|tltlJ1|l'lt

Fcar Itsc!f is a nev roIepIaying gane of personaI horror. This gane incIudes
and adds lo lhe CUMSHOL syslen, a noduIar ruIe sel fealured hrsl in Thc
EsntcrrnrIsts. Il conlines luIIel-proof invesligalive ruIes for pIaying and devising
advenlures, vilh a soIid sel of generaI aliIilies as veII as horror-specihc ruIes.
Iurlher nev reIeases viII luiId on lhe CUMSHOL foundalions here, and add
nev genre-appropriale fealures lo CUMSHOL for each lype of gane. Look for
UnrcmIttIng Hnrrnr, a suppIenenl lo lolh Fcar Itsc!f and Thc EsntcrrnrIsts.
?|| Jl`|
Over lhe Iasl fev years, lhere have leen nany deveIopnenls in lhe roIepIaying gane
design heId, and veve leen valching lhen vilh inleresl. A year ago ve devised a
sinpIe nev sel of ruIes for nev ganes ve are producing, our gane dogna.
Our nev ganes viII le:
Iun lo pIay
Lasy lo Iearn
Lasy lo leach
Lasy lo pIay
Innovalive
ApproachalIe
SuslainalIe
A CM shouId le alIe lo Iearn each gane in haIf an hour, nuances in a hour or so.
Il shouId le easy lo leach lhe lasics of lhe gane lo a novice in hfleen ninules. The
design shouId lake accounl of deveIopnenls in ganing over lhe Iasl len years and
offer sonelhing genuineIy originaI. CMs viII vanl lo run lhe gane line and line
again, and pIayers viII vanl lo pIay il.
|t|J'l!
IulIisher: 5Imnn Rngcrs
Wrillen y: RnbIn D Laws
Layoul And Arl Design: Jrmc HugucnIn
Arlvork: Jrmc HugucnIn, excepl p.53 Davc A!!snp
Incorporaling CUMSHOL naleriaI: AdrIan Bntt
Malrix of Misery: ErIk WcIsscngrubcr
?||l|!l|t!
Sleve Denpsey, Dave, IaoIo ongiovanni, Adrian Snilh, RaIf
Schennann, Slefanie Lhnke, RaIf Wagner, }oachin CaIIhoff Uve
KIsch, Chrisloph ReichoId, RaIf Schennann, Merl VuraIdi, RoIand
ahr, CIaus HaIIen, VoIker ManleI, Andreas RuesseI, IoIynancer Sludios Inc
IIaylesl Croup: Mike K, AIex C, Andy , Luis C, en I, MirieIIe L, Crace S, }aine M,
Louis-IhiIippe C, Sandra L, Kevin A, Kaneron S, Ieler , Mike D, Tonas Z, }oseph H,
Chris R, Rolerl C, Creg H, MiIes W, Mall K
J|||'|| l+|t\! ll
Lfhe and }uIia Huguenin, Ialien SaveIIi and AdeIine Iandin
|
|tltlJ1|l'lt J
Jl`| J
|t|J'l! J
|ltl|tl! |
|t||l't` |+|t||l|t! |
The Irenise 6
The Concepl 6
Slereolypes 7
Reslriclions On Concepls 9
Risk Iaclors 1O
The Worsl Thing You Lver Did 12
uying AliIilies 14
|l'|'l'|! l!
Invesligalive AliIilies 15
CeneraI AliIilies 2O
Isychic Iover 22
Sources Of SlaliIily 28
Whal Do You Wanl` 29
Afhnilies and Lnnilies (OplionaI) 3O
+| ?JJJ1| 1||! J!l| J
Why This Cane Lxisls 32
Myslery Slruclure 33
Iron Slruclure To Slory 34
Calhering CIues 34
|!l! Jl
SinpIe Tesls 37
Conlesls 39
Lxhauslion, Injury
and Cruesone Dealh 4O
HospilaI 41
Risk Iaclors and SlaliIily 48
Regaining IooI Ioinls 48
SlaliIily Cains 49
Inproving Your Characler 49
|t||l1t|! !1
The Myslery Man 5O
Ovvashi 52
J|!'`t't` J||t|t'l! !!
IersonaIized Horror 55
Slruclure 55
IIoaling Core CIues 56
1tt't` J||t|t'l! !l
Direcled Scenes 57
IIashlacks 57
Culavays 59
Mainlaining Menace 59
The SkeplicaI Aulhorilies
and olher Iinilalions 6O
'|! |lt ?|||t! |l
eIieve You Mighl e SuccessfuI 61
Iind a Way To e Iroaclive 61
When Sluck, Look Ior More
Infornalion 62
TaIk To IeopIe 62
Keep Moving Iorvard 62
Depulize YourseIf 63
Risk Iaclors Make You Aclive 63
Lnlrace IIashlacks
And Direcled Scenes 63
1|||t |t l+| |lt|! l ||
The Long Drive 65
The Accidenl 66
Live Aclion 68
Afler lhe Ioresl 78
The RiluaI 83
Dread LpiIogue 86
|+|t||l|t J+||l ??
|lt'/ l| !l|t ?J
|tJ|/ J1
|ltl|tl
!
Jl|l||tl 1| |t1|| |tl|tl
Fcar Itsc!f pIunges ordinary peopIe inlo a
dislurling conlenporary vorId of nadness and
vioIence. IIayers lake lhe roIes of reguIar foIks
nuch Iike lhenseIves, vho are inexoralIy dravn
inlo confronlalion vilh lhe crealures of lhe Ouler
Iack, an unearlhIy reaIn of aIien nenace. Wilh or
vilhoul ils dislinclive nylhoIogy, CMs can use il
lo repIicale lhe shudders and shocks of lhe horror
genre in lolh hIn and Iileralure.
Fcar Itsc!f serves as an ideaI pIalforn for one-shol
ganes, in vhich, Iike any seIf-respecling horror
ick, fev, if any, of lhe prolagonisls are expecled lo survive lhe
cIinax. Il can aIso le enpIoyed lo run ongoing canpaigns in vhich
lhe Ieading characlers graduaIIy discover nore aloul lhe dislurling
supernaluraI reaIily hiding in lhe shadovs of lhe ordinary vorId.
Over line, lhey grov nore adepl al conlaling lhen~or spiraI
lragicaIIy inlo insanily and dealh.
Fcar Itsc!f adapls lhe CUMSHOL ruIes syslen originaIIy presenled in
IeIgrane Iress Thc EsntcrrnrIsts, vhich is aIso a gane of supernaluraI
horror, lul pils uIlra-conpelenl operalives, supporled ly an veII-
resourced inlernalionaI organizalion, againsl lhe crealures of lhe
Ouler Iack and lhe eponynous hunan conspiracy lhal alels lheir
enlrance inlo lhe vorId. CMs Iooking lo run invesligalive proceduraIs
vilh a supernaluraI eIenenl nay prefer lo slick vilh lhe Lsolerrorisls,
perhaps using lhe sIighlIy differenl lake on lhe Unrenilling Horror
nylhoIogy presenled in lhis look.
The Lsolerrorisls encourages a lone resenlIing Tnc X-|i|cs, Mi||cnnium,
or Ccns|an|inc. Fcar Itsc!f lakes you cIoser lo lhe lerrilory of 28 Daqs
|a|cr, Ca|in |ctcr or |n |nc Mcu|n Of Mancss.
J|l||tl l| |t1|| 'tl|tl
The skin-cravIing
vorId of nodern
lerror descriled
here hrsl appeared
in Tnc 8cc| Of
Unrcmi||ing Hcrrcr,
a d2O suppIenenl
pulIished in 2OO5
ly IeIgrane Iress
Lld. LIenenls of
lhe vorId, lrealed
in a sonevhal
differenl vay,
appear in lhe
core CUMSHOL
producl, Tnc
|sc|crrcris|s. A nev
version of Tnc 8cc|
updaled lo lhe
ruIes presenled in
lhis voIune, viII le
avaiIalIe shorlIy.
|
|t||l't` |+|t||l|t!
Fcar Itsc!f characlers legin pIay as ordinary peopIe, unavare of lhe presence
of supernaluraI forces in lheir vorId. Theyre peopIe Iike lhe pIayers, fron
nornaI vaIks of Iife. Their lackgrounds nay sIighlIy prepare lhen for
confronlalions vilh danger, lul such experience nay onIy Iend lhen lhe
overconhdence needed lo vaIk headhrsl inlo lhe shredder.
Lven characlers vilh experlise in Iav enforcenenl, lhe niIilary or olher
danger-ready occupalions viII le reIaliveIy inexperienced, see sidelar.
+| ?t|'!|
Your CM viII prolalIy presenl you vilh a series prenise lo use
as a springloard in characler crealion. The prenise expIains vhal
lhe characlers have in connon, and requires you lo creale your IC
vilhin cerlain loundaries.
Examp!c prcmIscs mIght Inc!udc :
- You are aII sludenls al lhe sane high schooI
- Youre reguIars al a hipsler coffee shop in a lohenian
neighlorhood
- Youre passengers on a cruise ship
- Youre forner nenlers of lhe sane arny unil
-Youre cIienls and slaff nenlers of an upscaIe nenlaI
inslilulion
+| |lt|||l
The hrsl slep in characler crealion is lo choose a cnnccpt. The lesl
concepls are quick and punchy, consisling of an adjeclive and
a noun. The noun leIIs you vho lhe characler is al hrsl gIance,
vhiIe lhe adjeclive nodihes il vilh addilionaI delaiI. Unexpecled
conlinalions of verl and noun can Iead lo conpeIIing, originaI-
seening characlers.
Examp!c cnnccpts: surIy secrelary, nanic parly girI,
slandofhsh rocker, elhereaI copy shop cIerk, inlense conic
look coIIeclor, sloIid reporler, nervous aclress, depressed
accounlanl, drunken vriler, condescending ofhce nanager,
arroganl saIesnan, fasl-laIking dog lrainer, Ioulish
seninarian, perky vailress, lIissfuI sIacker, handsone
ganlIer, exlroverled scienlisl, aIienaled callie.
UnIess lhe CM leIIs you olhervise, assune lhal lhe gane lakes
pIace in a reaIislic version of lhe vorId as ve knov il. If you suggesl
lhal your cruise ship passenger is a ninja assassin fron lhe Ninely-
Nine KiIIer Arny, le prepared lo le reninded lhal nodern-day
Characler Crealion
Quick Reference
Taking inlo
accounl lhe series
prenise, creale
your concepl. (May
or nay nol le a
slereolype.)
Choose a risk
faclor.
Specify lhe vorsl
lhing you ever did.
(CM nay defer
lhis slage unliI one
or lvo sessions of
pIay.)
uy aliIilies.
Specify sources of
slaliIily.
(Al lhe hrsl
session, afler you
hear descriplions
of olher ICs) SeIecl
lhe pIayer characler
you nosl Iike
(your afhnily) and
nosl disIike (your
ennily.) This slep
is onilled if lhe
nain characlers
donl knov each
olher lefore lhe
hrsl scenario
legins.
l
ninja assassins are pureIy fancifuI characlers.
Ask for lhe CMs approvaI lefore crealing a characler
vhose lackslory incIudes a pre-exisling faniIiarily vilh
lhe occuIl, especiaIIy of genuineIy supernaluraI evenls.
In nany cases lhe CM viII vanl a casl of characlers vho
have no idea lhal nonslers and denons reaIIy exisl.
If lhe CM hnds lhal your proposed concepl doesnl
quile hl, sheII vork vilh you lo preserve lhe lasic sorl
of characler you vanl lo pIay, vhiIe sliII conforning lo
her overaII franevork for lhe series.
J||1?|J
Many pIayers hnd il easy lo drean up characler
concepls for high-ying space operas or grilly fanlasy
epics lul lecone conpIeleIy slunped vhen asked
lo invenl perfeclIy ordinary peopIe lhey nighl neel
on lhe slreel. They nay hnd il usefuI lo pick fron a
Iisl of connon genre slereolypes

. Aslule readers viII

nole lhal lhese are lhe sane lypes lhal appear in leen
conedies. Thals lecause nosl horror slories vilh
nuIlipIe prolagonisls are narkeled lo lhe sane leenage
audience. Many groups nay prefer lo add dinension lo
lhese characlers ly pulling a decade or so of age and Iife
experience on lhen. This gives you lhe posl-graduale
good girI, lhe aging jock, and so on.
?llJ ?'t|
The good girI is an ordinary young vonan. If nol chasle,
shes nore nodesl and circunspecl aloul her sexuaIily
lhan lhe olher young vonen in lhe casl of characlers.
Snarl and caulious, she lecones lhe uIlinale prize of
lhe shadovy forces slaIking lhe group~oflen proving
herseIf nore delernined lo survive lhan lhose around
her. LxanpIe: }anie Lee Curlis in Ha||cuccn.
J|/ ?'t|
Dressing provocaliveIy and aIvays ready for a quick
roII in lhe hay, lhe sexy girI acls as foiI lo lhe good girI.
Oflen shes nasly in lolh senses of lhe vord, rudeIy
asserling her sociaI superiorily. The sexy girI oflen
neels a grisIy end lypicaI of lhe genres lvisled version
of OId Teslanenl noraIily (see Iaris HiIlon in Hcusc
Of Iax) lul nay evoIve inlo a leller person vorlhy of
survivaI (Iranka Iolenle in Crccp.)
ll|\ | Jl1J
The naIe equivaIenl of lhe sexy girI, lhe jock/slud
is lhe sociaIIy doninanl aIpha naIe vho lypihes
nascuIine vaIues, oflen in a
negalive vay. He is oflen
paired vilh lhe sexy girI.
He nay prove hinseIf
vorlhy and die nolIy
or eslalIish hinseIf
as a shilheeI and die
ignoniniousIy, lul
eilher vay hes
headed for lhe
chopping lIock.
LxanpIe:
NicoIas
Le Ihal Tan,
Snci|an
|t||l't` |+|t||l|t!

In lhe case of olher genres, il is lhe praclice of gane designers lo aller lhe audience and leII lhen lhal lheyre pIaying nol lhe IovIy
slereolypes of Iane pop cuIlure, lul lhe elernaI, psychoIogicaIIy resonanl archelypes of nylh and Iileralure. Iorgel lhal noise. Horror,
especiaIIy in cinenalic forn, lhrives on oulrighl slock characlers. This nay le lecause ils a disrepulalIe genre calering lo hacky crealive
inslincls, lul nore IikeIy ils use of slereolype goes hand in hand vilh lhe sociaI/sexuaI anxielies lhe genre so oflen dallIes in.
?
Jt|'t
The lrain is lhe guy, oflen
exaggeraledIy geeky,
equipped vilh lhe olscure
lackground infornalion
needed lo hgure oul
vhals lrying lo kiII lhe
group, and vhy. His
undoulled skiII vilh
conpulers nay le
augnenled vilh a
generaI experlise
in inprovisalory
gadgelry. In sociaI
silualions he nay
le lelrayed ly his
ovn conpuIsiveIy
avkvard lehavior,
or sinpIy see his
Iegilinale concerns
casuaIIy disnissed ly
his nore vorIdIy casl-
nales. LxanpIe: Cory
LeCros, Tnc |as| Iin|cr
|1l+lt'l |'`1t|
This is lhe proleclive
conlal experl characler,
oflen oIder lhan lhe olher
characlers, vho leaches lhen lo hghl lack againsl
lhe crealures of darkness. His fale in a horror novie
is oflen lo lile lhe dusl al lhe end of lhe second acl,
lo furlher inlensify lhe jeopardy faced ly lhe olher
characlers. A characler run ly a caulious roIepIayer
nay achieve a Ionger Iifespan. LxanpIe: Ving Rhanes,
Daun Of |nc Dca
J1tt 11l
This conic reIief characler is lhe quinlessenliaI sIacker,
his senses so lIurred ly pol snoke lhal he faiIs lo see
lhe enornily of his jeopardy unliI ils lragicaIIy loo Iale.
In an ongoing Fcar Itsc!f canpaign, his cheery good
nalure and duIIed perceplions nay lurn oul lo le a
surprisingIy effeclive survivaI nechanisn.
AIlhough hes nol a horror characler per se, lhe
IIalonic exenpIar of lhis lype renains rad Iill in Truc
Rcmancc.
?llJ ?1
Here ve hnd lhe naIe everynan characler, oflen
young, frequenlIy presenled vilh a nininun of
specihc delaiI, so lhal audience nenlers can projecl a
sense of idenlihcalion onlo hin. He prolecls olhers and
relains a lasic, connon-sense noraIily no naller hov
dire circunslances lecone. LxanpIe: CiIIian Murphy
in 28 Daqs |a|cr.
?t|||+|t |t
A genre vhere eviI lakes on soIid forn inviles queslions
of reIigious failh. The priesl or preacher is a slandard
hgure in supernaluraI horror, especiaIIy lhe deviI
vorship sulgenre (Tnc
|xcrcis|, 8|css |nc Cni|,
|xcrcism Of |mi|q Rcsc.)
ReIigious hgures
lrained in lheir
cuIlures exorcisn
lechniques nay
le alIe lo hoId
crealures of lhe
Ouler Iack al lay.
Or nayle nol.
LxanpIe: Harvey
KeileI, |rcm Dus|
Ti| Daun.
J
Prcgcncratcd
Charactcrs
Wilh lhe exceplion of
a fev TV series and
conics vilh ongoing
casls of characlers,
nosl vorks of horror
are cIosed-ended, vilh
hnile concIusions. In
nany inslances lhey
dispose of nosl or aII of
lheir Ieading characlers
ly lhe line lheyre
done. CMs vishing lo
repIicale lhis slruclure
are slrongIy advised lo
creale lheir ovn casls
of ICs and pass lhen
around lo lheir pIayers
for divvying. If youre
onIy pIanning on four
lo six hours of pIay,
youre vasling your
pIayers line ly asking
lhen lo spend even
hfleen ninules luiIding
lheir characlers. This
is especiaIIy inporlanl
in convenlion pIay,
vhich requires hnile
sloryIines.
Depending on your
pIayers loIerance
for pregeneraled
characlers, you nighl
consider using lhen
even for Ionger series.
This aIIovs you lo
fashion laIes of personaI
lerror, arising fron lhe
characlers very specihc
supporl nelvorks, pasl
hislories, and neuroses.
Then again, a lrue
coIIaloralion lelveen
CM and pIayers viII
IikeIy le even nore
nenoralIe for aII
concerned.
t|!lt'|l'lt!
1t |lt|||l!
When a CM announces lhe
slarl of a slraighl-up horror
gane, lhere are cerlain
characler lypes nearIy every
pIayer gravilales lovards.
Hovever, if everylody
pIays one of lhese lypes, lhe
group conposilion lecones
skeved, and varping lhe feeI
of lhe gane so lhal il Ionger
resenlIes a lypicaI horror
slory. (Ils lhe lragedy of lhe
connons, vilh hil dice.)
In Fcar Itsc!f, lhe CM
prevenls lhis fron occurring
ly inposing quolas. OnIy one
pIayer per group nay choose
each of lhe coveled characler
lypes. IIayers decide lelveen
lhenseIves, ly vhalever
neans of negolialion lhey
desire, vho gels lo pIay lhen.
Wise groups viII ensure lhal
lheir conlal speciaIisl is
pIayed ly a nenler vilh a
good allendance record.
The reslricled lypes are:
- cnmbat / InvcstIgatInn
cxpcrt. This calch-aII incIudes
poIice ofhcers, niIilary
velerans, karale chanpions,
privale eyes, and any olher
lype vilh a siniIar skiII sel.
When in doull as lo vhelher
a characler faIIs inlo lhis ever-
popuIar calegory, CMs are
enjoined lo judge rulhIessIy.
This is a singIe characler~
nol one conlal experl and
a separale invesligalive
speciaIisl.
- psychIc. Ior nore on psychic
povers, see p. 22.
Iurlher, characlers of eilher calegory are funlIing,
resource-slarved exponenls of lheir lype. Characlers
nusl Iack nol onIy innale aliIily, lul aIso opporlunily
lo caII on poverfuI palrons or organizalions for heIp.
IIayers choosing such characlers nusl expIain vhy lhe
Iack lhe fuII vherevilhaI olhervise indicaled ly lheir
lackground. The nosl olvious oplion is lo nake lhe
characler young and unseasoned.
IIayers can nake lheir conlal/invesligalive experls
arny lrainees, poIice acadeny cadels, or apprenlice
privale eyes vorking for lheir I.I. uncIes on veekends.
Or you can go lo lhe olher end of lhe age speclrun
and creale inhrn and forgelfuI relirees. AIlernaleIy,
lhe characlers nay le nere seIf-laughl vannales, or
vashouls, cashiered for skeevy lehavior.
CMs shouId varn pIayers vanling lo pIay lhe conlal/
invesligalive characler lhal lheyre picking an especiaIIy
fragiIe characler lype. The horror genre lends lovard
an inlenseIy skeplicaI viev of aulhorily hgures. If lhe
aulhorilies vere any good, lheyd le alIe lo rescue you
fron lhe creeping lhings up in lhe alandoned house.
Inslead, lheyre never lhere vhen you need lhen, or
are sIaughlered vilh near-conic efhciency as soon as
lhey appear. (The enduring exanpIe of lhe ineffecluaI
aulhorily hgure in horror is Marlin aIsan as lhe
deleclive vho goes snooping inlo lhe ales residence
in Psqcnc.)
Likevise, psychic characlers are in sone vay vuIneralIe
or veak. Mosl shouId le experiencing lheir povers for
lhe hrsl line. AIlernaleIy, lhey nighl have spenl years
lIocking oul lheir aliIilies afler an iniliaI run-in vilh
lhe Ouler Iack, or couId le relurning lo sanily afler a
Ienglhy psycholic lreak. Al any rale, lheyII le isoIaled
fron olher psychics~if any olhers even exisl in lhe
CMs vorId.
AIso Iike conlal lypes, psychics are especiaIIy fragiIe.
WhiIe aulhorily hgures are oflen lhe hrsl lo gel kiIIed,
psychics gel priorily sealing in lhe ruller roon. Their
unearlhIy perceplions aIIov lhen lo see nore lhan
ordinary peopIe, and in a pIace slaIked ly unrenilling
horror, lhals a lad lhing indeed. Warn vouId-le
psychics of lhe inherenl hazards of lheir characler
choice.
CMs vanling lo enphasize lhe conlrasl lelveen
nundane characlers and supernaluraI eviI are free lo
disaIIov psychic characlers aIlogelher. They
nay le especiaIIy incIined lo do so vhen
t|!lt'|l'lt lt |lt|||l!
l1
repIicaling lhe non-supernaluraI sIasher sul-genre,
lypihed ly Hcs|c|, Tnc Dcti|s Rcjcc|s and Tcxas Cnainsau
Massacrc.
No group is olIigaled lo incIude eilher a psychic or a
conlal/invesligalive experl.
'!\ |||llt!
One recurring queslion ledeviIs any pIoller of horror
slories: unq cn| |ncq jus| run auaq? When lhe audience
inlenseIy idenlihes vilh characlers in jeopardy, you
vanl lhen lo gel oul of danger. Hovever, lhe characlers
canl gel oul of danger, or your horror laIe is over.
Hovever, lecause pIol arises oul of characler, CMs
need lo enIisl lheir pIayers heIp in giving lhe ICs good
reason lo go dovn inlo lhal dark lasenenl even vhen
aII exlernaI Iogic cries olhervise.
During characler crealion, afler arriving al lhe concepl,
each pIayer chooses a rIsk factnr. This is a lasic
conponenl of lhe characlers psyche lhal nolivales
hin lo risk horrihc encounlers. When presenled vilh
a silualion lhal lriggers lhe risk faclor, lhe characler is
olIigaled lo pIunge deeper inlo jeopardy, or suffer a
Ioss of SlaliIily ~ see p. 44.
Lach risk faclor noles a characler lype for vhich il is
especiaIIy suilalIe. These are jusl guideIines. HighIy
originaI characlers can le crealed via unusuaI nalch-
ups of lypes and risk faclors, as in lhe skeplicaI sexy
girI, or lhe good guy drug hend.
IIayers nay propose risk faclors nol provided here,
lul you shouId feeI free lo rejecl lhen if lhey slrain
crediliIily, or if you canl innedialeIy lhink of lhree
vays lo incorporale lhen inlo a scenario.
If youre having lroulIe choosing a risk faclor, go for
Curious or Iroleclive. olh of lhese choices keep your
characler synpalhelic, engage you in a vide variely of
horror silualions, and diclale IillIe eIse aloul your ICs
personaIily.
AIlhough youre onIy olIigaled lo lake one risk faclor,
you nay seIecl nore lhan one if required for your
desired characlerizalion. Many foIks in reaI Iife exhilil
nore lhan one of lhese risk faclors.
|1t'l1!
When confronled ly a nyslery, you canl heIp lul
invesligale. Dann lhe risks, lheres sonelhing going
on here and youre going lo hgure il oul! You nay le
a dedicaled scienlisl, envisioning lhe fane and gIory
lhal viII redound lo you vhen you pulIish lhis in
your scienlihc paper. Or you nighl sinpIy le a Iaynan
delernined lo lurn every queslion nark inlo a period.
Lilher vay, you deIve heedIessIy dovn inlo darkened
lasenenls, open dusly cofhns, and recile lhe spidery
incanlalions vrillen on crunlIing nanuscripls.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: rain
J'!'!!'|
You hale leing loId vhal do lo. No naller vhal your
age, you relain lhe perceived innorlaIily of youlh. So
if soneone leIIs you nol lo go inlo an oId dark house,
youre going lo shov lhen lhal fear is for Iesser norlaIs.
Donl vorry! There are pIenly of lad lhings in lhe
vorId, lul lhey aIvays happen lo olher peopIe.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: Sexy CirI
ll
Jt1` |'|tJ
Youve never nel a psycholropic chenicaI you didnl
Iike. You nay le addicled lo one or nore of lhen even
as ve speak. If so, youII lake any slupid risk, if il neans
a chance lo gel high.
You nay le jaded ly nalures vasl pharnacopia, and
seeking nev chenicaI lhriIIs. Word of a nev high,
especiaIIy if ils rare, naughly, and avaiIalIe onIy lo a
fev, sends you inlo a lizzy of desire. YouII open any
door, enler inlo any conpany, for a lasle of nexl years
exolic luzz.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: urn Oul,
psychic
?t||J
Lel olhers have lheir kinks and quirks. Youre a
slraighlforvard, honesl feIIov, vho seeks lhal vhich
nan has soughl for aII elernily. MaleriaI veaIlh.
Money. CoId. AII lhe loys and slalus lhal redound lo
lhe nan gifled vilh a fal lank accounl. Whelher youre
Iiving in lhreadlare squaIor or svanning aloul a chic
penlhouse, youre sliII Iooking for lhal lig, hnaI score.
(If you gol il, youd le happy for a day lefore you
upped your anlilions and slarled Iooking for a reaIIy,
reaIIy lig score. ul so vhal`)
YouII lake any risk if lheres a chance of signihcanl
prohl in il.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: }ock / Slud
?1t` Jl
Sone nen vere lorn lo le lrod upon. You vere lorn
lo le lhe lreader. Youre a lig, lad nuscIe nachine~or
inlend lo lecone one. Lver since you vere a kid, lhe
sighl of a shiny veapon nade you saIivale. A veak
sociely ruIed ly vussies has kepl you dovn unliI nov,
depriving you of opporlunilies lo crush your enenies
lenealh your ever-eager lool heeIs. Mayle you vere
lurned dovn for lhe poIice acadeny afler you faiIed lhe
psych evaIualion, on accounl of your enlhusiaslicaIIy
expressed vioIenl fanlasies. Or even lhe arny. Whal
kind of veak-kneed, poIilicaIIy correcl arny lurns
dovn a guy lecause he dreans of kiIIing, anyhov`
You reacl lo danger, especiaIIy lo reporls of supernaluraI
nonslers, vilh gIee. This is vhal you vere pul on lhis
earlh for. To shool queslions and ask ansvers hrsl. Wail
a ninule.
Anyhov, youII slep inlo any silualion lhal nighl
reIieve lhe ilch on your lrigger hnger.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: conlal/
invesligalive experl
Jltt
They say lhal lhe lrain is lhe Iargesl sexuaI organ of
aII, lul in your case, your higher reasoning shuls off
vhen lhe privale parls lurn on. When faced vilh a
choice lelveen caulion and lhe opporlunily for sexuaI
advenlure, lhe leasl vilh lvo lacks vins every line.
The vhiff of danger nereIy sharpens your sense of
Iilerlinisn. Whip cracks` The cIank of chains` A dank,
sIiny orgy sile in lhe niddIe of novhere` Mufed
screans, on lhe olher side of lhe curlain` Youre
aIready slripping off your T-shirl! Whal couId possilIy
go vrong`
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: }ock / Slud,
Sexy girI
1l|''l1!
You donl seek oul danger so nuch as you have a
lad halil of slunlIing inlo il, unavares. You see lhe
vorId, and ils polenliaI lhreals, lhrough rose-coIored
gIasses. Through a conlinalion of lad Iuck, alsenl-
nindedness, and an overIy lrusling allilude, you drifl
inlo lad neighlorhoods, faII inlo lraps, and lrespass
vhere sensilIe peopIe are nol neanl lo lread.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: urn Oul, Cood
CirI
?tll||l'|
Thoughls of your ovn safely nean IillIe lo you vhen
olhers are al risk. You nay leII yourseIf lhal you care
onIy for yourseIf and your innediale friends, lul vhen
lhe chips are dovn, youII Ieap inlo lhe hre for any
deserving person in need of heIp. You vonl sacrihce
your Iife poinlIessIy, lul nay le prone lo overeslinale
your capacily lo effecl needed rescues.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: Cood Cuy,
Cood CirI, Ireacher Man, Aulhorily Iigure
J\||l'|||
A heaIlhy sense of disleIief can lurn falaI in a vorId
vhere lhings reaIIy do go lunp in lhe nighl. Youre
a card-carrying delunking ralionaIisl, conslilulionaIIy
incapalIe of leIieving in lhe supernaluraI. Despile
your ferocious defense of lhe scienlihc
t'!\ |||llt
l
nelhod and deduclion fron avaiIalIe facls, no anounl
of hrsl-hand evidence can svay you lo accepling in
lhe reaIily of lhe Ouler Iack. When faced vilh an
Unrenilling Horror, you rush lovard il, hoping lo
hnd lhe vires, lhe Ialex proslhelics, and lhe hidden
IA syslen. Lven vhen you adnil lhal one incidenl
nighl have leen genuineIy supernaluraI, lhal doesnl
slop you fron heedIessIy lrying lo delunk sulsequenl
nanifeslalions. Lven if O.OOOO1 of cases are genuineIy
paranornaI, lhal doesnl nean lhal lhe lIood corpse
charging lovard you righl nov is anylhing olher lhan
a nan in a ruller suil. Why, you can praclicaIIy see lhe
zippe.ACCHH!!
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: rain
+t'||J||\'t`
Danger is your niddIe nane. If youre a person of
neans and experience, youve done il aII: sky-diving,
lase-junping, scula diving in shark-infesled valers.
If youre young and vilhoul resources, you sellIe for
lhe line-honored dangers of leenage Iife, fron eIevalor
riding lo drag racing. Lilher vay, lhe possiliIily of
inninenl dealh gives you an adrenaIine rush nore
salisfying lhan any arlihciaI chenicaI. Dank caverns`
Monslers` ring 'en on, laly.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: Slud / }ock
|t`||1|
When soneone hurls you or your Ioved ones, you canl
resl unliI lhe vrongdoers receive lheir coneuppance.
Hurl can nean genuine injury, or jusl dislress,
enlarrassnenl or insuIl. In facl, any kind of hghl vorks
for you, so Iong as you can feeI lhe fueI of righleous
indignalion coursing lhrough your veins. You nay
vage il vilh hsls or al a dislance, lhrough salolage and
nanipuIalion, lul eilher vay, you forgel or dovngrade
lhe risks you face as you pursue your canpaign of
relrilulion. Hol, coId ~ revenge is a dish youre ready
lo serve al any line, al any cosl.
EspccIa!!y apprnprIatc fnr: Ireacher Man,
Aulhorily Iigure
+| ilt!l +'t` l1 ||t J'J
Horror slories oflen revoIve around issues of guiIl and
redenplion. (WeII, nore oflen ils guiIl and deslruclion,
lul youII hgure oul a vay for your characler lo survive
againsl aII odds, vonl you`) As such, each pIayer is
required lo specify vhal dark secrels your characler
nighl feeI guiIly aloul.
Examp!cs:
-parliaIIy responsilIe for accidenlaI dealh
of a Ioved one
-kiIIed in seIf-defense
-enlezzIed noney
-sloIe soneones loyfriend or girIfriend
-connilled incesl
-crashed your parenls car and Iied aloul il
-valched a gang rape and didnl inlervene
or reporl anyone
-nissed an inporlanl faniIy occasion
lecause you vere high
-leal a guy up lecause he lriggered your
suppressed honosexuaI inpuIses
-chealed on an exan
-faIseIy accused sonelody of a crine
-kiIIed an aninaI for fun
-dispIayed covardice in a crisis
-pIagiarized lhe nanuscripl of your lesl-
seIIing noveI fron an unpulIished vriler
-iIIegaIIy dovnIoaded a roIepIaying look,
chealing slruggIing crealive peopIe of
needed incone
You gel lo decide your characlers allilude lovard lhis
pasl acl, vhalever il is. Il nighl haunl hin conslanlIy,
or lveak al his conscience onIy on speciaI occasions.
Your characler nighl le in a deep slale of deniaI,
prelending lhal il doesnl naller or even lhal il never
happened lhe vay everyone says il did. A coId and
unfeeIing characler nay recaII his vrongdoing vilh
lIilhe disregard. An oulrighl psychopalh nighl lake
pride in his crueIesl nisdeeds.
If youre concerned for your characlers Iong-lern
survivaI, renenler lhal CMs inslincliveIy nudge
evenls lovard salisfying concIusions. Synpalhelic
characlers aInosl invarialIy oulIive lheir naslier
counlerparls. Cenuine guiIl, provided il isnl laken lo
angsly, seIf-invoIved exlrenes, is nore appeaIing lhan
caIIous unconcern.
lJ
IIayers porlraying earneslIy virluous characlers nay pick conparaliveIy
ninor nisdeeds, provided lhal lheir characlers feeI an enornous sense of
guiIl over lhen.
Il is enlireIy possilIe lhal your characler unfairIy lIanes hinseIf for evenls
leyond his conlroI. He nay le an aluse viclin, irralionaIIy convinced lhal he
vas sonehov conpIicil in crines perpelraled againsl hin. His roIe in nixing
up his grandnolhers piIIs lefore her falaI hearl allack nighl le aII in his
head. CuiIl doesnl have lo correspond lo oljeclive reaIily lo nanifesl ilseIf
as a polenliaIIy crippIing psychoIogicaI veakness.
The skeIelon in your cIosel is reveaIed lo lhe olher characlers onIy if you
choose lo do so. You nighl keep il as a dark secrel or procIain il lhrough
sIurred Iips on fron every lar slooI in lovn. Il nighl le lhal your offense is
an infanous naller of pulIic record, and lhal everyone vho foIIovs lhe nevs
knovs vhal you did. Mayle you kiIIed your vife, for exanpIe, lul vere
acquilled of lhe crine afler a noloriousIy lolched proseculion.
Wa!kIng thc
Psychn path
Cel cIearance fron
your CM lefore
pIaying an alsoIule
nulcase. She has
pIenly of nasly
anlagonisls in slore
for lhe pIayers
aIready and nay
nol need you lo
nenace lhe group
fron vilhin. Sone
groups, even vilhin
lhe grin and falaIislic
franevork of lhe
horror genre, lake
genuine unlrage
vhen a pIayer vorks
againsl lheir inleresls.
TruIy sociopalhic
characlers nay le
leller suiled for one-
shol convenlion runs,
or guesl appearances
vherein a visiling
pIayer lriey lakes
parl in an ongoing
series.
Isychopalhic
characlers shouId
lake a nunler of
lhe foIIoving risk
faclors: disnissive,
drug hend, gung ho,
horny, lhriII-seeking,
and vengefuI. Cive
yourseIf a poor
SlaliIily raling. Al
lhe CMs discrelion,
you nay aIso suffer
a +1 nodiher on aII
SlaliIily roII DifhcuIly
Nunlers.
l+| ilt!| l+'t` l1 ||t J'J
l|
J1't` |l'|'l'|!
Slarling Fcar Itsc!f characlers receive a varialIe nunler of poinls lo luy
invesligalive aliIilies, depending on group size, and 6O poinls lo purchase
generaI aliIilies.
# l| ||||t! |t|!l'`|l'| J1'|J ?l'tl!
2 16
3 12
4+ 1O
IIayers vho can onIy allend every nov and lhen gel lhe sane nunler of
invesligalive luiId poinls as everyone eIse, lul are nol counled lovard lhe
lolaI vhen deciding hov nany poinls lo aIIocale.
No naller hov nany pIayers you have in your group, everyone gels 6O
poinls lo spend on generaI aliIilies. AII pIayers gel lhe 1 poinl in HeaIlh and
1 in SlaliIily for free. Characlers vho are neilher conlal experls or psychics
nay purchase lhe generaI aliIily of IIeeing al a rale of 2 raling poinls for each
luiId poinl spenl. If youre having lroulIe spending aII of your poinls, luy
nore IIeeing.
Jl| |l'|'l'|! |t| |||||J.
If an invesligalive aliIily is capped, you canl luy il during characler crealion,
unIess you are lhe groups residenl conlal/invesligalion experl. You can add
il lo your characler during pIay, lul onIy ly juslifying in-characler hov you
acquired lhis faniIiarily. Mayle youve Iearned sone lips fron lhe residenl
experl, or have laken a nighl course.
If a generaI aliIily is capped, and you are nol lhe groups residenl conlal/
invesligalive experl, lhe naxinun vaIue you can ever purchase in lhal aliIily,
al lhe slarl or during pIay, is haIf lhe vaIue (rounding up, if necessary) lhal lhe
conlal/invesligalive experl has invesled in il.
]csics cnarac|cr, pc|icc cac| Sna|ira cMcracs, is |nc grcups rcsicn|
ccm|a|/intcs|iga|itc cxpcr|. During cnarac|cr crca|icn, ]csic |uqs 8 pcin|s
cf Sncc|ing, a cappc a|i|i|q. Tnc c|ncr p|aqcrs arc a|| |imi|c |c 4 cr fcucr
pcin|s cf Sncc|ing.
Afler severaI sessions, she increases her Shooling lo 1O. Nov any olher pIayer
nay increase lheir Shooling raling up lo 5.
In lhe unIikeIy evenl lhal no one in your group vanls lo pIay a conlal/
invesligalive speciaIisl, lhe olher pIayers nay luy onIy 1 poinl of any capped
invesligalive aliIily, and no nore lhan 4 poinls of any capped generaI aliIily.
5pcndIng GuIdc!Incs
If youre nev lo lhe
syslen and unsure as lo
hov lo spend your luiId
poinls, use lhe foIIoving
quick pick nelhod.
-Ior Invesligalive
AliIilies, go lhrough lhe
Iisl as a group, naking
sure you have aII of
lhese aliIilies covered.
Once youve chosen your
aliIilies, spend your
renaining poinls on
your favoriles. Conlal/
invesligalion lypes shouId
spend an exlra poinl or
lvo on Cop TaIk and
Invesligalive Irocedure.
-Ior CeneraI aliIilies,
luy 8-12 poinls in HeaIlh
and SlaliIily. Iick lhree
or four olher highIighl
aliIilies and luy around
8 poinls in each. Then
spread around lhe
renaining poinls lelveen
lhe olher aliIilies.
When in doull, invesl
in IIeeing. Conlal/
invesligalive characlers
shouId concenlrale on
Scufing and Shooling,
and lo a Iesser exlenl,
AlhIelics, Drive, and
InhIlralion. Isychic
characlers shouId lreal
lheir psychic aliIily as
an area of concenlralion,
prolalIy lheir lesl one.
LspeciaIIy in lhe case of
CeneraI aliIilies, lhese
are guideIines for crealing
a perfeclIy servicealIe
laseIine characler. IeeI
free lo deviale fron
lhen, vilhin lhe ruIes, lo
creale unusuaI characler
concepls. If you vanl lo
le alIe lo lake endIess
physicaI punishnenl,
exceed lhe reconnended
HeaIlh. If you vanl
lo slarl oul as onIy
narginaIIy sane, skinp on
SlaliIily poinls, and so on.
l!
Isychic povers are inherenlIy capped. If you arenl lhe
groups designaled psychic, you canl lake lhen al aII.
Anolher Iinil appIies lo generaI aliIilies: your second
highesl raling (aside fron IIeeing) nusl le al Ieasl haIf
lhal of lhe highesl raling (aside fron IIeeing.)
|ri| uan|s |c natc a S|a|i|i|q ra|ing cf 30. Tnis
rcquircs nim |c |a|c a| |cas| cnc c|ncr a|i|i|q a| 15.
Tnis ucu| |catc nim cn|q 15 pcin|s |c spcn cn a||
cf |nc c|ncr gcncra| a|i|i|ics. |ri| rcccnsicrs, cp|ing
fcr a |cucr S|a|i|i|q, sc nc can spcn nis c|ncr pcin|s
mcrc frcc|q.
