3/32 Pyramid. Fears Of Days Past

Table of contents :
From the Editor......Page 3
by Stephen Dedman......Page 4
by J. Edward Tremlett......Page 10
by David L. Pulver......Page 18
by Steven Marsh......Page 20
by Michele Armellini......Page 25
by Graeme Davis......Page 32
by Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor......Page 35
Odds and Ends......Page 37
About GURPS......Page 38

Citation preview

Stock #37-2632

CONTENTS FROM

THE

Experience the fear of yesterday . . .

IN THIS ISSUE

EDITOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

CREATURES FROM

THE

PIT . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 by Stephen Dedman

DOMINION DAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 by J. Edward Tremlett

We can’t let bygones be bygones – especially when so many bygone eras offer so much frightening fun! With this month’s theme of Fears of Days Past, we go from the dawn of the atomic era all the way back to the first found fungus. Our first stop back in time is the 1950s, when Communism was almost eclipsed by another invisible menace: radiation. Can you help contain the Creatures From the Pit before they take over the world? Written by GURPS Martial Arts Adventures coauthor Stephen Dedman, this article provides GURPS stats for the key participants – including the titular terrors! Before the Cold War came the Great War. Unknown to most, this tragedy opened the way for the denizens of Hell to more freely walk the earth. The era that followed hides the preparations for the secret war between Angels and Demons. There’s nothing quiet about the Roaring Twenties in this systemless campaign framework; will you help or hinder the coming of Dominion Day? In his latest Eidetic Memory, GURPS Fourth Edition coauthor David Pulver presents a testy terror from Southeast Asia and Oceania. Amid a backdrop of Victorian colonialism, learn more about the dreadful secrets (and dangerous GURPS stats) of the Penanggalan. What’s more perilous than a unique tome of terror? Multiple copies. Pyramid Editor Steven Marsh presents an adventure framework suitable for any era where QWERTY conquers all, in The Typewriters of Terror. Adventurers need not fear only otherworldly threats. GURPS WWII: Grim Legions author Michele Armellini reminds us that Nature herself delights in Driving Us Mad. Discover one such danger (including GURPS effects) that heroes could encounter during their nature walks – or villains could serve in their stew! During the Age of Reason, not everyone was in his right mind. Today we blame mental illness, but it’s remotely feasible that sinister agents were using The Air Loom on their victims. GURPS Vikings author Graeme Davis delivers the details on this device, including adventure ideas and suggestions for using it in GURPS. What is the appeal of the past? Steven Marsh offers his reasons why he prefers “period pieces” over modern stories in this month’s Random Thought Table. Once you’re wound up with fear, catch your wind with the usual humor and itty-bitty ideas of Odds and Ends. The Pyramid plane is fueled and ready for its Fright Check!

EIDETIC MEMORY: PENANGGALAN . . . . . . 18 by David L. Pulver

THE TYPEWRITERS

OF

TERROR . . . . . . . . 20 by Steven Marsh

DRIVING US MAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 by Michele Armellini

THE AIR LOOM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 by Graeme Davis

RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE: THE APPEAL OF THE PAST . . . . . . . . . 35 by Steven Marsh, Pyramid Editor

ODDS

AND

ENDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

ABOUT GURPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

®

Article Colors Each article is color-coded to help you find your favorite sections. Pale Blue: In This Issue Brown: In Every Issue (letters, humor, editorial, etc.) Dark Blue: GURPS Features Purple: Systemless Features Green: Distinguished Columnists

COVER ART Igor Fiorentini

Editor-in-Chief ❚ STEVE JACKSON Chief Operating Officer ❚ PHILIP REED Art Director ❚ SAMUEL MITSCHKE e23 Manager ❚ STEVEN MARSH

PYRAMID MAGAZINE

GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH Editorial Assistant ❚ JASON “PK” LEVINE Production Artist ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS Prepress Checker ❚ MONICA STEPHENS

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Page Design ❚ PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT Marketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN Director of Sales ❚ ROSS JEPSON

JUNE 2011

FROM THE EDITOR through the periods of pain, but – as modern-day observers – it can help with our own journey. Horror gaming relies on hope of a possible (even if futile) attempt to overcome; there isn’t much of a market for predestined can’t-affect-an-outcome gaming. (“Let’s play the You Are On Death Row RPG!”) Some settings – including Infinite Worlds – encourages seeing what-ifs and what-might-bes . . . all with an eye toward possibly making things better somewhere. Hopefully this issue will give you some food for thought as your body travels in the present and your mind wanders to the past.

THERE’S NO PRESENT LIKE THE PAST I offer some no-doubt life-changing insight about the benefits of mixing horror with historical gaming elsewhere in this issue (pp. 35-36, to be exact). So for this section, I thought I’d give some tangential words on the subject. When you think about it, horror in a bygone time can be almost comforting. It’s hard to envision many eras where there wasn’t fear and uncertainty about the future. Even generally optimistic periods such as the Victorian era (when it seemed that enough science and ingenuity could overcome any obstacle) had darker or conflicted sides. Sure, humanity might someday build a cannon to shoot ships to Mars . . . but what if there are beings on Mars already, looking for an excuse to come here? Still, regardless of the dark times the world faces, humanity endures. It’s one of the continuing messages of my own beloved Doctor Who (itself often a mix of hope and horror). That’s not much consolation for the folks who have to go

WRITE HERE, WRITE NOW Did you enjoy your otherworldly vacation for six days and seven frights? Did you not care for the I-scream social? Send your innermost thoughts to [email protected], or scream from the asylum for the world to hear at forums.sjgames.com.

Pyramid, GURPS, Monster Hunters, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. e23 and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. Pyramid is copyright © 2011 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Submission of your photos, letters, humor, captions, and marginalia constitutes permission to Steve Jackson Games Incorporated to use them in all media. All such submissions become the property of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated and will not be returned. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors’ rights is appreciated.

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CREATURES FROM THE PIT BY

STEPHEN DEDMAN

This adventure deals with three of the obsessions of the 1950s B-movies: monsters, nuclear waste, and cars. GURPS Atomic Horror will be useful, but is not essential. Invaluable information in deciding on the tone and themes of the adventure can be found in GURPS Horror, especially p. 117. The adventure is designed for 100-point characters who have ties with the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). It is set in the mid-1950s, but can easily be adapted to any setting where weird science might be expected.

GLOWING

IN THE

to instinctively find hiding places. It isn’t particularly dangerous unless it finds a suitable weapon, such as a handgun. Amid the rather cluttered lab, finding the hand requires a Quick Contest of Vision (at -4 for size) against the hand’s Stealth skill of 11. Make the hunt as suspenseful as possible with the sound of something scrambling around the floor but remaining unseen as it retreats under furniture. Once the hand has been captured, Dr. Tamblin returns to examining it. After 24 hours, she reports that while the fungus has formed into the rough shape of a hand, it has almost none of the internal structure. Biochemically, though, it is very similar to human flesh, though contaminated with radioisotopes. As near as she can tell, the owl had eaten part of the decayed hand of a person who was suffering from severe radiation poisoning. When she’d placed the fungus from the owl’s stomach onto irradiated meat, it absorbed the food and regenerated back into the shape of the hand – or enough of the hand for it to escape from the dish. The rest of its bulk, she suspects, came from absorbing dust (mostly decayed skin cells) from the lab. As long as it’s kept in a sealed container, it won’t grow after it finishes absorbing the available nutrients, and will die within 24 hours. Just after sunset, a message comes in from the AEC. They think they’ve found the source of the radiation. The most probable source of the radiation is an abandoned mine shaft in the desert, now used as a dump for drums of low-level radioactive waste. One or more of the drums may have ruptured in the recent earth tremors in the area, but they’ve sent a team to investigate. Unfortunately, the investigating team hasn’t returned. They request that everyone keep quiet about the owl and the possibility of a radiation leak until they’ve located it. As no one lives within many miles of the mine, there’s no need to panic the public.

WIND

While driving to another city on a dark desert highway, one of the heroes sees a luminous blue-white object flying overhead. If someone shoots at it (-3 for size, -2 for speed, -2d for range) and hits, the UFO – an irradiated owl – is killed instantly. If he misses by 3 or less, the owl drops a few luminous radioactive feathers. If not shot, the owl dies of radiation poisoning before sunrise, and anyone investigating the sighting should find the corpse without difficulty (especially if he has a Geiger counter). An examination of the owl’s stomach contents reveals that the source of the radioactivity is a heavily contaminated fungus. Roll Biology at -4 to identify it as a variant strain of “ghoul fungus,” Hebeloma mcgurkae, which grows on or near decaying vertebrate flesh. The stomach also contains two human finger-bones and a Yale class ring. While the AEC searches for the source of the radiation, one of their biologists, Dr. Charity Tamblin, cultures the fungus to examine it more closely.

ALIEN CULTURES Over the next few days, all of Dr. Tamblin’s attempts to culture the fungus fail. Though provided with plenty of carrion as a growth medium, the fungi soon die. Only when she thinks of growing it in a highly radioactive environment will she be able to get the fungi to thrive. When she returns to the lab on Monday, she finds that the fungi has not only thrived, but escaped. The doctor seeks out the heroes and asks for their help in looking for it. The mutated fungus seems to have remembered that it was part of a hand and regenerated into that form. The hand has DX 10, Move 5, Dodge 8, Brawling-10, and can grapple and strangle at ST 11; because of its small size, it is -4 to be hit, and has HP 3. Though blind and deaf, it is somehow able

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ENEMY MINE The lost investigating team comprised two members: • Bob Holt, a mining engineer from Augeus (the hazardous waste disposal company that had been using the mine as a dumping ground). • Jim Adams, an AEC technician. Both had been wearing radiation suits and safety helmets and carrying Geiger counters, climbing gear, and other supplies. They drove to the site 24 hours ago from Augeus’ office, about 90 miles away.

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leaking tanks or pools of contaminated mud, but nowhere below 1/rad hour). Those who make a Vision roll at -2 also notice that one canister has been pried open. The only signs of Holt and Adams’ attacker are intermittent footprints on the passage’s muddy floor. Investigators who make a Tracking roll at -2 discover two sets of footprints leading down the sloping cross-shaft (three yards wide). These tracks continue down a horizontal shaft that branches off the main cross-shaft, then around several corners. Radiation in these passages is only 1d-5 rads/hour; the footprints are slightly more radioactive than the surroundings, and give +1 to Tracking to anyone with a Geiger counter.

A second investigating team has secured the site by the time the heroes arrive. This team is much larger and includes experienced cavers and miners, search-and-rescue experts, army engineers, medics, staffers from Augeus and the AEC, a few other scientists (including Dr. Tamblin), and a select few scientific journalists. Feds, police, and MPs are also there to maintain security. The investigators are among those on location, but to join their first small search party, they need Climbing-12+ and some other appropriate skill, such as Physician, Engineer (Mining), Survival (Radioactive Wasteland), or NBC Suit. All searchers wear NBC suits with air masks and one-hour tanks (40 lbs.) and helmets with lights (DR 4; 4 lbs.). They are issued a walkie-talkie, a Geiger counter, and a first aid kit. The vertical shaft, three yards wide, descends 130 yards. The first party soon stumbles across a two corpses: one shot in the chest with a shotgun at close range; the other with his face blown away and stripped down to his underwear. The searchers then call for a second party with weapons and more scientific equipment; any investigator not in the first party should be given a place in the second. Those without their own weapons are offered a choice of guns, as well as medical and scientific equipment. A Geiger counter and heavy flashlight lie beside the corpses. If the heroes examine the bodies, a roll on Forensics or Physician establishes that the men have been dead for at least 12 hours but less than 48, and died almost instantly after being shot. The man shot in the chest resembles photos of Adams. The only things visible from the bottom of the down-shaft are several 44-gallon canisters marked with a radiation symbol. Some mushrooms grow on the ground around them (mutant mushrooms: roll against Biology, +/- Vision modifiers, to tell it apart from ghoul fungus). Heroes who make an IQ roll realize that some of the canisters could not have rolled into those positions and have been deliberately moved since being dropped from the top of the shaft. If they look behind two upright canisters about 9’ from Holt’s body, they will find a sawed-off shotgun with empty shell casings; a roll on Smell and Forensics shows that it has been fired (but not reloaded) in the past 24 hours. If the team uses the Geiger counter, they discover that some of the tanks are leaking. The radiation count throughout the level is 1d+1 rads/hour (highest near

BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH About 150 yards from the down-shaft, the party encounters a slimeball, perfectly camouflaged as a stretch of slightly more radioactive mud as wide as the shaft (three yards) and about six yards long. (See p. 9 for stats.) If any member of the party with Danger Sense successfully uses it, the slimeball fails to take the team totally by surprise; it rises up to form a wall across the passage one turn before the team were about to step on it. Each person should make a Fright Check, and the leader of the team should roll for initiative. The slimeball then tries to pick off victims one by one, by grappling and then absorbing them. If none of the PCs makes a successful Danger Sense roll, the slimeball attacks while they are walking across it, with the advantage of total surprise (see p. B393). The first attack is to grapple each person’s feet. If this succeeds, it attempts to absorb everyone it has captured – up to 900 lbs. total – while letting the others get away. Anyone “absorbed” by the slimeball but wearing an NBC suit with air tanks can survive unharmed inside the creature for 40 minutes (the slimeball takes that long to digest the suit’s nonporous inorganic material) or until his air runs out, whichever comes first. After it has dissolved part of their suit, it will digest the person at the rate of 1 HP per second. When it has completely digested someone, it adds the victim’s mass, ST, and HP to its own. If some members of the search party have avoided being captured by the slimeball, they can either try attacking it (unlikely to work), try to pull their friends out (Contest of ST), or run for help. The slimeball will not chase its prey if it has absorbed more than 120 lbs. of food. Undissolved victims (and their gear) inside the slimeball encumber it; double the encumbrance if they are actively resisting. Any attack that hits the slimeball, whether it damages it or not, may injure victims it has absorbed. Piercing and impaling attacks have a 1 in 6 chance of hitting anyone inside, as do onehex area-effect attacks (such as a shot from a flamethrower). Larger area effects (e.g., explosives, falling damage) affect everyone inside. Poison gases won’t, as long as everyone’s suits are still intact. One way to remove the slimeball’s undissolved victims is to strain the monster through a nylon net, a steel mesh fence, or some similar device. The slimeball cannot be lured out of the mine, but it can be driven; it will retreat from a fire or anything else it identifies as a threat.

Michael Williams: What’s with that slime on your backpack? Joshua Leonard: That’s not slime; it’s just water. No wait, it is slime! – The Blair Witch Project

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While heroes who have avoided being absorbed by the slimeball may want to rescue their friends and colleagues, the investigating team outside the mine is more interested in how the creature can be killed without the risk of it escaping. The AEC calls for military backup; 20 minutes later, a helicopter arrives with two flamethrowers and a box of grenades. An hour after that, Army trucks roll up, bearing assorted poison gases and NBC Warfare experts. If the slimeball has not been killed by this time, the army flood the mine with heavier-than-air nerve gas. Anyone who was absorbed by the slimeball is long dead by this time. The gas paralyzes the slimeball, but Dr. Tamblin insists on samples being taken for study. If no one else will go, she’ll put on an NBC suit and go down alone.

food. Even previously cowardly animals will fight stronger animals for a chance to eat the mushrooms – and continue fighting even when seriously injured. Those that died of their injuries (but were not eaten) and still had undigested spores in their stomachs became fungoid zombies. The addiction to the spores only vanished once the last bones were dissolved or excreted, leaving the creature as a slimeball, which matured into a mass of spores. Eating more of the fungi hastens the process of turning into a slimeball. More disturbingly, if multiple slimeballs meet, they merge into a larger blob. When Dr. Tamblin tries to contact a local cutting-edge expert on ghoul fungi, Dr. Ian Vandermeer, she is told that Vandermeer has been missing for a month. His assistants are mystified by his disappearance: He was enthusiastic about his work, and on the last day they saw him (a Friday), he was wildly excited by the growth rate of one of the fungi he was studying in the field. Unfortunately, he was also very secretive until he was absolutely sure he was right, and none of his assistants know which of his many experiments he was talking about. When Vandermeer doesn’t answer his home phone, Dr. Tamblin asks the PCs to visit him. PCs who make a roll on Biology or Current Affairs (Science & Technology) will remember that Ian Vandermeer was a professor of botany at Yale, whose most recent papers were about the effects of radiation on certain plants - mainly fungi, lichens, and carnivorous plants.

Reporter: Professor, you’ve seen these creatures. Are they from outer space, are they animals? What are they? Dr. Timothy Brough: I believe they are a form of animal life, but not from outer space. Reporter: Then where are they from? Dr. Timothy Brough: The ones I saw came from underground, out of the sewers. – The Slime People

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE If the heroes search Vandermeer’s home in the outer suburbs, they will find nothing incriminating in the house; the police and FBI have already searched and removed anything they thought might reveal where he’d gone. However, authorities didn’t look to carefully in the backyard. They failed to discover the backyard fallout shelter (accessible through a trapdoor in the floor of the greenhouse). The investigators can locate it with a Vision roll at -3. Being thorough in an examination of the place can help. Trays of mutated mushrooms cover nearly every horizontal surface inside the shelter. The trays are labeled with the names of different animals and body parts: rat, cat, chicken, calf brain, human lung, etc. The one marked “cat” is empty of mushrooms, but a filthy-looking and foul-smelling cat is sleeping on top of a stack of graphs and notes. If the heroes can capture the cat and examine it, they will find it is a fungoid blob that thinks it’s a cat. (While small and fairly harmless, it is even more difficult to catch than a real cat.) A 2-lb. plastic bag of mutant mushroom spores, unlabeled (roll on Biology to identify as spores; otherwise, they just look like coffee grounds) sits next to the percolator. Shortly after the heroes enter the fallout shelter and encounter the fungoid cat, Buck Calhoun (p. 9) descends the stairs to the shelter, brandishing a double-barrel shotgun (12G). Addicted to the fungi and suffering withdrawal (treat as having the On the Edge disadvantage, p. B146), he intends to take all the fungi and the spores, and will kill anyone who tries to prevent this. He’s just smart enough to seek cover while reloading, but hasn’t thought to check to see whether anyone else is in the house.

