalities having a glass of CHARACTERISTICS

Champagne handed out by a professional catering service. FORTITUDE Drinks +2
REFLEXES Play the piano +1, Sniff around +1

In the noir genre, the art gallery is usually used as a starting WILLPOWER Capricious +2
INTELLECT
point in the story or provides a meeting place for members of Gizmos +2, Paint +1

the jet set. If the story revolves around white-collar thieves, it COMBAT STATS
will very likely turn into a crime scene. INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

Descriptors: “Sometimes there are exhibitions of a certain 5 1 0 4

artist,” “Snobs frequently go,” “It’s well-guarded.”

85
 An adequate back room offers a good view of the entrance The basic element of any bar is the counter, the division between
of the business, to see an approaching client or to hide what- the staff and the customers. Behind it, the bartender pours drinks
ever illegal activity. It’s also possible to have a back door and cleans while listening and conversing with the regulars. With
or access to the inner courtyard, which allows an escape if new customers, a good bartender remains courteous and polite,
necessary. Other back rooms even have a trapdoor to a secret testing the waters to see if they want to talk or just stopped by
area, probably inherited from Prohibition times. for a drink. With regular customers, the bartender won’t have to
ask what they will be having, instead serving their favorite drinks
In noir stories, the back room can set an opening scene or a
while greeting them by their first name or nickname. If they also
conclusion showcasing camaraderie (for example, the protag-
have a good heart, the drinks might be on the house... but woe to
onists having a drink and playing poker) or to establish a hid-
anyone trying to get away without paying! If anyone angers the
ing scene or the pursuit of a suspect.
bartender, the regulars will see them as a persona non grata and
Descriptors: “Only those who have confidence with the own- it won’t take long to find out that the bar isn’t for them anymore.
er can access it,” “It hides dirty schemes,” “It has a back door.”
Bars are also a place to find odd characters, like the stereotypical
military officer on leave who, after spending a long time at his duty
The Bar station, wishes to have a few drinks, trying to pick up some girl.
Big or small, calm or riotous, bars always have a role in detective
stories. Beyond quenching the thirst of the customers, the bar is a In noir stories, the bar is a rendezvous point for the protago-
meeting place of recreation. A city bar quickly collects people from nists (after all, several have started their stories by drowning
the surrounding streets stopping by to chat with their neighbors, their sorrows in alcohol) as a place to seek information. Reg-
play cards or comment on the city’s news. Small towns emphasize ulars at the bar won’t have any difficulties doing so. On the
the local bar as the place to go when searching for news. On the other hand, if they are strangers, they may encounter some
other hand, if the bar is located at a transit point, it is possible to quiet customers and a polite bartender unwilling to speak ill
identify the locals from the people just passing through, whom of- of any of the patrons. The gift of gab or a fat wallet ready to
ten get treated differently, in a standoffish and impersonal manner. be emptied are very useful in these cases.

Criminal Bartender
Suggested species: Vulture, panther, dog (Doberman) Suggested species: Pig, cow, walrus

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Iron fists +2, Carry sacks +1 FORTITUDE Stay up late +2, Lift weights + 1
REFLEXES Dodge +2, Hide +1 REFLEXES Carry trays +1, Pour drinks +1
WILLPOWER Scheming +1 WILLPOWER Distrustful +1, Friendly chatter +1
INTELLECT Hide stolen merchandise +1 INTELECT Fresh news +1, Recognize coins +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

4 2 0 4 4 1 0 5

86
Some bars have a place in the back that they use as a storehouse, Brothels can take on different roles in a noir story. They can
be it outdoors or not. If not outdoors, it can be a good place to be where the action happens, but more often than not they are
hide things... or people. If you’re a true friend of the bartender’s, places to seek information. They also work as prologue or
they might be willing to hide something for you in the back room. epilogue locations in antihero stories, where the protagonist
shows up in search for a companionship not necessarily sexu-
Descriptors: “The bartender keeps watch from behind the al. Another recurring topic in noir is the tragic love between a
counter,” “Fluorescent lights and smoke,” “Open until late.” sex worker and the protagonist that never ends well.

The Brothel Descriptors: “Light is scarce, except for the stage,” “The en-
Brothels commerce in affection, companionship and sex. They trance is guarded by muscle.”
always edge up against legality, making them clandestine es-
tablishments, or they may appear as more sociably acceptable
Muscle
Suggested species: Rhinoceros, bull, gorilla
places, like cabarets or clubs.
CHARACTERISTICS
Brothels generally have a bar and some tables, along with FORTITUDE Shove +2, Tough skin +1

some kind of stage if they offer shows or cabarets. Some kind REFLEXES Block a blow +1, Punch +1
WILLPOWER
of enforcer, who often has more brawn than brains, lacking in
Bribery +1, Loyalty +1
INTELLECT Soccer results +1
all kinds of manners, always watches over the establishment.
Except for these kinds of muscle, the establishment usually COMBAT STATS
only has women working and not all of them can be “bought.” INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

In some, even the waitresses are available for a price, whereas 3 1 1 6

others have well-differentiated jobs.

Military on leave Sex worker

Suggested species: Dog, tiger, bear Suggested species: Chinchilla, pig, fox

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Carry weight +2, Dash +1 FORTITUDE Tough +2
REFLEXES Hit the deck +2, Rifle +1 REFLEXES Escape +2, Steal wallets +1
WILLPOWER Overcome fear +3 WILLPOWER Seduction +1, Unbreakable +1
INTELECT Keep guard +1, Read maps +1 INTELLECT Concoct stories +1, Local history +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

5 2 0 6 5 2 0 4

87
 The Cemetery
Cemeteries are places ruled by silence. Located in open ar-
eas and often far away from the city’s ruckus, grass and
trees alternate with gravestones and mausoleums. Some
cemeteries are large and it’s easy to get lost in them, where-
as in others you can see all they have to offer with a simple
glance. During the day it’s common to come across some-
one visiting a loved one’s resting place, just like it’s also
common to see a priest officiating a ceremony for a small
group of people. At night, on the other hand, you might only
see a guard at most, or some hooligan wandering around.

In the noir genre, cemeteries serve as scenes for clandestine

meetings or a transitional or closing scene, with the protago-
nists saying their farewells to a loved character (maybe even
one of their own!).

Descriptors: “Some statues are larger than a person,”

“The wealthiest families bury their dead in mausoleums,”
“The humblest graves only consist of gravestones driven
into the ground.”

The Circus
A convoy made up of trucks, caravans and cars, the circus moves
between cities and towns bringing “the greatest show in the
world.” Their goal is simple: amuse children and adults with a
variety of shows that go from funny clowns to brave tightrope
walkers, along with shows like the bearded woman, skilled knife
throwers and mysterious fortunetellers. They tend to stay for only
a few days at a time in each city (in fact, in small towns they com-
monly only give one show), but when they get there everyone
knows about it in no time.

Beyond the business side of it, the circus can end up becoming
a sort of surrogate family. Usually, people who get into the cir-
cus suffer some kind of marginalization or because they wish to
put distance from their past. Some members have changed their
names or lied about who they are but nobody asks any questions.
If you are part of the circus, you are part of the family. Because
of these marginalizations and fears, many circuses prefer to clean
up their own dirty laundry, making it hard for law enforcement to
investigate: witnesses that disappear, members of the circus who
have committed a crime and no one hears of them again, unex-
plained thefts... Circuses take advantage of their nomadic charac-
ter in order to get away from problems with the law.

In noir stories, the circus only appears when it plays an impor-

tant role. When a circus gets introduced into the story, then the
mystery is usually linked to the circus: the crime occurs during
a show, circus members become relevant secondary characters,
etc. In any case, the circus tends to show a sad and, at times, a
macabre side. Happiness and good times are somewhat outside
the norm in these kinds of stories.

88
Descriptors: “The circus members are all very diverse,”
Priest
“They never stay in the same place for long,” “When they Suggested species: Mole, panda bear, stork
aren’t performing, they are rehearsing.”
CHARACTERISTICS

The Dance Hall FORTITUDE

REFLEXES
Wakefulness +2
Liturgical rites +1
Dancing is a fun and exciting activity. More than a few WILLPOWER Public speaking +2, Stubborn +2
young people intimately meet and mingle at the dance INTELLECT Bible readings +2

hall, even if in a chaste manner. They have a charm dif-

COMBAT STATS
ficult to find anywhere else and sometimes have drink
table service as well as live shows, often an orchestra or INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

a jazz band at the very least. Professional dancers and 3 1 0 6

singers sometimes go there as well, in order to enliven
the evening.

Dance halls aren’t for everyone. They require a certain attire, Clown
a particular etiquette and many times also require some deep Suggested species: Giraffe, penguin, koala

pockets. Most of them have a door guard that makes sure to CHARACTERISTICS
only give entry to the appropriate public. After overcoming FORTITUDE Resistance +2, Frugal +1
this obstacle, guests pass the checkroom, where a charming REFLEXES Acrobatics +1, Juggling +1, Knife-throwing +1

young lady is pleased to take care of your coat. A step further WILLPOWER Circus loyalty +2
INTELLECT
is where the magic happens: dim lighting and music that pulls
Tell stories +1

you into the fun, the young people of the city showing off COMBAT STATS
their talent for dancing. INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

Some dance halls are somewhat sordid, often visited 4 2 0 5

by people with bad reputations or tied to the world of
organized crime. These halls tend to have an extend-
ed and unpleasant history of police raids, beatings and Wait staff
even murders, the kind of location where shady deals Suggested species: Squirrel, kangaroo, hen
take place. It is exactly these kinds of dance halls that
CHARACTERISTICS
Blacksad protagonists frequent.
FORTITUDE Early bird +1, Experienced hands +1

Scenes that can take place in a dance hall vary greatly. REFLEXES Carry trays +2, Escape +1
WILLPOWER
Protagonists can search for a witness (or dance part-
Friendly chat +2, Get information +1
INTELLECT Fresh news +2
ner) on the dance floor, chase down a suspect or try to
lose a tail in the crowd or get involved in some kind of COMBAT STATS
tense negotiation, threat or fist fight. INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

Descriptors: “There is live music,” “It’s a hotbed for 5 2 0 5

young romances,” “The checkroom is watched over by
a young lady.”
Detective
The Detective’s Office Suggested species: Dog (Bloodhound), fox, panther

It’s no coincidence that Blacksad is a detective. Detec- CHARACTERISTICS

tives are a representative part of noir stories, and their of- FORTITUDE Athletic +1, Heavy drinker +1
fices are a recurrent setting. The detective’s office, usual- REFLEXES Light-fingered +2, Street fight +1
ly located on the first floor of an apartment building, has a WILLPOWER Charismatic +1, Insistent +1

windowed door that allows them to intuit someone’s sil- INTELLECT Follow clues+1, Good nose +1

houette as they approach it. In regard to the office, many COMBAT STATS
have no more than a desk with a drawer, a couple of
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE
chairs and a telephone, although others do have shelves,
RESISTANCE

a typewriter and even an annexed room, usually with a 5 2 0 4

cot in case the detective has to spend the night there or

89
 has turned it into their own residence. Whatever the furniture The wait staff is the soul of the diner: youngsters who yearn
may be, the office generally has a window with a street view, for a better life or veterans that address their clients as “dar-
ideal for knowing who is keeping watch on them... or to es- ling” and “sugar.” Many regulars end up bonding with one
cape if necessary. Generally, detective’s offices have a stench of the wait staff, which makes them potential sources of in-
of tobacco, alcohol or both. formation... unfortunately for them. More than a few of these
innocent workers have ended up dead for knowing too much
Detective’s offices tend to be a starting point, the typical about a matter that wasn’t any of their business.
place where someone goes in search of help. It can also be
a place to hide, although that usually comes with an escape Descriptors: “The wait staff can’t resist conversation,” “Located
scene or a fight. in crowded streets,” “The reserved spots provide some privacy.”

Descriptors: “It’s full of the detective’s notes,” “The curtains The Film Studios
allow one to look outside without being seen,” “The ashtrays Blacksad is set at a moment when films are gaining more and more
are full of cigarette butts.” influence in Western society, most of all in America. Filmgoers
passionately welcome these fantastic adventures in audiovisual
The Diner format and they fill cinemas to watch their favorite actors perform
Diners could be considered first cousins to bars. While bars a variety of roles. To quench these desires, film studios bloomed,
are mostly sordid and dark, well-lit diners take advantage of like in Los Angeles, where Hollywood is located.
their street corner locations by using ample windows, bring-
ing the vibrant city closer to their customers. In a big city or From the outside, film studios completely lack the glamour
in a transit area, diners keep their doors open for many hours, that one expects to encounter. They are usually fenced and
sometimes for the entire day. their access controlled by guards that keep watch from their
station. Inside, various industrial units accommodate the stag-
They usually have a counter with stools, generally nailed to the es, dressing rooms, etc.
floor, and a series of booths that give their clients some privacy
while they enjoy a sandwich, a slice of cake or some other delica- The film industry employs many people from directors to ac-
tors, scriptwriters, gaffers, makeup artists, carpenters, walk-on
cy prepared in the kitchen. This way, the diner is a place for social
actors and a long, extended etcetera. For an occasional visitor, a
interaction, like the bar, only for small groups of three to four peo-
studio is a magical place where everyone is happy because they
ple sharing a table along with confessions trying to be discreet.
do what they love. They walk about smiling at each other, shar-
Diners are also great places for surveillance. Big cities are full ing the joy of being in the film industry. For someone actually
of diners, so it’s easy to find one with a good view while going inside that celluloid world, all of that is only a façade: the build-
unnoticed. A cup of coffee, a muffin and the newspaper while ings are fake, temporary creations and the people working there
sitting in a diner is much nicer than doing so in a car. play with double meanings and talk behind everyone’s backs.

90
Actor Boxer
Suggested species: Lion, peacock, leopard Suggested species: Boar, gorilla, crocodile

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Physical exercise +1
FORTITUDE Punch to the jaw +2, Tough skin +1
REFLEXES Action scenes +1, Dancing +1
REFLEXES Footwork +2
WILLPOWER Seductive look +2, Smartness +2
WILLPOWER Composure +2
INTELLECT Fashion +1, Film history +1
INTELLECT Local news +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

4 1 0 5 3 1 1 6

Film studios are good places for scenes (taking advantage of Promoter
the colorful stages to give some color to the narrative) and for
Suggested species: Walrus, baboon, wolf

sordid stories that only a few know about: young artists taken CHARACTERISTICS
advantage of by arrogant liars, secrets veiled by tons of make- FORTITUDE Heavy drinker +1, In shape +1

up and stolen objects that go unnoticed amidst the props of a REFLEXES Game leader +1
WILLPOWER
fantasy set. Everything is an illusion, like the films.
Charismatic +2
INTELLECT Good eye +2, Draconian contracts +1

Descriptors: “The workers argue,” “There is wide ranging COMBAT STATS

scenography here,” “No one stops working when filming.”
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

The Gymnasium 4 1 0 4
In noir stories, gymnasiums are places where men work off
their adrenaline. They tend to be large and cold places, with a
The one in charge of the gymnasium is stereotypically an
ring for boxers and some locker rooms that have known better
elderly man, an old sportsman, who can barely make ends
times. Every gymnasium has its clients that come every day at
meet with his business. For this, they usually have a good
the same time and leave their sweat on the floor. Many of them
eye at identifying people with talent and use their network of
are boxers, or contending to be boxers. There are, however,
contacts to guarantee them an opportunity... be it in the offi-
gymnasiums where kids can go to after class (or instead of cial boxing circuits or in an illegal one. The commission they
going to class) to entertain themselves for a while and wom- get out of it generally serves as a way to pay their expenses,
en-only gyms, though mostly focused on calisthenics. their vices and to calm their conscience. The exception to
this is when they know they have condemned a kid to a ter-
rible fate in service to a criminal organization or death in the
boxing ring.

This leads us to mention another regular at the gymnasiums:

the boxing match promoter. They are always looking for a
couple of great competitors that can catch the public’s inter-
est or some rising star to provide them with plentiful profit.

In noir stories, gymnasiums are places where nobody asks

questions. Everyone assumes that you can be in some illegal
business, so nobody pries. It’s inevitable for protagonists to
visit gymnasiums looking for answers but to have trouble
finding them. Gaining the trust of the owner or the “big shot”
of the gymnasium can be key to getting a determinative piece
of information, even if it’s veiled.

91
 In more misogynist noir stories, gymnasiums are hostile to At the docks you can find all kinds of people. On one hand,
women. Women are received with surprise and distrust, when you have customs officials, government agents assigned to
not treated like pieces of meat. The men there make women manage the comings and goings of the vessels and their car-
feel out of place and uncomfortable, unless she proves she is go. You can find them at offices or cabins, always with a
“one of the guys.” In these stories, the sister or the daughter handful of delivery notes. You can also find non-union dock-
of the owner can be seen around there but everyone has to workers, managing the cranes for loading and unloading
respect her. They can’t bite the hand that feeds them. the containers, as well as unionized longshore workers. The
passengers of cruise ships and other vessels come and go,
Descriptors: “It’s on the outskirts of the city,” “The manager checks
giving color to the customs offices along with some curious
the lockers before closing,” “All of the clients know each other.”
passersby to see what kind of boats dock. Of course, you can
also encounter sailors on duty and boat captains, crowding
The Harbor the abundant bars and diners close by. These sea dogs always
Even though most coastline towns possess a harbor to dock
have strange news and information that can be very valuable
fishing boats and short-length boats, this setting is especially
for some cases.
eye-catching in cities with access to the sea or great rivers.
Harbors are crowded places but take a very large amount of In the noir genre, the harbor is similar to train stations in
space, a picturesque area that always smells of humidity and regard to the amount of people coming and going. Even so,
tends to have fog, seagulls, the scent of saltpeter and corro- they still provide other important commercial purposes. The
sion on all of its surfaces. They can be enormous so that large harbor possesses hangars, warehouses and mountains of rec-
merchant ships or cruise ships can dock. In large commercial tangular metal units that mark out the area of narrow and
centers with a harbor, you can find ships with all kinds of flags claustrophobic passages. In noir stories, the harbor often has
and of all types: tugboats, launches, a few out-of-date sail- illegal dealings, mostly when night falls. Merchandise deliv-
boats and, most of all, large vessels loaded with merchandise. eries in exchange for mysterious briefcases, stowaways that

Longshore Worker Sea Captain

Suggested species: Percheron horse, ox, ostrich Suggested species: Sea lion, pelican, seagull

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Lift loads +2, Arm wrestling +1, Resistance +1 FORTITUDE Good swimmer +2
REFLEXES Drunken fights +1, Manage crane +1 REFLEXES Pilot ship +2, Balance +1
WILLPOWER Patient +2 WILLPOWER Calm +2
INTELLECT Local knowledge +1 INTELLECT Cartography and navigation +2

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

3 1 0 6 5 2 0 4

92
sneak into the country with darkness as their shield or pur- Since rooms in hospitals are temporary quarters, patients
suits around the docks and anchored vessels are only some of can’t expect great accommodations, not even for rest or in
the action scenes that can occur at the harbor. meals. Patients staying for long periods of time in the hos-
Descriptors: “At night, a place of contraband trade,” “It pos- pital end up becoming “part of the house” and often have
sesses a cold and humid atmosphere,” “The sailors are discreet lengthy conversations with the staff, forming something sim-
but generally sour faced.” ilar to an established friendship.

Surrounding the hospitals, you can usually find several busi-

The Hospital nesses taking advantage of the dynamics of these places: din-
Big or small, modern or old, hospitals are surrounded by a
ers opening all day, newsstands to buy the newspaper, flower
melancholy aura, where people go because they are suffer-
shops selling gifts for those recovering... All of this forms a
ing and often end up suffering even more inside. The hospi-
small ecosystem inside the city.
tal’s ever-present color white is always stained, darkened or
weathered. In a way, a hospital is similar to a train station, In the noir genre, the hospital is often a place where the plot
with people who come and go, looking at posters or waiting takes a small pause, encouraging introspection and develop-
in long queues. Among all these people, the ones working ing the relationships between people. Hospitals can also play a
at the hospital rush around dressed in white uniforms with role as a small transition scene, or one where the protagonists
their nametags on it. They can be doctors, nurses or securi- search for information by visiting a patient.
ty guards. Usually well mannered during their first years of
practice, the staff turns cold and dry as time passes. They Descriptors: “It has become the home for the chronically ill,”
start to envision people as just another number on their “Not all staff are polite,” “The family members of those hos-
quota for the day. pitalized fill their rooms with flowers.”

Doctor Nurse
Suggested species: Elephant, anteater, polar bear Suggested species: Rabbit, raccoon, seal

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE On call +2 FORTITUDE Moving gurneys +2
REFLEXES Firm hand +2 REFLEXES Skilled with medical instruments +2
WILLPOWER Authoritarian +1, Arrogant +1 WILLPOWER Cold-blooded +1, Polite +1
INTELLECT Medicine +2, Clinical eye +1 INTELLECT First aid +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

5 1 0 4 3 1 0 4

93
 Institutional Housing or they have been forced to stay there against their own will.
In a general sense, institutional housing is any facility shel- For this reason, they spend much of their time thinking about
tering people of a certain group, such as the elderly (nurs- themselves and what has gone wrong in their lives. The most
ing home), orphans (orphanage) or people with mental dis- sociable form friendships with other residents and join some
orders (psychiatric hospital). All of these facilities have a groups, which help them pass the time. The workers usually
series of characteristics in common that allow us to address have a paternalistic attitude with the residents and are unsocia-
them as one. ble with people who aren’t part of the institution, as if afraid of
Firstly, they tend to be in remote locations, away from the being judged about how they do their jobs.
activity of the big city, although critics say that they are put When night falls, these locations become very calm places,
there to not bother “normal” citizens. The building is usually
with a curfew and the staff reduced to the minimum. This is
delimited by a fence or some kind of wall and often includes
when the security measures become apparent, resembling a
a garden or courtyard for outdoor activities without exiting
prison more than anything else.
the premises.
Institutional housing tends to be a location for the obtaining of
Institutional housing tends to be very large, often ancient, with
ample rooms so that many people can sleep in the same room. information from one of the residents, a scene of escape when
The common areas are often also large, like the cafeterias and one of the protagonists has been locked up against their will or
common rooms, and sometimes there can be other services a bookend for a tragic ending when the story concludes with a
with their own rooms, like a library or the infirmary. character being “condemned” to one of these facilities.

Institutional housing usually has a certain feeling of sadness Descriptors: “The residents are eager for visitors,” “At night,
and hopelessness in the air. The people living there don’t everything remains absolutely silent,” “The common areas oc-
have anywhere else to go, nobody wants to deal with them cupy the first floors.”

Senior citizen Motel employee

Suggested species: Turtle, rook, donkey Suggested species: Goat, chameleon, dog (Fox Terrier)

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Walks in the park +1 FORTITUDE Housework +1
REFLEXES Whip with walking stick +1 REFLEXES Agile fingers +2
WILLPOWER Obstinate +2 WILLPOWER Strict +2, Patient +1
INTELLECT Old tales +1, Sayings +1 INTELLECT Bookkeeping +1, Local news +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

3 1 0 3 4 1 0 4

94
The Motel The newspaper generally has a reception desk, used for peo-
Located near the city or in the middle of nowhere, motels are ple who want to talk with a journalist or for regular citizens
places where a traveler can get a room to rest a little before that want to report something. Usually, behind the reception
continuing their journey, for a small price, although that price desk, the journalists sit in a large room with their own desk
is in line with the accommodations. They usually have one or to peacefully type and smoke. There are also offices but only
two stories and have a parking spot for each room. for the editor and other high-ups. As a general rule, the news-
They usually lack in staff (an employee in reception and one paper has the printing machinery in the basement, where the
or two people to clean the facilities), which makes it the right ruckus bothers the upstairs less and the employees are al-
place to get lost for a time and go unnoticed. ways covered in ink.

