All About Harbor of Blight Scenario Zero
So I thought it'd be worthwhile to discuss a little bit about Harbor of Blight Scenario Zero and what makes it such a unique experience. I originally created Scenario Zero to have a fun little prequel adventure so you could get a feel for the city before venturing out into the wilds of Blight in the main campaign. I also love self-contained books that are easy to just pick up and play without any need for reading instructions. Everyone who's played Scenario Zero so far has mentioned it's their favorite journey yet in HoB, so definitely encouraging! Ok on to the details!
Scenario Zero is a lot of things mashed into one fun little adventure, but most importantly it is your introduction to the largest city in the world of Blight, and where the bulk of humanity lives: Obsidian. And it's not just about Obsidian, it's very much about "you"! Where In the Blink of a Dragon's Eye was very much a story with two firm protagonists (Nibaa and Niijii), Scenario Zero is where the Harbor of Blight story shifts to your story. You are playing as your very own character, someone who lives their life in Obsidian and now has that urge to help out and protect others from the dangers that lurk beyond the massive walls. You're not quite in the Hunter's Guild yet, but the adventure in Scenario Zero is your final step before you join, so you feel really motivated to prove yourself. You also happen to be friends with Newl, the Elder of the Hunter's Guild, so you want to show him you have what it takes and aren't just there because of your friendship with him!
What will I be doing in Scenario Zero?
Talking much about anything in regard to Scenario Zero dwells into spoiler territory, but I will share more about how it starts and the city locations.
The setting is about a week before the holiday called Founder's Day. It dates back to the origins of the city being built, and is meant to be a day to honor the past, present, and future relationships you've made. Most residents offer three small gifts, called thrices (or thrice gifts), and leave them in the Grand Hall of the Elder Council building. Each of the three gifts is for someone who has been influential to you in your past, present, and (hopefully) future. As you make your way into the Grand Hall, you're alerted to a situation about how many of the thrice gifts have gone missing.
Now you may think, theft can't be that rare, can it? But in Obsidian, where everyone relies on each other for their very lives because of the dangers on Blight, it wouldn't even cross ones mind to take from one another. Also keep in mind the Elder Council Building is the main building of the city's government, and they don't exactly want to make thefts public knowledge unless absolutely necessary. So rather than officially asking the Hunter's Guild to assist with this, Newl and the current attendant turn to you to quietly uncover the truth, hopefully in time for Founder's Day. And this is where your journey begins, in the Elder Council Building, searching for clues as to why the thrices are missing.
You only have so much time to unravel this mystery, so you can only explore a limited amount of locations. Will you choose to people watch? Maybe go to the local tavern? Look at the city's gates to see if there is an outside threat? Maybe some of the Engineers, Merchants, or Hunters have seen something? The choices are up to you.
Once you've completed exploration, it's time for the Decision Phase, where you need to answer Newl's blunt question of, "So, who's dunnit?"
And no matter what choices you make, there of course needs to be a bit of combat. So be prepared for some dice throwing as well. If you've played the mini-RPGs from In the Blink of a Dragon's Eye, this is the next iteration of that system, leading up to the full system in the campaign.
Well, do you think you have what it takes to reach the True Ending?
Will I be able to Replay Scenario Zero?
You'll get two playthroughs worth of content in the 60 pages as well as the repeatable battle, 2 Achievements, and 4 endings based on your choices. The Achievements, just like the Achievements in In the Blink of a Dragon's Eye, will also unlock a unique item in the main campaign.
It's a book you'll want to keep in your collection as there's tons of lore, pictures and a couple easter eggs you'll want to come back to and reread for those "aha!" moments.
And the book is just plain gorgeous - something you'll want to have on your shelf. We went all out on this one instead of having stretch goals on the Kickstarter, you will by default get a glossy hardcover with premium full color pages and a bookmark ribbon to keep your place as you explore.
I highly suggest pairing it with the custom dice set we'll be offering, which was made just for this game's system. It is a set of d4, d6, and d20 dice. They're created a little "foggy" (one of the game's taglines is "what's hiding in the fog?") and the liquid-core sparkles with some elemental energy, and finally the numbers are golden to match the gold trim of a thrice gift. The d4 is extra special, aside from being a crystal d4 instead of a traditional pyramid shape, the "4" has been replaced with the symbol of Obsidian, the Dream Ankh. I have the sample set in hand and I absolutely love them, and once they're gone, they're gone.
Where can I buy Scenario Zero?
The Kickstarter launches on February 10th, 2026, and will have the best perks! Later in the year it will also be available in the Harbor of Blight store, conventions we attend (see announcements on our socials!), and some retail locations.
I hope you enjoy adventuring through Obsidian as much as I enjoyed creating it! I'm hoping to do more of these and next time I will either discuss Harbor of Blight Obsidian, or the overall universe timeline in Harbor of Blight, depending what I'm in the mood to write about! Join us in the HoB Discord and share your ideas and thoughts about the HoB universe! Or tell me what topic you'd like to hear a deeper dive about!