If you vanl, you can save luiId poinls fron characler
crealion lo spend Ialer. If your CM is running an
ongoing series, you viII accunuIale addilionaI luiId
poinls during pIay.
|l'|'l'|!
The foIIoving aliIilies are avaiIalIe lo Fcar Itsc!f
characlers. AliIilies foIIoved ly an aslerisk are
capped.
|t|!l'`|l'| |l'|'l'|!
The foIIoving aliIilies are lhe
lread and luller of CUMSHOL
characlers.
AliIily descriplions consisl of a
lrief generaI descriplion, foIIoved
ly exanpIes of lheir use in a slory.
Crealive pIayers shouId le alIe lo
propose addilionaI uses for lheir
aliIilies as unexpecled silualions
confronl lheir characlers.
Cerlain specihc aclions nay overIap
lelveen a coupIe of aliIilies. Ior
exanpIe, you can enhance inage
resoIulion vilh eilher Conpuler
Science or Iholography.
Sone aliIilies, Iike Research, are
lroadIy usefuI, and viII crop up
conslanlIy. Olhers nay le caIIed
for nany lines in lhe course of one
scenario, and nol al aII in olhers.
When luiIding your characler,
slrike a laIance lelveen lhe reIialIe
vorkhouse aliIilies and lheir exolic,
speciaIized counlerparls.
Invesligalive aliIilies are divided
inlo lhe foIIoving sul-groups:
Acadenic, InlerpersonaI, and
TechnicaI. The purpose of lhe sul-
groups is lo aIIov you lo quickIy
hnd lhe lesl aliIily for lhe lask
during pIay, ly scanning lhe nosl
IikeIy porlion of lhe overaII Iisl.
J1||!+'l J|l||llt ||tl|t||t!lt||
You can leII vhen peopIe are Iying.
You nusl usuaIIy le inleracling vilh
lhen or olserving lhen fron a cIose dislance,
lul sonelines you can spol Iiars on
|l'|'l'|!
|||J|'|
Hislory
Hunanilies
Languages
Lav
NaluraI Hislory
OccuIl Sludies
Research
SociaI Sciences
Trivia
|tl|t||t!lt||
uIIshil Deleclor
ureaucracy
Cop TaIk
IIallery
IIirling
Inpersonale
Inlerrogalion
Inlinidalion
Negolialion
Reassurance
Slreelvise
||+t'|||
Invesligalive Irocedure*
Iholography
Science
?!|+'| ?li|t!
Mediun*
Messenger*
Irenonilions*
Renole Vieving*
Sensilive*
Synchronicily*
?|t|t||
AlhIelics
Driving
IiIch
IIeeing
HeaIlh
InhIlralion
Mechanics
Medic
Ireparedness
Scufing*
Sense TroulIe
Shooling*
Shrink
SlaliIily
IIayers vho
have read Thc
EsntcrrnrIsts viII
nole lhal Fcar
Itsc!f characlers
are lolh Iess
speciaIized
and Iess
knovIedgealIe in
generaI lhan lhe
eIile prolagonisls
of lhe Lsolerrorisl
selling. Thal
selling nakes
aII of ils ICs
invesligalors,
and provides a
vide variely of
poIice skiIIs lo
differenliale lhen.
In Fcar Itsc!f, lhe
characlers cone
fron aII vaIks
of Iife. YouII
have, al nosl,
one characler
vilh signihcanl
knovIedge of
sophislicaled
invesligalive
procedures.
The sane hoIds
lrue for lhe
nore olscure
acadenic pursuils.
AccordingIy,
in Fcar Itsc!f,
nany Lsolerrorisl
aliIilies are
repIaced ly a fev
calch-aIIs.
l|
leIevision, loo. UnforlunaleIy,
nearIy everyone Iies, especiaIIy
vhen facing possilIe lroulIe
fron lhe aulhorilies. Sonelines
you can infer vhy lheyre Iying,
lul ils hard lo reIialIy discern
nolive or gel al lhe facls lheyre
vorking lo olscure.
Nol aII Iies are verlaI. You can
leII vhen a person is allenpling
lo projecl a faIse inpression
lhrough lody Ianguage.
Cerlain individuaIs nay le so
adepl al Iying lhal lhey never
sel off your luIIshil deleclor.
Sone peopIe leIieve lheir
ovn faIsehoods. Isychopalhic
personaIily lypes Iie reexiveIy
and vilhoul shane, depriving
you of lhe leIIlaIe lics and
geslures you use lo sense vhen
a person is deceiving you.
J1t||1|t|| ||tl|t||t!lt||
You undersland lhe ins and ouls
of lureaucralic organizalions,
vhelher lhey are governnenlaI
ofhces or Iarge lusiness
concerns. You knov hov lo gel vhal you vanl fron
lhen in an expedilious nanner, and vilh a nininun
of rufed fealhers. You can:
- persuade ofhciaIs lo provide inlernaI
infornalion
- hnd lhe righl person in lhe hierarchy lo
laIk lo
- hnd oul lhe slruclure, hislory and agenda
of a lureaucracy
- hnd lhe person vho reaIIy knovs vhals
going on
- Iocale ofhces and hIes
- lorrov equipnenl or suppIies
ureaucracy is nol a calch-aII infornalion galhering
aliIily. ureaucrals vish lo convey lhe inpression
lhal lhey are lusy and harried, vhelher or nol lhey
acluaIIy are. Mosl lake a profound, secrel joy in
direcling inquiries eIsevhere. When pIayers allenpl
lo use ureaucracy lo gain infornalion nore easiIy
accessilIe via olher aliIilies (such as Research),
Why No Lying
AliIily`
UnIike nany olher
RIC ruIes sels,
CUMSHOL does
nol lreal Iying as
an aliIily unlo
ilseIf. Inslead,
characlers enpIoy
il as a laclic
vhiIe using any
of lhe various
inlerpersonaI
aliIilies. Wilh
ureaucracy, you
leII funclionaries
vhal lhey vanl lo
hear. Using Cop
TaIk, you convince
poIice ofhciaIs lhal
youre lheir kind
of guy, and so
on. Theres a IillIe
lil of deceplion
in nearIy every
successfuI
inlerpersonaI
inleraclion.
lheir conlacls snideIy advise lhen lo do lheir ovn dann
Iegvork.
|l|1l|t J|'|t|| |||+t'|||
You are adepl vilh conpulers, and can vrile
sophislicaled code of your ovn as veII as anaIyzing
lhal vrillen ly olhers and relrieving infornalion fron
hard drives and olher nedia. You can:
- nake or lreak codes and ciphers
- recover hidden, erased or corrupled
conpuler hIes
- hnd delaiIed, high-resoIulion inages
vilhin a lIurry video inage or lIurry }ILC
- increase lhe cIarily of audio recordings,
zeroing in on desired eIenenls
|l| ||\ ||tl|t||t!lt||
You knov hov lo speak lhe Iingo of poIice ofhcers,
and lo nake lhen feeI conhdenl and reIaxed in your
presence. You nay le a currenl or forner cop, or sinpIy
lhe kind of person lhey innedialeIy idenlify as a soIid,
lruslvorlhy cilizen. You can:
- cooIIy pIy cops for conhdenliaI
infornalion
- gel excused for ninor infraclions
- inpIy lhal you are a coIIeague, aulhorized
lo parlicipale in lheir cases
|||ll|t ||tl|t||t!lt||
Youre good al gelling peopIe lo heIp you ly
conpIinenling lhen, as sullIy or lIalanlIy as lhey
prefer. You can gel lhen lo:
- reveaI infornalion
- perforn ninor favors
- regard you as lruslvorlhy.
||'tl't` ||tl|t||t!lt||
Youre adepl al vinning cooperalion fron peopIe vho
hnd you sexuaIIy allraclive. You can gel lhen lo:
- reveaI infornalion
- heIp you in snaII vays
- dale you
Ils up lo you vhelher a high raling in IIirling neans
lhal you are physicaIIy aIIuring, or sinpIy exude a
sexuaI nagnelisn unreIaled lo your Iooks.
ll
J'!llt ||||J|'|
Youre an experl in recorded hunan hislory, vilh an
enphasis on ils poIilicaI, niIilary, and econonic and
lechnoIogicaI deveIopnenls. You can:
- recognize olscure hisloricaI aIIusions
- recaII capsuIe liographies of fanous
hisloricaI hgures
- leII vhere and vhen an oljecl nade
during hisloricaI lines vas fashioned
- idenlify lhe period of an arlicIe of dress or
coslune
J1|t'l'|! ||||J|'|
You are lroadIy acquainled vilh lhe cIassics, Iileralure,
phiIosophy, reIigion, archaeoIogy and lhe arls. You nay
le a veII-read aulodidacl or have an undergraduale
degree, or porlions lhereof, on your C.V.
The hunanilies aliIily nay reecl a lasic grounding
in aII of lhese discipIines, vilh speciaIizalion for your
profession. If youre an ordained ninisler, youII
knov a greal deaI aloul your ovn failh, and see olher
discipIines lhrough lhal prisn. If youre a nusician,
youII knov lhe olher discipIines via your knovIedge
of nusic hislory, and so on.
|||t!lt|l| ||tl|t||t!lt||
Youre good al posing as anolher person, vhelher
lriey nisrepresenling yourseIf during a phone caII
or spending Iong periods undercover in a hclionaI
idenlily.
SuccessfuIIy disguising yourseIf as an acluaI person
knovn lo lhose youre inleracling vilh is exlraordinariIy
difhcuIl. rief voice-onIy ninicry pils you againsl a
DifhcuIly Nunler of 4. Iace-lo-face inpersonalion
requires successfuI roII againsl a DifhcuIly Nunler
of 7 every hve ninules of suslained conlacl lelveen
you and lhe oljecl of your inpersonalion. (DifhcuIly
Nunlers are expIained on p. 37.)
|tl|ttl`|l'lt ||tl|t||t!lt||
Youre lrained in exlracling infornalion fron suspecls
and vilnesses in lhe conlexl of a fornaI poIice-slyIe
inlerviev. This nusl lake pIace in an ofhciaI selling,
vhere lhe suljecl is conhned or feeIs under lhreal of
conhnenenl, and recognizes your aulhorily (vhelher
reaI or feigned.)
|tl''J|l'lt ||tl|t||t!lt||
You eIicil cooperalion fron suspecls ly
seening physicaIIy inposing, invading lheir personaI
space, and adopling a psychoIogicaIIy connanding
nanner. Inlinidalion nay invoIve inpIied or direcl
lhreals of physicaI vioIence lul is jusl as oflen an acl of
nenlaI doninance. You can:
gain infornalion
inspire lhe suljecl lo Ieave lhe area
queII a suljecls desire lo allenpl
vioIence againsl you or olhers
|t|!l'`|l'| ?tl||J1t| |||+t'|||, ||??|J
This skiII is a calch-aII for lhe various invesligalive
aliIilies onilled fron Fcar Itsc!f. Il aIIovs you lo fake
your vay lhrough lhe foIIoving:
aIIislics (processing evidence reIaling lo
lhe use of hrearns)
LIeclronic SurveiIIance (lhe use of audio
recording equipnenl lo galher evidence)
Lvidence CoIIeclion (lagging and lagging
inporlanl cIues)
LxpIosive Devices (defusing and
assenlIing expIosive devices and
reconslrucling delonaled ones)
Docunenl AnaIysis (sludying
handvriling, lypescripls, paper and so
forlh)
Iingerprinling (hnding, lransferring and
nalching hngerprinls)
Iorensic Accounling (conling lhrough
hnanciaI dala Iooking for irreguIarilies)
Iorensic AnlhropoIogy (perforning
aulopsies on deceased suljecls lo delernine
lheir cause of dealh)
Iorensic LnlonoIogy (sludying eggs and
Iarvae in a deconposing corpse)
Iorensic IsychoIogy (appIicalion of
psychoIogicaI insighl lo lhe soIving of
crininaI cases and gIeaning of usefuI
infornalion fron olservalion of
individuaIs)
TexluaI AnaIysis (sludying lhe conlenl
of lexls, as opposed lo lhe physicaI
characlerislics of docunenls)
||t`1|`|! ||||J|'|
Ior each raling poinl in Languages, you
are verlaIIy uenl and Iilerale in one
't|!l'`|l'| |l'|'l'|!
l?
Ianguage olher lhan your nalive longue. You nay
specify lhese vhen you creale your characler, or choose
opporlunislicaIIy in lhe course of pIay,
reveaIing lhal you jusl happen lo speak
}avanese vhen circunslances require
il. You are nol Iearning lhe Ianguage
sponlaneousIy lul reveaIing a hilherlo
unnenlioned facl aloul your characler.
You nay eIecl lo le Iilerale in an ancienl
Ianguage vhich is no Ionger spoken.
||i ||||J|'|
You are faniIiar vilh lhe crininaI and
civiI Iavs of your hone jurisdiclion, and
lroadIy acquainled vilh foreign IegaI
syslens. Al a raling of 2 or nore, you are
a lar-cerlihed allorney. You can:
- assess lhe IegaI risks allendanl
on any course of aclion
- undersland IavyerIy jargon
- argue with police and
prosecutors
t|l1t|| J'!llt ||||J|'|
You sludy lhe evoIulion, lehavior, and
lioIogy of pIanls and aninaIs. You can:
leII vhen an aninaI is lehaving
slrangeIy
leII vhelher an aninaI or pIanl
is naluraI lo a given area
idenlify an aninaI fron hair,
lones or spoor
idenlify a pIanl fron a snaII
sanpIe
t|`ll'|l'lt ||tl|t||t!lt||
You are an experl in naking deaIs vilh
olhers, convincing lhen lhal lhe lesl
arrangenenl for you is aIso lhe lesl for
lhen. You can:
- haggIe for goods and services
- nediale lelveen parlies lhal are
al odds
- svap favors or infornalion vilh
olhers
1||1|l Jl1J'|! ||||J|'|
Youre an experl in lhe hisloricaI sludy of
nagic, superslilion, and hernelic praclice fron lhe
slone age lo lhe presenl. Iron Salanisls lo lhe CoIden
Davn, you knov lhe dales, lhe pIaces, lhe
conlroversies, and lhe leIIing anecdoles.
You can:
- idenlify lhe cuIluraI lradilions
inforning a riluaI fron exanining
ils physicaI aflernalh
- suppIy hisloricaI facls concerning
various occuIl lradilions
- guess lhe inlended effecl of a riluaI
fron ils physicaI aflernalh
- idenlify occuIl aclivilies as lhe
vork of inforned praclilioners,
leenage posers, or oul-and-oul
cuIlisls
Your knovIedge of lhe occuIl is lhal of a
delached, even disapproving, oulsider.
This aliIily does nol aIIov you lo vork
nagic or sunnon supernaluraI enlilies.
Doing eilher of lhese lhings is lad, il
veakens lhe falric of reaIily and varps
lhe praclilioners psyche. You can, al
lesl, fake your vay lhrough a riluaI
vhiIe allenpling lo pass yourseIf off
as a leIiever. Lven in lhis silualion,
your aclions do nol evoke supernaluraI
effecls.
?+lll`t||+ |||+t'|||
Youre prohcienl in lhe use of caneras,
incIuding sliII and video pholography.
You can:
- lake cIear, polenliaIIy usefuI
pholographs of scenes
- spol nanuaI relouching or digilaI
nanipuIalion in a pholographic or
video inage
- reaIislicaIIy relouch and
nanipuIale inages
||!!1t|t|| ||tl|t||t!lt||
You gel peopIe lo do vhal you vanl ly
pulling lhen al ease. You can:
- eIicil infornalion and ninor favors
- aIIay fear or panic in olhers
- insliII a sense of caIn during a crisis
Irofession
If your CM aIIovs you
lo creale characlers of
any age (as opposed
lo lhe archelypaI
horror casl of leens or
lvenlysonelhings),
you nay choose lo
specify a profession for
your characler. If your
profession does nol
correspond lo one of lhe
slandard aliIilies Iisled
in lhe previous seclion,
lul inslead lesl nalches
one of lhe calch-aII Fcar
Itsc!f aliIilies Iisled in
lhis seclion, you gel a
lonus spend once per
session. You gel a free
1- or 2-poinl spend
vhen galhering cIues
direclIy reIaled lo your
profession.
SlruggIing painler
}uIianne Carev slunlIes
onlo a canvas, ils oiIs
sliII vel, conpIeled
in lhe dislinclive slyIe
of deceased arlisl
}ean-erlrand AralaI.
AIlhough |ear ltse|f
incIudes no Arl Hislory
aliIily, shes alIe lo
nake a free spend lo
reaIize lhal lhis is no
fake, and vas painled ly
AralaI hinseIf, despile
his supposed suicide in
1957.
As vilh any infornalion
avaiIalIe fron a spend,
lhese lils of professionaI
knovIedge are never
core cIues.
lJ
|!||t|+ ||||J|'|
You knov hov lo hnd facluaI infornalion fron looks,
records, and ofhciaI sources. Youre as conforlalIe vilh
a card calaIogue and hche reader as vilh an Inlernel
search engine. You knov lhe righl peopIe lo laIk lo lo
gain infornalion in various vaIks of sociely, and your
SIM card is fuII of lheir phone nunlers.
J|'|t|| |||+t'|||
You nainlain a lroad knovIedge of any scienlihc heId
nol covered ly ils ovn aliIily in Fcar Itsc!f. These
incIude aslronony, chenislry, engineering, genelics,
paIeonloIogy, naleriaIs science, physics, and appIied
lechnoIogy. You nay have onIy lhis generaI faniIiarily,
or nighl aIso praclice a profession ~ see sidelar.
Jl|'|| J|'|t||! ||||J|'|
You are lroadIy faniIiar vilh lhe acadenic heIds of
anlhropoIogy, connunicalion, econonics, educalion,
geography, Iinguislics, poIilicaI science, and socioIogy.
As vilh hunanilies, you are eilher veII-read, have
an undergraduales lroad educalion, or knov lhese
olher heIds lhrough a professionaI speciaIizalion ~ see
sidelar.
Jlt||li'!| ||tl|t||t!lt||
You knov hov lo lehave anong crooks, gang-langers,
druggies, hookers and olher halilues of lhe crininaI
undervorId. You can:
- depIoy crininaI eliquelle lo avoid hghls
and conicls
- idenlify unsafe Iocalions and dangerous
peopIe
- galher undervorId runors
t''| ||||J|'|
Youre a fonl of apparenlIy useIess infornalion lhal
vouId sland you in good slead as a conleslanl on a quiz
shov. Youre especiaIIy good in lhe foIIoving spheres
of inleresl:
- ceIelrilies and enlerlainnenl
- sporls records and slalislics
- geography
- arls and Iellers
- nanes in lhe nevs
This calch-aII aliIily aIso aIIovs you lo knov any
olscure facl nol covered ly anolher CUMSHOL aliIily.
(In nonenls of inprovisalory desperalion, your CM
nay aIIov you lo overIap vilh aliIilies vhich none of
lhe pIayers al lhe currenl session possess, or vhich no
one is lhinking lo use.)
't|!l'`|l'| |l'|'l'|!
1
?|t|t|| |l'|'l'|!
|l+||l'|!
AlhIelics aIIovs you lo perforn generaI acls of physicaI derring-do, fron
running lo junping lo dodging faIIing or onconing oljecls. Any physicaI
aclion nol covered ly anolher aliIily, prolalIy faIIs under lhe rulric of
AlhIelics. The exceplion is running avay, vhich is covered ly lhe IIeeing
aliIily (see leIov).
If your AlhIelics raling is 8 or nore, your Hil ThreshoId, lhe Targel Nunler
your opponenls use vhen allenpling lo hil you in conlal, is 4. Olhervise,
your Hil ThreshoId is 3.
Jt''t`
Youre a skiIIed defensive driver, capalIe of vringing high perfornance fron
even lhe nosl recaIcilranl aulonoliIe, pick-up lruck, or van. You can:
- evade or conducl pursuil
- avoid coIIisions, or nininize danage fron coIIisions
- spol lanpering vilh a vehicIe
- conducl energency repairs
Ior every addilionaI raling poinl in Driving, you nay add an addilionaI
vehicIe lype lo your reperloire. These incIude: nolorcycIe, lransporl lruck,
heIicopler, or airpIane. You nay choose exolic lypes, Iike hovercrafls and
lanks, aIlhough lhese are unIikeIy lo see reguIar use in an invesligalion-lased
gane.
|'||+
Your ninlIe hngers aIIov you lo unollrusiveIy nanipuIale snaII oljecls.
You can:
- piIfer ilens fron under lhe noses of lhose valching you
- pick pockels
- pIanl oljecls on unsuspecling suljecls
||||'t`
Running avay is inlegraI lo lhe horror genre, in Fcar Itsc!f, your characlers
viII le doing a greal deaI of il. In keeping vilh genre convenlions, you can le
very good al running avay vilhoul leing generaIIy good al olher physicaI
lasks. So IIeeing lecones an aliIily unlo ilseIf, vhich you can use as a
sulslilule for AlhIelics vhen escaping during chase sequences. Il does nol
nake you any leller al pursuil.
If you are neilher lhe groups residenl conlal experl or psychic, you can
luy raling poinls in IIeeing al a reduced rale, gelling 2 raling poinls for each
luiId poinl spenl.
l
J|||l+
HeaIlh neasures your aliIily lo suslain injuries, resisl
infeclion, and survive lhe effecls of loxins. When you
gel hil in lhe course of a hghl, your HeaIlh pooI is
dininished. A higher HeaIlh pooI aIIovs you lo slay in
a hghl Ionger lefore succunling lo your injuries.
When your HeaIlh pooI is depIeled, you nay le dazed,
vounded, or pushing up lhe daisies. Ior nore on lhis,
see Lxhauslion, Injury and Cruesone Dealh, p. 4O.
|t|'|lt|l'lt
Youre good al pIacing yourseIf inside pIaces you have
no righl lo le. You can:
- pick Iocks
- deaclivale or evade securily syslens
- nove siIenlIy
- hnd suilalIe pIaces for forced enlry, and
use lhen
Despile ils nane, InhIlralion is as usefuI for gelling oul
of pIaces undelecled as if ils for gelling inlo lhen.
||+|t'|!
Youre good al luiIding, repairing, and disalIing
devices, fron cIassic pil-and-penduIun lraps lo DVD
pIayers. Civen lhe righl conponenls, you can creale
jury-rigged devices fron odd lils of scrap. Mechanics
doulIes as an invesligalive aliIily vhen used lo:
- evaIuale lhe quaIily of vorknanship used
lo creale an ilen
- delernine lhe idenlily of a handnade
ilens naker ly conparing lo knovn vork
ly lhal individuaI
|J'|
You can perforn hrsl aid on sick or injured individuaIs.
Ior nore on lhe use of lhis aliIily, see p. 37.
?t|||t|Jt|!!
You experlIy anlicipale lhe needs of any silualion ly
packing a kil efhcienlIy arranged vilh necessary gear.
Assuning you have innediale access lo your kil,
you can produce vhalever oljecl lhe group needs lo
overcone an olslacIe. You nake a sinpIe lesl (p. XX), if
you succeed, you have lhe ilen you vanl. You neednl
do lhis in advance of lhe advenlure, lul can dig inlo
your kil lag (provided youre alIe lo gel lo il) as lhe
need arises.
Olher aliIilies inpIy lhe possession of lasic gear
suilalIe lo lheir core lasks. Characlers vilh Medic
have lheir ovn hrsl aid kils, Iholographers cone vilh
caneras and accessories. If you have Shooling, you have
a gun, and so on. Ireparedness does nol inlrude inlo
lheir lerrilory. Il covers generaI-purpose invesligalive
equipnenl, pIus oddlaII ilens lhal suddenIy cone in
handy in lhe course of lhe slory.
The sorls of ilens you can produce al a nonenls nolice
depend nol on your raling or pooI, lul on narralive
crediliIily. If lhe CM delernines lhal your possession
of an ilen vouId seen Iudicrous or and/or oul of
genre, you donl gel lo roII for il. You sinpIy donl have
il. Any ilen vhich eIicils a Iaugh fron lhe group vhen
suggesled is prolalIy oul of lounds.
Inappropriale use of lhe Ireparedness aliIily is Iike
pornography. Your CM viII knov il vhen she sees il.
J|1|||'t`
You can hoId your ovn in a hand-lo-hand hghl,
vhelher you vish lo kiII, knock oul, reslrain, or evade
your opponenl.
J|t!| tl1l|| |?|t|t||
This aliIily aIIovs you lo perceive (eilher vilh sighl or
olher senses) polenliaI hazards lo yourseIf or olhers. Ior
exanpIe, you can:
- hear lhe lread of a psycho kiIIer as he
sneaks up lehind your calin
- see a skuIking hgure hiding in lhe high
veeds
- sneII lhe vinegary, rolling odor given off
ly a crealure of lhe Ouler Iack, as il Iies in
vail lehind lhe slairs
- spol lhe nelaI lrap door hidden lenealh
lhal arlfuIIy-scallered skiff of dead Ieaves
- have a lad feeIing aloul lhal noise lhe car
engine has leen naking since you Iefl lhe
resl slop
IIayers never knov lhe DifhcuIly Nunlers for Sense
TroulIe lefore deciding hov nany poinls lo spend,
even in ganes vhere CMs generousIy inforn lhe
pIayers of olher DifhcuIly Nunlers. IIayers
nusl lIindIy choose hov nuch lo spend.
`|t|t|| |l'|'l'|!

The CM does nol roII in secrel, so even a faiIed roII

aIIovs lhe group lhe sense lhal sonelhing is aniss.
They jusl donl knov exaclIy vhal lhis is. Think il as
lhe gane syslen equivaIenl of lension-luiIding eerie
nusic in a horror novie.
CMs shouId never require lhe use of lhis generaI
aliIily lo hnd cIues lo lhe nyslery al hand. Inslead,
use Invesligalive AliIilies, defauIling lo Invesligalive
Irocedure vhen no aliIily seens nore appropriale.
Sense TroulIe is for a scenarios aclion-orienled
sequences.
J+t't\
You can provide conforl, perspeclive and soIace lo lhe
nenlaIIy lroulIed. You nay le a lherapisl or counseIor,
a priesl or paslor, or jusl a enpalhelic and inluilive
individuaI. You can reslore panicked characlers lo a
slale of caIn, and lreal any Iong-lern nenlaI iIInesses
lhey accrue in lhe course of lheir invesligalions.
J+lll't`
You are adepl vilh hrearns.
Jl|l'|'l
}arring or slressfuI evenls can exerl a danaging Iong-
psychoIogicaI loII. Confronlalion vilh supernaluraI
nanifeslalions of Unrenilling Horror can provoke
oulrighl nadness. Your SlaliIily raling indicales your
resislance lo nenlaI lrauna.
You gel SlaliIily 1 for free.
?!|+'| ?li|t!
Iron lhe leginning of line, cerlain individuaIs have
leen sensilive lo olhervorIdIy vilralions. The origin
of psychic povers renains olscure. In nosl cases, lhey
seen lo le conferred al lirlh, passing dovn lhrough
generalions as an inheriled lrail. Il is nol unconnon for
povers lo renain Ialenl unliI pulerly.
Ior every lrue psychic, lhere are hundreds of charIalans,
sone of lhen seIf-deIuded. Conlining sIeighl-of-hand
vilh sinpIe olservalion, sone of il coverl, lheyre alIe
lo eIicil enough infornalion fron lheir cIienls lo sound
prophelic. OccuIl circIes are rife vilh phony psychics,
so youII prolalIy run inlo sone of lhen during pIay.
A fake nediun nighl nake an inleresling choice for a
pIayer characler.
When crealing a psychic characler, delernine
his allilude lovard his aliIilies. The
J
characler nay shov off or expIoil lhen for naleriaI
gain. He nay adopl a slricl code of elhics, aIIoving
hinseIf lo use lhen onIy in an aIlruislic fashion.
Il is jusl as IikeIy lhal he fears lhen and use lhen as IillIe
as possilIe. Though nany psychics lhink of lhenseIves
as spiriluaI heaIers peering inlo a vorId of posilive
Iighl, aII render lhenseIves addilionaIIy susceplilIe
lo lhe dark energies of lhe Ouler Iack each line lhey
drav on lheir aliIilies. If lhe characler has so nuch
as lrushed againsl lhe nachinalions of Unrenilling
Horror, his psychic povers have, depending on lhe
nalure of his so-caIIed gifl, served as a conduil for
unlearalIy nighlnarish feeIings, sendings, or visions.
MechanicaIIy, sone psychic povers, Iike Irenonilions,
are lrealed as ordinary generaI aliIilies. TypicaIIy you
roII againsl a DifhcuIly Nunler lo access or conlroI
lhen. In nany cases you or your feIIov pIayers lhen
use one or nore invesligalive aliIilies lo inlerprel lhe
infornalion your gifl has garnered.
Olhers, Iike Aura Reading, operale in a sIighlIy differenl
nanner. In lhis case, you are charged a nunler of
poinls fron your pooI each line you use lhe aliIily.
If you spend lhe poinls, you aulonalicaIIy gel lhe
ansvers you seek.
Your CM viII ensure lhal no core cIue ever depends
soIeIy on lhe successfuI use of a psychic pover.
Hovever, you nay le alIe lo use psychic povers
lo gel cIues vhich are aIso avaiIalIe via a slandard
invesligalive aliIily, or vhich are lhe equivaIenl of
exlra infornalion avaiIalIe fron invesligalive spends.
Lven CMs vho provide DifhcuIly Nunlers lo pIayers
lefore lhey roII generaI aliIilies shouId vilhhoId lhen
in lhe case of psychic povers. Theyre inherenlIy
nyslerious and varialIe in effecl, and lheir praclilioners
can never reIialIy guess hov lheyII vork in any given
circunslance.
Renenler, CMs relain lhe righl lo disaIIov psychic
povers if lhey donl hl lhe lone of lheir pIanned series.
In a slandard Fcar Itsc!f series, ve slrongIy reconnend
lhal lhe psychic characler le alIe lo lake onIy one
psychic aliIily.
|1t| ||J't`
To lhose vilh lhe sighl lo see, every Iiving organisn
is surrounded ly a ninlus of energy. y sludying lhe
coIor and novenenl of lhis energy, you gain insighl
inlo peopIe and aninaIs.
When you read a persons aura, you can:
- exanine lhe suljecls generaI enolionaI
slale, delernining vhich of lhe foIIoving
adjeclives lesl hls his currenl condilion:
joyfuI, depressed, angry, anused, confused,
frighlened, or reIaxed. (Cosls 2 poinls per
allenpl.)
- leII vhelher lhe suljecl is heaIlhy or
unheaIlhy. (Cosls 1 poinl per allenpl.)
- delernine if lhe suljecl is under lhe
inuence of a spiril or olher supernaluraI
leing. (Cosls 4 poinls per allenpl.)
The aura projecled ly crealures of lhe Ouler Iack is so
inlrinsicaIIy vrong lhal sensilives unIucky enough lo
perceive il suffer a lraunalic enolionaI joIl. Whenever
you see such an aura, you nusl nake a DifhcuIly 4
SlaliIily roII, vilh a possilIe Ioss of 5. InleIIigenl leings
of Unrenilling Horror can suppress lhis aura al viII,
repIacing il vilh an ordinary hunan aura reecling
vhalever enolion or condilion lhey desire. They
enpIoy lhis Ialler aliIily vhen disguising lhenseIves
as peopIe.
|J'1
You can speak lo lhe spirils of lhe dead.
(Or ralher, you speak lo discarnale enlilies, nosl of
vhon idenlify lhenseIves as such. A lypicaI nediun
leIieves lhal lheyre ghosls, connunicaling fron lhe
aflerIife, lul nayle youve legun lo suspecl lhal a nore
sinisler expIanalion is in pIay.)
Sonelines you hear lhese enlilies speaking lo you
unlidden, especiaIIy vhen you enler areas of parlicuIar
enolionaI inporl lo a lroulIed spiril. To conlacl a
specihc enlily, you nusl lypicaIIy organize a seance, a
riluaI in vhich a snaII group of synpalhelic olservers
parlicipales. The presence of skeplics nay disrupl
lhe proceedings, prevenling conlacl vilh lhe vorId
leyond.
TypicaIIy you vork lhrough a spiril
|!|+'| |li|t!
|
Isychic Iovers
and Madness
Isychic povers Ieave
your nind open lo lhe
naIign prolings of lhe
Ouler Iack. The CM
keeps a running laIIy
of lhe nunler of lines
you drav on a psychic
pover in any given
session. This nunler
is lhen appIied lo lhe
DifhcuIly Nunlers of
your SlaliIily roIIs.
Lven if you havenl
used a psychic pover
al aII during lhe currenl
session, you aIvays
face a +1 nininun
nodiher lo lhe DifhcuIly
Nunlers of aII SlaliIily
roIIs.
Hovever gained, your
DifhcuIly Nunler
nodiher appIies lo aII
roIIs, even in lhe case
of non-supernaluraI
horrors, Iike incidenls
of vioIence. Your
exlrasensory avareness
nay force you lo nake
addilionaI SlaliIily roIIs
lo vhich your duIIer
coIIeagues are innune.
A conlinuous slale of
heighlened sensilivily
can le lough lo lear in
lhe aflernalh of a hghl,
or even as you pass a
roadside accidenl.
!
guide, a personaI guardian spiril vho acls as a sorl of
olhervorIdIy svilchloard operalor lo lhe greal leyond.
e sure lo descrile your spiril guide, or vhal you knov
of hin, during your hrsl in-gane seance. Your spiril
guide renains conslanl lhroughoul you career. Il nay
le lhe ghosl of a deparled Ioved one or acquainlance,
a hisloricaI hgure, or an iconic hgure of uncerlain
derivalion. LxanpIes of lhe Ialler calegory oflen lear
exolic nanes: lhey nighl le of Iersian, Indian or Nalive
Anerican exlraclion.
During a seance, you hear aII of lhe diaIoguing spirils
in your head. You nay renain in conlroI of your lody
lhroughoul, repealing vhal you hear lo lhe olher
parlicipanls. AIlernaleIy, you can open your lody lo
spiril possession. In lhis inslance, lolh lhe spiril guide
and any conlacled spirils lake conlroI of your physicaI
forn, speaking direclIy lo parlicipanls in a dislorled
version of your voice. As in a drean, you relain IillIe
or no recoIIeclion of vhal possessing enlilies do or
say vhiIe youre under lheir voIilion. Ils aIso nore
inpressive lo paying cIienls, nay aIIov for cIearer
connunicalion vilh oulside queslioners. Your spiril
guide is supposed lo prolecl you fron naIign spirils or
overaclive ghosls vhiIe youre in lhis slale, relurning
conlroI of your lody lo you if nallers gel oul of hand.
Hovever, he nay le heIpIess lo inlervene if a poverfuI
Ouler Iack enlily chooses lo loy vilh you. Ior aII you
knov, your guide nighl hinseIf le a naIign presence
of lhe Ouler Iack. Iossession is riskier lhan sinpIy
Iislening lo voices in your head.
Al any rale, your spiril guide allenpls lo conlacl lhe
desired individuaI, vho lhen nanifesls lo repIy lo
queslions. Vague ansvers are a sign lhal an inposler~
al lesl a IoneIy spiril unreIaled lo lhe suljecl~has
sulsliluled ilseIf for lhe genuine arlicIe. AIlernaleIy,
lhey nay indicale inquiries leyond lhe genuine spirils
conprehension, such as lhe specihc nalure of lhe
aflerIife.
Spirils nay le alIe lo achieve sponlaneous, unvanled
conneclions lo you. OnIy rareIy viII lhese le fuII-
lIovn possessions. More IikeIy, you nereIy hear lhe
vhispering of eerie voices deep inside your nind. You
can allenpl lo fend off an unvanled conlacl allenpl ly
roIIing your Mediun aliIily againsl a DifhcuIly Nunler
delernined ly lhe CM. If your resuIl exaclIy equaIs lhe
DifhcuIly Nunler, lhe suljecl spiril possesses you,
vhelher you Iike il or nol. DifhcuIly Nunlers increase
during silualions, such as seances, vhere youve opened
yourseIf up lo lhe spiril vorId. They decrease vhen
youre going aloul your daiIy lusiness in conpIeleIy
nundane surroundings. A naIign enlily hnds il nuch
harder lo possess you vhen youre shopping in a veII-
Iil, crovded supernarkel lhan vhen youre aIone al
nighl in a creepy oId house.
When youre seeking connunicalion vilh lhe spiril
vorId, DifhcuIly Nunlers are delernined ly dranalic
necessily. Spirils anxious lo connunicale vilh lhe Iiving
vorId are easier lo reach lhan reIuclanl connunicanls.
The ghosls of lolh lhe Iong- and recenlIy-dead are hard
lo conlacl. The forner have reincarnaled, nerged vilh
lhe cosnic elher or are safeIy enneshed in heavens
lIiss, vhereas lhe Ialler are sliII confused and on lhe
road lo lheir nyslerious hnaI deslinalions.
Once in louch vilh a spiril, you (or anolher seance
parlicipanl) uses an InlerpersonaI aliIily lo gel usefuI
infornalion oul of hin, as you vouId vilh an ordinary
Iiving suljecl. During a possession-slyIe connunicalion,
lhe nediun is for aII inlenls and purposes alsenl and
nay nol ask queslions.
If you are possessed and vish lo lreak conlacl againsl
lhe spirils viII, roII your Mediun aliIily againsl a
lase DifhcuIly of 4. LspeciaIIy lenacious spirils, Iike a
Myslery Man (p. 5O) nay pose higher DifhcuIlies.
Conlacl vilh naIign inleIIigences requires a SlaliIily
roII vilh a DifhcuIly of 4 or nore, vilh a possilIe Ioss of
2-3 in lhe case of ninor enlilies, and as high as 6 in lhe
case of exceplionaIIy poverfuI or nasly presences.
|!!|t`|t
You receive nessages fron unknovn discarnale
enlilies. UnIike a nediun, you canl diaI up a specihc
ghosl lo laIk lo, nor can you specify parlicuIar queslions
your enlilies viII ansver. Inslead, lheir connunicalions
indicale a nood. Which nood lhey suggesl seens lo
depend on evenls in vhich you are invoIved, or have
lhe capacily lo inuence. When you or your coIIeagues
and Ioved ones are reIaliveIy safe, lhe connunicalions
are IuIIing and caIn. When inninenl danger lhrealens,
lhey lecone erralic, energelic, and oninous. On
olher occasions, lhe connunicalions fron leyond
seen lo porlend Iarge-scaIe lhreals lo persons leyond
your innediale circIe. They nighl reach an apex of
anxiely lefore a deslruclive slorn, lerrilIe accidenl,
or lerrorisl allack. When lhe source of lheir concern is
nol innedialeIy apparenl, you nay le alIe lo use
invesligalive aliIilies lo decode lhe conlenl
|!|+'| |li|t!
|
of lheir connunicalions.
You receive lhe nessages in one of lhe foIIoving vays.
Specify your choice lefore pIay legins.
- RaudIvc VnIccs: Leave a lape recorder or
olher audio device running and unallended
in an apparenlIy sound-free environnenl,
preferalIy in lhe niddIe of lhe nighl. When
you Iislen inlenlIy lo lhe recording, fainlIy
vhispering voices can le dinIy heard.
- AutnmatIc WrItIng: Lnler a lrance slale al
a desk vilh vriling inpIenenl al lhe ready
and pIenly of paper on hand. Unseen hands
seize yours, rapidIy scravIing oul a slrean
of consciousness series of vords of olscure
nyslicaI neaning. Much of vhal you vrile
lorders on gillerish, lul usefuI advice nay
le hidden vilhin. Sonelines ils in code,
on olher occasions, you recieve naleriaI
vrillen in a Ianguage you can neilher read
nor vrile.
- AutnmatIc Art: As alove, lul you use
arl suppIies and receive inages inslead of
vords.
- MusIc Frnm thc Gravc: Again you
enler a lrance slale, in lhis case vhiIe
sealed al a piano or hoIding a vioIin.
(Discarnale leings appear lo favor lhese
lvo inslrunenls. Your CM nay approve
olher suilalIy alnospheric choices.) You
are unconscious of your pIaying and do
nol recaII il vhen you hear il on pIaylack.
AIlernaleIy, you nay scrillIe dovn
conposilions on sheel nusic, vhich nusl
lhen le pIayed ly a lrained nusician.
Al lines youII feeI an irresislilIe inpuIse lo use lhis
pover innedialeIy. This nosl oflen happens vhen lhe
spiril vorId is in lurnoiI, anlicipaling sone dreadfuI
evenl. If you faiI lo heed lhe caII, you are lrealed as if
youve resisled your risk faclor~see p. 48. Under lhese
circunslances il cosls you 1 poinl fron your Messenger
pooI lo use lhe pover. To caII on il deIileraleIy, vilhoul
lhe urging fron leyond, cosls 3 poinls per use.
?t|lt'l'lt!
Ordinary invesligalions reconslrucl evenls fron lhe
pasl. y using your psychic gifl, you can receive
visions of lhe fulure. These appear lo you in lhe
forn of vivid vaking dreans, vilh visuaI and
audilory conponenls. In sone inslances you nay even
delecl sneIIs or respond lo cIinaclic condilions Iike
coId or hunidily. You feeI as if you are vilnessing lhese
fulure evenls. Depending on vhal youre allenpling
lo inquire inlo, you envision yourseIf in lhe niddIe of
lhen, perhaps even as a viclin of vhalever calaslrophe
youre envisioning.
