Blood

HEIsT
Free Edition

leo hunt & Lewis garvey

—1
contenTs Free Edition
What is This? 2 Running the Game 30

The World 3 Building a Heist 31

Basic Rules 4 Escalating Tension 32

Advancement 6 Mixed Success 33

Creating a Thief 7 The Oracle 34

Human 8 Factions 35

Human Backgrounds 10 Troubleshooting 36

Vampire 12 Changing the Game 37

Vampire Houses 14 Grand Dooms 38

Murderer 16 Locations 40

Shadowjack 17 Prizes 41

Liesmith 18 Vampire NPCs 42

Gearhead 19 Human NPCs 44

Alchemist 20 Entertainments 46

Occultist 21 Heist: The Crimson Countess 48

Rituals 22 Rotwald 49

Follies 24 At the Station 50

Secrets 25 Aboard the Crimson Countess 52

Spades 26 What If… 54

Hearts 27 Passengers 55

Clubs 28 Criminal Record 56

Diamonds 29

2—
bloodheist
being a
roleplaying game
whose subject matter concerns

doomed desperate thieves

and

decadent despicable vampires

pl ayable u si ng pe nc i ls, pape r , si x-si de d dic e ,
and
prodigious imaginations

Best enjoyed by groups of companions numbering three to seven in

strength, who are willing to take a fantastical journey into a gruesome,
gothic world of dark magics and high-stakes heists, therein to discover
merriment, thrills, and exsanguination in abundance.

Design & Writing By Illustrated By

Leo Hunt Lewis Garvey

humbly presented for your enjoyment in the

year of our lord mmxxi. produced in great britain.
Introduction — 1
What Is this? • A comfortable, private place to sit and talk for three
or four hours, like a kitchen table or a crypt.
• Snacks, drinks, and fresh blood to refresh the play-
ers.

BLOOD • Atmospheric organ music.

• A strong imagination, a sense of humour, and the
HEIST
is a tabletop roleplay-
ability to listen while other people speak.

ing game. You and your What Is This Game Like?

friends will collaborat- If you are already familiar with tabletop RPGs, you may
ively create the adven- wonder where Bloodheist fits into the landscape. Here are
tures of a group of criminals some broad design principles:
in a high-stakes world of super-
• The game centres on groups of mortal and undead
natural suspense, sinister intrigue, and shock-
Thieves stealing a priceless object (the Prize) from a
ing betrayals.
powerful vampire (the Mark) at the behest of another
One player takes the role of the Dealer. The
wealthy vampire (the Patron).
Dealer will design the heists, describe the environ-
ments and challenges to the other players, and play the • The game is designed around mission-based play
actions and personalities of the non-player characters with a single clear objective for the Thieves. However,
(NPCs) the players encounter. The Dealer will present the Thieves are given absolute freedom to pursue this
the other players with difficult choices, and narrate the goal.
consequences of their successes or failures. The Dealer • Uncertain situations are resolved by the players
should have a good grasp of the game’s rules, as they rolling groups of six-sided dice. The Dealer does not
will be the final adjudicator of any confusion over their need to roll dice, although they may choose to in some
interpretation. situations.
The rest of the players each play a single Thief. • Combat is not emphasised, although it is not dis-
These characters are the protagonists of the story, des- couraged either. It is considered to be one valid ap-
perate robbers trying to make their fortunes in a hostile proach amongst many, and is resolved with the same
and unpredictable world. The player’s job is to embody mechanics as all other risky tasks.
their Thief in an entertaining manner, to overcome the • Thieves do not have numerical statistics, only Skills
challenges posed by the Dealer, and to use their wits, and Tools. Rather than Hit Points they have a Doom
skills, and dark magic to steal valuable objects from Score; an abstract metric that tracks how risky their ac-
powerful vampires, and escape with their lives. tions are and how close they are to their Awful End.
• Thieves may increase in competence but not in nu-
What Do I Need To Play? merical level. They will always be vulnerable to misfor-
You will need: tune and must plan accordingly.
• A pair of six-sided dice.
• A pencil and notepaper. A Note On Dice and Tables
• Between one and five friends, and somewhere to sit The only type of dice you will use during play are
and converse with them. standard six-sided dice. These dice are referred to as d6.
In some parts of this rulebook, you will come across
For the optimal experience playing Bloodheist, it is re-
tables which use a d66 format. These tables are laid out
commended you have the following:
in six groups of six results. To obtain a single result, roll
• Four six-sided dice of a light colour, and eight six- two six-sided dice. The first d6 indicates which group of
sided dice of a contrasting darker colour. results should be consulted, and the second d6 indicates
• A set of 52 standard playing cards. which of the six results within that group is to be
• A pencil, notepaper, and a character sheet for every chosen.
person playing.

2 — Introduction
 The world
Dracula won, and you live in the world He built.
Europe’s upper classes converted to vampirism en
masse, and continued to rule their ancestral holdings
with the unhallowed blessing of the Red Emperor.
Consider the following to be the important setting
principles rather than an exhaustive lore primer.
Life Is Convenient for Vampires
Business takes place at night, all buildings have shutters
that totally exclude sunlight, and the cultivation of gar-
lic is forbidden on pain of death. Humans are prohib-
ited from carrying weapons that could pierce a vam-
pire’s heart.

The World Is Ruled by Vampires Everything Is Archaic

This isn’t a secret; everyone knows. You can’t miss Vampires hate change, so it has been the 1880s for over
them. They’re stronger than humans, faster than hu- a century, mixed with a dash of black magic and steam-
mans, more stylish than humans, and very hard to kill. powered super science. Think zeppelins, Tesla coils,
very large hats, mutton chop sideburns, corsets, steam
The Vampires Obey Some Rules trains, steam ships, cobbled streets, gas lamps, stage
They have the standard vampire vulnerabilities: sun- coaches, Dickensian orphans, and those adverts where
light, garlic, silver, and certain holy icons. They don’t they spend 1,000 words describing how a bar of soap
have reflections and they can’t cross running water, un- works. Photography exists, but hasn’t attained the same
less they have grave earth under their feet. They can’t prestige it did in our world, since vampires don’t show
enter buildings uninvited (this one is important). They up in photos.
need to drink blood to sustain their immortality, but
most of them enjoy regular food as well. The Church Has Been Assimilated
The Undying Empire’s state religion is the Church of
The Vampires Hate Each Other Dracula the Redeemer, an inversion of Christianity that
Vampires are petty egomaniacs who hold grudges venerates the Red Emperor as a god. This Church re-
forever. All the major vampires hate each other, but places the hated crucifix with the sacred fang, swaps
since they’re disinvited from each other’s Houses they communion wine with communion blood, and has ex-
have to get creative with how they pursue these feuds. changed the Holy Bible for the sinister Scarlet Gospels.
Often this is where the players come in. Attendance at Midnight Mass is mandatory.

