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Whos to blame
Writers
Jamie Chambers, Brian Clements, Jimmy McMichael, Matt Vancil, Nathan Rice, Nathan Rockwood, Andy Vetromile

Additional Design
Cam Banks, Ben Dobyns, Chris Duppenthaler, Don Early, Steve Wolbrecht

Editing and Development

Cam Banks

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Proofreading
Liz Wilhelm

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Graphic Design / Layout and Typesetting

Digger Hayes

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Art Direction

Renae Chambers

Interrior Illustration / Photography

Jason Engle, Cornelia D. Moore, Marc Studer

Special Thanks
Leila Aram-Panahi, Lizz Baldwin, Tony Becerra, Scott C. Brown, Stacy Chambers, Chris Clark, Jessica Clements, Cobblers
Crystals, Matt DeMille, Tamia Diaz, Andy Dotson, Christian Doyle, Jason Doyle, Shawn Franklin, Mike Gallagher,
Jennifer Gilbert, HeadGames Podcast, Tracy Hickman, Kevin Inouye, Kirk Isaacson, Matt Jay, Barry Johnson, Dirk Kahler,
Anne Kennedy, Brian Lewis, Patrick Levad, Tish Lopez, Jaime Mastromonica, Cindy Messler-Early, Milton Eng, Phil Misner,
Bill Murray, Emily Olson, Jen Page, Kristen Paulson, Steve Payne, Kevin Pitman, Phil M. Price, Cindi Rice, Aaron Rose,
John Frank Rosenblum, John Schock, Shawn Shelton, Matt Shimkus, Jeremy Spray, Jesse Stratton, Wayne Tapia, Tree,
Adam Utley, Margaret Weis, Katy Williams, TJ Williams, Airan Sea Wilson, Kat Wood, Phil Woodard,
Camille Vancil, Greg Vancil, Dom Zook, and the Purple Ninja

Dedication
To each and every teacher, friend, supporter, and fan that weve worked, played, and laughed with over these many years:
Youre too numerous to name, and you are reading this due-in-part to, well, you. Remember to not take yourselves too
seriously. From all of us: Thanks, Love, and Butt Kicks

Margaret Weis Productions, the MW Logo, Cortex System, and the Cortex System logo are trademarks owned by Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Demon
Hunters Characters and World created by Matt Vancil. Used with permission. 2008 Dead Gentlemen Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Introduction......................................... 4

Dice....................................................... 4
Warning for Noobs. ............................. 4
Chapter One: A World of .
Dark er dimness............................ 5

JOIN THE WAR ON HORROR!........... 6

Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch.... 6

Mission of the Brotherhood......................................... 7

Brotherhood Training and Recruitment......................... 7

Nationality, Ethnicity, and Originicity......................... 25

Attributes . ................................................................ 25
Traits......................................................................... 27
Skills.......................................................................... 28
Skill Rolls.................................................................... 29
Derived Attributes..................................................... 30
Gear ........................................................................ 30
Plot Points................................................................. 31
Character Development............................................ 31
Advancement Points.................................................. 32
Example of Demon Hunter Creation......................... 33

The Order of the Infernal Scepter........ 8 Chapter Omega Fifteen.......................36

Mission of the Order.................................................... 8
Order Recruitment and Training................................... 8

Chapter Three: What It Takes.............. 42

The Earthwalkers.................................. 9
The World of Dimness. ......................... 9 Traits.................................................. 43

Assets........................................................................ 43
Complications . ......................................................... 44
Scaling Traits.............................................................. 44

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Vampires, Werewolves, and

DemonsOh, My!..................................................... 9

The Good Guys. .................................. 11

Clueless Mortals........................................................ 12

The Big-Ass List Of Traits.................. 45

Assets........................................................................ 46

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History................................................ 12
Complications............................................................ 66
Mythic History.................................... 12 Skills................................................... 73
Ancient History.................................. 13
Benchmarks of Proficiency......................................... 74
Skill Descriptions........................................................ 74
Pretty Damn Old History................... 14
20th Century History......................... 15
Recent History.................................... 16 Chapter Four: We Ride.......................80
Terrestrial Geography. ....................... 17 Playing the Game................................. 81
Africa......................................................................... 17
America, North......................................................... 17
America, South.......................................................... 18
Antarctica................................................................... 18
Asia........................................................................... 18
Australia..................................................................... 19
Europe...................................................................... 19

Celestial Geography............................ 19

Hell........................................................................... 19
Heaven..................................................................... 20

Using the Dice........................................................... 81

When to Roll............................................................. 82
Unopposed Rolls....................................................... 82
Opposed Rolls . ........................................................ 83
Attribute Rolls............................................................ 83
Skilled Rolls................................................................ 84
Unskilled Rolls .......................................................... 84
Complex Actions....................................................... 84
Modifiers................................................................... 85
Assistance.................................................................. 86