As far as you can leII, lhe fulure is nol irrevocalIy
predelernined. When you focus on evenls over vhich
you have no conlroI (incIuding conlroI ly indirecl
inuence), lhey lend lo happen as you inagine.
ul vhen you experience a grin vision and can do
sonelhing lo slop il fron coning lrue, you can averl
lhe fulure you predicled.
To use lhis aliIily, pose a queslion aloul lhe fulure.
Il nusl specify or inpIy a parlicuIar line frane. Ior
exanpIe:
- Whal viII happen lonighl al lhe parly`
- Whal viII happen if I open lhis door`
- Whal viII lhe kiIIer do lhis evening`
Once youve franed lhe queslion in your nind, you
go inlo a lrance. The lase DifhcuIly for Irenonilion
allenpls is 4. The foIIoving silualionaI nodihers
appIy:
J'l1|l'lt
lJ'|'|t ll J|!|
J'||'|1|l
Ansver is nundane or nol
especiaIIy nolevorlhy
+3
Lvenl invoIves crealure(s)
of Unrenilling Horror
+2
Lvenl invoIves Myslery
Man
+3
Oulcone of evenl
depends on Iarge nunler
of disparale peopIe or
inleracling forces
+1
You have aIready
envisioned lhis evenl,
and have laken aclion lo
foreslaII originaI oulcone
-1 per previous
vision
Requesls for infornalion nol specihcaIIy
l
aloul fulure evenls go unansvered. AIso unansvered
are queslions vilh an indehnile line frane. LxanpIes
of inappIicalIe queslions:
- Who is lhe kiIIer`
- Whal viII I die of`
- Is lhal aII lhere is`
Ierhaps nercifuIIy, your visions are generaIIy
lIurred, so lhal you canl aIvays leII exaclIy vho or
vhal is evisceraling your uncIe vilh a circuIar sav.
In olher vords, lhe visions donl provide core cIues,
or signihcanl delaiIed infornalion you donl aIready
have. Inslead lhey leII you vhal lhe slakes are if you
faiI lo acl. If youve Iearned aIready ly olher neans lhal
lhe circuIar sav kiIIer is Leon, lhe high schooI janilor,
you prolalIy do see hin in lhe vision. If nol, you knov
lhal sonelhing lerrilIe is going lo happen, lul you sliII
donl have lhe kiIIers idenlily.
(Olhervise your gane viII face lhe sane slrucluraI
av of nosl TV shovs cenlering on psychic deleclives,
vhich is lhal lhe prolagonisls need onIy vail unliI lhe
seer gels a cIear enough vision lo soIve lhe nyslery.)
|ll| '|i't`
AIso knovn as cIairvoyance, lhis gifl aIIovs you lo
see dislanl evenls. You nusl focus on a parlicuIar
Iocalion, eilher one youve leen lo lefore, or one you
can pinpoinl on a nap. Iholographs can aIso le used lo
hone in on parlicuIar Iocalions, lul you have lo le sure
vhere lhey vere laken.
WhiIe using lhe aliIily, you go inlo a lrance and cIose
your eyes. You lhen envision lhe chosen Iocalion,
perceiving il in a lIurry nonochrone, as if lhrough a
very oId and uncIear securily canera nonilor. Mosl
renole vievers experience lheir visions in gradalions
of green or lIue. You receive onIy visuaI infornalion.
Renole Vieving does nol aIIov you lo Iook inlo lhe
pasl or fulure. You see vhals happening al lhe Iocalion
righl lhis ninule.
The lase difhcuIly of eslalIishing a Renole Vieving
conneclion is 3 for a pIace youve leen lo personaIIy, and
4 for one youve Iocaled onIy lhrough docunenlalion. Il
is nodihed according lo lhe dislance lelveen you and
lhe Iocalion:
J'!l|t|| lJ'|'|t ll J|!| J'||'|1|l
HaIf a niIe or Iess -2
HaIf a niIe lo one niIe -1
1-1O niIes O
1O-1OO niIes +1
1OO-5OO niIes +2
5OO-1OOO niIes +3
Anyvhere on earlh +4
If olher reaIilies exisl, il is nol possilIe lo see inlo lhen
vilh Renole Vieving. ShouId anyone offer lo shov
you hov lo see inlo lhe Ouler Iack, lurn lhen dovn.
Inslanl and incuralIe nadness vouId sureIy resuIl
fron lhe nosl eeling visuaI conlacl vilh il.
Anylhing avfuI you see vhiIe Renole Vieving can
lrigger a SlaliIily roII, jusl as if you vere presenl.
InleIIigenl and poverfuI supernaluraI leings can leII
lhal youre valching lhen, and viev qcu renoleIy in
relurn. They can delecl your Iocalion, nenorize your
appearance, and possilIy even read your nind.
Ouler Iack enlilies and lheir hunan ninions can
shieId pIaces fron your prying, adding anyvhere fron
+1 lo +3, depending on lhe leings pover, lo your lase
DifhcuIly.
J|t!'l'|
Whenever peopIe experience poverfuI enolions, lhey
Ieave lehind a fainl psychic residue vhich sensilives
such as yourseIf can delecl, even years afler lhe facl. The
enolionaI faIIoul fron especiaIIy lraunalic evenls nay
inpose ilseIf on you aulonalicaIIy. UsuaIIy, lhough,
you spend a fev ninules concenlraling, and are lhen
alIe lo read lhe nosl poverfuI feeIings associaled vilh
a given Iocalion. You hx on lhe singIe nosl resonanl
feeIing lhe pIace gives off.
The CM delernines vhal lhis is, according lo lhe
foIIoving generaI guideIines. Hunan enolions are
slronger lhan lhose of aninaIs. Recenl evenls are nore
polenl lhan oIder ones. Negalive experiences,
especiaIIy of vioIence, Iinger nore
|!|+'| |li|t!
?
lenaciousIy lhan happy ones. The presence of Ouler
Iack enlilies overvheIns nere hunan feeIings. Alove
aII, dranalic necessily ruIes, so lhal
youre nore IikeIy lo pick up on psychic
vilralions reIevanl lo your silualion in
lhe currenl sloryIine lhan useIess red
herrings.
DeIileraleIy lurning on your sensilivily
cosls 2 poinls per inslance.
If Ouler Iack crealures are currenlIy
presenl vhen you use lhe pover, you
gain a dislurling gIinpse inlo lheir
varped and sadislic psyches, lriggering
a SlaliIily roII vilh a DifhcuIly ranging
fron 5 lo 8.
Jt|+tlt'|'l
MeaningfuI coincidences happen lo
and around you. Oflen lhese provide
nev insighl, serving as personaI onens
giving you direclion in Iife vhen you
canl hgure oul vhal lo do nexl. These
evenls are never overlIy supernaluraI,
inexpIicalIe, or parlicuIarIy inprolalIe.
If you drean aloul a kinghsher, and
lhen hnd a dead one in your garden,
nolhing eerie has happened. Ils jusl a
coincidence~lul in inpuling neaning
lo il, you nay hnd a vay oul of your
currenl diIenna, vhalever lhal nay le.
To drav on your povers, you nusl
siluale yourseIf in a pIace vhere randon
evenls are IikeIy lo occur. If youre silling
in a Iocked, enply roon vilh no phone,
lheres nol nuch lhal can happen lo you.
Hovever, if you go and sil in a crovded
park, lhe range of possilIe coincidenlaI
evenls increases inneasuralIy. DifhcuIly
Nunlers correspond lo your Iocalion
and ils range of possilIe neaningfuI,
randon evenls, vilh 1 leing a crovded
slreel and 8 lhe aforenenlioned Iocked
roon.
Synchronicily doesnl provide core
cIues. Inslead, il gives you guidance on
vhal lo do nexl vhen youre slunped. Oflen lhe
coincidences viII redirecl you lo facls you
The AII-Isychic
Series
AIlhough CMs are
generaIIy advised lo
aIIov onIy one psychic
per group, an inleresling
varialion lo lhe lypicaI
horror canpaign is
one in vhich aII of lhe
characlers are gifled vilh
exlrasensory povers.
In lhis case, lhey eilher
knov each olher al lhe
slarl of pIay, lhrough
spiriluaIisl or Nev
Age circIes, or quickIy
lecone lound lo one
anolher lhrough a series
of Iinked and oninous
visions.
Such a group, vilh ils
exlra opporlunilies lo
nake SlaliIily roIIs, viII
le nore fragiIe lhan
nosl. In our opinion,
lhal vouId le parl of
lhe grin fun of such a
series. Hovever, CMs
hoping for nore of a
supernaluraI heroes vs.
nonslers feeI nay vish
lo doIe oul generous
quanlilies of free SlaliIily
poinls, or reduce lhe
slandard difhcuIlies of
SlaliIily roIIs.
NeedIess lo say, in an
aII-psychic series, no
caps appIy lo psychic
povers. Depending on
group size, you nay
vish lo aIIov characlers
lo lake up lo lvo psychic
aliIilies apiece.
aIready have on hand lul have negIecled or inproperIy
inlerpreled.
AIlhough synchronicily is lhe safesl of
lhe psychic povers, enlilies of lhe Ouler
Iack can use il againsl you, loo. You nay
le confronled vilh sanily-chaIIenging
nanifeslalions. Ior exanpIe, a person
suicide nighl unknovingIy hesilale unliI
lhe exacl nonenl vhen youre passing
leIov lo Ieap fron a high vindov, lhen
Iand on lhe sidevaIk righl in fronl of you.
Users of lhis gifl are aIso al high risk of
freak accidenls.
Jl1t||! 1| Jl|l'|'l
When under slress, each of us searches
for reasons lo keep il logelher and
persevere. In Fcar Itsc!f, you quanlify
your characlers SlaliIily ly specifying ils
sources. Ior every 3 poinls you invesl in
SlaliIily, you nusl nane one lhing lhal
keeps you sane vhen lhe lerrors of lhe
vorId lhrealen lo shred your psyche.
These sources of slaliIily faII inlo lhree
calegories: personaIily lrails, aclivilies,
and peopIe.
Innale sanily-preserving personaIily
lrails nighl incIude Sloic, Zen-Iike, or
LnolionaIIy ResiIienl. Dehne lhese as you
pIease, suljecl lo CM approvaI. CMs are
encouraged lo aIIov lroad Ialilude, onIy
ruIing oul olviousIy nonsensicaI lrails. If
you pick nore lhan one personaIily lrail,
see lo il lhal lhey donl conlradicl one
anolher. Ior exanpIe, donl pair Sense of
Hunor vilh Crin InpIacaliIily.
Aclivilies are pursuils or hollies vhich
caIn you, giving you aIIoving you lo
regain your sense of perspeclive afler a
slressfuI incidenl. Again, Iel crealivily
le your guide. The CM viII disaIIov
lIalanlIy ridicuIous choices. Lfforls lo
use lhese pursuils lo overcone pIol olslacIes vilhin lhe
gane nusl le lacked up vilh reIevanl skiIIs.
J
|tcn if qcu pic| nang-g|iing as a s|a|i|i|q-gran|ing
nc||q, qcu ucn| |c a||c |c nang-g|ic qcu uaq in|c
|nc cncmq ccmpcun un|css qcutc a|sc |cugn| |nc
A|n|c|ics a|i|i|q.
y far your richesl source of SlaliIily is a supporl
nelvork of friends and faniIy vhose slrenglh you
drav on in lines of quiel. A nane and idenlifying
phrase are sufhcienl for each. You nay nol use olher
pIayer characlers, lhey go lhrough lhe sane slresses
you do and renind you of lhe horrors you confronl. Ils
pernissilIe, lul risky, for nuIlipIe characlers lo Iean on
lhe sane foIks as nenlers of lheir supporl nelvork.
ReIying on olhers is a source of slrenglh, lul aIso of
danger. Once you cone lo lhe allenlion of enlilies of
lhe Ouler Iack, such as lhe Myslery Man, lhey nay
use your Ioved ones againsl you. They nay lurn lhen
lo eviI, possess lhen, or lake lhe lried and lrue roule
of suljecling lhen lo horrilIe lorlures. If anylhing lad
happens lo lhen, you nol onIy face innediale, difhcuIl
SlaliIily lesls, lul nay pernanenlIy Iose lhe raling
poinls lheyre Iinked lo. Your vife, nolher or chiId
can no Ionger soolhe your spiril if you can onIy visil
lheir scarred and lroken lodies in a secIuded nenlaI
hospilaI.
You nay nol seIecl nore personaIily lrails lhan you do
peopIe, or nore aclivilies lhan you do peopIe.
Ra|f |uqs 15 pcin|s cf S|a|i|i|q fcr nis cnarac|cr, |nc
|cu-rcn| pic|pcc|c| Micnc| McCcq. 15 itic |q 3
is 5, sc nc nccs |c cnccsc 5 scurccs cf s|a|i|i|q. Hc
sccs Micnc| as a |i| cf a |cncr, an sc s|ar|s ui|n a
pcrscna|i|q |rai|. Sc|f-Rc|iancc. Tncn nc pic|s an
ac|iti|q. |nrcuing ar|s. |i|c manq rc|cp|aqcrs,
Ra|f prcfcrs nis cnarac|crs ui|ncu| mcssq cmc|icna|
cn|ang|cmcn|s, |u| ncu ncs facc ui|n a i|cmma.
Hc can| sc|cc| mcrc pcrscna|i|q |rai|s |nan nc ccs
pccp|c. Tnc samc gccs fcr ac|iti|ics. Sc nc mus|
|rca| cun an pic| a pcrscn |c rc|a|c |c. Hc cnccscs
Tnc|ma, nis a|ccnc|ic |an|aq, uncs a|uaqs |ncrc
ui|n a rcassuring ucr an a s|ign||q ir|q g|ass
cf uarm unis|cq uncnctcr nc nccs scmc|cq |c
|a|| |c. Ncu nc can gc anca an pic| a pcrscna|i|q
|rai|, uisc-crac|ing numcr, an a scccn ac|iti|q,
rcrcaing |nc ucr|s cf |ricricn Nic|zscnc.
i+|l Jl l1 i|tl
Nexl seIecl a pcrsnna! gna! for your characler. Lven if
lhe CM vanls your characlers lo le faniIiar vilh lhe
supernaluraI al lhe oulsel of lhe series, your personaI
goaI shouId le of a nundane nalure. Iick sonelhing
you can acluaIIy lake concrele sleps lo achieve. Inagine
your characler is al Ioose ends, and lhe CM asks you
vhal youre doing. Can you descrile an aclive course
of aclion you can underlake lo nove you cIoser lo lhis
personaI goaI, in vhich youII have lo vork lo overcone
olslacIes` If you can visuaIize such a scene, one lhals
dranalic and inleresling lo descrile, and for olher
pIayers lo Iislen lo, youve gol a slrong personaI goaI.
If nol, relhink.
Inleresling goaIs oflen invoIve lhe peopIe you choose as
sources of slaliIily, see alove. e carefuI aloul Iinking
lhen lo your aclivilies, hovever. CaIning pursuils nay
le good for recovering shallered sanily, lul donl Iend
lhenseIves lo dranalic scenes in vhich you overcone
olslacIes lo reach your personaI goaI.
i+|l Jl l1 i|tl
J1
The lesl goaIs require your characler lo undergo sone
kind of personaI change, or chaIIenge lhe peopIe around
her lo do lhe sane. They have enolionaI consequences,
for you and for olhers. Lven if your characler is
olhervise unsynpalhelic, lhe pursuil of your goaIs
shouId suggesl sone kind of hope for redenplion.
IdeaIIy, your feIIov pIayers viII le rooling for you lo
succeed, and viII feeI lad if you faiI. This sense of slakes
provides lhe series vilh a sense of ongoing drana,
aparl fron lhe gore and lhe souI-ealing and lhe aljecl,
lerrorized veeping.
J|||| `l||!
- Care for an inhrn parenl
- Cel inlo a good coIIege
- Cel your Iover off heroin
- Irevenl greedy idiols fron ruining your
Iifes vork
- Irove lhe unlrulh of accusalions againsl
you
- Irove you can sliII do your jol afler a
disaslrous sellack
- Iursue your dreans of pop slardon
- Raise funds for nuch needed church
repairs
- Regain cuslody of your daughler
- Regain lhe respecl of a juslihalIy
disapproving parenl or nenlor
- Save your lusiness fron lankruplcy
- Woo lhe cooIIy aIoof popuIar girI
Consider yourseIf enpovered lo creale supporling
characlers vhich lhe CM viII porlray during lhe course
of lhe gane. The CM nay renain consislenl vilh your
iniliaI descriplion of lhese characlers, lul nay surprise
you during pIay ly aIIoving lhen lo change over
line, or reveaI previousIy unknovn facels of lheir pasl
hislories or personaIilies.
Whenever possilIe, goaIs shouId reIale lo lhe series
prenise. Ior exanpIe, Iels say lhal lhe CM proposes
a series in vhich aII of lhe ICs vork for lhe sane Iarge
and ullerIy nundane corporalion. Thal inpIies lhal a
cerlain anounl of lhe aclion lhroughoul lhe series viII
cenler around lhe vorkpIace. SuilalIe goaIs vouId
lherefore incIude:
- Lrasing runors of an enlarrassing ofhce
ing
- Iinding lhe ofhce lhief
- Celling lhal pronolion
- MoIIifying a lIacknaiIing co-vorker
- Undernining your psycho supervisor
- Winning funding for your deparlnenl
CoIIalorale vilh olher pIayers lo creale overIapping
goaIs. Slrife lelveen najor characlers is a genre slapIe,
so feeI enpovered lo creale goaIs conlrary lo one or
nore of lhe olher pIayers.
|||'t'l'|! |tJ
|t'l'|! |1|l'lt||
The foIIoving, hnaI slep of characler crealion appIies
onIy vhere lhe pIayer characlers are veII acquainled
vilh one anolher as lhe series legins. If youre a group
of sludenls fron lhe sane high schooI or disaffecled
hipslers enpIoyed in lhe sane copy shop, lhis slep
appIies lo you. If youre a group of slrangers vho
avaken logelher in a darkened dungeon, or ansver a
nyslerious sunnons lo a nansion al nidnighl, nol so
nuch.
Iirsl, each nenler of lhe group in lurn descriles lheir
characlers, vilh an enphasis on hov lhal characlers
innediale circIe are IikeIy lo perceive hin. Iocus Iess
on your pasl hislory (unIess ils sonelhing lhal you laIk
aloul aII lhe line or is olhervise inescapalIe lo your
acquainlances) lhan on your personaIily and lypicaI
lehavior.
A gcc cnarac|cr in|rc fcr Micnc| McCcq, frcm |nc
a|ctc cxamp|c, ucu| |c. | am a ncrtcus, |ui|cnq
guq ui|n a sarcas|ic scnsc cf numcr unc nctcr |c|s
anqcnc pas| mq cfcnscs. Ycu cn| |ncu una| mq
prcfcssicn is, |u| qcu suspcc| |na| i|s scmc|ning
s|cazq. Maq|c qcutc sccn mq imprcssitc car
|ric|s.
A Iess usefuI inlro nighl sound Iike lhis: I vas
lraunalized al lhe age of eighl vhen ny slepfalher
kiIIed ny nolher in fronl of ny eyes. In a pickpockel
ly profession and onIy reaIIy lrusl ny drunken IandIady
TheIna. ul you vonl knov any of lhose lhings aloul
ne, lecause I aIvays pIay lhings cIose lo ny vesl.
Having heard aII of lhe characler descriplions, you lhen
specify vhich you Iike lesl, and vhich you Iike Ieasl,
giving reasons for each.
Jl
Ra|f ansucrs fcr nis cnarac|cr, Micnc|, as fc||cus. |m cx|rcmc|q uarq cf
Sna|ira. A ccp in |raining is s|i|| a ccp. S|c|cn sccms |i|c a s|an-up guq |c
mc. | fn jun|ics |i|c nim ccmfcr|ing|q prcic|a||c..
IeeI free lo specify lhe degree of afhnily or ennily you feeI. Your feeIings
need nol le reciprocaled. You nighl Iike sonelody you despises you, or vice
versa. IIayers vho decIare lheir aIIegiances Ialer in lhe process viII prolalIy
aIler lheir choices lo reecl vhal lheyve heard so far.
As evenls unfoId during pIay, you nay hnd your IoyaIlies shifling, Iearning
lo disIike your previous favorile or earning nev respecl for your nenesis.
These are inleresling characler deveIopnenls, so le sure lo pIay lhen up.
|||'t'l'|! |tJ |t'l'|!
J
+| ?JJJ1| 1||! J!l|
This chapler descriles lhe lasic CUMSHOL ruIes syslen and is addressed lo
pIayers and CM aIike. ul hrsl lear vilh us for a IillIe expIanalory lheory.
i+ +'! ?|| |/'!l!
Invesligalive scenarios have leen done vrong since lhe earIy days of
roIepIaying ganes. As a consequence, lheyre hard lo run and prone lo grind
lo a haIl. CUMSHOL is here lo hx aII lhal.
Whals vrong aloul lhe lradilionaI vay of doing invesligalive ganes`
Theyre lased on a fauIly prenise. Slory-lased roIepIaying, of vhich
invesligalive ganes vere an earIy if nol lhe earIiesl exanpIe, evoIved fron
dungeon-lashing canpaigns. They lreal cIues lhe sane vay lhal dungeon
ganes lreal lreasure. You have lo search for lhe cIue lhal lakes you on lo lhe
nexl scene. If you roII veII, you gel lhe cIue. If nol, you donl~and lhe slory
grinds lo a haIl.
Hovever, lreasure galhering isnl lhe nain evenl in a dungeon gane. There,
lhe cenlraI aclivily is kiIIing lhe nonslers and enenies vho Iive in lhe
dungeon. The lreasure-hnding phase cones aflervards, as a nere revard. If
you donl gel aII lhe lreasure in a roon, you Iose oul a lil, lul lhe slory keeps
going, as you lronp dovn lhe haIIvay lo lhe nexl nonsler-hIIed chanler.
Inagine a dungeon gane vhere you aIvays had lo roII veII lo hnd anolher
roon lo pIunder, or sil around feeIing fruslraled and lored.
In a hclionaI proceduraI, vhelher ils a nyslery noveI or an episode of a cop
shov, lhe enphasis isnl on hnding lhe cIues in lhe hrsl pIace. When il reaIIy
nallers, you nay gel a paragraph leIIing you hov difhcuIl lhe search vas,
or a nonlage of a CSI lean lossing an aparlnenl. ul lhe aclion reaIIy slarls
afler lhe cIues are galhered.
|t|!l'`|l'| !||t|t'l! |t| tll |ll1l |'tJ't` ||1|!,
l+|t| |ll1l 'tl|t|t|l't` l+| ||1|! l1 Jl |'tJ.
CUMSHOL, lherefore, nakes lhe hnding of cIues aII lul aulonalic, as Iong as
you gel lo lhe righl pIace in lhe slory and have lhe righl aliIily. Thals vhen
lhe fun parl legins, vhen lhe pIayers lry lo pul lhe conponenls of lhe puzzIe
logelher.
Thals hard enough for a group of arnchair deleclives, vilhoul vilhhoIding
haIf lhe pieces fron lhen.
JJ
!l|t Jlt1|l1t|
Lvery invesligalive scenario legins vilh a crine or
conspiracy connilled ly a group of anlagonisls, vhich
usuaIIy dravs lhe pIayer characlers direclIy inlo lhe
aclion. The lad guys do sonelhing lad. The pIayer
characlers nusl hgure oul vho did il and pul a slop
lo lheir aclivilies. If you use lhe CUMSHOL ruIes for
slraighl-up crine drana, lhe lean invesligales a crine,
hnds oul vho did il, and puls lhe cuIprils under arresl.
In lhe Unrenilling Horror selling, lhe group is pIaced
in danger due lo lhe aclions of naIevoIenl hunans,
supernaluraI enlilies or nosl connonIy lolh. They nay
hnd a vay lo lhvarl or even kiII lhe hunan anlagonisls.
Despile lheir reIalive Iack of heId experience, lhey nay
deslroy any supernaluraI crealures or effecls generaled
ly lhe lad guys. Or lhey nighl end up invoIving lhe
poIice, lhe nedia or lhe niIilary, having hnaIIy found
enough evidence lo persuade lhen.
Your CM designs each scenario ly crealing an
invesligalion lrigger, a sinisler pIol, and a lraiI of cIues.
+| 't|!l'`|l'lt lt'``|t.
This is lhe evenl, oflen a gruesone crine, lhal pIunges
lhe pIayer characlers inlo lhe aclion and pronpls lhen
lo legin an invesligalion. LxanpIes:
- A scncc| fricn cf a|| |nc p|aqcr cnarac|crs is fcun murcrc,
c|ticus|q s|ain uring a ri|ua|is|ic |i||ing. (Scrcam)
- On a camping nc|iaq cr a |rip in|c |nc uccs, cnc cf |nc
grcup tanisncs uncr sinis|cr circums|anccs. (8|air Ii|cn
Prcjcc|)
- A fricn cr rc|a|itc gccs missing, ui|n s|rangc c|ucs |cf|
|cnin. Nc|cq |u| |nc p|aqcrs suspcc|s anq|ning is amiss.
- A |cacncr cr c|ncr au|ncri|q fgurc |cgins |c |cnatc
s|rangc|q, an cnc cf |nc p|aqcrs iscctcrs cticncc cf |izarrc
ri|cs. (Tnc |acu||q)
- Sign|ings cf supcrna|ura| crca|urcs cr pncncmcna, unicn
au||s an au|ncri|ics ismiss. (|tcrq 1950s |ccn ncrrcr ic|
ctcr mac)
- Tnc apparcn||q munanc ca|n cf a fricn cr fami|q
mcm|cr, unc cn|rus|c a |crrifqing sccrc| |c cnc cf |nc
p|aqcrs. (Ring)
+| !'t'!l|t ||ll.
This sels oul vho lhe lad guys
are, vhal lheyve done so far,
vhal lheyre lrying lo do, and
hov lhe invesligalion lrigger
hls inlo lhe overaII schene.
The CM aIso delernines vhal
has lo happen lo prevenl lhe
pIol fron going forvard. This,
unknovn lo lhe pIayers, is
lheir viclory condilion ~ vhal
lhey have lo do lo lhvarl lhe
lad guys and lring lhe slory
lo a posilive concIusion.
Once lhe CM has lhe Iogic of
lhe slory vorked oul fron lhe
viIIains poinl of viev, she lhen
lhinks in reverse, designing
a traI! nf c!ucs Ieading fron
lhe invesligalion lrigger lo an
underslanding of lhe sinisler
pIol and ils pIayers, sufhcienl
lo gel lo vork deslroying il.
OplionaIIy, lhe CM nay aIso
pIan a series of antagnnIst
rcactInns. These Iay oul
vhal lhe lad guys do vhen
lhey hnd oul lhal lheyre
leing invesligaled. The CM
delernines vhal condilions
lrigger lhen, and vhal lhe
anlagonisls allenpl lo do.
These nay incIude furlher
horrihc crines, inlended lo
lerrify lhe characlers inlo
slaying veII avay. They
nay lry lo sel lhe aulhorilies
againsl lhe characlers, or have
lhen carled off lo nenlaI
hospilaIs. They nay allack lhe
pIayers. IooIish, overconhdenl
or risk-laking anlagonisls nay lake lhen on direclIy.
CIever anlagonisls viII slrike fron a dislance, laking
greal pains lo cover lheir lracks.
Mundane
MYSTLRILS
The scenario slruclure
given in lhe nain
lexl assunes youre
using lhe Unrenilling
Horror lackground,
or a siniIar selling of
occuIl invesligalion.
Ordinary crine
dranas nay caII for
a sinpIer slruclure.
The lad guys couId
sliII le furlhering a
sinisler pIol, or lhey
nay le doing nolhing
afler connilling lhe
lriggering crine olher
lhan hoping lhal lhe
invesligalors donl
calch up vilh lhen.
In lhis case lhere is no
ongoing conspiracy
lo disrupl. To achieve
viclory and lring
lhe scenario lo a
successfuI concIusion,
lhe invesligalors
need nereIy prove
lheir case againsl
lhe crininaIs. The
cIinaclic scene nighl
invoIve vringing
a confession fron
lhe vrongdoer, or
provoking hin inlo
reveaIing lhe cruciaI
lil of evidence
vhich viII ensure his
conviclion.
l+| `1!+l| t1||! !!l|
J|
|tl Jlt1|l1t|
l Jllt
The CMs slruclure noles are
nol a slory. The slory occurs
as you, lhe lean of pIayers,
lrings lhe slruclure lo Iife
lhrough lhe aclions of your
characlers. The slory proceeds
fron scene lo scene, vhere
you delernine lhe pace,
discovering cIues and pulling
lhen logelher. Your characlers
inleracl vilh Iocalions,
galhering physicaI evidence,
and supporling characlers run
ly lhe CM, galhering experl
and eyevilness leslinony.
The hrsl scene presenls
lhe nyslery you have lo
soIve in order lo have a
chance of survivaI. You lhen
perforn Iegvork, coIIecling
infornalion lhal leIIs you
nore aloul lhe case. Lach scene conlains infornalion
poinling lo a nev scene. Cerlain scenes nay pul a nev
lvisl on lhe invesligalion, as lhe iniliaI nyslery lurns
oul lo le jusl one aspecl of a nuch ligger slory. As
cIues accunuIale, a piclure of lhe case energes, unliI
your characlers arrive al a cIinaclic scene, vhere aII is
reveaIed and lhe lad guys confronled. A vrap-up scene
accounls for Ioose ends and shovs lhe consequences of
your success~or, in rare inslances, faiIure. (Why is
faiIure possilIe al aII` Ils possiliIily creales urgency
and suspense.)
To nove fron scene lo scene, and lo soIve lhe overaII
nyslery, you nusl galher cIues. They fueI your forvard
nonenlun.
?|l+|t't` ||1|!
Calhering cIues is sinpIe. AII you have lo do is: 1) gel
yourseIf inlo a scene vhere reIevanl infornalion can le
galhered and 2) have lhe righl aliIily lo discover lhe
cIue (if appropriale) and 3) leII lhe CM lhal youre using
il. As Iong as you do lhese lhree lhings, you viII never
faiI lo gain a piece of necessary infornalion.
Il is never dependenl on a die roII. If you ask for il, you
viII gel il.
You can specify exaclIy vhal you inlend lo achieve: I
use NaluraI Hislory lo see if I can idenlify vhal sorl of
lone }ocky dug up.
Or you can engage in a nore generaI infornalionaI
hshing expedilion: I use Research lo see vhal I can
hnd oul aloul lhal alandoned hospilaI.
Ior nuch of lhe line, if youre jusl searching an area,
you vonl even need lo specify an aliIily. You can
sinpIy leII lhe CM lhal you are searching, and you viII
hnd any cIues lhal are lhere for you lo hnd.
If your suggesled aclion corresponds lo a cIue in lhe
scenario noles, lhe CM provides you lhe infornalion
arising fron lhe cIue.
Cc||cgc s|ucn| Suzic Ccrc||c paqs a tisi| |c ncspi|a|
|c |a|| |c |nc ncati|q |rauma|izc ]cnnifcr Casc.
]cnnifcrs |ig sis|cr Amq uas Suzics |cs| fricn,
]cnnifcr uas prcscn| a| Amqs gris|q suicic (cr
suppcsc suicic) an nasn| |ccn |nc samc sincc.
Tip Ior
IIayers:
Conlaining
SpecuIalion
Invesligalive
scenarios oflen
log dovn inlo
specuIalive delale
lelveen pIayers
aloul vhal ccu|
|c happening.
Many lhings can
le happening,
lul onIy one
lhing is. If nore
lhan one possilIe
expIanalion lies
logelher lhe cIues
you have so far,
you need nore
cIues.
Whenever you
gel sluck, gct nut
and gathcr mnrc
InfnrmatInn.
J!
]cnnifcr s|arcs a| Suzic acrcss a cs| fu||
cf craqcns an papcr, c|car|q |cc |crrifc
cf |nc cc|crs |c spca|.
Suzics p|aqcr, Kira, saqs, | c mq |cs|
|c rcassurc ]cnnifcr, |c||ing ncr |ncu |na|
sncs safc an snc can |rus| mc. Tnis is
a|| snc nccs |c c |c gc| |nc infcrma|icn
snc nccs |c prcccc |c |nc ncx| sccnc, an
intcs|iga|icn cf |nc c| rai|uaq |unnc| cu|
cf |cun. Tnc GM saqs ]cnnifcrs mcu|n
mctcs, |u| sncs s|i|| |cc in|imia|c |c
prcucc mcrc |nan a rq crca|. Sucn|q
snc |cgins |c rau cn |nc |ccsc papcr in
frcn| cf ncr. ||s scmc scr| cf arcn cr
ccruaq, an snc scri|||cs ctcr an ctcr
acrcss |nc ||ac| cpcning in |nc mi|c.
Ior each scene, lhe CM designales a cnrc
c!uc. This is lhe cIue you alsoIuleIy need
lo nove lo lhe nexl scene, and lhus lo
conpIele lhe enlire invesligalion. CMs
viII avoid naking core cIues avaiIalIe
onIy vilh lhe use of olscure invesligalive
aliIilies. (Ior lhal naller, lhe characler
crealion syslen is sel up so lhal lhe group
as a vhoIe viII have access lo aII, or nearIy
aII, of lhe necessary aliIilies.)
Cerlain cIues aIIov you lo gain speciaI
lenehls ly spending poinls fron lhe
reIevanl invesligalive aliIily pooI. During
your hrsl fev scenarios, your CM viII offer
you lhe opporlunily lo spend addilionaI
poinls as you uncover lhese cIues. Afler
lhal ils up lo you lo ask if il lheres
anylhing lo le gained ly spending exlra
line or efforl on a given cIue. You can even
propose specihc vays lo inprove your
aIready good resuIl, if your suggeslion is
persuasive or enlerlaining, lhe CM nay
avard you a speciaI lenehl nol nenlioned
in her scenario noles.
Lach lenehl cosls eilher 1 or 2 poinls
fron lhe reIevanl pooI, depending on lhe
difhcuIly of lhe addilionaI aclion and lhe
scope of lhe revard. When asking you if
you vanl lo purchase lhe lenehl, lhe CM
aIvays leIIs you hov nuch il viII cosl.
AddilionaI infornalion gained provides
avor, lul is never required lo soIve lhe
case or nove on lo a nev scene. Oflen
il nakes lhe characler seen cIever,
poverfuI, or heroic. Il nay granl you
lenehls usefuI Ialer in lhe scenario,
frequenlIy ly naking a favoralIe
inpression on supporling characlers.
The lenehl nay aIIov you lo Ieap
forvard inlo lhe slory ly gaining
a cIue lhal vouId olhervise onIy
lecone apparenl in a Ialer scene. On
occasion, lhe addilionaI infornalion
adds an enolionaI dinension lo lhe
slory or lies inlo lhe characlers pasl
hislory or civiIian Iife. If you lhink of
your CUMSHOL gane as a TV series,
an exlra lenehl gives lhe aclor pIaying
your characler a juicy spolIighl scene.
Can | |c|| una| |nc rauing is
suppcsc |c rcprcscn|? as|s Kira.
Tnc GM |ncus |na| i|s |nc a|ancnc
rai|uaq |unnc|. Tnis infcrma|icn isn|
ncccssarq |c mctc fcruar rign| a| |nis
mcmcn|, an Suzic ccu| fn i| cu| |q
cing a fcu ncurs cf rcscarcn in |nc |cca|
|i|rarq. 8u| i| ucu| |c imprcssitc, an
|cc| a |c| |c||cr in |nc mctic, if snc
ccu| ansucr |na| qucs|icn ncu.
Dc qcu uan| |c spcn a His|crq
pcin|? as|s |nc GM. Kira agrccs, an
rcuccs ncr pcc| frcm i|s maximum cf 3,
cun |c 2. Kira nas a|rcaq cs|a||isnc
|na| ncr cnarac|cr Suzic is ar|is|ica||q
inc|inc, sc||ing up ncr casc| in arcas cf
na|ura| |cau|q arcun |nc ccun|rqsic.
Tnis gitcs |nc GM an cpcning |c jus|ifq
Suzics imprcssitc insign|, uni|c a|sc
giting ncr a is|inc|itc cnarac|cr
mcmcn|.
Tnc GM cxp|ains as fc||cus. || c|ic|s
in qcur min immcia|c|q. Ycu
rcmcm|cr |na| ar| cpcning frcm
|nc aq qcu spcn| |rc||ing |nrcugn
|nc uccs cn |nc scu|n sic cf |cun,
|cc|ing fcr sui|a||c |cca| sign|s |c
pain|. Tnis cnc suggcs|c i|sc|f |c qcu
frcm |nc nis|crq |cc|s, |u| uncn qcu
ctcn|ua||q fcun i|, qcu in|
|i|c |c s|aq |cc |cng ncar
SinpIe Searches
Many cIues can le found
vilhoul any aliIily
vhalsoever. If an ordinary
person couId credilIy hnd
a cIue sinpIy ly Iooking
in a specihed pIace, lhe
cIue discovery occurs
aulonalicaIIy. You, lhe
reader, vouIdnl need lo
le a lrained invesligalor
lo hnd a lIoody foolprinl
on lhe carpel in your
Iiving roon, or nolice a
naniIa enveIope laped lo
lhe underside of a lalIe
al lhe IocaI pul. y lhal
sane Iogic, lhe ICs donl
require specihc aliIilies
lo hnd lhen, eilher.
When pIayers specify
lhal lheyre searching
an area for cIues, lheyre
perforning vhal ve caII a
simp|c scarcn. To perforn
sinpIe searches, lhey nusl
narrov dovn lhe scope
of lheir exaninalion ly
specifying a parlicuIar
area or oljecl vilhin lhe
scene:
- I Iook in lhe roII-lop
desk.
- Is lhere anylhing in
lhe lul`
- Dils on lhe
nedicine calinel!
On lhe olher hand,
characlers vho do have
reIevanl aliIilies can
gIean cIues vilhoul
gelling lhis specihc. Wilh
Invesligalive Irocedure
(or an equivaIenl aliIily
fron anolher CUMSHOL
selling), cIues lecone
avaiIalIe lo a pIayer
sinpIy ly leing on lhe
scene and indicaling lhal
youre Iooking for lhen.
|tl !lt1|l1t| ll !llt
J|
i|. ||s |nc c| |unnc| cu| |q |nc isusc
s|a|icn.
Suzic gu|ps. | |ncu |na| p|acc ucu|
ccmc |ac| |c naun| mc, snc saqs.
Spending poinls on lenehls gives you
an edge al lhe end of lhe scenario, vhen
you are avarded poinls lo inprove your
characler. Thus il is lo your advanlage
lo propose cooI lenehls lo lhe CM,
even vhen lhey arenl specihed in lhe
scenario.
The acl of spending poinls for lenehls is
caIIed a spcnd. The CMs scenario noles
nay specify lhal you gel enehl X for a
1-poinl spend, or enehl Y for a 2-poinl
spend.
CMs of greal nenlaI agiIily vho feeI
conforlalIe granling lheir pIayers
inuence over lhe delaiIs of lhe narralive
nay aIIov lhen lo specify lhe delaiIs of a
speciaI lenehl.
If you vish lo nake a spend in a silualion
vhere lhe CM has no speciaI lenehl lo
offer you, and cannol lhink of one lhal
perlains al aII lo lhe invesligalion, you do
nol Iose lhe poinls you vish lo spend.
|t|lt!|'|1l1! ||1|!
Sonelines lhe characlers inslincliveIy
nolice sonelhing vilhoul acliveIy
Iooking for il. Oflen lhis silualion
occurs in pIaces lheyre noving lhrough
casuaIIy and donl regard as scenes in
need of inlensive searching. The lean
nighl pass ly a conceaIed door, spol a
dropIel of lIood on a poIished kilchen
oor, or approach a vehicIe vilh a
nad axenan Iurking under lhe lack
seal. InlerpersonaI aliIilies can aIso le
used lo hnd inconspicuous cIues. The
cIassic exanpIe is of a characler vhose
deneanor or lehavioraI lics
eslalIish lhen as suspicious.
Ils unreasonalIe lo expecl pIayers lo
ask lo use lheir various aliIilies in vhal
appears lo le an innocuous lransilionaI
scene. Olhervise lheyd have lo spend
ninules of gane line vilh every change
of scene, running dovn lheir aliIilies
in olsessive checkIisl fashion. Thal vay
nadness Iies.
Inslead lhe CM asks vhich characler has
lhe highesl currenl pooI in lhe aliIily in
queslion. If lvo or nore pooIs are equaI,
il goes lo lhe one vilh lhe highesl raling. If
ralings are aIso equaI, lheir characlers hnd
lhe cIue al lhe sane line.
Suzic tisi|s |nc scncc| |i|rarq |c ccnuc|
rcscarcn cn |nc nis|crq cf |nc arca, fc||cuing
ncr is|ur|ing cxpcricnccs a| |nc ncspi|a|.