IT’S ALIVE! After a few days work, Tamblin reports that she’s discovered a few disturbing things about the mutant mushrooms. First, as suspected, mushrooms that have grown near a corpse sometimes permeate the corpse and mimic its structure. These fungoid “zombies” are mobile, and hungry for other flesh – dead or alive. If they then absorb other corpses, they may become hybrid forms, but as the bones inside them dissolve over time, they become amorphous blobs like the ones the investigators encountered in the mine. The ring and finger bones she found in the “hand” were from an early victim. Second, the higher the background radiation, the faster the mutant mushrooms grow and reproduce, and the more likely they are to animate a corpse. In a normal environment, they can’t compete with non-mutated strains of ghoul fungus. In a waste dump or around an A-bomb test site, though, they would thrive. Third, the mutant mushrooms can be eaten with no apparent ill effects at first – but their spores lodge in the gut and continue to grow. The host can live normally for weeks until the fungi dissolve the bones, turning the host into a slimeball. The fungi are also addictive: Creatures infected by the fungi are attracted to the faint smell emitted by the mutated mushrooms, slimeballs, and other hosts. She hasn’t fed them to humans yet and doesn’t intend to, but monkeys, rats and mice that have eaten them soon come to prefer them to all other

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I believe in slime and stink and every crawling, putrid thing . . . – Lieutenant Kinderman, The Exorcist III scramble to create a roadblock a few miles north, the heroes have a chance to try to board the truck. If successful, they can detach the kingpin and separate the tractor from the trailer; this requires a roll against Mechanic/TL7 (Heavy Wheeled), and 1d turns uninterrupted work. If the trailer is detached, it decelerates at 5 mph/s, and the investigators can attack Knox and the tractor without endangering the nuclear waste. To add to the tension, Knox is in danger of dissolving into a slimeball at any time during the chase, leaving the truck effectively driverless. If the slimeball escapes from the truck alive, it tries to escape, even if that means trickling down a storm drain into a sewer. If that happens, he may reemerge anywhere in the city.

A few minutes after the confrontation begins, the fungi inside Buck’s body dissolve his bones until he’s no longer able to use his gun, and he’ll become a 140 lb. slimeball inside bib overalls. When the investigators emerge from the shelter and contact Dr. Tamblin, they are told that someone has just hijacked an Augeus truck carrying tons of nuclear waste . . .

THE FAST

AND THE

FURIOUS

The hijacker, George Knox, is also the man who killed Holt and Adams. Knox had served two years of a life sentence for fatally shooting a guard in the robbery. After escaping, he went to the mine to retrieve the unrecovered loot from the heist – $26,000 in $50 and $100 bills concealed in a dummy canister. HE EGINNING OF THE ND While waiting in the mine for his brother Howard, an Augeus employee, to bring him civilian clothes and other necessities, If the heroes retrieved Buck’s wallet from his body, or Knox ate some of the mutated mushrooms, mistaking them for checked the registration on his pickup truck (parked in the edible species. He later found Vandermeer’s notebook, but was street outside Vandermeer’s house), they discover his address. not responsible for Vandermeer’s death – the scientist’s bones After they’ve taken care of Knox, they can check out the locahad dissolved while he was in the mine, and apart from the fintion. By the time, they reach the farm, every living animal – ger that was scavenged by the owl, all of his body had been including Duke (Buck’s brother) – has dissolved into fungoids absorbed into the larger slimeball there. When Holt and and merged into a 12-ton slimeball that is slowly oozing Adams arrived, he assumed they’d come to arrest him; he shot towards the city. The longer the investigators wait to visit the both, then stole Holt’s suit and jeep. farm, the larger the slimeball will be when they encounter it – Addicted to the mushrooms, Knox called on Buck and Duke and the greater the risk that it will slither into the sewer sysCalhoun; he knew they grew peyote and marijuana on their tem, making it more difficult to track down and destroy withsmall, isolated farm. He soon had them hooked, but they soon out evacuating the entire city . . . deduced that the mushrooms only thrived in radioactive environments. The three bought what radioactive material they could legally, before Knox decided to steal nuclear waste and dump it somewhere where the mutant mushrooms would find a For a sequel to this adventure, just assume that some spores of good growth medium (somewhere with a plentiful the mutated mushrooms have found a good growth medium, and supply of fresh corpses), then release the spores been eaten by hapless individuals. The eaters don’t need to be from Vandermeer’s lab. human: a blob with the instincts and memories of a pig, a bear, or If prevented from reaching the farm with his a rat could be just as nasty. cargo of waste, Knox threatens to dump the waste (and the spores, if he has them) in the most I Was a Teenage Wereblob: A skinny high school student eats densely populated area he can find. He is armed mutated mushrooms and begins to grow. This can be done as a kids’ with a 12G auto shotgun (p. B279), a .30 leveradventure, as his friends – the PCs – watch him change into someaction carbine (p. B279), and his .45 auto pistol thing monstrous and try to find a cure. (p. B278). The Wild Riders: A gang of bikers called the Blue Devils discover The police issue an all-points bulletin for the the pain-killing effects of the mutated mushrooms and become truck and notify the Army and the AEC; the story addicted to them. Harley-riding slimeballs are soon terrorizing soon leaks to journalists. The heroes become small towns – and sowing mushroom spores wherever they go. involved in the hunt, with instructions to stop the Lab Rats. A Dr. Strangelove-type (mad scientist with military truck if possible, but not to do anything that might contacts) decides to continue Dr. Vandermeer’s work, and comes up disrupt the canisters of waste. Each pursuing car with a drug that prevents the mushroom eaters from turning into carries a Geiger counter, a fire extinguisher, and an slimeballs. At least, it worked on all the lab animals so far. Now all NBC suit for each passenger. he has to do is find some human experimental subjects . . . Once the truck has been located, getting in close requires some fancy Driving rolls. While the police

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Many Happy Returns

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CAST

OF

CHARACTERS

These are the main people that the investigators are most likely to encounter.

Aid/TL7 (E) IQ [1]-15; Forensics/TL7 (H) IQ [4]-15; Gardening (E) IQ [1]-15; Hazardous Materials/TL7 (Biological) (A) IQ [2]15; Hazardous Materials/TL7 (Radioactive) (A) IQ [2]-15; Photography/TL7 (A) IQ [2]-15; Physics/TL9 (VH) IQ-1 [4]-14; Research (A) IQ+1 [4]-16; Survival (Forest) (A) Per-1 [1]-14; Teaching (A) IQ-1 [1]-14; Writing (A) IQ [2]-15.

DR. CHARITY TAMBLIN 136 points Dr. Charity Tamblin is a well-respected biologist, specializing in plants and fungi. She also writes cookbooks under a pseudonym. Prohibited from driving because of her epilepsy, she spends most of her time in the lab, but usually wears hiking boots and jeans under her white lab smock in case she has a chance to do field work. She’s in her late 40s, with a tanned complexion, strawberry blond hair, and hazel eyes.

GEORGE KNOX (HUMAN FORM) 111 points George Knox began his criminal career as a shoplifter at the age of seven, and was soon filching on demand for a local fence. He served in the Army during World War II, until he was caught stealing. On his release, he turned to car theft and armed robbery. He escaped from jail after his third felony arrest and hid in the mine shaft where he’d stashed the loot he’d stolen from an armored car. Knox has few redeeming qualities apart from bravery, so it doesn’t take much to turn him into a monster. His human form has a weathered complexion, dark crew-cut hair (with a widow’s peak), gray eyes, crooked teeth, and tattoos on both arms. He usually wears a leather jacket, work shirt, blue jeans, and steel-toed boots, and carries a .45 auto pistol (p. B278) with two spare clips.

ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 10 [0]. Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0]; Will 15 [0]; Per 15 [0]; FP 10 [0]. Basic Speed 5.25 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8. 5’7”; 165 lbs.

Social Background TL: 7 [0]. CF: Western [0]. Languages: English (Native) [0]; French (Broken) [2]; Latin (Broken) [2]; Spanish (Accented) [4].

Advantages

ST 13 [30]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10]. Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 34 lbs.; HP 13 [0]; Will 12 [5]; Per 12 [5]; FP 11 [0]. Basic Speed 6.00 [10]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 9; Parry 9 (Brawling). 6’1”; 190 lbs.

Acute Vision 3 [6]; Night Vision 4 [4]; Reputation +4 (Authority on radiation-induced mutation; To academics) [7].

Disadvantages Curious (6) [-10]; Epilepsy [-30]; Gluttony (12) [-5]; Insomnia [-10]; Overweight [-1]; Workaholic [-5]. Quirks: Imaginative; Incompetence (Accounting); Loves horror movies. [-3]

Social Background TL: 7 [0]. CF: Western [0]. Languages: English (Native) [0]; French (Broken) [2]; German (Broken) [2]; Spanish (Broken) [2].

Skills Artist (Drawing) (H) IQ [4]-15; Biology/TL7 (Terrestrial) (VH) IQ+2 [16]-17; Chemistry/TL7 (H) IQ [4]-15; Cooking (A) IQ+1 [4]-16; Current Affairs (Science & Technology) (E) IQ [1]15; Electronics Operation/TL7 (Scientific) (A) IQ [2]-15; First

Advantages Fearlessness 2 [4]; High Pain Threshold [10]; Night Vision 2 [2]; Temperature Tolerance 2 [2].

Get on your radios and sound an all points alarm. Block all highways, stop all traffic, and call every law enforcement agency in the state. . . . Operator, get me the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Yes, it’s an emergency! – Dr. Hill, in Invasion of the Body Snatchers

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Disadvantages

Advantages

Addiction (Mutant mushrooms) [-20]; Bad Temper (12) [10]; Bully (12) [-10]; Callous [-5]; Greed (12) [-15]; Impulsiveness (15) [-5]; No Sense of Smell/Taste [-5]; Reputation -3 (Violent criminal; 7 or less) [-5]. Quirks: Dislikes cats and dogs; Enjoys westerns; Horrible hangovers; Overconfident driver; Prefers stealing Fords because Clyde Barrow did. [-5]

High Pain Threshold [10]; Temperature Tolerance 2 [2].

Disadvantages Addiction (Mutant mushrooms) [-20]; Appearance (Unattractive) [-4]; Impulsiveness (15) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Brother) [-2]. Quirks: Distractible; Mild xenophobia; Shy around women, except when drunk; Staid. [-4]

Skills Area Knowledge (City) (E) IQ+1 [2]-12; Brawling (E) DX+2 [4]-13; Climbing (A) DX [2]-11; Driving/TL7 (Automobile) (A) DX+2 [8]-14; Driving/TL7 (Heavy Wheeled) (A) DX+1 [4]-13; Escape (H) DX-2 [1]-9; Fast Talk (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; First Aid/TL7 (E) IQ [1]-11; Filch (A) DX+1 [4]-13; Guns/TL7 (Pistol) (E) DX+2 [2]-13*; Guns/TL7 (Rifle) (E) DX+1 [0]-12*; Guns/TL7 (Shotgun) (E) DX+3 [8]-14; Holdout (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Intimidation (A) Will+1 [4]-13; Mechanic/TL7 (Automobile) (A) IQ+1 [4]-12; Running (A) HT+1 [4]-12; Stealth (A) DX [2]11; Streetwise (A) IQ+2 [8]-13; Survival (Desert) (A) Per-1 [1]11.

Skills Brawling (E) DX+1 [2]-11; Current Affairs (Sports) (E) IQ [1]-9; Driving/TL7 (Automobile) (A) DX [2]-10; Driving/TL7 (Heavy Wheeled) (A) DX+1 [4]-12; Farming/TL7 (A) IQ+1 [4]10; Guns/TL7 (Rifle) (E) DX+1 [0]-11*; Guns/TL7 (Shotgun) (E) DX+3 [8]-13; Stealth (A) DX [2]-10. * Defaulted from Guns/TL7 (Shotgun).

SLIMEBALL The mutated mushrooms can take over any creature larger than an ant. The fungoids keep the same stats as their host body – until any hard parts dissolve and leave a formless, slowmoving blob, which uses the stats below. The real trouble starts when multiple blobs merge into slimeballs, which can grow to the size of mountains (at least theoretically) yet ooze through tiny cracks. The stats below are for the large specimen encountered in the mine. Slimeball ST and HP are dependent on weight – typically 1 point of each for every 14 lbs. IQ may start off high, but quickly drops as the brain dissolves. Other stats, apart from SM, remain consistent.

* Defaulted from Guns/TL7 (Shotgun).

When it comes to bugs, slime, crud, and compost, you’re the man. – Dr. Camille Saroyan, in Bones #2.3

BUCK CALHOUN (HUMAN FORM)

HP: 65 Will: 11 Per: 8 FP: 14

Speed: 4.00 Move: 2 Weight: 900 lbs. SM: +3

Dodge: 7

Parry: N/A

DR: 0

Engulfing Attack (8): Binding (level equal to ST) with Engulfing and Sticky enhancements + follow-up 1d corrosion with Cyclic (10 one-second cycles) enhancement. Reach C, 1.

30 points Buck and his older brother Duke live on a small run-down farm a few miles north of the city. They keep chickens, turkeys, a cow, and a few pigs, but most of their income comes from the marijuana plants hidden among the alfalfa, and the moonshine brewed from the corn and potatoes. Buck has a freckled complexion, badly cut sandy hair, big ears and big teeth, blue eyes, and a lantern jaw. He usually wears faded bib overalls, a checked shirt, and scuffed boots.

Traits: 360° Vision; Doesn’t Sleep; Injury Tolerance (Homogenous; No Blood); Invertebrate; Metabolism Control 10 (Hibernation, -60%); No Manipulators; Radiation Tolerance 200; Regeneration (Fast); Temperature Tolerance 4; Universal Digestion; Wild Animal. Skills: Brawling-11; Stealth-8.

ST 13 [30]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 9 [-20]; HT 12 [20]. Damage 1d/2d-1; BL 34 lbs.; HP 13 [0]; Will 9 [0]; Per 9 [0]; FP 12 [0]. Basic Speed 5.50 [0]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Dodge 8; Parry 8 (Brawling). 5’8”; 170 lbs.

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

Stephen Dedman is the author of GURPS Dinosaurs and the novels Shadowrun: A Fistful of Data; The Art of Arrow Cutting; Shadows Bite; and Foreign Bodies. He has also written a number of Pyramid articles and other RPG material, plus more than 100 short stories published in an eclectic variety of magazines and anthologies. He is co-owner of Fantastic Planet, a science fiction and fantasy bookshop in Perth, Australia. For more information, check out stephendedman.com.

Social Background TL: 7 [0]. CF: Western [0]. Languages: English (Native) [0].

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ST: 65 DX: 8 IQ: 2 HT: 14

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DOMINION DAY A GENERIC ROARING TWENTIES APOCALYPSE BY

J. EDWARD TREMLETT

Chicago, 1925. John crept along the wall, carefully looking into the gangsters’ warehouse. In the half-light, he could see the shapes of things that were no longer men, carefully creating a horrible machine that seemed equal parts metal and flesh. He knew that should it be fully assembled, this part of the city was doomed. The enemy seemed akin to those Egyptian mummies everyone was so fascinated by these days: wrapped in pale, weathered leather bandages under large, equally weathered leather coats. Their faces were terrible – partially hidden behind translucent armor that resembled the gas masks they’d all worn in the Great War. Those masks had saved many lives, but not theirs, nor John’s. Not that they’d noticed at the time. In fact, the only reason he was out here, and not in there, was that he’d been 10 minutes late to the last VFW meeting. Just 10 minutes made the difference between slavery and freedom – however damning the latter had been. But the Demon who’d saved John that night had known what to say, just like he’d known what to say to the three others here with him, tonight. Four condemned deserters against 14 members of the Host of Death? Not great odds. But John had been up against worse ones at Reims, when they’d killed him, claimed his soul, and brought him back to life just to turn him into a holy soldier later on. He hadn’t had divine weapons and Demon blood churning inside his flesh, then. Terry went in first, as agreed – bleeding black, skeletal armor until he shriveled into a stick-like parody of himself, but sucking down the power of their enemies. Myra followed quickly thereafter, brandishing a large, red blade that cut through her weakened targets. Tom stayed back, ensuring any civilians who wandered by would feel too sick to come too close – saving them from becoming casualties of war. That left John, who slithered with pale, leather strips until he looked like a weaker instar of their foes. He’d been 10 minutes too late to become a warrior for Heaven. But as he wielded the power of Holy poison against the Host, he vowed he would not be too late to save this part of Chicago.

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It was the Roaring Twenties – a gilded age. The new rich partied like there was no tomorrow, and spent money like there was no end to it. People were happy, buoyed by victory over a terrible war. Brightness shined everywhere. Things were going to be great. Or so people thought. The truth was that there was a terrible darkness, hiding under the bright lights and gold. The Apocalypse had been let loose upon the Earth during the fiercest fighting of the Great War. The gates of Hell were rent asunder in the carnage, so that none could reseal them. Now, the fearsome Hosts of Heaven slowly assemble. Mortals marked for service by one of the Four Horsemen are drafted into the Final Army. The Angels can only obey as these seemingly unholy mockeries of the human form carry out fearsome missions against the Adversary, and their own kind. At the same time, Hell is loose upon Earth, and its Demons walk the streets in search of souls. Monsters spawned of the netherworld prowl the alleys and lonely places, making slaughter and sowing chaos. The damned have returned to kill or for revenge – and occasionally redemption. This was how it was written, and this is how it shall be, or so says one prophecy about the end times. There are many more, and others offer ways to turn back the clock, indefinitely forestall the conflict, or even end the war before it begins. It might even be possible to sabotage the mustering of both sides to force a cosmic stalemate. However, those who would work against the forces of the Heaven and Hell must first make a Faustian bargain. To fight for the world’s salvation is to accept death . . . and those marked by the Horsemen risk eternal damnation by turning their backs on that calling. Both Heaven and Hell are the enemy, and they are as many and powerful as brave men and women are few. But among the bloody sacrifice of the Final War, and the seeming impotence of its commanders, there may yet be hope for the gilded age. Who will give their all to end the Apocalypse before it truly begins? Who will rise to stop Dominion Day?

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This generic horror/action campaign is set in a time of slowmoving Apocalypse, transpiring between the aftermath of World War I and the onset of World War II. The PCs can either be spiritually and physically altered soldiers who’ve escaped being drafted into Heaven’s army, or ordinary people attacking the growing darkness. Although presented without game stats, this adventure would work well with GURPS Horror and GURPS Monster Hunters (especially if aided by the two volumes of GURPS High-Tech: Pulp Guns). It could also be run, with some modification, using In Nomine.

SCREAMS THAT HIDE THE VOICE OF GOD

terms and conditions. Jehovah and Ialdabaoth stood at one side of the table, flanked by their Archangels three, as was proper. But Satan stood only alongside three of the greatest Demons, and claimed that Lucifer had chosen to abdicate his responsibilities in this matter. He could not be found by Devil or God, and, after both sides agreed to split his responsibilities among the Demons three, the council of war began.