Everyone Sucks up to Vampires Dracula is Absent

The Great Vampire Houses are served by legions of
mortal suck-ups and sycophants, desperate to gain the
approval of the Red Lords and Ladies, and maybe - just
maybe - be granted the gift of immortality. The Great
Houses have been closed to new members for quite
some time, but this doesn’t stop anyone hoping.
The Red Emperor made His last public appearance
over fifty years ago. Rumours abound over what
happened to Him, but nobody’s sure. His imperial flag
still flies above his citadel in London, so presumably He
is in residence. In His absence, the Great Houses jostle
frantically for control of the Undying Empire.
 Basic rules
Player characters in Bloodheist are skilled Thieves, hired
for dangerous jobs that nobody else will take. Thieves
are defined by a few simple terms, which should be
noted on your Criminal Record sheet (p.56).
Skills - What you do better than anyone else. You start
with four Skills, and may learn up to twelve.
Tools - Useful possessions. You start with four Tools,
and may carry up to twelve.
Doom - A measurement of how close your Thief is to
their Awful End. This is expressed as a Doom Score
that can range from zero to six. The higher this num-
ber, the more Doom Dice you must roll (see below).
Rituals - Ancient, sinister magics. Each Ritual that
your Thief has learned raises their Minimum Doom
Score by one point.
Folly - Your Folly is a mania that grips your Thief
when they feel their Doom closing in around them.
Rolling Dice
When a Thief attempts a difficult task where the out-
come is uncertain, the Dealer will ask the player to state
exactly what their Thief is doing, and what they hope to
accomplish. The player will then roll a certain number
of d6s in order to determine the outcome.
Base Dice - A player will always roll at least one light-
coloured d6, known as a Base Dice, when their Thief at-
tempt a risky or difficult task.
Players may add extra Base Dice to their roll under the
following circumstances:
• They have a relevant Skill.
• They have a relevant Tool.
• They are Aided by another Thief or NPC.
Note: The Dealer is the ultimate arbiter of whether a Skill or
Tool will grant an extra Base Dice to a roll, but they are encour-
aged to be generous if the player makes a plausible case.
The maximum number of Base Dice that can be used in
a single roll is Four.
Example: Lady Bloodmist wishes to pick a lock. As standard
she rolls one Base Dice. Since she has the Skill Lockpicking and
the Tool Lockpicks, she can add two more Base Dice to her roll,
for a total of three.
Doom Dice - When a player attempts a risky or difficult
task, the Dealer will ask them to add dark-coloured d6s,
known as Doom Dice, to the roll. The number of Doom
Dice added is Equal to the player’s Current Doom
Score.
4 — Rules
Players can be asked to add extra Doom Dice, exceed-
ing their current Doom Score, under the following cir-
cumstances:
• They are casting a Ritual (p.22).
• They are opposed by a Powerful Foe (see below).
• They are a Vampire in the presence of Inimical
Objects (p.12).
• They are Upping the Stakes (see below).
There is No Limit on how many Doom Dice can be
used in a single roll.
Example: Lady Bloodmist wishes to leap from one moving
train carriage to another. By default she rolls one Base Dice. As
she is putting herself at risk, and her Doom Score is one, the
Dealer asks her to add one Doom Dice to her roll, for a total of
two dice.
Success
The outcome of the roll is determined by the highest
single dice of Either Type.
1 is a Catastrophe. The outcome is the opposite to
what the Thief wanted.
2-3 is a Failure.
Things get worse for the Thief.
4-5 is a Mixed Success. The Thief gets what they
wanted, but with a cost or consequence.
6 is a Full Success. The Thief gets what they
wanted. If multiple sixes were rolled, the Dealer
may allow them some additional unforeseen benefit.
Upping the Stakes: Players may elect to re-roll all their
dice if they are not happy with their level of success.
However, the player must add an extra Doom Dice to
this re-roll.
Note: As both Base and Doom Dice count towards successes, it
is beneficial for Thieves to introduce more risk into their plans.
This is deliberate, as it means exciting and dangerous actions
are more likely to succeed in the short term, encouraging reckless
play.
Doom
If the result of the highest Doom Dice exceeds the res-
ult of the highest Base Dice, and exceeds the player’s
current Doom Score, then the player must Increase
their Doom Score by one point.
Example: Leaping between train carriages, Lady Bloodmist
rolls a 2 on her Base Dice and a 6 on her Doom Dice. Her highest
roll was a 6, so she gets a Full Success. However, her Doom Dice
rolled higher than her Base Dice and her current Doom Score of
one. Lady Bloodmist successfully leaps between the carriages, but
must increase her Doom Score to two.
As a player’s Doom Score increases, new rules that gov-
ern their Thief ’s actions will come into effect.
Follies
When their Doom Score reaches Three, a player must
roll on the Follies table (p.24) to find out how their
Thief reacts to the creeping sense of Doom. Once a
Folly is in play, it can only be neutralised by lowering a
Thief ’s Doom Score below three.
Sabotage
When their Doom Score reaches Five, a player can try
to Sabotage other Thieves, to shift the burden of their
dark fate to their companions. The player must declare
sabotage, and then roll a single Doom Dice. If the res-
ult is Lower than their current Doom Score, the sabot-
aging player is successful, and may lower their Doom by
one. If the results is Higher, their sabotage fails, and
their Doom Score rises by one point. After a player has
sabotaged once, they may continue to do so when their
Doom Score is below five.
Example: Lady Bloodmist has reached a Doom Score of five.
She decides to sabotage her fellow Thief, John Sandpiper, by
cutting the rope he’s climbing up. She rolls a 2 on her Doom Dice,
lower than her Doom Score. Lady Bloodmist successfully sabot-
ages John and he falls into a moat full of hungry wolf-eels! She
lowers her Doom Score to four.
Note: Once a player’s Doom Score reaches Six, sabotage cannot
save them from their Awful End.
Awful Ends
When a player’s Doom Score reaches Six, their Awful
End is upon them. The Dealer will decide how they
meet their fate. Sometimes this will be obvious: if a
Thief is locked in combat with a vampire prince, they
will meet their Awful End at his hands. However, the
Dealer may also roll on the Grand Dooms table (p.38)
and see what chance has in store for the luckless Thief.
Example: Looking to get even, John attempts to sabotage Lady
Bloodmist’s escape by shooting out the tyres of her getaway car.
He rolls a 6 on his Doom Dice, higher than his Doom Score of
five. His sabotage attempt fails, and John’s Doom Score reaches
six. His Awful End is at hand! Chuckling, the Dealer rolls on
the Grand Dooms table.
Note: Thieves don’t have Hit Points. Doom is the only meas-
ure of how close they are to their Awful End. However, Doom
doesn’t only represent physical injuries, and reaching a Doom
Score of six isn’t an instant death sentence - the Dealer simply
has permission to end that Thief’s story whenever it would be
most dramatic.
Conflict with NPCs
Non-Player Characters do not roll dice, do not have
Skills and Tools, and do not have a Doom Score. In
general the Dealer should see them as extras in a film;
the players are the stars.
There are no separate rules for combat. Thieves who
wish to fight, persuade, impede, or otherwise humiliate
a NPC should assemble their dice pool in the manner
previously described, and the Dealer will narrate the
outcome of the conflict depending on the degree of
success rolled. NPCs normally take one Full Success or
two Mixed Successes to defeat in armed combat.
Powerful vampires or rare monsters could require two,
three, or even four Full Successes to be defeated. These
NPCs will be designated with the tag Powerful Foe.
Players must roll an extra Doom Dice when dealing
with these opponents.
Opposed Rolls
Sometimes the players may wish to act against one an-
other in a way the sabotage rules do not seem appropri-
ate for. In such cases, both players should build their
dice pools and roll simultaneously. Whoever has the
Highest Single Dice dictates the narrative outcome. If
both players have a matching highest dice, they must
either negotiate a compromise or roll again. Player’s
Doom Scores can increase as normal during opposed
rolls.
Example: John Sandpiper and Lady Bloodmist are competing
in a dancing competition. John has no relevant Tools or Skills,
so he rolls one Base Dice and Doom Dice equal to his Doom Score.
Lady Bloodmist has the Skill ‘Fancy Footwork’, so she rolls two
Base Dice and Doom Dice equal to her Doom Score. Lady
Bloodmist rolls a six, higher than any of John’s dice. She wins
the dance-off.
The Dice of Fate
In general, the twists and turns of a Bloodheist game will
be determined by the players’ rolls. The Dealer is not
required to roll dice. However, sometimes players will
ask a question that hinges on chance rather than their
own actions: ‘Is there a taxi available on this quiet street?’ ‘Is
there some wood in the cellar that I could set ablaze?’ ‘Is it going
to rain soon?’
In such cases, the Dealer may defer to the Dice of Fate.
The Dealer rolls one d6 and allow it to guide the out-
come. Results of Four or Higher give an answer that
favours the Thieves, and results of Three or Less give
a negative answer or bad outcome.
Note: If you find yourself in a situation where the rules don’t
cover what’s happening, the Dealer should make a quick ruling
that seems reasonable and move on with the narrative. After the
game session, you can return to the rules dilemma as a group and
discuss what should be done in future.
Rules — 5
AdvANcement • Forget an unwanted Ritual.
• Reduce your Doom Score by one point (see below).
Tools earned using this method can be anything the
player desires, so long as they are plausible within the
setting. New Skills should ideally relate to something
the Thief attempted during their previous heist.
Example: Lady Bloodmist commandeered an automobile dur-
ing the heist, despite not having a relevant Skill. Once the heist
is over, she can spend one XP to gain ‘Driving’ as a permanent
Skill.