In noir genre stories, the motel is the place to look for clues about The people who work at a newspaper tend to be more ill-hu-
a character who stayed there, to stage a crime scene or where the mored the higher their position. On the other hand, young
protagonists can take refuge and wait for things to blow over. people starting in the profession are usually more optimistic
Descriptors: “It’s a place for a stopover,” “The employees because they believe that if they work hard enough, they could
can easily recall the car models of their clients,” “The recep- win a Pulitzer.
tionist doesn’t ask any questions.”
Because of its nature, a newspaper is always linked to in-
The Newspaper formation in noir genre stories. The protagonists might go
In the time period of Blacksad, the newspaper is still the best there looking for clues, or they might be employees there
way to keep oneself informed about the world. Many people and discover leads to a great story. Inside the newspaper, the
have a subscription, with a young paperboy or girl tossing the printing machines are also important, most of all in chase
daily edition at their doorstep each morning, while others prefer or action scenes. They often end with an injury or someone
to purchase it at the newsstand or read it at their regular diner. dead, crushed by the machine itself.
The place where this daily information gets printed is also called
the newspaper. It’s a busy place full of journalists, proofreaders, Descriptors: “You can hear the tapping of typewriters,”
photographers and other employees that work against the clock “It has large windows,” “It has an agitated and nervous
day after day to send in their words before the deadline. atmosphere.”

Journalist Activist
Suggested species: Weasel, raven, macaque Suggested species: Sheep, llama, canary

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Carry photographic equipment +2 FORTITUDE Passive resistance +1
REFLEXES Sneak in +2 REFLEXES Flee from cops +2
WILLPOWER Extrovert +1, Opportunist +1 WILLPOWER Protests +2, Hunger strike +1
INTELLECT Newspaper archive +1, Photography +1, Writing +1 INTELLECT History +1, Laws +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

5 1 0 4 4 1 0 4

95
 The Park In noir genre stories, parks can be places where many scenes
Parks are settings for bringing joy to the city. As a city take place: sometimes they provide discreet get-togethers,
grows with time, it gets harder to get close to nature. Parks other times they can have a chase scene and in some stories,
provide an alternative, a place to smell the grass, lean on a they are also places where the characters can talk about their
tree or sit on a bench to rest. Parks can have walls or fences feelings and future intentions.
that separate them from the rest of the city, and they always Descriptors: “A place crowded with people of all ages,”
have some kind of unique charm: some swing sets for chil- “Large areas of grass and trees,” “Some families go there to
dren, a pond inhabited by ducks, some monuments or an have picnics on Sundays.”
arbor. Parks don’t usually have more people than plants and
animals, although more than one homeless person has had The Penitentiary
to sleep there on some occasion. In a genre where the stories revolve around crime, it’s inevita-
ble that prison ends up playing a relevant role. Penitentiaries
The cycle of activity of a park varies throughout the day. In
substantially vary from one state to another and they also de-
the morning it’s calm, with the elderly sitting on their benches
pend on how dangerous these prisoners are. They tend to have
and nannies taking babies for a stroll. In the afternoon, when
an ample courtyard, narrow cells and other areas of service
children have finished school, they fill the park, eager to play
(infirmary, cafeteria) that have been designed to keep watch
ball or hide and seek. Sometimes it’s possible to encounter ac-
and control, not to provide for their prisoners.
tivists who belong to some organization, collecting funds for a
cause or trying to raise awareness of the citizens. And let’s not The lack of accommodations and intimacy is a constant in
forget street performers, trying to brighten up someone’s day a penitentiary. For this reason, the prisoners quickly learn
and earn a few dollars. On the other hand, when night falls, the to trust one another above their captors and to keep a close
park becomes much more somber and the people there tend to eye to identify where they can hide something if necessary,
not want to be seen. like improvised weapons or drugs. For their part, the guards

Child Lawyer
Suggested species: Chicken, squirrel, cat (Scottish Fold) Suggested species: Bat, hyena, snake

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Playground fight +1 FORTITUDE Resistance +1
REFLEXES Racing +1, Wriggle out +1 REFLEXES Typing +2
WILLPOWER Spoiled +1 WILLPOWER Charlatan+1, Public speaker +1, Smartness +1
INTELLECT Absorb information like a sponge +1, Stories +1 INTELLECT Laws +1, Shrewdness +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

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96
learn to “read” the prisoners, keeping away from the dan- The Pool Hall
gerous ones and being polite to the pusillanimous in order The same way dance halls are a meeting place for a certain
to turn them into confidants. kind of public, the pool hall is a popular spot for other very dif-
The prisoners and workers of a penitentiary equally respect (or ferent kinds of people, possibly from a much lower socioec-
fear) the warden, owner and lord of the place. Some wardens onomic status. In noir stories, the shady people who frequent
are good-natured and try to keep everyone comfortable, while pool halls aren’t active criminals, but do hustle in semi-illegal
others are tyrants and use their position of power to improve activities, such as intimidating and relieving tourists of the
their own quality of life... or make others’ lives worse. weight of their wallets. They tend to see themselves as survi-
vors smarter than the common folk of the city and keep a close
Visitors tend to feel under observation by those inside the
camaraderie with each other, which on rare occasions, turns
penitentiary. Those who don’t regularly visit prisons feel un-
against anyone not one of their own.
comfortable and nervous at all times, as if afraid of being
locked up by mistake. The “veterans,” like lawyers, cops and In the noir genre, the pool hall tends to be a place for rough
detectives, walk around the place with a certain regality as if men. But the women who do go there are just as rough
daring those on the inside to stare them down. and tough, accepted members of the community. Everyone
Penitentiaries frequently appear in the noir genre, although knows this and keeps a safe distance from them to avoid
with a little less relevance than you would expect. They are coming off badly.
places to get information, to initiate stories based on crimi- The air of a pool hall is usually thick with smoke. They are
nals or where cop movies conclude.
dark places with scarce ventilation. The many regulars who
Descriptors: “Alliances aren’t always prisoners against the smoke there don’t help in keeping it healthier. Some halls have
guards,” “The prisoners make their own bladed weapons,” a bar but people tend to group around the pool tables, where
“Lawyers know how things work among the prisoners.” they alternate the cue with their favorite drink.

Prisoner Crook
Suggested species: Buffalo, chimpanzee, dog (mutt) Suggested species: Lizard, ferret, weasel

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Weightlifting in the courtyard +2, Climbing +1 FORTITUDE Slender +1
REFLEXES Quick escape +2, Hidden shiv +1 REFLEXES Sticky fingers +2, Running +1
WILLPOWER Intimidate +1 WILLPOWER Inquisitive +1
INTELLECT Eyes in the back of the head +2 INTELLECT Meander +2, Rumors +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

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97
 A story that includes this kind of pool hall probably has connec- a more relaxed life than their colleagues in uniform. The other,
tions to this world of minor criminals: a rat that has fled from the often forgotten colleagues, the administrative assistants and the
cops, a thief that could know something about a more danger- door guard, help keep everything working efficiently.
ous criminal or a stolen belonging that has been sold in the pool
Life in a precinct is very different depending on if you are part of
hall are some of the recurring premises in this location.
it or not. The employees know, even only by sight, everyone who
Descriptors: “Full of smoke from cigars and cigarettes,” works there. They greet each other, sometimes get together and
“The socioeconomic level of the clients is medium-low,” do things like go to the bar next door and grab a few beers and, in
“Dim lighting.” general, are a team. Cops commonly bond more with their close
peers: in the case of the boys in blue, it means their patrol partner.
The Precinct Detectives belong with their department, that is to say, the kinds
The protagonists of the Blacksad stories often end up in police of crimes they investigate. Departments are independent, but
precincts, whether they want to or not. Precincts usually have sometimes only subtly separated by a mountain of documents.
many floors, where the first floor directly serves citizens, the up- The most common departments are vice (drugs and prostitution,
per floors are for the detectives... and the basements for the cells. etc.), homicide, drug trafficking, robberies and thefts and arson.
The temporary furniture and decorations are still there, decades
Common citizens, or even worse, criminals get treated in a
later. The constant commotion varies depending on where one
cold, distant manner. The police see them as passersby and
finds themselves: complaints and crying on the public service
treat them as such. They often use technical jargon and work
floor, sports conversations and typewriters in the upper floors
slang the common person doesn’t understand because it
and whispered conversations and cries of innocence in the cells.
doesn’t even cross their minds that they should explain them-
In a precinct, “the boys in blue,” cops in uniform, who serve the selves. This reinforces the feeling of being unwelcome. The
citizenry, patrol neighborhoods and do the dirty work coexist with people at the precinct look at you and judge what kind of ter-
the “suited” detectives who investigate cases and, in general, have rible act you must have committed to get there.

Cop in uniform Gangster

Suggested species: Horse, dog (Bulldog, St. Bernard, German Shepard) Suggested species: Wolf, coyote, hippopotamus

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Nightwatch +1, Wrestle +1 FORTITUDE Brute strength +2
REFLEXES Chase +1, Good aim +1, Hit the deck +1 REFLEXES Handguns +2, Driving +1
WILLPOWER Grim look +2 WILLPOWER Intimidate +1, Loyalty +1
INTELLECT Police procedures +2, Laws +1 INTELLECT Always alert +1, Family stories +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

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98
In noir stories, information is pulled out rather than drawn out and their staff, oscillating from glistening kitchens where the
at precincts. They are tense places rife with verbal conflict. If cooks work on each dish with loving care to filthy kitchens
the protagonists of the story are police officers, sometimes this with grimy saucepans that they use to cook for a crowd.
tension comes from other members of the team.
In many stories of the noir genre, restaurants host meetings
Descriptors: “The typical hustle and bustle of any office,” for organized crime. However, restaurants are also appropriate
“The cells are never empty,” “The offices are restricted areas scenes to develop romantic plotlines or moments of honesty
to average citizens.” with other characters.

The Restaurant Descriptors: “From the dining area you can’t see what’s going
Restaurants are places to have a good time with friends, asso- on in the kitchen,” “The waiters come and go from the kitchen
ciates and family. They usually have wide tables more or less and tables,” “Customers only want to have a pleasant evening.”
close to each other depending on the size and prestige of the
restaurant. Some have reserved spots for those who want more The Slums
privacy and most have a place in the back to take out the trash In the noir genre, slums represent sadness, a commentary on
without customers having to see it. how the American dream may be a fantasy and not the ul-
timate destiny of every hardworking citizen. In movies and
Here, the food plays an essential role. Many restaurants spe- novels, those down on their luck end up trapped in these
cialize in a type of cuisine or serve a certain class of custom- neighborhoods, surrounded by crime in a dog eat dog world.
er, which creates a certain homogeneity in the clientele. The Less charitable fiction equates the slums to moral decay, blam-
staff, unlike their counterparts working at bars and cafes, are
ing those in poverty for being there.
more distant with their clients, leaving the jokes and laughs
for the kitchen with their colleagues. Concerning the kitch- In reality, slums are neighborhoods like any other, with people
ens, these usually give a better perspective of the restaurant close and friendly and others fearful and suspicious. Cops tend

Head Waiter Drug dealer

Suggested species: Cat, penguin, goose Suggested species: Camel, mouse, squirrel

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Maintain posture +2 FORTITUDE Drug tolerance +1, Staying up late + 1
REFLEXES Carry trays +1, Pour wine +1 REFLEXES Bolt away +2, Knife +1
WILLPOWER Tolerant +2, Flatter +1 WILLPOWER Negotiating prices +1
INTELLECT Customer service +1, Memorize menu +1 INTELLECT Drug handling +1, Recognize cops +1

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

4 1 0 5 5 2 0 3

99
 to see the slums as a lost cause, whereas residents see cops as The stereotypical inhabitants of the suburbs are families with
outsiders at best, invaders at worst, and often keep information a working father figure, a housewife that cares for the chil-
to themselves. While drug dealers can show up in any setting, dren and prepares feasts for the entire family. Children play
the stereotype places them in the slums. in the yard, with other children in the street or even in a tree-
house. Community is important in the suburbs, where every-
Slums play a relevant role in the noir genre: sometimes, one of
one knows each other, even if only superficially, and families
the protagonists has grown up in one of these neighborhoods
engage in shared activities: collecting clothes for the poor,
or a key informant resides in one of them. Slums in fiction also
selling homemade lemonade in the street, etc.
provide locations for fight scenes or a car chase, especially if
the story can’t have the cops quickly show up. American suburbs were notoriously white only and planned
that way. Anything that differs from the suburb routine can
Descriptors: “Everyone knows where you came from,”
draw attention. A person with a nonstandard appearance or
“There are several abandoned buildings,” “You can find any
with the “inappropriate” skin color is looked at with suspicion;
kind of information if you know where to ask.”
it’s even possible that someone might call the cops. Gossip is
an important part of day-to-day life in the suburbs and nobody
The Suburbs
believes it harmful unless it’s about themselves.
For many, the suburbs represent an achievement in life, owning
the house of their dreams, bringing up their children and shar- In the noir genre, the suburbs tend to provide contrast between
ing moments of recreation with their neighbors. The suburbs are an idyllic life and the torment that many protagonists usual-
made up of houses and their front yards and mailboxes placed ly suffer. They can also be the location of an investigation
neatly on winding avenues. According to the economic status of or crime. Some investigators can impersonate door-to-door
the neighborhood, the construction may use finer or cheaper ma- salespeople, taking advantage of the ubiquitous solicitor (or
terials and the houses tend to be homogenous from the outside. charlatan) figure selling their products from door to door. This

Housewife Door-to-door salesperson

Suggested species: Swan, parrot, gazelle Suggested species: Crow, weasel, jackal

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Carry groceries + 1, Housework +1 FORTITUDE Carry merchandise +2
REFLEXES Crafts +1, Manage kitchen utensils +1 REFLEXES Foot at the door +1
WILLPOWER Gossip +2, Administration +1 WILLPOWER Charlatan +3
INTELLECT Cooking +2 INTELLECT Memory +2

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

4 1 0 5 3 1 0 5

100
way they can at least get people to open the door before start- limited number of personal dressing rooms, which even have
ing their uncomfortable questions. their names written on the door.

Descriptors: “The people try to keep a quiet coexistence,” Theater staff are similar to those working in the film indus-
“There are always children playing in the street,” “Spouses try, although perhaps a little more friendly, and many still
snoop from their windows.” share that feeling of “wonder” for everything that surrounds
the theater.
The Theater
Although cinema has gained more relevance, the theater is Theaters tend to be transitional locations where the protag-
still a popular entertainment in the Fifties although perhaps a onists run into each other amidst the audience. On the other
bit more refined. City theaters, usually located in the historic hand, scenes that go on behind the curtain can be of action,
district, have an attractive and impressive appearance to those pursuits or intrigue.
new to the experience. There is always a booth selling tickets Descriptors: “You have to go behind the stage in order to ac-
and inside is a large entrance hall where ushers guide the pub-
cess the dressing rooms,” “During the show, the ushers wait
lic to their seats.
on both sides of the audience,” “People get all dressed up
For the spectator, that is all what the theater is, but for those when they go to the theater.”
who work behind the scenes, it is much more. To start with,
there is the stage and everything that surrounds it, with its The Train Station
entrances, trapdoors and ramps, a place above to control the In this time period, trains are a widely used means of trans-
lights along with other decorative props and, of course, the port. Many people frequent train stations at all times, but
dressing rooms. As a general rule, most of the actors use the not all function the same. In a big city, train stations are
large, common dressing rooms while the stars of the play get a large, with several platforms and numerous nooks and

Stagehand Musician
Suggested species: Owl, zebra, any kind of ape Suggested species: Orangutan (instruments), hoopoe (voice), leopard (dance)

CHARACTERISTICS CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Carry gear +1, Raise the curtain +1 FORTITUDE Carry instruments +1
REFLEXES Manage machinery +2, Hide +1 REFLEXES Good rhythm +2, Coordination +1
WILLPOWER Discreet +1, Patient +1 WILLPOWER Charismatic +2
INTELLECT Attention to detail +1 INTELLECT Music +2

COMBAT STATS COMBAT STATS

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101
 crannies to get lost in. They have secondary businesses that We can’t end this section about stations without at least
serve passengers, like diners and newsstands. On the other mentioning its reason for existence: the trains. Big or small,
hand, in the country, the stations are bare stop offs with regional or interstate, trains can be charming places where
austere construction, for keeping out of the rain and cold
until the train arrives. Ticket collector
Suggested species: Eagle, owl, lynx
The people that work at a station usually know the ins and
CHARACTERISTICS
outs of the facilities. Passengers come and go, but workers
FORTITUDE
remain. They know the good hiding spots even if they haven’t
Stand up all day +2
REFLEXES Agile fingers +1, Balance +1
been there themselves. They also have a good eye for faces WILLPOWER Incorruptible +2
and people who, for some reason, attract their interest. More INTELLECT Detect fare dodgers +1, Geography +1, Memory +1

than a few station workers dream about getting on a train and

COMBAT STATS
finding a better life very far away from there.
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

Close to the train station’s entrance, there is a taxi stand,

5 1 0 4
with always at least one taxi driver waiting for some work.
Taxi drivers are observant people, due to having to kill
time until a client arrives, which makes them very valuable
sources of information.
Taxi driver
Suggested species: Chimpanzee, sloth, camel

In noir stories, many reunions and farewells take place at the CHARACTERISTICS
train station. But most of all, they are literal and figurative FORTITUDE Long trips +2
crossroads. Many stories have a critical moment when the REFLEXES Reckless driving +3

protagonists have to choose between staying behind or get- WILLPOWER Irritable +1

INTELLECT Local knowledge +1, Shortcuts +1
ting on the train, between leaving with someone or staying
alone. The big stations are also a place for scenes of action, COMBAT STATS
be it a chase or a fighting scene, and they often end with INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

one of the involved parties getting away in a train or hiding

5 2 0 3
unnoticed.

102
passengers of all kinds coexist for a few hours. Wandering Student housing accommodates the students who don’t live in
among them, the ticket collectors, surly individuals with a the city, making them share their quarters with a roommate,
serious appearance, are responsible for verifying that all pas- but always of the same gender. In fact, it’s very likely that
sengers have their tickets and sit in their assigned seats. This there are residences for men and women undoubtedly close
means they can’t avoid listening to fragments of conversa- enough for the boys to pester the girls they like and vice versa.
tions, useful to a detective in search of clues. Love is on the campus!

Descriptors: “It has newsstands,” “The ticket collectors only The fraternities and sororities are houses that have a couple
notice you when you get on the train,” “Train stops are brief.” of floors where these associations of students gather and car-
ry out activities. Even though they are tidy, generations and
The Univeristy generations of students have managed to give it a permanently
In the time period of Blacksad, universities are not for every- worn out look.
one. On the contrary: only certain people, generally white men
In stories of the noir genre, universities are usually linked
of a certain socioeconomic status, had better access to supe-
to the mystery or the search for information, through peo-
rior studies. The GI Bill for veterans did provide educational
ple (like professors) or objects (like books from the li-
benefits across socioeconomic lines, but Black soldiers were
brary). On some occasions, the protagonists are students or
routinely barred from these benefits.
professors, although it’s more frequent for them to have a
Universities have their own area, the campus, where regal secondary role.
buildings are separated by yards where the students chat and
Descriptors: “Many students skip their lessons,” “At night
read. In the same enclosure you can find gymnasiums, sports
there is also activity,” “It’s a microcity.”
fields, etc. University buildings are classified into three
types: classroom buildings, student housing and fraternity
and sorority houses. Student
Suggested species: Mouse, lemur, owl
In classroom buildings, the lessons are imparted in generally
CHARACTERISTICS
large rooms with a multitude of school desks so that more than
a hundred students can listen to a professor. They also have FORTITUDE Athlete +1, Heavy drinker +1
REFLEXES
labs, the teachers’ offices and the library if it doesn’t have its
Dance +1, Sneak in +1
WILLPOWER Extrovert +1, Study discipline +1
own building. The entire building has a solemn atmosphere, INTELLECT Social studies +2, Science +1
although a keen eye can spot the scarce respect young students
COMBAT STATS
have for their own institution from the etched words on the
desks or in the bathrooms. INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

5 1 0 4

103
 Creating A Location ·· Railway yard.

··
Not all locations are the same and they shouldn’t be in your Rundown office.
stories. If the characters attend a dance hall identical to all Enormous swamp.
the others they have encountered, the players may start to see Gas station in the middle of nowhere.
the game as generic. For this reason, even though we have
defined some basic locations, we are going to explain how to Descriptors
turn a basic location into a specific one. Or, in other words, Descriptors add additional information about the atmos-
how to turn a gymnasium into Old Tom’s Gymnasium. For phere, disposition, situation or purpose of the location. Any
this we only need two things: a concept and two or three de- old location has two or three descriptors, in regards to how
scriptors. These, like in the case of the characters, are aspects complex or detailed you want it to be. The protagonists know
that can be activated normally for all the players. the descriptors the moment they get into contact with the lo-
cation, because most can be perceived right away or is infor-
Concept mation widely available and easily discovered (for instance,
The concept of the location, the first of these qualities, is a asking the receptionist or talking to the neighbors of that
brief description, concise in a single phrase. It must at least street). Descriptors are aspects that the players can activate
when at the setting. Some examples of descriptors could be:

··
mention the type of location (bar, park, residence...) and its
condition (abandoned, famous, in ruins...). It used to be a bar.

··
The concept has to give us an idea of the kind of people, fea- It was a clandestine operation during the Prohibition.
tures and other things we can encounter, based on what we Under construction.
know in real life. It mustn’t reveal any secrets of the place.

··
Its time of glory has long passed.
Instead it must represent what it is at a single glance. These are
It’s impossible to ignore the noise from the street.
some example concepts for a location:

·· Shack.

··
The tenant of the last floor hanged himself because of
unpaid debts.

··
Ballroom for the jet set. Luxuriously furnished.
House with a yard.

··
It’s always cold.

··
Road motel. It was remodeled to prevent fires.
Abandoned factory. It’s been a long time since a gardener has taken care of
Thick forest. the place.