TO DEATH

IN

HIS NAME

Humanity, unaware of what it had just done, struggled against itself for two more years. The war ended, an armistice was reached, and the civilized world began to rebuild their broken cities and nations without knowing that another, final war was raging in slow motion all around them. As for the “lucky ones” who’d apparently cheated death, they survived the rest of the war, dead without knowing it, and returned home to resume their lives. Of course, for those few who reckoned more, there were signs and portents that something was terribly wrong. Stars vanished from the sky, there were rumors of unseen wars in quiet, lonely places, and new and questionable religions began to bubble up from nowhere. Hell and its attendant creatures walked the crowded streets of the cities and lonely valleys of the countryside, inspiring greater depths of evil. The dead rose, the undead walked, and Angels appeared to affirm faith and give cheer, but not banish the darkness.

Spiraling out of a political system that slowly danced towards destruction, the Great War quickly engulfed the entire civilized world in a miasma of violence, sickness, famine, and death. No one who was touched by it walked away the same. For many, it called long-cherished notions of patriotism and piety into question, leading to what some would soon dub the “lost generation.” In the summer of 1916 came the horrendous Battle of the Somme. Over a million and a half souls were ripped screaming from the world over the next few months, with nearly 60,000 British soldiers gone in the first day alone. By the time the battle was over, in November of that year, nothing more than a blood-soaked stalemate had been achieved through all that slaughter – a gain of merely seven miles. That November day, as generals on both sides looked at their maps and casualty lists, something shifted in the world. Unseen by most mortals, save for insane persons touched by the The true roots of the Apocalypse lie in the duality of the whole of hands of the Divine (or its opposite), the delicate Creation. There is good and evil, light and darkness, life and death, cosmic balance went from one side to the other. Heaven and Hell. When two opposites clash, there are energy and Beneath the skin of the world, deep in the Void, power, but also conflict and terror, and eventually the utter annihilathe Four Horsemen – armored machine-angels tion of both sides. of the Apocalypse – shuddered to silent wakefulGod is a dual entity: Jehovah the Architect, and Ialdabaoth the ness. They gripped their Holy weapons, Engineer. Imaginative Jehovah envisions, and cold Ialdabaoth creates. mounted their terrifying steeds, and rode out of They rule from Heaven, attended by their ranks of Angels, and can the ground, one by one. reward good but choose not to force it into existence. Screaming in joy, Hell followed after, as the The Devil is split, also: Lucifer the Tempter, and Satan the Monster. gate to the netherworld was ripped open by the Lucifer talks Humanity into doing things it should not, and Satan Horsemen’s passage. Infernal legions spilled out scares them into compliance, or out of it. They rule from Hell, of the darkness beneath the world, bringing with attended by legions of Demons, and punish evil but are unable to force them a cavalcade of horrendous monsters and Humanity to choose it. damned souls. Angels marched down from The balance between opposites powers the Great Machine, which Heaven and into the world, girded for the final encompasses the entirety of the Cosmos, and every realm above and war, as their Demonic counterparts skulked up below. Without the constant battle, the entire masterwork would lose from Hell in their millions. momentum, fall back, and collapse in on itself. Thus would the victory As spiritual meshed perfectly with the physiof one side or the other cause the end of all things, and give the victor cal, and the countdown to the end began, the the right to design and rule the next universe. Horsemen began to recruit their armies. A truly When the scales between a pair of opposites are tipped too much, frightening number of the war-dead humans the end could be nigh. The Horsemen will wake, setting the stage for a were drafted into the service of Heaven. But thousand years of struggle between Good and Evil. On Dominion Day, these unfortunate souls had no idea that they the forces will clash openly at last, leading to a millennium of war. had been mobilized: After they had died, and Of all the opposites, humanity only has the power to influence been marked by a specific Horseman, they were Good and Evil. It is to its credit that, in spite of its many achievements brought back to life with no sign or memory of and shortcomings, it has not swayed the meter too far in either direcever having been dead. tion. Until now, that is. Meanwhile, the four Commanders of the Apocalypse met in a special place to discuss

Dying in a Big Machine

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All these signs were but hints of the greater design as both sides quietly gathered their armies – piece by piece, year by year. After a few years of careful negotiations, in the early 1920s, the council had agreed on enough ground rules that both armies could begin to recruit in earnest. Thus began the activation of the Apocalypse Knights. Slowly, and in “uncivilized” countries at first, groups of the ignorant undead were approached by angelic envoys, and transformed by the Word of God into the nightmarish aspects of their Horsemen. Granted amazing powers, but bereft of individual will, these Apocalypse Knights were gathered, and set to wait or carry out drills and tasks assigned by their fearsome but silent leaders, as communicated by their angelic lieutenants. In time, they would be fully activated as the march to war against the Antichrist began, and let wholly loose on Dominion Day. But something was wrong with the plan. A growing number of the intended soldiers slipped through the nets cast by the Angels: not showing up to appointed meetings, and failing to appear where prophesied. They were also impossible to track down, as if they had been removed from the board. Additionally, there were disturbing reports of the Apocalypse Knights being attacked by opponents who had some of their powers and protection, but clearly retained their autonomy, and could use both Holy and Demonic weapons at the same time. These mysterious opponents also attacked Demons and Hell-creatures, leading Satan and his trio of stand-ins to claim that Heaven was breaking the rules of engagement. But the actions of all Heaven’s forces were accounted for in The Book. These mysterious combatants were not theirs. Who, then, was this third force?

For centuries people have entertained the wildest speculations about both angels and demons. – Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman Jr., Sense and Nonsense about Angels and Demons

THE SAVIOR

IN THE

DARK

The truth is that Lucifer had not merely absconded when the Gates of Hell were opened, but gone to ground. He took with him a number of strangely loyal Demons, all of whom were Angels who had fallen since humanity began. They helped themselves to a goodly portion of Hell’s armory on the way out, and also “liberated” a number of important Relics, without which the forces of Hell would be clearly outmatched. But that was not this half-a-Devil’s only act of sabotage. He sent his former Angels to call on as many of the marked war dead as they could find, and tell them the truth about their condition. They were to be informed that they were condemned to become near-mindless Apocalypse Knights, fated to serve Heaven by committing untold atrocities in up to an aeon of war.

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The truth is painful, but some of those willing to listen were also willing to do anything to escape this fate, especially if there was a chance they could stop the Apocalypse altogether. All they had to do was agree to fight on Lucifer’s side, against both Heaven and Hell. But this entailed allowing the Devil to irrevocably cut their connection to Heaven, which could ultimately condemn them to Hell. There was the chance that, at the conflict’s end, some kindness might be shown by Heaven, but it seemed an unlikely gamble. Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly – Demons know their prey) a substantial number of the condemned willingly submitted. They were partially activated, allowing them access to a portion of the Horsemen’s sleeping, Holy power. But they were also pumped full of Demon blood, turning them partially Demonic. No Angel could convert them, no Horseman could command them, and not even Christ could save them now. The end result was a Hellknight: a damned warrior only a fraction as powerful as an Apocalypse Knight, but still possessing formidable abilities. These brave souls were introduced to others of their kind, and armed with weapons from Hell’s wellstocked armories. Then they were taken into Lucifer’s army, and brought into the fight to save the world from its destiny.

WELCOME TO SHADOWS AND PAIN Lucifer’s army is small, compared to the near-endless legions of Demons and Angels. Their numbers include Lucifer’s trusted Demons, a large group of lesser Demons that Lucifer either directly commands or has suborned, the Hellknights, and sympathetic humans who have either joined up for their own reasons, or operate under demonic instructions and have no idea what they’re actually doing, or for whom. What the force lacks in size it make up for in determination, subversion, and surprise, as well as some key weapons and items neither of the other sides know they have. The primary mission is to subvert or undermine the Revelation given to St. John. The more pieces of that Prophecy they can forestall, reseal, or take off the board, the less likely the proper conditions for the Apocalypse can be met. The powers will have to postpone the conflict, or cancel it altogether. The secondary mission is to knock out the Demons who have come to Earth to pave the way for the Antichrist. There are numerous networks at work, using the glamour and decadence – as well as desperation and barbarism – of this age to their own ends. When a Demon falls, another will take its place, but they must be kept on the defensive lest they become too powerful. If all goes well, even the Antichrist could be stopped before he gets started. The tertiary mission is to deal with the hordes of hellspawned creatures that escaped when Hell’s gates were rent open at the Somme. While not crucial to the Apocalypse, their presence on Earth makes it that much easier for Hell to do its work, and can only aid in their recruiting. It also puts them one moral step above Heaven, as the Angels have been ordered not to intervene for fear of breaking the current conditions of prewar truce. It is hoped that these three missions, in combination, will destroy the two sides’ ability to make war as delineated. It could also drag the pre-conflict out for so long that its six commanders will call off the battle, or fall to fighting among themselves.

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I’ll Light the Sky for You within the Void, and many forgotten ghosts and undead things flitter through it. Anything can enter the Void without penalty, though the many horrible things that patrol its empty reaches may soon make unprepared explorers wish they’d stayed in the Prime. “Below” the Void is Hell, itself – a vast realm of iron and blood, fire and cold, pain and pleasure. As with the Void, anything can enter Hell. It’s getting back out again with one’s body and soul intact that’s the issue. Travelling between the realms is something only Holy and Demonic things are supposed to be doing. Mortals can still make the trip, but usually need an Angelic or Demonic guide, a special item that allows it, or a creature sent to take them hence. Various places in the Prime act as gateways to other realities, but these are often watched by fearsome guardians. Weird science can be used to teleport people from the Prime to the Void or the Ether, and back again. However, Heaven and Hell remain out of the reach of such devices; entering these two realms requires a spiritual leap that no mere machine can accomplish.

Creation is sliced into five different layers, which must be visited in turn, without skipping any “steps.” The central layer, upon which most of this tale will be told, is the Prime. Earth, its moon, the Solar System, and the rest of the universe sit within the Prime, turning and whirling among the invisible gears of the Great Machine. One step “above” the Prime is the seemingly endless, light-filled expanse known as the Ether. It overlaps the Prime, and things within the “lower” realm can be dimly glimpsed within it. In fact, it is from the Ether than guardian Angels observe their mortal charges, and arrange for voices, miracles, and other visitations. Only Holy things, or those protected by them, can enter the Ether without taking Good damage every turn. “Above” the Ether is Heaven, itself. Nothing but Holy things, or those protected by them, can withstand even the mere sight of it. What happens there is a mystery to all but the Angels, but they will do almost anything to stay in its favor. One step “below” the Prime is the darkened Void, through which the Prime is not visible. Anything that dies or is destroyed in the Prime creates a dark echo of itself

As for what Lucifer is trying to get out of this act of rebellion, no one – not even the former Angels by his side – dare to ask. Some say he prefers to rule in Hell than risk being forced to create a whole new universe, but that makes no sense. Others say he likes his job just as it is, but given his seeming disdain for most things, that doesn’t make sense, either. One thing is certain – he’s planning something. What, how, and why will only be revealed in time.

POWERS

AND

PRINCIPLES

All of the following generic mechanics have been written to reflect the duality inherent in creation. GMs are free to tweak it as they will. Power levels are arranged on a scale of Weak, Poor, Good, Very Good, and Excellent.

Holy and Demonic Anything having to do with Heaven, or directly acting in its name with its blessing, is Holy. Anything having to do with Hell, or directly acting in its name with its approval, is Demonic. Some things, such as Hellknights, are neither wholly Holy nor Demonic due to the mixed nature of their being. Holy weapons, armor, and objects are forged in the armory of Heaven, and blessed with a connection to at least one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness, or Humility. Demonic items are consecrated in obscenity, and dedicated to at least one of the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, or Pride. When items that are imbued with directly opposing ideals clash – A Lust sword versus a breastplate of Chastity, for example – the pyrotechnics are truly amazing, and may cause significant damage to nearby combatants. Regardless of their power level, Holy weapons do normal damage to Holy targets, double damage to normal targets, and

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triple damage to Demonic targets. Normal or Demonic beings carrying them are physically weakened for doing so, which usually takes the form of a penalty to a physical statistic. Demonic wielders take a small amount of damage per turn for using it. Normal beings using them are in danger of being overwhelmed by the Virtue; they must succeed at a spiritual-attribute roll (which increases in difficulty the longer they use the items), or else sit in a trance contemplating how to be better people. The GM may decide that certain advantages, disadvantages, or other traits affect the roll. Demonic weapons do normal damage to Demonic targets, double damage to normal targets, and triple damage to Holy targets. A Holy being who wields one not only takes a small amount of damage per turn for using it, but is in danger of losing Heaven’s favor for merely holding it. Normal or Holy beings who use these weapons suffer no physical weaknesses, but normal beings are in danger of being overwhelmed by the urge to commit whichever sin the weapon is consecrated with. To resist the urge takes an increasingly difficult spiritual-attribute roll, modified based on appropriate advantages, disadvantages, or other traits.

Knights of Heaven All Apocalypse Knights have a direct, spiritual link to one of the Horsemen. This connection grants them their powers, but also destroys their individual will and personality, leaving them little more than robots. They have to be given specific orders with no details left to chance. For example, if told to build a device, they must be instructed to defend it if it’s attacked, or they’ll keep building it while someone’s smashing it. The four Horsemen have distinct dominions, and have chosen their Apocalypse Knights based on how they died. All of their defense and offense characteristics are at high levels.

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Their weapons, being Holy, usually do double damage to normal targets and triple damage to Demonic targets. Pestilence conquers through the spreading of disease. He chose as his Knights those who succumbed to disease due to proximity to the Great War. When activated, a white carapace armor flows over their skin, terminating in a fearsome helmet with the visage of a person in the last stages of some horrifying disease. Their weapon is the ability to shoot a bolt of concentrated plague at a target. This Holy contagion instantly smites normal targets, and permanently weakens Demonic targets with large pustules, rent skin, rotting bones, and brain-boiling fevers. Pestilence’s servants can also release a cloud of that disease to sicken many at once. The effects are slower, but ultimately overwhelm anyone not wearing some kind of Holy protection. War overcomes through force of arms. His Knights are those who died from violence – shot, shelled, or blown up on the slaughtering field. When activated, their blood boils to the surface and forms an angry, red mask. A cloud of swords and knives appears around them, acting as both armor and weapon. In combat, the cloud attacks and parries at the same time, from all directions. It can be extended out to reach faroff targets, but this decreases its ability to protect the Apocalypse Knight. Famine drains the power of his enemies. Famine’s Knights are those who starved to death, or were too weakened by starvation to respond to other threats. When Famine’s servant is activated, the Holy hunger bubbles out, and forms a shriveled, black armor over their entire body. The face is blank, as no one notices the plight of the starving. They do damage though both hand-to-hand combat and range attacks. The touch of Famine instantly devours the life of normal targets, and permanently drains a portion of the life force of Demonic entities. The Apocalypse Knight can also hold out his hands and drink down the energy of a crowd, doing a significant amount of each turn. It will obviously take a few turns to seriously or permanently weaken one’s enemies in this way. Death has taken on the worst fate of all – poison gas. He has claimed the souls of those who died from this hideous cause and made them his Knights. They extrude a nest of pale bandages through their skin that completely wraps the body, making a long coat and numerous, rasping tendrils at the same time. Their faces bear the dreaded mark of this fate: a translucent gas mask, under which can be glimpsed a roiling, poisonous cloud. Death’s Apocalypse Knights attack in two ways. Their tendrils grapple with foes and bring them close so that the fearsome being can breathe Holy poison directly onto their faces, causing instant death for both normal and Demonic targets. They can also unleash a cloud of their poison around them and walk into battle, using their tendrils to block weapon attacks while the cloud slowly corrodes blades, armor, and their opponents’ lungs each turn.

Knights of Hell The Hellknights are weaker versions of the Apocalypse Knights, but can make up for the discrepancy in power levels through intelligence, cunning, teamwork, and the unexpected. They are also more resistant to the attacks of Apocalypse Knights, can wield both Holy and Demonic weapons without

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Robert Langdon: I’m an academic. My mind tells me I will never understand God. Camerlengo Patrick McKenna: And your heart? Robert Langdon: Tells me I’m not meant to. Faith is a gift that I have yet to receive. – Angels & Demons penalty, and cannot be detected at a distance by Angels or Demons. Their damage is neither Holy nor Demonic, but somewhere in between. They do double damage to normal, Holy, and Demonic targets. The Hellknights of Pestilence are covered in exceptional armor. The pestilence cloud they create only does a little damage, and is mostly the inconvenient symptoms of disease (nausea, cramps, fevers, etc). They cannot shoot bolts of contagion, and must touch their targets in hand-to-hand combat to transmit a more concentrated and powerful plague. They take no damage from Pestilence attacks, a third damage from War and Death, and two-thirds damage from Famine. The Hellknights of War get neither a face mask nor a cloud of weapons. They can manifest one weapon, though it can be bladed or projectile based (something the Apocalypse Knights cannot do, yet). This Holy multiweapon does more damage than a normal version of whatever form it’s currently in. The knight also can shift its configuration from turn to turn. It fires only once per turn, but never runs out of ammunition. War’s Hellknights take no damage from War attacks, a third damage from Pestilence and Famine, and two-thirds damage from Death. Famine’s Hellknights have an all-covering, shriveled armor that offers superior protection. The miasma of hunger they project does only a little damage, but when they drain someone in hand-to-hand combat, it’s significant. They take no damage from Famine attacks, a third damage from War and Death, and two-thirds from Pestilence. As for Death’s Hellknights, they retain the pale tendrils and coat, but lose the gas mask. They can still make a deadly faceto-face poison attack, but the encompassing cloud of gas does only a little damage to whatever, or whomever, it touches. They suffer no damage from Death attacks, a third from Famine and Pestilence, and two-thirds from War.

APOCALYPTIC ADVERSARIES This section gives the general powers and limitations of Angels and Demons. The notations can be used to fill in the blanks of whatever system is utilized for the game, and can be raised, lowered, or done away with as best fits the GM’s plans.

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The Forces of Heaven

shakes. The very sight of them causes weak mortals to die of fear, and they are said to be so powerful that only Jehovah and Ialdabaoth could destroy a single one of them. Their stats are unimportant. The best thing for anyone to do if they encounter one of them is to flee.