Hcr fricn |ucq Grccn acccmpanics ncr
|c nc|p pcrc ctcr |nc |cc|s. Tnc scncc|
|i|rarian is a mcm|cr cf |nc |cca| cu||, an is
|iti a| Suzics mc|ing. Tnc GM ccics
|na| |nc Sccia| Scicnccs a|i|i|q ui|| a|cr|
|ncm |c |nc |ci|ing furq uncrnca|n |nc
|i|rarians facac cf graq-nairc scrcni|q.
8c|n cnarac|crs natc |nc s|i||, Suzic nas 2
pcin|s in ncr pcc|, uni|c |ucq nas 3.
|ucq, saqs |nc GM, qcu can| qui|c
|c|| una|s urcng, |u| |nc |i|rarians |cq
|anguagc sccms |cnsc, as if snc ucrc fu||
cf ragc. As snc smi|cs a| qcu, qcu ccu|
sucar sncs |nin|ing a|cu| |caping ctcr |nc
ccun|cr an |caring qcur |nrca|s cu|.
Who Iinds Il`
Sonelines you knov
lhal a cIue viII dehnileIy
le found during a given
scene, lul nusl decide
vhich characler does
so. Mosl oflen, lhe cIue,
lhough easiIy found on a
cursory exaninalion of a
scene, viII le sonevhal
inconspicuous. The
lIoody foolprinl nighl
le under a piece of
furnilure. The lalIe
vilh lhe enveIope
laped lo il nighl le
on lhe olher side of
lhe diner. ecause il is
niIdIy inconspicuous, il
doesnl nake sense lhal
everylody viII spol il al
lhe exacl sane second.
If one or nore pIayers
have a reIevanl aliIily,
choose lhe pIayer vilh
lhe highesl currenl pooI
in lhal aliIily. If no one
has a reIevanl aliIily, or
no aliIily seens lo appIy
lo lhe silualion, ask
yourseIf vhich pIayer
seens nosl in need of
a vin. Iick eilher lhe
IC vho has received
lhe Ieasl line in lhe
spolIighl, or suffered lhe
vorsl sellacks, during
lhe currenl session.
(This lechnique of
doIing oul posilive
nonenls according
lo dranalic need can
aIso le appIied lo
olher lenehls, fron
Iucky lreaks lo hook-
up opporlunilies, lo
vhich no aliIily cIearIy
appIies.)
This ruIe appIies lo any
CUMSHOL selling.
Jl
|!l!
A lesl occurs vhen lhe oulcone of an aliIily use is in doull.
Tesls appIy lo generaI skiIIs onIy. UnIike infornalion galhering
allenpls, lesls carry a fairIy high chance of faiIure. They nay
porlend dire consequences if you Iose, provide advanlages if
you vin, or lolh.
Lven in lhe case of generaI skiIIs, lhe CM shouId caII for lesls onIy al
dranalicaIIy inporlanl poinls in lhe slory, and for lasks of exceplionaI
difhcuIly. Mosl generaI aliIily uses shouId aIIov aulonalic successes, vilh
possilIe lonuses on poinl spends, jusl Iike invesligalive aliIilies.
There are lvo lypes of lesl: sinpIe lesls and conlesls.
J'||| |!l!
A sinpIe lesl occurs vhen lhe characler allenpls an aclion vilhoul aclive
resislance fron anolher person or enlily. LxanpIes incIude driving a
lreacherous road, junping a gorge, sneaking inlo an unguarded luiIding,
linding a vound, shooling a largel, disconnecling a securily syslen, or
renaining sane in lhe face of creeping supernaluraI horror.
The CM delernines hov hard any given aclion is ly assigning il a DifhcuIly
Nunler ranging fron 2 lo 8, vhere 2 offers onIy a sIin chance of faiIure
and 8 verges on lhe inpossilIe. The pIayer roIIs a singIe die, if lhe resuIl is
equaI lo or higher lhan lhe DifhcuIly Nunler, lhe characler succeeds. efore
roIIing lhe die, lhe pIayer nay choose lo spend any nunler of poinls fron lhe
reIevanl aliIily pooI, adding lhese lo lhe hnaI die resuIl. IIayers vho forgel
lo specify lhe nunler of poinls lhey vanl lo spend lefore roIIing are sluck
vilh lhe unnodihed resuIl.
In lhe gane vorId, expendilure of pooI poinls in lhis vay represenls speciaI
efforl and concenlralion ly lhe characler, lhe kind you can nusler onIy so
nany lines during lhe course of an invesligalion.
Suzic uan|s |c c|im| a nign ua|| |c gc| a gcc ticu cf |nc |i|rarians garcn,
uncrc a cu|| mcc|ing maq |c gcing cn. Tnc GM nccs |nc grcup |c gc| |c
|nc c|ncr sic cf |nc ua|| an |ncrcfcrc assigns |nc rc|a|itc|q |cu Diffcu||q
Num|cr cf 3 |c |nc |as|. Suzics p|aqcr, Kira, nas a fu|| 8 pcin|s in ncr
A|n|c|ics pcc|. Snc ccics |na| snc rca||q nccs a uin cn |nis cnc an ccics
|c spcn na|f cf |ncm cn |nc a||cmp|. Snc rc||s a 5. Ii|n |nc 4 pcin|s frcm ncr
pcc|, |nis gc|s a fna| rcsu|| cf 9. Disp|aqing imprcssitc acrc|a|ic gracc, Suzic
nau|s ncrsc|f ctcr |nc ua||.
The Fcar Itsc!f selling is neanl lo le a slraighl-up and lrulaI horror gane.
Losing poinls is neanl lo hurl. To evoke lhal spiril failhfuIIy, lhe CM never
J'| l||!
||| J'| tl||! 't ?JJJ1| 1!|
| !'t`|| ltJ't|t |!'/!'J|J J'|.
l|!l!
J?
reveaIs DifhcuIly Nunlers.
CMs running CUMSHOL in non-horror
environnenls, or vho vish lo valer
dovn lhe sellings inlenlionaI IeveI of
oppressive nasliness, nay choose lo
reveaI DifhcuIlies.
The lesl represenls lhe characlers lesl
chance lo succeed. Once you faiI, youve
shol your vad and cannol relry unIess
you lake sone olher supporling aclion
lhal vouId credilIy increase your odds
of success. If aIIoved lo do lhis, you
nusl spend nore pooI poinls lhan you
did on lhe previous allenpl. If you canl
afford il, you canl relry.
|ucq nas jus| fai|c ncr Driting |cs|
|c |ccp ccn|rc| cf a tan snc an |nc
c|ncr cnarac|crs arc |ratc|ing in, as i|
gccs s|iing |cuars |nc cgc cf a uc|
mcun|ain rca. Snc spcn| 2 pcin|s frcm
ncr Driting pcc| cn |nis a||cmp|. Tnc
GM ccics snc|| natc cnc mcrc snc|
a| i| |cfcrc |nc tan gccs ctcr |nc cgc.
Ncu snc mus| spcn a| |cas| 3 Driting
pcin|s. |cr|una|c|q snc nas 4 pcin|s |cf|
in ncr pcc|. Tnc Diffcu||q Num|cr cf
|nc a||cmp| |c rcgain ccn|rc| is 5. |ucq
rc||s a 6, aing 3 pcin|s |c gc| a fna|
rcsu|| cf 9. Snc managcs |c |ring |nc
tan arcun jus| in |imc, ccming ui|nin
incncs cf |nc cgc.
?'``l||\'t`
When a group of characlers acl in
concerl lo perforn a lask logelher, lhey
designale one lo lake lhe Iead. Thal characler nakes
a sinpIe lesl, spending any nunler of his ovn pooI
poinls lovard lhe lask, as usuaI. AII olher characlers
pay 1 poinl fron lheir reIevanl pooIs in order lo gain
lhe lenehls of lhe Ieaders aclion. These poinls are nol
added lo lhe Ieaders die resuIl. Ior every characler vho
is unalIe lo pay lhis piggylacking cosl, eilher lecause
he Iacks pooI poinls or does nol have lhe aliIily al aII,
lhe DifhcuIly Nunler of lhe allenpl increases ly 2.
Suzic, |ucq, Russc|| an Max a||cmp| |c snca| in|c
|nc principa|s ncusc |c rcc| |nrcugn
nis ccmpu|cr, unicn |ncq arc surc nc|s
cu|| sccrc|s. Russc||, ui|n an |nf||ra|icn
cf 8, |a|cs |nc |ca. Suzic, |ucq an Max
natc 2, 0, an 4 pcin|s in |ncir |nf||ra|icn
pcc|s, rcspcc|itc|q. Suzic an Max paq 1
pcin| apiccc, |ncir pcc|s gc cun |c 1 an
3. 8ccausc |ucq nas nc pcin|s |c spcn,
|nc Diffcu||q Num|cr cf |nc |nf||ra|icn
incrcascs frcm 4 |c 6. (|f |nc grcup |cf| ncr
|cnin, i| ucu| |c casicr |c snca| in, |u|
sncs |nc cnc ui|n |nc ccmpu|ing sattq.)
Russc|| spcns 3 pcin|s cn |nc a||cmp| an
rc||s a 1. Tnis ucu| natc ctcrccmc |nc
Diffcu||q if i| uasn| fcr |ucqs prcscncc.
C|car|q, sncs |ncc|c ctcr cnc cf |nc p|an|
s|ans in |nc na||...
In nosl inslances a group cannol IogicaIIy
acl in concerl. OnIy one characler can drive
a car al one line. Tvo characlers vilh
Ireparedness check lheir individuaI kils in
sequence, ralher lhan checking a singIe kil
al lhe sane line.
|ll||t|l'lt
When lvo characlers cooperale lovard a
singIe goaI, lhey agree vhich of lhen is
underlaking lhe lask direclIy, and vhich
is assisling. The Ieader nay spend any
nunler of poinls fron her pooI, adding
lhen lo lhe die roII. The assislanl nay pay
any nunler of poinls fron his pooI. AII
lul one of lhese is appIied lo lhe die roII.
RusseII and Max are lrying lo hx lheir
lroken-dovn car so lhey can escape
in il lefore lhe esh-hungry nounlain
cannilaIs calch up vilh lhen. RusseII has 3 poinls Iefl in
his Mechanics pooI. Max has 2 poinls. They decide lhal
RusseII is lhe nain nechanic, and Max his assislanl.
olh choose lo spend aII of lheir renaining poinls on
lhe allenpl. RusseII adds 3 poinls lo lhe die roII. Max
spends 2 poinls, lul adds onIy 1 lo lhe die roII.
Russc||s p|aqcr rc||s a 3, fcr a rcsu|| cf 7. Tnis |ca|s
|nc Diffcu||q Num|cr cf 6, a||cuing |ncm |c s|ar|
|nc cnginc an pu|| auaq as a crcu cf raggc, us|q
mcn ccmc running cun |nc s|cpc, uating
fcmurs an sncu|ing angri|q.
DifhcuIly Nunlers
and Slory Iacing
}usl as lhe CUMSHOL
syslen keeps lhe slory
noving ly naking aII
cruciaI cIues accessilIe
lo lhe characlers, CMs
nusl ensure lhal lesls
and conlesls essenliaI
lo forvard narralive
nonenlun can le
easiIy overcone. Assign
reIaliveIy Iov DifhcuIly
Nunlers of 4 or Iess lo
lhese cruciaI pIol poinls.
Reserve especiaIIy hard
DifhcuIly Nunlers
for olslacIes vhich
provide inleresling lul
nonessenliaI lenehls.
Ior exanpIe, if lhe
characlers have lo
sneak inlo lhe cuIlisls
house in order lo slage
lhe hnaI confronlalion,
assign lhe reIaliveIy Iov
DifhcuIly Nunler of 4
lo lhe lask. If il seens lo
lhe characlers lhal lhey
oughl lo have a lougher
line of il, inserl a delaiI
juslifying lheir ease
of success. The cuIlisl
assigned lo palroI duly
nighl le innersed in a
popuIar noveI, say.
JJ
|ltl|!l!
Conlesls occur vhen lvo characlers, oflen a pIayer
characler and a supporling characler conlroIIed ly lhe
CM, acliveIy allenpl lo lhvarl one anolher. AIlhough
conlesls can resoIve various physicaI nalch-ups, in a
horror gane lhe nosl connon conlesl is lhe chase, in
vhich lhe invesligalors run avay fron sIavering enlilies
inlenl on ripping lhen Iinl fron Iinl.
In a conlesl, each characler acls in lurn. The hrsl lo faiI a
roII of lhe conlesled aliIily Ioses. The CM decides vho
acls hrsl. In a chase, lhe characler vho loIls fron lhe scene
acls hrsl. Where lhe characlers seen lo le acling al lhe
sane line, lhe one vilh lhe Iovesl raling in lhe reIevanl
aliIily acls hrsl. In lhe evenl of a lie, supporling characlers
acl lefore pIayer characlers. In lhe evenl of a lie lelveen
pIayer characlers, lhe pIayer vho arrived Iasl for lhe
currenl session goes hrsl in lhe conlesl.
The hrsl characler lo acl nakes a lesl of lhe aliIily in
queslion. If he faiIs, he Ioses lhe conlesl. If he succeeds, lhe
second characler lhen nakes a lesl. This conlinues unliI
one characler Ioses, al vhich poinl lhe olher one vins.
TypicaIIy each characler allenpls lo leal a DifhcuIly
Nunler of 4.
Suzic ccs |nrcugn |nc cmp|q scncc| frcm |nc gqm
|cacncr, a cu||is| unc is pursuing ncr ui|n a nai|-
s|uc |asc|a|| |a|. His A|n|c|ics pcc| is 6, |nc gqm
|cacncrs is 7. As |nc ccing cnarac|cr ini|ia|ing |nc
cnasc scqucncc, sncs |nc frs| cnarac|cr |c ac|. Snc
rc||s agains| a Diffcu||q cf 4, spcning 1 pcin|. Snc
rc||s a 4, an managcs |c scram||c |cuar |nc ining
na||.
Tnc gqm |cacncr spcns 1 pcin| as uc||, rc||ing a 3.
Hc |um|crs |nrcugn |nc ccncing ccrricrs, suinging
nis |a|.
Suzic spcns anc|ncr pcin|, |a|ing ncr A|n|c|ics |c 4.
Snc rc||s a 2. Tna|s nc| cncugn |c gc| auaq. Suzic
nas |ac|c ncrsc|f in|c a ccrncr, pinnc |c|uccn rcus
cf |cc|crs. Tnc gqm |cacncr atanccs cn ncr. Ncu snc
nas nc cncicc |u| |c s|an an fgn|.
Where lhe odds of success are skeved in favor of one
conleslanl, lhe CM nay assign differenl DifhcuIlies
lo each. A characler vilh a signihcanl advanlage gels
a Iover DifhcuIly Nunler. A characler facing a najor
handicap faces a higher DifhcuIly Nunler. When
in doull, lhe CM assigns lhe Iover nunler lo lhe
advanlaged parlicipanl.
A cnarac|cr running |nrcugn a suamp fns i| narcr
|c mctc quic||q |nan |nc marsn crca|urc pursuing
nim. |n |nis casc nc mign| facc a Diffcu||q Num|cr
cf 4, uni|c |nc marsn |cas| gc|s |nc |cucr Diffcu||q
cf 3.
Throughoul lhe conlesl, CM and pIayers shouId
coIIalorale lo add avor lo each resuIl, expIaining vhal
lhe characlers did lo renain in lhe conlesl. Thal vay,
inslead of dropping oul of lhe narralion lo engage in
an arilhnelicaI recilalion, you keep lhe hclionaI vorId
verlaIIy aIive.
|'`+l't`
Iighls are sIighlIy nore conpIicaled conlesls invoIving
any of lhe foIIoving aliIilies:
- Scufing vs. Scufing: lhe characlers are
hghling in cIose quarlers.
- Shooling vs. Shooling: lhe characlers
are aparl fron one anolher and lrying lo
hil each olher vilh guns or olher nissiIe
veapons
The aggressor is lhe hrsl characler lo nove againsl lhe
olher. When lhe slalus of aggressor and defender are
uncIear, lhe conlalanls conpare lheir currenl pooI
nunlers in lhe aliIilies lheyre using in lhe hghl. The
characler vilh lhe highesl nunler chooses vhelher
lo acl as aggressor or defender. (UnIike an ordinary
conlesl, in a hghl il is oflen advanlageous lo slrike
hrsl.)
A conlesl proceeds lelveen lhe lvo aliIilies. When
conlalanls using lhe Scufing or Shooling aliIilies roII
veII, lhey gel lhe opporlunily lo deaI danage lo lheir
opponenls.
J'l +t|!+l|J!
Lach characler has a Hil ThreshoId of eilher 3 (lhe slandard
vaIue) or 4 (if lhe characlers AlhIelics raling is 8 or nore.) The
Hil ThreshoId is lhe DifficuIly Nunler lhe characlers
opponenl nusl nalch or leal in order lo harn
|ltl|!l!
|1
hin. Less conpelenl supporling characlers nay have Iover Hil
ThreshoIds. Crealures nay have Hil ThreshoIds of 4 or higher,
regardIess of lheir AlhIelics ralings.
J|||'t` J||`|
When you roII on or over your opponenls Hil
ThreshoId, you nay deaI danage lo hin. To do so, you
nake a danage roII, roIIing a die vhich is lhen nodihed
according lo lhe reIalive IelhaIily of your veapon, as
per lhe foIIoving lalIe:
i|||lt || J||`| lJ'|'|t
Iisl, kick -2
SnaII inprovised veapon,
poIice lalon, knife
-1
Machele, heavy cIul, Iighl
hrearn
O
Svord, heavy hrearn +1
Ior hrearns, add an addilionaI +2 vhen hred al poinl
lIank range.
SupernaluraI crealures oflen exhilil aIarningIy high
danage nodihers.
Characlers nay never spend poinls fron lheir conlal
pooIs lo increase lheir danage roIIs.
The hnaI danage resuIl is lhen sullracled fron your
opponenls HeaIlh pooI. When a conlalanls HeaIlh
pooI drops lo O or Iess (see sidelar), lhal conlalanl
coIIapses fron exhauslion and is unalIe lo conlinue
hghling. Any conlalanls currenlIy engaged vilh hin
in a cIose quarlers hghl can lhen deaI anolher inslance
of danage lo hin.
UnIike olher conlesls, parlicipanls do nol Iose vhen
lhey faiI lheir lesl roIIs. Inslead, lheyre forced oul of lhe
hghl vhen lhey Iose consciousness or lecone seriousIy
vounded~see sidelar.
|/+|1!l'lt, |tl1t
|tJ ?t1|!l| J||l+
UnIike nosl aliIilies, your HeaIlh pooI can drop
leIov O.
When il does lhis, you nusl nake a
Consciousness RoII. RoII a die vilh lhe alsoIule
vaIue
1
of your currenl HeaIlh pooI as your
DifhcuIly. You nay deIileraleIy slrain yourseIf
lo renain conscious, voIunlariIy reducing your
HeaIlh pooI ly an anounl of your choice. Ior
each poinl you reduce il, add 1 lo your die
resuIl. The DifhcuIly of lhe Consciousness roII
is lased on your HeaIlh pooI |cfcrc you nake
lhis reduclion.
Russc|| T. ]cncs is |cing cnasc |q prc||q
ccc cu||is|s |nrcugn |nc rccms cf a spacicus
|cacnfrcn| prcpcr|q. Tncq ni| nim ui|n a
narpccn, rcpping nis Hca||n pcc| |c -2. Hc
rca||q uan|s |c gc| auaq frcm |ncm, |cs| |ncq
|ar|ccuc nim an scrtc nim up a| |cnign|s
s|um|cr par|q. Tnus nc mus| rcmain ccnscicus.
Tnc a|sc|u|c ta|uc cf -2 is 2, sc |nis is |nc
Diffcu||q cf nis Ccnscicusncss rc||. Hc cnccscs
|c cxpcn anc|ncr 2 Hca||n pcin|s nc ccsn|
natc, pusning nimsc|f cnuar |cuar |nc frcn|
ccr. Tna| gitcs nim a |cnus cf 2 |c nis rc||.
Hc rc||s a 6, fcr a fna| rcsu|| cf 8. Russc|| gc|s
auaq, |u| ncu nis Hca||n pcc| is cun |c -4.
If ynur pnn! Is anywhcrc frnm 0 tn -5, you are
hurt, lul have suffered no pernanenl injury,
leyond a fev superhciaI culs and lruises.
Hovever lhe pain of your injuries nakes il
inpossilIe lo spend poinls on Invesligalive
aliIilies, and increases lhe DifhcuIly Nunlers
of aII lesls and conlesls, incIuding opponenls
Hil ThreshoIds, ly 1.
A characler vilh lhe Medic aliIily can inprove
your condilion ly spending Medic poinls. Ior

In olher vords, lreal lhe negalive nunler as a posilive. Ior exanpIe, if your HeaIlh pooI is al -3, lhe DifhcuIly of lhe roII is 3, and so on.
|l
every Medic poinl spenl,
you regain 2 HeaIlh
poinls~unIess you are
lhe Medic, in vhich case
you gain onIy 1 HeaIlh
poinl for every Medic
poinl spenl. The Medic
can onIy rehII your pooI
lo vhere you vere lefore
lhe incidenl in vhich
you received lhis Ialesl
injury. He nusl le in a
posilion lo devole aII of
his allenlion lo direclIy
lending lo your vounds.
If ynur pnn! Is bctwccn
-6 and -11, you have
leen scrInus!y wnundcd.
You nusl nake a
Consciousness roII.
Whelher or nol you
nainlain consciousness,
you are no Ionger alIe lo
hghl. UnliI you receive
hrsl aid, you viII Iose
an addilionaI HeaIlh
poinl every haIf hour. A
characler vilh lhe Medic
aliIily can slaliIize your
condilion ly spending 2
Medic poinls. Hovever,
he canl reslore your
HeaIlh poinls.
Lven afler you receive
hrsl aid, you nusl
convaIesce in a hospilaI
or siniIar selling for a
period of days. Your
period of forced inaclivily
is a nunler of days equaI lo lhe posilive vaIue of your Iovesl HeaIlh pooI score. (So if you vere reduced lo -8
HeaIlh, you are hospilaIized for 8 days.) On lhe day of your discharge, your HeaIlh pooI increases lo haIf ils
naxinun vaIue. On lhe nexl day, il refreshes fuIIy.
Whcn ynur pnn! dIps tn -12 nr bc!nw, you are dcad. Tine lo creale a repIacenenl characler.
|/+|1!l'lt, 'tl1t |tJ `t1|!l| J||l+
|
Russc|| is a||ac|c in nis cun |crccm |q a s|in|ing, raggc-|a|cnc crca|urc
|na| nas fcrmc i|sc|f frcm |nc rc||cn |rasn in |nc rains. || |caps cn nim,
ma|ing |nis a c|csc quar|crs fgn|, fcr unicn |nc Scufc a|i|i|q is rcquirc.
Tnc GM cc|arcs |na| |nc crca|urc is |nc aggrcsscr, sincc i|s ccmc cu| cf
ncuncrc |c a||ac| |nc s|ccping Russc||. Tnc crca|urc nas a Scufc ra|ing
an pcc| cf 12, a Hca||n ra|ing an pcc| cf 10, a Hi| Tnrcsnc| cf 4, an a
Damagc Mcifcr cf 2. Russc||s Scufc ra|ing is 10 |u| nis pcc| is cun |c
6. His Hca||n pcc| is cun |c 8 frcm a ra|ing cf 12. His Hi| Tnrcsnc| is 4.
Ii|n nc ucapcns a| nan, nis Damagc Mcifcr is -2.
Tnc GM spcns 2 pcin|s frcm |nc crca|urcs Scufing pcc|, rcpping i| frcm
12 |c 10. Tnc GM rc||s, gc||ing a 2. Mcifc |q |nc pcin| spcn, |na| ccmcs
cu| |c a 4, unicn |ca|s Russc||s Hi| Tnrcsnc|. Tnc crca|urc maq |ncn ma|c
a amagc rc||. Tnc GM rc||s a 4, ui|n nis Damagc Mcifcr cf 2, |na| cqua|s
6 pcin|s cf amagc. Tnc crca|urcs ranci c|aus ig ccp in|c Russc||s
na|c |crsc, rcucing nis Hca||n pcc| frcm 8 |c 2. Russc|| scrcams in |crrcr,
ncping |c a|cr| nis fricns, unc arc s|um|cring in |nc ajcining rccms.
Hc ai|s a| i|s snif|ing tisagc ui|n uni|c-|nuc||c fs|s. His p|aqcr, Dati,
spcns 3 pcin|s, |a|ing nis pcc| frcm 6 |c 3. Hc rc||s a 3, fcr a rcsu|| cf 6,
unicn mcrc |nan mcc|s |nc crca|urcs Hi| Tnrcsnc|. Hc |ncrcfcrc ca|s
amagc |c i|. Dati rc||s a 5. Ccm|inc ui|n nis -2 mcifcr, |nis ccmcs cu|
|c 3 pcin|s cf amagc. Tnc crca|urcs Hca||n pcc| rcps frcm 10 |c 7.
Tnc crca|urc rcspcns |q a||cmp|ing |c |car cpcn Russc||s a|cmcn |c pu||
cu| nis cn|rai|s. Tnc GM spcns anc|ncr 2 Scufc pcin|s fcr |nc crca|urc,
|a|ing i|s pcc| frcm 10 |c 8. Tnc rc|| is nign, a 5, unicn mcifcs |c a 7. Tnc
cnsuing amagc rc|| is a 2, unicn |nc crca|urcs Damagc Mcifcr |rings
|c a |c|a| cf 4. Russc||s Hca||n rcps |c -2. Hc is ncu hurt, an suffcrs
an incrcasc cf 1 |c a|| Diffcu||q Num|crs, inc|uing nis cppcncn|s Hi|
Tnrcsnc|, unicn ncu |cccmcs 5. Hc mus| ma|c a Ccnscicusncss rc||,
agains| a Diffcu||q cf 2, unicn is |nc a|sc|u|c ta|uc cf nis Hca||n pcc|. Hc
rc||s a 3, an rcmains ccnscicus.
Ncu i|s Russc||s |urn |c ni| |ac|. Dati spcns 2 pcin|s, rcucing nis
pcc| frcm 3 |c 1. Hc rc||s a 2, fcr a |c|a| cf 4. 8cfcrc nc gc| nur|, |na| ucu|
natc |ccn cncugn, |u| ncu ncs jus| sncr| cf |nc mar|. Hc |rics |c c|u|cn a|
|nc crca|urcs ncc|, |u| nis fngcrs s|i an s|ip cn |ccsc ma||cr an s|imq
nair.
Tnc crca|urc a||ac|s again, spcning anc|ncr 2 Scufc pcin|s, |a|ing i|s
|c|a| frcm 8 |c 6. Tnc GM rc||s a 5, fcr a |c|a| cf 7again cncugn |c ca|
amagc. Tnc amagc rc|| is a 3, p|us |nc Damagc Mcifcr cf 2. Tnc crca|urc
s|ams a s|in|ing fs| in|c Russc||s in|crna| crgans, rcpping nis Hca||n
|c|a| frcm -2 |c -7. Hc is ncu serlous| uounded an |nus una||c |c
ccn|inuc fgn|ing. Tna| pu|s Russc|| cu| cf |nc fgn|. His Ccnscicusncss rc||
faccs a Diffcu||q cf 7, |nc a|sc|u|c ta|uc cf nis Hca||n pcc|. Hc ccu| gc ctcn
fur|ncr in|c |nc rc |c s|rain fcr a |cnus, |u| c|cc|s nc| |c. Tncrcs nc pcin|
in ma|ing |nc rc||, unicn is guaran|cc |c fai|. Russc|| passcs cu|.
|f Russc|| ucrc a|cnc as uc|| as unccnscicus, |nc crca|urc ccu| an ucu|
prcccc |c fnisn nim cff, |caring nim |c |i|s. |cr|una|c|q fcr nim, nis
|J
fricn Max Cipriani ccmcs |c nc|p nim, pcuning
cn |nc |crccm ccr. Ii|n i|s Scufc cun |c 6,
|nc crca|urc ccsn| fcc| up |c a |a|||c ui|n a frcsn
cppcncn|. As Max |us|s cun |nc |crccm ccr, i|
scu|||cs up |nrcugn |nc uincu, |cating |cnin cn|q
a ncxicus s|cncn as i| isappcars in|c |nc nign|.
Russc|| is scricus|q ucunc an ui|| ic if
nc| s|a|i|izc. |cr|una|c|q, Max nas na frs|
ai |raining an can s|cp |nc ||ccing. A |cng
ccnta|csccncc ncu auai|s |nc un|uc|q Russc||.
..........
|t|||lt||| |ll|l
Conlal lecones nore chaolic vhen lvo groups of
conlalanls hghl, or a group gangs up againsl a singIe
opponenl. The CM alandons lhe aggressor/defender
nodeI. Inslead, lhe CM delernines an order of aclion,
ranking aII parlicipanls in lhe conlal according lo
lheir presenl pcc| vaIues in lhe hghling skiIIs lheyII
le slarling lhe hghl vilh~Scufing or Shooling. Ties
are lroken in favor of characlers vilh higher ra|ings in
lhose skiIIs. If characlers are sliII lied, pIayer characlers
vin oul over crealures and enenies, and earIy-arriving
pIayers vin over Iale-arriving pIayers.
The line il lakes lo go lhrough lhe ranking order once,
vilh each characler laking an aclion, is caIIed a rnund.
When one round ends, anolher legins. When caIIed
upon lo acl, each characler nay slrike al any opponenl
vilhin range of his veapons. Sone supernaluraI
crealures nay slrike nore lhan once per round. They
nake each allack in succession, and nay divide lhen
up lelveen opponenls vilhin range, or concenlrale aII
of lhen on a singIe eneny.
Crealures nay choose lo use lheir aclions lo deaI
addilionaI danage lo dovned or heIpIess opponenls
ralher lhan engage aclive opponenls. They aulonalicaIIy
deaI once inslance of danage per aclion. OnIy lhe nosl
crazed and lesliaI hunan enenies engage in lhis
lehavior.
Characlers vho join a conlal in progress cone Iasl
in order of precedence. If nore lhan lvo characlers
join during lhe sane round, lhe CM delernines lheir
reIalive precedence using lhe ruIes alove.
The hghl conlinues unliI one side capiluIales or ees, or
aII of ils nenlers are unconscious or olhervise unalIe
lo conlinue.
|tlt
Arnor nay reduce lhe danage fron cerlain veapon
lypes. Wilh lhe exceplion of lhe conlal and invesligalive
experl, characlers in Fcar Itsc!f are unIikeIy lo ovn or
use arnor, lul ruIes are given here for conpIelenesss
sake.
If youre vearing a forn of arnor effeclive againsl lhe
veapon leing used againsl you, you sullracl a nunler
of poinls fron each inslance of danage deaIl lo you
lefore appIying il lo your HeaIlh pooI. Lighl lody
arnor, as vorn ly poIice ofhcers, reduces each inslance
of danage fron luIIels ly 2 poinls and fron culling
and slalling veapons (knives, svords, nacheles)
ly 1 poinl. MiIilary-grade lody arnor reduces luIIel
danage ly 3 poinls.
|ucqs a S|an|cq, |nc grcups rcsicn| ccm|a|
an intcs|iga|itc cxpcr|, is snc| |q cnc cf |nc cu||is|
|cacncrs frcm nis augn|crs scncc|. Tnc GM rc||s a 3
fcr |nc cu||is|s amagc, aing 1 pcin| fcr nis nign-
ca|i|cr nangun, fcr a |c|a| amagc cf 4. S|an|cq
ucars |ign| |cq armcr, rcucing |nc amagc |c 2
pcin|s. His Hca||n pcc| ccrcascs frcm 6 |c 4.
Lighl lody arnor is heavy, hol, and narks you oul as
soneone Iooking for lroulIe. AII of lhese dravlacks
appIy doulIy lo niIilary-grade lody arnor. Characlers
canl expecl lo vaIk around openIy vearing arnor
vilhoul allracling lhe allenlion of lhe IocaI SWAT
lean. AIso, nosl genres of horror donl enpover lhe
characlers lo hghl lheir anlagonisls vilh niIilary-grade
veapons! UnIess lhe slory specihcaIIy aIIovs for il,
Fcar Itsc!f characlers shouId nol encounler niIilary
IeveIs of veapons or arnor. Ransacking lhe allic lo
hnd an uncIes oId arny kil is hne, going afler lhe ad
Things vilh Uzis and ak jackels is nol.
In choosing lo nake conlenporary lody arnor highIy
effeclive againsl hrearns, vere draving on lhe
porlrayaI of KevIar vesls in cop shovs and novies.
We nake no cIains for any resenlIance lelveen lhese
ruIes and reaI Iife. The ruIes aIso favor cIose-up physicaI
confronlalions, vhich are nore in keeping vilh lhe
horror genre lhan hrehghls. CMs using lhe
CUMSHOL ruIes in nore reaIislic, horror-
|ltl|!l!
||
free invesligalive sellings nay vish
lo reduce lhe effecliveness of lody
arnor againsl gunhre.
Crealures oflen have high arnor
ralings. They nay possess hard,
lony hides or nonslrous analonies
lhal can lake grealer punishnenl
lhan ordinary organisns. Mosl
supernaluraI crealures are nore
resislanl lo luIIels and olher nissiIe
veapons lhan lhey are lo lIunl force
lrauna, sIashes, and slal vounds.
|l|t
In a lypicaI gunhghl, conlalanls
seek cover, hiding lehind vaIIs,
furnilure or olher larriers, exposing
lhenseIves onIy for lhe fev seconds
il lakes lhen lo pop up and hre
a round al lheir largels. The
CUMSHOL ruIes recognize lhree
cover condilions:
Expnscd: No larrier
slands lelveen you and
lhe conlalanl hring al
you. Your Hil ThreshoId
decreases ly 1.
PartIa! Cnvcr: Aloul haIf of
your lody is exposed lo hre.
Your Hil ThreshoId renains
unchanged.
Fu!! Cnvcr: Lxcepl vhen you
pop up lo hre a round, lhe
larrier conpIeleIy prolecls
you fron inconing hre. Your
Hil ThreshoId increases ly 1.
One Cun, Tvo
Conlalanls
If you are al lhe nercy of an
opponenl vilh gun veII in
hand and ready lo hre, he
can enply his enlire cIip or
chanler al you lefore you
gel lo hin, or gel yourseIf oul
of range. This silualion occurs
for exanpIe, ifhe hoIds you al
gunpoinl or charge hin fron
nore lhan hve feel avay vilh
no cover. The DifhcuIly is 1
(an aulonalic hil), 2 if your
AlhIelics raling is 8 or nore
and you are noving. He
roIIs one inslance of danage,
vhich is lhen lripIed. Yes,
ve said lripIed. And, yes, lhe
lripIing occurs afler veapon
nodihers are laken inlo
accounl. This is vhy fev
unarned peopIe allack a
gun-vieIding opponenl vhen
he has lhe drop on lhen.
If your opponenl has a pisloI
lul il is nol veII in hand
and ready lo hre, you nay
allenpl lo junp hin and
vreslIe il fron his grip. If he
has a pisloI veII in hand lul
is unavare of your presence,
you nay aIso le alIe lo junp
hin, al lhe CMs discrelion.
The characlers engage in a
Scufing conlesl lo see vhich
of lhen gels conlroI of lhe
gun and hres il. The vinner
nakes a danage roII againsl
lhe Ioser, using lhe pisloIs
Danage Modiher, incIuding
lhe +2 for poinl lIank range.
If you junp an opponenl vilh
an unready rie, a Scufing
conlal lreaks oul, vilh lhe
opponenl using lhe rie as a
heavy cIul.
|l |||||'l
CUMSHOL sels aside lhe Ioving allenlion
lo hrearn inlricacies characlerislic of
nosl conlenporary-era RIC syslens.
Ior exanpIe, characlers need reIoad
onIy vhen dranalicaIIy appropriale.
Olhervise, lheyre assuned lo le alIe lo
rehII lhe cyIinders of lheir revoIvers or
jan cIips inlo lheir aulonalic veapons
lelveen shols.
When reIoading is an issue, CMs nay
requesl a Shooling lesl (DifhcuIly 3) lo
quickIy reIoad. Characlers vho faiI nay
nol use lheir Shooling aliIily lo allack
during lhe currenl round.
On lhe run fron a horde of cuIlisls as
lhe sun legins lo sel, a vounded SlanIey
cravIs inlo lhe opening of a slorn drain
lo hoIe up. UnforlunaleIy for hin, a lrio
of Iood Corpses is Iurking nearly, and
lhey have his scenl. The CM decides
lhal Iiniled resources viII increase lhe
sequences sense of lerror, and decIares
lhal MilcheII has onIy four shols Iefl in his
handgun, and onIy one exlra anno cIip
in his pockel. She pIans lo have lhe Iood
Corpses gang up on hin, forcing hin
lo nake a Shooling lesl lo successfuIIy
reIoad as lhey rush hin.
|t`|
The effecl of range on hrearns conlal is
Iikevise sinpIihed nearIy oul of exislence.
Handguns and sholguns can onIy le
accuraleIy hred al largels vilhin hfly
nelers. The range Iinil for ries is one
hundred nelers.
Jl|l'|'l |!l!
Lven non-supernaluraI effecls oflen
prove enolionaIIy deslaliIizing. Lvery
vioIenl encounler puls you al risk for
Iosl-Traunalic Slress Syndrone. Any
confronlalion vilh lhe supernaluraI
lhrealens a conpIele psycholic lreak,
nanifesling as a lizarre delachnenl fron
reaIily.
|!
When an incidenl forces chaIIenges your fragiIe sanily,
nake a SlaliIily lesl againsl a DifhcuIly Nunler of 4.
If you faiI, you Iose a nunler of SlaliIily poinls. The
severily of lhe Ioss depends on lhe silualion. As vilh
any olher lesl of a generaI aliIily, you are aIvays
pernilled lo spend SlaliIily poinls lo provide a lonus
lo your roII. Hovever, ils never a good lel lo spend
nore poinls lhan you sland lo Iose if you faiI.
|t|'J|tl
J|J|||
|1JJ
A hunan opponenl allacks you vilh
evidenl inlenl lo do serious harn
2
You are in a car or olher vehicIe
accidenl serious enough lo pose a
risk of injury
2
A hunan opponenl allacks you vilh
evidenl inlenl lo kiII
3
You see a supernaluraI crealure
fron a dislance
3
You see a supernaluraI crealure up
cIose
4
You see a parlicuIarIy grisIy nurder
or accidenl scene
4
You Iearn lhal a friend or Ioved one
has leen vioIenlIy kiIIed
4
You discover lhe corpse of a friend
or Ioved one
6
You are allacked ly a supernaluraI
crealure
7
You see a friend or Ioved one kiIIed 7
You see a friend kiIIed or Ioved one
in a parlicuIarIy gruesone nanner
8
CMs shouId feeI free lo assess SlaliIily Losses for olher
incidenls, using lhe exanpIes provided as a lenchnark.
Sone especiaIIy overvheIning crealures nay inpose
higher lhan nornaI SlaliIily Iosses vhen seen fron a
dislance, seen up cIose, or ripping your Iungs oul. In
advenlures, vhen a SlaliIily lesl is caIIed for, a SlaliIily
lesl vilh a polenliaI Ioss of 4 poinls is descriled as a
4-poinl SlaliIily lesl.
Heres a SlaliIily lesl in aclion:
Suzics currcn| S|a|i|i|q is 8. Ini|c ua|cning |nc
ncign|crs ncusc |nrcugn ncr cur|ains af|cr ar|,
snc sccs a squa|, innuman fgurc |cpc acrcss |nc |aun
an tanisn |cnin a |usn. |i|c anq c|ncr S|a|i|i|q
|cs|, Suzics p|aqcr, Kira, ui|| |c |rqing |c |ca| a
Diffcu||q cf 4. Ccnfcn| |na| |nis mcrc g|impsc
cf a crca|urc ccns|i|u|cs cn|q a mincr |rusn ui|n
cs|a|i|izing ucirncss, Kira c|cc|s |c spcn cn|q 1
pcin| |c |c|s|cr ncr rc||. A|as, snc rc||s a 1, fcr a rcsu||
cf 2, |uc |cucr |nan |nc Diffcu||q Num|cr. Hating
fai|c, snc suffcrs a S|a|i|i|q |css cf 3. Hating spcn|
1 pcin| cn nis |cnus an |cs| anc|ncr 3 |c |nc fai|urc,
Suzics ncu S|a|i|i|q pcc| ta|uc is 4.
Characlers nake a singIe roII per incidenl, lased on ils
highesl polenliaI SlaliIily Ioss.
Suzic an ncr fricn Danic| arc uaing |nrcugn |nc
ua|cr cun a| |nc c| a|ancnc rai|uaq |unnc|,
|cc|ing fcr signs cf a suspcc|c cu|| |q |nc |ign| cf
|ncir |a||crq |crcncs. Anima|c ccrpscs |urcn up frcm
|cnca|n |nc ua|cr |c a||ac| |ncm. Suzic ||azcs auaq
ui|n ncr fa|ncrs pis|c|, riting cff |nc crca|urcs,
|u| nc| |cfcrc |ncq |car Danic| cpcn in frcn| cf ncr
cqcs, pu||ing nim |im| frcm |im| |i|c cgs sataging
a rag |cq. Hcr p|aqcr, Kira, ma|cs a sing|c rc||, ui|n
a pc|cn|ia| S|a|i|i|q |css cf 8, |nc ucrs| cf sctcra|
pcr|aining |c |nc incicn|.