104
Example The fire station of the city
Christina is preparing a game of Blacksad for her friends.
She has a thought that the case the protagonists are going
to investigate is linked to a series of fires in the city and
·· Concept: “Old fire station in a serious state of decline.”
Descriptors: “Far too large compared to the few re-
sources it has,” “There is always someone playing
this is why she has decided that one of the locations is
cards,” “It’s going to be torn down pretty soon.”
the fire station. Christina looks up the typical locations of
The old fire station of the city has seen better times. The pre-
the genre and thinks that, in a way, the fire station shares
vious mayor had promised to build a more appropriate one
some qualities with hospitals, so she reviews that descrip-
for current needs but his leadership ended before the first
tion to get some ideas. Then comes the moment of choos-
stone was set into place. The new mayor hasn’t taken too
ing a concept and she decides that the station is old and
much interest until recently, coinciding with the construction
in a serious state of decline, to give a little more of a
growth in the neighborhood. He has decided to tear it down,
melancholic atmosphere to the story. This gives her some
although they still haven’t been provided a date.
ideas for the descriptors and she ends up thinking that it
is far too large compared to the few resources it has, there For the time being, the firefighters wander around the worn-
is always someone playing cards and it’s going to be torn down facilities and kill time by playing cards. A quick glance
down pretty soon. The final result can be seen in the next reveals that the fire station once functioned with much more
column: resources than there are now. The common firefighter is the
middle-aged man, ill humored and smoking at all times.
Firefighter
Suggested species: Elephant, walrus, llama The locations of Blacksad
CHARACTERISTICS The Blacksad stories include many specific locations that you
FORTITUDE Axe blow +2, Knock down doors +1 can also use in your games. Next, we present each one of them,
REFLEXES Jump +2, Balance +1 describe them and point out their concept and descriptors.
WILLPOWER Reckless +3

Cypher Club
··
INTELLECT Chemistry +1, First aid +1

COMBAT STATS Volume: Somewhere Within the Shadows.

·
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE Concept: “A blues club.”
Descriptors: “Of low-class,” “There are frequent fights
5 2 0 6
between the regulars,” “The exit is in a dark alley.”

105
 In the narrowest and darkest streets of New York, you can
find the Cypher Club. Despite the owner, a pudgy pig, being
as filthy as his club, he is well-mannered with his clients. In
· Descriptors: “There are always buses coming and going
from the bays,” “Busy activity,” “Many travelers never
come back to the station.”
a small loft, some fleabag musician usually plays the blues, Greyhound Lines Inc. is one of the most important transport en-
although few pay any attention: most of the regular custom- terprises in the United States. Despite the construction of the in-
ers are more focused on their conversations, their card games terstate freeways in the Fifties promoting the use of personal cars,
and their fights. Indeed, the Cypher Club is not the place to long-distance transport by bus remained the choice of many trav-
take children for a hamburger, mainly because of the clien- elers. In the city of Chicago, close to Lake Michigan, one of the
tele. If you’re not careful, your conversation can reach the Greyhound stations consists of a quadrangular building with two
ears of the most undesirable of people. floors connected to each other by escalators. At a simple glance,
you can see the large number of people going to the station each

··
Gotfield Foundation day: the diners, the newsstands and even the restrooms are full
Volume: Red Soul. of travelers passing the time or getting ready to take their bus. To

·
Concept: “Pro-communist and philanthropic society.” satisfy the high demand, buses set off every hour of the day, which
Descriptors: “It often holds conferences,” “The win- makes the vehicle bays a place of noise, activity and engine smoke.
dows offer spectacular views of the city,” “It has the ca-

··
pacity for almost four hundred people.”
Happy Dwelling Hotel
Volume: A Silent Hell.
The Gotfield Foundation is a society founded by the philan-

·
thropist Samuel Gotfield, a Dalmatian patron and protector of Concept: “Hotel and brothel.”
the so-called Twelve Apostles, a group of leftist intellectuals. Descriptors: “It has suffered many police raids,” “It has
The headquarters of the foundation is a building with a façade four floors,” “Many of their rooms lead to a back alley-
with the engraved words, “GOTFIELD FOUNDATION.” The way where the trash is thrown out.”
interior is composed of various offices and a large conference The nocturnal life of New Orleans requires discreet places that
room that can hold more than three hundred and fifty people. are at the same time comfortable. Happy Dwelling is one of
The stands, located at the stairs, face a large window with or- those hotels where sex workers take their clients. The lighted
ange tainted glass. The stage, measuring three feet in height (a sign has some broken letters, which makes newcomers feel it’s
meter and a half), is accessed by a set of stairs located in the not the safest place but at least it’s clean. The reception desk
middle and on each of its sides. Since the building is a place is located in front of the entrance, with the desk clerk, a mole,
for socialists to congregate, anti-communist protests are com- who doesn’t ask too many questions of the couples renting his
mon, which on some occasions have turned violent. rooms. On the left are the stairs, where you can access the four
floors that make up the hotel. The activity at Happy Dwelling

··
The Greyhound Bus Station is well-known in the neighborhood. The cops have gone in
Volume: Amarillo. sometimes to drag workers to the precinct, although one way
Concept: Bus station in a big city. or another they always end up going back to work.

106
 ··
Hopper’s Art Gallery
Volume: Red Soul.
· Descriptors: “Immersed in a crisis,” “The dichotomy be-
tween the white and wealthy and the poor and Black is ev-
ident,” “Many years ago it was a thriving neighborhood.”

·
Concept: “Modern art gallery.”
Descriptors: “The exhibited paintings are for sale,” “The When World War II ended, many of the American neighbor-
visitors are in formal wear,” “The Gotfield Foundation is one hoods at the outskirts of the big cities fell destitute when the
of the sponsors of the main artists showing their art there.” industry wasn’t needed anymore. This is the case of the Line,
which, after the shutdown of the aircraft factory, the unem-
Intellectuals, wealthy families and those interested in acquir-
ployment, the graffiti and the socioeconomic differences be-
ing works of art at prohibitive prices find themselves inter-
tween citizens took over what was once a nest of hope. The
mingling at the Hopper’s Art Gallery. This gallery has two
ones who have it the hardest are Black people, who have to
floors, illuminated by a large and round skylight in the center
deal with corrupt cops, shops where they aren’t allowed to go
of the ceiling and rows of round recessed ceiling lights that
in and the fear of getting beaten up by a racist gang when set-
allow a greater appreciation of the art. The gallery assis-
ting foot on the street.
tants, usually women, dress in knee-skirt uniforms and white
blouses, which, along with the routine formal clothing of the
Louisiana State Penitentiary
visitors, give the gallery a distinguished atmosphere. Close
to the entrance you can find stands with flyers for the differ-
ent organizations that support the art business, such as the
·· Volume: A Silent Hell.

·
Concept: “A prison for men.”
Gotfield Foundation, sponsor of one of the artists exhibiting Descriptors: “Prisoners walk freely around the court-
their work at the Hopper’s Art Gallery, Sergei Litvak. yard,” “Most of the prisoners are black men,” “The

··
La Iguana guards are armed.”
Volume: Somewhere Within the Shadows. The Louisiana State Penitentiary is the largest prison in
the United States. With an expansion as large as a city, the

·
Concept: “Pool hall for reptiles.”
prison consists of different pavilions for the prisoners (only
Descriptors: “It’s lit with fluorescent lights,” “It has a
men) and outdoor areas, where the prisoners spend their
back door that leads to an alleyway,” “The regulars are
free time under the shadows cast by trees or wooden bench-
always smoking.”
es just talking, reading, playing cards or playing music. At
La Iguana, as its name suggests, is a meeting place for the sau- the entrance, in the courtyard and, in general, scattered all
rian and reptiles of New York City. You have to climb a small over the penitentiary, watchtowers with armed guards keep
set of stairs in order to access it, where there are always a bunch a close eye on each move the prisoners make. Visitors usu-
of youngster lizards laying around in the sun. The counter, lo- ally get an assigned escort, except for journalists, due to
cated next to the entrance, allows enough space to fit the pool the fact that the warden isn’t very fond of people from this
tables, with overhead fluorescent lighting, and a couple of tables profession...
to have a drink. Behind the counter a back door leads to a small
alleyway parallel to the main street. The barman, Paulie, and his

··
Moisant Airport
regular customers have an excellent relationship, to the point of
Volume: Amarillo.
protecting each other against undesirable “clients.”

·
Concept: “Large commercial airport.”

··
The Line Descriptors: “Spacious,” “Crowded,” “Has a large
Volume: Arctic Nation. parking lot.”
Concept: “A down-and-out neighborhood on the out- During World War II, the United States government built fa-
skirts of the big city.” cilities for a military airdrome in Louisiana. When the war

107
 ended, the federal government returned those lands to the city
of New Orleans. Taking advantage of the runways and other
buildings, they built a civil airport, named after the famous pi-
· Descriptors: “Full of cranes and shipment,” “Saltpeter,
iron and the cold,” “It’s easy to deliver and receive con-
traband merchandise.”
lot John B. Moisant. The airport has a terminal whose gigantic In the words of John Blacksad, the harbor is “the place in
vestibule has a tall and domed ceiling. The main entrance to movies where things end poorly.” In the case of the New York
the terminal is immediately recognizable because of its pecu- Harbor, it looks straight out of film noir: full of cranes to load
liar latticework, an enormous grille that closes the opening of and unload hundreds of containers waiting to be transported
the crystallized façade. Its patterns with rectangular lines give to other docks, merchant vessels and sour-faced longshore
it a modern and avant-garde appearance. workers. The arrangement of the containers forms a metal
labyrinth, which gets anyone not used to the dock easily lost.
New Orleans Jazz ’N Fun
·· Volume: A Silent Hell.
You also can’t expect a polite sailor to point out what you are
looking for, whether they don’t speak the language, are just in

·
Concept: “A cabaret with striptease shows.” a bad mood or are reluctant to talk with a stranger.
Descriptors: “It’s always full of people during the shows,”
Oldsmill Aircraft Industries
“Usually visited by men,” “Full of tobacco smoke.”
One of the best representations of the Louisiana nightlife is ·· Volume: Arctic Nation.

·
the New Orleans Jazz ’n Fun, a cabaret that offers striptease Concept: “Abandoned airplane factory.”
shows to the rhythm of the jazz band. Those who come to this Descriptors: “There is no electricity,” “Scattered wiring
bar, mainly men, gather around the small tables at the foot and equipment,” “It’s the base of a racist gang.”
of the stage, where the band plays and the dancer strips off The Line was one of the factory neighborhoods that provided
her clothes with a suggestive rhythm. It’s when she reveals large bombers in World War II but when the war ended the fac-
her hidden feminine attributes that the public explodes with tory had to close down. The building is still there but abandoned:
cheers and applause. This casual atmosphere and boys’ club there is no electricity, wiring and equipment is scattered over the
attitude make this cabaret a good meeting place, since what floor, the machinery and the unfinished aircraft are full of rust...
happens in the Jazz ’n Fun stays in the Jazz ’n Fun. The wire fence that surrounds the perimeter is broken, which indi-
cates that someone still uses the factory. That would be the fanatic
New York Harbor
·· Volume: Red Soul.
Concept: “Merchandise dock.”
racist organization run by the chief of police of the Line, Hans
Karup. The gang gathers inside the central pavilion and carries
out their work, which has on some occasions included murders.

108
Oldsmill Sport Club
··
Elmore Kupka, have different visions about how to manage
Volume: Arctic Nation. a circus. The first believes that they can carry on keeping a
clean business, whereas the second knows that only the cir-

·
Concept: “Private sporting club.”
cus can take care of its own. The rest of the circus steps aside
Descriptors: “The members are the elite of the Line,” “It
has the same number of indoor tracks as it does outdoor when it comes to decision making and acts according to what
tracks,” “It serves as a social meeting spot for its members.” they are told, hoping it’s the best for their “family.”
The upper-class individuals of the Line have the privilege
Wild Note
of enjoying the neighborhood’s private sporting club. The
Oldsmill Sport Club gathers the wealthiest men that not only ·· Volume: “A Silent Hell.”

·
partake in their favorite sport but also in hobnobbing: it is the Concept: “Southern jazz club.”
most appropriate place to bond with your neighbors. If they Descriptors: “It has three environments divided by
are lucky, they could happen to run into the owner, the old
walls and columns,” “The stage is the center of atten-
Oldsmill, a white tiger that likes to play tennis with his son,
tion,” “It leads to a crowded street.”
a sickly and not so bright cheetah. The Oldsmill Sport Club
facilities have indoor tracks as well as outdoor tracks and the The Wild Note is a jazz club located in the heart of New
presence of stands suggests that the club’s members has held Orleans. Despite being on a corner with several other bars and
a few tournaments before. restaurants, they’re never short on clientele. This is because
the Wild Note offers quality music every night: musicians

··
Statoc Tower such as Sebastian “Little Hand” Fletcher or the Sharky’s Hot
Volume: Somewhere Within the Shadows. Five have played there on various occasions. When entering
Concept: “The most important commercial skyscraper the club, the first thing you see is the stage and a wall decorat-

·
of the city.” ed with photographs of the artists who have come by. On the
Descriptors: “You can see it from any point in the city,” other end, close to the entrance is the counter where there are
“The owner is rich and powerful,” “It has high security.” always a couple of waiters. The rest of the space is taken up
Statoc Tower is an imposing building, with more than eighty by the round tables with white tablecloths, all distributed into
floors, technologically modern and exquisitely decorated. three sections. The manager of the Wild Note, Carl, a penguin,
Among other purposes it has a shopping and entertainment presents each show under the spotlight, which breaks with the
center for all kinds of people, from office workers to young
dim lighting in the rest of the club.
people. The floors are interconnected by escalators and eleva-
tors, although there are fire escapes in case of an emergency.
Sitting in his office, on the top floor of the building, is Ivo Iconic characters
Statoc, the owner of the building and one of the wealthiest
personalities (and, as a consequence, one of the most famous) Each story has its heroes and villains. Often, the character’s
of the city. The lobby that leads to his office is flanked by two ethics and actions clearly point out if we stand before a leader
bodyguards, a white rhinoceros and a grizzly bear, who won’t of justice or a criminal. Nonetheless, opposite to what happens
allow just anyone to breeze onto that floor. in children’s tales and epic narratives, Blacksad stories teem
with protagonists of ambiguous moral values. Far from white

··
The Sunflower Circus and black, the characters’ morals in this game sit on a broad
Volume: Amarillo. spectrum of gray.

·
Concept: “Nomadic circus.”
In the following, we present some of the characters that appear
Descriptors: “It’s a big family,” “Behind the scenes
in Blacksad’s universe, including their character sheets. Some
it’s not all fun and games,” “The actions of its members
tread on the edge of the law.” are great representatives of the archetypes present in detective
stories and it’s not hard to apply their most prominent traits to
In the Sunflower Circus, women could benefit from an equal
acceptance as men: they are all pariahs in society. The Sun- other character types in the United States of the Fifties. You
flower is a nomadic circus that has numerous artists and can use the characters of this chapter as a reference to create
workers, large marquees and several caravans where the figures of interest in your games. Of course, you can also use
members have their own lives: they rehearse, eat, do laun- them exactly as they are presented here, with their virtues and
dry... The owners, the elephant Simon Iwerks and the koala defects, lights and shadows.

109
John Blacksad
Detective cat with an ambiguous morality

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Resistant +2, Athletic +1
REFLEXES Catlike agility +2, Street Brawl +2
WILLPOWER Persistent +2, Charismatic +1
INTELLECT History +1, Sharp-Nosed +1, Follow Clues +1

MILESTONES
- Raised in an institution for underprivileged children.
- Expelled from the university his first year.
- He fought in WWII but he doesn’t talk about it.
- The only job he’s kept up is being a private detective .

COMPLICATION
He can’t resist a pretty face.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
7 2 0 6 x
6 INSTINCT
x x

Blacksad spent his childhood and teenage years in an institution Blacksad is polite and kind but can be rough and aggressive
for underprivileged children. The center taught their charges to if provoked. He is eloquent and has a great sense of humor,
read and write but only a few of them had the encouragement, though it can be a touch dark. He has sometimes accepted
motivation and capacity to progress beyond that. This was John’s jobs (usually short and badly paid ones) as a bodyguard or
case, who even enrolled in Historical Studies at Harvard. How- debt collector. However, these jobs don’t inspire him and he
ever, it only took a year for him to be expelled due to lack of dis- only takes them when drowning in debt: John is an investi-
cipline. Rebellious and a troublemaker, he has run away from the gator, not a thug. While he doesn’t believe violence solves
police more than once. (He never imagined he would side with most problems, he is often forced to put it into practice. He
the law as a private investigator.) At the beginning of the War in doesn’t even carry a gun; when he finds one, usually he has
Europe, he enlisted in the Army and partook in several combat fallen into a situation where his life depends on it. This said,
missions. Although his performance was exemplary (worthy of Blacksad isn’t a coward and knows how to defend himself;
several medals), he then fell to ennui, perhaps due to the extreme throughout his career as a private investigator, he’s often had
violence of the War. Upon his return to the United States, he got to use his fists and has learned a few tricks from the back
and lost jobs in quick succession. Only when he opened his own streets. This investigator is trained in firearms and has ex-
private investigator business did he find stability. perienced killing while in the midst of war. John has only
John Blacksad is a tall and slender cat of black fur except for killed once in cold-blood: when he avenged the death of his
his white muzzle. He is still young and in great physical shape. lover Natalia. Killing the one responsible, the millionaire Ivo
The ladies consider him attractive, and he has used his looks Statoc, was a crucial moment in the cat’s life, putting him in
on some occasions as a tool to get information, yet he has been a dark and gray place. On one hand, he couldn’t walk away
very unlucky in matters of the heart. He usually wears a suit from the injustice of Natalia’s murder. On the other, he rec-
and a tie, although he can be seen often without his coat, wear- ognized once you cross that line, something changes inside
ing only a shirt. He also tends to wear a light-colored trench- you and your soul becomes blacker. But ending up with a
coat with the lapels popped up. Though not a compulsive dark soul seems like the destiny of anyone who sticks their
smoker, he sometimes finds himself with a cigarette. nose in this shady business.

110
 Cotten
Retired and blind crow

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Endure hunger +1
REFLEXES Walk blindly +3
WILLPOWER Fixed ideas +2, Put up with humiliations +1
INTELLECT Combat aircraft +1, Good ear +1, Las Vegas +1

MILESTONES
- Wanted to be a pilot but his visual impairment kept this from happening.
- Worked as an operator at an aircraft factory during the war.
- Forced to retire early.
- Still dreams about visiting Las Vegas.

COMPLICATION
Blind.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x
6 2 0 4 4 INSTINCT
x x x x

The suburb called the Line is a sad place in the middle of This vagabond is tall, though always hunched, which makes
a socioeconomic crisis. This district suffers from high un- him seem shorter. His crow plumage, which used to be the
employment, which skyrocketed when the war concluded proverbial dark as raven black, is now gray with age. White
and the weapons industry stopped feeding the military effort feathers flank his beak and eyebrows. His blind eyes are of a
in Europe. In the Line, a factory of bombers functioned for light and milky white. He dresses in dirty and scruffy military
years and gave jobs to hundreds of operators, which brought clothing generally a little large on his body. He covers himself in
entire families to this district. Now, after the shutdown of an old jacket from the United States Air Force. Cotten snatches
one of the largest factories in the country, many ex-workers objects that he later sells in order to survive and panhandles in
wander the neighborhood unemployed. This horrific panora- the streets of the neighborhood. His dream is to go to the casinos
ma has worsened due to the racial conflicts and the lack of of Las Vegas but he squanders all his money on slot machines
public safety in the neighborhood. in the bars of the Line. To this day, he hasn’t been able to save
anything to carry out his dreamed-about journey.
Among the unemployed and unemployable of the area is Cot-
ten, an old and blind crow. His degenerative blindness kept Despite being Black, Cotten has succeeded in not being turned
him from being a pilot, his dream, and participating in World into the punching bag for the racist gangs of the neighborhood.
War II. During the war, he was an operator in the aircraft On the one hand, they tolerate him because he doesn’t respond
factory, until his blindness and old age forced him to retire. to the gang’s taunts; he even plays along with them, making
Now he scrapes out a living in the factory’s building, inside them laugh with jokes about his condition as a Black and blind
a bomber that never got to be fully built. He has traversed man. And not just that, Cotten has even worked for these racist
these buildings for years, before and after losing his sight, gangs, passing on information and even taking part in some of
and knows it like the back of his hand. In this place, despite their sordid plans of kidnapping and extortion. Even though he
the amount of debris and accumulated trash, Cotten’s blind- isn’t a bad person, Cotten lives in desperate need and is very
ness is not a disadvantage, so he feels comfortable there. vulnerable to promises, threats and money...

111
Agent Cougar
Puma and corrupt special agent from the FBI

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Athletic +2, Resistance to pain +2
REFLEXES Martial arts +2, Feline agility +1
WILLPOWER Intimidating +2, Good cop, bad cop +1
INTELLECT Laws +1, Police procedures +1

MILESTONES
- Former volunteer in the US Army.
- A veteran from World War II.
- Became disenchanted with the FBI agency at his second year on the job.
- Hasn’t collaborated much with other agents other than Coyote.

COMPLICATION
Can’t forgive or forget.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
5 2 0 7 5 INSTINCT
x x

The FBI is one of the governmental agencies that watches over the two agents, the most impatient and prone to violence. He of-
the security of the nation and investigates federal crimes. With ten scolds Coyote for his attitude, which he considers childish.
the development of the Cold War, these agents not only fight His partner, as his name points out, is a coyote. Of a shorter and
domestic crimes, they also deal with terrorism and foreign es- smaller build than Cougar, Coyote also wears a suit, although his
pionage. Cougar and Coyote are two special agents that work demeanor is less dignified. He is gray, lighter around the nose; his
for this agency; they are mostly known for participating in the
large ears and long snout accentuates his threatening expression
arrest and questioning of communist groups following orders
when he grins while showing his fangs. He is the most jovial of
from Senator Gallo. However, given the federal status of their
posts, they don’t always get to investigate crimes of importance the two and often finds his own amusement. He is a bit more
such as kidnappings or political matters like hunting for com- patient than his cougar partner and more accommodating to mis-
munists. Given that in the United States, federal crimes include sions of minor importance (as he usually says, “the sooner we
those linked to postal services, sometimes these agents have to do it, the sooner we get it over with”). Although no one should
investigate the theft or manipulation of letters and even the de- confuse that jovial attitude with kindness and goodness. Coyote
struction of mailboxes. These kinds of cases frustrate and anger is also aggressive and if he doesn’t immediately go to violence,
both agents, most of all Cougar, who considers it humiliating for it’s probably because his physical presence doesn’t have the same
a trained agent. Outraged or not, they still have to follow orders effect. It’s easy for him to sneak a smile but more often than not,
and travel, sometimes to another state, to investigate matters they behind those fangs is mockery, disdain and cruel anticipation.
consider to be minor. Nonetheless, perhaps their sense of humor
isn’t the best during these missions. Both agents are strapped with firearms, and among their work
tools, they carry a couple of handcuffs and, of course, their iden-
Cougar is a large puma, with short and golden fur and a white
muzzle. Corresponding to his post as a special agent, he wears tification as FBI special agents. The cases that motivate these two
a suit. His feline traits and angular features, combined with his investigators include direct arrests and face-to-face questionings.
size, give him a intimidating and ferocious appearance. He al- The people who have gotten close to them have noticed a great
most never smiles and when he does, his face is almost more lack of empathy, a tendency towards impulsiveness and even an
terrifying than when he frowns. Cougar is the most serious of excessive cruelty, hardened from so many missions.

112
 Agent Coyote
Coyote and opportunist special agent from the FBI

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Long-distance race +1, Forceful blow +1
REFLEXES Dodge +2, Good aim +2, Change the game +1
WILLPOWER Good cop, bad cop +2, Captivating smile +1
INTELLECT Drug use +1, Legal loopholes +1, Paperwork +1

MILESTONES
- Had a hard childhood.
- Worked in the police department as a narcotics agent.
- Has committed despicable acts to feed his desire to be at the top of the agency.
- Hasn’t collaborated much with other agents other than Cougar.