Mad Science and Mystic Arts............. 20 Plot Points. ........................................ 86

Technology................................................................ 20
Quantum Magic......................................................... 21
Ritual Magic............................................................... 21

Chapter Two: Recruitment.................... 22

Characters and Story ........................ 23

Creating a New Chapter. .................... 23

Recruit . .................................................................... 23
Veteran...................................................................... 23
Seasoned Veteran...................................................... 23
Concept ................................................................... 24

Gaining Plot Points..................................................... 87

Spending Plot Points................................................... 88

Spellcasting 101: The Mystic Arts..... 90

Mystic Arts Requirements........................................... 91

Rituals........................................................................ 91
Sacrifice..................................................................... 91
Playing it Out............................................................. 92
Getting Distracted...................................................... 93
Getting Kicked in the Junk by the Universe................. 93
Ritual Threshold Guidelines........................................ 93
Cheating the Universe............................................... 95

Combat................................................ 96

The Turn................................................................... 96
Movement................................................................. 99
Attacking.................................................................. 100
Defense ................................................................. 103
Special Situations...................................................... 105

Getting Hurt..................................... 106

Damage Types......................................................... 107

Fallout...................................................................... 107
Other Injury............................................................ 107
Conditions............................................................... 108

Adventure Concepts................................................ 143

Adventure Structure................................................. 143
Scenes . .................................................................. 146
Events, Adventures, and Campaigns......................... 147
Playing the Parts....................................................... 149
Game Mechanics and Storytelling............................. 151
Technology and Magic.............................................. 153
Game Mastering Tips............................................... 154

Chapter Eight: Demons, Angels, .

and Innocent bystanders..................... 159

How it All Plays Out: A Tactical .

Example. ............................................ 109 Brotherhood of the .
Healing and Recovery. ...................... 110 Celestial Torch................................. 160
Vehicles............................................. 113

Hazardous Conditions............................................. 113

Getting Wrecked..................................................... 114
Vehicle Weapons..................................................... 115
Brotherhood Vehicles.............................................. 115
Chase Scenes ......................................................... 115
Types of Vehicles...................................................... 115

Chapter Five: The Warehouse.............. 116

Order of the Infernal Scepter........... 164

The Amazing Velma................................................. 164

Demon of the Order............................................... 165
Sam Hell.................................................................. 165
Missy....................................................................... 165
Order Recruit.......................................................... 166
Johnny The Demon Ossesso................................. 167

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The Warehouse.................................. 117

Doors ............................................... 117
Equipping Your Chapter.................... 117

Anti-Tank Sally.......................................................... 160

Brotherhood Recruit................................................ 161
Cipher (Standard).................................................... 161
Cipher (Glitchy)....................................................... 161
Cipher (Human)...................................................... 162
Grizzled Veteran...................................................... 162
Kincaid..................................................................... 162
Purple Ninja............................................................. 163
St. Peter.................................................................. 163
Tree........................................................................ 164

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Recovering Stun Damage......................................... 111

Recovering Wound Damage.................................... 111
Medical Assistance................................................... 111

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Bureaucracy............................................................. 117
Availability................................................................ 118
Cash Money............................................................ 118
The Black Market..................................................... 118
General Gear.......................................................... 119
Omegaclass Standard Gear.................................... 119
Clothes................................................................... 120
Weapons and Armor............................................... 122
Specialty Equipment................................................. 128
Holy Relics.............................................................. 131
Upgrading Your Equipment...................................... 132
Services................................................................... 134

Chapter Six: How Not

to Die.............136

Chapter Seven: Playing God. ..............137

Role of the Game Master. ................. 138

Running a Game...................................................... 139

Portraying the World................................................ 140

Clan of the Golden Fang.................. 167

Master Wu............................................................... 167

Ninja Vampire.......................................................... 168
Syphilitic Ninja Vampire............................................ 168

The Pound......................................... 168

Pound Agent............................................................ 169

Sisters of Divine Retribution. ........... 169

Sister Mary Dillinger................................................. 169

Nun with a Gun....................................................... 170
Revout.................................................................... 170

Foolish Mortals................................ 170

Frightened Teenager................................................. 170

High School Witch................................................... 170
Local Sheriff............................................................. 171
Mad Scientist........................................................... 171
Overzealous Hunter................................................ 171
Tabloid Reporter...................................................... 172
Tourist with a Camera.............................................. 172
Tweedy Academic.................................................... 172
Chris Weiner........................................................... 173

Demon Hunter Conventions .

and Themes........................................ 140
Random Supernats. ........................... 173
Campaign Styles. ............................... 140
Half-Demon............................................................ 173
Serious.................................................................... 140
Dead Gentlemen Style............................................. 141
Goofy...................................................................... 141

Missions. ........................................... 141

Designing Adventures. ...................... 142

Vampire................................................................... 173
Werewolf................................................................ 174
Zombie................................................................... 174