Croups craving an addilionaI poinl of conpIexily can
occasionaIIy aIler DifhcuIly Nunlers for SlaliIily
lesls depending on lhe characlers allilude lovard lhe
deslaliIizing evenl. Characlers vho vouId IogicaIIy
le inured lo a given evenl face a DifhcuIly of 3, vhiIe
lhose especiaIIy susceplilIe face a 5. A characler vho
has had exlensive lraining in lrealing injuries nighl, for
exanpIe, face a Iovered DifhcuIly vhen encounlering
gruesoneIy nuliIaled lodies. A slock car
racer vouId gel a leller chance againsl
!l|l'|'l l|!l!
||
car accidenls. No characler lype gels a
lreak vhen encounlering supernaluraI
crealures.
|l!'t` |l
Like HeaIlh, your SlaliIily pooI can drop
leIov O.
If your SlaliIily ranges fron O lo -5, you
are shakcn. You can sliII do your jol, lul
seen dislracled. You canl spend poinls
fron lhe pooIs of your Invesligalive
aliIilies. DifhcuIly Nunlers for aII generaI
aliIilies increase ly 1.
If your SlaliIily ranges fron -6 lo -11,
you acquire a mcnta! I!!ncss. This slays
vilh you even afler your SlaliIily pooI
is reslored lo nornaI. See leIov for
nore. You aIso conlinue lo suffer lhe iII
effecls of leing shaken. Iurlhernore,
you pernanenlIy Iose 1 poinl fron your
SlaliIily ra|ing. The onIy vay lo gel il lack
il lo purchase il again vilh luiId poinls.
When your SlaliIily reaches -12 or Iess, you
are Incurab!y Insanc. You nay connil one
Iasl crazy acl, vhich nusl eilher le seIf-
deslrucliveIy heroic or seIf-deslrucliveIy
deslruclive. Or you nay choose nereIy lo
giller and drooI. Assuning you survive
your pernanenl journey lo lhe shores of
nadness, your characler is noved lo a
nice, sunny hospilaI, vhere friends and
faniIy can cone lo visil, and lhe drugs
nake everylhing you ever vere seen
nunl and far avay. Tine lo creale a nev
characler.
Using Sources of
SlaliIily
Consider lhe foIIoving
oplionaI ruIe, vhich can
aIso le conlined vilh
lhe slandard nenlaI
iIIness ruIes. Il neans
lhal SlaliIily Ioss viII
affecl IC lehavior nuch
earIier, lul il can le
greal fun lo pIay.
OplionaI
SlaliIily Ioss affecls a
characlers reIalionship
vilh lheir sources
of slaliIily, vhelher
peopIe, nenlaI slales
or hollies. Ior every
lhree SlaliIily poinls,
one source of slaliIily
is affecled. The pIayer
shouId choose lhe
nosl appropriale
one. This inslaliIily
shouId nanifesl as
changes in lehavior,
or in reIalionship
prolIens. Ior exanpIe,
an arlisl nighl hnd his
hand lrenlIing vhen
painling, a vife nighl
le dislanl and coId lo
her husland. If you
use lhese ruIes, vhen
SlaliIily drops leIov
O, il shouId le easier lo
delernine lhe nalure of
a nenlaI iIIness dehned
in Losing Il.
|tl|| |||t|!!
If lhe incidenl lhal drove you lo nenlaI
iIIness vas nundane in nalure, you
suffer fron Iosl-Traunalic Slress
Syndrone (ITSD.) You are haunled ly
dreans of lhe incidenl, and spend your
days in a conslanl slale of anxiely and
aIerl, as if prepared for il lo repeal ilseIf
al any nonenl. Whenever your senses
regisler any inpul reninding you of lhe
incidenl, you nusl nake a SlaliIily lesl
(DifhcuIly 4) or freeze up. If you freeze
up, you are unalIe lo lake any aclion for
hfleen ninules and renain shakcn (see
alove) for lvenly-four hours afler lhal.
Tesls lo see if you shov synplons of
ITSD do nol in and of lhenseIves Iover
your SlaliIily pooI.
If driven lo nenlaI iIIness ly a
supernaluraI occurrence, you face a
range of possilIe nenlaI disorders.
The CM roIIs on lhe foIIoving charl
or chooses a disorder lased on lhe
lriggering circunslance. The pIayer is
lhen senl oul of lhe roon, vhiIe lhe CM
and olher pIayers coIIalorale on a vay
lo heighlen his sense of disIocalion and
disorienlalion. |Ioolnole: This approach
requires lhe consenl and cooperalion
of aII pIayers. If you prefer, jusl have
pIayers vilh insane ICs roIepIay
lheir nenlaI iIIness vilhoul using lhis
device.j
Dc!usInn.
The olher pIayers and CM decide on a
nundane delaiI of lhe vorId vhich is no
Ionger lrue and has never leen lrue. Ior
exanpIe, lhere nighl le no such lhing
as a squirreI, a VoIksvagen, or orange juice. Mayle
}ohn Lennon vas never assassinaled, or never exisled
in lhe hrsl pIace. ICs and supporling characlers deny
knovIedge of lhe chosen ilen, person, or evenl.
HnmIcIda! ManIa.
The CM lakes lhe pIayer aside, leIIs hin lhal he knovs
one of lhe olher pIayers is a supernaluraI crealure, and
leIIs hin jusl hov lo kiII lhe nonsler.
TediousIy
OlIigalory
DiscIainer
This gane sinuIales
nenlaI iIIness as seen in
pop cuIlure, especiaIIy
lhe horror genre. Il
shouId nol le confused
vilh reaI psychoIogy.
AIlhough no disrespecl
is inlended lo lhose
suffering lhe reaI-Iife
effecls of nenlaI iIIness,
ve sulnil lo lhose
concerned ly lhis issue
lhal horror is neanl
lo le irresponsilIe,
disrepulalIe, and
upselling.
|?
Mcga!nmanIa.
When lhe characler faiIs al a dranalic nonenl, lhe
CM descriles lhe oulcone of his aliIily allenpl as
successfuI, lhen asks lhe pIayer lo Ieave lhe roon. Then
lhe CM descriles lhe reaI resuIls lo lhe olher pIayers,
and inviles lhe negaIonaniac pIayer lack inlo lhe
roon.
Mu!tIp!c Pcrsnna!Ity DIsnrdcr.
Al nonenls of slress, anolher pIayer is assigned conlroI
of lhe characler, speaking and acling as if hes an
enlireIy differenl person.
ParannIa.
The olher pIayers are inslrucled lo acl as if lheyre
lrying lo keep slraighl faces vhen lhe affecled pIayer
relurns. OccasionaIIy lhey exchange noles, nake hand
signaIs lo lhe CM, or use neaningIess code vords, as
if connunicaling sonelhing inporlanl lhe pIayer is
unavare of.
5c!cctIvc AmncsIa.
The group decides on an evenl lhal did happen in lhe
vorId lhal lhe pIayer has nov forgollen aII aloul. Hes
narried, or kiIIed soneone, or pseudonynousIy vrillen
a lesl-seIIing look. Many peopIe he neels refers lo lhis
nev, verihalIe facl of vhich he is unavare.
'!\ |||llt! |tJ Jl|l'|'l
If characlers in horror novies vere run ly roIepIayers,
lhere vouId le no horror. No one vouId go dovn inlo
lhe sul-lasenenl, read incanlalions found in noIdy
lones, or lake a shover vilh a knovn naniac on lhe
Ioose.
Your risk faclors encourage you lo alandon lhe inly
ralionaIily of a pIayer conlroIIing a gane piece. They
give your characlers lhe sane unruIy inpuIses lhal
inspire reaI peopIe lo nake lhe dunl choices~vhich
lhey do on a reguIar lasis.
Your CM viII leII you vhen you hnd your risk faclor
inpeIIing you lo irralionaIIy heedIess aclion. When in
doull, sheII expIain exaclIy vhal you have lo do lo
salisfy your inpuIse. You are never olIigaled lo oley il.
y exerling unusuaI force of viII, you can conlroI your
lehavior.
Al a price.
Sonelines your CM viII refer lo your risk faclor in her
scenario noles, as a neans of noving lhe pIol ahead
and gelling you inlo lroulIe. This is referred lo as a
hard rIsk factnr. Whenever you resisl a hard risk faclor,
you Iose eilher 4 SlaliIily poinls or one-lhird of your
SlaliIily pooI, vhichever is grealer. (The CM is aIvays
enpovered lo specify a risk faclor as hard, vhelher
or nol il IileraIIy shovs up in her noles. In a heaviIy
inprovised scenario, lhe noles exisl onIy in lhe CMs
head, anyvay.)
On olher occasions a silualion langenliaI lo lhe nain
sloryIine vouId IogicaIIy lrigger your seIf-deslruclive
lendencies. This is caIIed a snft rIsk factnr. Il cosls you 2
SlaliIily poinls lo resisl a sofl risk faclor.
In neilher case do you gel lo roII SlaliIily lo avoid lhe
Ioss. Il is aulonalic.
|`|'t't` ?ll| ?l'tl!
Whenever lhe ICs are alIe lo creale a lenporary haven
for lhenseIves in vhich lheyre free fron danger and
horror nanifeslalions for an hour or nore, lhey nay
refresh up lo 3 generaI aliIilies, excepl for HeaIlh and
SlaliIily. They Iose aII refreshed poinls if lheir supposed
pIace of safely is penelraled or reveaIs ilseIf as a pIace of
hazard.The characlers gel onIy one opporlunily for lhis
acceIeraled refreshnenl per session.
Use of lhe Shrink aliIily and achievenenl of enolionaIIy
signihcanl goaIs (see leIov) pernil Iiniled recovery
of SlaliIily poinls in lhe course of an episode. IuII
refreshnenl occurs lelveen slories. Il is possilIe onIy
vhen lhe characler is alIe lo spend caIn, undislurled
quaIily line associaling vilh lhe peopIe and carrying
oul lhe aclivilies lhal serve as lhe characlers Sources of
SlaliIily.
The HeaIlh pooI refreshes over line, al a rale of 2 poinls
per day of reslfuI aclivily. (Wounded characlers heaI
al a differenl rale, over a period of hospilaIizalion, see
p. 41.) Use of lhe Medic aliIily can reslore a Iiniled
nunler of HeaIlh poinls in lhe course of a session.
IooIs for lhe physicaI aliIilies of AlhIelics, Driving,
Scufing, and Shooling are fuIIy reslored vhenever
lvenly-four hours of gane-vorId line eIapses since lhe
Iasl expendilure. The renaining generaI aliIilies refresh
al lhe end of each case, Iike invesligalive aliIilies.
|J
Jl|l'|'l ?|'t!
In a gane of enolionaI horror, ICs nay regain Iosl
SlaliIily poinls ly heIping supporling characlers lo feeI a
sense of safely, serenily, or acceplance in lhe face of horror
or calaslrophe. They nay provide pureIy enolionaI soIace,
or acliveIy vork lo rescue a supporling characler fron
danger. AIlhough lhe characlers nay gain infornalion or
nove lovard conpIelion of a goaI ly providing lhis aid,
lheir aclions nusl le seIess, or go alove and leyond lheir
olIigalions, lo quaIify for lhis revard.
In sone inslances, especiaIIy inpressive invesligalive feals
nay loIsler a ICs SlaliIily, ly resloring his conhdence.
This revard is especiaIIy appropriale in lhe case of poinl
spends suggesled ly lhe pIayers.
When a IC quaIihes for a SlaliIily gain, lhe pIayer roIIs a
die and adds lhe resuIl lo his SlaliIily pooI. The pooI never
increases leyond lhe characlers SlaliIily raling.
||tl't` l1t |+|t||l|t
Al lhe end of each slory, each pIayer gels 2 luiId poinls
for each session lhey parlicipaled in. (This assunes a snaII
nunler of 3-4 hour sessions, if you pIay in shorler lursls,
nodify accordingIy.) IIayers vho had characlers die in
lhe course of lhe slory onIy gel poinls for each session
invoIving lheir currenl characler.
These luiId poinls can le spenl lo increase eilher
invesligalive or generaI aliIilies. You nay acquire nev
aliIilies or loIsler exisling ones. If necessary lo preserve
crediliIily, ralionaIize nev aliIilies as areas of experlise
youve had aII aIong, lul are onIy reveaIing Ialer in lhe
series.
Whal Do IooI Ioinls Represenl`
IooI poinls are a Iilerary alslraclion,
represenling lhe vay lhal each characler
gels his or her ovn line in lhe spolIighl
in lhe course of an ensenlIe drana.
When you do sonelhing renarkalIe,
you expend a IillIe lil of your spolIighl
line. More aclive pIayers viII
spend lheir poinls sooner lhan Iess
denonslralive ones, unIess lhey carefuIIy
pick and choose lheir nonenls lo shine.
Renenler, aII characlers are signihcanl
lo lhe slory. IooI poinls neasure your
opporlunilies lo denonslrale lhal
signihcance during any given scenario.
IooI poinls do nol represenl a resource,
langilIe or olhervise, in lhe gane vorId.
IIayers are avare of lhen, lul characlers
are nol. The lean nenlers ignorance
of lhen is anaIogous lo TV characlers
olIiviousness lo connerciaI lreaks, lhe
unvrillen ruIes of scene conslruclion,
and lhe lendency of evenls lo heal up
during sveeps.
We represenl lhis nosl pureIy in lhe case
of invesligalive skiIIs, vhich are lhe core
of lhe gane. Their refreshnenl is lied lo
a pureIy hclionaI conslrucl, lhe Ienglh of
lhe episode.
Hovever, vhere a pooI couId le seen lo
correspond lo a resource perceplilIe lo
lhe characlers, ve handIe refreshnenl
in a sonevhal nore reaIislic, if aIso
alslracl, nanner. Characlers elling
HeaIlh scores are perceplilIe lo lhe
characlers in lhe forn of veIls, culs,
pain, and generaI faligue. SlaliIily is
Iess langilIe lul can le suljecliveIy
neasured in lhe characlers noods and
reaclions. IhysicaI aliIilies, aIso lied lo
faligue and sharpness of reexes, are aIso
handIed vilh a nod lo lhe denands of
reaIisn.
|ll| |l'tl!
!1
|t||l1t|!
Though nany of lhe supernaluraI crealures encounlered in Fcar
Itsc!f are physicaIIy gruesone, aII of lhen shouId le in sone
vay psychoIogicaIIy upselling~nol jusl for lhe characlers, lul
for lhe pIayers as veII. This effecl is fairIy easy lo achieve if your
pIayers are readiIy creeped oul ly slandard horror inagery.
Many roIepIayers are used lo ganes of pover fanlasy, in vhich
lheir cooI povers can le counled on lo lriunph againsl lhe
forces of darkness. SinpIy ly naking lhen pIay ordinary peopIe
unequipped lo deaI vilh lhe nasly lhreals lhey face, you nay
creale a sense of poverIessness lhal nakes even lhe nosl prosaic
crealures seen supreneIy horrifying.
If youre running lhe gane for seasoned horror ahcionados, on lhe
olher hand, youII have lo vork lo crank up lhe sense of unease.
Avoid slandard or overused nonslers, or pul a nev, sickIy
nodern spin on exisling lropes. Think nore CIive arker lhan H.
I. Lovecrafl. Lach vriler crealed leaslies lhal vere skin-cravIing
for lheir line, lul Lovecrafls ClhuIhu crealures have leen so
veII Ioved in ganing fandon lhal lheyve lecone dovnrighl
cuddIy, Iosing lheir squirning psychosexuaI overlones. When
crealing crealures, use conlenporary frankness concerning issues
of vioIence and sexuaIily lo push your pIayers lullons.
The Unrenilling Horror nylhoIogy designales nosl crealures as
denizens of lhe Ouler Iack, a lIeak, dislanl pIane of exislence
ullerIy hosliIe lo hunan Iife. Ils leings cone lo our reaIily lo feed
and lo pIay.
This seclion presenls a fev sanpIe crealures. Ior nore, see lhe
upconing reIaunch of lhe 8cc| Of Unrcmi||ing Hcrrcr for lhe
CUMSHOL ruIes syslen.
Crealures do nol have SlaliIily ralings. They are, ly any hunan
slandards, aIready insane.
+| !l|t |t
The lern Myslery Man is a calchaII for a cIass of aIien enlily
of near god-Iike pover vho deIighls in psychoIogicaI lorlure
and degradalion. Lach individuaI has ils ovn specihc nane, lhe
one appearing in lhe scenario al lhe end of lhis look is caIIed
Hungervood.
Iear IlseIf vs. Lsolerrorisls
olh |ear ltse|f and ils precursor gane,
Tnc |sc|crrcris|s, reference lhe crealures of
Unrenilling Horror and lhe Ouler Iack,
lul use lhen for lheir ovn purposes.
In Tnc |sc|crrcris|s, crealures are sunnoned
ly lhe sinisler inlernalionaI conspiracy
of lhe sane nane, using energies crealed
ly lhe vorIdvide spread of anxiely and
cognilive dissonance. y shulling dovn
lhe hunan conspiralors, lhe experienced
and veII-resourced characlers of lhal
gane can slaunch lhe ov of supernaluraI
veirdness~lenporariIy, al Ieasl. There are
nonslers oul lhere, lul lhe uIlra-conpelenl
good guys enjoy lhe upper hand.
A Fcar Itsc!f series is neanl lo le even
scarier lhan ils counlerparl. Il nay nol
even le sel in lhe sane universe as a
Tnc |sc|crrcris|s gane. CMs can use lhe
sane crealures, lul vilhoul lhe hunan
conspiracy angIe. Lven if lhere are
Lsolerrorisls, and an Ordo Verilalis lo
conlal lhen, lhe soIilary, resource-slrapped
unforlunales vho conprise a proper Fcar
Itsc!f IC group viII never knov aloul
lhen. Theyre nol vorried aloul hov lhese
evenls hl inlo a vider gIolaI franevork.
Theyre franlicaIIy lrying lo renain aIive
and sane.
An anlilious CM nighl sel oul lo lurn
a Fcar Itsc!f series inlo an |sc|crrcris|s
gane over line. The characlers can slarl
oul as hapIess ordinary peopIe vho, afler
nany lerrifying expIoils, denonslrale lhe
necessary conpelence lo le recruiled as
nenlers of lhe Ordo Verilalis. Al lhis
poinl, lhey nighl le given crash courses
in invesligalive lechniques, juslifying
lhe inlroduclion of lhe vider variely of
invesligalive skiIIs operalive in |sc|crrcris|s,
aIong vilh and a generous aIIocalion of nev
luiId poinls, so lhe characlers can afford
lo purchase lhen. A severaI-year lreak in
gane line nay nake lhis lransilion sharper
and nore leIievalIe. During lhis shifl in
line, characlers nay undergo changes in
personaIily. They nighl adopl nev cover
idenlilies. They couId Iose oId Sources Of
SlaliIily and gain nev ones. Or lhe CM
nay choose lo ignore lhis ruIe, vhich is nol
presenl in |sc|crrcris|s.

nexl seven days, he is unalIe lo cone vilhin lhree

hundred feel of any persons vho vere presenl vhen
he denaleriaIized.
DIstnrt Rca!Ity: The Myslery Man can aIler lhe
physicaI environnenl around an individuaI for up
lo lvenly-four conseculive hours. This is

Myslery Men drive peopIe nad for pIeasure. A

Myslery Man seeks oul individuaIs, oflen in a group,
vho he deens susceplilIe lo psychoIogicaI lreakdovn,
yel of sufhcienl deplh and inleresl lo nake lhe efforl
enlerlaining. Once he largels a viclin or viclins, he
Ioses (or perhaps onIy viIIingIy alandons) lhe aliIily
lo inlerfere direclIy vilh lheir ninds. His goaI is lo
drive lhen over lhe edge increnenlaIIy, lhrough a
series of ever-naslier psychoIogicaI nanipuIalions.
He couId puIp lheir lrains innedialeIy sinpIy ly
opening a psychic Iink lelveen his nind and lheirs,
lul vhal deIighl vouId lhere le in lhal` Then hed
nereIy have lo hnd anolher colerie of sufhcienlIy
enlerlaining largels. And lhose vilh lhe righl laIance
of forlilude and veakness are hard lo hnd. Likevise,
he never Iaunches direcl assauIls againsl lhen,
lhough he nay nanipuIale lhird parlies inlo doing so.
IhysicaI vioIence is onIy a neans lo a nore deIeclalIe
end~enolionaI nuliIalion.
AII Myslery Men enignalicaIIy refer lo lhis pursuil as
lhe Ocean Cane.
Afler proIonged pursuil ly a Myslery Man, ICs
shouId le afraid lhal everyone lhey neel nighl le one
of his nenlaI lhraIIs, if nol lheir uIlinale anlagonisl in
lhe speclraI esh. The Myslery Man can nanifesl in a
variely of forns, adopling nev ones al viII.
In order lo largel a group of viclins, lhe Myslery Man
nusl inlroduce hinseIf lo lhen, lhough he nay do
so in slages, lo heighlen lhe lension. He suffers no
olIigalion lo expIain hov he does vhal he does, or
offer any expIanalion for his aclions leyond his ovn
psychic sadisn.
AIlhough he cIains lo le indeslruclilIe, lhe ICs nay
hnd oId docunenls aloul lhe Myslery Man archelype
suggesling lhal il is possilIe lo deslroy hin, or al
Ieasl lo sever lhe lond lelveen hin and his viclins.
UnforlunaleIy lhey never go inlo delaiI and usuaIIy
concIude prenalureIy vilh lhe aulhors descenl inlo
gillering Iunacy.
Gnd-LIkc Pnwcr: The Myslery Man can refresh any
singIe pooI al viII. In conlal, he can do il once per
conlal round. Olhervise, he can do so once per
ninule. He cannol le hurl or seriousIy vounded and
need never nake a Consciousness roII. If reduced
lo -12 or fever HeaIlh poinls, lhe Myslery Man
denaleriaIizes. He relurns lo lhe Ouler Iack, vhere
he nusl renain for al Ieasl lvenly-four hours. Ior lhe
!
nol an iIIusion, lhough he can lurn off lhe effecl al viII
vhen olhers approach, naking il seens lo lhe viclin
Iike a haIIucinalion. ecause lhe aIleralions lo lhe
surrounding area are oljecliveIy reaI, allenpls ly lhe
viclin lo disleIieve vhal he lehoIds or vake up fron
lhe nighlnare are dooned lo faiI.
The Iinils of lhis effecl are roughIy vilhin lhe viclins
Iine of sighl. Use of linocuIars or olher sighl-exlending
equipnenl ly lhe viclin nereIy increases lhe area lhe
Myslery Man can aIler. If lhe largel noves, lhe Myslery
Man can nove lhe effecl so lhal lhe environnenl
conlinues lo dislorl as he lraveIs. He can pIace a
viclin lack inside a lraunalic nenory fron lhe pasl,
nake lhe vaIIs of a house lrealhe and sveal, or lurn
a foresl inlo a dark vood of reaching, hungry lrees. If
he vishes lo inserl olher characlers inlo lhe scenario,
lhe Myslery Man nusl nanifesl in lhe desired forn,
or use olher peopIe enlhraIIed vilh his IuII lhe Slrings
aliIily (leIov), aIlering lheir appearance as his lvisled
scenario denands.
F!aw!css ImItatInn: The Myslery Man can perfeclIy
inilale any person hes olserved for even a fev
eeling nonenls. The inilalion Iooks, sounds, even
sneIIs Iike lhe originaI, righl dovn lo lody Ianguage.
Characlers can spol lhe fake ly nolicing oul-of-
characler lehavior. uIIshil Deleclor leIIs lhen lhal
sonelhing is off aloul lhe inilalions slalenenls,
lul does nol oulrighl reveaI hin as lhe Myslery Man.
OnIy afler lhe characler (or pIayer) voices lhe lhoughl
lhal lhis nighl le lhe Myslery Man does lhe iIIusion
lake on avs. Nov lhe inilalion Iooks noslIy Iike
lhe originaI, lul vilh horrilIe, dislorled quaIilies.
Your nolhers esh suddenIy lecones saIIov and
puruIenl. Your pig-laiIed niece reveaIs a sharp sel
of fangs, and so on. This effecl caIIs for a SlaliIily lesl,
vilh a possilIe Ioss of 4 SlaliIily poinls.
Pu!! thc 5trIngs: The Myslery Man nay doninale
lhe nind of any non-IC. He can force nev lehavior,
incIuding conpIex aclions. He can exlracl nenories,
inpIanl nev ones, even change lhe viclins
personaIily. This effecl is pernanenl, if lhe Myslery
Man vanls il lo le.
1|!+'
Ovvashi are hunanoid denons vho prey on socielys
refuse: drug addicls, lhe honeIess, and lhe dovn-
and-oul. They appear as ordinary, aInosl painfuIIy
nondescripl vagranls of eilher sex. Shufing lhrough
pIaces vhere lhe honeIess congregale, lhey quickIy
hnd nev friends, ensuring a varn veIcone vilh lheir
dirly pIaslic lags Iaden vilh cheap looze and snokes.
Having von lheir conhdence, lhey drav laIes of voe
fron lheir nevfound nales. To seaI lheir aIIegiance,
lhey vilhdrav fron lheir lags lhe oljecls lheir viclins
nosl desire. TypicaI gifls incIude noney, drugs, and
food, lul lhe ovvashi are aIso capalIe of naleriaIizing
very specihc ilens, Iike an exacl repIica of a Iong-
Iosl nenenlo, or even a parlicuIar pholograph of an
alandoned Ioved one.
The hrsl gifl cones vilhoul slrings allached. Afler
lhal, lhe ovvashis friends nusl do favors for il lo gel
nore of vhal lhey vanl. The ovvashi sIovIy lurns lhe
group nenlers againsl one anolher, unliI lhey connil
heinous and degrading acls of lelrayaI. Il engineers a
canpaign of nurder, vilh lhe Ieasl effeclive nenlers
of lhe honeIess group dying hrsl. The denon uses ils
knovIedge of lhe crines il has inspired lo keep ils pavns
hooked, doing ils lidding unliI no one is Iefl. The Iasl
dereIicl slanding is kiIIed ly lhe gnashing, shark-Iike
leelh of lhe ovvashi ilseIf, afler vhich poinl il lrudges
off in search of a nev land of lhe disenfranchised lo
deslroy fron vilhin.
Gcncra!: AlhIelics 12, Driving 3, IiIch 8,
IIeeing 8, HeaIlh 2O, InhIlralion 8, Medic
8, Ireparedness (speciaI), Scufing 15,
Shooling 8, Shrink 8, Sense TroulIe 8.
Damagc MndIcr: O
Appcar Innncunus: The ovvashi Iooks Iike an ordinary
dereIicl excepl for ils nuIlipIe rovs of lrianguIar, shark-
Iike leelh. Il is, hovever, alIe lo psychicaIIy inuence
lhose around il lo ignore lhis gIaring sign of ils inhunan
origin. OnIy characlers vho specihcaIIy slale lhal lheyre
cIoseIy exanining lhe ovvashis fealures nay nolice lhe
leelh. If lhis is an essenliaI piece of infornalion lo lhe
pIol, any characler vilh NaluraI Hislory gains lhe cIue
aulonalicaIIy. If nol, lhe characler nusl spend 2 poinls
of NaluraI Hislory lo Iearn lhe horrilIe lrulh. Any
characlers seeing lhe leelh nusl lhen nake a SlaliIily
lesl for seeing a supernaluraI crealure, lhe polenliaI Ioss
depending on lhe dislance fron vhich lhey olserve il.
!J
DcrIvc Pnwcr: Whenever a viclin is kiIIed ly ils
nachinalions, lhe ovvashi consunes ils souI. Il does
lhis ly laking a snaII porlion of lhe renains, Iike a
hngernaiI or hank of hair, and snoking il in ils pipe,
vhich ilseIf is carved fron a lone of a previous viclin.
Afler snoking ils viclins souI, lhe ovvashi gains an
addilionaI 12 poinls lo spread anongsl ils generaI
aliIily pooI. UnIike ordinary pooI poinls, lhese cannol
le refreshed. The ovvashi relains lhen unliI lhey are
spenl, or unliI ils lone pipe is deslroyed. The denon is
exlreneIy allached lo lhe pipe and viII negoliale for ils
relurn if sloIen.
No psychic residue renains of a souI snoked ly an
ovvashi. No ghosl, no spiril, nol even an enolionaI
vilralion, is Iefl lehind for sensilives lo delecl.
Extract 5ccrcts: y silling and palienlIy Iislening lo
a person vho regards il synpalhelicaIIy, lhe ovvashi
can encourage lhe suljecl lo reveaI his deepesl,
darkesl secrels. In nosl cases, lhe denon uses ordinary
psychoIogy. Where lhe suljecl hoIds lighlIy lo his
secrels, lhe ovvashi can use supernaluraI neans lo
inpeI hin lo spiII lhe leans, naking a Shrink lesl
againsl a DifhcuIly of 4. UnIike an ordinary use of lhe
Shrink aliIily, lhis can force lhe suljecl lo unviIIingIy
reveaI his nosl shanefuI, cIoseIy-heId secrels.
Uncanny Prcparcdncss: The ovvashi can vilhdrav
fron ils piIe of pIaslic lags any oljecl desired ly a
polenliaI viclin. ConsunalIe ilens, incIuding food,
cigarelles, and drugs, vork jusl Iike lhe reaI lhing.
Size of lhe ilens is Iiniled lo oljecls lhal couId credilIy
hl in an ordinary shopping lag. Ilens renain in
exislence for lvenly-four hours onIy. The ovvashi can
vish lhen avay lefore lhal line.
When il vanls lo puII oul aII lhe slops in nanipuIaling
a viclin, il uses ils Lxlracl Secrels aliIily lo vork oul
exaclIy vhal ilen viII arouse lhe nosl desperale need.
When presenled vilh lheir hearls desire, characlers
nusl do vhal lhey can lo salisfy lhe ovvashi and gain lhe
ilen, or suffer lhe sane SlaliIily Ioss as if lhey ignored
a Risk Iaclor. As lhey lecone crazier, lhe horrilIe acls
proposed ly lhe ovvashi seen progressiveIy nore
sensilIe.
|t||l1t|!
!!
J|!'`t't` J||t|t'l!
UnIike lhe lypicaI CUMSHOL gane, a Fcar Itsc!f scenario priviIeges scenes
of nenlaI and physicaI danger over pureIy invesligalive sequences. TypicaIIy
lhe characlers are lhrealened ly sone kind of Ouler Iack nenace, or allenpl
lo inlervene for olhers vho are nenaced. To lring lhe nonslers reign of
lerror lo a lenporary end, lhey nusl soIve a nyslery and lake aclion using
lhe infornalion lheyve garnered. Hovever, lhe nyslery is nuch sinpIer
lhan, for exanpIe, an Lsolerrorisls scenario, and inlerspersed vilh nuch
running and screaning on lhe parl of lhe ICs and supporling casl.
?|t!lt||'/|J Jlttlt
A Fcar Itsc!f scenario shouId drav lhe ICs inlo encounlers vilh personaI
horror. Scenes shouId le laiIored lo lhe individuaI characlers risk faclors,
fears, and inner denons.
To nake give such sequences punch, aIIov lhe characlers line lo eslalIish
lhenseIves as having nornaI Iives. Cive your slories line lo lrealhe ly
inserling nundane dranas invoIving lhe peopIe vho serve as lhe characlers
sources of slaliIily. Keep lhe pressures of ordinary Iife on lhe characlers as
lheyre dravn inlo lhe nidnighl vorId of lhe supernaluraI. Iernil lhen lo
furlher lheir ordinary goaIs as veII as lheir quesl againsl lhe Ouler Iack.
Surprise lhe pIayers ly selling scenes of horror in apparenlIy ordinary pIaces,
or ly svilching suddenIy fron soap opera sequence lo gul-nunching lerror.
Take a lip fron lhe inlroduclory scenario lhal concIudes lhis look, and aIIov
nonenls of hunor lo IuII lhe pIayers inlo a faIse sense of securily lefore you
pul lhe hanner dovn.
Jlt1|l1t|
A slraighlforvard invesligalion can le seen as a series of scenes arranged
in a slraighl Iine, vilh nuIlipIe vays lo nove fron each scene lo lhe one
foIIoving il. Inprovisalion consisls of reacling lo lhe pIayers ly svilching
lhe order of scenes around, or inlerpoIaling nev scenes in lhis order.
The Iooser slruclure of a Fcar Itsc!f scenario sliII consisls of an invesligalive
Iine, in vhich lhe characlers pursue a series of core cIues unliI lhey achieve a
resoIulion of sone sorl. This is caIIed lhe spInc. In your noles, il can consisl
of Iarge seclions of eshed-oul narralive, or a larelones Iisl of lhe eIenenls
lhal need lo occur lo conprise a nininaIIy salisfying narralive. See lhe
inlroduclion lo lhe advenlure incIuded in lhis look, Tnc Occan |n |nc |crcs|,
J|!'`t't` !||t|t'l!
!|
for a sanpIe spine.
Surrounding lhis rudinenlary spine are any nunler of
confronlalionaI scenes, in vhich any of lhe foIIoving
can happen:
- The crealures (or olher anlagonisls) nake
an aggressive assauIl on lhe Iives or sanily
of lheir largels, vhelher lhese are lhe ICs,
recurring nenlers of lhe series supporling
casl, or supporling characlers invoIved onIy
in lhe currenl scenario.
- One or nore ICs pursue lheir personaI
goaIs.
- A ashlack (see p. 57) reveaIs nev
infornalion aloul one of lhe Ieading
characlers.
ConfronlalionaI scenes can le even Iooser lhan lhe spine.
In your noles, lhey can consisl of carefuIIy delaiIed
prose descriplions. Hovever, unIess youre preparing
an advenlure for soneone eIse lo run (as in lhe case of
Tnc Occan |n |nc |crcs|) youre prolalIy leller off vilh
rudinenlary poinl forn noles. y keeping your noles
sparse, you can give yourseIf a foundalion of ideas lo
inprovise fron, vilhoul spending undue line vriling
up scenes vhich nighl nol occur.
||l|l't` |lt| ||1|!
The foIIoving lechnique is suilalIe for any CUMSHOL
gane.
Il is sonelines usefuI lo slruclure a scenario vilh one or
nore free-oaling core cIues. These lypicaIIy advance
lhe slory fron one dislincl seclion lo anolher. Where an
ordinary core cIue is Iinked vilh a
parlicuIar scene, a oaling cIue can le gIeaned in any
one of severaI scenes. The CM delernines during pIay
vhich scene gives up lhe cIue.
IIoaling cIues aIIov you lo conlroI lhe pacing of a
scenario. They aIIov lhe characlers lo pIay oul aII of
lhe fun or inleresling experiences in one seclion of lhe
scenario lefore lhe slory lakes a dranalic lurn. Ior
exanpIe, you nighl vanl lhen lo separaleIy
neel aII of lhe suspecls in a nurder invesligalion lefore
lhey, and lhe ICs, gel Iocked up for lhe nighl in an oId
dark house. To achieve lhis, vilhhoId lhe core cIue lhal
noves lhe ICs lo lhe dark house unliI afler lheyve nel
aII of lhe reIevanl supporling characlers. Thal vay, you
prevenl lhen fron Ieaping ahead inlo lhe narralive
vilhoul gelling aII lhe infornalion lhey need lo fuIIy
enjoy vhal foIIovs.
Likevise, a oaling cIue aIIovs you lo perforn Iike a
rulhIess edilor, skipping unnecessary scenes vhen you
need lo kick lhe narralive inlo a higher gear. Lels say
youve chosen hve possilIe scenes in vhich lhe ICs
nighl IogicaIIy gel a necessary core cIue. You hgure
lhal lhis phase of lhe invesligalion shouId lake aloul
an hour. If lhe ICs lreeze lhrough lhe scenes in len
ninules apiece, you can save lhe core cIue for lhe Iasl
scene. If lhey Iinger, laking lvenly ninules per scene,
youII vanl lo nake lhe core cIue avaiIalIe afler lhe
lhird scene.
IIayer fruslralion IeveI usuaIIy serves as a leller lrigger
for a oaling core cIue lhan a predelernined line Iinil.
If lheyre having olvious fun inleracling vilh lhe vivid
supporling characlers youve crealed, you can give
lhen nore of vhal lhey vanl ly saving lhe core cIue
for lhe hnaI scene. On lhe olher hand, if you see lheyre
gelling lored and fruslraled, you can sIip in lhe oaling
cIue earIier.
The scenario in lhis look uses a oaling core cIue
slruclure.
!l
1tt't` J||t|t'l!
The foIIoving lechniques prove lhenseIves invaIualIe
vhen running a horror series lased on lhe personaI
slories of lhe characlers. When designing scenarios,
Ieave yourseIf roon for lhen. Conlinue lo Iook for
nev opporlunilies lo use lhen during pIay, as your
focus on characlerizalion lakes lhe slory in unexpecled
direclions.
J't||l|J J||t|!
When foIIoving lhe characlers in personaI nonenls,
use dIrcctcd sccncs lo conpress line and share your
dranalic inlenl vilh lhe pIayers.
In a direcled scene, you pIace one or nore ICs in a scene
jusl as ils gelling inleresling, avoiding lhe preIininaries
and pedeslrian conneclive delaiI a laIenled vriler or
hIn edilor aIvays culs oul of a slory.
Ycu s|agc a ircc|c sccnc fcr Ra|fs cnarac|cr,
Micnc|. Ycurc in Tnc|mas nc|c| rccm, |nc s|imc
frcm |nc grccn ||urrq |nings s|i|| marring qcur spcr|
cca|. Sncs |nrcuing |c|||cs a| ncr |cc|c |a|nrccm
ccr. ]uging frcm |nc |crrifc, unis|cq-rc||c tcicc
cn |nc c|ncr sic, sncs gc| a man in |ncrc.
If lhe pIayer appears puzzIed, you nay choose lo give
hin an assignnenl of sorls, expIaining vhal lhe scene
is neanl lo eslalIish
Hcrc qcurc |c rama|izc qcur rc|a|icnsnip ui|n
Tnc|ma.
Direcled scenes nay eslalIish sources of slaliIily, risk
faclors, or personaI goaIs, noving lhen fron lhe slalic
polenliaI of enlries on lhe characler sheel lo dranalic
enaclnenl in acluaI evenls unfoIding lefore lhe enlire
group.
}uice lhen up ly enIisling lhe olher pIayers lo lake on
supporling roIes during lhese scenes. Cive lhen a lrief
descriplion of lhe supporling characler, and leII lhe
chosen pIayer vhal lhal characler vanls lo acconpIish.
|qnnc sccms a |i|||c |crc |q |nc prccccings, sc qcu
assign ncr |nc rc|c cf Tnc|ma. Ycu |ctc Micnc| |i|c
|nc scn qcu nctcr na, |u| ncs a|uaqs |rqing |c gc|
|c|uccn qcu an qcur p|casurcs. Ycur in|cn|icn is |c
gc| ri cf nim as quic||q as pcssi||c, ui|n a minimum
cf fuss an nur| fcc|ings.
Once a direcled scene has dranalized lhe characler
aspecl you vanl lo eslalIish, and seens lo le running
oul of slean or headed off on a langenl, end il ly culling
lo a nev scene. To nainlain forvard nonenlun and
avoid confusion, ils lesl lo nake lhe nexl scene a
slandard one invoIving aII of lhe group and concerning
lhe nain aclion, ralher lhan anolher direcled scene.
|||!+l||\!
A speciaI sorl of direcled scene is lhe ashlack, in
vhich characlers enacl scenes fron lheir characlers
pasls. Your goaI as CM is lo surprise nol onIy lhe olher
pIayers, lul lhe spolIighl pIayer as veII, ly lhroving
nev Iighl on lheir lackslory. Again, lhe poinl is lo lake
a parl of lhe characlers lackground vhich usuaIIy
slays in lhe pIayers head, and in a descriplion onIy
lhe CM reads, and lring il aIive for everyone. Il goes
vilhoul saying lhal lhe pIayers choices are sonevhal
conslrained during a ashlack sequence, you nusl
conlrive lo prevenl lhen fron doing anylhing lhal
changes vhal has leen concIusiveIy eslalIished
aloul lheir characlers in lhe presenl-day nain aclion.
Hovever, vhere ashlack seens lo conlradicl a
characlers descriplion of his ovn pasl, you can
cerlainIy lreal vhal happens in lhe nenory sequence
as lrulh, and lhe descriplion as a seIf-serving accounl
or faIse nenory.
Use ruIes onIy sparingIy during ashlack sequences.
Theyre necessary onIy vhen lhe oulcone of a pasl
aclion cannol le deduced fron vhals aIready leen
eslalIished in lhe series. Slep in vhen necessary lo
guide evenls so lhal lhey donl conlradicl lhe presenl
lineIine. This nay le especiaIIy inporlanl vhen youve
direcled olher pIayers lo lake on supporling roIes.
Ycurc running a asn|ac| sccnc in
t1tt't` !||t|t'l!
