People want to be controlled. They need it. Left to their own devices, people will seek someone to tell them what to do. Sure, they’ll run around like headless chicks for a while, grinding and sweating and giving themselves over to their base impulses, but once the fun of freedom fades, they will look around at their meaningless existence and cry out, “What should I do?” That is, after all, how gods were invented.

In Bedlam, that’s what regents are: gods. Gods of commerce, gods of industry, gods of the people. Those who give and those who take away. Regents made Bedford just like regents broke Lamrose. Those who excel within the boundaries you draw are rewarded. Those who reach beyond their pens must be put into place. The question for regents isn’t “How should I use my power?” It’s “Who will stop me from doing what I want?” As someone who wields the power, you have to decide the devil you serve. You can fall in line with those who cannot see beyond the ivory towers or change the beast from within. When you’re a regent, very few can or will call you out for your decisions. But beware, oh beware, those who do.

Vice is gonna flow in Bedlam and nobody can stop it. Someone may as well as make some money off it. Maybe you can flip that cash into something good, y’know? Help the homeless, feed the hungry, right? Turn the bad into good, maybe? It’s not that you’re into exploiting misfortune. Hey, look at it this way: If it’s not you governing the stream then someone else will, and then your customers are at the mercy of some unscrupulous backdoor chemist putting who knows what into the mix. Sure, you may cut powder with the occasional baby laxative—gotta stretch out resources when supply is tight—but you’re not stirring industrial cleaner into the spike.

Folks ask what your career plan is. Where do you go from here? Your plan is simple: buy, sell, retire. At least get enough cash to get the hell out of this town. What, go into politics? Yeah, that’s much more honest work. The church? The cops? Please. What kind of world is it where a supposed criminal like you has stronger moral fiber than the folks who swear to protect people? You may be “part of the problem” but at least you have standards.

Evil lives in Bedlam, infecting the spirits of the citizenry and darkening the skies in its wake. The people of Bedlam are not lost—not permanently—though they are horribly misguided. Redemption is possible even if the means to such get a little extreme now and then. You have taken up the challenge of saving those who seek salvation and sometimes those who actively resist it. You often put yourself directly between evil and its victims, beating back abusers, pushers, and other villains in order to protect a lamb from slaughter.

You shepherd back to the fold those who wander, whether into the arms of the Lord or simply away from the perils of vice. Catholicism rules Bedlam, there’s no debating that, but not all Samaritans are members of the Big Church. Many are of other faiths, a lot are non-denominational. Samaritans can be social workers, youth center volunteers, or anyone trying to staunch the flow of crime. No matter how their methods, they all have the calling to do Good and help their fellow men and women however they can.

The response to Streets of Bedlam continues to amaze me. Thanks to you all, the Kickstarter has surpassed $5,000 in l2 days. This not only makes me incredibly happy but it unlocks two Kickstarter-exclusive archetypes, SAWBONES and INGENUE.

Every backer who pledges $10 or more will receive a free PDF including a full breakdown of the two archetypes with their own abilities, edges, and hindrances. Patch up the dead and dying underlings of powerful crime lords, perform backstreet operations, and use your medical training to extract the truth from reluctant “patients” as the SAWBONES. Step off the bus with stars in your eyes but fall into a seedy world of betrayal and exploitation as the naive-but-hopeful INGENUE.

The PDF will ship to $10+ backers with their copy of the Streets of Bedlam PDF due out in April 2012.

If we hit the $8k milestone, a fifth scenario titled “Eli Mendoza is a Dead Man” gets added to the first supplement!

The cast members are dragged into a missing person case when a gambler carrying a load of bad debts pulls a vanishing act. That act is common enough in this town; what makes this special is the fact the man in question was supposedly put in the earth three years ago.

Over a month remains on the clock so if you haven’t backed the Kickstarter yet, you still have time! Get exclusive content, credit in the game, even immortalize yourself as a character in the world!

Thanks again to everyone who has pledged and helped spread the word.

