Blacksite
Scope
The motivation behind building Blacksite
I want to build a world for my rpg campaigns, one that feels rich and detailed to capture the attention of my players. A setting for the Blacksite rpg system to use as its default.
I want this world to expand beyond just my group. For it to become an established setting for not just my adventures, but also for the adventures of other GMs and their players all over the world.
I want it to be a vessel for the stories I want to tell. For the characters I've created and the narratives I feel are important enough to share with the people around me. I want people to love those stories, I want this setting to be someone's favorite fictional world.
The goal of the project
I want to give my players, readers, whatever audience I have, a sense of hopeful dread. A modern horror experience where the little moments of light are cherished in the face of overwhelming darkness.
I want the audience to never truly know what's out there, so they treasure what they do know.
Blacksite's Unique Selling point
There is always another layer to the nightmare. No one, no matter how smart or experienced they may be, knows every shadow in the dark. Every time one thinks they understand it all, they find another curtain with another man behind it. Every answer leads to more questions, and some can never be answered.
It's a world where you think you know what you know, you hope what you think is true to be right, and you fear the things you may never understand. A world were even powerful beings have their own bias and preconception. A world where even meta information cannot tell you everything.
Theme
Genre
My world's genres are Modern, Horror, Cyberpunk, Supernatural, Mystery, Drama
It's a modern horror taking our modern world and giving it a supernatural twist. A place where the supernatural as well as advanced technology are hidden from the sleeping masses.
Reader Experience
The world feels mysterious and dangerous. Every bit of knowledge gained feels like it wasn't meant for you. There's darkness around every corner, darkness you cannot begin to comprehend or protect yourself against fully.
But that sense of mystery that sends a shiver down your spine is the same thing that motivates you to uncover more secrets. It's a dark and gritty setting with brief moments of light.
Reader Tone
Blacksite is a dark setting. It's a place where bad things happen all the time and for a lot of them there's nothing you can do to stop them. It's a dark reflection of our world, amplifying all the bad within it.
But just like our world, it also has a lot of good to it. Within every dark corridor there is a light, however faint it may be. The setting might be dark, but it isn't so dark that light cannot survive in it.
Recurring Themes
Hidden knowledge in all its forms. From classified government documents to eldritch whispers.
Futility. Knowing that bad things will happen no matter what you do. You may prevent one tragedy, but never all of them.
Moments of light. Even when times are hard, you can find hope in the most unlikely of places.
Uncertainty. Knowing that no matter how much you know, there is always a million things you don't.
Character Agency
Character agency is mid-low. The world of Blacksite is far too intricate and mysterious for characters to impact on their own, at least intentionally.
At most, characters can impact the world in smaller ways, causing at most regional changes. These small changes add up though, and over time they can pile up to cause larger ones. There are some characters capable of more, but those are rare instances.
For the most part, Blacksite is a world you try your best to survive in, not one that you have a meaningful amount of control over.
Focus
Drama
The world is currently under the Reign of Control, which is amplifying certain conflicts and events.
Three prominent organizations, the NCAE, KGB, and FBC, are locked into a cold war. All are trying to diminish the power and influence of the others in order to control the various Blacksites for themselves.
Vampiric activity within Blacksites has been steadily growing over over time. Some Blacksites are directly under vampiric control, or are highly susceptible to their influence.
A hive mind Abomination known as Sovereign have infested the moon. This fast growing, anomalous flesh entity is slowly assimilating humanity into itself one Blacksite at a time.
Rapidly advancing technology from companies like Sahara or organizations like the GIC are pushing the boundaries of what can be done without magic. Advanced arms and armor, cloning, cybernetics and more have become another thing major players want to control.
Behind the scenes, various disclosure groups seek to reveal the truth of the world to the general public.
Ancient beings known as the Nephilim have begun to awaken in recent times, causing strange and otherworldly effects.
The city of Agua Verde is experiencing heightened unrest as the populace is tired of being ruled over by The Family and megacorporations.
Blacksite is an original work of fiction. All written content is created and owned by Cassandra Rose. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or adaptation of any material without permission is prohibited.
Copyright © 2022-2026 Cassandra Rose. All rights reserved.