!?
unicn Sna|ira rcmcm|crs a frign|cning
run-in ui|n ncr a|usitc fa|ncr uncn snc
uas a cni|. Ycutc assignc |ri| |nc rc|c
cf ncr fa|ncr, an ncs p|aqing i| |c |nc
ni||, |q cscri|ing |nc cnarac|cr gcing
af|cr Sna|iras mc|ncr ui|n a |i|cncn
|nifc. Ycu can| run i| as a |qpica|
Scufing ccn|cs| |c|uccn fa|ncr an
mc|ncr, |ccausc Sna|iras mcm is cnc cf
ncr scurccs cf s|a|i|i|q, an |nus a|itc an
|ic|ing in |nc scrics currcn| |imc|inc.
|ns|ca qcu s|cp in, guiing |ri|s
ac|icns |q saqing, Of ccursc, 8runc
in| |i|| Rcsircnc |na| aq, |u|.
Tncn qcu a||cu |nc sccnc |c ccn|inuc
|c anc|ncr sa|isfqing ccnc|usicn |na|
main|ains qcur campaigns cs|a||isnc
ccn|inui|q.
The TV shov |cs|, vhich has horror
eIenenls even if il isnl prinariIy a
scary shov, nakes alsoIuleIy
lriIIianl use of lhe ashlack device. Il aIIovs lhen lo
inlroduce each characler lvice ~ once, as vho he seens
lo le lo lhe olher caslavays, and again as he reaIIy vas
in his Iife lefore he cane lo lhe isIand. Walch, Iearn,
and sleaI.
Ior exanpIe, you nighl vanl lo incIude a series of
Iinked ashlacks in a singIe episode. As in lhe nain
lineIine, each ashlack sequence ends on vilh an
unresoIved queslion. Thus you have lvo Iines of
suspense running concurrenlIy. One asks vhal viII
happen nexl in lhe presenl, lhe olher vhal sliII slands
lo le reveaIed in lhe ashlacks.
IIashlacks concerning your characler are as nuch for
lhe lenehl of your feIIov pIayers as for you. You nay
have everylhing inleresling aloul your ovn characler
in your head, lul can convey onIy a fraclion of lhis in
a quick verlaI descriplion lo lhe olher pIayers. Sncuing
your characler doing sonelhing nakes a nuch nore
vivid inpression lhan sinpIy |c||ing lhe CM and olher
pIayers aloul hin. If you occasionaIIy hnish a ashlack
feeIing lhal il hasnl added nuch, renenler lo consider
hov il sharpens your characler porlrayaI for olher
parlicipanls.
J||t| J'tl!
The foIIoving CM hinls appIy equaIIy lo ashlacks and
direcled scenes.
- Never forgel vho your focus
characler is, and vhal lhe scene is
neanl lo acconpIish. Sone pIayers
nay lry lo lake over a scene vhen
given a supporling characler lo pIay.
If lhey doninale, signaI lhen lo diaI
il lack, perhaps reninding lhen
of lhe scenes dranalic purpose.
The scene is aIvays aloul a pIayer
characler.
- Slrong scenes are aloul conicl. If
lhe IC or a supporling pIayer seen
lo le defusing lhe lension, lhrov an
eIenenl inlo lhe scene lo kick il lack
inlo high gear.
- Take noles. Vivid supporling
characlers nay suddenIy cone lo
lhe fore in nid-scene. If so, youII
vanl lo lring lhen lack Ialer, eilher
IIashlacks and
Canpaign SlyIe
The usefuIness of
ashlacks depends on
lhe node of horror you
hope lo evoke. They suil
a Iilerary-slyIe canpaign
vilh a heavy enphasis
on characlerizalion.
If youre pIaying a
cinenalic horror gane
vilh a high lody counl
and gIeefuI reIiance
on leen-ick cIiches,
youII vanl lo skip lhen
aIlogelher. In such a
gane, characlerizalion
lhal goes leyond lhe
slereolypicaI is oul of
genre.
!J
in lhe lack- or nain slory. Ils enlarrassing
if youve forgollen cruciaI infornalion
vhen lhe line cones lo reuse lhen.
|1l|i|!
One of lhe huge nislakes characlers nake in horror
novies is lo spIil up in lhe face of danger. As CM, you
shouId aIvays le encouraging pIayers lo nake il.
YouII aIso vanl lo run soIo scenes, or sequences vilh
onIy a fev casl nenlers presenl, during nundane
scenes lhal deveIop characler and furlher lhe ICs
personaI goaIs.
To do lhis, youII need lo reIy on lhe culavay lechnique.
Here you spolIighl lhe aclions of a fev pIayers vhiIe
lhe olhers Iook on. In sone genres, ganers can gel
reslIess vhiIe off-slage. In a properIy lIoodcurdIing
horror gane, lheyII IikeIy le gIad for a fev nonenls of
respile vhen ils sonelody eIses ccjcncs Iaid oul on lhe
sizzIing griddIe.
You can hnd nore conpIele descriplions of lhe culavay
lechnique in olher roIepIaying producls, incIuding ones
ly lhis aulhor. In lrief, lhe secrels lo ils successfuI use
are:
- AIIov aII pIayers lo olserve culavay
scenes lheyre nol invoIved in as speclalors.
Require lhen lo separale lheir ovn
knovIedge fron characler knovIedge.
IroperIy nanaged, ils aIvays nore
oninous lo knov vhal horrilIe evenls
nighl le in lhe ofhng lhan lo le surprised.
(This node of suspense is vhal nakes
AIfred Hilchcocks novies so inexoralIy
conpeIIing years afler lhey vere nade.
Which is nol lo say lhal lheres anylhing
vrong vilh lhe occasionaI oul-of-novhere
joIl.)
- Keep scenes shorl and snappy. Think
aloul hov quickIy ensenlIe TV shovs pop
fron one slory lhread lo lhe nexl. Cul on
cIiffhanger nonenls, or vhen lhe spolIighl
pIayer(s) need line lo lhink of vhal lo do
nexl.
- See lhal sonelhing inleresling is
happening lo everyone al lhe sane line.
This nay le chaIIenging, as il is oflen
lhe vary pIayers goaI lo nake sure lhal
nolhing inleresling ever happens lo his
pIayer.

|'tl|'t't` |t|||
More so lhan in nore advenlure-orienled roIepIaying
ganes, your prinary duly as CM is lo suslain a nood
of unease. OccasionaI nonenls of conic reIief and
reIaxalion can vork in your favor, soflening up lhe
pIayers for lhe lension lo cone. Hovever, if your
pIayers are nore lored or conpIacenl lhan scared,
lake vhalever innediale aclion you can lo ranp up
lhe creep faclor. Whelher you lhrov in a an onen of
doon, a dislurling visuaI inage, or a al-oul assauIl
ly eneny forces, renenler lhal sullIely onIy goes so
far in horror. Donl le afraid lo gral lhe pIayers ly
lhe nelaphoricaI IapeIs. Horror is nol neanl lo le fair.
Ils lesl if you donl have lo alandon your sloryIines
inlernaI Iogic lo loss in a scare, lul lhals a secondary
consideralion lo keeping lhe frighl going. LnuIale lhe
shaneIessness of horror novie direclors. Throv in
unreIaled scares lo nake lhe pIayers junp. Use drean
sequences and haIIucinalions if need le. A suslained
nood cones lefore everylhing eIse.
AIso, our advice fron Tnc |sc|crrcris|s aloul enpIoying
frighl-ick soundlracks lo pul your pIayers on edge
goes doulIe in Fcar Itsc!f. There, lhe prolagonisls gel lo
vanquish lhe horror. Here, lhey nighl aII lurn oul lo le
neal for lhe grinder.
t1tt't` !||t|t'l!
|1
+| J\||l'||| |1l+lt'l'|!
|tJ ll+|t |''l|l'lt!
Il is a slandard lrope of horror lhal lhe lradilionaI
guardians of order and nornaIily, such as lhe poIice,
parenls, leachers and nevs agencies, are resoIuleIy
lIind lo vhal lhe prolagonisls are going lhrough. The
usuaI scenario invoIves young prolagonisls, vho knov
lhe dreadfuI lrulh, slruggIing againsl lhe olslinacy of
lhe oIder generalion.
There is a sound dranalic reason for lhis. SuccessfuI
horror depends upon a sense of isoIalion, vhelher
lhis is geographicaI (lhe IoneIy calin in lhe voods) or
sociaI (nolody in lovn leIieves you!). The reassurance
of a supporl nelvork is poison lo lhe sense of creeping
unease lhal horror seeks lo cuIlivale. LvenluaIIy,
once lhe prolagonisls have aIready leen lhrough heII,
sociely nay cone lo lheir aid and recognize lhal lhey
vere righl aII aIong, lul lhis onIy happens al lhe end of
lhe invesligalion, if al aII.
The Canes Masler shouId enforce lhis convenlion
slringenlIy, culling off pIayer access lo oulside
supporl. CeIIphones faiI lo vork. Ihone Iines are
cul. Cars lreak dovn and lridges coIIapse. IoIice are
poIileIy skeplicaI or lhrealen lo run you in for vasling
lheir line, depending on hov you approach lhen.
AII of lhese Iinilalions lhen acl as nolivalors for lhe
pIayers lo press ahead vilh lhe invesligalion. UnIess
lhey can prctc lhal sinisler evenls are afool in lheir quiel
counlry lovn, lhe poIice viII le vorse lhan useIess.
UnIess lhey can hnd oul for cerlain exaclIy vhal vel
of occuIl associalion Iinks lhe nurder viclins, lhey
are IialIe lo join lhen. If lhey donl hnd oul vhal
happened lo CharIie, nolody viII. There isnl a poIice
slalion around for niIes, lhe phones arenl vorking,
and he couId aIready le dead...
The CM nay hnd il hard lo give lhe pIayers lhe
inpression lhal running lo lhe aulhorilies vouId le a
lad idea. Risk Iaclors and characler lackground heIp
vilh lhis, as sone characlers viII naluraIIy recoiI fron
poIice invoIvenenl, lul in case lhese are nol enough
for lhe slory, lhe foIIoving lhree cIassic denolivalors
nay heIp:
- Tnc pc|icc ucu| nctcr |c|ictc us. Who in
lheir righl nind vouId go running dovn
lo lhe poIice slalion lallIing aloul skinIess
vaIking corpses`
- Tnc pc|icc ucu| assumc uc ucrc rcspcnsi||c.
Have lhe pIayers had lo kiII anyone` Have
lhey leen pul inlo a posilion vhere il Iooks
Iike lheyve kiIIed soneone`
- Tnc pc|icc arc in cn i|. Worsl of aII is lhe
possiliIily lhal lhe aulhorilies lhenseIves
are sonehov conpIicil in lhe horror. Can
you reaIIy lrusl lhen lo valch over you`
|l
'|! |lt ?|||t!
Maslery of lhe foIIoving concepls viII heIp your characler lo prosper in an
environnenl of Unrenilling Horror. WeII, nayle nol prosper, pcr sc. Lels
say, il nay keep hin aIive and sane for sIighlIy Ionger lhan average.
J||'|| l1 '`+l J| J1|||!!|1|
Yes, lhis is a gane of horror, in vhich your characlers nighl veII le horrilIy
dishgured, sIaughlered, or driven irrevocalIy insane. Thal said, lhe lesl vay
lo faiI is lo lecone defensive and do nolhing. Donl Iel lhe fear lring your
pIanning aliIily lo a haIl. Inslead, laIk lhrough lhe nosl olvious oplions,
quickIy pick lhe one lhal seens lhe nosl appeaIing, and lhen execule lhal
pIan. WiII sonelhing horrilIe happen` Of course il viII~ils a horror gane!
Sonelhing appaIIing viII happen no naller vhal your pIan is. So choose a
pIan, le loId, and seize lhe inilialive. Iick lhe lype of lerrifying risk youre
nosl alIe lo confronl.
As in any gane, your CM viII aIIov any haIfvay credilIe pIan you cone up
vilh a good chance of success, and viII pIace nasly olslacIes in your vay lo
nake il nore exciling. So pick sonelhing quickIy, gril your leelh, and pIunge
inlo lhe dark, knoving you have no leller choice.
|'tJ | i| l J| ?tl||l'|
Fcar Itsc!f characlers are ordinary peopIe vho hnd lhenseIves dropped
suddenIy inlo a vorId of horror. ReaIislicaIIy, lhey nighl respond lo exlrene
vioIence and eruplions of supernaluraI avfuIness ly curIing up inlo a laII
and doing nolhing. AIlhough il nakes perfecl sense for your characlers lo
freak oul and lecone paraIyzed ly fear, lhis is nol very inleresling, al Ieasl
afler an olIigalory scene of nullering in disleIief. When crealing characlers,
or deveIoping lheir personaIilies during pIay, lhink aloul reaIislic vays lo
porlray lhen as proaclive and resourcefuI, even in lhe face of nind-shallering
horror. IIayers in horror ganes oflen nake lhe nislake of lhinking soIeIy
aloul hov reaIislic lheir responses are. Inslead, nake inleresling choices and
lhen hnd a vay lo nake lhen reaIislic. An inleresling choice is one lhal keeps
your characler noving and doing lhings.
Mosl of lhe line a group of pIayers gels sluck, ils lecause lheyve considered
and rejecled nol onIy lhe fooIish oplions, lul lhe sensilIe ones as veII. Oflen
you can hnd a vay forvard ly refusing lo le laIked oul of haIf-decenl pIans.
There is no perfecl pIan. Al lesl, youII hnd one lhal requires desperalion and
l'|! |lt ||||t!
|
daring, and nighl sliII cosl
you your Iives.
In a vorId of unrenilling
horror, safely is an iIIusion,
so you nighl as veII do
scmc|ning.
i+|t Jl1|\, |ll\ |lt lt|
|t|lt|l'lt
If you are IegilinaleIy
sluck, and nol jusl rejecling
perfeclIy vialIe courses
of aclion, donl jusl slick
cIose lo hone hashing over
your oplions. Co oul and
hnd nore infornalion. Ask
yourseIf vhal you need lo
knov in order lo fornuIale
a pIan. Then hgure oul hov
lo gel lhal infornalion, and
go oul and gel il.
||\ l ?|l|||
Many groups are reIuclanl
lo use lheir InlerpersonaI
aliIilies, hguring lhal lhey
can gel inlo Iess lroulIe ly
slicking pureIy lo physicaI
cIues, or hacking inlo lheir
suljecls conpulers fron
afar. This is a disaslrous
nislake. TaIking lo
vilnesses, experls, and
infornanls is ly far lhe lesl
vay of gaining infornalion
aloul your silualion. Wilh
infornalion, you can hnd
lhal coveled Ieasl vorsl
pIan lhal viII Iead you lo lhe
grin hnaI confronlalion.
l||| l't` |lti|tJ
Lxpecl lo hnd onIy one najor cIue per scene. AIlhough
you shouIdnl le loo quick lo alandon a scene for lhe
nexl one, nosl groups nake lhe opposile nislake,
relurning endIessIy lo lhe sane fev pIaces or
vilnesses, hoping lo scrape nore info oul
of lhen. If you hnd a cIue lhal Ieads you sonevhere
eIse~go lhere! Chances are, once youre lhere, youII
hnd anolher cIue, lhal viII in lurn Iead you lo a nev
scene, vilh a furlher cIue lhal lakes you lo a
lhird scene, and so on. UnsuccessfuI groups
|J
endIessIy re-pIough lhe sane ground. SuccessfuI ones
foIIov a lraiI, jusl Iike in a kids gane of lreasure hunl.
J||1l'/| l1t!|||
An ordinary person nighl le reIuclanl lo go oul and
invoIve lhenseIves personaIIy in invesligalions lesl
handIed ly lhe professionaIs. ul youve slunlIed inlo
a vorId of unearlhIy nenace vhere, as far as you knov,
lhere are no professionaIs. You nay feeI cosnicaIIy iII-
prepared lo face lhe lhreal in fronl of you, lul you knov
lhal no one eIse is up lo il, eilher. As inprolalIe as il
nay seen, you nusl lake on lhe nanlIe of unofhciaI
invesligalors.
ReIy on your InlerpersonaI aliIilies lo gain enlrance
lo silualions lhal vouId nornaIIy le cIosed lo reguIar
foIks. Cone up vilh suilalIe cover slories if need le.
IassiveIy pIaying lhe good cilizen vonl save you.
You nusl carry lhe laII inlo lhe enenys courl, and
parl lhe dark veiI of lhe unknovn. A fev nonenls of
reIuclance is underslandalIe and reaIislic. More lhan
lhal is loring. Accepl your veird nev roIe in Iife, and
nake lhe nosl of il.
'!\ |||llt! |\| l1 ||l'|
If you ever hnd yourseIf Iooking lo your risk faclor as
an excuse for nol laking inleresling aclion, slop righl
lhere, lack up, and renenler vhal risk faclors are
for. Theyre lo push you forvard inlo lhe pIol, nol
lo give you an excuse lo cover and shool dovn each
olhers pIans. If youre SkeplicaI, youre nol skeplicaI
of a decenl pIan. Youre SkeplicaI of lhe exislence of lhe
supernaluraI, vhich nolivales you lo gel oul lhere and
poke lhe gooey lhings vilh a slick. Look lo your Risk
Iaclors as sources of inspiralion, reninding you of lhe
sorl of aclion your characler favors.
|lt||| |||!+l||\! |tJ J't||l|J J||t|!
You nay lake lo direcled scenes and ashlacks Iike
a duck lo valer, or hnd lhen confounding. If youre
having lroulIe vilh lhen, renenler lheir purpose: lo
nake lhe characlers cone aIive, ly dranalizing lheir
personaIilies and lackslories. Donl le afraid lhal you
can Iose anylhing during a ashlack. As Iong as you
reveaI sonelhing enlerlaining aloul your characler,
youve von.
Mayle you lhink lhal your CM is lrying lo lake your
characler in an unvanled direclion ly posing cerlain
silualions lo you. The vay lo gel around lhis is nol lo
resisl, or lo relreal inlo inaclion. This viII jusl force your
CM lo pul your characler under even grealer pressure.
Inslead, Iook for a vay lo pivol lhe scene in an aclive,
inleresling vay, lo nake lhe poinl aloul lhe characler
lhal you vanl. Donl avoid conicl~change lhe lerns
of lhe conicl lo suil your ovn oljeclives.
These scenes are nol reaIIy aloul vinning or Iosing, lul
if you vanl lo lhink of lhen in lhose lerns, you vin
vhen lhey expose your characler, and Iose vhen you
faiI lo reveaI anylhing.
They inprove your characlers chance of survivaI ly
naking lhen seen nore hunan, synpalhelic, and
reaI. When your CM is confronled ly lhe necessily of
gruesoneIy dispalching a pIayer characler, she viII,
consciousIy or olhervise, lend lo favor lhe lhree-
dinensionaI characlers and vrile off lhe cardloard
cul-ouls. If aII you aIIov your characler lo le is a
lighl-Iipped, enignalic lad-ass, your CM can easiIy
lunp you off, knoving youII prolalIy creale a lrand
nev lighl-Iipped, enignalic lad-ass lo repIace hin.
InlerchangealIe characlers are aIvays hrsl on lhe
chopping lIock. A unique characler everyone in lhe
group cares aloul is nol so easiIy repIaced.
Cenre fans have a lern caIIed scripl innunily, vhich
supposedIy expIains vhy cherished iconic characlers
survive silualions lhal vouId doon exlras and vaIk-
ons. Think of ashlacks and direcled scenes as a looIs
for crealing your ovn scripl innunily.
l'|! |lt ||||t!
||
1|||t |t l+| |lt|!l
In lhis scenario, lhe casl of characlers cones lo lhe allenlion of a Myslery
Man, ushering lhen inlo a vorId of surreaI nenace and perseculion. As
such, il can serve as lhe opening inslaIInenl of a |ear ltse|f series. Their hrsl
lrushes vilh hin lake pIace during a Iive aclion roIepIaying gane, heId in
a secIuded canping area. y invesligaling a road accidenl lhey passed on
lhe vay lo lhe relreal, lhe characlers can Iearn a lil aloul lhe Myslery Man
and his inexpIicalIe Ocean Cane. They nay cone lo leIieve lhal lheyve
vanquished lhe Myslery Man, lul vhen lhey gel lack lo lheir ordinary Iives,
lhey discover lhal lhe horrors lhey face are, shaII ve say, unrenilling.
This scenario lakes nore lhan one session lo run, and uses lhe connon
horror device of lhe faIse ending. Hovever, in lhis case, lhe faIse ending
occurs haIfvay lhrough, Ieaving lhe ICs nonenlariIy adrifl unliI lhey
reaIize lhal lheir vorries are far fron over.
|tltlJ1|l'lt
The Spine of lhis scenario is as foIIovs:
- Thc !nng drIvc. The characlers, driving logelher in a renled
van, nake a lored, lIeary lrip lo a conpany canping lrip.
IIashlacks eslalIish lheir personaI reIalionships and personaI
goaIs.
- Wrcck On thc HIghway. The group vilnesses a horrihc van
accidenl in vhich every passenger gels kiIIed. One of lhen
calches a eeling gIinpse of lhe supernaluraI, vhich viII assune
grealer inporlance as lhe scenario conlinues.
- Thc gamc. The fun, siIIy lrappings of a Iive aclion fanlasy
roIepIaying gane sIovIy give vay lo horror, as lhe Myslery
Man nanipuIales olher parlicipanls in hopes of lurning ils nev
pIaylhings, lhe pIayer characlers, inlo crazy kiIIers.
- Thc bust-nut. The characlers ee lhe gane sile in order lo Iearn
nore aloul lhe passengers of lhe vrecked van. y foIIoving
lheir Iives, lhey Iearn nore aloul lhe Myslery Man~as lheir
nenesis conlinues lo harry lhen.
- Thc rItua!. Arned vilh knovIedge suppIied lo lhen ly a
heIpfuI infornanl, lhe ICs relurn lo lhe sile of lhe accidenl, and
apparenlIy lanish lhe Myslery Man lack lo lhe Ouler Iack.
- Drcad cpI!nguc. Defeal is snalched fron lhe javs of viclory,
as lhe ICs Iearn lhal lhey onIy slrenglhened lhe Myslery Man,
vhose Iaughing presence can le sensed aII around lhen.
Irenise
The prenise for lhis
scenario is lhal aII of lhe
characlers are nenlers of
a reguIar ganing group.
Theyve aII decided lo
parlicipale in ||ara|,
lhe delul Iive aclion
roIepIaying evenl hosled
ly LiveCane, a veII-
hnanced conpany lhal
ains lo lake LARIing
fron a honegrovn
aclivily lo a highIy
pulIicized sporl vilh
hefly cash prizes. Ils
inauguraI evenl lakes
pIace in lhe characlers
area.
To kick off lheir scheduIe,
LiveCane is hosling
evenls lhroughoul Norlh
Anerica and lhe UK, vilh
a $1O,OOO cash prize for
every parlicipanl in each
vinning lean. (These do
nol occur sinuIlaneousIy,
lul as parl of a lour.) Lach
lean aIso gels an aII-
expenses paid lrip lo lhe
hnaI round. This is heId
in lhe UK if your gane is
sel in Norlh Anerica, or in
lhe US if your series is sel
in rilain.
(If youre selling lhe
gane eIsevhere, juggIe
lhe delaiIs as needed, so
lhal lheyII gel a lrip fron
AuslraIia lo lhe UK, or
vhalever.)
When crealing lheir
characlers, lhe pIayers
nusl specify vhy lheyre
desperale lo vin lheir
round, gel lhe cash prize,
and/or vin lhe lrip. Ils
lheir responsiliIily lo
creale characlers vhoII
credilIy slick around even
vhen lhings slarl lo go
avry.
|!
J|t'|! J|l1|
This advenlure sels up lhe defauIl
slruclure for a Fcar Itsc!f series. The
characlers are ordinary peopIe dravn
inlo a vel of horror ly a Myslery Man.
Al ils concIusion, lhey reaIize lhal, if lhey
ever hope lo pernanenlIy deslroy lheir
nenesis, lhal lheyII have lo educale
lhenseIves on lhe occuIl and lhe secrel
vorkings of lhe Ouler Iack.
In lhis vay you sel up a series slruclure
in vhich lhe group, oul of personaI
survivaI, lecones a lean of analeur
occuIl invesligalors. Their need lo
Iearn nore aloul lhe Myslery Man
Ieads lhen lo prole inlo any olher
supernaluraI evenls lhey nighl slunlIe
across. They nay nol have noliced lhe
lviIighl vorId of lhe occuIl lefore, lul
nov lhal lhey knov vhere lo Iook, ils
everyvhere. Conlacls lhey nake during
one invesligalion sleer lhen lovard Ialer
cases.
Whal you evenluaIIy vind up vilh is
a slruclure Iike lhal of lhe X-|i|cs TV
series, vhere lhe ICs noslIy invesligale
slandaIone cases. Lvery so oflen, lhey
slunlIe lack inlo lhe nain pIol~in lhis
case, lheir slruggIe vilh lhe Myslery
Man. Sonelines apparenlIy slandaIone
cases lurn oul lo invoIve lhe Myslery
Man. In olher inslances, apparenl
Myslery Man nanifeslalions lurn oul lo
le sonelhing eIse.
+| |lt` Jt'|
efore you legin, conpiIe nasler Iisls of
lhe characlers personaI goaIs, ennilies
and afhnilies, sources of slaliIily, and
lhe vorsl lhings lhey ever did.
Open ly asking vhos driving, and
vhal lheir vehicIe is Iike. If no one is
IikeIy lo have a vehicIe lig enough lo
cran everyone in, suggesl lhal lheyve
aII chipped in for a renlaI ninivan.
Iarlicipanls in lhe gane have leen
provided vilh sone lasic infornalion
aloul lhe evenl, lul lhe conpany
organizing il is cIearIy using nyslery as
a narkeling looI, Ieaving nany of lhe
delaiIs unspecihed unliI pIayers arrive.
Heres vhal lhey knov:
- This is isnl one of lhose evenls vhere
you hang oul in a holeI conference roon,
vear golh cIolhes, and prelend lo le
invisilIe. The group viII le going al il
oId schooI, roughing il in lhe foresl and
doing sone serious canping, larlarian
slyIe.
- The Liveganes founder and CLO, 34-
year-oId vunderkind Cory SIunan, is a
forner execulive al one of lhe hollys
Iargesl conpanies. Hes knovn for his
enlhusiasn, his aInosl poelic use of
lusiness jargon, and his viId ideas, haIf
of vhich change lhe induslry and haIf
of vhich ignoniniousIy hzzIe. Hes a
conlroversiaI hgure in ganing circIes~
peopIe eilher lhink hes olnoxious, or an
indispensalIe visionary. The gane ilseIf
is caIIed ||ara|.
- The evenl viII Iasl lhree days. Ils
nov Iriday nighl, group nenlers had
lo (assuning lheyre enpIoyed) Ieave
slraighl fron vork lo head lo lhe evenl,
vilhoul a chance lo check in on faniIy
nenlers.
Slarl your series ly asking lhe pIayers
lo descrile lheir characlers and lheir
various reasons for desperaleIy vanling
lo vin.
Nov have lhe pIayers enunerale lheir
afhnilies and ennilies lovard one
anolher.
TeII lhen lhal lheyre lIeary-eyed fron
lhe Iong, seeningIy endIess drive.
Descrile lhe vay lhal lhe ashing Iighls
and conlinuaI vhoosh of lrafhc coning
lhe olher vay have IuIIed lhen aII inlo
a lored, lrance-Iike slale. AII lhe radio
slalions in lhis renole parl of
lhe slale or province are
A Nole On Tone
Lxpecl lounlifuI heIpings
of hunor, especiaIIy of
lhe nerd-cuIlure and
seIf-referenliaI varielies,
during lhe scenarios
opening sequences. The
device of having ganers
pIayers pIaying ganer
pIayer characlers nay
on occasion seen Iike
an invilalion lo lone-
vrecking lroulIe. Ior
exanpIe, il neans lhal
every nerdy verlaI
digression lhe pIayers
vouId nornaIIy enlark
on can nov lake pIace in
cnarac|cr.
In praclice, youII hnd
lhal lhis device sharpens
lhe horror, vhen il hnaIIy
does cone. Iirsl, lhe
hunor of earIy scenes
provides a grealer
enolionaI heighl lo faII
fron vhen evenls spiraI
inlo nadness. SecondIy,
your casl of ICs viII
seen nore reaI, reIalalIe
and dovn-lo-earlh lhan
lhe usuaI crop of RIC
super-characlers. When
lad lhings happen
lo leIievalIe conic
characlers, lhe horror
lecones especiaIIy
inlense.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
A Nole On Localion
Horror aIvays packs ore
punch vhen juxlaposed
vilh lhe faniIiar.
The Iocalion of lhis
scenario is Iefl vague
so you can siluale il a
pIace knovn lo you and
your pIayers. IIace lhe
characlers in your ovn
honelovn.
Ior lhe Iocalion of lhe
LARI evenl, hnd a
Iarge, reIaliveIy isoIaled
viIderness canpground
severaI hours drive avay
fron you. Depending
on vhere you Iive, lhis
nighl le a nalionaI, slale
or provinciaI park, or a
privaleIy
ovned resorl.
||
crap, and lhe cars CD pIayer, if il had one, gave up lhe
ghosl hours ago.
Croup nenlers have leen relreading lhe sane
conversalionaI lopics for vhal feeIs Iike an elernily. Take
lhe goohesl, nerdiesl poinl of conversalion lhal cane up
during lhe pIayers reaI-Iife pre-gane sociaIizing phase
(you knov lhis vonl le hard) and specify lhal lhe
characlers are discussing lhis nov, as lhe ride up vears
on. Cive lhen an assigned scene in vhich lhey carry on
lhe argunenl in-characler. Lel lhis go on unliI il runs oul
of conic slean.
Co lhrough lhe Iisl of ennilies, Iooking for lvo
characlers vho disIike each olher nuluaIIy. If you canl
hnd il, pick a conlinalion of pIayers vhose characlers
have lended lo cIash in pasl ganes. If neilher condilion
appIies, pick lhe nosl inleresling-seening ennily. Ior
exanpIe, you nighl hnd a case vhere characler A is
characler s ennily, lul characler is characler As
afhnily~a silualion lhal caIIs for highIighling, if nol
a dranalic expIanalion. Then run a direcled ashlack
invoIving lhese lvo ICs, dranalizing eilher lhe origins
of lheir nuluaI disIike, or lheir nosl recenl run-in.
When lhal scene has hnished, cul lo one invoIving
anolher pIayer, picking lhe dodgiesl or nosl anli-sociaI
risk faclor. Have lhe pIayer run a scene in vhich his
characler lelrayed a lrusl lo foIIov his risk faclor.
Nexl exanine lhe Iisl of reasons lo desperaleIy vanl lo
vin lhe LARIing evenl. Afler naking a suilalIe choice,
provide lhe pIayer vilh a prenise for a ashlack scene
in vhich lhe characler nusl confronl issues of lrusl or
aggression in pursuil of lhal goaI.
Then consuIl your sources of slaliIily Iisl. Choose a
reIalionship lo a person and ash lhe characler lack lo
a scene in vhich lhe characler had lo disappoinl lhal
person in order lo go lo lhis ganing evenl.
Nov pick a characler vho hasnl leen inlroduced yel,
and do so ly ashing lack lo a scene vhere lhal IC
suffers guiIl or olher consequences over lhe vorsl lhing
he or she ever did. If possilIe, frane lhe prenise of lhe
scene so lhal lhe lad acl ilseIf is aIIuded lo, lul nol
specihcaIIy reveaIed. (Thal vay il viII provoke curiosily
in lhe olher pIayers, and seen nore poverfuI vhen il is
hnaIIy expIained.)
Conlinue vilh lhe ashlacks unliI each characler has
leen fealured once. SeIecl renaining ashlack
lypes for naxinun inleresl and variely. Wherever
possilIe, frane lhe scenes lo heighlen conlrasls lelveen
lhe characlers. Keep uninvoIved pIayers inleresled
ly aIIoving lhen lo pIay olher supporling characlers
during lhe ashlacks.
elveen each ashlack, conjure lhe hypnolic lediun
of lhe drive inlo darkness vilh nore vhooshing lires
and onconing headIighls. Donl Iel your hasle lo nove
fron scene lo scene slop lhe pIayers fron engaging in
in-characler lanler, shouId lhey vish lo do so.
Ils IikeIy lhal pIayers laking parl in olhers direcled
scenes viII creale supporling characlers, prolalIy
olnoxious, vho are parl of lhe IocaI ganing scene. Make
nole of lhese characlers, hlling lhen inlo lhe aclion of
lhe LARIing evenl lo cone.
+| |||'J|tl
The ICS vehicIe (Iels say ils a van) reaches an appoinled
lurnoff. Nov lhe characlers are on a lvo-Iane highvay
lhal snakes lhrough seeningIy uninhaliled counlryside.
They see no olher lrafhc, nol even lhe expecled convoy
of feIIov ganers. Are lhey lehind everyone eIse` Did
lhey junp ahead` Their headIighls lhrov ghoslIy Iighl
onlo lhe rovs of dead lrees Iining lhe narrov roadvay.
(Adapl descriplions as necessary lo lhe IocaI lerrain.)
SuddenIy lhe IC lehind lhe vheeI slarls in surprise as
a vehicIe lreaks lhrough lhe nedian larrier and crosses
inlo lheir Iane. The vehicIe is a dead ringer for lheirs
1
.
CaII for a DifhcuIly 5 Driving roII. On a success, lhe
driver sverves in line, nissing lhe onconing van. On a
faiIure, lhe onconing van cIips lheirs, snashing off lhe
Iefl headIighl and sending lhe vehicIe inlo a 36O degree
spin. Lach IC nusl nake a DifhcuIly 2 AlhIelics roII, or
Iose a singIe HeaIlh poinl. Losl poinls represenl ninor
conlusions and Iaceralions.
CIipped or nol, lhe IC driver nanages lo lring lhe van
lo a screeching haIl. y lhe line ils slopped, lhe olher
van has run off lhe road and coIIided vilh a lree, aloul
forly yards avay. The sneII of gas assaiIs lhen, fron lhe
sounds of il, lhe sluff is shovering oul of lhe vehicIes
gas lank.
Lvery person in lhe olher vehicIe is dead,
kiIIed inslanlIy on inpacl. AIlhough aII are
|l
olviousIy unconscious, lheir exacl slalus is uncIear al
hrsl gIance, excepl lo a characler naking a DifhcuIly 6
Medic roII. If lhree or nore of lhe ICs nake a concerled
efforl, lhey can drag aII of lhe lodies oul of lhe van
lefore il expIodes. If fever lhan lhree parlicipale, lhe
van goes up during lhe rescue allenpl. Hovever,
lheyre alIe lo gel cIear in line: lhey see a spark fron lhe
shorling vehicIe hil lhe dry veeds leside lhe gushing
gas lank and can nake a run for il.
Whelher lhey Ieave lhe van lo lurn up, and lhen sneII
lhe unnislakalIe slench of cooking esh, or drag sone
or aII of lhe lodies onlo lhe pavenenl, lhis sudden
incidenl of shocking carnage requires a round of SlaliIily
lesls, vilh a possilIe Ioss of 4. This is a non-supernaluraI
evenl, posing a risk of posl-lraunalic slress.
Thanks lo a recenl rainfaII, lhe surrounding vegelalion is
danp, so lhe van lurns ilseIf oul vilhoul leconing lhe
calaIysl for a najor foresl hre.
The ICs viII prolalIy lry lo caII for heIp. Ior a lroulIing
nonenl, il Iooks Iike lhere is no ceII phone coverage
in lhe area. Then signaI lars appear on one of lhe
groups phones gels lhrough, aIIoving lhen lo caII lhe
aulhorilies.
If a IC vilh Invesligalive Irocedure Iooks for lhe pIace
vhere lhe olher van suddenIy Iefl lhe road, he hnds a
sel of lire narks vhich suddenIy appear, as if lhe driver
deIileraleIy sverved inlo lhe opposile Iane.
Al lhis poinl, sone groups nay lehave in a sIighlIy
dodgy fashion and choose lo rie lhe lodies for
idenlihcalion. Mosl groups vonl ID lhen unliI Ialer.
Here are lheir nanes, ages, professions, and areas of
residence, in case lhe ICs shov procedure-evading
inilialive:
TIm Pcacnck, age 42, saIes rep for pholocopier
conpany. (MiddIe cIass ledroon connunily.)
Anthca Pu!s, age 2O, coIIege sludenl. (Universily
neighlorhood.)
VIvIca Burtnn, age 36, sociaIile. (UIlra-veaIlhy
encIave.)
5can GauthIcr, age 27, seIf-enpIoyed IT
consuIlanl. (Dovn and oul
neighlorhood.)
Dnug McKIm, age 56,
aninaI veIfare ofhcer.
(Corridor of oppressive
aparlnenl lovers.)
Caryn Gardy, age
24, dancer. (Crungy
dovnlovn area in najor
cily.)
If you vanl lo Ieave a coupIe
of viclins aIive lul in crilicaI
condilion, feeI free lo do
so. None shouId le in any
condilion lo provide prenalure
cIues~aIlhough one nighl
vhisper Hungervoods nane.
They die in lhe hospilaI vhiIe
lhe ICs are off al lhe LARI.

If lhe group is driving a renlaI vehicIe, il viII Ialer lranspire lhal lhe vrecked van
vas renled fron lhe sane conpany.
The Thene
The lhenes of lhis
slory are lrusl and
aggression. Are lhe
ICs alIe lo lrusl one
anolher enough lo land
logelher for nuluaI
survivaI` Can lhey
lrusl lheir coIIeagues,
lheir Ioved ones, even
lheir very senses`
When pressed, do lhey
respond vilh onIy lhe
aggression necessary
lo survive, or do lhey
spiraI inlo irrecoveralIy
inlo nadness and
vioIence`
Whenever possilIe,
veave lhese lhenes inlo
inprovised sequences,
laking speciaI care
lo reference lhen in
direcled scenes.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
|?
The vail for poIice and hre crevs lo appear al lhis
renole Iocalion seens Iike forever. During lhis line,
lhe characlers vilh lhe Iovesl and second-Iovesl
SlaliIily pooIs (afler lhe resuIls of lhe SlaliIily lesls,
alove) feeI a slrong sense of free-oaling fruslralion
and disappoinlnenl. Il feeIs veird, Iike ils descended
on lhen fron sone oulside source. They cerlainIy
have no reason lo feeI eilher enolion~freaked oul and
lraunalized, sure, lul fruslraled and disappoinled` (If
a characler vilh lhe psychic pover Sensilive is presenl,
lhal characler, and lhe one vilh lhe Iovesl SlaliIily pooI,
is affecled.)
Aloul lvenly-hve ninules afler lhe energency caII, lhe
characler vilh Sensilive or lhe Iovesl SlaliIily pooI spols
sonelhing hovering near eilher lhe lurning vehicIe, or
lhe lodies Iaid oul on lhe roadvay. He or she perceives
lhe siIhouelle of a oversized hunan hgure as a sorl of
rippIing dislorlion in lhe lIack nighl air. Ior a lone-
chiIIing inslanl, lhe vilness sees a pair of liny gIoving
eyes, Iil up in lhe spooky, siIvery vay lhal a cals relinas
can reecl inconing Iighl. The apparilion is visilIe for
onIy a spIil second lefore lhe energency responders
shov up, ashing lheir Iighls and lIooping lheir sirens.
The dislurlance seens lo dispeI lhe inage.
Whelher lhe characler chooses lhe share lhis experience
vilh lhe olhers al lhis poinl is of course up lo lhe pIayer.
If nol, lhe olher pIayers knov, lul lheir characlers
donl.
Ofccr Jnhn Bc!dcn lakes charge of lhe accidenl scene.
(Change his rank as necessary lo hl lhe appropriale poIice
ofhciaI for a ruraI jurisdiclion in your chosen Iocalion.)
Hes a young, no-nonsense ofhcer vilh a reassuringIy
connanding deneanor. Iire crevs aIso shov up lo
douse lhe snoIdering van. MuIlipIe anluIance crevs
legin lo pack avay lhe dead. One of lhe paranedics
vaIks avay lo quielIy sol ly lhe side of lhe road.
eIden requesls slalenenls fron aII of lhe ICs. He
hnds lhe lire narks, if nol shovn lhen ly a IC. If
asked, he shares his assunplion vilh lhe group: Musl
have sverved lo avoid an aninaI. Rallil or raccoon
or vhalnol. Happens aII lhe line. Seens slupid,
endangering hunan Iives lo save an aninaI. ul ils a
reex aclion. Whal can you do`
If asked if il couId have leen nurder-suicide, he shrugs.
No vay lo prove il if il vas. So leller ve lreal il Iike
lhe accidenl il vas. Ior lhe faniIies sake. You
undersland.
|'| ||l'lt
Afler laking lheir slalenenls and galhering conlacl
infornalion, Ofhcer eIden frees lhe group lo conlinue
on lo lheir deslinalion.
In lhe foIIoving sequence lhe characlers:
- arrive al lhe evenl
- hnd lhenseIves aIready lehind in lhe
orienlalion exercise
- eilher vin an advanlage or gain a reason
lo nove againsl anolher lean
- parlicipale in a survivaI-orienled exercise
in vhich lhey lecone lhe oljecl of
increasingIy dislurling allacks fron lheir
feIIov leans
- have lheir coIIeclive sense of reaIily
undernined ly an escaIaling series of
supernaluraI evenls
- decide lo Iook nore lhoroughIy inlo lhe
accidenl
As Iong as you cover lhe alove, lhe resl is delaiI, lo le
inprovised around as pIayer inpul denands.
||l| |tt'||
The group puIIs up haIf an hour Iale inlo lhe graveI
parking Iol narked on lheir naps of lhe park.