COMPLICATION
Negligent of FBI procedures.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
7 2 0 5 5 INSTINCT
x x x

Both are relentless in their interrogations and they use what- Their methods have been questioned on many occasions, al-
ever means to obtain information and to get to the bottom though always for the wrong reasons. Cougar and Coyote
of an investigation. Harassment, threats, intimidation... have a tacit agreement to cover each other’s backs. For this
everything is valid to these to civil servants, including get- reason, the internal affairs of the FBI have always attributed
ting that information by unorthodox means, such as injecting their protocol violations as an act of negligence. For these
barbituric acid into their captive’s veins to get them to talk. civil servants it’s very convenient for them to have it linked
Of course, they know that any of these techniques violates to carelessness or lack of ability, so they make no effort re-
FBI protocol and it could cost them, at least, a disciplinary futing these accusations. In any case, none of the internal
mark from the agency. Nonetheless, they are willing to take inquiries has yielded any results, so Cougar and Coyote re-
main active agents. Some reports question their methods,
the risk if they can get some advantage, or who knows, per-
including those that request stricter supervision of their ac-
haps they get joy from abusing their authority. On some
tions. However, since they act as a team, the only evidence
occasions, when using truth serum, they have exceeded the
of malpractice comes from eyewitnesses or a confession. As
dosage and ended up with a dead suspect. In those cases,
long as their camaraderie lasts, they have nothing to fear.
they have already coordinated their official statement so
Despite this, they aren’t stupid and recognize each other’s
their reports only describe an unfortunate accident, or most- sly natures. They believe that if one of them gets caught, the
ly, blame the deaths on the deceased prisoners. Cougar and other wouldn’t hesitate to give up their partner in exchange
Coyote enjoy the power that comes with being agents for for their freedom or a reduction of a sanction. Yet despite
the federal agency and they take it personally when someone not being friends, their relationship has gone too far to risk
interferes or makes it difficult to carry out an investigation. breaking it. Even though it’s just to avoid being exposed be-
That is why they react overwhelmingly against private inves- fore the other, these two will be accomplices until their last
tigators, journalists or even agents from other agencies, such days. We could say that the relationship between Cougar and
as the local police. Coyote is a good example of “honor among thieves.

113
James Raymond Gallo
Rooster and anticommunist senator

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Stay awake +1
REFLEXES Coordinated on camera +2
WILLPOWER Public speaker +2, Demagogy +1, Inspire fear +1
INTELLECT History +1, Politics +1, Religion +1

MILESTONES
- Courted the Republican Party during his time as a judge.
- Lied about his war missions to win medals.
- Directs his legislators in the Senate with an iron fist.
- On good terms with Christian Democrat senators.

COMPLICATION
Fanatic.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
5 1 0 5 5 INSTINCT
x x x x

The Wisconsin senator by the name of J.R. Gallo is an ultra- red crest that makes him instantly recognizable in any public
conservative politician, famous for establishing the relentless meeting, even in black and white images on television.
persecution of subversive elements and alleged communists,
He is convinced that the Soviet Union will annihilate the United
the “gallismo,” in honor of his surname. During the initial years
of the Fifties, the senator exemplified patriotism and loyalty to States by means of nuclear attack. All of the senator’s ambition
the United States. His service record in the army, where he en- focuses on the capture and interrogation of the Soviet agents
rolled as a second lieutenant thanks to his post as a judge and whom he believes has infiltrated American society and govern-
left as a captain with war medals after twelve missions, was ment. James sees himself as the man chosen by God, a man
irreproachable. He started his political career as senator for the prepared for when the sky falls to Earth, just like Noah himself.
Republican Party and gained notoriety by throwing accusations This led him to set in motion the Noah Project, to promptly
of communism against dozens of civil servants from public in- evacuate all important individuals to an enormous anti-atomic
stitutions. His ruthless and demagogic actions always involved shelter, in case of a nuclear attack. Of course, the members on
accusations for treason and disloyalty and lacked any legal pro- the list weren’t chosen due to their worth for the future but rath-
ceedings. Unfounded reports, arrests, brutal interrogations and er for their beliefs similar to that of Senator Gallo.
the creation of black lists were characteristic of the irregular The FBI received direct orders from the White House to prove by
and inflamed proceedings by the senator’s hand. In just a few
all means Gallo’s involvement with the Noah Project. Probably
years, Senator Gallo planted the seed for the witch-hunts that
because no American politician (including a senator) is above the
would afflict the United States for a long time.
law and no one can go beyond the responsibilities of their posi-
The senator has an arrogant demeanor, even for being a rooster. tion using the nation’s resources. Despite this, it could also be ar-
He is impeccably dressed with a tailored suit and tie, as if born gued that the President of the United States felt offended because
to wear it. His layer of golden feathers reaches all the way down his name wasn’t included on James’ list of important people. The
his back, where they shine blue. His red eyelids and pointed FBI put a lot of their resources into this investigation due to the
lobes on each side frame his austere and peevish gaze. Never- seriousness of the matter, though perhaps because the director of
theless, the dominant characteristic in the senator is the great the agency wasn’t included in said list either.

114
 Abraham Greenberg
Intellectual and rebellious buffalo

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE MORALITY Drug tolerance +1, Stay awake +1
REFLEXES Skilled hands +2, Fast +1
WILLPOWER Charismatic +2, Impulsive +2
INTELLECT General culture +1, Poetry +1, Politics +1

MILESTONES
- His poetry has caused a lot of controversy.
- Watched by the FBI.
- Has resorted to drugs on many occasions to create his works.
- Has gained a wide renown in leftist intellectual circles.

COMPLICATION
Foolhardy.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
6 2 0 6 x
6 INSTINCT
x x x

During the following years after World War II and the beginning The FBI has a spotlight on this writer of the Beat Generation.
of the Cold War, the “external enemy” (who provided such a Their reports cite a series of dangerous motives and consid-
good distraction from the problems within US society), embod- er him a subversive element against the civic values of the
ied by Nazism, was replaced by a different enemy: communism. nation. According to his investigation file, he displays anti-
The Red Bloc and the Stalinist ideology were exalted as a di- social, pernicious and dangerous behaviors. These behaviors
rect opposition to American values. For the followers of Senator are specified in his declared and manifested homosexuality,
James R. Gallo, this communist and atheist demon undermines
his defense (and use) of drugs and his interest in “decadent”
Christian morals and sabotages all that is good and holy. In this
religions, such as Buddhism. Nonetheless, since he doesn’t
way, during this atmosphere of fear and paranoia known as the
belong to any political party and there exists no proof of ille-
“gallismo,” having ideas similar to communism or a leftist phi-
gal activities, Greenberg has not yet been arrested.
losophy are a red flag of disloyalty and treason. Members of
these groups have to be extremely careful with their activities Abraham is a tall and ungraceful buffalo with brown fur. Large
because many of them are being watched by the police and po- clumps of unkempt hair cover his forehead and partially cover
litical agencies. Despite this, some of these individuals proudly his eyes. That same chestnut hair grows from his chin, shaping
exhibit their pro-communist ideology; they are also exercising
a wild beard. He dresses in Texan jeans and a plaid shirt, the
their rights because their activities are legal. An example of this
sleeves rolled up and the top buttons unfastened. Some of his
is the poet Abraham Greenberg, member of the Twelve Apostles,
writings have had an impact and he has become famous for his
a group of socialist intellectuals protected by a rich philanthro-
pist, the Dalmatian Samuel Gotfield. Their activities focus on the experimental poetry. For instance, one of his works was inspired
dissemination of freethinking and countercurrent culture. These by a vision caused by mescaline and parts of others come from
twelve activists are, apart from the philanthropist and Abraham the effects of LSD. Many consider him a lunatic poet, and he
himself, Otto Liebber the physicist, the Willburg poet couple, declaims trite verses with passion and fervor. If the conservative
Dora the photographer, Klein the sculptor, Bill Ratcliff the actor, analysts from the FBI are correct, the poet will take his self-de-
Jess Logan the scriptwriter, Sergei Litvak the Russian painter, structive conduct to the extreme, in which case, he will never
Laszlo Herzl the chemist and Alma Mayer the writer. truly be a problem for the government.

115
Miss Grey
Devoted schoolteacher doe

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Nervous +1
REFLEXES Catch children +1, Crafts +1
WILLPOWER Tenacious +2, Charismatic +1, Imposing +1
INTELLECT History +2, Literature +1, Mathematics +1

MILESTONES
- Passionate about teaching since a young age.
- Rejected a job offer in the big city to open her own school.
- Never married.
- Has openly confronted public figures from the Line.

COMPLICATION
Rigid with her personal opinions.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
6 1 0 9 x x x x
5 INSTINCT
x

The large urban districts in North America after the war suf- When the war ended and that extra industrial production became
fered great changes in a relatively short time. The spread of unnecessary, many factories shut down and in a few years the new
industry that supported the military efforts in World War II neighborhoods turned into ghost towns. Educational centers lost
created small cities overnight. Employment attracted many influence and funds. The dream of prosperity became a nightmare
families to the outskirts of the big cities; many more made of unemployment and crime. Teachers like Miss Grey had to get by
their homes around these industrial parks. Entire neighbor- with few resources and their own ingenuity and is a good example
hoods were built, businesses opened and, ultimately, life of her profession. Now she is a middle-aged teacher with graying
hair and a face scored with wrinkles after years of furrowing her
made its way into these new settlements. This was the case
brow. She is thin but always has straight posture while holding her
of the Line, an impoverished district in a southern town of
chin high. She wears her hair in a bun and her round and armless
the United States.
spectacles sit on the bridge of her nose. Miss Grey dresses in an
The establishment of schools was one of the logical out- austere and conservative manner, which reinforces her rigid gov-
comes from the spread of these districts. Soon enough, pro- erness look. She tends to wear long skirts that reach to her heels
fessors and teachers moved to cover the new posts. Miss and flat ankle boots. She covers her neck with a tied shawl and she
Grey came to one of these schools in the Line as a young protects herself from the cold with a simple lined coat.
doe with her entire career set before her. Soon she came to In a district afflicted by crime and racial conflicts, Miss Grey
have full responsibility directing the school and teaching the is one of the few people who doesn’t look the other way.
children of the area. Somehow, being in charge of every as- From her position as a teacher, she fights with the resources
pect of school management motivated her to excel at her job. at hand, not only to teach her students but also to protect
Under that fragile appearance is an iron will and an amazing them from the conflicts in their environment. She now de-
sense of ethics. clares that there are more reasons to fight than ever.

116
 Hans Karup
Racist chief of police polar bear

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Brute strength +2, Thick fur +1
REFLEXES Handgun +2, Saber +1
WILLPOWER Intimidate +1, Proud +1, Public speaker +1
INTELLECT History +1, Music +1

MILESTONES
- Leader of a clandestine racist sect.
- Has become a role model in his community.
- ACW enthusiast.
- He founded a boy’s choir.

COMPLICATION
Accused of pedophilia.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
5 2 1 7 5 INSTINCT
x x

Hans Karup is the chief of police of the neighborhood called moral ideals. In his community he is known for defending
the Line, a down-and-out neighborhood on the outskirts of a Christian values and moral integrity, and among his acolytes
southern city, where racial segregation and the violence that he has been strict about deviant conduct and the “inferiority”
derives from it are the major issue of the community. of Black people. Even so, his public image doesn’t hinder
rumors about him. Rumors say that the bear has pedophilic
Chief Karup is a large polar bear. Although he isn’t young
tendencies, even though he denies it. Directing a children’s
anymore and the sedentary lifestyle has taken a toll on his
choir in a church of the neighborhood hasn’t helped drown
figure, he still has superb strength and muscle mass. His
out this gossip.
white fur has become yellowish in some areas, as is typical
for his age. When on duty, he can be found wearing his un- Despite all this, Karup keeps a façade of an honorable man
blemished, black police uniform and when he’s not, he wears and model husband. He has a nice single-family home in a
a perfectly knotted tie and a three piece suit. rich neighborhood where he lives with his wife, the young
and beautiful Jezabel. Designer sofas, a television, chests of
He receives visitors in his organized office, where he exhibits
drawers made of solid wood and porcelain dinnerware give a
relics of what he considers to be a glorious time: flags, hand-
sense of refinement to the home of the chief of police of the
guns and swords from the Civil War. One of these pieces is
Line. In a drawer in his bedroom, Hans keeps a flag of the
a saber that belonged to General Lee. Behind his desk you
racist gang he leads, Arctic Nation, his pride... or his cross.
can see the flag of the United States and the flag of the Con-
federate States from the Civil War. And it’s a fact that Hans By publically not interfering in the racial conflict while pri-
is a committed racist. He leads a fanatic racist organization vately lynching Black people, Karup perpetuates the poverty
that dresses in robes and pointed cloth hoods in rituals that of the Line, but that doesn’t seem to bother him. To this day,
end in the execution of a Black victim. Many of the white su- he is happy being a leader and a respected figure in a district
premacists also share his background as well as his Christian under his control.

117
Jezabel Karup
Young bear and vengeful wife

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE High heels +2
REFLEXES Swing +2
WILLPOWER Pending revenge +3, Fake +1
INTELLECT Manipulative +1, Women’s magazines +1

MILESTONES
- Grew up without a father.
- Got into the high society of the Line pretending to be a southern lady.
- Married out of convenience but has never had relations with her husband.
- Convinced her husband to hire a Black female housekeeper.

COMPLICATION
Cheats on her husband.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
4 1 0 6 x
6 INSTINCT
x x

The chief of police of the Line, Hans Karup, couldn’t be ors, and her good taste with her provocative dresses and
a role model in his community if he didn’t have a wife by expected feminine modesty made her the ideal woman,
his side making their house into a true home. However, which every man of status in the Line wanted as a wife.
Jezabel Karup is much more than that: she is beautiful, Out of all of them, Jezabel chose Hans Karup. The cou-
elegant, young (so much so that sometimes she is mistak- ple married and began living together in a beautiful sin-
en for Hans’ daughter instead of his wife) and she always gle-family home. They still don’t have children and now
accompanies her husband to social events. that Dinah, their Black housekeeper, doesn’t work for
Jezabel, a bear with white fur, is a refined lady. Stylish them anymore, Jezabel spends much of her time alone.
dresses, fur coats and nice foulards are her everyday The Karups seem to be the paradigm of a happy marriage
choice. She wears her hair styled into a braid brought up but it’s far from the truth: from the moment they married,
into a bun, which she elegantly pins to the appropriate hat Jezabel forbade Hans to take her as his woman, arguing
for the occasion. At home, on the other hand, she prefers that she couldn’t stand any man touching her. Hans, with
comfortable clothing, like flat shoes, shirts and tights or difficulty, respects Jezabel’s decision. What Hans doesn’t
short pajamas, which bring out her casual femininity. In
know is that while he works at the office or directs a chil-
these moments of relaxation, Karup takes advantage of
dren’s choir at the church, his loving wife sleeps with
leaving her hair loose and resting from always having an
Huk, an Arctic fox part of Hans’ racist organization, plot-
impeccable appearance.
ting Hans’ downfall. The harmonious conjugal appear-
Jezabel appeared in the Line as a young lady of class. ance persists thanks to Jezabel’s skills at pretending that
Her long and golden locks glowed in the eyes of her suit- everything is fine.

118
 Ted Leeman
Opportunist hippopotamus detective

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Brute strength +2, Thick skin +1
REFLEXES Surprise charge +1
WILLPOWER Charlatan +2
INTELLECT Finances +1, Laws +1

MILESTONES
- Worked as muscle before becoming a detective.
- Recognized amongst drinkers and smokers.
- Has more unsatisfied clients that satisfied ones.
- Spends a lot of money advertising himself.

COMPLICATION
Disproportionate greed.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x
3 1 2 7 3 INSTINCT
x x x

The Fifties in the United States provided an excellent breeding Ted’s overwhelming presence matches his stature and physi-
ground for the private detective business. The new decade brought cal fortitude. This southern hippopotamus has a barrel-shaped
the same classic cases of the profession along with new ones based torso and smooth skin. He has no hair except for his muzzle,
on changes in a post-war society. Insurance fraud, adultery, inher- where he sports a small and tidily trimmed moustache. He
itance issues, disappearances, robberies and murders joined cases wears striped three-piece suits, tailor-made for his enormous
related to politics and espionage. Not surprisingly, when the Fifties
size. His expensive clothing makes him look like a well-to-do
ushered in the tensions of the Cold War, some people decided to
guy, an image he gets across with a shiny gold pocket watch
start their own investigation business. These individuals had meth-
ods and working styles as varied as one could imagine, although and chain on his vest. He’s always up for a drink and when he
it’s easy to see a solitary detective fighting crime with tools that the doesn’t find an excuse to go to a bar, he takes sips from a flask
police lack or aren’t allowed to use. Nonetheless, like all profes- he carries in his shirt pocket. Leeman smokes large cigars,
sions, the standards on integrity and ethics vary from individual to always surrounded by a foul-smelling cloud. The smoke, his
individual. Ted Leeman is a good example of a private investigator arrogant attitude and the fact that he is always sweating make
that isn’t an agent of law and order. this detective unpleasant company.
This hippopotamus only agrees to cases based on the wealth Ted Leeman is an upstart with no scruples. This detective’s in-
of the client. He not only charges a great deal of money for his vestigative methods put him closer to criminal than a defender
services, on many occasions he also raises the price in the mid-
of the law. If necessary, he uses his great physical strength to
dle of the investigation, practically blackmailing his employer
achieve his goals and doesn’t hesitate eliminating the compe-
into accepting or losing all of the progress of the case. Anoth-
er one of Leeman’s skills is marketing and self-promotion, tition or witnesses to his transgressions. He has unilaterally
which means that when a patron fires him for malpractice, it’s canceled contracts with clients when the profits didn’t fit with
the hippopotamus who screams bloody murder disparaging what he expected or if he can sell the information to a higher
his client. When accused of lack of ethics, he simply says, bidder. If this frames the client in any way, he won’t hesitate
“these are bad times for honorable and professional folk.” to use blackmail.

119
Luanne
Circus cat with a search and arrest warrant

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Swedish gymnastics +2
REFLEXES Throw knives +2, Balance +1, Dance +1
WILLPOWER Likeable +2, Determined +1
INTELLECT Invent stories +2, Literature +1

MILESTONES
- Her biological family has a lot of wealth and contacts.
- Forced to have an abortion at fourteen.
- Escaped from a wealthy life to an uncertain one as a carny.
- Learned to be self-sufficient at the circus.

COMPLICATION
Some people in her circle know who she really is.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
7 2 0 6 x
5 INSTINCT
x x

This young cat is a good example of how a life of riches isn’t madic show. It travels from county to county and from state to
necessarily the best if one has to live by the designs of others. state, searching for a place close to towns where they can fill
Currently, Luanne works at the Sunflower Circus as an assistant their capacity for a time. When the public’s attendance runs
to Tchang, the knife-throwing panda bear. The carny life is hard low, it’s time to take down the marquees and tents and change
and demanding, nomadic and strict; however, for this young the scene.
woman it’s better than the life she left behind. Luanne, a name
Although Luanne had a sheltered childhood, she soon got used
she created herself, hides her true identity as Eva Lange, the to the hard rhythm of the circus and its peculiar members. Re-
granddaughter of the gossip magazine tycoon, Aaron P. Lange. cently, the owners fired Filipe Papaleguas, a stagehand who
When she was fourteen years old, Luanne became pregnant drank too much. To replace him, they hired Chad Lowell, a
and it didn’t take long before her family noticed. Not only did lion writer, who works for the circus hoping not to be brought
she conceive the child out of wedlock, the father was a nobody, to justice for murder. This will cause a lot of problems for the
unworthy of the wealthy family. In the Langes’ conservative Sunflower, especially for Luanne, who feels a certain attraction
environment, this situation was intolerable, even less with her towards the handsome fugitive...
grandfather a famous personality. Luanne’s family forced her
Luanne is a Siamese cat with blue eyes and short cream-colored
to have an abortion. After that, she ran away and hasn’t got-
soft fur, except for the black fur on her head, nose and around
ten over the trauma. Her family has been searching for her for
her eyes. She dresses with a much more relaxed standard than
years and, in fact, offers a reward with several zeroes for infor-
the society she ran away from, taking advantage of the freedom
mation concerning her whereabouts.
the circus. She can be seen sunbathing with little clothing or
In the Sunflower Circus, no one asks questions about its work- taking care of her daily chores in pants and a top. When she’s
ers’ pasts since many of them have histories they want to es- ready for her show as the knife-thrower’s assistant, she wears a
cape. Thanks to that, the girl easily invented a new identity and long sheer skirt with a matching violet bra, adorned with East-
blended in. The Sunflower Circus is, like most of them, a no- ern-style golden necklaces.

120
 Alma Mayer
Cat writer who knows how to carry on

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Resistant +1, Tireless +1
REFLEXES Manual coordination +2, Jump +1
WILLPOWER Confident +2, Seductive +1
INTELLECT Literature +3, Piano +1

MILESTONES
- Ran away from home at eighteen and has traveled to several states.
- Married twice before meeting Samuel Gotfield.
- Had a brief romance with John Blacksad.
- Has been monitored by the FBI due to her relationship with the Twelve
Apostles.
COMPLICATION
Unlucky with love.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
7 2 0 7 x x
5 INSTINCT
x x

This cat is an example of personal drive and success for a to connect her with subversive activities, she has been cate-
woman in a conservative and fundamentally masculine world. gorized as a woman with dubious moral values. Single and
Alma is the daughter of an illustrious American diplomat, al- living a dissolute life, Alma has been considered an enemy to
though she fled from home at the age of eighteen to live with a the traditional values of order and family. During the Security
New York journalist. The relationship came to a rough stop be- Committee actions against communist activities in the time
cause the journalist died in an amphibious UN attack in Korea. period known as “gallismo,” Gotfield’s protégée decided to
Mayer wandered for years between Chicago, San Francisco fly away and move to Switzerland. Though never accused of
and Hollywood. In the latter, she got a job fixing screenplays any crime, she now only returns to the United States for her
and began networking with leftist groups. Standing out among
book presentations.
them, philanthropist Samuel Gotfield promoted the creation
of the informal group of countercurrent thinkers known as the Mayer is a slender cat of light-colored fur with short, chest-
Twelve Apostles. For a time, Alma had a romantic relation- nut brown hair, which she ties up in a practical ponytail when
ship with the sponsor. It’s hard to say what her professional working. She also dresses practically: pants and dark sweat-
success would have been like without Gotfield’s support and ers, held in place by a belt. Her dark plastic glasses complete
protection but her works have been known independently her appearance of an efficient and pragmatic woman. None-
without her wealthy patron’s name. Her professional rise has theless, Alma can prove to be a very seductive and attrac-
been coupled with several disappointments in love. Far from tive woman, just by letting her hair down, wearing a pair of
feeling frustrated, Mayer has resigned herself to suffer, in the earrings and a smile. The effect is enhanced, as the detective
words of Ella Fitzgerald, “that old black magic called love.”
John Blacksad can testify, when the writer wears a dress that
The writer has been investigated by the FBI on several occa- emphasizes her womanly curves. With a bohemian lifestyle,
sions due to her relationship with Samuel Gotfield and oth- it’s not uncommon to find her with a cigarette between her lips
er leftist intellectuals. Although they have never been able and glass of wine in her hand.

