"You are a part of a mercenary group that is hired to investigate strange occurrences in the area around a certain mansion on a cliff-side by the sea for a hefty sum of money and this has piqued your interest in this case. You have made your way to the town of Duskhaven with your small group of like-minded individuals, the closest town to the mysterious mansion. You and your few fellow brave souls have gathered in the town to resupply and gather the latest information of the situation from the villagers. Apparently there are reports of... what only can be described as things that shouldn't be. Most worryingly the reports describe the things are getting more agitated as time have passed. A bad omen. The elder tells you that you and your party will get your pay when you have cleared the situation and have finished your mission and then return back here. Or rather, those will get the pay that return, if any of you manage to return at all..."
"Black Book" introduces you to an adventure where madness is a constant looming enemy for most, and perhaps a friend for some. While combat and brute force can solve many problems, creative solutions are encouraged and sometimes even required. A quill is mightier than a sword as they say - Perhaps not a quill, but when there's a will, there's often a way. There are plenty of options what to do both in and out of combat with many of your skills.
Black Book uses a rather hard magic system. Magic needs to be properly prepared for use, different people use different methods for this, most common are talismans or scrolls. While anyone could try their hand at magic should they have a talisman or two, it is difficult and taxing to pull off reliably. Even those that are well versed in the arts of magic can find their spells failing under pressure, but when successful, it is well worth the effort.
Combat uses an action point system, where you need to think ahead if you really need to use all your points offensively. Combat is brutal and that goes both ways: if the party does not cooperate well casualties can be expected. While wounds that are physical can be mended relatively easily, the scarring of one's mind is not so easy to fix...
Yet there is little time to rest. You must press on, for you feel like you are being watched.