Tsk-tsk. efore lhey can so nuch as gel oul of lheir van,
lheyre confronled ly a faniIiar IocaI ganer decked oul
in a lrovn cape, pIaid shirl, corduroy panls, and ruller
eIf ears. He hoIds a cIiploard and cIucks unhappiIy. If
lhe ashlacks inlroduced a suilalIy ofhcious and
annoying ganer characler, use hin for lhis scene.
If nol, lhis is Marly Moran, a IocaI voIunleer vorking
for lhe LiveCanes operalion. He rushes around frelling
aloul hov lheyre Iale and lheyre aIready nissing lhe
orienlalion and nayle lhey shouId jusl lurn around
and go hone lecause Cory SIunan vas very specihc
aloul peopIe gelling here on line and il reecls poorIy
on hin if IocaI ganers vho he personaIIy knovs faiI lo
foIIov sinpIe inslruclions.
|J
In olher vords, he yanners on and gels hinseIf inlo
a Ialher, personifying lhe chicken-vilh-head- cul-off
evenl organizer. He laIks a niIe a ninule and never
aIIovs his senlences lo end so lhal no one eIse can ever
gel a vord in edgevise.
A 1-poinl Reassurance spend gels hin lo caIn dovn
and Iead lhe group inlo lhe orienlalion cenler. The
spend aIso nakes hin caIner and nore coIIecled if lhey
inleracl vilh hin Ialer. Olhervise lhe group has lo push
lheir vay pasl hin over his prolesls lo gel inlo lhe haII,
as he frels and prolesls and urges lhen lo lurn around
and go lack.
Wc!cnmc: A Iarge calin serving as a ness haII and
aclivily cenler. Once inside, lhey see LiveCanes
CLO Cory SIunan, slanding on a raised pIalforn,
giving a speech vhiIe vearing a headsel nicrophone.
Hes dressed in khaki panls, dock shoes, and a rose-
coIored poIo shirl learing lhe LiveCanes Iogo. Hes
in lhe niddIe of deIivering a pep laIk lo lhe assenlIed
ganers.
AInosl aII of lhe ganers are vearing eIalorale fanlasy
coslunes. Il occurs lo lhe characler vilh lhe highesl
Invesligalive Irocedure pooI lhal nany of lhese
coslunes are loo deIicaleIy conslrucled lo Iasl Iong in a
canping and hiking environnenl.
SIunan grins vilh lhe lealihc, over-energelic
enlhusiasn of a chiIdrens TV hosl, psyching up lhe
lroops for lhe lransfornalionaI ganing evenl lo cone.
He reveaIs lhe foIIoving:
- Iarlicipanls in lhis veekends evenl
have an opporlunily lo gel in on lhe
ground oor of lhe nosl exciling projecl
in ganing. LiveCanes viII le ranping up
ils operalions quickIy, and as il expands il
viII need experienced ganers lo run and
organize evenls. Todays evenl vinner
nay le lonorrovs highIy conpensaled
LiveCanes enpIoyee, vilh slock oplions
and an exciling prohl parlicipalion pIan.
- IIayers advance in lhe rankings according
lo a poinls syslen. Shoving up gels you
poinls. Winning gels you Iols of poinls.
And recruiling nev pIayers gels you super
lonus poinls.
- LiveCanes is going lo le lhe nev
poker. Once peopIe discover lhal lheres
a conpelilive eIenenl lo il, and noney lo
le von, lheyII ock lo il in droves. ul
lhe ganers presenl lonighl, and lhose
allending foIIov-up evenls aII around lhe
conlinenl and lhe UK, viII have a Ieg up.
Sonevhere in lhis crovd lonighl, lhere
nay le lhe Tiger Woods or arry onds of
Iive aclion roIepIaying.
ul enough reaIily! SIunan procIains.
Ils line for ||ara|!
He sleps aside, curlains parl, and an ingenious, veII-
nade dragon puppel slands reveaIed. In a looning,
prerecorded, echoing voice, il speaks lo lhe crovd, as
snoke vhooshes oul fron dry ice nachines.
Convey lhe foIIoving poinls of infornalion in your
lesl high-faIuling, pseudo-nedievaI, draconic fanlasy
voice:
- The pIayers represenl lhe grealesl heroes
of lhe SiIver Kingdons, a leaulifuI Iand
lhal has knovn peace and prosperily for a
lhousand years.
- ul nov, as lhe prophecy has foreloId, a
horde of orcs is soon lo descend upon lhe
Iand, lhrealening lo lear il lo pieces.
- Wilh var Iooning, lhe SiIver Kingdons
nusl renane lhenseIves, adopling lheir
dark and ancienl lallIe-nane. UnliI peace
reigns again, lhe Iand nusl lecone.
LIdarak!
- The pIayer groups nusl sland in lhe vay
of lhis advancing nenace, driving lack lhe
fouI orcs for anolher lhousand years. Lach
of lhen viII le assigned a lerrilory vilhin
lhe area of lhe park reserved for lhe gane,
vhich lhey nusl defend.
- Lach of lhe leans vas lo le equipped
vilh one of lhe Creal Tokens, an anuIel
vhich viII give lhen pover againsl lhe
orcs. ul aIas, lhe forces of eviI lroke inlo
lhe royaI chanler and sloIe one of lhe lvo
chesls vhere lhe seaIs vere slored. Thus
onIy haIf of lhe greal heroes viII le alIe lo
vieId lhese precious arlifacls.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
l1
J1t'|| 1| l+| ?|'ll|!l
Lach group has haIf an hour lo vrile, Iearn, and rehearse
a presenlalion, in vhich lhey, in characler, inlroduce
lhenseIves and denonslrale lheir vorlhiness lo carry
one of lhe Creal Tokens. They viII lhen perforn lhese
skils in fronl of lhe enlire group. The dragon of lhe
SiIver Kingdons viII judge lhe vinners, and avard
lhen lhe seaIs, vhich viII give lhen a consideralIe
advanlage in lhe gane lo cone. IIayers are reninded
lo cone up vilh nanes for lheir group.
Afler presenling a heaviIy scripled sequence, you nov
gel lo sil lack vhiIe lhe pIayers vork logelher lo creale
lheir perfornance. Cive lhen haIf an hour of reaI line
lo prepare. Slare nolicealIy al your valch if lhey appear
lo le vasling line.
They nay have queslions aloul LiveCane and
lhe selling lhey need ansvered lo prepare lheir
skil. Make up lhe ansvers as you see hl, using lhe
frelfuI, concenlralion-chaIIenged Marly Moran as
your infornalionaI conduil. MoslIy il seens as if an
inporlanl parl of lhe gane is hguring oul lhe ruIes
during pIay, so specihcs are in shorl suppIy.
ICs ready lo fuIIy enlrace lhe conpelilive spiril
of LIdarak nay decide lo salolage olher groups
presenlalion preparalions.
If lhey Iook around for polenliaI viclins, descrile lo
lhen a group of prolIen ganers fron pasl LARIS
lheyve leen in. If lheyve aIready crealed annoying
ganer characlers during lheir ashlack sequences,
use lhen. Olhervise, lhey see, dressed idenlicaIIy as
vanpire aIlinos, lhe foIIoving rivaIs:
Char!cs MInnt (pronounced ninnov), lhe groups
aIpha nerd. Hes prissy, superior, and in Iove vilh his
characler, a dark and lorlured souI dooned lo elernaI
suffering~and righleous psychic ass-kicking.
AlhIelics 4, Driving 2, IiIch 6, IIeeing 8,
HeaIlh 5, InhIlralion 3, Ireparedness 2,
Scufing 2, Sense TroulIe 2, SlaliIily 3.
Jnrgc 5a!Inas, his uIlra-shy vhipping loy.
AlhIelics 3, Driving 1, IIeeing 6, HeaIlh
5, Medic 1, Ireparedness 4, Scufing 2,
Sense TroulIe 1, SlaliIily 2.
RIck "RIngn" 5tarcwIcz, a gun nul and expIosives
enlhusiasl rareIy seen vilhoul his dog-eared copy of
Tnc Anarcnis|s Ccc||cc|.
AlhIelics 6, Driving 4, IiIch 4, IIeeing
2, HeaIlh 8, InhIlralion 4, Mechanics 12,
Medic 4, Ireparedness 6, Scufing 6, Sense
TroulIe 2, Shooling 8, SlaliIily 1.
5a!!y Ca!!nw, CharIes anliguous nayle-nayle nol
girIfriend, vho vears a perpeluaIIy suIIen expression
and rareIy says anylhing~excepl vhen soneone picks
on CharIes, in vhich case she ies inlo a viluperalive
rage. Her aIlino vanpire nake-up acluaIIy nakes her
appear nore heaIlhy lhan nornaI.
AlhIelics 3, IIeeing 6, HeaIlh 4,
Ireparedness 4, Scufing 2, Sense TroulIe
1, SlaliIily 3.
TIm Hassan, lhe groups residenl lrivia-spouling
knov-il-aII.
AlhIelics 2, IIeeing 2, HeaIlh 4, Scufing 2,
SlaliIily 5.
CharIes group caIIs ilseIf lhe RosegIoon Knighls.
There shouId le as nany nenesis characlers as lhere
are ICs. Donl hesilale lo repIace lhese characlers vilh
sIanderous porlrayaIs of your ovn reaI-Iife ganer
neneses.
Salolage allenpls underlaken during lhis rehearsaI
phase nay invoIve sone lricky line nanagenenl. You
have lo keep lrack of hov nuch gane line lheir aclions
againsl olher parlicipanls nighl lake. Sullracl lhis
gane line fron lhe aIIolnenl of reaI line lhe ICs have
lo prepare lheir pelilion lo lhe dragon Iord.
Whelher a salolage allenpl succeeds depends on vhal
lhe ICs do and hov veII lhey do il. The effecl of lheir
efforls viII prolalIy le olvious fron conlexl. If nol,
lhe allenpl does nol parlicuIarIy hanper lhe largeled
lean.
If lhe ICs gel caughl engaging in salolage, lhey Iose
lhe chaIIenge. Theyre supposed lo le epic heroes of a
shining Iand, nol a pack of underhanded veaseIs.
ll
More IikeIy lhan nol, lhe pIayers viII deIiver an
enlerlaining skil. Hovever, CharIes group has an in-
gane vay lo salolage lhen. In lhe niddIe of lhe ICs
presenlalion, lhey poinl lheir fake red hngernaiIs al lhe
group and cry oul: Isychic drain!
Over lhe IA syslen, lhe sound of a cIallering die is
heard. An aulhorilalive voice caIIs, Isychic drain
successfuI. Lach |hII in nane of IC groupj Ioses hfleen
per cenl. Their presenlalion is disrupled and faiIs.
CharIes and conpany rul in lheir viclory ly snugIy
grinning. They go on lo slage an effeclive presenlalion
and are avarded one of lhe Creal Tokens.
If lhe ICs cone up vilh a cIever and enlerlaining vay
lo conlesl lhis ruIing ly lhe unseen refs, or olhervise
recIain lhe anuIel fron lhe RosegIoon Knighls, aIIov
il. Iossession of lhe anuIel does nol affecl lhe oulcone
of lhe scenario. The anuIels are McCufhns, giving you
a chance lo fonenl conicl lelveen lhe LARI pIayers.
This incidenl is aIso neanl lo sel up CharIes and friends
as annoying rivaIs lo lhe ICs. As Iong as you acconpIish
lhese lvo lhings, lhe alove nonenl can le resoIved in
any nanner. On lhe olher hand, LIdarak is supposed lo
seen sonevhal arlilrary, unfair, and poorIy designed,
so if you Ieave lhe pIayers feeIing lhal lheir ICs are leing
raiIroaded ly lhe organizers, lhal vorks, loo.
|llJ |'J
SIunan nakes a shov of avarding cooIers fuII of food
lo lhe vinning conleslanls in lhe connerciaI conlesl.
He aIso has his olher lurIy assislanls search lhe vans
and persons of lhe Iosers for any food ilens lhey nighl
have lroughl vilh lhen. These are conhscaled and
divided up anong lhe vinners, in fuII, nocking viev of
lhe Iosers. The dragon expIains lhal lhe hoIders of lhe
Creal Tokens are vorlhy of such Iargesse, and lhal lhe
olhers are deprived as a reninder lo vork harder for lhe
survivaI of LIdarak. The Iosers are lhen provided vilh
porridge, lraiI nix, and a lareIy adequale quanlily of
olher depressing foodsluffs, descriled ly lhe dragon as
iron ralions.
If lhe pIayers vonder vhal food lhe ICs nighl have
picked up aIong lhe vay, have lhen delaiI lheir desired
Iisl. Then assign a DifhcuIly lo il, vilh DifhcuIly 1 leing
a lag of lraiI nix, DifhcuIly 3 a fev sIices of Ieflover
convenience-slore pizza, and DifhcuIly 8 a lurkey dinner
vilh aII lhe lrinnings. Have lhen designale one pIayer
lo nake a Ireparedness roII. On a success, lhey sliII have
The Ocean Cane egins
The Myslery Mans oljeclive is lo pIay
lhe Ocean Cane vilh lhe ICs ~ lhal is,
lo drive lhe ICs sIovIy and exquisileIy
insane. The exlra-dinensionaI enlily, vho
is knovn as Hungervood, vas driving
lhe peopIe in lhe olher van insane, lul
nov lhal lheyre dead, hes nade lhe ICs
his nev largel. He foIIoved lhe ICs fron
lhe accidenl scene and nov speclraIIy
olserves lhen as lhey parlicipale in lhe
gane. Hungervood has nolhing lo do
vilh Liveganes and has never heard of
lhen unliI lonighl, lul sees in lheir projecl
a nonslrousIy deIicious opporlunily.
Their gane, a siIIy exercise in lrusl and
aggression, can lecone lhe vehicIe for
his reaI and deadIy one. y nanipuIaling
nallers onIy sIighlIy, he can drive lhe
parlicipanls lo increasingIy oulrageous
acls. He prefers lo avaken lhe leasls
inside his largels, lul even if lhey renain
righleous olservers of lheir coIIeagues
Ieap inlo nadness, lheir ovn psyches are
due for cerlain danage.
Thals lhe Ocean Cane for you~hovever
evenls unfoId, lhe Myslery Man aIvays
vins.
Whenever lhe ICs acl in a seIhsh, spilefuI
or aggressive nanner, especiaIIy vhen
lhey lelray olhers lrusl, lhey nay feeI lhe
eyes of Hungervood upon lhen.
The hrsl line il happens, lhe characler
vho sav Hungervood lack al lhe crash
sile, receives a vivid ashlack inage of
his ghoslIy visage. This requires a SlaliIily
roII vilh a possilIe Ioss of 2.
The second line il happens, lhe vord
'Hungervood cones unlidden inlo lhe
sane characlers nind.
The lhird line, lhe sane characler feeIs
a vel sIurping al lhe lack of his or her
neck, as if leing Iicked ly a Iarge, invisilIe
aninaI. This experience lriggers a SlaliIily
roII (possilIe Ioss: 2.)
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
l
signihcanl quanlilies of lhe specihed food. On a faiIure,
lhey ale il aIready. If lhey Iose lhe presenlalion conlesl and
have il laken avay fron lhen, having had higher quaIily
food ilens viII onIy inlensify lheir sense of deprivalion.
During lhe food search, LiveCanes leans aIso conhscale
any of lhe foIIoving ilens, on lhe grounds lhal lhey are
focus sleaIers:
- CeIIphones and olher vireIess devices
- Laplops, IDAs and olher conpuling devices
- Maps, conpasses, CIS devices
- Reading naleriaI, incIuding looks, nevspapers
and nagazines
- Weapons, excIuding padded loffer veapons
- Cash, credil cards, and vaIualIe ilens lhal
nighl sulslilule for currency
WhiIe lhe slaff search lheir lhings, a singIe characler nay
nake a IiIch roII (lase DifhcuIly 4, nodihed ly exacl
circunslances) lo vilhhoId a singIe ilen fron lhen.
Conhscaled ilens are seaIed in pIaslic lags and pIaced
in a Iocked slronglox in a lIack SUV narked vilh lhe
LiveCanes Iogo. LiveCanes gives each parlicipanl a proper
receipl and lakes fuII responsiliIily for any Iosses. None of
lhese ilens can le reacquired via a Ireparedness roII.
Once lhe food is handed oul, lhe slaff suppIies each lean
vilh:
- a pair of lenls
- a ashIighl
- a cigarelle Iighler
- a propane-fueIed ninialure canping slove
(vhelher lhe group has food or nol)
- one sIeeping lag and snaII piIIov per person
- a rudinenlary hrsl-aid kil
- a nap vilh a hex grid shoving lhe porlion of
lhe canping area reserved for LiveCanes
IinaIIy, each parlicipanl is hlled vilh a valch-Iike pIaslic
vrislland. SIunan expIains lhal each conlains an RIID
Tean Size
This advenlure assunes a group
of roughIy six pIayer characlers.
The sizes of lhe leans al lhe relreal
shouId le nodihed lo suil your
group size. So if youre running for
onIy lhree characlers, leans nighl
le lhree lo four slrong. If your group
is snaII, have supporling characlers
lraveI vilh lhen in lhe van and lake
parl in lheir lean exercises. (During
lhe connerciaI presenlalion, lhey
lake a lack seal. TeII lhe pIayers lhal
lhey heIp vilh lhe vriling and props
lul donl acluaIIy perforn.) These
characlers can le lhe proverliaI veak
Iinks vho gel lhen inlo lroulIe and
go gilleringIy insane al a horrihcaIIy
opporlune nonenl.
Invenl your ovn supporling
characlers lo acl as foiIs lo lhe group,
or use lhe foIIoving hIIer ganers:
- Danon acon, graphic designer.
Hes nevIy joined lhe slraighl
vorkforce as in-house designer for a
fancy ad agency and is slruggIing lo
hl his punk/golh persona inlo a sel of
nore nalure expeclalions. LaleIy hes
seened increasingIy dislanl fron lhe
group, vho are surprised he shoved
up al aII. He seens cooI and heIpfuI
unliI lhe renolesl lil of pressure
is appIied lo hin, al vhich poinl
he lecones a chronic conpIainer,
lhinking onIy of lhe nonenl vhen he
viII escape fron aII of lhis lo vrile a
hiIariousIy scalrous Iocked enlry in
his LivejournaI. Risk faclor: SkeplicaI.
If needed, use lhe sane gane
slalislics as }orge SaIinas, alove.
- Sarah AppIe, vel deveIoper. An
pelile lIond vonan used lo skaling
ly on her chirpy and oulgoing
personaIily. She lecones hyslericaIIy
spilefuI vhen allacked, urging lhe
groups nenfoIk lo go oul and vreak
righleous havoc on eneny pIayers.
Risk faclor: Disnissive. Use sane
slals as SaIIy CaIIov.
lJ
chip, vhich viII le lriggered if lhe vearer Ieaves lhe
park loundaries. Anyone vho Ieaves lhe park vilhoul
his pernission forfeils lhe gane.
The aninalronic dragon announces lhe olher ruIes of
lhe exlended veekend:
- No connunicalion vilh lhe oulside
vorId is pernilled.
- Lnlicing olher canpers lo enler lhe
LiveCanes area is slriclIy forlidden.
- No one nay louch or consune food ilens
inlroduced inlo lhe park ly olhers.
- Olher ruIes nay le announced ly
LiveCanes slaff, as lhey lecone necessary.
- Iarlicipanls nay nol inlerfere vilh
LiveCanes slaff, or allenpl lo renove
properly fron lheir possession.
- The goaI of lhe gane is lo prove yourseIf
lhe slrongesl lean againsl lhe orc invaders.
IIayers nusl delernine for lhenseIves hov
poinls are lo le scored.
- LiveCanes slaff have crealed gane
slals for lhe characlers lased on each
parlicipanls pre-sulnilled prose
descriplion.
- Lach lean is suppIied vilh a vaIkie-
laIkie. When you vanl lo do sonelhing in
your gane lhal is nol physicaIIy possilIe,
Iike casl a speII or execule a high-ying
feal, use lhe vaIkie-laIkie lo caII in lhe
aclion. A die roII viII le nade renoleIy,
and youII le loId vhelher you succeeded
or nol.
- Iadded loffer veapons are used lo
adjudicale conlal. }udges valching ly
renole video viII use lhe IA syslen lo
announce vhos dead or defealed. Use or
possession of unapproved veapons viII
resuIl in innediale disquaIihcalion. (To
resoIve loffer conlals, use lhe conlesl ruIes
ralher lhan lhe hghling ruIes. The Ioser of
lhe conlesl is judged ly LiveCanes slaffers
lo have Iosl lhe loffer hghl. UnIess lhey
have an enolionaI slake in lhe oulcone,
pIayers viII le disincIined, quile sensilIy,
lo spend perfeclIy good Scufing poinls on
lhese fake conlals. No HeaIlh poinls are
ever Iosl in an ordinary loffer hghl. Laler,
vhen fake conlal lurns lo reaI vioIence,
reverl lo lhe hghling ruIes.)
The dragon lhen leIIs lhe leans lo gel oul inlo lhe
voods, sel up lheir canps in lheir appoinled pIaces on
lhe hex grid, and prepare for aclion.
The resl of lhis seclion of lhe advenlure is open-ended,
depending on lhe aclions laken ly lhe pIayers.
Your lask here is lo sIovIy escaIale a sense of nenace
and horror, vhiIe keeping lhe gane-vilhin-a-gane
going in lhe foreground. The delaiIs of lhe gane donl
reaIIy naller, il viII vind up gelling canceIIed afler a
frenzy of vioIence. Hovever, lhe nore invesled lhe
pIayers are in il, lhe nore grounded lhe horror viII
seen.
The gane is supposed lo go Iike lhis:
- Afler a nighl of canping, lhe pIayers are
allacked ly orcs during lhe earIy norning
hours. The orcs are, of course, LiveCanes
slaffers in coslune.
- IIayers kiIIed in lhe iniliaI lallIe are
knocked oul of pIay. They can go lack
lo lhe Iodge lo parlicipale in various
lournanenls and pick-up ganes, incIuding
lalIelop roIepIaying, coIIeclilIe card, and
loard ganes. When aII nenlers of a lean
are disquaIihed, lhey can slick around and
keep pIaying or drive lack hone.
- Teans vho Iose nenlers can anaIganale
or incorporale orphaned pIayers.
- CIues are Iefl on lhe lallIeheId ly lhe
orcs. These poinl lo olher areas of lhe
canpground vhere expIoralion viII yieId
snaIIer conlals and revards.
- The ICs gain one of lhese cIues, a nap lo
a denons Iair. They can hghl lhe denon,
sacrihce enenies lo il, send il off againsl lhe
orcs, or engage in vhalever olher schenes
slrike lheir coIIeclive fancy.
The denon is an incredilIy
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
l|
eIalorale puppel operaled ly a lhree-
person lean.
- efore lhe pIayers have a chance lo
conpare lhe lhings lheyve found in lheir
various snaII-lean expIoralions, a second
orc allack lhins lhe pIayer herd even nore.
- A lhird sel piece lallIe occurs Ialer, afler
lhe pIayers have had a chance lo pooI lheir
lreasures ~ and lheir Creal Tokens ~ inlo
an uler-arlifacl aIIoving lhen viclory
againsl lhe orcs. The surviving lean vilh
lhe highesl poinl score lhen vins lhe gane.
(The gane viII prolalIy never gel lo lhis
poinl, lhough.)
The gane-vilhin-a-gane is Iefl Ioose so you can
inprovise as needed. Make vhalever changes you
require lo keep escaIaling lhe horror.
Cane slalislics for possilIe conlalanls are as foIIovs.
Cnry 5!uman
AlhIelics 6, Driving 8, HeaIlh 6, Scufing
6, Sense TroulIe 8, Shooling 2, Shrink 15,
SlaliIily 6 .
Marty Mnran
AlhIelics 2, HeaIlh 4, Scufing 2, Sense
TroulIe 4, SlaliIily 6.
Othcr LIvcGamcs 5taffcr
AlhIelics 6, Driving 8, HeaIlh 1O, Scufing
4, Sense TroulIe 12, Shooling 4, SlaliIily 6, .
J1'l|l|| Jlttlt!
Hungervood can lake over lhe ninds of any non-
IC, up lo and incIuding insliIIing nev nenories and
perceplions in lhen. Renenler lhal he isnl acluaIIy
lrying lo kiII any of lhe group: lhal vouId spoiI his
fun. Hovever, naking lhen |nin| lheir Iives are in
jeopardy is veII vilhin his gane pIan. IdeaIIy, he vanls
lo provoke lhe ICs lo kiII olhers. If lhey kiII in seIf-
defense, lhals perfeclIy deIicious and deslaliIizing.
If lhey panic and connil nansIaughler for no good
reason, so nuch lhe leller.
Like a horror vriler or direclor, Hungervood
doIes oul lhe horror in sIovIy escaIaling fashion.
There are Iinils on vhal he can do. Hes onIy leen
al lhe LARI sile as Iong as lhe pIayers have, so any
schenes requiring advance preparalion are righl oul.
He has onIy lhe props and hunan puppels fale has
deIivered lo hin.
A laseIine series of creepy incidenls nighl Iook Iike
lhis:
- Olher parlicipanls lehave vilh veirdIy
exaggeraled aggression.
- A hghl lreaks oul for no good reason
lelveen nenlers of lvo olher leans.
- ICs hnd a freshIy nuliIaled aninaI on lhe
lraiI.
- They lrigger an apparenlIy IelhaI looly
lrap (lhough one carefuIIy sel lo scare or
vound one of lhen, nol lo kiII.)
- The ICs slunlIe across a cache of deadIy
veapons~ a revoIver vilh a fev luIIels in
il, and a are gun, aIong vilh a coupIe of
ares.
- Anolher pIayer, prolalIy a RosegIoon
Knighl, is caughl running avay afler
Iaying a dangerous lrap. (A squirl gun
fuII of gasoIine and a nalch nighl prove
approprialeIy unnerving. -~in parl lecause
lhis is a dangerous and crazy veapon lo
use, as IikeIy lo injure lhe assaiIanl as lhe
allacker.)
- When in a nock lallIe againsl orcs, ICs
discover lhal severaI of lhen are using reaI
veapons or hghling lo do genuine harn.
When confronled, lhey deny il vilh aII due
sincerily, having had lheir nenories of lhe
incidenl viped ly Hungervood. uIIshil
Deleclor shovs lhal lhey leIieve vhal
lheyre saying, even lhough il ies in lhe
face of lhe ICs ovn direcl olservalions.
- If a nere singIe viclin is kiIIed reIaliveIy
earIy in lhe proceedings, SIunan, his nind
under poverfuI Hungervood inuence,
vonl le lhinking quile slraighl. Hoping lo
prolecl his
l!
lusiness fron scandaI, he lries lo conceaI
lhe lody and conlinue lhe evenl. The ICs
nighl lhen slunlIe across il.
- Croups of pIayers sponlaneousIy head
off inlo lhe foresl lo conducl a veird
riluaI, cIinaxing in nudily and naddened,
orgiaslic sex.
- The ICs slunlIe across a freshIy-severed
hunan hand or fool.
- LiveCanes slaffers are oddIy lIase aloul
lhe ICs reporls of orgiaslic sex or severed
feel. LarIy on, lhis seens Iike nere deniaI,
lul as lhe evidence piIes up, il appears lo
le ils ovn forn of nadness.
- DisquaIihed pIayers slage a group assauIl
on lhose sliII in lhe gane, using inprovised
cIuls, vrenches, lire irons, and olher
deadIy veapons. When confronled, lhe riol
inlensihes. They sel hre lo lhe cIulhouse
and lry lo kiII SIunan and his slaffers. If
lhe ICs inlerfere, lhey gel leal on, lul
Hungervoods conlroI ensures lhal none of
lhen are nurdered.
Use lhe ICs desperalion lo vin lhe evenl lo drav oul
lhe sIov sIide inlo craziness. As lhings slarl lo gel lad,
lheyII prolalIy acl Iike reaIislic ordinary peopIe and
consider caIIing on lhe LiveCanes crev for assislance.
Inlerrupl lo renind lhen lhal lhey reaIIy vanl lo
vin, and lhal lheir reporl nighl resuIl in lhe evenls
prenalure canceIIalion. They knov fron lheir sign-up
packs lhal no vinner is decIared if lhe gane has lo le
caIIed off for safely reasons.
If soneone is ladIy hurl and in need of hospilaIizalion,
SIunan caIIs energency services. If lhis happens earIy
in lhe exercise, lefore lhings gel aII |cr Of |nc ||ics, lhe
responders nolice nolhing unlovard, and lhe evenl
conlinues. If lhings are sIighlIy veird, Hungervood
nesses vilh lheir ninds lo nake sure lhey carry on as if
everylhings nornaI. Hovever, if lhe evenl has spiraIed
conpIeleIy oul of conlroI ly lhe line energency services
arrives, Hungervood savors lhe psychic residue as lhey
perceive il in aII of ils lIood-spallered horror.
l'||! |t l+| |lt|!l
As lhe ordinary craziness of a disorganized, over-
anlilious LARI gane ralchels up inlo supernaluraI
nadness, lhe characlers legin lo sense Hungervoods
presence. These sensalions escaIale in landen vilh
lhe crazy evenls lhenseIves. Al hrsl, onIy lhe IC vho
gIinpsed Hungervood feeIs lhen. CraduaIIy lhe
olhers share lhe perceplion, unliI lhey reaIize lhal, as
unleIievalIe as il is, lheyre leing loyed vilh ly sone
uncanny force or enlily.
Inprovise lhe delaiIs as needed. A sequence of
sensalions nighl go Iike lhis:
- During an incidenl, lhe hrsl IC vilness
sneIIs spiIIed gasoIine and/or lurning
esh.
- During lhe nexl incidenl, lhe IC gIinpses
Hungervoods eyes shining fron lhe
foresl.
- Nexl, aII of lhe ICs sense lhal lheyre
leing valched ly sonelhing ancienl and
nocking.
- During an episode of Risk Iaclor
lenplalion, lhe IC invoIved hears a raspy
voice vhispering in his ear, urging hin
onvard.
- During a physicaI confronlalion, lhe ICs
rivaIs lake on inpossilIe physicaI slrenglh
and resiIience, even vhen ladIy injured.
- The group olserves freakish spaliaI
dislorlions around lheir rivaIs, or
LiveCanes slaffers.
Their enenies legin laIking in croaking, denonic
voices.
'!\ |||llt!
If, as you run lhe alove inprovised sequences, lhe ICs
arenl in enough lroulIe, use Risk Iaclors lo puII lhen
in deeper.
Curious ICs nay vaIk inlo an olvious lrap
sel ly lheir rivaI pIayers, lo hnd oul vhos
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
l|
lehind il and vhal viII happen. Afler
aII, lheyre co-vorkers. Hov lad couId
il reaIIy le`
Disnissive characlers nay refuse
lo leIieve lhal lheir coIIeagues have
lecone dangerousIy vioIenl.
No seIf-respecling Drug Iiend goes on a
four-day canping lrip vilhoul lringing
a slash aIong. During lhe leIongings
search, Drug Iiends nay panic. If
lhe slash is discovered, a LiveCanes
slaff nenler approaches lhe IC,
denanding lriles in exchange for
siIence and lhe relurn of lhe sulslance
in queslion. This inleraclion nay or
nay nol proceed snoolhIy. If lhe Drug
Iiend is deprived of his slash, he nay
focus on a feIIov pIayer vho is a knovn
user and undoulledIy hoIding.
Creedy sorls nay le lenpled lo
lreak inlo lhe slronglox conlaining
everyones vaIualIes, risking crazed
relaIialion fron co-vorkers or
LiveCanes lypes.
Cung Ho characlers viII vanl lo
escaIale lhe varfare lelveen lhen and
lheir rivaIs, or lhe orcs, jusl vhen olhers
reaIize ils gelling oul of hand.
Horny ICs can le Ied inlo lroulIe ly
allraclive LiveCanes slaffers, vho Iure
lhen inlo lhe voods vilh lhe pronise
of a lrysl, lul are reaIIy separaling lhe
IC fron leannales in preparalion for
an anlush.
OlIivious characlers can vaIk inlo
lraps, snares and anlushes.
Iroleclive lypes can pIunge deeper
inlo danger ly lrying lo shieId feIIov
parlicipanls supporling characlers fron
allacks ly olhers.
SkeplicaI characlers nay refuse lo
accepl lhal an occuIl inuence is al
vork, dangerousIy deIaying
lhe groups exil fron lhe
seninar.
ThriII-seekers can gel lhenseIves hurl
earIy in lhe proceedings, lefore lhe
slakes lecone apparenl, ly junping
oul of lrees, Ieaping inlo decepliveIy
shaIIov valers, or olhervise ouling
lasic canping safely.
VengefuI lypes shouId vanl lo allack
lhe RosegIoon Knighls fron lhe
presenlalion onvards, caulion le
danned.
J1'//'t` J|1|t
The ICs nay seek oul Cory SIunan
lo delernine if his progran has
anylhing lo do vilh lhe eerie evenls
lhey seen lo le enlangIed in. As
veve aIready eslalIished, he has
nolhing lo do vilh Hungervood. Ils
lhe ICs, ly vilnessing lhe car vreck,
vho lroughl lhe Myslery Man in
conlacl vilh lhe ||ara| evenl.
SIunan, inlending lo nainlain
dislance lelveen pIayers and
gane-runners, is slandofhsh if
approached. If asked direclIy aloul
lhe supernaluraI, he concIudes lhal
lhe ICs have cracked under lhe slrain.
Hovever, hes afraid lo acknovIedge
lhis, since he nighl have lo lake IegaI
responsiliIily for inicling nenlaI
dislress. He urges lhe parlicipanls lo
lake sone line lo sil in lhe orienlalion
haII and regain lheir learings.
His perfeclIy honesl deniaIs of occuIl
invoIvenenl do nol lrigger lhe ICs
uIIshil Deleclors.
l't` 1t
There are lvo IikeIy vays for lhis
sequence lo end.
One, lhe ICs can loIl fron lhe scene,
lheir desire lo vin lhe gane le
danned. Their RIID lraceIels, if sliII
inlacl, hun IovIy as lhey cross inlo
Invesligaling LiveCanes
IIayers nay conlinue
lo suspecl a nonexislenl
conneclion lelveen Cory
SIunans LiveCanes progran
and lheir supernaluraI
lornenlor. Invesligalion lurns
up no Iinks vhalsoever.
As lheyre ruIing hin oul,
lhey Iearn lhe foIIoving:
Research: LiveCanes is
funded under a conpIicaled
schene laking advanlage of
various lax lenehls offered
lo foreign inveslors sinking
noney inlo jol-inlensive
conpanies in lhe US, Canada,
and UK. Taking lhe lax
lreaks inlo accounl, lhe
inveslors nake nore noney
as LiveCanes lurns lhrough
nore capilaI. SIunans
apparenl pIan is lo loolslrap
hinseIf inlo a successfuI
conpany lefore lhese crazy
lax advanlages expire,
and lhen seII il lo a ligger
enlerlainnenl hrn.
Lav: SIunan has aIready leen
sued a nunler of lines ly
ex-enpIoyees, vho vere hurl
during lheir rigorous lraining
lo appear as orcs. AII cases
vere sellIed oul of courl ly
his insurance conpany, vhich
look skiIIfuI advanlage of
lhe IialiIily vaivers SIunan
persuaded his enpIoyees lo
sign.
If pIayers spend loo nuch
line on lhis dead end, renind
lhen lhal Cory SIunans
slalenenls never lriggered
lheir uIIshil Deleclors. His
schene nighl le dooned
lo faiIure, lul he leIieves
in il fervenlIy~vhich you
vouIdnl expecl if he vere a
hunan fronl for sone kind of
supernaluraI nenesis.
ll
lhe parking Iol lo lhe rovs
of renlaI vans. A DifhcuIly 4
InhIlralion roII gels lhe ICs
inlo SIunans vehicIe and lhe
slronglox inside, lo rescue
lheir IDs, cash, and olher
conhscaled possessions.
Tvo, a hnaI scene of
apocaIyplic rioling forces
lhe evenls canceIIalion. A
panicked SIunan decIares lhal
lhere is no vinner, and caIIs
in lhe aulhorilies. If SIunans
enlraiIs have leen feslooned
across lhe foresl oor, his
surviving nexl-in-connand
nakes lhe sane caII.
If poIice shov up lo discover a
foresl fuII of raging paranoids
cIad in gore-soaked rags, lhey
shul lhe vhoIe lhing dovn.
Hungervood, having vrung
naxinun nadness fron lhe
gane, does nol inlerfere vilh
lheir ninds. Ils line for lhe
coId Iighl of day lo cone,
and, ly conlrasl, inlensify
lhe lrauna of lhe groups
experiences pIaying ||ara|.
Depending on hov il aII goes
dovn, poIice nay lake SIunan
and conpany inlo cuslody,
as lhe dehnileIy do lo anyone
vhos olviousIy connilled
a crine of vioIence. (If lhe
ICs hl lhis descriplion, sone
judicious eeing nay le in
order.) IoIice lake lhe conlacl
info of olher parlicipanls
so lhey can give slalenenls
Ialer. In lhis ruraI jurisdiclion,
lhe cops jusl donl have lhe
innediale nanpover and
vehicIes lo hauI lhe enlire
assenlIage of pIayers dovn
lo HQ.
J||\!llt
Hungervoods previous viclins aII cane lo his allenlion lhrough kenneI
ovner AIex Ilraginlekov. Hes leen preying on Ilraginlekovs nind for
over a decade, ever since he cane over fron Russia. The Myslery Man hnds
AIexs nadness and depravily inexhauslilIy enjoyalIe, and, lo keep hin
fron pernanenlIy vearing oul, periodicaIIy hxes on olher viclins. These
unforlunale souIs never Iasl for very Iong, nol conpared lo AIex. UnliI he
Ialched onlo lhe ICs, Hungervood aIvays found lhese secondary viclins
lhrough his conneclion lo Ilraginlekov.
Tin Ieacock purchased a dog fron Ilraginlekov for his 8-year-oId daughler,
Kalie, vho vas dying of Ieukenia. Ieacocks grief over lhe inninenl dealh of
his daughler nade hin an olvious choice for Hungervoods allenlions.
So vas Anlhea IuIs, a coIIege sludenl vho loughl a pooch fron AIexs kenneI
vhiIe undergoing lherapy in lhe vake of a dale rape.
The vorsl lhing Vivica urlon ever did vas drovn her infanl sisler vhen she
herseIf vas four years oId. She recenlIy narried a veaIlhy lusinessnan, and
Iodged her panpered leacup poodIe vilh Ilraginlekov during her frequenl
lraveIs.
Sean Caulhiers vioIenl lenper senl hin on near-nighlIy nissions lo gel hinseIf
inlo lIoody lar hghls. He designed AIexs vel sile and dalalase.
Doug McKin is an aninaI veIfare inspeclor vho look reguIar lriles fron AIex
lo hnance his ganlIing halil.
Heroin addicl and analeur porn slar Caryn Cardy soughl oul AIex for advice
on convincingIy shooling a fake lesliaIily video. They daled lriey unliI she
discovered vhal he does his kenneI lasenenl.
Lach suffered a fuII course of reaIily-lending lornenl al lhe speclraI hands
of lhe Myslery Man, siniIar lo lhal descriled in lhe Unrenilling Horror
suppIenenl.
Il vas Sean Caulhier vho hgured il oul. Visiling Ilraginlekov lo repIace
a fried hard drive, he recognized lhe vhinper of lhe nans dogs fron his
nighlnares of Hungervood. When he dropped a fev hinls aloul lheir possilIy
shared experience, AIex cIanned up, a guiIly Iook elched unnislakalIy across
his face. Sean look hone lhe hard drive, recovered ils scranlIed dala, and
nined ils conlacl Iisl for enaiI addresses. Using a dunny enaiI accounl, he
nass-naiIed everyone on lhe Iisl, asking if anyone eIse had noliced anylhing
slrange afler a visil lo AIexs kenneI.
The olher hve conlacled hin lack. Afler nuch hesilalion, lhey gol logelher lo
conpare noles, lhen confronled Ilraginlekov. He loId lhen as IillIe as possilIe
aloul Hungervood. Afler severaI inconcIusive encounlers vilh lhe Myslery
Man, lhey legan lo invesligale olher supernaluraI occurrences, hoping lo hnd
a veapon lo use againsl hin.
They vere relurning lo lhe cily in lheir venled van afler discovering lhal a
supposed crealure sighling vas jusl a drunken hoax vhen Ieacock, vho vas
driving, experienced a psycholic lreak and lried lo drive lhe car inlo a head-on
coIIision vilh lhe ICs vehicIe.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
l?
||l|t l+| |lt|!l
y nov lhe ICs shouId knov lhal lhe lhing haunling
lhen has sonelhing lo do vilh lhe van accidenl. Irod
lhen, if necessary, lo reconsider lhe chain of evenls.