121
Jake Ostiombe
Boxer gorilla brought up in a slum

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Haymaker punch +3, Tough fur +1
REFLEXES Cover body +3
WILLPOWER Obstinate +2
INTELLECT First aid +1, Fresh news +1

MILESTONES
- Made himself into what he is.
- Reached relative success in boxing at an early age.
- Has worked as a bodyguard for wealthy people.
- Knows many journalists, thugs and sports promoters.

COMPLICATION
Irritating.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x
5 2 1 7 4 INSTINCT
x x

Jake Ostiombe is a professional boxer who competes in the However, the gorilla keeps his feet on the ground. Appear-
heavyweight category. This gorilla rose up from the poverty of ing in local newspapers every time he wins a fight or being
his neighborhood until he reached the professional circuit. Hav- a respected figure in the neighborhood hasn’t gotten to his
ing been born in the city slums, his choices oscillated between head. He knows his limitations and how far his career can
scraping by in the outskirts of the metropolis or living out in go. This makes him modest but with a cynical attitude. He
the country, but he chose a third option: taking advantage of his knows life is some kind of joke and he celebrates ironies
large size and colossal strength to make a living boxing. with a hearty laugh. Of course, he doesn’t hesitate to make
ironic jokes around others, which makes the gorilla a little
Ostiombe is already a mature man. The fur on his back has
irritating at times. Jake isn’t a bad person but he won’t think
more and more gray patches, his lustrous belly is round and
twice about using violence to solve a problem. At least the
perhaps his best moment as an athlete has already come to
violence he can employ using his fists.
pass. If he had dreams of glory about the world champion-
ships, he forgot them long ago. Despite this, the veteran Even though boxing brings him fame and prestige, the win-
boxer still hits hard. His great burliness and reach help him nings don’t enable him to pay all his bills. This is why,
win matches against younger opponents. In the ring, the go- when he isn’t training or competing, he sells his services as
rilla is an overwhelming image, with red shorts and gloves muscle or a bodyguard, a role he fulfills perfectly, at least
that contrast with his black fur. He knows how to move for now. His imposing presence and perhaps his successful
around the ring and to give the show the audience demands; boxing record make these tasks a piece of cake for him.
the photographs taken by the press can vouch for this. If Blacksad has recommended him on more than one occa-
there is something that Jake enjoys, it is bragging about his sion. If the money is generous, Ostiombe will make room
success and feeling embraced by the cheers of the crowd. in his schedule.

122
 Ribs
Unscrupulous contract killer gharial

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Strangle +2, Brute strength +1
REFLEXES Dirty fighter +2, Knife +2
WILLPOWER Relentless +2
INTELLECT Demolitions +1

MILESTONES
- Brought up in a criminal environment.
- War deserter.
- Has been presumably used as a clandestine operations agent.
- Has a good amount of violent commissions on his shoulders.

COMPLICATION
Lacks empathy.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x
5 2 1 6 1 INSTINCT
x x x x

This gharial crocodile is known in the world of criminals for ponent even for experienced fighters. Although no expert on
being a cold-blooded and ruthless killer. He’s slipped away the creation of explosives, he is trained in the use of detonators
from cops, federal agents and private investigators for years and and has a talent building demolitions, which means his M.O. in-
makes a living as a hired assassin, no matter how sordid the job cludes bombings. If being sneaky or going unnoticed becomes
may be. His real name is unknown and he uses the nickname necessary, this reptile uses the most appropriate clothing to ful-
given to him during his adolescence: Ribs. fill his task. If not, he prefers to show off a Texan style, with his
snakeskin boots and a suede jacket with fringes on the chest
Brought up by his father, his criminal life began during his ado- area and under the sleeves. His long and narrow snout full of in-
lescence at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a string of fights and cisors and his yellowish eyes over protuberant cheekbones give
petty thefts while he lived in the sewers. Despite this, his crimi- him a menacing look, which he knows how to use in his favor.
nal record provides little information about Ribs’ life. The little
that is known includes his mother’s murder when he was ten Despite the FBI knowing of his existence, they don’t have a sin-
years of age. He was called up for military service in the last gle photograph of Ribs and haven’t been able to locate his mil-
year of World War II but he deserted and nothing else is known itary record. This absence of information seems to suggest that
of him until after the conflict ended. Since then, he has been another governmental agency has accessed these documents
linked to more than a dozen blackmail cases, extortion rackets, and eliminated any information related to the gharial. It can be
murders and brutal attacks on victims without any apparent rea- assumed that some other organization is interested in him or
son between them, thus his actions seem motivated by money, uses him as an asset. Even though both the CIA and the National
Security Agency do not acknowledge his existence, FBI agents
or at least, under someone else’s orders.
have seen a report that confirms Ribs’s potential and aptitude for
He is skilled with his fists, the knife and in dirty fighting. He recruitment, despite his antisocial conduct and psychopathic be-
is ferocious with a tendency towards violence. Despite his havior. Undoubtedly, this report assures that due to his extreme
strength and girth, he is fast, which make him a dangerous op- aggressiveness, he would only be used for activities abroad.

123
Commissioner Smirnov
German Shepard and honorable chief of police

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE In shape +2, Stay up all night +1
REFLEXES Gun range +1, Sharp +1
WILLPOWER Leader +3, Affable +1
INTELLECT Connect evidence +2, Finances +1, Laws +1

MILESTONES
- Brought up by his German grandparents.
- Has patrolled the streets as a beat cop.
- Graduated as an officer during the war.
- Dedicates Sundays to his family.

COMPLICATION
Compassionate.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
6 1 0 7 8 x x x
INSTINCT
x x

Throughout his entire adulthood, Smirnov has served his coun- police investigation after months (or years!) of investigation,
try. With European ancestors but born in the United States, he only to watch a guilty criminal go free by taking advantage of
started his professional career as a police cadet. Meanwhile, legal loopholes. Or simply, that some cases are so high up in
he studied law with the intention of rising up the corporate lad- the elite politics and industries of the United States that he is
der. He interrupted his career to join the military and fought in specifically forbidden to investigate.
World War II but it wasn’t hard to get his old job back, then as
Smirnov understands the need to obey, above everything else,
an inspector and later promoted to commissioner. Apart from
the spirit of law instead of the letter. That is why he tries to
having a hound’s instinct, one of the commissioner’s virtues is
get to the bottom of a criminal investigation by using all the
knowing how to manage his subordinates. Chief Smirnov sur-
legal means he can get his hands on. However, he can turn a
rounds himself by competent detectives and inspectors, astute
blind eye to less orthodox procedures. He has never ordered
and capable officers that delight in his total trust.
an operation that uses illegal procedures nor will he force his
Smirnov is a tall and majestic dog, with most of his fur a sable officers to do so. However, he could give some veiled hints
color and a black snout. He wears a suit and tie and a pair of about a case to a competent investigator that isn’t a part of the
armless spectacles that give him a distinguished demeanor. It’s police department. Even if some violation of the law occurs,
common to see him smoking practically anywhere, except in he knows that private investigators can be successful in places
his own home where he lives with his wife Dorothy and his where he is forbidden to go.
two children.
If every precinct of the country had a chief of police as hon-
Commissioner Smirnov is well-respected by the majority of est and involved as Commissioner Smirnov, private investi-
his officers. This chief of police has been hardened during his gators would probably have much less business. Sadly, in a
years of patrolling so he isn’t a stranger to the sacrifices his world where positions of responsibility are increasingly cho-
people make to maintain order. As for his years as inspector, sen based on political allegiances rather than competence, the
he also knows the frustration of successfully concluding a commissioner is a rare specimen.

124
 Dinah Smith
Bear, waitress and single mother

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Slap to the face +2
REFLEXES Serve orders +2, Fast footsteps +1
WILLPOWER Provide for Kaylie +3
INTELLECT Self-sufficient +2, Calculate tips +1

MILESTONES
- Grew up without a father.
- Learned to live on her own when her mother died.
- Has to put up with many catcalls from her customers.
- Worked as a maid for the Karup couple.

COMPLICATION
Trapped in the cycle of poverty.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
6 2 0 6 x
5 INSTINCT
x x

Not everyone in the United States benefited from the orange skirt. When she gets home, she quickly changes
economic boom, and Black people were the ones most into something more comfortable: some jeans and a shirt
denied those benefits. This is the Dinah Smith’s case, a closer to menswear than woman’s. She is never without a
waitress at a drive-in theater whose shifts never end until pair of either hoop or stud earrings.
late at night. She lives in one of the most impoverished
This bear has had a hard childhood. Her mother died when
areas of the Line, where the racial tensions between Black
she was very young and she never knew her father; this
people and the white population are about to explode. made her a self-sufficient woman and she alone takes care
Where the gang of local white supremacists, Arctic Na- of her home, a small single-floor house located in a very
tion, engages in covert warfare against the Black gang, cold area of the neighborhood. However, her demanding
Black Claws, while the poorest families fear leaving their work hours and a house so old prevent her from repairing
homes. Despite Dinah suffering discrimination due to her the cracks in the wall, rusty pans and chipped mirrors,
skin color, she keeps away from racial activism but has signifying the social class Dinah belongs to.
faith that someday the tables will turn and she will witness
the comeuppance of those who have made her suffer. She Smith is a single mother to a girl, Kaylie, a pretty bear
knows who is in charge of the neighborhood and knows with her mother’s eyes and hair. Cheerful Kaylie enjoys
perfectly well that she can’t trust the cops. playing with the other children at school where Miss Grey
teaches her classes. All of Dinah’s efforts focus on pro-
Smith is a bear of dark color and short black hair. When viding for her daughter, an arduous task, keeping in mind
working at the drive-in theater, she dresses in uniform: a their money troubles and the unstable situation of their
yellow sweater over a high-collared white shirt and a short neighborhood.

125
Weekly
Weasel journalist for the What’s News with great aspirations

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Small +1
REFLEXES Acting at the precise moment + 2, Elusive +2
WILLPOWER Chatterbox +2, Curious +1, Extrovert +1
INTELLECT Photography +2, Composition +1

MILESTONES
- Thanks to his job has met many people in journalism.
- A good story satisfies him more than other rewards.
- His body odor has ruined many chances with women.
- Many journalism colleagues respect him for his risky articles.

COMPLICATION
Lack of hygiene.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
7 2 0 5 7 x x
INSTINCT
x x

This intrepid reporter works for the What’s News, a newspa- a Casanova but his appearance and lack of hygiene make that
per of little importance with a loyal audience. Weekly is a short hard. All the same, Weekly never misses a chance to whistle
weasel with a small and pointed snout. He has a lot of chest- at any woman he finds attractive... a seduction strategy that
nut-colored fur, except from his jaw all the way to his chest, doesn’t get him good results.
where it’s white. He wears comfortable clothes and covers
Despite his flaws, Weekly is an intrepid and effective report-
himself with a leather aviator jacket. It’s common to see him
er. Daring and somewhat reckless, he has the ideal character
wearing a fabric flat cap. Chatty and optimistic, he’s a cheerful
for sticking his nose into other people’s business. If someone
companion, although he gets lost in his incessant chatter and
is reporting on an infidelity scandal, the weasel will be there
sometimes talks before thinking. He carries a bag where he
with his camera, spying through a window to get the perfect
keeps his notebooks and his inseparable flash camera. In fact,
shot. If someone has to investigate a corrupt politician, Week-
he often carries a second camera because one can never be too
ly will be the one sneaking in to get certain documents. Like
careful. When he tries to sell himself, Weekly says his nickname
what happens to all the daring journalists risking everything to
comes from the fact he appears once a week in the office, hands
get the right photo, Weekly’s career can take two paths. On one
over his articles ready to publish and disappears again. Yet ac-
hand, he could gain fame and fortune for his scoops and his
tually, with a trusted confidant, he may confess the nickname
important articles; perhaps even win a Pulitzer for his audac-
comes from the frequency people say he bathes... Be it truth or
ity and ability. On the other hand, meddling in other people’s
not, Weekly’s body odor is torture for his collaborators with a
secret business could lead to a brief career and straight into a
keen sense of smell.
shallow grave in some open lot. Although too young to admit it
Weekly is curious and a meddler, which tends to irritate other openly, Weekly wants to be a prestigious reporter, well-known
people. When somewhere new, he touches every object in his and praised (and while he’s at it, wanted by the ladies). Perhaps,
reach, with a curious and nosy attitude that earns the dislike of the weasel dreams about someday becoming the chief editor of
his hosts but helps him be a good journalist. He wants to be What’s News.

126
 Natalia Wilford
Cat actress who is always the center of attention

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE Dance +1, Jogging +1
REFLEXES Fast +1, Flexible +1, Sleight of hands +1
WILLPOWER Performance +2, Enchanting +1, Singing +1
INTELLECT Cinephile +2, Music +1

MILESTONES
- Had a knack for acting since she was a girl.
- At the age of eighteen she was already considered a star.
- Received death threats from a fanatic admirer.
- Has achieved success on her own merits.

COMPLICATION
Hopeless cheater.

COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE
x x x x x
6 2 0 6 x
6 INSTINCT
x x x

The case of Natalia Wilford is a good example of a brief, and cheerful actress never lacked for candidates. In opposition
although intense, life as a Hollywood superstar. The actress to the conservative mentality of the time, Wilford allowed her-
enjoyed the sweetness of success and fame. Each day she re- self to be seen with different men, including John Blacksad.
ceived bouquets of fresh flowers sent to her by admirers, and
the news, along with television and the radio, always had time Perhaps the actress has underestimated the dangers when she
to praise her and her work. Wilford’s fame has promoted her started a romantic relationship with Ivo Statoc, the wealthiest
music into the best radio stations. There have even been look- and most powerful man in the city. Jealous by nature, Statoc
a-like contests of the actress at many leisure joints. had Natalia followed and soon found out about her infidelity
with a young and handsome screenwriter. The magnate de-
During her life as a high-profile star, not all was joy and ease.
cided to root out the problem. The screenwriter was tortured,
Like most celebrities, Natalia suffered harassment from ob-
executed and buried in record time.
sessed fans, including having to hire detectives to root out
death threats. She frequently hired security services (such as Wilford is a young and beautiful cat, almost exclusively ded-
Jake Ostiombe) for her trips and public appearances. icated to the care of her own appearance. You can find her
Behind the glitter and ballgowns, Natalia was a run-of-the- dressed in the best clothing money can buy; she is always in
mill person. Undoubtedly, her financial circumstances al- style and has sometimes started a trend simply by wearing a
lowed all of her desires to be more than met; she could afford certain garment. Her well-groomed hair is long and a light
dance classes, singing and music, trips or anything else she chestnut color. When out in public, she can be seen in luxu-
could think of. She also had her weaknesses and the tabloid rious and expensive dresses. With Statoc she takes all of this
press made their profit at the expense of her getaways, parties to the extreme and wears expensive fur coats while private
and her crushes. As it can be assumed, the attractive, wealthy chauffeurs drive her from one place to another.

127
 CHAPTER 5:

CASES
Although we’ve tried to immerse you in the world of Blacksad, noir stories
and roleplaying games, coming up with scenarios challenges even experienced
game masters. This is why, in this chapter, we present several cases to unveil
before your players. You can use them as shown here, develop them to give
them your personal touch or simply read them to get inspired and create your
own.

128
 Vernon offers the protagonists a generous daily salary for
Not So Lucky their discretion and silence about any illegal dealings,
This case takes place in a big city on the shores of Lake meals per diem and even casino tokens until they discover
Michigan, which could be Chicago but also Milwaukee or the cause of this strange behavior and missing money.
Cleveland. If you prefer, it can also be set in a city with a
seaport, like New York. Scene 2: The Lakeside Lucky
The protagonists can have varied professions and Vernon and Chigliak’s hotel is an imposing twenty-story
motivations to take on this case. However, at least one them building located on a busy street in the city. The building,
should have a profession related to private investigation. built in the 1930s, has been remodeled and conditioned to
hold the secret casino and the hotel. It has a restaurant, two
The case is made up of five scenes but you can increase or bars, four ballrooms and six conference rooms, apart from
reduce the number of scenes, places and actions that take place. the gambling floor and the hotel suites and rooms. The
prices for their services are affordable and the quality of the
Synopsis facilities is reasonable. Though not the preferred destination
The protagonists are contacted by a gambling magnate to for the wealthiest individuals, Lakeside is always busy. The
investigate his partner, in the belief that he is mismanaging casino (on the thirteenth floor) has several gaming tables for
their secret casino at their hotel, the Lakeside Lucky. The poker, blackjack and dice, four roulettes and two-dozen slot
investigation leads them to discover the real motives of machines. The bar overlooks the casino floor in a large and
the partner’s change in behavior. The plot is more complex open space at different heights connected by shallow steps.
than basic financial motive: money gets mixed up in The entire casino is decorated in a baroque and ornate style.
ideology and international politics. Of course, the involved Waiters enliven the evening and encourage players with
parties won’t be happy about some private eyes sticking occasional trays loaded with free glasses of Champagne.
their noses in their business... The protagonists can play with the tokens provided by
Vernon. The Lakeside provides a favorable environment
Scene 1: Honor among thieves for losing money at the gambling tables or slot machines,
One of the protagonists (the one most related to the detective with attentive staff and cheerful music. The protagonists
business) receives the contact info of Maurice Vernon, a can figure out how the games are rigged with a conflict of
wealthy businessman. Vernon is one of the two owners of Willpower at difficulty 1 (medium) against a croupier. If
the Lakeside Lucky, one of the most prosperous hotels of the they win the conflict, they notice that a player’s loss always
city. Vernon requests that the protagonists come meet him at ends up favoring another player, and always the same one:
his luxurious quarters and explains that he’s concerned about in reality they work for the casino impersonating gamblers.
his partner, Chris “Lucky” Chigliak. It seems that after years To avoid any suspicion, the conspiring player leaves when
working together, Chigliak is behaving strangely. According they win a prudent amount and goes to another gaming
to Vernon, it’s been two months since his partner attended table. The roulette tables, slot machines and dice games
the hotel management meetings, avoids talking to him and are rigged in the “normal” way, favoring the casino in the
makes up excuses that don’t hold water. Based on this, along long run. Vernon, of course, knows about the cheating.
with the recent income imbalance from the casino, Vernon
All of the Lakeside’s employees dress in black pants,
suspects that his partner is stealing from him. Although he
white shirts adorned with a bowtie and a red vest with
tried to speak with Chigliak on various occasions, Vernon
black vertical stripes. There are two working shifts at the
hasn’t been able to make his partner take the matter seriously.
casino and the hotel each, which means that if they stay
Chigliak tells him nothing is wrong, to stop worrying and
long enough, the protagonists can get to know the staff.
take a vacation. Vernon even lets the protagonists see his
Some of them are:

·
account books and other entries, which, if correct, reflect a
decline of almost half a million dollars over six months from The bartender, Jack Dump, a Dalmatian skilled at pre-
gambling income. Yes, the Lakeside Lucky is actually a front paring cocktails and having trivial conversations with
for an illegal casino for the rich and powerful, disguised as his clients. He seems happy to be working at the Lake-
a “charity” fundraising venue. Of course, Vernon manages side and doesn’t have any complaints about the owners.
these account books himself since his partner Chigliak At the most, he gossips that for the last couple of months
manages the accounting for the casino. These two men may Chigliak has been stupid in love with Evelyn, a pretty
be partners, but they don’t look like friends. French girl.

129
 Maurice Vernon
Bull businessman and partner of the Lakeside Lucky
· Francis Dubois, the most skilled croupier of the casino.
He is a large, middle-aged orangutan with a lot of white
hair among his orange fur. A common choice during the
CHARACTERISTICS
most crowded hours at the card game tables, his abili-
FORTITUDE Bull’s neck +2, Heavy drinker +2
ty to deal out marked cards has no comparison. On his
REFLEXES
breaks he seldom talks about work and he gets aggres-
Fast fingers +1
WILLPOWER Negotiate +2, Business intuition +1

·
INTELLECT Good memory +2, Bookkeeping +1, Well-read man +1 sive to those who mention the tricks during the games.
MILESTONES Rita Myers, the pit boss. This scrawny pig with a hard
- Raised on a ranch. look is responsible for rotating each croupier and tell-
-
-
Avoided military service due to his weight.
Self-taught in the business of casinos and hotels.
ing security officers of any problematic clients. She isn’t
- Has good relations in the business world. very happy with her job because she thinks her salary is
COMPLICATION too low compared to her responsibilities. She says, and
Overly relies on his subordinates and business partner. she might be right, that she is paid less than if she were
COMBAT STATS a man. She won’t be disloyal to her bosses but they have

·
noticed her discontent.
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE
Ronnie and Bud are the security guards, a German
5 1 0 7
Shepherd and a Bull Terrier, respectively. They weren’t
hired for their great ideas but for their zeal and girth.
Maurice Vernon grew up in the bosom of a wealthy family. This They are also valued for their ability to lock up a cheat-
bull of Texan origin has always had a comfortable life but when ing player in a room, pressuring them until they decide

·
he inherited his parents’ estate, he decided he didn’t want to live to never return to the casino.
off the ranch and property rent. He sold everything and poured Daisy Bloomberg, a parakeet who attends to the tables
his fortune into the business of gambling and betting. He had and the slot machine clients, carrying orders on a tray. She
been trying in different states until he found one where the mar- has a deal with the casino to buy alcohol from her boy-
ket for a casino was most favorable. He became associated with friend, a dock worker. With these deals, the casino can get
Chigliak over a five-year period to build the Lakeside Lucky. away from paying certain federal fees on alcohol and this
Chigliak took charge of the management of the casino and Ver-

·
can lead the players to an investigation of federal crimes.
non became the face of the “legitimate” business of the hotel.
Dora Smith exchanges money for “charity” game tokens
Vernon is a bull of medium stature but very broad-shouldered, a close to the bar in a stall with a small window. This mid-
prominent belly due to a luxurious life, excesses and hardly any dle-aged poodle with flashy glasses gets very jumpy if
physical exercise. He flaunts two large horns and a small pointy the protagonists try talking to her, because Dora has been
beard. He dresses in light-colored suits set against his dark red- skimming money from the casino; though she only steals
dish fur and all of his clothing reveals his great financial power. the occasional couple of dollar bills, her suspicious be-
havior can lead the protagonists to follow this red herring.

