Dark Streets & Darker Secrets by Diogo Nogueira is a role playing game published by Gallant Knight Games and Old School Publishing. This is a rules light OSR game and is covered by the Open Game License and, as such, some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a 222-page PDF for $9.99, as a softcover print on demand black and white book for $19.99, as a hardcover print on demand black and white book for $24.99, as PDF and softcover for $23.74 or PDF and hardcover for $28.74. It is also available in printed form from sites such as Amazon. The PDF is the version reviewed although it was purchased at a reduced price during a sale. Two pages are the front and rear covers, five pages are the front matter, one page the Table of Contents and one the Open Game License. There is a second, single page PDF that is a form-fillable character sheet.
The Preface explains that this system was created during National Game Design Month.
1: Introduction explains that this is a Street & Sorcery Rules Light Role-Playing Game with an Old School spirit, like Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells and Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells, about modern adventures in a world with an underlying strangeness. The contents of the book by chapter are also briefly broken down.
2: Character Creation covers this. Characters have four Attributes, Physique, Agility, Intellect and Willpower, generated on 2d6+3. 18 is the maximum for a human. This is essentially based on the old 3d6 method, but intended to generate the scores randomly without having Attributes that are too high or too low.
Characters have a concept, which is just a short, or very short, sentence describing them. They also have an Archetype, of which there are four. Each Archetype has primary attributes, recover roll and special abilities. The Tough is the strong character, best in melee. The Nimble is the sneaky character, good at sniping. The Smart knows things and can perform magical rituals. The Gifted, which has the longest description, has special powers and a supernatural heritage. Complications is a d66 table of problems that characters could have. Next, what equipment they have is decided. Finally, Vitality, which is their health, Sanity, Luck and Money are determined; Money is an abstract score rather than something that is kept careful track of.
3: Gear covers equipment. Melee and ranged weapons – range is fairly abstract – armour, shields and explosives are covered first. These are fairly simple items. Gear is anything else normal that might be used. There is a d100 table of weird items, details on drugs and services and illegal goods. How encumbrance is used is covered and how money is handled is gone into more detail.
4: Rules of the City are the fundamental mechanics of the game. The core rules cover the attribute test, avoidance rolls and how positive and negative dice work, as well as difficulty, failure, resisted tests, critical successes and fumbles, durability rolls – stuff breaks – and luck rolls. When dice should be rolled and using a character’s complication are next. It also explains that this is an Old School game so there are not rolls for everything; players are expected to solve problems rather than their characters roll to beat a score. Resolving scenes, using NPCS and how distance and time are covered are gone into in more detail. Characters can also go insane, and that is covered. Finally, how characters advance in level finishes the chapter.
5: Combat covers, naturally, combat. Combat is a fairly simple process, with surprise, if relevant, initiative and actions. Actions have melee and ranged attacks – range is simplified to categories rather than specific distances – with critical hits and fumbles. There are also some modifiers, giving Positive and Negative Dice, and how weapons that can fire many times are covered. Both lethal and non-lethal damage can be inflicted and there are rules on death, healing and recovery. Finally, various hazards are covered, including poison and traps.
6: Sorcery and Psionics are the powers used by the Gifted. The difference between them is largely a narrative decision, as there is little game effect. Backlash and corruption tables are given for both; these are based on 1d6 plus the power level. Powers can be lost, regained and resisted. Sixty sample powers are given. Arcane artefacts are covered; there are several tables for creating such, creators, powers and costs, and three example artefacts.
7: Running the Game is essentially tables. There are a series of tables for creating a dark world, followed by another series for generating an adventure. Next are tables for creating a dark city, then for creating factions in the city and finally tables for randomly generating people.
8: Monsters in the Shadows deals with opponents, with a section saying that fights are not necessarily fair and the game doesn’t use balanced encounters. There is a table for randomly determining the reaction of an opponent and details on morale. Random encounters and rules on mobs of opponents are followed by a list of opponents. Each is divided into groups; some are human, many are not. Each group has varying levels of opponents within it. The Monster Laboratory has more tables used to create random creatures; the Referee decides what, if any, game effect the results have.
Appendix O: Optional Rules starts with Drunken Luck, that can improve luck when drunk. Daring Points can be gained by doing daring activities, then used to perform feats beyond the norm. Adventuring Companions allows a character to choose a specific character to have as a companion, which has advantages and disadvantages. Solitary Heroes has some brief rules for solo play. Multi-Archetype Characters has rules for combining archetypes. Finally, Twist of Fate has a short table of these.
Appendix I: Inspiration has media sources that inspired the game.
Appendix S: Simple Scenario Structure has a short structure for creating an adventure.
Finally, there is a copy of the character sheet.
Dark Streets & Darker Secrets in Review
The PDF is bookmarked, but not as deeply as it could be. The Table of Contents is to a similar level of depth. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a variety of black and white illustrations, up to a full page in size, the majority of which are stock. Presentation is decent.
The game doesn’t appear to state anywhere outright what dice are used to play it, but it appears to use d6, d10 and d20. Overall, this is a pretty light system, with far less use of dice rolls and rules than more modern systems have. Players are intended to solve problems and interact, rather than rolling to see if their characters can do it. It also has the potential to be deadlier than more modern systems. The world as depicted in the system, though it may be randomly generated, is the modern world but darker and more corrupt with supernatural and alien interference below the everyday level. Characters are also less capable of dealing with such problems than in a more heroic game, though they can perhaps cope better than in something like Call of Cthulhu.
This is a dark and deadly game, and is probably not for everyone; however, if Call of Cthulhu appeals and something similar but with perhaps slightly better equipped characters, and with perhaps a bit less dice rolling, is desired, then this should do nicely. Dark Streets & Darker Secrets can be found by clicking here.
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