Forgetting Skills
If a player did not use a Skill during the heist, they must
mark the unused Skill with an X. If a Skill marked in
this way goes unused during a second heist, it must be
erased from the player’s Criminal Record.
Bloodheist is designed for single-session play, in which a
group of unlikely Thieves assemble and either make off Learning and Mastering Rituals
with the Prize or die trying. However, if you wish to Rituals learned can come from the list on p.22; alternat-
play a multi-session campaign in which the players grow ively, the player can pitch an idea for a new Ritual to the
stronger and more capable with each successful heist, Dealer, who is the ultimate arbiter of whether such an
use the following rules. act of dark magic would be possible.
Additionally, a Thief may spend two XP in order to
Earning Experience Points Master a Ritual they have already learned. Rituals that
Experience Points (XP) are an abstraction, represent- have been Mastered no longer raise the Thief ’s min-
ing the wealth Thieves earn from their criminal acts, as imum Doom Score by one point, although using them
well as the greater confidence and sophistication they still requires an extra Doom Dice to be added to the
gain in the field of criminal enterprises. Players earn XP roll. A Thief cannot Master more than three Rituals.
for completing certain tasks or milestones during the
session: Post-Heist Doom
• One XP for escaping the location with the Prize. After a heist, players may reduce their Thief ’s Doom
• One XP for delivering the Prize to your Patron. Score by two points, unless this would take them below
their minimum Doom Score. Any Follies gained during
• One XP if you have carried out a task imposed on
the Heist remain active. Players may spend XP to fur-
you by your Secret.
ther reduce the Thief ’s Doom Score - this is assumed to
Note: Not all of these conditions can or will be fulfilled. You represent the wild debauchery that Thieves indulge in
should avoid granting XP for the use of Secrets that already between jobs, to blot out their creeping sense of dread.
grant a boon or extra power to the player, instead reserving it for
the Secrets that compel a player to carry out an actual mission.
Becoming a Vampire
Many humans in the Undying Empire crave the gift of
Spending Experience Points immortality. If a human Thief is granted the boon of
Players can spend accumulated XP on Thief upgrades vampirism, either by another player’s Thief or by a
or benefits. XP must be spent between heists; it cannot vampire NPC, simply erase the special rules pertaining
be used during a heist. Each listed benefit costs one to humans from their character sheet and replace them
point: with the special rules pertaining to vampires. No other
• Learn a new Skill. alterations are necessary, although the player may wish
to roll on the Vampiric Marks table (p.13) to discover
• Aquire a new Tool.
how their Thief ’s body changes.
• Learn a new Ritual.
6 — Rules
 Creating
A thief
1
Roll d6 to determine whether your Thief is Note: If this is your first time playing, or your table is un-
mortal or undead. Rolls of 1-4 indicate Human comfortable with player vs player conflict, it is recommended
(p.8). A 5 or 6 indicates Vampire (p.12). The that the players do not draw Secrets. Only draw them if you are
Dealer may opt to allow free choice in this matter. certain you want a more challenging heist.