130
These are some examples of the people the protagonists disorganized papers, piled up and scribbled on with bad
can talk to. Conflicts of Willpower at difficulty 1 (medium) handwriting. Anyone who spends a few hours organizing
and good roleplaying can get them more information from the documents and doing the numbers can estimate
these employees. Of course, the approach the protagonists the decline that exists in Vernon’s books. A successful
use can vary, from intimidation to sliding some discreet challenge of Intellect at difficulty 2 (hard) reveals payments
dollars into the right pocket. to suppliers (alcohol, food, textiles for the casino) that
seem too high. Without invoices or any other evidence,
If they stay at the casino long enough, any of the employees
however, the protagonists have no proof. In summary,
can point out the floor manager, a coyote dressed like
however, it does appear that Chigliak has been diverting
a cowboy. He can be seen giving instructions to his
funds throughout the last months.
employees and greeting the regular customers, always with
a loud laugh and a funny remark. He has a lady hanging on
his arm, an elegantly dressed and beautiful ermine.
Scene 3: Cherchez la femme
The presence of this ermine with a French accent has been
If they approach him, he greets them with a toothy grin. a cause for gossip among the casino and hotel employees.
Although not exactly an affable person, he always seems Before she showed up, Chris Chigliak wasn’t known for
to be in a good mood. Chris “Lucky” Chigliak answers being a ladies’ man, despite being single. However, anyone
questions and even leads them to an office next to the who has an opinion agrees that his infatuation with the
casino if the protagonists want to talk more privately. ermine was immediate, and since then, the manager of the
The lady accompanying him also tries to be included and casino takes her everywhere he goes. Like the old adage
Chigliak only asks her to leave if the protagonists say so. says, “behind every successful man, there is a woman”; the
protagonists may suspect this new figure and, what’s more,
Chigliak speaks frankly about the basics and even about
the employees do mention her as an important detail of the
business, although if asked about the cheating, he sticks
last few months.
to the company line that these rich folk are playing games
for “charity” and don’t mind losing money anyway. He Evelyn Chifflet (the ermine) is in reality Evelyn Johnson,
won’t hesitate in praising Vernon as a good partner and a CIA agent assigned to investigate Chigliak. Johnson
a better person. As a funding partner, assures Chigliak, has been monitoring the activities of the Lakeside Lucky
Vernon gives him free reign to manage the casino as he for six months now. Her presence at the casino and her
sees fit. With that freedom, the coyote admits that his job relationship with the manager started approximately at
is gratifying and profitable. If the protagonists confront the the same time as Chigliak began to divert funds, thus the
coyote with Vernon’s suspicions, Chigliak’s grin fades... protagonists can link both details and come up with the
for an instant before he again reveals his teeth and brushes wrong idea of the woman being the one responsible (or the
off the issue. inciter) for the embezzlement.
If they ask for his accounting books, Chigliak agrees Chifflet appears aloof and may seem shy and evasive; a
with gritted teeth and takes them to a writing desk full of conflict of Willpower allows one to detect that it is just an

131
 act. She always tries to be near Chigliak and if she notices gentlemen hang out there to have a drink of quality
that the investigators have become interested in her, she bourbon while listening to jazz records. If Johnson notices
retires to her hotel suite (despite her being Lucky’s lover, she is being followed, she tries to sneak into the Redhill
Johnson has her own luxury room). Stars and give a heads up to Agent Steel. Then she slides
into the back room to get out through an alleyway or even
If the protagonists corner her to pose uncomfortable
hide there until Steel gets rid of the protagonists. When
questions, the ermine plays the damsel in distress, and if
they reach the bar, there won’t a single trace of the ermine.
that doesn’t work, she becomes aggressive and threatens to
The cat behind the counter denies seeing anybody, just like
scream or cry for help.
the regular customers (who won’t know what’s going on
If the protagonists choose to watch Johnson with discretion but play along with the waiter). If the protagonists insist,
(perhaps by using the appropriate challenges or conflicts), Steel rebukes them saying that they shouldn’t be harassing
they might see her return to her room late at night. The defenseless ladies. Although everything depends on how
Lakeside’s area of the city is lively despite the time, with the protagonists manage themselves, this is a good time
bars, pubs and show clubs filled with clientele. Cars and for a bar fight to the rhythm of jazz pianist Fats Pichon,
people still meander around and the street lamps and playing on the record player. Steel and many of the clients
lighted signs of businesses keep the boardwalks well lit. (as many as there are protagonists) are willing to receive
a few blows to defend the honor of a damsel in distress.
In reality, Johnson went to inform her handlers about the
You can use the detective character sheet (page 89) for
arrival of the new players: the protagonists. Her contact
Agent Steel and the crook character sheet (page 97) for
is an FBI agent who keeps a cover only a few blocks
the clients.
away. The FBI also wants to investigate the owners of the
Lakeside due to federal crimes of tax evasion and illegal Everything concludes if any protagonist is unrefined
gambling, however, the CIA led the investigation because enough as to pull out a lethal weapon (a knife or any
the agency has bigger fish to fry. firearm). It can also end after a few blows and some black
eyes, when Steel decides that Johnson has had enough time
The undercover FBI contact works at a joint called the
to escape or go into hiding. If the protagonists easily win
Redhill Stars, a bar famous for its imported liquors.
the fight, they still have to exit through the back room and
Douglas Steel, an FBI agent, has been operating there
chase the spy down dark alleyways, which could lead to
for the last couple of months. This striped and thin cat
another action scene.
works as a waiter at the bar doing the night shift. The
joint is a functional bar, with quality furniture, although In case Johnson gets caught during the chase or gets
not as luxurious as the other nearby businesses. Liquor discovered somewhere else (including back at the hotel
is their main attraction, and more often than not, a dozen suite), and if she had time to collect information about

132
the protagonists or they decide to lay their cards on the
table, her strategy takes a different turn. She admits to her
Chris «Lucky » Chigliak
Nouveau riche coyote, partner and manager of the Lakeside Lucky
investigation, although she won’t reveal her real name or
the agency she works for. The true motive for passing as a CHARACTERISTICS
French lady and getting close to Lucky was to investigate FORTITUDE Hard as nails +2
REFLEXES
his alleged connections with communist agents. She
Jump before danger +2
WILLPOWER Charlatan +2, Extrovert +2
doesn’t know anything about the funds being diverted but INTELLECT Finances +2, Gambling +2
the matter immediately gets her interest because it agrees
MILESTONES
with her investigation. It turns out, Chigliak started to - Grew up in the slums of the outskirts of the city.
meet people that drew some attention. First it caught the - Won his first fortune playing cards and dice.

local cops’ interest and then the FBI’s. At first, he attended

- Had two bars and a pool hall before the casino.
- Dedicates his time fighting for the Native American rights.
meetings and conferences given by leftist intellectuals who COMPLICATION
promulgated the rights of Native Americans. Then he was His big mouth gets him in trouble.
spotted going to organized events held by leftist militants
COMBAT STATS
who railed against the government of the United States.
DEFENSE
He hasn’t committed any crimes yet but it was strange
INITIATIVE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

considering his success as a businessman. The alarm went 6 1 0 6

off when one of these militants, the Moldavian Serguei
Obolensky, stayed at the Lakeside hotel on three occasions
Chris Chigliak, also known as “Lucky Chris” or simply
within a two-month period.
“Lucky,” is a Native American coyote. Although of humble
With this new information, Johnson may want to origin, Chigliak has had various lucky breaks via gambling
collaborate with the protagonists, claiming cooperation
throughout his life, which has made him one of the most suc-
benefits of all of them. She doesn’t care about the casino
cessful men of the state. He combined his fame for luck with
and has been stalling the FBI, who want to go in now and
bust everyone. But the CIA agent has been stuck for some a certain eye for business and ended up creating and manag-
time because she hasn’t been able to stay close to Chigliak ing the Lakeside Lucky with the help of his funding partner,
in every situation. For example, she relays that once a Maurice Vernon. His wealth and fortune is now tied up in the
month, Lucky disappears somewhere and won’t take her hotel. Lately, however, Lucky has found a new purpose in
with him. She needs the protagonists’ help. his life and seeks to use his influence for good.

Scene 4: Waking up Chigliak is thin and tall. The coyote insists on dressing
While Johnson can’t break cover and needs to stay at the Texan style, in buckskin jackets with tassels on the sleeves,
hotel, the protagonists can follow Chigliak in his monthly bolo ties with flaunty clasps and broad cowboy hats. He
disappearance, coincidentally happening the next evening. also has hair extensions behind his grey ears, which he
If the protagonists lose Lucky, have him detour to pick adorns with braids. The wealthy coyote is, in general, a per-
up some flowers on Johnson’s request at a predetermined son with a ready smile. Everything seems funny to him and
flower shop, allowing the protagonists to catch up or find he shows it with raucous howls and loud laughter.
Chigliak there.

133
 However, the protagonists have a tail of their own. Agent group he has found people that can help them get justice,
Steel, frustrated at Johnson’s stonewalling, has had FBI to take back what’s theirs.
agents follow the protagonists in hopes they end up
At this point, the FBI agents can either get spotted, starting a
shaking loose a lead on their own. You can use the detective
panic, or the agents might jump the gun and attempt to capture
character sheet (page 89) for the FBI agents.
Chigliak right now. Some of the people form a wall between the
They eventually follow Chigliak to a run-down house agents (or the protagonists) and Lucky to allow him to escape.
on the impoverished side of town, crowded with people, You can use the activist character sheet (page 95) for the crowd,
mostly Native Americans. The protagonists can eavesdrop or the protagonists can square up against the agents.
and listen to the speeches given, or they can confront Lucky
himself to learn what they are doing here in this house. Scene 5: A Free Man
In the 1950s, the United States government enacted a new If the protagonists followed Chigliak to the meeting, they have
policy to move Native Americans from their land and force enough information to report to Vernon. If they are working
them to “integrate” into the cities by removing federal with Johnson, have been invited by Chigliak (if they proclaim
funding from the reservations and ending official recognition sympathy for his cause) or continued following him, they end
up at the docks. They could have also followed the lead with
of their tribal identities. Jobs were scarce and the federal
Daisy Bloomberg. The alcohol shipments that the Lakeside
retraining inadequate, so many Native Americans struggled
receives don’t come from regular providers inside the United
in these unfamiliar and unfriendly cities.
States, instead they come from across Lake Michigan (or from
Chris “Lucky” Chigliak saw people who looked like him the sea if the adventure takes place at the seaport) via Canada.
forced into poverty and despair. He tried to hire them to This clue links the shipments of alcohol from Daisy’s boyfriend
work at the hotel and casino, but couldn’t help everyone. to the Soviet militant Obolensky, which is how Obolensky,
So Lucky started to funnel money from the casino to under the nickname “Sarge,” eventually met Chigliak. Some
distribute food, clothing and necessary supplies and appropriate deduction on behalf of the protagonists can allow
tried to set up a fund to assist Native Americans in job them to add up the dates when Johnson says that Chigliak
placement, education housing costs and legal aid. All this disappears with the shipments of the alcohol to the hotel. They
got the attention of the cops and federal agents, pushing can also predict the next arrival of the boat to the following
Chigliak to look for some outside help. He promises the night, exactly one month after the previous.

134
The dock of the city is, like all of those in an industrialized
city, large, smelly, humid and dark. The different docks have
Evelyn Johnson, alias Evelyn Chifflet
Sophisticated ermine and CIA agent
single-story buildings, hangars and hundreds of containers
piled up in mountains of painted and rusted metal. Cranes, CHARACTERISTICS
scaffolds, trucks bare of cargo and moored boats complete FORTITUDE Athlete +1, Endure torture +1
REFLEXES
the chaotic scenery, with all kinds of vessels, from small
Revolver +2, Hit the deck +1, Sprint +1
WILLPOWER Seduction +2, Good manners +1
fishing boats to container ships. At dock 23, just as INTELLECT Cryptography +1, Laws +1, Politics +1
expected, they find the Pochentyy Grazhdanin (literally
MILESTONES
meaning “free man”), a cargo boat with a Canadian flag
- Played at faking a French accent as a child.
but a Russian ship owner. There they find Lucky, waiting - Got outstanding results in the CIA admissions test.

in the cold night and wrapped up in a heavy raincoat. -

-
Lost touch with her entire family.
Has rejected promotions that would separate her from work in the field.
From the boat, some sailors point their large flashlights at
COMPLICATION
the coyote, while others prepare to unload the shipment. She is very curt with her colleagues.
The first one to walk down the gangway is a great black
COMBAT STATS
bear also wearing a thick coat. The bear, who matches the
description of Serguei Obolensky given by the CIA agent, INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE

greets Chigliak in a friendly manner. While the sailors and 7 2 0 5

the great bear approach, the protagonists see both Lucky
and “Sarge” holding a bulky paper envelope each.
Evelyn Johnson found her calling as a spy out of pure
In this scene, whomever the protagonists side with chance, when a senior agent suggested she join the Cen-
determines the opposition. If they intend to catch Chigliak tral Intelligence Agency. This agent, who later became her
or Obolensky, they face a number of armed sailors, as many mentor, saw her get rid of two annoying men at a bar by
as there are protagonists plus two, and Obolensky himself, passing as a French lady who didn’t understand English
who carries a Makarov pistol. (You can use the longshore and then got rid of a third one by breaking a bottle of bour-
worker character sheet, page 92, to represent the sailors.) If bon on his head.
they sympathize with Chigliak, then the protagonists face
the CIA and FBI in similar numbers, finally descending Johnson grew up in France, so her French is practically
upon the dock to make their arrests led by Johnson herself. perfect, which makes her a valuable undercover agent.
(You can use the cop in uniform character sheet, page 98, She is an ermine of a pleasant cinnamon fur color, lighter
to represent the agents.) Chigliak won’t take part in any around her short snout and towards her chest, with large
kind of fight. He instead tries to hide and slip away if he black eyes. Slender and not very tall, she takes care of her
gets the chance. Another option is for the protagonists to figure and her looks. While already beautiful on her own,
wait for the transaction, which simply consists of the bear her training gives her the seduction and persuasion strat-
egies that have opened doors for her on many occasions.
and coyote exchanging envelopes, embracing and Chigliak
She has an extensive wardrobe to adapt to each occasion
leaving. Lucky’s envelope contains a good bit of money,
but she always wears clothing of good quality and style.
payment for Obolensky to get the information in the
Her meticulous looks hide a lethal ability in hand-to-hand
other’s envelope: the contact information of other leftist
combat and her .38 Special revolver that she always car-
groups in neighboring states, along with a promise of a
ries in her purse.
personal introduction with each of the leaders.

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 In the end, the protagonists can end up with some strong
Serguei “Sarge” Obolensky friends and with some powerful enemies. FBI Agent
Douglas Steel, CIA Agent Evelyn Johnson, Maurice
Bear KGB agent smuggler

CHARACTERISTICS Vernon and Chris “Lucky” Chigliak all have something

FORTITUDE Boxing +2, Wall of muscles +2 to gain and something to lose. The protagonists now have
REFLEXES Pistol +2, Take cover +2
new contacts that can prove useful in the future and new
WILLPOWER
enemies to complicate their lives.
Leadership qualities +2
INTELLECT Knowledge of customs +1, Laws +1

MILESTONES
- Spent years in the Siberian steppe.
- Went to Berlin with the first flood of Russians.
Other cases
- Tortured dozens of Nazis after the war.
- Has established contact with different groups of communists in American
The following cases are briefer than “Not So Lucky,” but
territory. they keep the spirit that a Blacksad case should have. With
COMPLICATION
Short-tempered.
the secondary characters, we point out their concept and the
page number for their most appropriate stats. However, if
COMBAT STATS
you want to get the most out of them, we suggest you create
INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE
full stats or, at least, modify the generic stats, for example,
6 2 0 6 changing the character traits and adding milestones and
complications. As the game master, you must adapt the
secondary characters and hooks to pull the protagonists
into becoming more personally involved in these jobs.
Epilogue
In this scenario, the protagonists have a lot of influence on
Lost Youth
how the ending turns out. They can get the evidence in the After the funeral of the transportation magnate Albert
envelopes or destroy the evidence. They can help capture Greyhound, the protagonists are summoned to the reading
Chigliak or help him escape. They can tell Vernon of the of his will, which demands a series of eccentric conditions
embezzlement or keep quiet. If Chigliak is arrested, either to fulfill before the distribution of the inheritance. When the
by the CIA agent or by the FBI, the coyote cracks and family of the deceased millionaire finds out the implications
and consequences of the will, they start to petition the
confesses everything: he admits to all of the activities related
protagonists to evade the conditions imposed upon them.
to embezzling and organizing (although he tries not to rat out
Daisy Bloomberg, the waitress at the casino, in the alcohol Bruce Spellman, the lawyer on duty for the millionaire Albert
trafficking). He claims he didn’t know of “Sarge’s” communist Greyhound, invites the protagonists to the funeral of the magnate
ties, but insists he wanted to help all Indigenous people, and then to the reading of the will in the quarters of Spellman
oppressed since the invasion of their lands by the hands of & Co. After the media phenomenon around the burial of one of
the American government. His confession mirrors the one the wealthiest men of the city, turning into a black-tie parade for
in Scene 4, possesses sincere passion and might be true: his the high-class and a feast of headlines for the newspapers, the
support of other Native Americans was probably the only time protagonists attend to the lawyer’s office as requested. There,
Chigliak gave money without receiving anything in return. Spellman meets with them in private, while the stunned and
furious family members of the deceased are denied entry.
If the protagonists help Chigliak, the FBI still descends
on the Lakeside Lucky, hoping to at least arrest people The lawyer informs the protagonists that he wants to hire
for tax evasion, trafficking alcohol and illegal gambling. them for a posthumous job for the deceased. The pay is
This causes Lucky and Vernon to lose their fortunes and pretty generous, a substantial amount per day of work and
either may spend some time in prison for fiscal crimes. a considerable fortune if they carry out the agreement. So,
If the protagonists work fast, they might be able to warn Spellman then proceeds to the reading of the will with its
Vernon in time for him to hide the receipts and paperwork strange requests, such as the hiring of the protagonists and
keeping the family away from the will reading.
and to claim that the casino isn’t a real money casino,
just a charity event, including a healthy donation to the Soon after the protagonists start their investigation, they
local police. Vernon may or may not forgive Lucky for the receive a summons from Renata, Greyhound’s widow, who
embezzlement. On one hand, he trusted him. On the other wishes to have an interview with them. Renata intends on
hand, everyone in the casino ran some kind of con. discovering what is behind the delay of the will reading

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The will of Albert Greyhound
It is my last will to have my friend, advisor
and lawyer Bruce Spellman in charge of my
company and fortune for a period of two
weeks after my death, during which he will
search for my first son, born from Cecile
Farrell. After said time, if my personal wish
to find him has been fulfilled, he will inherit
60% of my patrimony and Bruce Spellman
will inherit the remaining 40%. This is a sign
of gratitude and an insurance to not accept
bribes from my avaricious harpy of a wife
and her spoiled and wasteful children, if
they were to gain knowledge of this will. If
said time were to pass without any satisfying
results from the search, I will yield from
my grave and have my heirs dispose of my
inheritance as the law dictates.
It is my mandate that my family members
are not to be informed of the contents of this
will during those two weeks. They must also
be denied access to the fortune, using as an
excuse the need for previous remediation of
fiscal issues.
The only information that I can contribute
about Cecile apart from her maiden name,
Farrell, is the receipt of the bus ticket with
which my father exiled her when she became
pregnant, sending her to live in a ghetto down
south from the city, Despair Creek.

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 and why this group of supposed experts has been present Albert was an affable man and with a less tyrannical character
while she and her children are kept in the dark. If she than that of his father. In his youth, he fell in love with a girl
doesn’t get any answers, she tries to bribe the protagonists with whom he dreamed to have a family, until his father stood in
to figure out what’s going on but if they yield, they risk not the way. Despising her as just an “ordinary girl,” Greyhound’s
seeing a single penny promised by Bruce Spellman. father forced his son to leave her and paid her a bus ticket to go
elsewhere, getting rid of the girl who already was with child,
If they follow the instructions of Albert Greyhound’s will,
his future grandson. Albert lived most of his life embittered by
they reach Despair Creek to find Cecile Farrell, a sour old
his marriage to Renata, an oppressive woman with a cold heart
lady that barely survives on a petty pension. The old lady has
who didn’t see Greyhound as anything more than just a source
moved so many times that finding her proves to be a living
of unlimited money. Perhaps being weary of his family and
hell for several days, while the protagonists must also try to go
emboldened by the memory of his lost love made Greyhound
unnoticed from a strange man playing the same game as them.
concoct this peculiar will as a final strike.
After managing to get the old lady to talk, the protagonists are
approached by this strange man who works for the Greyhound Bruce Spellman: (“A parrot lawyer with resources.”
family. He offers generous rewards if they abandon the case. Lawyer character sheet, page 96.) He is an old guy, although
not as old as Greyhound. Pretty serious with a polite tone
The Albert Greyhound’s lost son is Johnny, a hard-working
who always finds the most words to express the simplest of
truck driver and widower who is easy to find when he attends
messages. Spellman is the one responsible for contacting
Cecile’s, his mother’s, untimely funeral. After the humble
the protagonists and inviting them to Greyhound’s wake:
burial and giving Johnny the information about his biological
“Come in elegant apparel, get into your best suits or rent
father’s inheritance, the protagonists get intercepted again,
a tuxedo if necessary. Greyhound was an important man
only this time by Ballin Greyhound, the youngest son of the
and, as such, there will be many important people holding
deceased magnate. He threatens the protagonists, demanding
his vigil, including the press and maybe even half the
for the last time they leave the case. When they return to the
city. We’ll talk afterwards and, in that discussion, I will
city, they get ambushed and pursued by some thugs, trying to
commission you with a generous assignment but I need you
drive them off the road. These thugs even, armed with tommy
to be at the ceremony. It might be relevant, I’m not sure.
guns, shoot at their vehicle, to get rid of the protagonists and
But for the money I’m going to pay you, you won’t feel
the results of their investigation.
like you’re wasting your time.” After the wake, he arranges
Albert Greyhound: (“Faint-hearted magnate bloodhound.”) a meeting with them at his law firm. There he makes them
Greyhound owned the greatest bus company in the United part of a special last request of the deceased, consisting of
States, founded on the fortune inherited from his father, a rich a private reading just for the protagonists, provoking the
owner of many of the first factories in the Industrial Age. Old outrage of the deceased’s widow and children.