The armies of Heaven are manned by Angels: eternal, powerful, and Holy beings created by either Jehovah or Ialdabaoth. Each Angel is invested with at least one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues, and may carry weapons, armor, and items consecrated with those particular Virtues. They have the power to inspire The Bounty of Hell their personal Virtues in mortals, but they are bound not to force their actions through blatant control. They can perform Demons are the mirror opposite of the Angels, created by “miracles” of varying strength depending on their power level, God to act as their foil. Where Angels are noble and unified, can see into the Ether – but not the Void – from the Prime, and Demons are base and fractious. Each is invested with one of can detect the presence of Holy and Demonic creatures up to the Seven Deadly Sins, and may carry weapons, armor, and a mile away. items invested with them. Like Angels, they can inspire their Angels cannot be permanently destroyed so long as they personal Vices in mortals, but cannot make them do anything. have Heaven’s favor. Those who lose it become disgraced Unlike Angels, they cannot be expelled from Hell; there is no Demons, and their Virtue often becomes its opposite Vice. escape, only a loss of face, and the resulting loss of power it Killed Angels slowly reform their bodies in Heaven – a process entails. that takes a varying amount of time, and depends on how Demons are also eternal. When they are destroyed, they badly their bodies were mangled. It could be days or years, but instantly reform in Hell, but lose most or all of their power in they will return again. the process. They must work their way back up from where All Angels have three forms: Celestial, Ethereal, and they land, which could take ages, depending on where they fell Human. The Celestial form is an unfathomable, overwhelming from. This weakness keeps Hell’s hierarchy fluid, and its leadshape that destroys the eyes and mind of any mortal who looks ers paranoid and distrustful. upon it. Celestial appearances on the Prime cause massive The denizens of Hell have various powers. Like Angels, they amounts of damage to nearby people and things. The Ethereal can perform “miracles” whose power and consequences form is much kinder to the mind, but still fearsome and alien. depend on how powerful the Demon in question is. They can The Human form is as it sounds, though any onlooker will also ensure certain things will or will not happen in a mortal’s always assume there to be something special about the translife, which is the basis of the Demonic bargain. They can see formed Angel. into the Void from the Prime, but not the Ether, and can detect The highest Angels are the Archangels. In their Ethereal Holy and Demonic entities from up to a mile away. form, they appear as tall, lithe beings with great wings. They Unlike Angels, Demons have only two forms: True and are Michael, leader of Heaven’s armies (but not the Apocalypse Seeming. The True form varies on how powerful they are, and Knights); Gabriel the Messenger; and Raphael the Healer. run from ugly but somewhat-ridiculous for the nearly powerThere may be other Archangels out there, depending on whom less to the mind-shatteringly hideous shapes of the greatest one reads, but their veracity, whereabouts, and allegiance at Demons. Mortals who gaze on the True forms of the most powthis time are all unknown to mortals. erful beings of Hell often go mad, making both demonology Below the Archangels are the six-winged Seraphim: and Demon hunting truly risky. armored giants whose movements cause Doppler-images to follow after. Seraphim usually guard Heaven itself, but are being sent down in increasing numbers as the time for war comes closer. They prefer to stay in Other adversaries can include undead monstrosities, vampires, weretheir Ethereal form while on Earth, much to creatures, outright monsters, monsters in human shape, magicians good the consternation of Hell and discomfort of or evil, cultists of Heaven or Hell, natural and preternatural entities – anyHeaven’s allies. thing the GM wants to throw at the protagonists. The most numerous Angels are the twoThe one question for the GM is whether these entities are Holy or winged, gentle-seeming Cherubim. The Demonic, in order to figure out their susceptibility to damage, alliances, Angels most portrayed in human art, their and motivations during the Apocalypse. Some entities, like vampires, can Ethereal form is that of winged, beautiful, default to Demonic due to the nature of their curse, but other things – and and androgynous humans. Now that the maybe even some vampires – may stake their allegiance anywhere Apocalypse is engaged, they wear fearsome between those two poles. Just because someone’s a werewolf doesn’t mean armor and wield terrible weapons. On Earth, they’re automatically evil, any more than someone who does Heaven’s bidthey tend to remain Human, wishing to not ding is automatically a pleasant person. disturb mortals or draw unwanted attention. If the creature does not come from Heaven or Hell, and is not acting in They rank just above the Apocalypse Knights, their name, then the best way to determine their allegiance is to ask “What and are often the ones who activate, gather, are they doing?” and “Why are they doing it?” Murder is murder, but and command them. magicians who slaughter the innocent are most likely Demonic, while sorOutside the normal chain of command cerers who slaughter vile gangsters could be Holy. are the Horsemen – terrifying machineAs for the PCs: Hellknights are both, and those mortals who follow angels built to be the destroyers of Hell and Lucifer’s army are neither, given the half-a-Devil’s abdication. Humanity both. They are rarely seen, and have Angels do their talking and errands for them, but when they ride forth the Earth

Do You Believe in Heaven?

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The Seeming is the more pleasant face that a Demon puts on to do business. A Demon can have several different Seemings – one for every occasion, if he desires. He has to drop his Seeming a little in order to work Demonic powers while in the Prime, but it’s usually small cosmetic changes, however unnerving: eyes, teeth, and fingernails. The hierarchy of Hell goes from the greater Demons at the top of the heap to the Tempters at the very bottom, with varying degrees of lesser Demons between. The difference between these levels is power, and the only way to get power is to earn it by doing Hell’s bidding: buying souls, causing useful trouble, backstabbing other Demons, etc. Hell’s Central Court is constantly filled with Demons pleading before Satan, Lucifer, or one of their incredibly powerful satraps to be elevated. Sometimes they succeed; many times they’re told to come back after a few more souls. Sometimes they’re dropped a few levels for unwittingly defying the will of Hell, or angering a powerful rival.

This is primary horror fare, right here: the ordinary against the otherworldly. Gangsters and molls shoot it out with Demon-boosted rivals. Gumshoes and flappers stake vampires in back alleys, or hunt malefic creatures in the rolling countryside. G-men and priests exorcise the cities, street by bullet-ridden street, or expose the horrid powers lurking behind the facades of organized crime and big business. Holy and/or Demonic weapons, armor, and items will both help and hinder them. Magic and science could save or condemn them, as could questionable alliances, external entanglements, and horrific intrigue. Fortunately, gunpowder, steel, and iron are everyone’s friends, and there’s always another volunteer to save the world where the last one came from. The following adventure seeds offer challenges at varying levels. The first two are suitable for ordinary humans, perhaps with some Holy or Demonic aid, and the last two are perhaps best left to the Hellknights to deal with. The two in the middle could be done with mortals, Hellknights, or both.

VISIONS FROM THE ANGEL WARS

Murder Incorporated

Dominion Day can be used to tell a number of stories, with a number of starting points. A high-powered game would have everyone be Hellknights, gathered from various backgrounds. A Demon in Lucifer’s service recruited them to the cause, and partially activated them. Now they’re bashing Demons, Apocalypse Knights, and the occasional Angel to deny important things to the two primary sides. This avenue opens up a lot of high-stakes, globe-trotting, bombastic stories in which doomed heroes give their all to save the world from its own creators. It may lack the horror that comes from near-ordinary people fighting against the darkness – and sometimes the light – but the horror can come from other sources. For example, imagine the group’s reaction when they learn that Angels are about to use Holy poison gas on Ouagadougou to deny its people to an advancing army of Demons. A low-powered game would have the characters be normal people who have either realized that something is wrong, and are trying to fix it, or else been recruited by one side to attack the other. They may not realize this is the Apocalypse, and they may have no idea they’re taking orders from Lucifer, Hell, or Heaven. All they know is that things are getting really bad, all over the world, and if they don’t stop it, no one else will.

The 5th Street Gang is a group of Italian street toughs connected with the Mafia. They do leg-breaking and “creative discouragement” on the criminals’ behalf, hoping to get recruited one day. Recently, the group’s been growing, and word on the street says that they’re looking to move up. Word also has it that the new guys are into gruesome murder, black magic, and cannibalism. It turns out that the group’s been invaded by the living dead. The gang’s been using a deadly hazing ritual for years to weed out the wimps, and failures get buried outside the city. Now the failures are back and outnumber the living, and want to raise a little Hell on Earth. The Italians are scared of a takeover, and might be willing to wheel and deal. But should the PCs do the Mob a favor and destroy the zombies? Or should they stand back and let the made men and dead men rub each other out? They’ll need to decide soon: The longer they wait, the more innocents get caught in the crossfire.

The Minotaur of Wall Street The Theseus Society is a group of high-finance types: rich, old-money chums who went to the same schools and summer resorts, and now meet once every three months on the dark of the moon to discuss long-term strategy. They also participate in a peculiar ritual to decide who runs the group for the next month.

Are we being told in this story that the creation and attempted destruction of man was a war between teams of beings? Was our creation parsed out, as it would be in a science lab? – Joseph Lumpkin, Angels and Demons: From Creation to Armageddon

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Each member sponsors an underemployed fellow, collected off the street that very night. The group of bums are wined and dined in the next room while the men talk business. Then they’re taken to an otherwise-abandoned floor on the top of their building for “something special,” and locked behind a steel door. Behind that door, the floor has been turned into a charnel maze. In that maze is a horrid amalgamation of man and bull that hungers for raw human meat. The maze has one exit, and the first (or only) one who finds it gets a bullet to the head, but his success ensures that his sponsor runs the club for the next quarter. Rumors of the “kindly captains” circulate. Many men either hope to win a ticket for dinner, or fear the stories of what really happens up there. Maybe one of the heroes masquerades as a bum and gets picked. If so, can the others get up there and bail him out? But what is the Minotaur of Wall Street, and which side does it serve?

Disciples, dark angels, This is dominion day My demons, come to me – Gary Numan, “Dominion Day”

All Unquiet on the Western Front Throughout America, the Apocalypse Knights are recruited, and wait quietly, drill, or work at assembling terrible war machines for the Apocalypse. But one of those war machines needs no assembling. Heaven has authorized the release of the First Trumpet – a large, biomechanical device meant to be sounded by an Angel. When it is heard, it will cause the sky to rain fire and ice, destroying a third of the planet’s vegetation. Getting the device and denying it to the enemy would be a major step in stopping the Revelation. Without the First Trumpet, there can be no Second, and so on. But it’s being guarded in a secure location, and watched over by an active host of 49 Apocalypse Knights, along with a few Cherubim. Possibly a Seraphim or two. This will not be easy. War never is. Can they get the First Trumpet away from Heaven without causing too much collateral damage?

A Farewell to Uriel

The Power and the Glory Florida started taking off in the early 1920s. Land opportunities and a willing state government turned what was once a backwater into a growing phenomenon. It also proved to be a great boon to gangsters, as its extremely long shores and proximity to the Bahamas created numerous opportunities for alcohol smuggling. So it is little wonder that Al Capone made Miami his winter home, and declared the city to be open for all crime. Even less wonder, then, that the Greater Demon Gez “Tiny” Balmukh walks the streets of that city and smiles, so happy to have been invited in. Under his cloven hoof, all manner of decadent opportunity and blasphemous horror takes place, thinly disguised under the veneer of high society and low company. Heaven has abandoned Miami. Hell has moved right in. The Void churns below and spits up squamous, chittering horrors on a nightly basis, and drags newly condemned souls down in exchange. If a city in America ever needed cleaning up, it’s here, and the adventurers have their work cut out for them for some time.

Beasts of the Field The Welsh lowlands are home to many strange legends and forsaken places. As of late, they’ve been home to reports of missing people. All of them were veterans of the Great War – members of the same “Pals Battalion,” beloved in their community and lucky enough to have returned without a scratch. Now they’re going, but where? The locals fear the Beast is back. They say that every 50 years, some strange, glowing, monster wolf with two heads appears

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around the old caern in the dark woods. The creature stays a full month, and ravenously attacks any sheep, dogs, and travelers too foolish to be in at night. But why the Beast is going after veterans exclusively this time is something of a mystery. The Beast may be real, but not this time. An Angel is here, turning men into Apocalypse Knights, and storing them in the cave under the caern until they’re needed. They aren’t likely to wake up if the heroes find them, but the Angel will not take kindly to their meddling.

Not all the Archangels are known. Some were destroyed, some fell, and some left of their own accord. One who walked away from Heaven is Uriel – once the Light of God, now dimmed and hiding in a cave in New Mexico. Normally, it would be best to leave him alone, for no one who’s gone to find him has come back. But Lucifer has a specific reason to send the Hellknights: the Key to the Pit is supposedly in the Archangel’s possession. With it, they could close the gates to Hell, and stop the endless flow of horror into the world. It’ll be dangerous enough, but the Hellknights aren’t the only ones looking for him, now. The Angels have redoubled their efforts to locate their lost brother, and have brought the Seraphim with them as backup. Lightning storms and whirlwinds lash the state as they search. Hell won’t be far behind. Who will find the prodigal son first? Does he still have the key, and is he willing to share? Or will the Hellknights be the next to be utterly claimed by the quest?

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

By day an unassuming bookstore clerk, J. Edward Tremlett takes his ancient keyboard from its hiding place and unfurls his words upon the world. His bizarre lifestyle has taken him to such exotic locales as South Korea and Dubai, UAE. He is a frequent contributor to Pyramid, has been the editor of The Wraith Project, and has seen print in The End Is Nigh and Worlds of Cthulhu. He’s also part of the Echoes of Terror anthology. Currently, he writes for Op-Ed News, and lives in Lansing, Michigan, with his wife and three cats.

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EIDETIC MEMORY PENANGGALAN BY

DAVID L. PULVER

Some years ago, I decided to run a Victorian-era campaign involving supernatural investigators roaming the British Raj and the Orient. Fast-forward some months, and – following an encounter with abominable snowmen – our intrepid occult explorers had arrived by steamship at the crown colony of Singapore, there to visit a contact, Humphrey Rutherford, an old acquaintance who ran a trading company and owned certain occult scrolls they required for a mission in Tibet. However, Rutherford had some problems of his own: His extended family was suffering from mysterious ailments, with newlywed son Robert’s lovely pregnant wife, Doris, bedridden and fading rapidly due to some bizarre anemia . . . and her best friend and companion Charlotte confined to a local sanitarium due to an awful nightmare or vision she had experienced. Naturally, the adventurers suspected monsters, possibly Chinese vampires of the hopping variety given the large Chinese migrant population in the colony . . . but in proper Victorian fashion, the truth involved scandalous family secrets. Their investigation revealed Doris and friend weren’t the only victims; several other British residents in the same hillside neighborhood had been afflicted, wives or babies of young men in Robert’s social circle. From servants and employees, they learned of one Zarina, a beautiful but spooky Malay household maid (reputedly a daughter of an island witch or midwife), who Robert and his chums had mishandled during a riotous bachelor party. After she turned up pregnant, the junior Rutherford had her fired and packed off home to avoid any hint of this reaching his new bride. Unfortunately for him, the maid came back . . .

THE MONSTERS The penanggalan or hantu penanggal – the ghost that separates – is one of the most gruesome monsters of south Asia. These female vampires are known as penanggalan in Malaysia, krasue in Thailand, phi-kasu in Loas, ap in Cambodia, and leak or lalayk in Indonesia. They live normal lives during the day, often as midwives, witches, or wise women. At night, a penanggalan undergoes a gruesome transformation: Her head and spine separates from her body, trailing internal organs and loops of intestines behind it. She takes off flying into the night, driven by a ravenous hunger to seek out human blood. A penanggalan’s favorite food is the blood of infant children and the blood or afterbirth of pregnant women, although some

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are less picky. They prefer sleeping victims, often entering bedrooms through open windows or chimneys. They won’t usually drain a victim to death in a single attack, but their attacks can cause disease or infection. In addition to their thirst for blood, they may be motivated by hatred or a desire for revenge, though sometimes they just enjoy tormenting and playing tricks on a community. Fear and surprise are their greatest weapons, and the sight of a penanggalan is almost certain to trigger a Fright Check! Unlike Western vampires, they aren’t exceptionally strong, and their exposed organs are easy to injure even by mundane weapons. (Being chopped to bits by machete-wielding villagers is one traditional end for a penanggalan!) However, they possess mouths full of sharp teeth, and can use their entrails like tentacles to grab and strangle victims. Worse, the caustic juices that drip from them may leave festering sores that only a mage can heal. Some penanggalan were also powerful witches before they transformed into monsters, and folklore and modern cinematic depictions often see them using various spells, including possession, shape shifting others, summoned mists, and even breathing fire or throwing fireballs. Techniques used to protect against them include placing sharp objects – traditionally, thorny plants such as the Jeruju (“sea holly”), or even pineapples, in windows or in doorways when a pregnant woman or infant is sleeping. The hope is that a penanggalan will not risk having its vulnerable entrails sliced up by the thorns or spines and will be frightened off. However, some of these creatures have the ability to become insubstantial, passing through cracks in walls or under doors, or even up through the toilet. Pregnant women in an area rumored to be haunted by one of these creatures may also take to sleeping with a knife or scissors under their pillow for self-defense. A penanggalan’s greatest vulnerability is the headless body it leaves behind. To help preserve its skin while it is hunting, many penanggalan leave their body in a secure place at home, traditionally soaking it in a large vat of vinegar. (As a result, a penanggalan in human form may have a vinegary odor.) Should a penanggalan’s body be discovered, it will appear thoroughly dead; in a modern setting, she might be even be mistaken as the victim of some bizarre serial killer who eviscerates, beheads, and pickles his victims! However, the body is still linked to the creature, and destroying or moving it will usually kill the penanggalan, though sometimes not until the creature returns to it.

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How to Become a Penanggalan Broken Pact: An ambitious woman makes a Pact (p. B113), either with demonic or divine forces or a powerful witch, in order to obtain beauty, magery, or a power such as flight. The Pact requires her to follow certain taboos. When she strays, instead of losing her Pact-given powers, she is punished by being transformed into a penanggalan (a net -1-point disadvantage). Failed Execution: A murderess (perhaps a serial-killing midwife, possibly a wronged innocent) is caught and about to be executed by hanging or dismemberment. However, her hate or anger is so strong that she was able to call upon supernatural powers to save her. Instead of her neck breaking, her entire head separates from her body, and she is transformed into a penanggalan. She may rise up immediately (probably frightening everyone around her into panicked retreat), or her two parts may lie dormant for a while as they’re carried off for burial or cremation, only to rejoin when no one is looking and make her escape. This is the most traditional “undead” form of penanggalan origin.