Lots of streets in Bedlam are unsafe but the cracked red veins of Bricktown doubly so. When the cops stopped patrolling the area, the crooks moved in, and the boys and girls who made their trade on the district’s corners were at the mercy of unkind and unscrupulous men who doped their “workers” to keep them complacent, treated them like unwanted pets, and traded them on whims for whatever the highest bidder was willing to pay. A decade went by and Bricktown descended further. That’s when Queenie and her girls took it upon themselves to rid the area of the pushers and pimps who had taken over their town.

The Valkyries began as a response to a bad situation but soon became so much more. Once the dealers and slappers were pushed out, the Valkyries went about clearing out the rest of the unwanteds, turning Bricktown into a place professionals could entice clients without fear. As long as the workers pay into the protection pool, that is.

Bricktown was the root but the Valkyries have expanded well beyond, becoming vigilantes dedicated to keeping all the streets free of rapists, muggers, murderers, junkies, and all manner of eternal loser. Hail, hail your guardian angels, Bedlam.

Some folks have asked me about Archetypes: What they are and if they’re necessary. So I figured I’d take a moment to explain more about Archetypes to give you a better idea of what is we are previewing here.

Are they the same as the Archetypes in the Savage Worlds Deluxe corebook?
No, they’re not. I chose the term because it was fitting for what they are in Streets of Bedlam. In order to avoid confusion though, I’ll likely change the term to “Character Type” or something similar.

So then, what are Archetypes?
Archetypes are character foundations, not skill packages like classes are. Much like races function in other Savage Worlds games, Archetypes provide you with a basic idea, a special ability, edges and hindrances either specific to the Archetype or that would be good fits for it, and some suggestions as to where to go from there. (What I’m showing here on the site is just the tip of the iceberg. Archetype write-ups in the book will include a lot more information.)

Beyond those guidelines, you’re not restricted. For example, the Monster archetype put up yesterday could be used to create Marv from Sin City or Batman from The Dark Knight. All Monsters have a few things in common, the way the Kehana from 50 Fathoms all have sharp teeth and claws. Monsters are tough, a bit slow, and have a high resistance to bullets. Valkyries, whom we will meet tomorrow, are all charming, especially to those they intend to take down. Badges, Pilgrims, and others all have things in common, base traits, edges, and hindrances that make them, well, Archetypes.

Are Archetypes necessary?
Not in the strictest sense, no. Streets of Bedlam doesn’t depart greatly from the rules presented in Savage World Deluxe. One of the benefits of that is, if you’re already familiar with Deadlands Reloaded!, Rippers, Realms of Cthulhu, and such, you don’t have to learn a new ruleset. Another benefit is you can bring any other character your group allows into a Streets of Bedlam campaign.

Archetypes provide a lot of flavor, speak to the core of both the world and neo-noir point-of-view of the setting, but you are not required to use them. Most of the folks in the game world are average citizens living everyday lives. If telling their stories interests you, by all means, tell them!

What else would you like to know?
What questions do you have about Archetypes? Or about Streets of Bedlam in general? I’d love to know what you’d like to know about the game. Leave a comment below!

—Jason L Blair, Writer & Game Designer

Violence is your stock in trade. It’s how you get by and how you settle scores. You don’t make friends easily but you’re dog-loyal to those few you have. Those that cross them will have to answer to you. You’re a protector of the weak but you’re no hero. Hell, sometimes you’re just the biggest thing in the room. When you do have to tussle, you get the job done—the quicker, the better. It’s the big enemies, the rare trophies, the ones that make it personal, that you take your time with—make the pain last nice and long. Teach them sons of bitches the true meaning of retribution.

Some folks call you a monster—and maybe that’s just what you are—but you’re the closest thing to a savior these streets’ll ever see. Because you know the truth. You can smell the stench of bullshit under all the flowery talk, and you know the system is just as crooked as that busted nose on your mug. You don’t buy into the spin or hollow promises—you know what makes Bedlam tick. And you know that one day, that tick is gonna go boom.