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Renata Greyhound: (“Reindeer gold-digger and a with bravado, eulogizing his importance and that of his
nouveau riche.” Housewife character sheet, page 100.) family and the danger of having them as an enemy. Later
The widow is an old woman, although younger than her on, when the investigators return to the city, a black car
late husband, with a stern look and tight lips, who expresses tries to ram the protagonists’ car: it’s Ballin and some of his
a manipulative and avaricious character. She dresses in associates, who even resorts to gunfire.
expensive suits accompanied by expensive accessories
Jerry Delgado: (“Mediocre gerbil detective.” Detective
and jewelry. The first time she encounters the protagonists,
character sheet, page 89.) This elusive individual follows
she won’t pay them any attention nor show any deference.
the protagonists soon after their interview with Renata.
She simply becomes enraged due to being not invited to
He has also been sniffing around Spellman’s office and
her husband’s reading of the will: “This is insulting! What
has discovered the contents of the will. Soon after the
kind of outrage is this?!”
protagonists leave old lady Farrell’s apartment, the gerbil
Whereas the second time she sees the protagonists at approaches the protagonists saying he works for the
the Greyhound mansion at her own request, she shows Greyhound family: “They still can’t pay you right now but
herself to be cordial and affectionate. She tries to dig out if you drop the case, the Greyhound widow will offer you
information about the will pretending to not know what it a great amount of money as compensation.” He won’t get
is about. In reality, she does know nothing but tries to get into a long argument. In fact, he is pretty abrupt with his
them to spill their own opinion on the matter. If, after a few offer and if they reject it, he leaves and adds: “I will let the
shameless attempts to get the protagonists gossiping, she family know.” They won’t see him again.
doesn’t get any results, her true self emerges. She stands
Cecile Farrell: (“Old and bitter hyena.” Senior citizen
up outraged and furious and offers them money to tell her
character sheet, page 94.) This hardened, embittered
what the will said: “I demand to know what it was about!
smoker has been changing her residence for years, moving
As a widow, I am in my right!”
to places that keep getting cheaper and cheaper, surviving
Ballin Greyhound: (“Filthy rich gazelle and a mama’s boy.” on her meager pension after a life as a waitress. Her bad
Rich kid character sheet, page 85.) Greyhound’s youngest attitude shows from the very first moment. She welcomes
son is middle-aged, arrogant and vain, who the protagonists the protagonists between insults and coughs and urges
see at the funeral and at the will reading. At some point after them to leave: “Go to hell, you crap bags! I have better
finding Farrell, Ballin faces the protagonists, issuing threats. things to do than listen to some stuffy toaster salespeople.”
He heard his mother talking to Jerry Delgado and refuses to However, when she realizes the purpose of their visit, she
let his inheritance fall into the hands of a nobody. With no remains perplexed for a few seconds and then becomes
scruples whatsoever, he tries to intimidate the protagonists interested in the matter. “I tried to con that cheesy Albert

139
 Greyhound, yes, but his father chased me out of
there. I could have had a good life if it weren’t
for that old, arrogant and filthy rich man. But
no sir, he had to put me out on the streets. He
gave me some money and paid the rent for my
apartment for a few months. That and a stupid
bus ticket is all I got. I had to take care of his
grandson by cleaning flophouses and serving
drinks. What is it that he wants now?” When
they ask about her son, she feigns distrust, just
to get a few dollars for the information. Once
she hides that away, she brazenly reveals that
her son, Johnny Farrell, lives in a rented room
at a hostel, working as a long-distance truck
driver. He tries to make as much money as he
can to send to his parents-in-law, who have
taken care of his daughters since his wife died.
“That ingrate doesn’t send a penny to his own
poor mother.”

Johnny Farrell: (“Exhausted father jackal.”

Longshore worker character sheet, page
92.) He is man with a tired look, bags under
the eyes and drooping shoulders. When the
protagonists look for him at the hostel, they
find he is travelling, and the landlord informs
them that he only shows up every two or three
days, sometimes more often. He comes back
late, sleeps and leaves early. The protagonists
have to wait close to the hostel to run into him
or ask at the company he works for. When
they finally discover that he is back in the city,
they also learn that Cecile has passed away.
Apparently, she died of respiratory failure in
her sleep, and it is all they can find out before
running into Johnny at the local cemetery. The
burial is a simple ceremony in which the only
people present are the priest, the gravedigger
and Johnny, dressed in very worn-out black
clothing. In no mood for an interview, being
livid and distressed, he rejects talking to the
protagonists and leaves dejected. He only
took the day off work to attend his mother’s
funeral. In fact, the first news Johnny received
when he returned from travelling was that of
his mother’s death. However, when he finds out
about his inheritance, he asks for the address
of that “so-called Spellman” to pay him a visit
the very next day. Meanwhile, he wants to rest
for a bit and visit his daughters at his parents-
in-law’s home.

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The Last Round unspoken agreement to not bring up the subject. The snake
never suspected Joe was hiding something, since he returned
Joe Hallenbrock is a second-rate boxer who received a second
home with contusions on his face, ribs and knuckles, yet
opportunity: he has finally begun to win matches and some
seemed happy with the earned money. However, he never
take-home money. But something must have happened since
said a single word about the boxing matches.
his wife, Teri Flakes, has been desperately asking her husband’s
old boxing friends if they have seen him lately. Nobody seems Regulars at Rock Gym: (“Aspiring boxing stars.” Boxer
to know what he’s gotten himself into; he hasn’t trained for a character sheet, page 91.) This is the gym where Joe had
time and he hasn’t been at the gymnasium. The only one who always trained. It is frequented by Mr. Lang, the owner, some
could say something of his whereabouts is an addict whose veterans that work as trainers and a horde of young aspiring
boxing career had been less successful than Joe’s. boxing stars. Most of them know Joe: a pretty skilled guy
who could work as a trainer but is too old to be a successful
Joe was an aging boxer whose professional career never
and professional boxer. It’s been months since he stopped by
fully launched. But lately he has been having some success
the gym. One morning, he came in with Old Satterfield. They
and getting some good income, finally getting off the
counted out some dollar bills but after a heated discussion
ground. At last, Teri and Joe were having a good run: they
and some yelling, Joe left angry. The gym regulars think that
could pay the bills on time and had paid off the mortgage.
Joe got angry because of the questions the trainer asked him.
They had even started to save money and made plans to
have a baby. However, it’s been many nights since Joe Old Satterfield, the trainer: (“Veteran trainer turtle.”
has come home. No one at the gym knows anything. One Promoter character sheet, page 91.) This man, who lives
day he returned, paid his bills and hasn’t been seen since. in a tiny apartment next to the bakery, is almost a senior
It won’t be hard for the protagonists to prove part of the citizen. Even though he has large hands with pronounced
story untrue: Joe isn’t fighting, at least not in public. Teri knuckles, his sickly figure, physical weakness and deeply
never went to see his boxing matches but Joe’s bruises were wrinkled skin give away his old age. Satterfield had
undoubtedly real. Some investigation leads the protagonists expressed concern about Joe and wanted to find out what
to a drug addict at an unknown location; he seems to be was going on with him. Indeed, some months ago, after
hiding because of some unpaid debts to too many people. some persistence on Joe’s behalf to settle his debts, they met
at the Rock Gym and settled accounts. They haven’t seen
When they finally find the drug addict, Champion
each other since then. “Joe didn’t want to tell me where that
Perlmutter, it comes to light that he works for a clandestine
money came from. He said he was doing some business here
circuit for bareknuckle boxing, recruiting disenfranchised
and there. He mentioned Champion Perlmutter, a junkie
or desperate men to risk their lives in exchange for some
and former boxer that is always involved in dirty business.
money. Dealing with such dangerous people can be difficult.
I don’t like him, he’s shady. Joe got pretty worked up when
The only way to get in is to pass as any other desperate
I asked him what business he was in with the junkie. But
person recruited by Champion and get to the bottom of it.
there’s something else: Joe had injuries on his hands and
It seems that Joe had been fighting and that his condition
face but they weren’t boxing injuries, they were the kind
as a skilled boxer had won him some money. But it’s
of injuries that people get when fighting without gloves.”
been days, nobody knows of his whereabouts and getting
answers doesn’t look easy. Meanwhile, the bell rings and The protagonists can learn that Champion Perlmutter
the infiltrating protagonists have to crack some skulls... frequents the worst bars of the neighborhood but finding
him is no easy task. After all, the old man has been off the
Teri Flakes: (“Gullible and in love snake.” Wait staff
map for a few days. After asking the right questions to the
character sheet, page 89.) Teri is Joe’s wife. They have
right people, it comes to light that Champion owed a lot of
been together for many years and even though she doesn’t
money to his usual drug dealer.
personally know the protagonists, they have run into each
other on some occasions. She can know the protagonists by Lloyd Morrisette: (“Exotic drug dealer llama.” Drug
reputation, they could know Joe or a mutual friend could dealer character sheet, page 99.) This is Champion’s
suggest she contact them. However, she doesn’t have a lot usual drug dealer. He’s tall and thin and wears a worn-
of money to pay the protagonists for their help, especially out turtleneck sweater and a practically new jacket. He has
since they have been saving money, because she knows a thick Canadian accent and does business at a table in
Joe’s a little too old to keep on in the boxing world. Yet Teri the darkest corner of the darkest bar in the docks, where
has always supported him and would have gone to Joe’s he consumes extravagant drinks that he considers to be
boxing matches if he had asked, but both of them had an exotic. Indeed, Champion owes him money. “Like many

141
 others,” he says. “If you track him down don’t forget to Theodore Stephens: (“Retired zebra sailor and a fisher’s
let me know. Or McCoy, I understand he also owes him an best friend.” Bartender character sheet, page 86.) This
important amount of cash. I know he’s hiding from me but fisher retired to open a bait shop close to the dock, whose
he’s more scared of McCoy. Let us say that McCoy doesn’t customers are mostly tourists. His daughter Sookie helps
have as much patience with defaulters as I do. I wouldn’t be him out in the shop. Lately, Sookie has been letting
surprised if that old junkie Perlmutter appeared someday Champion in the warehouse, and they have been sleeping
washed up on the beach, or at the dock, hanging from his together while sharing the drugs he gets from Lloyd.
balls with his entrails ripped out.” When old Theodore discovered them, he kicked the junkie
out of the warehouse at gunpoint. The last thing he said
Pat McCoy: (“Irish elk and slasher thug.” Muscle character
was if he ever saw him close to his shop or his daughter
sheet, page 87.) This mountain of muscles works as a hitter
again, he would put a bullet in his back without warning.
for one of the most important bookies of the criminal world,
Many witnessed that threat but the situation has ostensibly
Mr. O’Reilly. O’Reilly is not famous for his kindness or his
gotten worse: Sookie is pregnant and everyone knows who
patience, but compared to his thug Pat McCoy, he looks
the father is. Theodore expresses his anger if Champion
like a sister of charity. Pat is a brute specialized in handing
Perlmutter is named and starts to shout curses at the top of
out beatings, settling accounts and charging debts. He has
his lungs. He doesn’t know where he is but he won’t be shy
been tramping around the dock’s neighborhood, its clubs
confirming that if he finds that disgusting junkie, “he will
and hiding spots for four days. Approaching him with an
blow his balls off with the shotgun.”
attitude could be dangerous for your health. On the other
hand, inviting him for a drink and quickly bringing up that Sookie Stephens: (“Addict and aimless zebra.” Crook
they have common objectives, or they could even finish character sheet, page 97.) A young girl, Sookie isn’t very
the job for him, gets Pat to reveal what he knows: “That good-looking and not very bright either. Ever since her
bloody junkie owes money to half the city, his dealer and father discovered her pregnancy, he watches her every
Mr. O’Reilly. I don’t know about his dealer but I intend on move. During the day, he keeps her at the warehouse and
breaking all those fingers and see if that hurries him up to doesn’t even let her assist at the front counter. When night
give back what he owes. But if they’re saying that I killed comes, he drags her all the way home. If the protagonists
him or that Mr. O’Reilly wants him dead, that’s not true. I’m can speak to her without her father being present, Sookie
starting to think that old Theodore did as he promised and confesses that she doesn’t feel any attraction towards
put a bullet in his back. Yeah, old Theodore, the guy with the Champion but she doesn’t like any other boys her age
bait shop. He’s after his blood. That stinking pig Perlmutter either, so when she’s high, she doesn’t mind Champion
has been slipping drugs to his daughter, Sookie. And I’ve doing things to her while they are alone. Since her father
heard some time ago he kicked him out of his warehouse, has her under lock and key, she’s been having a lot of
screaming threats at him in front of all the fishers.” withdrawal symptoms but the only one who can get her

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drugs is Champion, so she asks the protagonists to deliver If one of the protagonists has an appropriate criminal
a message to a boat where he currently hides: she needs to background, they could sneak in and maybe even take a
get high and wants Champion to leave some drugs for her partner with them, depending on their profession. Another
hidden in the flowerpot at the window. way of getting in the fighting world is by passing as a
disenfranchised individual and going to the address they
Champion Perlmutter: (“Addict and dealer donkey.”
worm out of Champion. Once inside the betting and
Drug dealer character sheet, page 99.) Although wasted
fighting circuit, the issue at hand becomes tricky. Nobody
away and consumed by his addiction to drugs, this man,
seems to know anything new about Joe Hallenbrock. He
who has seen better times, still has a good right hook and
was one of Pietrov’s most successful fighters but then just
can run fast if the situation demands it. Again, following
vanished.
the junkie’s tracks, it is easy to find him. Sookie’s directions
lead the protagonists to a small boat with chipped off Aleksei Pietrov: (“Bookmaker walrus with no scruples.”
paint, so old it seems like a miracle it still floats. Champion Promoter character sheet, page 91.) This man of
tries to go unnoticed but if surrounded, he hits one of the sumptuous wealth and body mass is the main promoter of
protagonists and flees into hiding when he gets the chance. the underground circuit. Every time a fighter stands out, he
Although at first, he is reluctant to answer questions, some moves in to work for them, to promote them into higher-
money or a couple of threats gets him talking. Champion ranking fights, where stacks of cash change hands over big-
confesses to have gotten Joe into a clandestine fighting money bets. Asking too many questions about Joe makes
circuit where he did very well. However, he hasn’t kept him suspicious and his muscle won’t take long to join in the
in touch for some time and doesn’t know if something “questioning.” On the other hand, they can persuade him to
happened to him. He also says that he has been hiding for get involved in a personal bet, if he doesn’t suggest it first.
several days and doesn’t have news from anybody. If they He is also interested in any fighter who wins a couple of
intend on finding out something more about the circuit, successive fights, something that won’t be difficult for
Champion makes it clear that some dangerous people from the infiltrating protagonist since most of the new guys are
the underworld manage it. “You’re crazy if you’re thinking homeless or otherwise desperate individuals. Sooner or later,
about sticking your noses in there. Only mobsters go there the fighter who stands out from the crowd has to face tougher
to bet on desperate people to punch each other’s teeth out.” opponents but they do get Mr. Pietrov’s attention.

143
 If the protagonists stay close, it won’t take long for them to At the state prison, James Ferrer makes desperate phone calls
see what happens to the successful fighters when they try searching for an investigator who could prove his innocence.
to quit: Pietrov threatens them to do one last fight against He has been sentenced to death for the murder of his wife.
someone who isn’t a favorite and, in that fight, the one who This happened barely two weeks ago since his motive seemed
wants to leave gets an exemplary beating by the new future pretty clear and several eyewitnesses placed him at the crime
star. That way, Pietrov wins a great deal of money in bets scene at the estimated time of his wife’s death. The witness
against his own fighter. In reality, those who want to retire testimonies allow for the reconstruction of the facts with great
get drugged, which leads to the fight going badly for them accuracy: James showed up in a taxi a little before nightfall.
and creating very lucrative bets. A while later, during the estimated time when Susan’s attack
took place, limited to some violent struggling before ending
If one of the protagonists has infiltrated the circuit, it can with the atrocious strangling, he left the house though the front
get especially dramatic to see them having to fight under the door with the porch light on. He crossed the street to ask his
effects of a drug. If there is no one passing as another fighter, neighbor if he could use her phone to call another taxi and
one of them might hear Mr. Pietrov giving instructions on then left again. He then reappeared a few hours later with a
the sly about “helping the fighter retire,” and the muscle gasoline can in his hand, when the waiting police arrested him.
receiving the order answering: “Yes, Mr. Pietrov. We’ll give
him the same vitamins we gave to Joe.” Whatever the case, The police investigation was very brief. The neighbors and the
these clandestine fights reveal to the protagonists the reason two taxi drivers unanimously identified Ferrer. The fact that he
for the disappearance (and death) of Teri Flakes’ husband. refused to declare where he had been that night until much later
in the trial, when he confessed to visiting his lover, Eve Pumé,
Dead Man were two circumstances that motivated the guilty verdict.
James Ferrer is a man sentenced to the electric chair desperately Ferrer declared that his car had broken down when he
looking for someone who can prove his innocence. He is returned from visiting Eve and was nowhere near his home
accused of first-degree murder of his wife, Susan, whom he at the time of the murder but this was futile. Even when the
cheated on with a former secretary. Along with the obvious protagonists review the testimonies, or even interrogate the
motive, he was seen fleeing from the crime scene by several eyewitnesses once again, they won’t find any incongruity.
eyewitnesses. There is little additional evidence and the Many people saw Ferrer in a pretty obvious manner, almost
eyewitness testimonies stymie the investigation... until a intentionally. He was seen coming and going in different
terrible secret from James’ past is discovered. taxis, two of his neighbors spotted his presence and he even

144
spent a while at a neighbor’s house while making a phone and emotionally unstable. It took some time to get over it
call. Even though the investigation seems like a straight and collect himself to manage Ferrer’s Cars, the family
tunnel with no branches, there does exist evidence that business to which he was the only heir. Soon he got married
the steering wheel of Ferrer’s vehicle, currently in police and took control of his life. Except for the infidelities, he
impound, had broken down, perhaps due to sabotage. had always been a model citizen until now.
With this clue, Ferrer describes an old client who wasn’t After a passionate escapade with Eve Pumé, a former secretary
satisfied with a car, bought at his business, Ferrer’s Cars. They of Ferrer’s Cars, James returned home in his latest Ford Coupe
ended up in a heated argument. Even though this clue won’t model when the steering wheel failed. After discovering that a
lead the investigators to anything, after interrogating said man, cable had come apart and that the gas tank had been perforated
Ricky Muller, a port worker, he assures them he had nothing during the accident, he took an empty gasoline can and started
to do with the murder or the sabotaged vehicle. And after
to walk home. Meanwhile, he reminisced upon his loving
interrogating his boss, who confirms the alibi of his employee,
adventure with Eve at the Sunrise Motel and thought about the
the protagonists witness a man with an overwhelming
repairs to be done on the vehicle the next day. But he wasn’t
physical similarity to Ferrer speaking to a ship captain at the
able to go back for it. After a long walk in the dead of night on
dock. Seeing that he is recognized, Ferrer’s lookalike flees
a lonely road, he reached his house just to be arrested and soon
and tries to escape in a car after a desperate chase across the
after, condemned for murder.
crowded cargo dock. The captain reveals he had made a deal
with the lookalike to sneak him onto a boat in two nights time Eve Pumé: (“Qualified office worker puma.” Wait staff
in exchange for a great deal of money. He could also reveal a character sheet, page 89.) Young and of humble origin but
contact telephone number belonging to Sunrise Motel. Back with a great commercial talent, she worked for some time at
in prison, James Ferrer, stunned with this information, sobs Ferrer’s Cars as a secretary. However, she left the job when
and identifies his twin brother who had died in the war. she got a post at a bank branch. A few years ago, she bumped
James Ferrer: (“Faint-hearted and lucky ferret.” Door- into her old boss James at a jazz club, and they soon started
to-door salesperson character sheet, page 100.) When he a romance. They grew accustomed seeing each other a few
was young, his parents died in a maritime accident. An times a month at the Sunrise Motel, a remote and discreet
then, even though he was a kid with a strong character and location. If pressured or sees herself trapped, she confirms that
a good head on his shoulders, the death of his brother in James was with her the night of the crime around six o’clock
the war, the only family he had left, made him depressed in the afternoon, a couple of hours before the incident.

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 Phillip Tamus: (“Big-mouthed hippopotamus and taxi driver.” Patrice Newbell: (“Marsupial anteater and polite neighbor.”
Taxi driver character sheet, page 102.) This constantly open- Housewife character sheet, page 100.) This selfless wife and
mouthed, overweight taxi driver with an incorrigible sense of mother had just gotten home when Ferrer rang her doorbell,
humor confirms that he picked up “that guy in the trial” around asking to use her phone in order to call a taxi. “I hadn’t been home
six-thirty at the Sunrise Motel, “a place for couples that don’t want for five minutes from my work shift at the butcher’s shop when
to be seen in public, you know what I mean?” He had told him James rang my doorbell and asked to use my phone. He looked
to take him to Burrow Street, and they got there in about twenty- very concerned but he didn’t want to tell me if something was
five minutes. Tamus says that the guy looked “very serious, as if wrong nor did he want to stay and wait. After calling he went
angry and kept looking out the window without saying a word. outside and I didn’t see him again until the police came. But we
You could almost hear him grind his teeth, you know?” only saw it through the window while having dinner with my son
and husband, who always stays until late at the butcher’s shop.”
Kevin Squid: (“Keen and nosy squid.” Taxi driver character
sheet, page 102.) This pale and lean taxi driver with flexible Ricky Muller: (“Cheap shipping agent mole.” Longshore worker
fingers and a European accent is pretty sober and sad. He has character sheet, page 92.) Ricky is a pretty short and hefty man
a knack for making people talk just by asking short questions. with large hands always groping at his sweaty and unstitched hat
He got a message by radio to pick up someone at number on his head. Some time ago, he bought a car at Ferrer’s Cars and
72 Burrow Street. “He was a very serious guy. Even though had an angry quarrel with James because one of the dashboard’s
he was quiet he looked worried or angry about something. I lights burned out. After a lot of insisting, he ended up changing
asked him how he was doing and that I was dying to finish it himself and forgot about the issue. Truth be told, he barely
work to have a drink. Then I asked him if he had to work or remembers the incident. The night of the crime he was working at
if he wanted to grab a drink. You know, the typical question the docks and his boss, Mr. Burn, can confirm that.
to break the ice and get people to vent. And the guy started
to mumble about how everything was bullshit, how you put Captain Red Sordilius: (“Captain and debt-ridden Tasmanian
others before yourself and they repay you by forgetting you Devil.” Sea captain character sheet, page 92.) A nervous Black
and keeping what is yours. He looked pretty fed up, you know. man who wears rubber boots and a yellow raincoat. The captain
I didn’t understand what he was going on about but I figured it of a small merchant ship, he barely lives off a few deliveries so
out once the cops came to see me. I knew that guy was guilty.” occasionally accepts contraband goods in exchange for some
good cash. He spoke to James Ferrer’s lookalike to sneak him
Ted Quokka: (“Retired and snoopy koala.” Senior citizen out of the city on a ship. The moment they are discovered by the
character sheet, page 94.) Ted is neighbor to the Ferrers, an aging protagonists, the lookalike is paying half of the agreed money
man on early retirement whose hobbies are watching sports on upfront for the service. The only thing Sordilius can reveal is
TV, complaining about his pension and drinking beers without that Ferrer’s lookalike had approached him a few days earlier at
a shirt on. He does this while sitting in his rocking chair on the one of the dock’s bars that the workers frequent. He also reveals
porch, watching the comings and goings of his neighbors. The that the lookalike gave him a contact phone number, the phone
day of Susan’s murder, he saw Ferrer hop out of a taxi. “Now
number for the Sunrise Motel.
dat’s jus’ plain weird, I’ll say, dat man who sells ‘em cars goin’
here and there on a taxi.” After hearing some unusual noises. “I Jet: (“Coarse and meddlesome swallow.” Motel employee
heard all dat ruckus in there, I’ll say, but no hollerin’, no nuthin’. character sheet, page 94.) The Sunrise Motel owner makes
Just a bangin’.” He saw how Ferrer left the house again and up the entirety of the staff along with the cleaning lady. If the
crossed the street to go to the Newbell’s house. “After dat I was protagonists give a description of James or his lookalike, Jet
trimmin’ my hedges, now I wasn’ nosin’ around or anythin’ but confirms that he often comes in the company of a very beautiful
I unwillingly saw dat all the house was a mess an’ Susan ain’t young lady. He also rents a room, usually room 7 for one evening.
answerin’ the doorbell so I called the police, yes sir.” However, in the last four weeks he has also been paying for room