Introduction
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Greetings, recruit! Welcome to the Brotherhood

of the Celestial Torch. Youve joined the war on
horror, and youre ready to fight for heaven to track
down demons, monsters, and prevent Hell on Earth.
Read the tome you now hold very carefully, as it
may hold the keys to survivalthough careless use of
this knowledge might well lead to your own doom.
Youve seen the orientation filmer, you have
watched the film, havent you? If not, you might want
to do that right away as it contains the basicsso
now youre ready to dive into the deep and
dangerous waters of Demon Hunter lore.
This volume contains information on the
Brotherhood and the many terrifying, evil,
supernatural villains that will most likely rip your
entrails out through your eyesockets. Everything
from our history, standard procedures, information
on both high-level Hunters and the most notorious
bad guys, the Warehouse and the most important
Hunting gear, and other stuff that would make this
sentence far too long, will all be found within these
pages.
Another purpose this book serves is to hold
the rules for one of our most important training
tools: Tabletop Simulations. Using the information
in this book, a Demon Hunter team can undertake
a simulated mission and practice tactics and strategy
while honing teamwork and problem-solving skills.
Pay attention during these sessions and you might
last an extra day out in the field. Of course, you could
just use the rules to play a ridiculously fun game
while eating pizza and drinking high-caffeine soda all
nightbut that would be a complete waste of your
time and ours.

Dice

Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes,

unless youre a vampire or an accountant. The
randomness is represented in our simulations by the
use of polyhedral dice. We use everything except
d20s, because they are too random even for us. I
mean, seriously. Heres what you need, at least one
of eachthough thingsll go much faster if every
team member brings their own dice.
d2

d 4 d 6 d 8 d 10 d 12

Warning for Noobs

Were not going to hold your hand or wipe

your ass for you. Youre going to be thrown into the
deep end of the pooland its probably infested
with radioactive sharks. If you dont know what a
role playing game is, or think you need an easier
introduction, weve got one for you. Go to
www.margaretweis.com and look for the
Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch Recruitment
Manual. Its free, and may even be available from
your favorite online hobby vendor. Maybe you
know a fellow recruit who has a copy of the thing
lying conveniently on his nightstand with the trashy
romance novel he pretends he reads just for the sex
parts. It doesnt matter how you get ityou should
make use of this resource. Just remember, theres
no crying in the Brotherhood (except when you get
junked).
Flip the page, and youll be ready to learn about
the world we live in, which should provide enough
nightmare fuel to last you a month.

 Junked means kicked in the nads.

Chapter one:

A World of Dark...
...er, Dimness
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Chapter One: A World of Dark...er, Dimness

t the end of the day, its easy enough to lay your head down to rest knowing the toughest things
you likely have to face tomorrow are assholes at work, family problems, or a swift death via an
overturned semi-truck. But while any of these things could ruin your day, they leave you more or
less fit and in a state of good mental health. Well, except for the whole semi thing.
What if there were something else, though? What if the world you see isnt all there is? What if
other things exist, darker things just beyond your perceptionthings so nasty, so terrifying, so brutal and
dangerous that knowledge of their existence would leave you in a catatonic stupor, drooling into your bowl
of Tard-Os, while Aunt Lisa changes your Depends?
That is the world you are entering, Meat. Take my advice: Close this book. Turn away. Go back to
whatever it is you normals do during the dayfind daycare for your children, file reports, take pop-quizzes
in chem class, remove those Cheez-Bomb stains from your khakis.
You havent closed it, eh? Wonderful. Foolish meat tastes so much better. Especially with a nice lemon
barnaise, a little tarragon damn it, now Im hungry.
You are choosing to enter a world of supernatural horrors, where the unspeakable lurks around every
corner. This world is kept out of the publics sight by the Demon Hunters. This world is less vibrant than
the one you know, less kind, and less forgiving. It is a world of Darker, rather, a World of DIM-ness.
Yes, dimness. Thats because youd pretty much have to be a total dim-bulb to take a job as a Demon
Hunter. The benefits and the pay are crap, and dont even start to make up for the long workday, ruined
weekends, and frequent dismemberment. Plus, no overtimeyoure salaried.
In this World of Dimness, its all real. All of it. Demons, devils, angels; werewolves, zombies,
vampires; ghosts, ghouls, guys in hockey masks who haunt lakeside camps; mad scientists, robots, brains
that live in jars; nuns with martial arts skills and covert-ops training; nameless, unknowable terrors
from beyond that have way, way too many tentacles (Seriously, I aint shitting youWAY too many
tentacles. And you know whats underneath them? More tentacles); anything that results in sleep loss and
ammonia-soaked bedsheets. Yeah. Its all real.
So, then. If this whole safe and mundane life thing isnt working out for you, by all means read on.
And if youre having trouble finding daycare for your kid, I could totally watch it. Them babies is some good
eats. Damn, am I hungry