2 7
Familiarise yourself with the special rules for Fill your Criminal Record (p.56) with your
your Thief, and use the tables provided to Thief ’s name, Tools, Skills, Rituals, and
generate a name, appearance, and starting Doom Score, if you haven’t already.
personality. Any results are suggestions only, and can You are now ready to embark on your first heist.
be overruled if the player already has a strong vision of
their Thief.

3
Create a history for your Thief. Humans
should roll for a Human Background; the
life you were born into before you became a
Thief (p.10). Vampires should roll to discover which
Vampire House they are a member of. (p.14) Your
Background or House will give you one Tool and one
Skill.

4
Choose a Profession for your Thief
(pp.16-21). Professions determine the role you
will play in the heist, and give your Thief
three Skills and three Tools. You may either pick a
Profession, or roll 1d6 and consult the table below. It is
recommended that groups of Thieves incorporate a
variety of Professions, but this is not mandated.

d6 Profession
1 Murderer
2 Shadowjack
3 Liesmith
4 Gearhead
5 Alchemist
6 Occultist

5
Choose the Rituals known by your Thief, if
any (p.28). Each Ritual you memorise raises
your minimum Doom Score by one point.

6
Each player draws a Secret, using a standard
deck of 52 playing cards (p.23). Keep the
result hidden from the other players.

Creating a Thief — 7
 Human
Human As a mortal subject of the Undying Empire you are one of a hardy breed,
accustomed to gnawing hunger, tireless labour, and casual brutality. Some
of your companions pray for immortality, but many hope only to survive
another day. You mingle nightly with monsters many times stronger than
you, and treat vampires as you might a speaking tiger: horrifying marvels
whose whims and appetites must be appeased.

special rules
Easy Prey - You cannot fight Unhindered - You are not
a Vampire or other subject to the supernatural
Monstrosity in single com- restrictions that afflict vam-
bat. You must run from pires. You can walk in sun-
them, hide from them, or light, cross running water,
use an Inimical Object or enter buildings uninvited,
Ritual to repel them. and so on and so forth.

8 — Creating a Thief
 first name surname
Ethel Klaus Jessie Johnson Hill Steiner
Ruth Theodore Claude Davis Sandpiper Fisher
Walter Sally Maeve Miller Baker Dupont
Ernest Estelle Viola Jackson Roberts Andersen
Cora John Luther Whitman Gruber Grey
Oscar George Otto King Wagner Roux

Katya Madeline William Doyle Sallow Nibley

Dominic François Jane O’Brien Fernsby Huckabee
Martina Leon Emma Giallo Miracle Chips
Alexei Olaf Catherine Rizzo Dankworth Greenwood
Marcel Matilda Sergei Sokolov Badger Fisk
Eugene Benjamin Olga Gladstone Smirnov Harker

face body
Hungry Toothless Cold Tall Skeletal Bloated
Desperate Bandaged Haunted Short Hunched Gangly
Thin Scalded Mournful Frail Lopsided Towering
Tired Withered Round Muscular Gnarled Child-like
Dirty Bruised Pinched Corpulent Withered Wiry
Scarred Pale Ruddy Thin Squat Stout

Wolfish Vacant Anxious Gigantic Podgy Bony

Sharp Peaceful Wrinkled Miniature Tattooed Cadaverous
Emotionless Morose Flushed Robust Ponderous Clumsy
Tattooed Angry Branded Sickly Curvy Scarred
Warty Hard Leathery Lanky Slender Willowy
One-eyed Pox-marked Comely Stooped Angular Alluring

attire demeanour
Crumpled Stiff Grey Abrasive Mischievous Hedonistic
Neat Patchwork Cheap Drunk Pedantic Irrational
Dour Academic Gaudy Sly Scholarly Bold
Ragged Leather Exotic Cold Anxious Suave
Colourful Muddy Ill-fitting Jovial Cruel Quiet
Pale Black Formal Sour Gloomy Cheerful

White Flea-ridden Strange Erratic Cautious Unstable

Shabby Plain Dapper Talkative Volatile Fearless
Filthy Flimsy Bloodstained Vindictive Obnoxious Decadent
Garish Military Antiquated Haughty Proud Obsessive
Awkward Informal Conservative Impulsive Childish Patriotic
Mismatched Oversized Seductive Logical Pompous Friendly
Creating a Thief — 9
Human backgrounds
1-3
1 farmer
Tool
deserter
Tool
2
Forbidden Bulb Valorous Medal

An illicit dose of a Obtained through great

seasoning inimical to bravery and sacrifice. But
vampires. not your own.

Skill Skill
Animal Handling War Stories

Beasts of the field are Your tall tales of derring-

putty in your hands. do enthral children and
others who have never
known combat.

3 beggar
Tool
clergy
Tool
4
Trained Pigeon Blood Wafer

A companion through the Sacrament in the Church

long years in the gutter. of Dracula the Redeemer.
Resembles black pudding.

Skill Skill
Street Smarts Liturgy

You know how to survive You could recite the Red

at the bottom of the heap. Blessings in your sleep -
and sometimes do.

5 sailor
Tool
merchant
Tool
6
Flask of Grog Debt Ledger

Keeps you warm on cold A neat record of everyone

nights. Highly flammable. who owes you one.