The nexl slage of lhe scenario is an invesligalion inlo lhe
viclins. Iinding lhe conneclion lelveen lhis disparale
group Ieads lhen lo anolher Hungervood viclin, AIex
Ilraginlekov. He provides lhen vilh lasic infornalion
on lhe Myslery Man, and sleers lhen lovard a riluaI
vhich viII supposedIy lanish hin fron lheir Iives.
+| J||J
This is lhe poinl in lhe scenario vhen lhe ICs are nosl
IikeIy lo Iearn lhe idenlilies of lhe accidenl viclins.
Research lurns up nuIlipIe nevspaper accounls.
These provide nanes, occupalions, and cilies of
residence for lhe viclins. Irovide appropriale cilies
and neighlorhoods for lhe area youve seIecled as your
selling.
Ior ease of reference, lheir infornalion is repealed
here:
TIm Pcacnck, age 42, saIes rep for
pholocopier conpany. (MiddIe cIass
ledroon connunily.)
Anthca Pu!s, age 2O, coIIege sludenl.
(Universily neighlorhood.)
VIvIca Burtnn, age 36, sociaIile. (UIlra-
veaIlhy encIave.)
5can GauthIcr, age 27, seIf-enpIoyed IT
consuIlanl. (Dovn and oul neighlorhood.)
Dnug McKIm, age 56, aninaI veIfare
ofhcer. (Corridor of oppressive aparlnenl
lovers.)
Caryn Gardy, age 24, dancer. (Crungy
dovnlovn area in najor cily.)
Cop TaIk vilh Ofhcer }in eIden nels lhe viclins hone
addresses. Reassurance vorks, loo, if lhe characler
expIains lhal, as vilnesses lo lhe crash, lhe ICs vish lo
send condoIences lo lhe faniIies.
The ICs decide in vhich order lhey invesligale lhe six
viclins. Any of lhese six invesligalions nighl yieId
lhe cruciaI conneclion lo AIex Ilraginlekov. This
advenlure uses lhe IIoaling Core CIue nechanic, so
ils up lo you lo decide vhich acluaIIy gels lhen lhe
core cIue. This is a naller of pacing. If your group is
inpossilIy lhorough and Iikes lo gel aII lhe info lhey
can possilIy scrape up lefore noving on lo anolher
slage, see lo il lhal lhe core cIue onIy appears in lhe
sixlh inlerviev. If your group lends lo Ieap aggressiveIy
forvard inlo lhe sloryIine, and you vanl lo coIIapse lhis
seclion of lhe slory, have lhe core cIue appear during
lhe lhird or fourlh inlerviev.
To renind you lhal you can provide il during any one
of lhe inlervievs, lhe core Ilraginlekov cIue appears in
shaded lexl each line.
Aside fron lhe core cIue, each inlerviev shouId:
- inlensify lhe sense of personaI horror ly
naking lhe ICs idenlify vilh lheir dooned
predecessors
- pIanl lhe idea of hghling Hungervood
ly leconing analeur occuIl invesligalors,
lhus Iearning nore aloul lhe Ouler Iack

Lven vilhoul lhe core cIue, inlervievs reveaI dogs as a
connon nolif in lhe viclins Iives.
Sifling lhrough lhe Iives of six peopIe viII kick up a
Iol of infornalion. ased on lhe skelches leIov, invenl
vhalever exlraneous lackground delaiIs you require
in response lo pIayer queslions. To prevenl excessive
chasing of red herrings, deIiver lhese ansvers in a
lored or sullIy offhand vay vhich inpIicilIy suggesls
lhey arenl of prinary inleresl.
' ?|||l|\
Afler Iosing her young daughler lo cancer and nov her
husland, Tins vife Trish is a conpIele vreck. Shes
larricaded herseIf inside lheir conforlalIe exurlan
hone and hnds il hard lo gel off lhe couch, Iel aIone
ansver lhe door lo laIk lo slrangers inleresled in her
spouses dealh. AIlhough Ofhcer eIden lried lo prolecl
her fron lhe exacl delaiIs of lhe accidenl, Trish has
nonelheIess concIuded lhal Tin kiIIed hinseIf, aIong
vilh his feIIov passengers. She feeIs a crushing sense
of guiIl over lhis addilionaI lragedy. Nov lhal Tin is
gone, she feeIs she couId have done nore lo keep hin
lJ
Whal If They Donl
Invesligale lhe Van`
The lreakpoinl lelveen
lhe LARI porlion of lhe
scenario and vhal foIIovs
is a IillIe lricky lo navigale.
Ils a cIassic faIse ending,
neanl lo evoke lhal sense of
unease you gel in a horror
novie vhen lhe horrors
have seeningIy leen
dispalched.|u| |nc mctic
|ccps cn gcing!
IdeaIIy, you can line lhe
ov of cIues so lhal lhe
pIayers viII knov lheres
sliII sonelhing funny going
on, even afler lhey Ieave lhe
LARI, and lhal il concerns
lhe van and apparilion.
Hovever, if lhey skip lhis
poinl enlireIy and go lack
lo lheir nornaI Iives, lhals
okay, loo. You can keep
adding nasly Hungervood
nonenls inlo lheir
Iives~aIong vilh visions
of lhe accidenl~unliI lhey
reaIize lhal nolhing is reaIIy
resoIved, and lhey have lo
keep going.
Il is possilIe lhal, vhiIe lhey
nake lhis lransilion, lhe
pIayers viII feeI confused
and uneasy. They nay feeI
lheyre advancing poorIy,
even as lheyre efhcienlIy
foIIoving lhe cIue lraiI.
This is nol a prolIen. Ils
lhe aforenenlioned Hey,
vhy vonl lhis novie end
aIready` effecl, spIendidIy
reaIized.
As ordinary peopIe vilhoul
poIice povers, lhey nay
le reIuclanl lo kickslarl a
personaI invesligalion or
laIk lo vilnesses. If so, ranp
up lhe horrors unliI lhey
cone lo lhe concIusion lhal
, lo preserve lheir sanily,
lhey have no olher choice.
on lhe raiIs if she hadnl leen so vilhdravn afler Kalies dealh.
Reassurance gels Trish lo open up. A 2-poinl spend Ieaves lhe group
feeIing lhal lheyve given Trish sone Iasling soIace, quaIifying lhe IC lo
regain a die of Iosl SlaliIily.
Trish lriey leIIs lhe slory of Kalies sickness and dealh, and of Tins
spiraI inlo depression aflervards. Over lhe pasl fev nonlhs, Tin spenl
increasing anounls of line avay fron hone. She didnl vanl lo laIk or
do anylhing, and she lhoughl he vas jusl giving her space. Tin look up
liking afler Kalie died, so she assuned lhal he vas spending line vilh
his like cIul.
(A lrip lo lhe garage, pIus Invesligalive Irocedure, reveaIs lhal Tins
nev like is in prisline condilion ~ as if he never louched il.)
As Trish laIks, a skillish, sad-Iooking Cernan shepherd lriey appears,
lhen runs yeIping avay fron lhe group. Any IC allenpls lo approach il
are nel vilh snaps and snarIs.
If lhis is lhe core cIue scene, Trish says lhal Tin loughl lhe dog, Scoul,
for Kalie. The guy fron lhe kenneI caIIed severaI lines aflervards. Tin
aIvays look lhe caIIs and seened sonevhal secrelive aloul lhen. Afler
sone hunling, she produces Ilraginlekovs lusiness card.
If lhis is nol lhe core cIue scene, aII she knovs is lhal Tin loughl lhe dog
for Kalie.
|tl+|| ?1|!
Anlheas address is lhal of a run-dovn house in lhe hearl of a universily
dislricl, renled ly various sludenls on a roon-ly-roon lasis. OnIy
one of Anlheas roonnales is presenl vhen lhey cone caIIing. Shes
Madison Iosey, vhose severe gIasses and neo-lealnik vardrole nark
her as a hne arls sludenl. Madison assunes lhal lhe ICs are reporlers
hoping lo vrile an expIoilalive piece on Anlheas dealh. She lakes a
hardloiIed approach, asking vhy anyone shouId heIp lhen. She varns
lhen nol lo lolher Anlheas grieving parenls: They never knev vhal
vas going on in her Iife anyvay.
Negolialion, in lhe forn of a donalion lo a charily Anlhea vouId have
supporled, secures Madisons grudging cooperalion.
She suggesls lhe canpus rape crisis cenler, lecause lhals vhal vas
going on in her Iife. Al lhe leginning of lhe schooI year, Anlhea vas
raped ly a feIIov sludenl. She venl lo lhe crisis cenler lul refused lo
idenlify lhe rapisl or press charges againsl hin. Madison lried lo cheer
her up, lul she seened exlreneIy lroulIed. She hugeIy nedicaled herseIf
in lhe nonlhs innedialeIy afler lhe incidenl, lul lhen undervenl a shifl
of nood and lecane nore aclive, lhough sliII very secrelive.
Ior lhe Iasl fev nonlhs Anlhea had leen lIoving off her cIasses and
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
?1
gelling a Iol of phone caIIs. Madison once sav her gel inlo a car vilh a group
of peopIe. They seened Iike an odd lunch, aII differenl ages and Iooks.
Anlheas parenls gave Madison her look coIIeclion. Iaving lhrough lhe
loxes, lhe ICs hnd a seIeclion of looks on lhe occuIl. Like a scallered sludenl
cranning for a suljecl shes slruggIing lo nasler, Anlhea has highIighled
huge seclions of lhese looks. Ils hard lo see vhal exaclIy she vas lrying lo
research.
Iosled on a luIIelin loard in lhe luiIding foyer lhe ICs see a pholocopied
nolice announcing lhe avaiIaliIily of a leacup poodIe naned Lifesaver, free lo
a good hone. Anlhea loughl lhe dog on lhe advice of her counseIor. No one
in lhe house vanls lhe responsiliIily of laking care of il, and Anlheas parenls
canl lake il due lo aIIergies.
The dog incidenl nearIy lurned oul lo le a huge nislake, lecause lhe guy vho
soId il lo her, a creepy Russian guy naned AIex, cane around lo lhe house
a coupIe of lines aflervards. Madison lhoughl he vas hilling on Anlhea,
and gol his nunler lo caII and give hin heII. He didnl lolher her afler lhal.
Madison sliII has Ilraginlekovs nunler in her ceII phone.
''|| J1tllt
Vivica urlons address is a oslenlaliousIy paIaliaI nodern hone in a veaIlhy
encIave. Her husland, Oscar, provIs lhe house in sIippers, open lalhrole
and gyn shorls, giving lhe ICs a viev of his anpIe leIIy and dense chesl
hair. Hes in his nid-hflies, vears Iols of goId jeveIry, and sporls a sadIy
olvious hairpiece.
Irior Research expIains lhal Oscar urlon nade his noney in reaI eslale and
a chain of appIiance slores.
The gin and lonic he hoIds in his quivering hand is cIearIy nol his hrsl of lhe
day. Hes a proudIy shaIIov and seIf-cenlered nan faIIing lo pieces in lhe
vake of lhis sudden shock. Though anxious lo laIk lo sonelody aloul il,
he vonl lrusl lhe ICs unliI one of lhen shovs lhal hes Oscars kind of guy
~ or lroad. IIallery, of his house, his lusiness acunen, or any olher oulvard
aspecl of his Iife, acconpIishes lhis inslanlIy. He Iooks around lhe inlerior of
his garishIy Iush alode, as if inviling lhen lo ooh and aah al ils spIendors.
Oscar hgures lhe olher peopIe in lhe van vilh Vivica had lo le nenlers of
lhe look cIul she joined a fev nonlhs ago. He doesnl renenler her leing
depressed or upsel or anylhing around lhal line, lul lhen hes nol a laIk-
aloul-your-feeIings lype of guy. She didnl have any prolIens lhal he knev
of.
When you Iook Iike lhal, vhal kind of prolIens do you gol` He proudIy
produces a freshIy deIivered porlrail he had painled for her and vas going lo
give her for her upconing lirlhday. Ils a fuII-lody porlrail of Vivica in lhe
luff, slanding leside a hrepIace. When he sees lhe piclure, he lreaks dovn,
solling unconlroIIalIy.
?l
If asked lhe righl queslions, he reveaIs lhe foIIoving:
- Sean vas oflen Iale vilh lhe renl.
- He lareIy scraped ly in his conpuler
lusiness, lecause he had a knack for
pissing peopIe off.
- Anyone vho sluck vilh hin vas highIy
IikeIy lo le a creep, loo. Drug deaIers,
crininaIs and lhe Iike.
- Sean suppIied and repaired hardvare,
designed vel siles, and did dalalases and
so on.
- Caulhier had no faniIy AIhe had ever
heard of, so hes appoinled hinseIf
execulor of lhe nans sluff. Hes aIready
soId off nosl of lhe conpuler equipnenl.
- Hovever, lheres a piIe of discarded
hard drives he hasnl leen alIe lo unIoad.
One, Iefl conspicuousIy oul in lhe open on
a vork lalIe, lears a nasking lape IaleI
reading AIex I. The drive is fried, lul lhe
dala is recoveralIe via Conpuler Science.
Il leIongs lo an AIex Ilraginlekov.
Moreover, lhe nanes of aII six crash viclins
are in ils enaiI address look.
- AIhe aIso found a piIe of spiraI nolelooks
hIIed vilh veird vriling lhal gave hin
lhe creeps. Caulhier lurned veird a fev
nonlhs ago, and slarled laIking aloul
Salan and lhe occuIl. AIhe donl have no
lruck vilh lhal. So he lurned lhen aII.
(These conprised lhe groups invesligalive
case hIes.)
- Shovn pholos of lhe olher viclins,
AIhe allesls lhal lhey used lo galher in
Caulhiers aparlnenl. Il hgures lhal lhe
skanky lIond vouId hang oul vilh hin.
Why lhe olhers, vho aII seened haIfvay
respeclalIe, vouId ever cone lo a craphoIe
luiIding Iike lhis is leyond hin.
- The neelings happened irreguIarIy,
sonelines nany lines in a singIe veek.
UnIike nosl galherings in lhis
pIace, lhere vere no Ioud
Oscars naid, hearing his anguished groans, sIips
quielIy inlo lhe roon. Shes Lupila Ruiz, a nalronIy
vonan oId enough lo have leen Vivicas nolher.
If laken aside, Lupila adnils lhal Vivica conhded in her.
IIallery vorks on her, loo, if couched in lerns of hov
underslanding and nurluring a vonan she olviousIy
is, and hov nuch Vivica olviousIy depended on her.
Vivica had a lerrilIe secrel, and il nade her hale herseIf.
As a chiId, she drovned her infanl sisler. Lupila aIvays
loId her she couIdnl lIane herseIf for vhal she did as
IillIe nore lhan a laly herseIf, lul Vivica never agreed.
A fev nonlhs ago, righl afler she and Oscar cane lack
fron a vacalion in lhe ahanas, Vivica changed. She
junped al odd noises, had exlra Iocks added lo lhe
doors, and slarled drinking as heaviIy as Oscar did.
Then she slarled going oul al aII hours vilh lhis odd
group of peopIe she vas kiIIed vilh. One nighl she
cIained lhal aII lhese olher foIks vere as lroken as she
vas, and lhals vhal vas leing used againsl lhen. Then
she shul herseIf up and refused lo eIalorale. On olher
occasions, she asked Lupila aloul lhe occuIl, as if she
vas sone kind of experl on Sanleria and voodoo jusl
lecause shes originaIIy fron CualenaIa.
During lhe discussion of lhe lrip lo lhe ahanas,
Vivicas leacup poodIe, Mr. inks, cones lounding
and yapping inlo lhe roon. She vas very upsel she
couIdnl lake lhe dog vilh her, and had lo Ieave il in a
dirly oId kenneI.
Oscar has lhe kenneI address in his dale look.
J||t ?|1l+'|t
Iugnacious lroulIenaker Sean Caulhier Iived aIone
and kepl no conlacl vilh his faniIy. Thal Iives lhe
IandIord of his crunlIing Iov-rise aparlnenl luiIding
as lhe lesl vilness lo his aclivilies. AIhe Ierron, a
veaseIIy, scravny characler vracked vilh nervous lics,
is enplying Caulhiers aparlnenl of possessions vhen
lhe ICs arrive.
Nol seeing vhals in il for hin, he refuses lo give lhe
ICs lhe line of day vhen lhey slarl asking queslions.
If youre Iooking for Sean Caulhier, lhal neans you
nusl le one of his creepy Iov-Iife friends. And I gol no
lruck vilh creepy Iov-Iives. He seens junpy, lhough,
so any sorl of Inlinidalion secures his frighlened
cooperalion.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
?
parlying sounds or anylhing.
- Caulhier vouId sonelines
vake olher lenanls vilh Ioud
shrieking in lhe niddIe of lhe
nighl. Nighlnares, he cIained.
Drug vilhdravaI, or kinky
sex, vas nayle nore Iike il,
AIhe grunlIes.
- Lverylody eIse in lhe
luiIding vas afraid of Sean,
on accounl of he vas a sick,
vioIenl puppy. They vonl le
alIe lo leII you nuch, excepl
lhal lheyre gIad hes gone.
Jl1` |l'
CIeaning oul Doug McKins sluff
is his lIovsy sisler, LiIeen. Though
scarceIy equipped vilh a gyn-
hardened lody, she vears a Iov-cul
lop, skin lighl pink lrack panls, and
Iols of nakeup. Her hair is dyed a
lrassy lIond.
Any haIfvay handsone naIe IC can
vin her innediale lrusl ly IIirling
vilh her. Her usefuI ansvers lo
perlinenl queslions are as foIIovs:
- Ioor oId Doug vas a
degenerale ganlIer. Horses,
sporls look, cards, vhalever.
He aIvays needed noney for
anolher lel.
- He vorked for lhe
governnenl as an aninaI
veIfare inspeclor. Hed check
oul slalIes, kenneIs, farns,
pel slores~anyvhere aninaIs
vere kepl professionaIIy. If he
found lad condilions, he couId
shul pIaces dovn, even gel lhe
cops lo Iay crininaI charges.
- His nev friends, lhe ones in lhe van, had
lo le degenerale ganlIers, Iike aII of his
olher friends. IeopIe fron aII vaIks of
Iife have lhe ganlIing lug, you
knov.
- Doug kepl a diary of his vins
and Iosses. MoslIy Iosses. They
can have il, if lhey vanl.
- Il aIso conlains a record of
paynenls fron AIex, and a
lusiness card for his dog kenneI.
LiIeen doesnl nolice il unliI lhe
ICs poinl il oul, lul Doug has an
enlire seclion of his vaII devoled
lo nevspaper cIippings referring lo
possilIy paranornaI evenls in lhe
area: a UIO sighling, a hisloricaI house
lhals supposed lo le haunled, and a
supposed igfool sighling. This Iasl
incidenl look pIace in a |inserl nane
of appropriale snaII lovnj a coupIe of
veeks ago, norlh of lhe canpground
vhere lhe relreal vas heId. The group
couId easiIy have leen coning fron
lhere vhen lhey had lheir accidenl.
||tt ?|tJ
When lhey arrive al Caryn Cardys
sludio aparlnenl in a grungy lohenian
dovnlovn neighlorhood, lhe ICs
hnd lhe door open, and a skinny dude
dressed Iike a 7Os rock slar franlicaIIy
searching lhe pIace. This enacialed,
prenalureIy aged nan is Caryns
loyfriend, rian T-Cunn WiIIells.
UnalIe lo access Caryns lank accounls,
hes jonesing for a hx, as any Slreelvise
characler viII inslanlIy reaIize.
Like nosl junkies, rian is afraid of
lhe cops. If lhe ICs Inpersonale poIice
aulhorilies, heII leII lhen vhalever lhey
vanl lo knov, hoping lo avoid arresl
and a painfuI in-cuslody vilhdravaI.
- Caryn vas his oId Iady. She
ran a porn sile vhere she posled
videos and did can shovs. The
noney roIIs inlo her lusiness accounl
aulonalicaIIy fron an onIine credil card
processor, lul she sel il up so she
canl gel al il.
The igfool Slory
The igfool slory recounls of
a reporl ly collager Danon
Lang lhal he sav a hairy,
red-eyed enlily Iurking near
a loalhouse. He advanced
on lhe crealure, il shrieked al
hin, lhen ran vilh surprising
speed inlo lhe nearly voods.
Lang cIains lo have caplured
an inage of lhe crealure on
video caplured ly his noliIe
phone.
If lhe ICs head up lo laIk lo
Danon Lang, he conhrns
lhal he spoke lo lhe dead
invesligalors on lhe nighl
of lheir accidenl. He gol
vorried parlvay lhrough lhe
conversalion and confessed
lhal il vas a hoax he slaged
vilh a luddy. The vhoIe
poinl vas lo gel a cooI video
onlo YouTule, as a prank.
ul lhal Sean Caulhier
guy scared hin, he vas so
inlense. And lhe sulurlan
dad Iooking guy, he kepl
asking aII lhese queslions
aloul sonelhing caIIed lhe
Ouler Iack, and descriling
aII lhese reaIIy pecuIiar
crealures, nuch creepier lhan
a igfool. He asked aloul lhe
nane Hungervood, vhich
Danon didnl knov. They
seened lo le Iooking for
sonelhing, Iike a veapon
or arlifacl lo use againsl lhis
Hungervood. So lo shul
lhen up and gel rid of lhen
he confessed lo lhe hoax. The
dad guy seened especiaIIy
crushed lhal Danon couIdnl
heIp hin hnd lhe lhing he
vanled.
?J
- He doesnl vanl lo have lo hock her
conpuler and server, lecause lhal noneys
sveel and nayle he can convince lhe
onIine paynenl conpany lo pul il in an
accounl he can access. Mayle if he posls a
nessage saying shes dead, lhe pervs viII
gel reaIIy exciled and join up even fasler.
- Caryn shared his heroin halil unliI a fev
nonlhs ago. She said sonelhing lad vas
going dovn, and she had lo gel slraighl
if she vanled lo le aIerl enough lo Iive
lhrough il. He kepl al her lo expIain, lul
she vouIdnl. She said if he knev, lhal he
couId le in lroulIe, loo.
- Sonelines she vouId screan in her
sIeep, or curse oul sone dude naned
Hungervood. rian hgures il vas lhe
nane of a cop shaking her dovn, or
sonelhing Iike lhal.
- Her freakoul cane nol Iong afler she
lunped inlo lhis skeevy dog kenneI guy,
AIexei Ilraginlekov. See, shed leen
lhinking of crealing a second, exlra-secrel
sile and seIIing fake girI/dog scenes on il.
She venl lo hin for lechnicaI advice, lul
lhen gol coId feel. Which is good. T-Cunn
nighl le a slone freak, lul even he has his
Iinils.
- These nev friends she gol kiIIed vilh,
lhey arrived on lhe scene jusl lefore she
gol lhe lrighl idea lo kick heroin. Caryn
vouIdnl inlroduce lhen lo hin. Al hrsl he
vas offended, Iike she vas ashaned of hin
or vhalever, lul she said il vas lo prolecl
hin.
- Once she sorl of indicaled lhal she and
lhe olhers vere searching for knovIedge
lo use againsl lhis Deleclive Hungervood.
When rian pressed her for delaiIs, she
shul up.
+| 'l1||
When lhe ICs reaIize lhal Ilraginlekov is lhe Iink
lhal originaIIy lroughl lhe group logelher, lheyII
vanl lo laIk lo hin. He hIIs lhen in on his roIe in lhe
Ocean Cane, lhen sends lhen off lo riluaIIy lanish
Hungervood fron lheir Iives. Through lhis ganlil, he
pIans his ovn uIlinale escape.
|lt|`'l|\l
The ICs gel an eerie feeIing lhe ninule lhey sel eyes
on AIex Ilraginlekovs lusiness, Kozy KenneI. Ils
Iocaled in an upscaIe ruraI area of holly farns and
horse slalIes, and Iooks perfeclIy veII kepl on lhe
oulside. Ils prefal vhile vaIIs are cIean, ils Iavn and
rock garden sunpluousIy nanicured. ul sonelhing
feeIs vrong aloul lhe pIace.
Use of lhe Sensilive aliIily hils lhe psychic vilh a
disorienling vave of profound lerror and agony. Il
seens lo cone fron a nonhunan source. The feeIing
is so dislurling lhal il caIIs for a SlaliIily roII, vilh a
polenliaI Ioss of 3. (When lhe psychic discovers vhal
goes on here, he or she puls il logelher, reaIizing lhal
lhe vilralions of suffering vere inprinled on lhe pIace
ly hundreds of lorlured dogs, aIive and dead.)
When Ilraginlekov hrsl sees lhe ICs, he reacls as if
suffering a sudden eIeclricaI shock. He innedialeIy
senses lhal lheyre narked ly Hungervood.
A nervous vreck, AIex puls up onIy a loken resislance.
Al hrsl, his slory is as foIIovs. Sure, he knev aII of
lhe peopIe kiIIed in lhal vreck. ul lhey knev each
olher lefore he ever nel any of lhen. They nusl have
referred hin lo each olher or sonelhing. AIex cIains
lo knov nolhing aloul Hungervood, lhe occuIl, or lhe
crash viclins proling inlo lhe occuIl. These slalenenls
sel off lhe ICs uIIshil Deleclors, lig line.
Ilraginlekov is leyond reassurance of any kind, lul
responds lo Inlinidalion. He reveaIs lhe foIIoving,
lhough onIy in ansver lo specihc, and sonelines
repealed queslions. He vanls lo seen Iike lheyre
dragging infornalion oul of hin, vhen hes
reaIIy Ieading lhen inlo a lrap vhich viII dislracl
Hungervood Iong enough lo conpIele his ovn pIans.
So he nakes lhen vork for his secrels. Mosl of vhal he
says is lrue.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
?|
- Yes, Hungervood found lhe olhers
lhrough hin.
- Hungervoods leen haunling hin ever
since he vas a loy.
- Sonelines he gels lored driving AIex
crazy and seeks oul olhers. He can sniff oul
peopIe vilh dark secrels and lad lhoughls.
Theyre his favoriles.
- Lach of lhe six had a dark spol in lheir
souIs. AIex vas never sure vhal il vas,
nosl of lhe line. Sean Caulhier vas an
angry guy spoiIing for a hghl, and Doug
McKin vas a degenerale ganlIer.
- He had no idea lhal Hungervood had
laken an inleresl in lhen unliI Sean
confronled hin. y lhal line hed aIready
found lhe olhers. Sean leal lhe crap oul of
hin. Hes sliII gol sofl lissue danage fron
lhal.
- He had IillIe heIp for lhen. Hes never
lhoughl il possilIe lo escape fron
Hungervood. ul lhey vere fresh lo lhe
experience, and hgured lhere had lo le a
vay oul. So lhey slarled invesligaling lhe
occuIl, lo hnd a vay lo deslroy hin.
- AIex didnl vanl lo knov lhe delaiIs
of lheir cases, lul lhey shared a fev
concIusions: lhal Hungervood haiIed fron
a pIace caIIed lhe Ouler Iack, and lhal
olher crealures cone fron lhere, loo.
- Hes never heard of Cory SIunan or
LiveCanes. Il vas sureIy a coincidence lhal
lhe ICs vere headed lo pIay ||ara| vhen
lhey encounlered Hungervood. ul lhals
jusl lhe kind of lhing hed Iove lo pieces,
and do his lesl lo nanipuIale lo horrihc
ends.
He leIIs lhese lrulhs lo drav lhe ICs inlo lhe foIIoving
faIsehoods:
- Tin Ieacock had lhis lheory. He
deveIoped il afler lheir inquiries inlo lhe
Ouler Iack. AIex doesnl knov lhe
delaiIs lehind il and cerlainIy
isnl vouching for il. He suspecls lhal il
vonl vork. Mayle I shouIdnl even
leII you, lecause I donl vanl you lo gel
yourseIves kiIIed.
- Hed found aloul lhis arlifacl caIIed lhe
SiIenl HovI. SupposedIy if you go lo lhe
pIace vhere Hungervood hrsl sensed your
sin, you can sunnon his presence ly re-
enacling lhe vorsl lhing you ever did. The
nore reaI lhe reenaclnenl, lhe grealer lhe
chance of success. Hungervood viII le
nonenlariIy saled ly your dark enolions,
and al lhal line you can aclivale lhe SiIenl
HovI and, laking advanlage of his grealer
physicaI conneclion lo lhe reaI vorId,
deslroy hin.
- Or lanish hin pernanenlIy lo lhe Ouler
Iack. Or nayle il doesnl vork al aII.
IrolalIy sonelhing unexpecledIy nasly
happens.
Throughoul lhe conversalion, Ilraginlekov keeps
Iooking nervousIy lack al his conpuler nonilor.
Conpuler Science reveaIs lhal hes vorking on a sound
ediling progran.
Science (cnrc c!uc): spols sonelhing odd aloul lhe
sound hIe: ils conlenl is aII in lhe high frequencies,
inaudilIe lo hunan ears.
Iulling lvo and lvo logelher, lhe ICs can hgure oul
lhal hes vorking on lhe SiIenl HovI and vanls lo save
if for hinseIf.
Ilraginlekov learfuIIy confesses. Yes, ils a frequency
peopIe canl hear. He lurns lhen a CD conlaining lhe
sound hIe.
If asked hov he conpiIed lhe hIe, he refuses lo ansver.
The ICs can hnd oul hov ly larging inlo his kenneI
area and lhen dovn inlo a lasenenl leIov il. There
lhey lehoId a scene of appaIIing horror.
Ilraginlekov has leen lorluring dogs, Cernan
shepherds noslIy, in a variely of hideous jury-rigged
devices. Many of lhen have pieces of lheir analonies
lorn avay, and are kepl aIive vilh IV drips Ieading
?!
inlo lizarre Iife-supporl nachinery. The dogs vhine
and lavI pilifuIIy. Microphones dangIe in fronl of lheir
lrenlIing snouls. AIex lhen lakes lheir vhinpers and
eIeclronicaIIy nodihes lhen lo creale lhe SiIenl HovI.
Confronled vilh lhis scene, Ilraginlekov lreaks dovn
and sols, legging for forgiveness. ReaIIy hes hoping
lhal lhe ICs kiII hin. He vanled Caulhier and conpany
lo do il, lul lhis repIacenenl crop of Hungervood
viclins couId hl lhe liII equaIIy veII. If lhey seen lo le
loo forgiving, he Iays on lhe sniveIing, doing vhalever
he can lo provoke a falaI lealing.
+| 'l1||
ICs dislrusling Ilraginlekov nighl decide lo lrash his
pIace, even kiII hin, and lhen save lhe possiliIily of lhe
SiIenl HovI riluaI for Ialer. In lhis case, lry lo give as
nuch veighl as possilIe lo vhal lhen lecones lhe end
of lhe scenario. aIance a sense of cIosure vilh lhe idea
lhal lhe series prenise is nov in nolion~lhal lhe ICs
have lo hnd a reaI vay lo dispose of Hungervood.
Ils enlireIy possilIe lhal lhe ICs Ieave lhe riluaI as an
oplion for Ialer and lry il severaI scenarios dovn lhe
road. Whelher lhey do il innedialeIy or poslpone il,
lhis is a reaclive scene in vhich youII le responding lo
vhal lhey choose lo do. They design a riluaI, hguring
oul vhich of lhen is lo re-enacl lhe vorsl lhing lhey
ever did, and vhal forn lhis lakes. OlviousIy, il nusl
lake pIace al lhe accidenl sile.
Hungervood lakes incredilIe deIighl in lhis
perfornance. Ils lhe lesl gifl Ilraginlekov has ever
given hin. He pIays aIong, crealing a haIIucinalion of
his ovn speclacuIar deslruclion al lhe riluaIs cIinax,
vhen lhe SiIenl HovI is pIayed.
As lhe riluaI unfoIds, he uses his reaIily dislorlion pover
lo nanipuIale lhe Iandscape around lhen, presenling
lhen vilh an ever-escaIaling series of olslacIes vhich
lhrealen lo slop lhen fron perforning lhe riluaI. If
he can drive sonelody nad, so nuch lhe leller. This
sequence nighl serve as lhe cIinax of lhe slory, so luiId
lhese incidenls up lo creale a sense of resoIulion.
Ior exanpIe, Hungervood nighl:
- Whip up vinds lo luffel lhen.
- Send lusheIs of razor-sharp Ieaves lo cul
lheir esh.
l|||t 't l+| |lt|!l
?|
- Cause honuncuIi nade of dirl lo rise fron lhe ground around
lhen. If lhe ICs kiIIed anylody in lhe LARI seclion of lhe
advenlure, lhe dirl hgures resenlIe lhen.
- Mulale sone of lheir audio equipnenl inlo rololic, insecl-Iike
shapes lhal scullIe and allack lhen.
- Cause lheir vehicIe lo lake on a Iife of ils ovn and larreI dovn
al lhen.
Lven leller reaIily dislorlions viII sonehov reecl lhe nalure of lhe nisdeed
leing reenacled, perhaps using lhe props suppIied ly lhe ICs againsl lhen.
UIlinaleIy, lhough, Hungervood vanls lhen lo lhink lheyve prevaiIed
over hin. Thal viII render lheir inevilalIe Iel dovn aII lhe nore polenl.
Depending on your pacing needs, he nighl spoiI one riluaI lul lhen aIIov
lhen lo apparenlIy prevaiI vhen lhey lry again. Or lhey couId seeningIy
conpIele il lhe hrsl line around, afler confronling his lallery of aIarning
olslruclions.
When lhey conpIele lhe riluaI, lhe ICs innedialeIy feeI as if an oppressive
psychic veighl has leen Iifled fron lhen. Hungervood has vilhdravn aII
olservalion of lhen, lo reinforce lhe inpression lhal lheyve deslroyed hin,
and are freed fron his inlervenlion in lheir Iives.
Jt||J ||'|l`1|
If lhe ICs relurn lo Ilraginlekovs kenneI afler lhe riluaI (vhenever il
lakes pIace) lhey hnd hin dead in his lalhlul, his vrisls sIil. Invesligalive
Irocedure lags lhis as an indispulalIe suicide.
A fev days afler lhey hnd hin, lhe oppressive feeIing relurns. Conducl a
series of direcled scenes in vhich lhe characlers confronl nev nanifeslalions
proving lhal Hungervood vas onIy raising lheir hopes in order lo crueIIy
dash lhen.
If lhere is a secrel vay lo dispose of Hungervood, lheyII have lo keep
Iooking for il.
'l||
?l
??
|+|t||l|t !+||l
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|||J|'|
Archileclure .....
Hislory .....
Hunanilies .....
Langages .....
Lav .....
NaluraI Hislory .....
OccuIl Sludies .....
Research .....
SociaI Sciences .....
Trivia .....
.................... .....
.................... .....
.................... .....
.................... .....
|tl|t||t!lt||
uIIshil Deleclor .....
ureaucracy .....
Cop TaIk .....
IIalerry .....
IIirling .....
Inpersonale .....
Inlerrogalion .....
Inlinidalion .....
Negolialion .....
Reassurance .....
Slreelvise .....
.................... .....
.................... .....
||+t'|||
Conpuler Science .....
Invesligalive Irocedure .....
Iholography .....
Science .....
.................... .....
.................... .....
`|t|t||
AlhIelics .....
Driving .....
IiIch .....
IIeeing .....
HeaIlh .....
InhIlralion .....
Mechanics .....
Medic .....
Sense TroulIe .....
Ireparedness .....
Scufhng .....
Shooling .....
Shrink .....
SlaliIily .....
.................... .....
.................... .....
?!|+'| ?li|t!
Mediun .....
Messenger .....
Irenonilions .....
Renole Vieving .....
Sensilive .....
Synchronicily .....
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aliIilies
luying, 14-15
capped, 14, 15
free, 14
generaI, 2O-22
guideIines, 14
inveslgalive, 15-18
Iisling, 15
reslriclions, 15
advenlures
anlagonisl reaclions, 33
design, 55-57
exanpIe, 64-9O
invesligalion lrigger, 33
running, 57-6O
sinisler pIol, 33
slruclure, 33-34, 55
lraiI of cIues, 33
afhnilies, 3O-32
anno, 44
anlagonisl reaclions, 33
anlagonisls, 5O-55
arnor, 43
AlhIelics, 2O
Aura Reading psychic pover, 23
Aulhorily Iigure slereolype, 8
aulhorily hgures, 6O
lackground, 5
rain slereolype, 8
luiId poinls, 14, 15, 46, 5O
gaining, 49
uIIshil Deleclor, 15
ureaucracy, 16
urn Oul slereolype, 8
capped aliIilies, 14, 15
characler crealion, 6-32
luying aliIilies, 14-15
conlal/invesligalion experl, 9
concepl, 6
concepl, reslriclions, 9
prenise, 6-32
profession, 18
psychic, 9
psycho, 13
quick reference, 6
risk faclors, 48
sources of slaliIily, 28-29
slereolypes, 7-8
vhal do you vanl, 29-3O
vorsl lhing you ever did, 12-14
characlers, pregeneraled, 9
cIues
hnding. Scc
inconspicuous, 36
conlal. Scc hghling
conlal/invesligalion experl, 9, 14
Conpuler Science, 16
concepl. Scc characler crealion
conlesls, 39
cooperaling, 38
Cop TaIk, 16
core cIue, 56
core cIues
and psychic povers, 23
dehnilion, 35
oaling, 56
cover, 44
crealures, 5O-55
arnor, 44
culavays, 59
danage, 4O
danger sense. Scc Sense TroulIe
dealh, 4O, 41
DifhicuIly Nunlers, 38
Direcled Scenes, 57
disnissive risk faclor, 1O
Driving, 2O
drug hend risk faclor, 11
ennilies, 3O-32
Lnnilies, 3O
Lsolerrorisls vs Iear IlseIf, 5O
experience poinls. Scc luiId poinls
hghling, 39-4O
danage, 4O
exanpIe, 42
free-for-aII, 43
Hil ThreshoId, 4O
IiIch, 2O
IIashlacks, 57
IIallery, 16
IIeeing, 14, 2O
IIirling, 16
generaI aliIilies, 14, 15, 2O-22, 23,
46, 48, 49
refreshing, 48
Cood CirI slereolype, 7
Cood Cuy slereolype, 8
greedy risk faclor, 11
CUMSHOL syslen, 32-37
HeaIlh, 4O
danage, 4O
free poinl, 14
hospilaI, 41
Iosing, 4O
reconnended vaIue, 14
regaining, 4O, 41
regaining lhrough resl, 48
HeaIlh aliIily, 21
Hislory, 17
Hil ThreshoId
dehnilion, 4O
slarling IeveI, 2O
horny risk faclor, 11
Hunanilies, 17
Inpersonale, 17
inconspicuous cIues, 36
InhIlralion, 21
injury, 4O
Inlerrogalion, 17
Inlinidalion, 17
inveslgalive aliIilies, 15-18
invesligalion lrigger, 33
invesligalive aliIilies, 14, 17, 23,
25, 37
refreshing, 48
Invesligalive Irocedure, 17
}ock/Slud
slereolype, 7
Languages, 17
Lav, 18
nagic, 18
Mechanics, 21
nedic, 21, 41, 48
Medic, 4O
Mediun psychic pover, 23
neIee. Scc Scufing
nenlaI iIIness, 46
Messenger psychic pover, 25
nonslers, 5O-55
Myslery Man, 5O
nyslery slruclure, 33-34
NaluraI Hislory, 18
Negolialion, 18
olIivious risk faclor, 11
OccuIl Sludies, 18
opponenls, 5O-55
ordo verilalis, 5O
Ovvashi, 52
perceplion. Scc Sense TroulIe
Iholography, 18
piggylacking, 38
pooI poinls
vhal lhey represenl, 49
Ireacher Man slereolype, 8
prenise. Scc characler crealion
Irenonilions psychic pover, 26
Ireparedness, 21
profession, 18
proleclive risk faclor, 11
psychic povers, 22-28
psychic series, 28
range, 44
ralings, 4O, 43, 5O
Reassurance, 18
refreshing pooI poinls, 48
HeaIlh, 41
SlaliIily, 48, 49
Renole Vieving psychic pover,
27
Research, 19
risk faclors, 48
hard, 48
sofl, 48
Risk faclors, 1O, 48, 6O, 63
roIepIaying, 32
scenarios. Scc advenlures
Science, 19
Scufing, 14, 21, 39, 43, 58
Sense TroulIe, 21
Sensilive psychic pover, 27
Sexy CirI slereolype, 7
Shooling, 14, 21, 22, 39, 43, 44
Shrink, 22, 48
sinisler pIol, 33
skeplicaI risk faclor, 11
SociaI Science, 19
sources of slaliIily, 46
speciaI lenehls, 35
spIiling up, 59
SlaliIily, 22
Ioss, 45
Ioss, effecl, 46
nenlaI iIIness, 46
recovering vilh Shrink, 48
refreshing, 49
sources, 28-29
lesls, 44
slereolypes, 7-8
Slreelvise, 19
Synchronicily psychic pover, 28
lesls, 37-5O
lhriII-seeking risk faclor, 12
lips for pIayers, 6O-63
lraiI of cIues, 33
Trivia, 19
unrenilling horror, 5
vengefuI risk faclor, 12
veapons, 4O
anno, 44
range, 44
Whal Do You Wanl`, 29-3O
vorsl lhing, 12-14
vound, 4O
J1