A penanggalan is technically not undead, since she is alive when her head is attached to her body. There are several ways to become one. A Sudden Shock: According to one legend, a beautiful woman of distinguished ancestry – such as a village priestess or princess – is bathing in a tub of vinegar, perhaps as a cleansing ritual. She is surprised by a male intruder who enters unannounced and sees her naked. So startled and enraged is she by this insult that her head jerks up sharply enough to literally separate itself from her body, turning her into a penanggalan! She attacks the man, killing him or frightening him off, and then continues to haunt the region. Acts of Vengeance: A woman against whom a terrible wrong has been committed may transform into a monster to gain revenge, either spontaneously or with help from a local witch. This version is less likely to attack innocents, and may be able to subsist on any type of blood rather requiring that of children and pregnant mothers. After fulfilling her desire for vengeance, she may continue to haunt the area, playing tricks or disposing of other bad people. This version is the most suitable origin for a player character.

Some legends also require it be blessed by a priest before it is destroyed. Others require the vat of vinegar or body be sabotaged, either by having crushed garlic mixed into the vinegar (to poison the creature when it returns) or by inserting shards of broken glass into the head cavity (so the creature’s organs will be sliced to bits when it reunites with its torso). If this is necessary and these procedures aren’t followed, it’s possible that destroying the body will just leave the floating head alive, but be unable to sleep or pass as human.

PENANGGALAN These statistics represent a fairly typical penanggalan.

Variations

Penanggalan (Human Form) -1 points Advantages: Alternate Form (Detached Head; Projected Form, -50%) [49]. Disadvantages: Restricted Diet (Blood of children or pregnant woman) [-20]; Secret (Penanggalan) [-30]. Features: The Projected Form limitation on Alternate Form means that after transformation the body (minus the head and organs!) is left behind, seemingly dead. Damage to either form carries over to the other; it’s up to the GM whether to apply any further special requirements for destruction of the body.

Penanggalan (Detached Head Form) -4 points Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: SM -1. Advantages: Corrosion Attack 1 point (Aura, +80%; Aura is torso only, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%) [5]; Filter Lungs [5]; Flight [40]; Immunity to Sickness [15]; Night Vision 9 [9]; Slippery 3 [6]; Vampiric Bite [30].

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Perk: Pestilent. [1] Disadvantages: Appearance (Monstrous) [-20]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; One Arm (Extra-Flexible) [-15]; Restricted Diet (Blood of children, pregnant woman, or recent mother) [-20]; Social Stigma (Monster) [-15]; Uncontrollable Appetite (12) (Human Blood) [-15]; Vulnerability (Cutting, ¥2) [-30]. Features: Pestilent (see GURPS Horror, p. 22) means that if it injures a living person via bite or its corrosive entrails, the victim must check for infection (p. B444) at -3, just as if he had been wounded in a locale with a special risk of disease. The detached head and organs together weigh one-sixth the weight of the original body. Slippery and Vulnerability do not apply to the entity’s skull or face.

If the penanggalan can pass though solid objects, add Insubstantiality (Cost Fatigue, 2 FP, -10%) [72]. If it is a good person driven by revenge, considering adding Cannot Harm Innocents [-10] and Obsession (Revenge) (6) [-10], and possibly replacing the need for children or pregnant woman’s blood with Restricted Diet (Human Blood) [-10]. Some penanggalan will have the Perk of luminescent organs [1] they can switch on or off, allowing them to see in total darkness (but also making them easier targets).

ABOUT

THE

COLUMNIST

David L. Pulver is a Canadian freelance author. An avid SF fan, he began roleplaying in junior high with the newly released Basic Dungeons & Dragons. Since graduating from university, David has written over 70 roleplaying game books. He is best known for creating Transhuman Space, co-authoring the Big Eyes, Small Mouth anime RPG, and writing countless GURPS books, including the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition, and the recent GURPS Spaceships series.

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THE

TYPEWRITERS OF TERROR BY

STEVEN MARSH

It hides. Not invisible – no mere chicanery can change the course of the world. It hides in only the best way possible – by not existing until it exists. Like a shadow, the potential is always there, waiting for the light to fall in the proper way. The blinding day can no longer keep the shadow at bay. The sun sets, and with it, the shadows shall emerge. – an excerpt from the book The Typewriters of Terror is a horror adventure outline, focusing on investigation and atmosphere. It’s designed with 1920s-era technology in mind, but the underlying premise can be used in many different settings. Although this outline can be played straight through, it works best as a story element woven through other adventures in an ongoing campaign.

Suppositions This adventure assumes the following facts: • Manual typewriters are used in some fashion in the world, and they’re common enough to be known and understood by the public. The earliest this adventure could happen without fudging the past is about 1890 (the late Victorian era, and also the Wild West), although the tweaks to history required to make it plausible would be minor and permit placing it decades earlier. Once upon a time, manual typewriters reigned supreme, but even today, they have a dedicated fan base. • Cults or other nefarious human agencies exist, and these cults are capable of tapping arcane abilities or dark powers. (This should be a given in most horror campaigns . . .) • There are text volumes containing information Man Was Not Meant to Know.

THE PREMISE The heroes should in some fashion be familiar (if only in passing) with Things Man Was Not Meant to Know. In particular, they should be aware that there are text volumes containing

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horrific truths. Ideally they should have some ties to the occult or a desire to keep such volumes from falling into wrong hands; it’s especially helpful if they wish to destroy such tomes.

THE BEGINNING During the course of another investigation, the adventurers discover an occult volume (preferably among other sinister accouterments). However, unlike the ancient tomes of times past, this is a new manuscript! The double-sided pages are clean, and the text has a typewritten font. The pages have been sewn together with some care, but it’s obviously not a professional job. A cover has been glued on, and there’s no apparent title (throughout the course of this adventure, it is referred to simply as “the book”). Analyzing the book for its physical properties reveals the following (in ascending order of difficulty to determine): • This book is not a commercial publication. (Besides the obvious handmade quality, it possesses no credits, publisher’s markings, or other identifying information.) • The book’s type came from a typewriter (as opposed to being professionally printed to look like a typewriter). • All the text came from the same typewriter. (All typewriters have minor imperfections in their keys, which can be used to trace back documents to the originating typewriter. The typewriter that typed the last page is the same one that typed the first one.) • The text was by a remarkably sure typist. There are literally no mistakes in the text, nor ever any indication that the typist didn’t know exactly what he was going to type next. • However, some letters do show signs of having been pressed more or less firmly, indicating that this was done by human hands and not some kind of machine. • This is an original first-generation printing; it was not generated with carbon paper or other duplication means. (This can be determined by examining the strike marks of the letters on the paper; there is bleed-through that is appropriate for a first-generation document.)

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• The previous two facts combine to point to some kind of supernatural involvement. It’s incredibly difficult to type two pages, front and back, without any mistakes . . . let alone do that for an entire manuscript. (Of course, this could also point to a deranged mind, willing to type and retype pages over and over to ensure they’re perfect.) • The ink used is interesting, in that there is virtually no “ghosting” between pages. Usually, if someone were to type double-sided on a typewriter, some of the ink from the first side would end up on the platen. In turn, that ink would end up on the back of the next typed page. This either means the platen was cleaned between pages, the ink is of a special formulation that prevents ghosting, or each page was done on a different typewriter. (This clue should be very difficult for the heroes to determine, since it’s a huge step toward figuring out the truth). This information shouldn’t be presented as an info dump (even on highly successful rolls); if possible, it should unfold over the course of the adventure. If events happen quickly enough, they might even uncover more information each time they can collect their thoughts and investigate further. Ideally, the heroes (and players) should come to their own conclusions about what’s going on. Also note that they won’t know which clues are crucial . . .

Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. – Gene Fowler Analyzing the text itself from an occult point of view depends on the campaign setting, but in broad strokes: • The text is old and dangerous. (Details are left up to the GM . . .) • The information therein is real (as far as the heroes can verify); it is not the product of a deranged mind or overactive imagination. • There is magic/rituals/arcane lore/etc. found within the manuscript (the effects of which should be left up to the GM, but “dangerous” should be stressed). It’s not terribly easy to access – there’s no danger in someone activating its contents just by skimming it – but it’s self-contained. In theory, a determined neophyte occultist could unlock its dangerous potential without too much difficulty. • The book itself is otherwise normal and devoid of magical protection. Its pages can rip, the paper will willingly burn, etc.

WHEN SUDDENLY . . . If possible, the GM should arrange for the book to be lost or destroyed. This can be incorporated into the adventure in which it’s introduced. (For example, if the heroes encounter

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the book in the lair of a vampire they want to destroy, the flames that are used to bring that creature to an end may spread to its personal effects – including the book.) The book’s destruction can even be linked to the existence of the book itself. For example, a PC may attempt one of the rituals therein and roll poorly on his magical abilities. In that case, the book may burst into flames, turn into pulp dust and ash, or otherwise be destroyed. The annihilation of the book isn’t essential, but it keeps the heroes from piecing together too much too quickly, and makes some elements of the volume’s existence spookier . . . especially when they encounter another copy.

A COPY

OF THE

UNIQUE

Later, during another adventure (preferably one centered near the same geographical area as the previous scenario), the heroes acquire a second copy of the book. This volume should seem identical to the previous one. This should be played out as being as mysterious and scary as possible. If the heroes have experience with other occult books, they probably tend to think of them as unique objects; the Gotham copy of Defense of the Netherworld has different annotations, binding, and history than the London copy. Conversely, both copies of the typewritten book should seem very similar. (From a horror standpoint, that’s why destruction of the original copy is desirable; it keeps the heroes from doing a full comparison between two objects.) Examination of this version of the books reveals the same characteristics as the first copy (pp. 20-21). In addition, the following information can be gleaned: • These are, in fact, two separate copies of the same book. The text is identical in both, and they probably both came from the same typewriter (because the distinguishing marks of the typewriter are the same). • However, they are not the same book. (Although the distinguishing marks of the individual letters are the same, the typewriter pressure strokes and minor imperfections common to all typewriters are on different words/sentences/pages between the two copies.) This is obvious if the first book wasn’t destroyed – the heroes can directly compare the two books and see the differences – but it should not be obvious if the original version was destroyed. These facts should be difficult for the heroes to determine, and mulling over the possibilities should keep them guessing about what’s going on. Let the investigators draw their own conclusions, but theories they might come up with could include: • The book can somehow reconstruct itself or reform after being destroyed. (No.) • The book can be plucked from different eras of time. (No.) • Someone is able to make copies of the book at will, using a typewriter. (Yes – Occam’s razor is truly at work here.) Of course, even if the adventurers figure out that there is something able to generate copies of a dangerous book, this fact alone should frighten them – especially in an era before photocopies, personal printing presses, the Internet, etc. In a suitably historical campaign, the disconnect between “individually typed hand-bound volumes” and “multiple copies” should be played for chills.

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SOURCE

FOR THE

GOOSE

Depending on the structure of the campaign and how long the GM likes to let subplots simmer, the heroes could encounter a third copy of the book (with or without the possibility of destroying the second one). This copy of the book might even be the focal point of another adventure, where someone unwittingly taps its dark potential to unleash something awful. Eventually, the heroes should piece together that there are multiple copies of a really dangerous book floating around the city; that prospect should send them to investigate the origin. The heroes will be able to trace the books back to a likely source – Mr. Benton Snope. How Mr. Snope connects with the previous copies is left up to the GM. Maybe Snope traded (or gave away) copies before descending fully into madness. Perhaps someone broke into Snope’s house and stole a copy (and the heroes are able to determine that by interrogating the book’s owner). Regardless, the heroes should have a strong reason to suspect that the books are tied to Benton Snope – and this assumption is completely correct.

BOOK KEEPER If the heroes seek out information about the man before attempting to confront Snope, they don’t learn terribly much. Benton Snope is an aspiring writer whose works have appeared in several minor journals; he’s supported both by a modest inheritance and by his uncle (entrepreneur Thaddeus Snope). While never terribly outgoing, in the past year Benton has been especially reclusive; sightings are rare to nonexistent. Although Mr. Snope’s house must have at one time been a lovely abode, it has slipped into clutter and disrepair. In one corner of the house, stacks of blank paper are precariously perched on and beside a table. In another corner are copies of the book, sewn and covered, next to sewing material and blank covers. A few used typewriter ribbons and the trimmings from the book covers fill the trash can. In the center of the room is a desk, where a relatively new-model typewriter sits. Candles are placed randomly around the typewriter (presumably to provide light – the electric and/or gas were turned off to the house months ago); these candles are either lit or not, depending on how much daylight is coming in through the windows. On one side of the typewriter are blank sheets of paper and on the other side are typed pages (of course, from the book). The filth of an unclean year stains everything; rat droppings and insects cover various dinnerware and other signs of eating. Depending on how the heroes approach the situation, it is very likely they will encounter Benton Snope at his home. At this point, Mr. Snope is irredeemably mad; he also appears sickly pale and looks like a walking corpse. His day consists of awakening and typing, pausing only to eat when his body demands it, or to acquire more supplies as needed. The bulk of his food and supplies come from bribing a neighborhood kid to run errands, and he only ventures out in the most dire of circumstances. Benton will take any intrusion on his home as a sign of attack, and he will attempt to fight to the death. Though mad, Benton may prove to be a significant threat and may have even mastered some aspects of the book’s powers. (The inclusion of the aforementioned rats and insects – in either a mundane or book-summoned capacity – can heighten the tension of this scene considerably . . .)

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Even if the heroes manage to subdue him, he will not have any useful knowledge. His mind is long gone, and a sanitarium is likely to be his final destination (although the GM can have Snope provide the investigators with scraps of information – especially if it would heighten the tension or amplify the horror). If possible, the GM should portray this encounter as the climax of the adventure, with what follows as dénouement. (“Well, we took care of the crazy guy behind all this . . .”) It’s not, of course, but the recurrence of the book’s evil is part of what leads to its horrific potential.

Evil stories from an evil typewriter. He might even start a trend. – David Morrell, Black Evening

THE TYPEWRITER The heroes are likely to suspect the typewriter as the root of origin of the copies of the book they have been dealing with, and they are mostly correct. The copies of the pages and the bound, completed books all match the previously encountered copies (including the distinguishing characteristics of the typewriter). If the heroes are able to detect such, the entire typewriter will radiate dark magic and evil. If any of the investigators actually attempt to use the typewriter, he discovers the truth: The typewriter alone decides what it will type. Pressing keys cause text from the book to appear, at a speed equal to the speed of the typing. However, this revelation should come at a steep price: Whoever types on the device feels an overwhelming desire to continue typing. (Make an appropriate resistance roll at a significant penalty to avoid this effect.) These compulsive effects are cumulative; after typing as little as one page, the typist will feel an urge to stick in the paper again and continue typing on the back. Well before typing a dozen copies of the book, the typist’s mind will be as irrevocably gone as Benton Snope. (It’s probably wise if the PC’s allies restrain him before he descends to that point . . . Fortunately, it’s mostly straightforward for the heroes to snap their associate out of the effect, although his mind might be slightly yet permanently scarred with even a brief encounter.) Particularly observant or insightful adventurers may realize two other aspects, which the GM should not volunteer: The space bar doesn’t work on the typewriter. The typewriter is otherwise functioning correctly; pressing the “A” key causes the “A”-letter lever to rise up and strike the ribbon. However, the text that actually appears on the paper is different from what is typed. The typist might type T-H-E-Q-U-I-C-K . . . but the text that actually shows up is something more like K-I-L-L-Y-O-U-R . . . Otherwise, the typewriter appears to be a normal version of its kind (GURPS High-Tech, for example, has for more information on typewriter technology). For atmosphere, the GM may want to research an era-appropriate name brand and model for the typewriter; the Internet even has images of vintage typewriters that can be shown as references.

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All this becomes evident when the past comes back to haunt the heroes.

D-E-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-O-N The heroes may well get the idea that they should wreck the typewriter. The typewriter should be about as difficult to destroy as any arcane artifact in the campaign world, but no more so (and in fact it might be slightly easier). It’s 20 lbs., so it’s not something that’s trivial to tuck under one’s arm. If the heroes are smart, they will probably also destroy the many copies of the book that are in Mr. Snope’s house. A cruel GM would take this as a good opportunity for local authorities to investigate Mr. Snope’s whereabouts. It’s always exciting when the heroes are on the run from the police, fleeing a corpse they caused and trying to destroy deadly tomes at the same time . . .

NOT MY TYPE If the PCs attempt to discern the origin of the typewriter, they won’t get very far. They may be able to discover it was a gift to Benton from his wealthy uncle, Thaddeus Snope. Although Thaddeus is frequently out of town for months at a time, he is around at the time the heroes try to track him down. If the heroes are persuasive, deferent, and/or possess the right social connections, they may be able to learn a great deal from Thaddeus. The elder Snope gave it to his nephew just over a year ago. He claims he purchased it new from a local supplier of office equipment. He will also reveal that he was just trying to help Benton in his writing career, since previously, all his writing had been done by hand. He hasn’t visited his nephew in person since then, although he exchanged a couple of letters with Benton shortly after he presented the gift. However, all of Thaddeus’ letters in the past 12 months have gone characteristically unanswered, and visiting Benton was on his busy agenda for some time during his in-town arrival. (All this information will verify as true, if the adventurers have the means of doing so.) The investigators may even be able to learn about this before they encounter Benton Snope. Having Thaddeus Snope as an ally can make that portion go much more smoothly (he’ll be able to provide information about the house, and he has a key to permit entry), but he’s also a liability. Thaddeus will not support any efforts to use deadly force on Benton (even if presented with evidence of his nephew’s insanity), and he may turn on the adventurers if they have overzealous intent. Furthermore, if Thaddeus Snope dies during such an encounter and the heroes are implicated, their lives will be much more difficult; he was a powerful and well-respected businessman. Given that he was the vector for the typewriter, Thaddeus Benton may be a suspect for the heroes. However, he is a red herring. Furthermore, so is the office-good supplier who sold Thaddeus the typewriter. All these roads are dead ends.

THE RETURNED BOOK Life seems to revert to normal after the heroes dispose of the typewriter. They may continue adventuring and may even forget about the events. However, at a dramatically appropriate moment – uncovered, perhaps, among the possessions of another mastermind – the heroes will find . . . another copy of the book. Investigating it may reveal the following (again, in ascending order of difficulty): • These books appear to have a different origin than those first encountered by the heroes. The binding and covers are completely different than those of the first batch. • The text is identical. • So are the distinguishing marks of the typewriter that generated them. This pages seemed to come from the same typewriter. • This copy isn’t a re-bound or re-covered version one of Benton’s copies. Furthermore, the paper stock is different than Benton used. • The typist who made the impressions on this copy’s pages were different from the one who made the previous copies of the book. (The typist on the second set of books had a lighter type stroke than Benton.) The heroes will hopefully have a hard time reconciling these differences. Evidence points to the fact that the same typewriter made both copies, but with different typists. The timeline for the typewriter Benton had doesn’t allow for another user; it was factory-fresh when he got it, and he succumbed to its charms within a couple of weeks of owning it.