Skill Skill
Knot Knack Haggling

You can tie a Triple You drive a hard bargain.

Gordian with your eyes
closed.

10 — Creating a Thief
Although you are now a member of the Undying Empire’s underworld, your past life has left a mark
on you. Choose a background, or roll 2d6 to determine where you’ve fallen from.

4-6
1 poacher
Tool
blacksmith
Tool
2
Snap-trap Lucky Horseshoe
Your father’s before you; It hasn’t brought you
his father’s before him. great fortune yet, but
there is still time.

Skill Skill
Tracking Ironwork

You can stalk with the best An honest trade can be of

of them. use, even in dishonest
company.

3 minstrel
Tool
clerk
Tool
4
Accordion Fancy Pen

It’s seen better days, but They say it’s more

you can still get feet powerful than the sword.
tapping. You fervently hope this is
true.
Skill Skill
Serenading Vampire Script

The hardest hearts soften Most humans never learn

at the sound of your voice. the secret language of
vampires. You did.

5 miner
Tool
aristocrat
Tool
6
Chunk of Silver Ancestral Seal

A forbidden metal, Commands what little

gouged from the earth’s respect is still afforded to
dark womb with your own your line.
hands.
Skill Skill
Tunnelling Snobbery

Why walk when you can You might be penniless,

dig? but you still act rich.

Creating a Thief — 11
 Vampire
Vampire
An immortal citizen of the Undying Empire, you are refined in speech and dress, and
refined further still in the degree of your cruelty. You know yourself to be more real
than the mortals who drift like pallid shades through the backdrop of your un-life. You
are more vital, more daring, more serious, more passionate, more creative, more sav-
age, more benevolent. You have drained the very purpose from the mortals’ lives so
that souls of utmost grace and sophistication might flourish in the eternal confines of
your perpetual vessels. This, of course, is exactly as it should be.

special rules
Etiquette - Entering a building without invitation causes your Doom
Score to rise by one point for each minute you spend inside.

Sunburn - Exposure to sunlight causes your Doom Score to rise by one

point for each minute you spend in its hateful glare.

Running Water - You

cannot cross running
water unless you walk on
a bridge of grave earth.

Inimical Objects - You are

repelled by silver, garlic, and
holy symbols. All rolls made in
the presence of these Inimical
Objects are made with an
extra Doom Dice.
 first name surname
Cleopatra Xavier Ulthan De Groot Crimson D’ Arkness
Titus Apollo Vodalus Groane Winterchild Nyx
Hannibal Morgana Severian Thunderclap Blackchapel Bitterlake
Priscilla Belladonna Rosaline Stormcloud Von Leech Diremont
Carmine Champagne Augustine Latefrost De Noire Von Kaine
Raven Salem Cicero Goldrazor Bloodhawk Sourtongue

Magnus Esther Orpheus Onyx Paledawn Redpetal

Cassius Carmella Mercy Van Pyre White Mourn
Ophelia Agrippa Julius Barrowmoor Duskflower Von Tusk
Tartarus Clementine Romeo Midnight Dreadwood Sovereign
Blanche Drusilla Lamia De Quincey Greymurmur Crowmond
Cerberus Silas Fenris Valentine Swanmurder Grimhall

face vampiric mark

Gaunt Callous Waxy Two Shadows Grey Skin Oil-Black Eyes
Ravishing Doll-like Powdered Silver Eyes White Tongue Two Left Hands
Pallid Beguiling Masked Tusks Moving Veins Cruel Claws
Moon-like Sallow Scarred Snake Tongue Tomb Scent Totally Hairless
Chiselled Handsome Glamourous Backwards Feet Rictus Grin Rat Teeth
Grey Ashen Charismatic Bat Ears Neck Wounds Crimson Shadow

Enticing Ghastly Wan Mouths for Eyes White Eyes Tears of Blood
Sinful Languid Flushed Parchment Skin Tiny Horns Fangernails
Decaying Disturbing Luminous Black Teeth Barbed Tongue Proboscis
Hungry Grim Eerie Always Hovering Nose Beetles Tiny Wings
Anaemic Monstrous Cruel Mouldy Hair Whispering Hair Red Eyes
Sickly Alluring Nightmarish Clammy Skin Six Fingers Every Orifice
Fanged

attire demeanour
Elaborate Leather Velvet Vain Spiteful Hedonistic
Huge Wig Neat Suit Lacy Obsessive Volatile Irrational
Sharp Shoes Mink Coat Revealing Aloof Obnoxious Bold
Tattered Ruff Tweeds Billowing Pompous Proud Suave
Gaudy Coat Frilly and Fun Pious Ascetic Childish Quiet
Antique Armour Demure Understated Snooty Withdrawn Bitter

Pinstriped Paisley Dramatic Impulsive Unstable Dreamy

Crimson Silks Threadbare Decaying Paranoid Fearless Unctuous
White Robes Loud Pink Sadistic Decadent Gossipy
Seductive Tasteful Aristocratic Fanatical Obsequious Insincere
Checked Extravagant Formal Morbid Romantic Harsh
Polkadots Cheap Mouldy Melancholy Careless Jocular
Creating a Thief — 13
Vampire Houses
1-3
1 house
vanitas
house
bathos 2
Tool Tool
Ridiculous Accessory Sketching Set

A flashy, utterly Pencils, paper, charcoal,

impractical accessory. and a little bit of blood
This season’s must have. for the reds.

Skill Skill
Posing Portraiture
vanitas bathos
You can make any outfit The eyes seem to follow
look good. you around the room.

3lachrymose
house house
omadios 4
Tool Tool
Self-Published Chapbook Toque Blanche

You’ve sold three this The tall white hat of the

century. master chef. A symbol of
culinary authority.

Skill Skill
Free Verse Exquisite Taste
lachrymose omadios
You are given to flights of You can ascertain who last
public poetic rhapsody. touched an object by
licking it.

5malebranche
house house
pharynx 6
Tool Tool
Malice Mitten Scandal Sheet

Ceremonial glove. Throw A scurrilous rag full of

it on the ground to issue a gossip and rumours.
challenge.