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13 full-time, although, three weeks ago when he returned with Romano and Genofette
the young lady, he rented room 7 again for an afternoon, as well
Romano Leone and Genofette Stinktier are two young lovers
as having room 13. “Who knows why he rented two rooms at the
trapped in between two worlds. Romano, son of a criminal
same time? There are all kinds of people, I always say.” Finally,
godfather and used to getting his way with everyone. Genofette,
Jet also mentions that the man hastily came in a few minutes ago:
a beautiful young lady in high society wrapped up in cotton wool
he is now in room 13.
her entire life. Hounded by the expectations of their parents and
“Thomas” Ferrer: (“Resentful and murderous ferret.” Military despite being two of the most untouchable people in the city,
on leave character sheet, page 87.) This “Thomas” is not Thomas. these two find they actually have little control over their lives.
This “Thomas” is James, the original James and twin brother They see themselves trapped in the eye of a hurricane where the
of Thomas, who has been for years impersonating his brother. criminal world and the jet set of the city circle each other, exerting
The original James was always the tough one and the one who their will over them.
supported his weak brother, who since their parents’ death became
Canpolat Stinktier, the wealthy owner of the Finnest restaurant
very dependent, unstable and weak willed. While the original
chain, contracts or extorts the protagonists to find out the
James started his university studies in Economics, Thomas
reasons and goings on behind his daughter’s frequent weekend
managed the family business, although rather poorly. Then
getaways. His daughter has been hiding her relationship with
Thomas was called up for duty but James, knowing how fragile
Romano for some time; she is completely in love with the son
his brother was, took his place instead. James did fare adequately
of a mafia capo. Romano, on the other hand, doesn’t have any
in the war for a while but when he saw himself surrounded by
more interest in her than for any other girl. Romano prefers to
the corpses of his comrades, he placed his dog tags on a soldier
enjoy his freedom but his father, Montuccio Leone, pressured
with a disfigured face and fled. Because of this he was declared
him into keeping the enamored gentleman’s façade. Through
killed in combat. For many years, he worked as a sailor here and
marriage, they can unite their criminal empire with the fortune
there. He had been keeping himself on the move because of his
and resources of the girl’s father.
shame over his desertion and more so for becoming the “weak
brother.” However, destiny played a macabre joke on him and the The situation gets more complicated when the protagonists have
ship he worked on ended up taking him back to his birthplace. to protect the couple from the muscle sent by Theodore Gallop,
Driven by curiosity, he decided to find out what had happened a rival capo attempting to put them at risk in order to strengthen
to his brother and the business. He discovered his cowardly and Papa Stinktier’s loyalty against Montuccio. The senior Stinktier
sickly brother living the life that should have been his: a single- has already been tempted by Gallop’s illegal business and has
family home, the business they inherited from their father and been rubbing shoulders with Theodore for some time. Gallop
the girlfriend James had to leave to go to war in his place. Not also has an interest in the two lovebirds. The relationship both
only was Thomas married to her, he was unfaithful. So, all of threatens his business and deepens the father’s distrust of the
those years of shame and disgrace for being a deserter and having criminal world; getting rid of the daughter solves both problems.
been exposed to death to save his brother’s life combined together Gallop sends his thugs intending to frame her death on Romano.
with bitterness, deceit and humiliation. This made him concoct an This would make Stinktier’s hate soar, motivating him to agree to
absurd ruse to murder the woman who couldn’t recognize a fraud Gallop’s riskier business in exchange for vengeance.
along with his ungrateful brother who had taken everything that
Canpolat Stinktier: (“Wealthy and distrusting father skunk.”
belonged to him.
Lawyer character sheet, page 96.) A suspicious man of business
When the protagonists get to room 13 at the motel, they and owner of the massive restaurant chain, Finnest. Possessor of
find it partially cleaned up, the back window left open and one of the city’s greatest fortunes, member of several exclusive
evidence of a hasty escape through the forest, which leads clubs such as the Traditional Gentlemen’s Club and a highly
them directly to the real James. respectable member of society. Canpolat Stinktier, suspicious

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 of his daughter’s recent activities, is concerned about her. He’s be gracious and would ruin our relationship. You understand. In
always kept her away from lowlifes and won’t consent to her any case, I have summoned you to get that information for me. I
getting with bad company. Also, he has had some dirty dealings want to know where she goes, what she’s doing and what people
with Theodore Gallop but hasn’t stuck his neck out yet. He she is seeing. It’s my obligation as a father to protect her and her
understands the advantages of occasionally breaking the law but innocence from dishonest people.”
he isn’t about to get into higher risks and become overwhelmed
Romano Leone: (“Cocky and spoiled lion.” Student
by his associate’s illegal businesses.
character sheet, page 103.) Romano is the son of the
Mr. Stinktier contacts the protagonists and makes them attend despicable mobster Montuccio Leone, raised equally among
the Traditional Gentlemen’s Club, an elitist social club only luxuries and criminals. Although he doesn’t personally stand
for magnates and millionaires. Despite its exclusiveness, the out, his wallet and his elegant gangster style get the attention
protagonists get free access and are guided into a private room. of many young ladies in the city. Sour faced, accustomed
Once inside, Canpolat informs them about his concerns regarding to being feared and having nobody contradict him, he is
his daughter’s activities. “For some time now, I wouldn’t know always surrounded by lackeys, who follow his orders as if he
how to say for how long, because it took me a while to realize was the boss himself. His father, the only person to impose
that something wasn’t right… My only daughter has been acting his authority on him, has forced his son to court the young
strangely. She is very distracted, she spends a lot time alone in Stinktier lady. Romano doesn’t have much interest in her but
her room, buying more clothes that usual. She never had any his father has already made plans for their future marriage.
interest in fashion; now she has such a collection, she would have The young man tried to oppose him but the large man shut
to change her clothes three times a day to wear all of her dresses, his mouth with a mighty blow, so he thought better than to
hats and shoes. But what worries me the most are her weekend fight back. Romano takes Genofette to different places of
getaways, her disappearances without warning or the ungodly entertainment, like ice-skating, the burger joint, dance clubs
hours she returns home. Although I’m certain she doesn’t know or even to illegal gambling clubs. A couple of young thugs,
of my suspicions, I’m not willing to sit back while she is out Ringo and Bonzo, accompany them everywhere they go.
there. I could demand her to tell me what in hell is going on or Even though they are Romano’s childhood friends and they
I could even forbid her from leaving the house but it wouldn’t always talk and joke as if they were equals, when the boy gets

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angry, he takes it out on them. Despite the excessive attention define these two aspiring thugs it’s that, apart from being
Genofette gives Romano, she doesn’t seem to realize that he brainless, they are pretty disrespectful to people. Fired up by
is bored with her, always looking distracted or ignoring her their friend’s position as the son of a mobster, they tend to
while making plans with his buddies, counting the minutes cross the line two or three times a day.
for the date to be over. Romano’s mood radically changes
Montuccio Leone: (“Mob capo and self-made lion.”
when he gets rid of Genofette and can really have fun, like
Gangster character sheet, page 98.) Former muscle and
going out with other less delicate girls, exploiting his father’s
criminal of little standing who carved out his own destiny
name or getting into trouble with Ringo and Bonzo.
as the leader of a prosperous criminal gang. The Leone
Genofette Stinktier: (“Romantic teenage skunk.” Rich patriarch is a personality that everyone in the underworld
heiress character sheet, page 85.) Princess of the Stinktier of the city knows about, and the same with his son,
economic empire and the apple of her father’s eye, the Romano. Although, being in charge of a faction dedicated
magnate of the Finnest restaurant chain. Genofette is a to contraband and extortion hasn’t quenched his ambition.
delicate girl, innocent and a little childish. She wears elegant For this, he has set his eyes upon the heiress of the Stinktier
dresses perhaps a little too glamorous for a girl her age or empire to intertwine his “business” with the fortune of the
her childlike behavior. She has studied in private schools wealthy Canpolat. Upon discovering Genofette’s infatuation
and has always been surrounded by luxuries and her father’s with Romano, Montuccio didn’t hesitate to compel his own
attention, which means she has very little knowledge of the son to go after the naïve girl. Protagonists could connect a
real world and the life of an ordinary citizen. She tends to act scheme between the two Leones and figure out Romano’s
like she has just gotten out of a bubble; everything seems new attitude towards Genofette, but Montuccio’s intentions
and exciting. For some time now she has been in a love affair shouldn’t be too obvious. However, having the protagonists
with Romano Leone, son of a crime boss, who forces her to see the son and father interact or listen to Ringo and Bonzo
come up with excuses and crazy stories to cover for their talk in private can give them some important information to
continuous getaways. She experiences their getaways with report to Canpolat.
the passion of a first love, and despite her docility, tricking Once the protagonists inform Canpolat of Genofette’s
her father gives her great delight. Each getaway seems like a activities and relationships, superficially or having
passionate adventure and each place she goes with Romano discovered the unwholesome intentions of Montuccio
feels like a dreamy expedition. She feels utter devotion for Leone, Canpolat gets upset by the news, and after paying
everything her lover does: when he’s bored, he looks serious the investigators, confronts his daughter, forbidding her
and mature and when he’s goofing around with his thugs, he from going out on the weekends and, of course, prohibiting
looks bold and dangerous. her from seeing Romano.
Ringo and Bonzo: (“Indecent coyote and bulldog A few days later, the protagonists discover, through Canpolat or
bodyguards.” Crook character sheet, page 97 and muscle, the news, that Romano’s friends, Ringo and Bonzo, have been
page 87.) Ringo is the tall and scrawny coyote. He wears a found killed by machine gun. Then they receive a request from
beret, a light turtleneck sweater and a brown leather jacket. Canpolat, hiring them for another job: Genofette has run away
Everything to him is exaggeratingly fun. Bonzo, the short from home and has been missing for two days. And due to the
and hefty bulldog, wears a pilot jacket that is way too new, two dead individuals, Canpolat fears for his daughter’s safety.
some black fingerless gloves and, unlike his accomplice, Given that right now, the protagonists know the most about their
lacks a sense of humor. It’s not very clear if it’s because of activities, Canpolat hires them once more to get the imprudent
a constant bad mood or lack of intellect. If something can Genofette to safety.

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 Indeed, the young lady is with Romano and both of them sports betting, illegal fights and clandestine gambling. After
are hiding in a mountain refuge on the outskirts of the city. crossing paths with Canpolat Stinktier many times at the
Finding them may be difficult but if they interrogate the Traditional Gentlemen’s Club, he hammered out a deal to do
regulars of the places that the couple used to frequent, they business with him. Although Canpolat seems reluctant to carry
soon tell them about the cabin, a place where both of them out any risky activities, Gallop has discovered that his associate’s
went when the weather was fine. daughter is dating Romano Leone. Gallop has come up with a
Murdock J. Murray: (“Unscrupulous hit man toad.” Criminal twisted plan to eliminate his partner’s daughter by means of an
character sheet, page 86.) Of medium build and stature, bald and independent contract killer and then frame the Leone family for
with bulgy eyes, Murray talks in a slow and deep tone. He is a hit the murder. That way he intends on bringing Stinktier further into
man from outside the city, hired by Gallop to get rid of Genofette his business, with the promise of lending Gallop’s own muscle to
and her “friends.” He was the one who murdered Ringo and carry out vengeance against the Leones. However, this last piece
Bonzo with his Thompson machine gun. However, the couple-in- of information may be difficult to reveal to the protagonists.
love managed to escape. Even though he lost their trail, Murray
can follow the protagonists and then attempt to drive their car off
the road, once he figures out they intend to rescue the couple from
Detective notes
their hiding place in the forest. If the protagonists get rid of him or Hotel evenings
interrogate him after he drives off the road, with his last breath, he They say money fixes your life but when you end up floating
utters the name of Theodore Gallop.
in your own blood in an exorbitant bathtub with touches of
Theodore Gallop: (“Atavistic pelican and leader of crime.” gold, it looks as if wealth only serves as a luxurious shroud. The
Gangster character sheet, page 98.) A gangster as was his father unfortunate man owned the hotel where he was found dead,
and his grandfather before him. He now has control over one of the Golden Hotel. Unfortunately, an entourage of folks looked
the largest criminal gangs in the city. He has his hands in all the forward to him becoming the occupant of an expensive tomb
known illegal businesses: contraband, extortion, prostitution, with marbled details.

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His descendants mourned his death as if following the script one of his lovers and one of the few who had access to the
of a cheap play. But hiding behind those crocodile tears were money. He had prepared a con worthy of a preschool child:
the typical high-class spoiled brats. The eldest, an overbearing Linda had received several letters from a “secret admirer”
entrepreneur, didn’t have any work experience in anything and had requested that John get her a bodyguard. I figured
except for enjoying private parties and the deflowering of that I was that bodyguard and I had to find out when and how
gullible ladies in expensive terraces throughout the city. the girl got so sticky fingered.
He smacked his lips at the thought of taking over daddy’s
Linda was pleasant company. When not acting like John’s
job. He was the one who relished the most in this spectacle.
trophy, she attended social events, visited museums and behave
The daughter? A small, porcelain doll barely twenty and
like anyone else in decent society. She had a son, an innocent
seemingly as innocent as she was dull. And Daddy’s favorite,
kid of seven years who lived with Linda’s sister on the outskirts
unlike the youngest of the three, was a fraud who preached
of the city, away from the mafia’s influence. She kept this a
the wickedness of wealth while staying in the attic of an
secret; it was in everyone’s best interest, she said. She only gave
inherited house in a nice residential area. Better destroy the
brief shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays at one of the Block’s
properties of others rather than have their own destroyed...
clubs, since he demanded she sleep with him after. One of those
Although his family left much to be desired, he didn’t lack in nights I could hear through the door, how he hit her and insulted
enemies on the outside. Bobby Hawthorne, the bellhop manager her. I hate to say I thought about the generous pay and drowned
of the hotel, an individual of about forty years of age with a my scruples at the bottom of a bottle of whisky.
charming smile, had (or perhaps is still having) an affair with the Linda took advantage of those post-coital moments with John
dead man’s wife. Of course, both tried to avoid even the slightest to get her hands on a couple of greens, which she later gave to
of glances to dodge any suspicion but they were so obvious that her sister on her weekly visits. I caught her doing this while
it insulted everyone’s intelligence. Add to that another employee the Block’s snores tormented the apartment. I wanted to act
caught pilfering jewelry from the suites. He not only lost his like a hero and protect a damsel in distress but after several
job; he also earned the humiliation and the shame of becoming weeks investigating, John started to demand results. And for
unemployable throughout the entire city. someone like the Block, he wanted results as soon as possible
I reviewed and analyzed all of the suspects. I evaluated the or two reasons in the shape of his fists would dislocate your
motives; any of them could have slit the wrists of that poor jaw. I told him about Linda’s modus operandi. He told me to
unfortunate man, they all had their reasons. However, a tip bring him the bodies of the kid and his aunt and to submerge
led me to a hidden club in the slums. That club’s reputation Linda’s pretty face into a bucket of acid or else I would end up
was an open secret: businessmen went there searching for with my shoes full of cement while contemplating the currents
intimacy with young men of all sorts. The sap let himself be of the bay. Now I know I should have shot that pig twice in the
infatuated by one of them. A pretty face, defined muscles, a head when he first walked into my office.
submissive attitude... and both susceptible to extortion. For
the Golden Hotel owner, it was more important to stay in Rented culprit
Her tears and the bags under her eyes suggested that she
the closet in love than to stay alive alone. And so, what a
hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time. She was very
better way to do so than in a bathtub with touches of gold
concerned about her brother, a third-rate thief who barely
and Indian ceramic, leaving a gift for all the family to see?
had two pages in his criminal record. Convicted of killing
So that nobody forgets about the Golden Hotel. Now with
a man, he was waiting to sit in the electric chair. But she
the extortion letters from the poor sap and the pretty face, I
wanted to stop that, of course, that’s why she came to me.
just had to pick out which heir had sent them…
The evidence was so perfect that it looked like a frame-up: a
bloody knife with his initials at the crime scene, the victim’s
A dirty job
car parked on the street where he lived and his wallet under
I knew his name from back then, when I was in the Army.
the driver’s seat. It seemed like someone important wanted
John the Block, who trafficked cocaine in fishing boats while
him dead as soon as possible.
his muscle spread the foul-smelling snow across the streets.
One day, I found him standing in front of me, in my office. Despite this, the reality was much more disheartening for
I was having a rough patch at work; it had been three or the teary-eyed girl. Her brother had been hired by a mobster
four weeks since I had earned a single dime and I needed the to take the blame for a murder committed by the mobster’s
money or else I’d lose the office. John was frank, he didn’t son and, in exchange, he was going to pay out an insulting
even bother hiding his business. Someone was stealing amount of money into his sister’s account. The idiot was
money from his main warehouse and he suspected Linda, going to fry so that his sister wouldn’t drown in the debt.

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 What was I going to do? If the kid had made a decision, what citizen, aspiring mayor and up to his neck in corruption.
right did I have to disagree? Of course, letting the true culprit Everyone in the back streets knew that when one came
run free has never been exactly my style. across legal obstacles, an envelope full of greens sent to the
thoughtful Clyde could make those obstacles go away. As if
Black dossier he had the magic key to each damn warehouse, apartment or
Looking for missing people is usually easy, as long as it isn’t that mansion in the county.
damned Stanley Walker. A freelance journalist who published
Clyde had a huge network of contacts and he didn’t hesitate
what all the corrupt individuals tried to hide: infidelities,
proving this by locking me up in a jail cell for two nights for
bribes in envelopes slipped under writing desks, scandals and
“public indecency.” He also showed me that he had taken
malpractice. Walker wasn’t dumb, he knew that at some point
the time to destroy any evidence of him spending his nights
he might get walled up in a building or submerged in a barrel
in any woman’s bed. The wretched man who hired me only
full of cement. That’s why he gave a dossier to his lawyer with
wanted to throw the truth in Clyde’s face. But now my issues
all the dirt that could explode and catch more people than he had
with Clyde had become personal, no matter how many cops,
already revealed. The lawyer came to tell me that it had been
pencil pushers or criminals he had on his payroll.
four days since he had any news from good old Stanley.

I imagined that the obvious thing was to search for a corpse Of sentimental value
without teeth or anything that could be used to identify a body but It would have been an ordinary day except for the phone ringing
that was far from the truth. I had a week to locate a piece or the at about eight in the evening. On the other end was Madeleine
entirety of Walker’s body but after three arduous days of searching Ferguson. The woman of the decade, a proud widow who had
through the slums, clubs, press offices and pencil pusher shops, a taken two overseas stores and turned them into a commercial
receipt from an airline company hit me in the face. The next day, I empire, and a topic of discussion among the poor and the rich.
took a flight to the Bermuda Islands, courtesy of the good lawyer. She wanted me to attend a party at her palatial mansion. I made
I found the freelancer in a puddle of vomit, alcohol and two sex a feint at showing interest but I knew that my social status
workers in the bed of his hotel room. It looks like a life of bribery wasn’t the reason for my invitation, of course not.
and blackmail makes for very fun one. At least it was better than We met face to face at the discreet servants’ entrance. She led me
ending up in a wall dividing the bathroom from the living room to one of the ground floor pantries and dryly confessed that she
in an apartment in the slums. had suffered a robbery at last week’s party. She said it so casually
that she would be really surprised to know that normal people
An all too discreet infidelity don’t have extravagant parties every week. The loss involved
Love is a good driving force for my job. It’s not rare that once a some pieces of jewelry. This jewelry was in a safe that shared
month a woman appears with a broken expression and in tears, the same space with other more profitable, shinier jewelry. And
mumbling about her husband “being with another woman,” the lock hadn’t been forced open. That was an important detail
wanting to reveal the dirty secrets of a besuited businessman because the stolen trinkets were an early engagement gift, when
and with whom he shared a bed at cheap motels. These are her “love” first bloomed with old man Ferguson. That love had
simple cases, with raw emotions. Hers, of course. However, been dried out for decades and now that Ferguson was under
this case was different. The small man before me was wealthy: the ground, the widow thought it alarming that someone went
I could see by the Brooks Brothers suit he wore along with the through the trouble to steal those specific baubles; it must have
white gold cuff links and the shiny, well-polished shoes. That been someone who intimately knows Madeleine... or her dead
expensive costume couldn’t protect this man from his jealousy, husband. Only the denizens from her foul high echelon of society
of not having something he wanted. It was a tough time and my could stage this kind of drama for emotional scrap metal.
expenses had been higher than expected (as if I had expected
anything different), so I accepted the case. I sighed when Madeleine finished talking. Her tone was
nervous but she tried to keep it casual and remain calm. I told
She was pretty and delicate. In her early thirties, blonde, no her I would take care of it; I always do. She called one of her
kids, with an unlimited wallet full of cash and a group of employees, an aging butler with a tired look from seeing the
friends repellent enough that their husbands let them have same parade every day. He handed me two pieces of paper
as much free time as possible. I was surprised about how with perfect and ostentatious calligraphy written on them:
careful she was when meeting with the other man. And when the guest lists of both parties. I wasn’t surprised that, except
I connected the other man to the electoral campaign flyers for my unexpected presence, the same rich people, parvenus
spread across every wall of the city, I understood that I had and spoiled brats were at both events. I wanted to believe
gone up shit creek without a paddle. Gavin Clyde, “model” that I preferred a murder, but work is work.

152
153
Name:
Concept:

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE
REFLEXES
WILLPOWER
INTELLECT

MILESTONES

COMPLICATION

POSSESSIONS COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE

INSTINCT

TEMPORARY ASPECTS HEALTH

HEALTHY
BRUISED
INJURED 1 EXTRA FAILURE
INCAPACITATED 2 EXTRA FAILURES
DYING NO ACTIVATION

BACKSTORY
Name:
Concept:

CHARACTERISTICS
FORTITUDE
REFLEXES
WILLPOWER
INTELLECT

MILESTONES

COMPLICATION

POSSESSIONS COMBAT STATS MORALITY

INITIATIVE DEFENSE PROTECTION ENDURANCE RESISTANCE CONSCIENCE DRIVE

INSTINCT

TEMPORARY ASPECTS HEALTH

HEALTHY
BRUISED
INJURED 1 EXTRA FAILURE
INCAPACITATED 2 EXTRA FAILURES
DYING NO ACTIVATION

BACKSTORY
There are a lot of clichés
about us cats. One says
that we have nine lives.

I’ve honestly never really

wanted to find out if
that’s true or not.

Blacksad: Somewhere
Within the Shadows
The acclaimed Blacksad comic series by Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido becomes a roleplaying game in this
complete manual. Profusely illustrated with images from the comics and written by the Nosolorol Ediciones team,
Blacksad: The Roleplaying Game combines a meticulous design and content brimming with details and playability. In these
pages you will find everything you need to recreate the noir universe of the comic, winner of the Eisner Award, including: :
. Complete, quick and simple rules allowing the creation of complex and deep characters within five minutes
covering the frenetic situations in the Blacksad comics: action, chases, seduction and morality are recreated in
the game mechanics, filling your table with excitement and dramatic moments.
. Game stats and biographies of the protagonists from the comics for your stories: become Blacksad or Commissioner
Smirnov and face Hans Karup, Ribs and Agents Cougar and Coyote.
. Plentiful advice to design and set the atmosphere for your noir genre stories, along with locations and secondary
characters ready to be included in your sessions.
. A complete adventure ready to play and four others in a brief format that the game master can easily develop,
along with diverse adventure seeds so you never run out of ideas.

© Dargaud - Díaz Canales / Guarnido, 2015