NOBODY, TOO The heroes can eventually trace the new copy to Madlyne Oaks, a well-respected elderly widow who has been little seen in recent weeks. (How the PCs track her down is up to the GM, but it would probably be similar to how they found Benton.) Mrs. Oaks’ spacious house is in a similar state of ruin as that of Benton Snope (but not as bad as Benton’s), and the main typing room has been similarly converted such that the typewriter takes a place of honor in the space, with lots of blank paper and several completed copies of the book. Although her husband died over a year ago, Madlyne has not deteriorated to the same level of madness that Mr. Snope did. (She hasn’t been typing as long as Snope, and her arthritic hands don’t allow her to type as quickly as him, further slowing her descent.)

Oh, I think writing is a real good hobby for a woman. You can cook up some supper, you can chat on the phone, then pop over to the old typewriter now and then for a few minutes. – Lt. Faraday, in Murder, She Wrote #3.22

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If the heroes choose a direct assault, they will likely face no significant opposition. Madlyne is frail, and her grasp on reality is weak (although stronger than Benton’s was). If the investigators subdue her without killing her (which might prove challenging), they may be able to interrogate her and uncover whatever pieces from the next sections that they were unable to figure out.

THE ROOT OF MRS. OAKS’ PROBLEMS The heroes will discover the typewriter is a different model by the same company that created Benton’s. If any PCs are foolhardy enough to test it directly, it will produce the same book using the same methods as Snope’s typewriter. The typewriter belonged to her late husband, and it became hers when he passed away. She found herself wanting to type again, but discovered the device’s ribbon had dried out. That’s when she requested that a neighborhood boy – Jeb Tawny – buy her a new one for her. He did, picking one up from Linderson’s Sundries. As a “coincidence,” Jeb Tawny is also one of the boys who used to run errands for Benton Snope – and Linderson’s Sundries is located one block from Benton’s house.

to its books. Each ribbon is good for six books exactly. (Examining the ribbon reveals that – unless it is at the end of its life – it is caked with typographical characters; the examiner may mistakenly believe that those are the result of mundane typing leaving behind an impression, rather than text that is released. Of course, a seemingly fresh ribbon looks like it’s heavily used – inexplicable unless you realize that the fresh ribbon contains six copies’ worth of the text bound within it . . .) Jeb Tawny is just a neighborhood boy trying to earn a bit of extra money by doing errands; he is totally innocent. However, Bryce Linderson is not.

THE TRUTH

Mr. Linderson – a successful salesman of miscellany – is also the leader of the Cult of the Ebon Robe. After decades of trying to figure out how best to bring his masters’ dark ideas to the world, he had a brainstorm after seeing the success of the typewriter ribbon (patented in 1886). He took the thin relic robe of the cult’s founder – the same robe that is the cult’s namesake – and meticulously unwove it, then (using patience and dark magic) rewove one strand each into modern typewriter ribbons. The infusion of the relic thread allowed him to imbue the ribbons with the essence of their dark manuscript. His selling of the ribbon to Benton Snope was calculated; Snope seemed like an ideal candidate for his purposes. Once Snope’s sanity had snapped, Linderson could visit Snope, picking up used ribbons and completed manuscripts. However, he had It’s entirely likely the players will figure out early on the core of not intended to introduce the ribbons to Mrs. Oaks; their problems is ribbons, not the typewriter. That’s fine! Before the fact that both Snope and Oaks used the same they encounter Mr. Snope, they have almost no connection to the errand boy resulted in that unnecessary attention. larger mystery: “Let’s investigate everyone in town who sells type(However, Linderson recognized that he would need writer ribbons!” Even after they deal with Snope, they have few to find a replacement for the near-dead Snope soon, concrete leads to go on until they meet Mrs. Oaks. so the passing of the torch was inevitable.) If the heroes start trying to round up the city’s ribbon salesmen, Once the heroes uncover the truth, this should Linderson will almost certainly become aware of it and adjust his result in a big climactic battle with Linderson and plans. In that case, the Cult (see The Truth, below) will try to deal the rest of his cult. Hopefully, the heroes survive. with the nosy investigators preemptively. It now becomes a twosided hunting expedition; who will emerge victorious?

Eagle-Eyed Investigators

AFTERMATH A RIBBON

OF

TRUTH

In fact, both Madlyne’s and Benton’s typewriters were perfectly mundane. However, the ribbons they used in them were (and are) powerfully enchanted. Each ribbon is, in fact, an enchanted “scroll” version of the book’s text, with layers upon layers of the manuscript housed in runes upon the ribbon’s surface. There is no mundane ink in the ribbons; rather, the act of striking the keys against the ribbon causes it to release one of the runes upon the paper (the force with which the rune affixes is dependent on the strength of the typist). When the ribbon is first installed, it unleashes a magical effect on the typewriter that disables the space bar. (The spaces in the book are contained in the ribbon; when a space is called for, it simply doesn’t release a rune when struck with a typebar.) The text of the book demands sacrifice, which is why the scroll on the ribbon is ineffective by itself. The ribbon feeds first on the typist’s sanity, then on his life force to give birth

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Since the ribbons (not the typewriters) are the core of the book’s production, additional enchanted ribbons could be in anyone’s hands. Tracking down other ribbons could form the basis of a campaign (although without Linderson to recharge them, the number of additional books in the world should eventually plateau). Similarly, any number of additional copies of the book can be loose in the world, and they might form a campaign fixture for years to come. There are many tales of forbidden manuscripts hunted down by those who seek to suppress their knowledge; it just so happens that this manuscript is much more modern, and the heroes are the hunters . . .

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

Steven Marsh is a freelance writer and editor. He has been the editor of Pyramid for over 11 years. For more details, read his Random Thought Table in this issue.

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DRIVING US MAD BY

MICHELE ARMELLINI

The way to a man’s mind is through his stomach! In a horror setting – especially a world where arcane forces exist – the heroes (and their players) often expect to face supernatural or magic-using foes. Here is a plot device that actually is a red herring, though it’s harmful on its own. It allows a change of pace from the usual werewolf hunts, and can be used to throw a curve when players seem jaded and adventurers assured. Sometimes, “evil” is actually something more mundane – which doesn’t make it any less dangerous! In some settings, it’s not uncommon for the opposition to deal with nosy heroes by meddling with their minds. In this case, however, the chosen method is entirely natural: They drug them. (If this doesn’t seem like something that is otherworldly or scary enough for the group, watch Shutter Island for inspiration. The feeling of being tricked by one’s own senses, the fear of being on the verge of insanity, and the loss of mental control strike as deep a chord as any vampires.) Sure, today’s villains have access to a vast array of drugs, and heroes living in a high-tech world might be wary of such tactics. Similarly, low-tech investigators may be afraid of deadly poisonings, but the effects of those are obvious. However, most people are less prepared for this devious approach, even though a suitable agent has always been available in history.

that attracts insects, and it’s not beneficial to them. Names having a similar meaning are common in many European languages (and another Amanita is called “fly killer” in Japanese). Another, grimmer explanation of the name is that people eating it would develop “flies in their heads” – in other words, eaters would become insane. The theme is carried on in other names, which translate from various European languages and dialects as “mad mushroom,” “evil fungus,” “devil’s cap” and “cow-hopper” (presumably, somebody believed that a cow eating these would behave strangely). The fly agaric stands out in the undergrowth with its whiteon-red livery, even though it can be mistaken for other edible species when it’s young. White warts on a dark cap are also present on its closest relative, the panther cap (Amanita pantherina). Perhaps these two have developed an aposematic defense, like some poisonous frogs – a sign to tell would-be eaters, “Stay away; I’m dangerous!”

Little patterned-striped fly agaric, chao-chao-chao, Many messages, many words have you, chao-chao-chao – Siberian Khanty Song

THE EVER-PRESENT TOADSTOOL With its vivid red cap dotted by white spots, it’s arguably the world’s most famous mushroom. Its English name is fly agaric. Its scientific name is Amanita Muscaria.

Where to Find It Fly agarics are native to temperate and cold regions of the Northern hemisphere (Eurasia, North America), where it grows in open woods; it was inadvertently introduced to other areas, including Australia, South Africa and South America. Even in hot-weather regions, it can grow at high altitudes. In short, it’s a cosmopolitan fungus; those who would use its toxins could live almost anywhere.

What’s in a Name It’s called “fly agaric” because it was deemed to be effective as an insecticide. It’s not, actually, but it does contain an agent

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MUSHROOM CULTURE Fly agaric is such a common and well-known mushroom, it has left its mark in culture and traditions.

Ethnography In Siberia, several hunter-gatherer and reindeer-herder ethnic groups still make use of fly agarics. Nowadays, they mainly use it for “recreational” purposes, consuming dried mushrooms in the long winter nights. Lithuanian peasants reportedly drank a powerful mixture of vodka and these mushrooms on weddings. An unconfirmed source says a similar tradition exists among Sami reindeer herders (and that reindeer also like the fungi).

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Philip Johan von Strahlenberg, a Swedish officer that was the Czar’s unwilling guest in Siberia in the 18th century, wrote that the mushrooms were rare and pricey. The poorer (and less-than-fastidious) tribesmen would wait for the rich to leave their huts to relieve themselves during a festive night, then experience the effects “second hand” via urine. (Indeed, the psychoactive agents remain active after metabolization.) Researchers have ascertained that in a Hindu Kush valley, Amanita Muscaria is used in folk medicine for treating maladies of the mind. There and elsewhere, traditional healers use it as an ingredient for many (dubious) treatments.

Shamans Polychromatic rock paintings dating back to the Paleolithic found in the Sahara seem to represent this fungus. These paintings are thought to have had ritual meaning. Most Siberian shamans achieve their trances through repetitive dancing. However, the spiritual leaders of the Ostyaks (in Western Siberia) and of the Koryaks and Chukchis (farther East) also made use of fly agarics, ritually gathered and eaten. The tradition continues to this day in remote areas. The shaman (man or woman) seeks an altered state of consciousness to be able to link up with the spirits and the ancestors, so that he can protect his folk from evil, or know what the supernatural forces want from the hunters. Some of these tribes hold in special regard birches and pines, trees that are ideal symbionts of Amanita Muscaria. The controversial Romanian philosopher Mircea Eliade argued (but failed to demonstrate) that mushroom-linked practices were degenerations of the purest forms of trance.

Did you know that the word “trauma” comes from the Greek for “wound”? Hm? And what is the German word for “dream”? Traum. Ein Traum. Wounds can create monsters, and you, you are wounded, Marshal. – Dr. Jeremiah Naehring, Shutter Island

Western Vestiges

Farther Into Speculation The Koryaks don’t consider the mushrooms divine, but they say they were sown (actually, spat) upon Earth by a goddess. The creator – the spirit of the Greater Raven – ate it, and became both very strong and happy. Coincidentally (or not), mushrooms in general are called “raven’s bread” in Arabic, in other Eastern languages, and in that Hindu Kush valley. Being strong and only feeling strong are not the same. However, eaters of the fly agaric sometimes report such sensations, occasionally experiencing aggression and suffering from body twitches. This is how in 1784 a Swedish professor, Samuel Ödman, concluded that this mushroom was the explanation of the Viking Berserkers’ rage. Given the lack of evidence

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and that the most common outcome of fly agaric consumption is relaxed intoxication, this is now considered speculation. Not that it’s the wildest of them all. Robert Gordon Wasson, a U.S. banker and independent researcher, thought that the mythical, god-like plant called Soma in the Rig Veda, granting “light” (insight?) and curative effects, had to be this mushroom. Robert Graves deemed that Dionysus’ maenads didn’t just drink wine, and the centaurs also made use of fly agarics. Milarepa, the famous Tibetan yogi, prepared a very specially seasoned tea for the initiation of a disciple. Apparently, when foam dropped from the mouth of Wotan’s horse on the ground (a coincidence with the Koryaks’ spitting goddess?), these mushrooms sprouted. Wotan was the god that hung between life and death on the tree of life, the god of wisdom and runes, and he’s accompanied by crows (who, of course, fly). Virtually any manifestation of the supernatural – including the Bible – could be somehow linked with intoxication by writers. Some authors hypothesized that prophets and visionaries made use of the mushrooms, or surmised that they were the Enemy’s tool: The god worshipped by the Philistines in Ekron had oracles and was maligned as being worshipped by drunkards . . . and one of the possible translations of his name, BaalZebub, is “Lord of the Flies.” Other bold authors described alleged points of contact with other deities that used or provided some unique food or drink. Zeus had ambrosia, and Ahura Mazda possessed a sacred plant. Initiates of Mithra had a special wine for their banquet, and Christians have the most exceptional of them all. Of course, there are regions of the world where the climate is largely unsuitable for Amanitas. In these areas, mainstream religions don’t offer special food. Instead, the djinn, or even older entities, hold sway there. An occultist might wonder what is the cause and what the effects. Are the djinn jealous of the powers that fly agarics grant to mere mortals, or are they powerful in those areas because the mushroom can’t gain a foothold there?

A conspiracy theorist would argue that there must be some opposition to the fungi in the West, too. If widespread religions were really based on psychoactive mushrooms, powerful agencies would likely want to keep that a secret in the world. The fungus also has a terrible reputation; somebody must be working hard against the fly agarics. Yet, notwithstanding this age-old plan to suppress their use, they crop up all too often. For instance, in medieval and Renaissance art, where every flower has a symbolic meaning, red-and-white mushrooms abound. Many believe Alice in Wonderland to be rife with hidden lore. It features a hookah-smoking Caterpillar sitting on a toadstool, and a famous fungus-induced size warp. If one thinks pine trees, little mushroom decorations, the longest winter nights, red-and-white, and reindeer? He’ll see the Santa Claus link – never mind that Santa used to wear mostly green. Maybe the most surprising revival of the mushroom took place in the 1880s in Italy, when a physician proposed (and tested!) its use as a replacement for wine when prices for the fermented beverage were rising. Meanwhile, H.G. Wells confined his experimentation to fiction (or did he?), with his short story The Purple Pileus; the protagonist’s life is changed forever by a little bit of fungus.

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Today, there is a fringe culture interested in fly agarics, but they remain dangerous; many countries forbid consuming them by law. Of course, in a horror or conspiracy setting, this might be just the very outer layer of the (poisonous?) onion. Who knows what’s at the core?

THE SCIENCE Understanding fly agaric and treating its effects depends on the amount ingested and the tech level of the era.

Toxic Agents For quite some time, it was thought that the main toxic agent in the fly agaric was muscarine. This substance wreaks havoc on the peripheral nervous system, but it’s actually present in trace amounts only. It may have some effect in rare cases, with very large quantities. The main toxins are actually ibotenic acid and muscimol, the former a precursor of the latter; decarboxylation of ibotenic acid (easily achieved by drying the mushrooms) yields a smaller amount of muscimol. This is more potent. These agents affect the central nervous system, producing psychoactive effects. They work like neurotransmitters, causing “interference.”

Low–Tech Treatment Up until TL7, the fly agaric was considered a lethally poisonous mushroom. This probably exaggerates its deadliness, but the medical procedures of the time have to be taken into account – the main danger is coma (p. B429). For other methods of dealing with exposure to fly agaric, see Treatments on p. B439. In most cultures, the first defense against poisoning, including in this case, was to induce vomiting (p. B429), sometimes very vigorously. This will impact the psychoactive effects only marginally (if they have already begun). Of course, if one isn’t sure which poisonous mushrooms have been eaten, emptying the digestive tract covers all bases. Gastric lavage is common at TL6. From TL7 on, assume that a healthy patient in an average hospital will soon be out of danger.

THE EFFECTS

IN

GURPS

So, what happens if some adventurers are served a few fly agarics in their dinner?

Doses The concentration of the mushroom’s psychoactive agents varies unpredictably. Spring mushrooms are said to be more dangerous than late ones, and the same applies to dried caps vs. fresh ones. Badly preserved dried mushrooms are less dangerous. The victim’s body mass also plays a key role. It’s up to the GM to determine whether the victim has consumed a small, large, or huge dose. These are relative quantities; children and pets are more likely to eat a “huge dose” of mushrooms with respect to their size.

Small Dose In addition to the following conditions, roll once on the Special Effects table (below).

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Nausea: About 30 to 90 minutes after ingestion of a small dose, roll against HT+2. Success gives you just a fleeting bad feeling. Failure makes you nauseated (p. B428) – you can roll against HT every 15 minutes to overcome this effect. Critical failure has you retching (p. B429) for a minute, but after that, you will get an immediate HT+2 roll to end the nausea. Intoxication: About 15 minutes later, roll to determine intoxication effects, as per p. B439-440. This dose counts for a basic -1 penalty; if you’ve also had alcohol, consider those as “additional” drinks. The effect is cumulative. Don’t take into account alcohol-related traits. You also have a -1 if Skinny, +1 if Fat, and +2 if Very Fat. If you don’t become tipsy (p. B428), that’s the end of the effects. You will feel groggy and weird, until you get some sleep. Sleepiness: If you become tipsy, you remain so for one to four hours; then you become drowsy (p. B428). If you manage to stay awake for at least another four hours, the effects are over, but you lose 2 FP due to lack of sleep.

Also Known As . . . More powerful and sophisticated drugs become available at higher tech levels, and there are places where these mushrooms don’t grow. The GM may simply use the effects described herein to represent any fictional devilish concoction, even when fly agarics aren’t available. Thus in a fantasy setting these effects might be the result of consuming powder from rare creature’s horns. In the Kalahari desert, it might be a rare cactus. In a sci-fi world it might be an alien plant. Regardless, the effect should be (more or less) mundane and low-tech, so that any efforts to detect or thwart the effects as magic or advanced technology should fail.

Large Dose Not only do the following conditions occur, roll twice on the Special Effects table (below). At the GM’s discretion, the eater also suffers from Side Effects (p. 28). Nausea: Follow the same nausea procedure as a small dose (above), except the effect sets in only 15 to 60 minutes after ingestion and you roll against HT-2. Intoxication: Follow the same intoxication procedure for a small dose (above), but a failure means you are drunk (p. B428). If you succeed, you are tipsy (p. B428). Sleepiness: After one to two hours, you become drowsy (the same as eating a small dose). If you sleep, you will have extremely vivid dreams, the contents of which are up to the GM.