Skill Skill
Duelist’s Trivia Put-downs
malebranche pharynx
You know the what, the You always have the last
when, the why, and the word.
who of every duel fought
in the Undying Empire.
14 — Creating a Thief
The Lesser Vampire Houses are best understood as a cross between political parties, artists’ guilds,
and dining clubs. Membership is only extended to those who are thought to be the Right Stuff; and
so all members of a particular House share aesthetic preferences, frivolous hobbies, and personality
traits with the House’s founders. House Vanitas is open only to fashionistas, House Lachrymose to
poets, House Malebranche to duelists, and so forth. Choose a House, or roll 2d6 to discover which
club will have you as a member.

4-6
1 house
melliflux
house
proteus 2
Tool Tool
Trumpet Porcelain Mask

Brazen and brassy. Worn in the traditional

dramas of the Undying
Empire. Unsettling to
some.
Skill Skill
Vampire Jazz Mimicry
melliflux proteus
You let the music take you If you’ve watched
where it will. someone speak and move,
you can mimic them
accurately.

3tarantella
house house
mortigrade 4
Tool Tool
Dancing Powder Unfinished Manuscript

Sniff regularly for night- You’ve thrown it into the

long energy. fire and rescued it several
times.

Skill Skill
Fancy Footwork Literary Criticism
tarantella mortigrade
You know all the latest Bad prose causes you
dance moves. almost physical pain.

house house
5 bacchus
Tool
carnifex
Tool
6
Blood Booze Horrid Trophy

Extracted from the liver A cherished memento of

of a well-pickled sailor. your greatest hunt.

Skill Skill
Revelry Skinning
bacchus carnifex
You could drink a pack of You can get the skin off
werewolves under the most things in record
table. time.

Creating a Thief — 15
Murderer 1
Clean hands are a luxury few can afford
in this business. Yours are dirtier than
most, you’ll admit, but you take pride in
your work all the same.

skills tools
Brawling
You’re handy with your fists, your
Sword-cane
boots, your teeth, and just about It looks just like a walking stick,
any other weapon on this until it doesn’t.
benighted earth.

Sharp-Shooting Hidden Pistol

You could hit a bat between the
A trick up your sleeve.
eyes from a dozen paces.

Intimidation Ether and a Rag

You have an air about you. People
can see that you are Very Serious. Sometimes you need them alive.

16 — Professions
2 Shadowjack
The dark is an old friend and it welcomes
you in. There’s many names for your
trade: cracksman, drawlatch, sneck-lifter,
crannywrag, blagman, nightcreeper.
You’re a housebreaker, a heart-stealer, a
mizzen-mast worker, a climb-by-night, a
true second-storey geezer.

skills tools
Climbing Grapples and Rope
Your digits are kin to the smallest
nooks. For vertical excursions.

Contortion Lock-picks
You fit where others cannot. The burglar’s companions.

Pick-pocketing Smoke Bomb

You’ll give it back to them. One End awkward conversations
day. effortlessly.

Professions — 17
Liesmith 3
Some are born to hew wood,
some to shape stone, and some to
smelt metal. You were born to a
different calling, yet no less
worthy of a skilled practitioner.

skills tools

Lying Disguise Kit

You are the maestro of falsehoods. Paint, powder, and several high-
quality wigs.

Flattery Forger’s Stationery

One catches more flies with honey Inks, sealing wax, and many
than vinegar. varieties of paper.

Gossip Counterfeit Currency

Little birds tell you all sorts of It almost looks right.
things.

18 — Professions
4 Gearhead
Mechanisms reveal themselves to you.
A faulty cog cries out like a lost child;
a wire out of place presents an affront
greater than a nudist in a cathedral. You
appreciate the internal order of machines,
those tiny gleaming universes, and bend
such devices to your will.

skills tools
Repair Crowbar
Machinery holds few mysteries to
you. The old reliable.

Sabotage Drill
Smashing things is thuggery.
Sabotage is a subtle art. For making small holes.

Improvised Crafting
It’s amazing what a resourceful
Dynamite
mind can fashion from debris that For making large holes.
others might ignore

Professions — 19
Alchemist 5
Finding yourself unable to produce gold
from base metals, you are instead
dedicated to turning the possessions of
others into gold. A less noble but perhaps
more practical endeavour.

skills tools

Pedantry Vial of Acid

Well, actually, I think you’ll find, Do not drink this.

Medicine
Vial of Poison
The body is comprised mostly of
chemicals. You have a decent grasp Do not drink this either.
of how it all works.

Transmutation Homunculus
You can transform base metals into
gold. Or at least you appear to do A tiny man. Kept in a jar for his
so. own good.

20 — Professions
6 Occultist
Not all shadows are cast by light.
Within night’s velvet embrace
lie regions of even greater
darkness. You navigate such
secret realms, guided by the
hints in ancient texts and
maps drawn by the
damned.

skills tools
Scrying
With some effort you can discern
Ritual Knife
the current whereabouts of Engraved with unwholesome runes.
individuals or objects you seek.

Hexing
Dried Herbs
Minor magical malevolence. Hexes
can induce boils, curdle milk, or Pungent, potent, prohibited.
fray ropes, to give a few examples.

Counter-Curse Little Black Book

Contains mostly accurate
Your words unravel spells as briars information about ghosts, demons,
unravel knitted wool. and other eldritch entities.

Professions — 21
 RituALs
Rituals Rituals are strange and sinister powers, granted
to those who delve deeply into the study of dark
magic. Casting a Ritual requires the player to
roll one additional Doom Dice, due to the
shadow these evil sorceries cast over the soul.

Players may learn as many

during Thief creation. Ho
learned increases a Thief
Rituals as they wish
wever, each Ritual
’s minimum Doom
ey cannot decrease
Score by one point. Th
this level by any
their Doom Score below
Ritual.
means except Mastering the
The effect of
a Ritual are le
open to a degr ft
ee of interpreta
tion. The Deale -
r is the ultimat
arbiter of how e
they function in
play.

Mastering Rituals
y spend two XP in
Between heists, a Thief ma
l they have already
order to Master a Ritua
been Mastered no
learned. Rituals that have
’s minimum Doom
longer raise the Thief
ief cannot Master
Score by one point. A Th
more than three Rituals.

22 — Rituals
 1-3 4-6
1 1
Beguiling Breath Bloody Gaze
You breathe deeply into the ear of You pull out your eyes and see instead
another being. They come to believe with the weeping redness inside your
you are their good friend, and will act sockets. You can see hidden things,
accordingly. This lasts until someone asks them forgotten things, and the secrets within the
why they harbour this misconception. hearts of those around you.

2 2
Devil’s Whisper Call Vermin
Your voice, sinister and compelling, Vicious, hungry rats burst from the
emanates not from your mouth but earth where your blood falls and run
from another person or object within amok.
the same room.

3 3
Crimson Gate
Draw a door on a wall with your
blood. You - and only you - can
pass through it.
Corpse Puppet
Touch a corpse on the forehead. It
will rise and move as you command
until your concentration is broken.

4 4
Feral Shadow
Your shadow detaches from your
body. It will return within a hundred
heartbeats to tell you what it has seen.
Freezing Touch
Your touch is cold enough to cause
frostbite, and can shatter metal.

5 5
Lethe’s Brew Slumbering Mist
Squeeze a drop of blood from your You breathe out a white fog that
finger into a drink. The person who sends all nearby creatures to sleep.
ingests it will forget the last ten
minutes of their life.

6 6
Vile Vines Midnight’s Cloak
Where your blood falls, entangling The air around you becomes
red vines explode from the earth. shockingly dark, as on a moonless
They can snare your foes, barricade night. The effect only lasts minutes,
doors, or make sheer walls climbable. but can protect you from prying eyes or
searing sunlight.

Rituals — 23
FollieS
When a Thief reaches a Doom Score of three, they
must roll 2d6 and record the resulting Folly on their
Criminal Record. They must abide by the additional
rule their Folly imposes on them.
A Folly remains in play as long as the Thief is at a
Doom Score of Three or more. Lowering their
Doom below three will remove the obligation to
act upon the Folly. However, the player should not
erase the Folly from their Criminal Record. The
next time their Doom reaches three or higher, the
same Folly will become active again.
Permanently removing a Folly from your Thief is
not possible during a heist. Between jobs, the Dealer
might allow a player to cure their Thief ’s Folly by
checking into an expensive sanitarium, or through
some other arduous means.

1-3 4-6
1 Loner’s Folly
When you are in the company of another
character, you cannot roll Base Dice.
1 Firestarter’s Folly
Unless you are in sight of a blazing fire,
you cannot roll Base Dice.

2 Sheep’s Folly
When you are alone, you cannot
roll Base Dice. 2 House Cat’s Folly
When you are outdoors, you are terrified
and cannot roll Base Dice.

3 Butcher’s Folly
Unless you are attempting to cause pain or
destruction, you cannot roll Base Dice.
3 Trapped Rat’s Folly
When you are enclosed by four walls, you are
terrified and cannot roll Base Dice.

4 Coward’s Folly
When you are in immediate, lethal danger,
you cannot roll Base Dice.
4 Emperor’s Folly
While you are wearing clothes,
you cannot roll Base Dice.as

5 Scholar’s Folly
The Dealer will pose an unanswered question
about the current heist. Until you know the
answer, you cannot roll Base Dice.
5 Nursemaid’s Folly
The Dealer selects a nearby inanimate object.
You now believe this object to be your baby.
If you are ever separated from your baby, you cannot
roll Base Dice.

6 Glutton’s Folly
When you are in a room with a food source
(including fresh human blood), you are
distracted and cannot roll Base Dice.
6 Knight’s Folly
Unless you are mounted upon a ‘steed’ and
wielding a ‘sword’, you cannot roll Base Dice.

24 — Follies
 SecretS
In the Undying Empire loyalty is as solid as smoke.
Everyone you meet has an unspoken agenda, and there
is little honour amongst Thieves. Your companions in
the heist are mostly on your side, but not always.
The Secrets system allows for the swift assignation
of hidden agendas, compulsions, and talents amongst
the Thieves. This system is entirely optional. A game of
Bloodheist can be enjoyed without Secrets. Indeed, it is
recommended that first time groups do not introduce
Secrets, as they can set the group at odds and make the
heist significantly more challenging to complete. This
system is recommended for veteran players, or groups
who are already comfortable with adversarial play
between party members.
If you do choose to use the Secrets system, you will
need a standard deck of
52 playing cards with the jokers
removed. The Dealer should shuffle them during Thief
creation, and then deal one card facedown to each
player. Players should look at their card without show-
ing it to anyone else. Check the card against the list of
Secrets on the following four pages. Each card in the
deck provides a unique hidden agenda, bonus item, or
other gameplay effect to the holder.
The Secrets vary greatly in power and utility. Some
are rather foolish; but others grant an extra Tool, allow
the holder to survive their Awful End, or even require
them to eliminate all other players from the game. The
imbalance between results is intentional. It creates un-
ease, as you do not know whether your companions
have drawn trivial Secrets or very significant ones.
Some Secrets must be played in order to take
effect. The holder can play them by placing the card
face-up on the table, where it is visible to everyone, and
announcing the intended nature of the effect. Other
Secrets give the holder a hidden mission or extra task to
complete during the heist. The players are not obliged
to carry these bonus tasks out, and failure holds no pen-
alty, but it is rather against the spirit of the game to ig-
nore them.
At the end of the heist, players who have not
already revealed their Secret card should do so, and the
table can vote on how effectively the player carried out
their clandestine mission. If they are judged to have
been successful, or at least made a good stab at it, they
will be awarded one extra XP by the Dealer. Note that
carrying out hidden missions may require a degree of
note-passing and conspiracy between the Dealer and
the player.
A few Secrets afford the
player tempor-
ary power over
the narrative, in-
troducing new
allies or making
NPCs fall in love
with them, as ex-
amples. The Dealer
should be prepared
to embrace these
twists and turns as
part of their game,
and must do their
best to fully incorporate
the Secret’s effect into the
narrative, even if it does not
make much sense.
Players are under no obliga-
tion to be truthful about which Secret
they are holding; part of the fun is that your compan-
ions often cannot be sure. You may not trade Secrets
with another player, but can show them your card if you
wish.
Bonus Rule: Jokers
It is possible to play with the jokers as part of the deck,
if you desire even more chaos. Joker cards function as
follows: the player who holds one can play it at any time
to suggest a change to the current scene or situation. If
the suggestion elicits genuine laughter from everyone
at the table, the suggestion becomes reality. If not, the
joker is discarded and has no effect.
Secrets — 25
 Thanks
for ReadinG
Thirsty for More?
Sink your teeth into the full edition of Bloodheist.
In addition to the content you have here,
you will also get:

• A full suit of Grand Dooms - curses that are inflicted

on your Thief when things don't go to plan.
• The rest of the Secrets system, which gives the
Thieves secret agendas and objectives through the use of
a deck of playing cards.
• A solid serving of GM guidance, helping create mem-
orable heists, characters, and twists for your players.
• Random dice tables for sparking ideas - locations,
valuable objects, NPCs, and more.
• A sample heist - The Crimson Countess - in which
the players embark on a daring train robbery.

Available now from Itch.io and DrivethruRPG.com

Or visit vaultsofvaarn.com for more information.
Design, Writing & Layout by Leo Hunt.
CreditS
The rules and text of Bloodheist are published under
Art & Creative Development by Lewis Garvey. a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License. You are free to:
Editing by Cleo Madeleine.
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any
Typeset in IM FELL English Pro, Sovereign, &
medium or format.
YWFT Psychosis.
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the ma-
Play Testing: Lewis Garvey, Joe Youngman, Harry
terial for any purpose, even commercially.
Huntley, Robert Hellewell, Cleo Madeleine, Rhy
Brignell, Louis Millington, Blythe Zarozinia Aim- Under the following terms:
son, Errol Seymour. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit,
The game’s rules were influenced by John Harper’s provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes
Blades in the Dark and Trophy Dark by Jesse Ross. I were made. You may do so in any reasonable man-
have also been inspired by the layout and presenta- ner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor en-
tion of Chris McDowall’s Into the Odd, Ben Milton’s dorses you or your use.
Maze Rats, and Tuesday Knight Games’s Mothership ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build
zines. upon the material, you must distribute your contri-
The aesthetics and fiction of Bloodheist were inspired butions under the same license as the original.
by the videogames Dishonored, Bloodborne, Darkest No Additional Restrictions — You may not apply
Dungeon, and Invisible Inc., as well as the films Blade legal terms or technological measures that legally
and Van Helsing. Artistically we looked at the work of restrict others from doing anything the license per-
Ralph Steadman, Mike Mignola, and Edward mits.
Gorey. ***
The play titles, cocktail names, parlour games, and All illustrations in this publication are Copyright to
human foods on p.48-9 are (mostly) genuine. Lewis Garvey and may not be reproduced without
Leo would like to thank Shikara for her love and en- the artist’s permission.
couragement, and his Patrons, who have graciously Other design elements and background textures
supported the creation of this work. He would like were taken from the British Library Flickr archive
to thank by name Zachary Bir, Colin, Roandil, and have no known copyright restrictions.
Lizzy, David Morrison, and Kasparas Bublys.
Printed in the United Kingdom on recycled paper.
Lewis would like to thank Ellie, his parents, and the First edition published in November 2021.
Vaarn boys for their support and encouragement
***
throughout.
You can find Bloodheist design diaries, artwork, and
The illustrations were created using the Procreate
actual play reports at vaultsofvaarn.com
app for the iPad pro. For the most part, the brushes
and textures used were supplied by True Grit Tex- Leo’s Twitter: @infrabeige
ture Supply co. Leo’s Patreon: Patreon.com/vaultsofvaarn
Leo and Lewis both wish to thank our Kickstarter For more of Lewis’s artwork:
backers, who helped make this project a reality. Your
Lewis on Twitter: @LewisGarvey
confidence in the concept gave us great comfort in
the moments when producing Bloodheist was difficult. Lewis on Instagram: @garvoy

The Crimson Countess — 27

I
t is the 131st year in the reign of the Red Emperor, May He Live Ten
Thousand Lifetimes. From smog-bound London to the furthest reaches of
the Undying Empire, humanity survives at the pleasure of the Vampire
Houses. They rule, not from the shadows but openly and proudly, and they are
served by aspirants who crave the bite that brings eternal life.
Vampirism does not extinguish the desires of those it infects. Instead it
heightens the vices and appetites, and those who were already covetous and greedy
become more so with the long passage of time. The Great Houses have fabulous
treasures in their safe rooms, and many envious eyes, both living and undead, are
set upon these marvels.

Bloodheist is a full tabletop RPG, presented in Inside this Zine You Will Find:
zine format. The pitch is simple: Dracula won,
and the Undying Empire he built is ruled by im-
mortal, squabbling vampire clans. You will play as
a gang of criminals, hired by a powerful vampire
to steal a valuable object from a rival. Human or
undead, your characters are outsiders, unaffiliated
with any one Great Vampire House, hired for the
jobs that can't be traced back to your employer.
The game uses a simple d6-based ruleset, where
the core resolution mechanic sees players accu-
mulate small dice pools and attempt to roll at
least one six. All rolls are player-facing, leaving
the GM free to concentrate on providing hu-
mour, thrills, and suspense. The system is light,
flexible, and easy to teach, perfect for one-shots
or quick campaigns.
• An introduction to the Undying Empire -
Bloodheist's comedic, gothic setting.
• Complete rules of play.
• Character generation procedures for human
and vampire Thieves.
• Six Professions - Thief archetypes, each with
their own set of unique tools and skills.
• Twelve Rituals - the supernatural blood-ma-
gics that can aid your Thief in strange and hor-
rible ways.
• A full suit of Follies and Dooms - manias and
curses that are inflicted on your Thief when
things don't go to plan.
• The Secrets system, which gives the Thieves
secret agendas and objectives through the use of
a deck of playing cards.
• A solid serving of GM guidance, help-
ing create memorable heists, characters,
and twists for your players.
• Random dice tables for sparking ideas
- locations, valuable objects, NPCs, and
more.
• A sample heist - The Crimson Countess - in
which the players embark on a daring train rob-
bery.

First Edition Published November 2021