Huge Dose About 15 to 60 minutes after ingestion, roll against HT-3. On a success, treat the experience the same as a large dose (above), beginning with the nausea effects. After one to three hours, you fall asleep, but you will not get rest (or restore lost FP) from it. If you fail, you gradually fall into a coma (p. B429).

Special Effects Table Roll 2d, and compare the result to the table below. Unless otherwise noted, all results are cumulative; rolling twice or more can give multiple effects. All effects are temporary, ending once the rest of the mushroom’s effects wear off.

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Multiple rolls resulting in more than one hallucination increase the chances of stronger hallucinations. Roll 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Special Effect Skill bonus Synesthesia Dazed and Drowsy (p. B428) Hypersensitivity Perception distortion for 6d minutes, then roll again at -4 Perception distortion and hallucinations (p. B429) Hallucinations (p. B429), Fright Check at -5 and lose 5 FP* Hallucinations (p. B429) and Major Delusions (p. B130) Hallucinations (p. B429) and Confused (p. B129) Roll again twice Hallucinations (p. B429) and Phantom Voices (Diabolical) (p. B148)

Sometimes, victims behave aggressively. If they have disadvantages such as Bad Temper, Berserk, Bloodlust, Bully, etc., they automatically fail all self-control rolls. Those who have no such disadvantages may be given one by the GM (the listed-cost version, but with the applicable penalties to self–control rolls depending on intoxication). Those with Pacifism might lose it.

Seizure With large or huge doses, there is a rare chance that the victim may suffer from seizures (p. B429), with a 3d-second attack every 10d minutes.

Lingering Effects Normally, everything ends after a good night’s sleep. But occasionally, during the following day or two the victim may also experience one or more of the following (most likely first):

* The lost FP can only be regained by sleeping.

Special Effects Skill Bonus: You have +2 to Autohypnosis, Dreaming, Meditation, and Religious Ritual (any shamanic faith). Synesthesia: Your senses juxtapose: You smell colors, see sounds, etc. Extreme stimulation (GM’s call) forces a Fright Check (p. B360). Dazed and Drowsy: You are in constant danger of nodding off, and while you remain asleep, you are dazed. You can be snapped out of it, but if you stay quiet for a minute, you’ll be dazed again. Hypersensitivity: Bright lights, loud noises etc. cause moderate pain (p. B428). You have -3 to resist any sense-based attacks. Perception Distortion: You are unable to assess distances, sizes, and time. If you have Absolute Direction or Absolute Timing, you lose access to them. You also acquire No Depth Perception (p. B145). Hallucinations and Delusions: The GM should keep in mind Getting What You Expect (p. 29).

The Real Danger The system for adjudicating the effects of fly agaric is cinematic. Likewise, any mastery of these effects is fictional. The harsh reality is that this fungus is totally unpredictable. Wildly different and even contrasting symptoms may repeat themselves cyclically in a short time. People of roughly the same weight eating the same amount of mushrooms, gathered in the same place on the same day, often suffer from different effects. In addition, tests with rats demonstrated brain damage; the toxins are able to cross the blood/brain barrier. Just one poisoning may cause neuronal lesions.

SIDE EFFECTS The consumption of fly agarics can sometimes cause side effects; these consequences are up to the GM.

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Aggressiveness

• Hangover (p. B440). • Migraines (Chronic Pain, mild – p. B126). • Nausea (p. B428). • Drowsiness (p. B428). • Retrograde amnesia about the event; this may be permanent.

HANDLING

THE

SITUATION

How the GM reveals the effects of consuming fly agaric will make a big difference in how much of a threat it is.

Preventing Short Circuits Since the hallucinogenic effects require ingestion by (presumably) unwitting heroes, some special abilities might shortcircuit the situation. Mind reading or similar powers could be a problem. If these abilities are known, masterminds should stay to the shadows, having their delicious stews served by ignorant lackeys. The villains can always show up later – while the heroes are poisoned! In the case of Danger Sense, the GM can try to use misdirection. For example, if the heroes get a bad feeling when they are sharing the food with NPCs, the dosage may be tiny. Even if someone understands the threat is in the food, the NPCs are also eating. Either no one suffers any ill consequences, or they put it down to the wine. Then, later during another meal where a larger dose is administered, the GM may throw in some disturbance (say, a tavern brawl) that can be interpreted as the danger the warning was about. The GM should be careful when rolling for the effects. Ideally, the first time they are tricked, everyone will be unsure whether it was just the wine or something worse, and then they’ll believe they are seeing magically or diabolically induced illusions.

Describing What’s Going On Inside Once an adventurer is hallucinating, the GM shouldn’t just say, “You see strange things; you’re disoriented for eight seconds.” Rather, he should vividly describe the perceptions and sensations. The GM may require IQ rolls (at penalties based on dosage) for the victim to understand that it’s impossible for his body to have shrunk . . . or is it?

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Even when a hero realizes that the wispy enemies surrounding him don’t exist, he keeps seeing them. This is distressing and distracting – and it might mask a real dagger–wielding villain coming close! If the gamers are good roleplayers, knowing which traits have been negated and which temporary disadvantages they’ve been given may help them to better portray the situation. Hopefully, the trip down the rabbit hole will be fun and interesting for everyone!

Dear children, Be not deceived By the red toadstools! – Kobayashi Issa

effect than other people. And heroes not understanding what’s going on might believe anything! The power of these hallucinations also can be influenced by the victim’s abilities. If the adventurers expect to perceive evil spirits or magic or vampires, they are that more likely to interpret the hallucinations that way. Temporary Delusions can also provide interesting complications. A terrified victim may be sure he’s dying, a deliberate user may feel exceedingly fast and clever (which could be very dangerous if his actual abilities are substandard), and a shaman could think he’s achieved superior insight. In addition, many Phobias the eater has are likely to come into play.

Keeping Track of the Basics

Getting What You Expect The victim’s mindset greatly influences the outcome. Those who do realize they have been poisoned will probably be frightened, and are thus unlikely to have pleasant hallucinations. The GM may decide that a shaman deliberately taking the mushrooms has a better chance to achieve a skill bonus

The effects of fly agaric are most pronounced if the GM already keeps track of food and rest needs (or if he introduces them prior to the adventure it’s introduced). If the heroes think something supernatural is afoot, they may be afraid of sleeping, which will make the effects of the hallucinogens more pronounced. Once the adventurers understand the problem is with the food, they may become paranoid. Is it safe to accept a snack from the friendly local family? They can make the family eat first, but what if they are all habitual users of this stuff? And if the heroes don’t accept, where will the next meal come from?

THE VALLEY EVERYBODY SHUNS This is an adventure sketch providing a suitable backdrop for the introduction of fly agaric. It’s presented in an archetypical style; the GM will need to fill in the blanks as best suits his campaign. Of course, this little trick might be used anywhere – by a cunning court schemer, an assassins’ guild, a crime lord, or somebody who also has supernatural powers!

THE PLACE Everybody knows that region is cursed. Evil spirits, devils, or supernatural beings prowl the night, and drive foreigners mad . . . not that the natives are sane, either. Certainly, no invading army or marauders (or even taxmen) ever stay. And they come away with fearsome tales about losing their minds. The one access to the valley is through a steep gorge; in every other direction, there are forbidding peaks. The lower valley is forested, and that’s why it’s interesting for the Kingdom: tall, valuable trees can be felled. There are some fields surrounding the one miserable Village. Further up, the forest thins down, and there are goat pastures and some shepherds’ huts. Beyond the mountains, there’s the hostile bordering Realm; they support the Rebels and they apparently are gathering an army.

THE HOOK A group of researchers are at the Village. They may be archaeologists at TL5-7, or in a quest for something special or interesting at lower TLs. Communications are bad, and reports are worrisome. A nasty war is broiling. The heroes are

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sent to escort the researchers back, along with whatever they have found.

NOTABLE PEOPLE Although the important people in this adventure are described with titles evocative of their vocation, the GM should give them more interesting names.

The Researchers Their leader is the stubborn (and entomophobic) Sage who underestimates all dangers. The group also includes the cowardly, patronizing Stuffy; the Visionary (who can also serve as a romantic interest if needed), who thinks there really is something special here; and some other assistants.

The Villagers If the Researchers are predictable, the Villagers aren’t. The Chief is very old and confused. The adventurers might think he’s playing a part, but he actually is a figurehead. The real poisoner is the honest-faced, friendly Cook, a fat woman providing food for all strangers, either directly or indirectly. The Priest appears to be cold to foreigners, and acts as if he just wants to hide the truth about the valley’s “devils.” He’s in cahoots with the Cook. They, a few more Villagers, and the Maverick (see p. 30) are the “Fairy Ring” – those who are in the know. Other locals believe that their “Virgin Saint” protects the valley and chases intruders away.

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The Army The Captain (a sadistic bully) and a young, indecisive Lieutenant command the small garrison.

The unseen Rebels don’t push this attack when they see this isn’t an Army unit. The adventurers will understand the area is dangerous. If they have food supplies, they’ll be lost in the rapids.

Torture

The Rebels The rebel bands are headed by the Leader, but he and most of the men aren’t born here and distrust the Villagers. The Maverick is the Chief’s son, and he’d be happy to replace the Leader.

Before reaching the Village, the party must pass near the Fortress. The Captain is interrogating two captured Rebels outside. The scene is grisly and introduces the Army and its officers. The Villagers clearly hate the soldiers.

Welcome

LOCATIONS

The Researchers welcome the party, but the Sage is firm: they’ll need a week to pack their finds and leave. The Stuffy looks sickly; he’s had a bad night.

Several places in the village are important.

The Hall The village has no inn, so the Chief’s Hall hosts the Researchers and the heroes, with as much privacy as the GM thinks fit. This is where the Cook’s meals are served.

The Fortress The garrison stays in the Fortress, a decrepit fort. Parts of the wall have collapsed, and security is lax if the Captain’s not around. The Village (located not far away) has to provide food for the soldiers, too.

The Church

The First Dinner The Chief is introduced. The stew is harmless. The Visionary talks about the local superstitions, and those who are said to prowl the night (especially in the Old Church).

Wanton Violence In the night, savage shouts (and gunshots, if appropriate) are heard from the Fortress. Should the adventurers decide to investigate (the Villagers certainly won’t), no one opens the gate, and the Lieutenant, clearly terrorized, says everything’s fine. At dawn, a detail buries three soldiers.

The Church is covered with obsessive protection symbols (depending on the supernatural threat the Villagers think haunt the valley). It is dedicated to the Village’s patron, a vague female figure.

He tasted a little piece, a very little piece indeed – a mere crumb. It was so pungent that he almost spat it out again, then merely hot and full-flavoured: a kind of German mustard with a touch of horse-radish and – well, mushroom. He swallowed it in the excitement of the moment. Did he like it or did he not? His mind was curiously careless. – H.G. Wells, “The Purple Pileus”

The Old Church The Old Church is in ruins, on a small rise engulfed by brambles. Its intentional destruction is another reason why the locals are xenophobes. The Priest will react angrily to any questions about it. It actually has nothing important, but the ruins are physically dangerous and it’s eerie enough to suppose that spirits are there.

The Abandoned Camp The Abandoned Camp is a clearing in the forest. Loggers slaughtered each other six months ago (after a good dinner). It gives off a bad aura.

The Dig The Dig is where the Researchers are working. It’s another potentially dangerous place, and who knows what they are disturbing.

EVENTS The key events of the adventure are presented in approximate order of encounter.

Ambush in the Gorge Before arriving, in the narrowest passage alongside rumbling waters, the heroes come under fire across the mist.

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The Tour The Visionary recruits one or more adventurers to help the Researchers. The Dig can be visited, along with other possible locations (which can lead to the revelation of other legends). Two lesser Researchers report sick.

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Celebration The Sage throws a party to show the Researchers’ appreciation for the Villagers’ hospitality; the Army officers show up, too. Good wine is served. Most of the visitors will get at least a small dose of mushrooms (see p. 27). The Priest arrives later, so it’s likely the adventurers only get the opportunity to question him while they are intoxicated.

The Bait That night, the Maverick and a few Rebels light a fire at the Old Church. Their goal is to lure soldiers up there (and maybe other intruders), to get rid of them as they come down emptyhanded. The heroes may be suffering from intoxication, and both the Army and the Rebels are afoot in the night.

RESOLUTION Ideally, the adventurers should strike a deal with the Rebels and leave with the Researchers and any surviving soldiers. With any luck, the Captain will get what he deserves. The Party must be in a position of strength, because the Villagers have to let these foreigners go away, even though they know their secret. If the Party has helped the Village, the Maverick may accept a commitment to keep it.

It’s Over, Isn’t It?

Epidemic? In this foggy morning, several soldiers are in a coma. The Captain admits the adventurers into the Fortress if they offer medical help. The Lieutenant finds a chance for an aside, explaining that the Captain is going mad; he murdered the three soldiers. Everybody in the fortress has terrible nightmares.

Parley If one of the adventurers is alone, the Rebels attempt to kidnap him. (Otherwise, they kidnap the Visionary, who relays the following message.) The Leader and the Maverick just want to talk; they offer a free passage out of the valley for the civilians, if they help in getting the Army out, too. Whatever the outcome, the kidnapped person is released. The relationship between the Leader and the Maverick is revealed.

More Mushrooms The Party is again served a dangerous dinner, this time without much wine. Nobody is out in this night. The heroes should begin to understand what’s going on.

They’re Leaving! It’s raining heavily, and the work to pack the Researchers’ finds is halted or slowed down. It becomes evident that the Villagers are quietly leaving, starting with the younger ones; they carry away foodstuffs and livestock. By the evening, the place is almost empty.

War Coming Closer The Captain is furious about the Villagers’ departure, and he futilely patrols the valley. Reports come about the neighboring Realm’s army being on the move.

Hell Breaks Loose At dusk, after dinner, the Army surrounds the Village to interrogate the remaining old women; somebody will know where the Villagers are hiding. The Captain’s plan is to surprise them in the night, capture them, and hold them hostage. Perhaps against the adventurers’ advice, some of the Researchers also had dinner. Meanwhile, the Rebels are coming down to the Fortress, planning to take it easily because the soldiers will be intoxicated; and the Maverick has

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drugged the Leader. Plenty of the NPCs will start to behave as men possessed. Hopefully the party will prevent a general bloodbath, and they will be that more effective at that if they’re on empty stomachs.

For some gaming groups, this may be a double bluff. Yes, the mind alteration was natural; but how did the Villagers master it? Who taught them? The Chief, in the end, described the Village’s “Virgin Saint”: a crowned, maidenly inspiration. Maybe the old man was fantasizing, but his description matchs that of a powerful personage who oversees illusions, creations, dreams, and hallucinations in the Kingdom’s capital city. It turns out that she was born in that remote valley and has now developed an interest in the adventurers. The Visionary contacts them: Something strange is going on with the finds. Maybe knowing that secret is dangerous?

BIBLIOGRAPHY Brvar, Miran; Mozina, Martin; and Bunc, Matjaz. “Prolonged Psychosis after Amanita Muscaria Ingestion,” Wiener klinische Wochenschrift (May 2006), springerlink.com/content/x7708858k41v8251. A single case of lingering effects. Michelot, Didier, and Melendez–Howell, Leda Maria. “Amanita Muscaria: Chemistry, Biology, Toxicology And Ethnomycology,” Mycological Research (February 2003), erowid.org/references/refs_view.php?ID=6472. This contains nearly everything one needs to start with. Siptak, Cindy; Banerji, Shireen; Shaw, Marilyn; and Bronstein, Alvin C. “A Summer of Mushroom Poisonings: Cluster of 23 Human Exposures to Amanita Pantherina and Amanita Muscaria,” Clinical Toxicology 44 (2006). Analysis of a reasonable statistical sample.

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

Michele Armellini lives in Udine, Italy, with his very understanding wife, Silvia. His personal experience with mushrooms amounts to cooking and eating the safe and good-tasting ones. He makes a living from of foreign languages, but he loves dabbling with and studying the obscure and the uncanny – and trying to convert them into game mechanics! Apart from works he published in Italian, he has written for Pyramid, and he is the author of GURPS WWII: Grim Legions. He is also the author or co-author (with Hans-Christian Vortisch) of several GURPS supplements available at e23.sjgames.com: GURPS WWII: Their Finest Hour, GURPS WWII: Doomed White Eagle, and GURPS WWII: Michael’s Army.

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THE AIR LOOM BY

GRAEME DAVIS

James Tilly Matthews (see p. 33) was admitted to London’s Bethlem (Bedlam) psychiatric hospital on January 28, 1797,

A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what’s going on. – William S. Burroughs

after causing a disturbance in the British Parliament. When examined, he claimed that a gang of foreign agents was active in London, equipped with a device called an “air loom.” Using “pneumatic chemistry,” the air loom enabled its operators to read and influence the thoughts of government ministers and inflict tortures from a distance: torments with names like “Bomb-Bursting,” “Lobster-Cracking,” and “Lengthening the Brain.” Matthews’ case was documented in a book that is regarded by many as the first scientific study of paranoid schizophrenia. But what if Matthews was telling the truth and was silenced by his own government? The air loom could have been an early ancestor of today’s mind-control satellites and other conspiracy-theory horrors; it could also be seen as a pre-steampunk Bond-villain gadget.

THE DIABOLICAL DEVICE In 1810 Bedlam’s resident apothecary John Haslam published Illustrations of Madness, a book with the resounding subtitle Exhibiting a Singular Case of Insanity, and No Less Remarkable Difference of Medical Opinion: Developing the Nature of An Assailment, and the Manner of Working Events; with a Description of the Tortures Experienced by BombBursting, Lobster-Cracking, and Lengthening the Brain. Embellished with a Curious Plate. As a part of his study of Matthews, Haslam documented the story of the air loom. Matthews claimed that a gang of foreign agents – some of whom he identified as “the Middleman,” “the Glove Woman,” “Sir Archy,” and “Bill, or the King” – was using an air loom to influence the thoughts of public figures, including government ministers and even Prime Minister William Pitt himself. The gang had turned their machine against Matthews, presumably to silence him. He went on to claim that there were multiple gangs of air-loom operators active in London, and that they had been responsible for British military disasters in Argentina and the Netherlands as well as a 1797 naval mutiny.

THE MACHINE Haslam published a picture of an air loom based on Matthews’ descriptions. It was about the height of a man and looked something like an oversized desk. The operator sat at one side, controlling the machine by means of two wooden levers and a number of foot-pedals. From the center of its square top rose a windmill-like structure supported on four metal pillars; an array of short brass tubes or rods stuck up from one corner.

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A set of barrels was connected to the device by leather hoses. They contained noxious gases derived from such substances as “gas from the horse’s anus,” “seminal fluid,” “putrid human breath,” and “effluvia of dogs.” The machine apparently worked by projecting a specific mixture of magnetically charged gases toward the target. At least some of its effects required the subject to be “premagnetized” with “volatile magnetic fluid” by “pneumatic practitioners” who would trick the subject into inhaling “magnetic vapors.” This presumably drew the attacking gases to their mark in a similar way to “painting” a target for a modern laserguided weapon.

ABILITIES Matthews described several effects that an air loom could produce. In addition to reading minds, “kiteing” forced a thought into the subject’s mind and kept it there against his will. “Thought-Making” went further, replacing the victim’s own thoughts with whatever the operator desired. The machine also produced physical effects. “LobsterCracking” increased the pressure of the “magnetic atmosphere” around the victim to prevent blood circulation and cause death. “Apoplexy-working with the nutmeg grater” involved the introduction of fluids into the skull with deadly results; it is unclear whether the nutmeg grater was real or some kind of metaphor. Less well-described were “Bomb-Bursting,” “StomachSkinning,” “Thigh Talking,” “Fluid Locking,” and the intriguingly named “Lengthening of the Brain.”

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CREATING GAME RULES Rather than presenting detailed rules based on a particular setting, this section looks at the GM’s options for rendering the abilities of the air loom into GURPS rules. The GM should interpret the various powers that Matthews named (and occasionally described) according to the nature and power level of the campaign.

The Machine

James Tilly Matthews Born in Wales in 1770, James Tilly Matthews became a London tea broker. In the early 1790s, he went to revolutionary France with philosopher, former dissenting preacher, and fellow Welshman David Williams. Their visit seems to have been a secret peace mission, although the British government always denied that it had any official sanction. The two met with several members of the ruling Girondist faction, apparently winning some degree of trust. In 1793, however, the Girondists were violently replaced by the Jacobins. Matthews was imprisoned for three years before being released as a lunatic. Returning to London, Matthews wrote two letters to Home Secretary Lord Liverpool accusing the latter of treason and complaining of attempts on his own life. He was arrested after shouting “Treason!” from the public gallery of the House of Commons, and held in a secure workhouse before being transferred to the Bethlem Royal Hospital – better known as Bedlam. Matthews told the staff there that he had been betrayed by the government of William Pitt the Younger, on whose behalf he had taken part in “secret affairs of state” in France. Despite efforts by his family to have him released, Matthews remained hospitalized for the rest of his life, dying in 1814.

The air loom is a TL5 device based on 18th-century ideas about chemistry, magnetism, and pneumatics. According to Matthews, the machine was of wood (possibly oak), while brass was used for all fittings and oiled leather for the hoses connecting the casks to the main body. Designing and building an air loom demands an array of skills. The wildcard skill Science! is best, but can be substituted by Weird Science and/or a combination of Alchemy, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, all at TL5 or above. Construction requires Carpentry, Engineer, Hazardous Materials (Biological), Leatherworking, Machinist, and Smith, again at TL5 or better where relevant. These skills can be spread among a team of workers. Operating an air loom requires either Science! or Weird Science. In addition, the barrels must be refilled from time to time by someone with Biology or Hazardous Materials (Biological) at TL5 or above.

Powers The easiest approach to the air loom’s powers is to consider them as scientifically produced effects that mimic magic spells or psionic abilities. In most cases, range and severity should be increased: The air loom could apparently influence a subject over a distance of several miles, and its effects ranged from mind control to death. GURPS Magic include descriptions of a number of Body Control and Mind Control spells with suitable effects: Body Control spells include Spasm, Pain, Clumsiness, Hinder, Debility, Frailty, Stun, Choke, and Total Paralysis, while Mind Control spells include Panic, Terror, Foolishness, Daze, Mental Stun, Weaken Will, Mindlessness, False Memory, Lesser Geas, Suggestion, Enslave, and Great Geas.

GURPS Psionic Powers covers Telepathy, which is a psionic analogue of the mind-influencing effects ascribed to the air loom. Physical effects can be similar to Psychokinesis and Biokinesis. In addition, GURPS Fantasy-Tech 1: The Edge of Reality contains useful material on pseudosciences and unconventional forces. The effects are powered by the chemicals in the machine’s barrels instead of magical energy; the GM can decide whether more powerful effects require more chemicals. The barrels’ contents can be treated as a single substance (“weird air loom fluids”) or as separate concoctions that are used in differing amounts and combinations depending on the desired effect. An air-loom operator need not have a separate skill for each attack form. Science! or Weird Science should be sufficient, although the GM may invent a specialization called Air Loom if desired. Optionally, critical failure results based on those for magic spells may be applied. The victim of an air loom’s attacks defends using HT or Will as though they were hostile spells.

Lengthening the brain. – As the cylindrical mirror lengthens the countenance of the person who views himself in such a glass, so the assailants have a method by which they contrive to elongate the brain. The effect produced by this process is a distortion of any idea in the mind, whereby that which had been considered as most serious becomes an object of ridicule. – John Haslam, Illustrations of Madness

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ADVENTURES The air loom can be used in all kinds of TL5-6 settings, but it fits most comfortably in an early steampunk, historical fantasy, or Illuminated campaign set in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, such as the Dixie-1 and Britannica-6 settings from GURPS Infinite Worlds and the world of GURPS Thaumatology: Alchemical Baroque. Many other worldbooks also present suitable settings. GURPS Scarlet Pimpernel describes the situation during Matthews’ mission to France; GURPS Age of Napoleon details the period while Matthews was in Bedlam. GURPS Steampunk and Screampunk cover the natural habitat of Infernal Devices, while GURPS Castle Falkenstein and GURPS Goblins present fantasy-historical settings of a suitable tech level. Early 20th-century settings such as GURPS Cliffhangers and GURPS Weird War II could see the device rebuilt by a mad scientist, and an air loom would be a perfect class project in GURPS IOU.

Mind you, it’s also such vapours as Egyptian snuff; effluvia of arsenic, sulphur, and ogs; gas from the anuses of horses; and vapours of human seminal fluids, both male and female, all harnessed in barrels, that power his Air Loom – – Greg Hollingshead, Bedlam: A Novel of Love and Madness

SUPERVILLAINS A master criminal with an air loom becomes a megalomaniac with dreams of world domination. The Bond-villain tradition is to start with a public display of power – such as the elimination of a government minister – followed by threats and demands for ransom. As the government plays for time, the investigators must find the villain’s lair, overcome any defenses, and destroy the device or kill its owner.

BAD SCIENCE Even in a campaign where the air loom does not work, the plans to one have value as long as people believe that it might work. Many government agents and would-be master criminals seek its inventor and his notes. Only after many harrowing encounters, a painstaking construction process, and the challenge of persuading a complete stranger to smell a vial of gas do the heroes discover that the machine does nothing at all. Rubes have been known to turn quite vengeful when faced with such a revelation . . .

BIBLIOGRAPHY

GOVERNMENT AGENTS Heroes in an 18th-century GURPS Black Ops-type campaign are given a vial of a strange liquid, which they are cautioned not to open until they can persuade or force their target to inhale its contents. Later, they hear that their mark has begun to behave strangely, switched sides, or died from a mysterious but painful ailment. Have they been exposed to some disease or poison? Their questions meet with a wall of silence, and persistent inquiries may lead to being targeted for termination. If the air loom existed before the 1790s, British agents might be tasked with assembling one secretly in Philadelphia to disrupt the Continental Congress, or in 1775 Boston to assassinate Washington and break the siege.

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Opponents of the government, or their close associates, will be on the receiving end of the treatment. Quack doctors and patent medicines abound in these times, and most people think nothing of inhaling a strange gas as part of a treatment. Thus, a PC or friend could easily have been “premagnetized,” and an attack is sure to follow unless the party can track down and stop the air loom gang. The rumor of a foreign air-loom gang in London (or wherever the heroes call home) sends shivers through the government. Trusted adventurers are sent to track down the rumored gang and capture or destroy their device before it can be used.

Air Loom: A Human Influencing Machine, theairloom.org. In 2002, artist Rod Dickinson created a replica air loom from Haslam’s book. The accompanying web site gives a good overview of the machine and its alleged abilities. “James Tilly Matthews,” Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/James_Tilly_Matthews. Covers the air loom and gives a link to a digital copy of Haslam’s plate, now in the public domain. Jay, Mike. The Air Loom Gang: The Strange and True Story of James Tilly Matthews and His Visionary Madness (Basic Books, 2004).

ABOUT

THE

AUTHOR

Graeme Davis is the author of GURPS Vikings, GURPS Middle Ages 1, and GURPS Faerie among other publications. He works as a freelance writer and editor, mostly in the video games industry, and is line developer for Rogue Games’ Colonial Gothic RPG. He first came across the air loom while researching unusual technologies for Sega’s 18th-century strategy game Empire: Total War.

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RANDOM THOUGHT TABLE THE APPEAL BY

OF THE

PAST

STEVEN MARSH, PYRAMID EDITOR

I saw the film X-Men: First Class last weekend, and I was amazed at how fresh it felt. In analyzing why that was, I concluded it’s because it’s not set in the modern world. I don’t see too many films, but I’ve grown fairly jaded by most modern-day action fare. So many elements end up feeling the same; I imagine it’d be possible to intercut scenes from Independence Day, Mars Attacks, and Men in Black with any recent Transformers film and have a more-or-less seamless experience. Modern-day cars chase some threat through modern-day streets, while modern-day technology helps or hinders their progress. However, none of the usual rules apply with a period piece, and that’s what makes it interesting. Different historical eras are especially popular for horror . . . and understanding what a bygone era brings to the gaming table is the first step to cranking it up and making it even more effective.

A BALANCING ACT Part of a successful horror campaign is keeping the protagonists off-balance. It deflates some of the tension if the panicky scientist says, “The swarm of rabid bats will reach the city in 30 minutes!” and the heroes respond, “Hmm. We can meet them in about 10 minutes if we use our off-road hybrid. Let me pull up Google Maps to find the most efficient route. And let’s use cell phones to maintain constant contact!” However, many elements of the world were much less assured in pre-modern settings. Until relatively recently, the ability to connect a long-distance call successfully was not always a sure thing (let alone being able to afford it!). Navigation anywhere but familiar locales was frequently perilous. The entirety of the world’s information was not available instantaneously.

Turning Up the Dial Any situations that force the players to second-guess their assumptions or reevaluate what they “know” can heighten horror: • The madman is shooting at the door with a pistol. Wait; how many shots does a pistol have? Can a door withstand bullets? It’s probably safest to run . . .

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• Something Sinister deals a deep gash to one of the heroes. Wait; how advanced is medical science? How much blood can I lose safely? This might be really bad . . . • The only person who has the information we need is Hungarian. What’s the global situation with Hungary? Can he be trusted? Do we have a choice? Many players tend to be much more analytical and certain than most real people would be in horrific crisis situations. Keeping them off-balance with their knowledge of the world can be a good way to tip the balance back to uncertainty. At minimum, it provides some additional complication potential for players who assume incorrectly what’s possible! As a warning, it’s probably not a good idea to punish players for forgetting something that anyone in that era would logically know. At the very least, an IQ check to remember would be appropriate. (Unless, of course, there’s a reason someone forgets . . . forgetting “common knowledge” – and not allowing an IQ roll the next time – could be a well-suited result of a failed Fright Check!)

HOURS COULD SEEM LIKE DAYS . . . As another example of keeping the players off-balance, games set in bygone eras usually have different time frames than modern-day ones. A lot of mileage can come out of exploring these “time distortions.” You want to contact someone across the city? That’ll take minutes; not seconds. Is there a potentially helpful photograph you want to examine for clues? That’ll take a few hours. You want to get word to someone across the state? That’ll take days. You want to travel to Japan? That’ll take weeks. And so on.

Turning Up the Dial Make sure that everyone is more aware of dates and times. Having a vague sense that it takes a week for a letter to get there and back means more if the heroes realize the occult ritual will take place on the next full moon.

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In addition, since many players love for their heroes to “break the rules,” trimming corners on time estimates is a good way to make them feel ultra-competent. Let them pull strings and get a letter delivered in two days instead of three; it’s still much slower than modern communication methods.

FRIGHTSEEING TOUR Horror often develops from a sense of discovery and investigation – and what better way to hone that sense than to make even the “mundane” world feel different and alien? As L.P. Hartley said, “The past is a foreign country.” Thus, it’s good to let the heroes “sightsee.” What kind of adventure is possible aboard a commercial airship? What about a 1930s diner? And if the Orient Express is running, it’d be a crime not to let the adventurers explore it . . .

Turning Up the Dial Think about what kind of adventures can only be done in the era the heroes are investigating. In more modern times, a superhero movie might exploit the “world on the brink of war” to ho-hum effect . . . but in X-Men: First Class (the Cuban Missile Crisis) and Watchmen (alternate 1980s Cold War paranoia), these themes are much more evocative. The 1890s American West had an atmosphere of lawless and lawful expansion that – coupled with its self-sufficiency – leads to countless interesting possibilities (which is why “weird west” is its own genre!). The classic Call of Cthulhu adventure Masks of Nyarlathotep plays out with the looming threat of World War II in the background. And so on. Conversely, it can be instructive to throw the heroes a curveball or two, especially in early adventures. You don’t want players thinking the situation won’t end in disaster just because there are no records of (say) a mass murderer aboard the airship R100’s solo voyage. That doesn’t mean there couldn’t have been – history has a way of forgetting or covering up unpleasantness.

THOSE MUSICIANS NEED GET HAIRCUTS!

TO

Similarly, visiting past eras is a chance to take advantage of historical foresight to point out dramatically ironic elements or interesting people of the era. In a modern game, there’s next-to-no chance to have the heroes meet someone real who will be famous or important someday, but it’s trivially easy in a bygone era: “Thomas Alva! You stop fiddling with your sketches of ‘inventions’ and get back to selling newspapers!”

Turning Up the Dial You don’t want to overdo historical cameos (keep an eye out for when things go from “oh, cool!” to eye-rolling for the players). However, you don’t want to be too stingy, either. One of the “tricks” is to have the heroes meet a less famous person: Sure, it’s tempting to let the heroes meet Major Dwight Eisenhower in the 1930s campaign, but it might be more subtle to have them encounter a young Jerry Salinger during his freshman year at New York University. (Maybe something happened involving the heroes that sowed the seeds to J.D. living a life of seclusion . . .)

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“THIS COMPUTER HAS OVER 500 BYTES OF RAM!” Finally – and perhaps most usefully from a gaming point of view – bygone eras have access to lesser tech and resources. This is especially helpful in creating interesting encounters for use against heroes with access to guns. Modern firearms can turn many encounters into a thin red paste (unless the GM wants to increase the adversity’s protection to perhaps unbelievable levels). However, weapons from bygone eras are decidedly less effective than today’s counterparts. Not only is older technology frequently slower (as mentioned previously), it’s also almost always bulkier and more awkward. Photographing some horror for future study would be a great advantage, but cameras before World War II were the size of a watermelon and tough to operate effectively. Fountain pens can be challenging to use in many circumstances (and can lead to fascinating and frightening splatter or clog patterns). Bygone vehicles are usually slower, more fragile, and more prone to breaking down than modern SUVs. And so on.

Turning Up the Dial It’s been said that many great RPGs are equal parts fighting and shopping for stuff to help you fight better. While that may be an exaggeration, it’s certainly true that many, many players enjoy having their heroes spend fictional money. The perils of a pre-modern world can be laid out by making sure to prepare the players with a shopping list of available gear (including how much time it will take to order or deliver, if applicable): “Why does a medical textbook cost $40? Can’t I look up that info onli- oh, right.” Of course, that’s mitigated by the possibilities that open up for the unaware shopper: “Hey, I can buy a flare gun?! That might be useful!” The GM might also want to drive home the technological divide by showing the “cutting edge” in technology in some situations. For example, the heroes in a 1920s campaign might get some vital information via “radiofacsimile” – a broadcast version of the modern fax machine. It’s still much slower than similar modern technologies, but it’s faster than many alternatives, and players might enjoy skirting the edges of a tech they’ll know will one day be commonplace (or obsolete, depending . . .) Finally, to heighten the tragic/horrific elements, it might be good to have adversities only be slightly tougher than the era’s weapons and opposition. This not only makes things tough for the PCs, but it also instills a sense of hope: Humanity will probably invent something that can stop these creatures someday . . . if the heroes can only stop them today.

ABOUT

THE

EDITOR

Steven Marsh is a freelance writer and editor. He has contributed to roleplaying game releases from Green Ronin, West End Games, White Wolf, Hogshead Publishing, and others. He has been editing Pyramid for over 11 years; during that time, he has won four Origins awards. He lives in Indiana with his wife, Nikola Vrtis, and their son, Sam!

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ODDS

AND

THE FUTURE IS NOW! NO, WAIT, NOW! NO, WAIT . . . Over in this month’s Random Thought Table (pp. 35-36), we talk about the appeal of period pieces for horror gaming. Although it’s true that Lovecraft’s works didn’t start out as “period pieces,” those stories are so closely linked to the 1920s and 1930s that it often takes work to get the right flavor in more modern eras (although some games – most notably Delta Green – do an excellent job). While not tied to horror (directly), Sherlock Holmes also became strongly tied to the era in which his tales were written. To find new venues for gaming, try to envision other (then) modern horror pieces as being “period pieces” for their era. The Prisoner is great inspiration for 1960s-style conspiratorial horror, the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a good look at the McCarthy-era mindset, The Exorcist is a good inspiration for 1970s terror, and so on.

• “I don’t want to argue with you, ‘King Lizard,’ but are you sure the meteor-summoning spell is a wise idea?” • “The mind-stealers can lurk anywhere. Brutus, we need you to guard and protect Caesar!”

A Visit From a Penanggalan by David L. Pulver At the top-floor bedroom window, the curtains billowed, though there was no wind. Yet something else was there. Something terrible. The beautiful head of Zarina floated in midair, bodiless save for its bloody organs and entrails that dangled beneath it! “Doris . . .” the thing hissed, revealing a mouth filled with sharp fangs. “Doris, your husband hurt me! He and his friends took me, then tossed me away, like garbage! I know you have his baby, just like I did. Mine was too early. She died. So much pain. So much blood . . . But Mother showed me the way. Now you’ll share your blood with me, lah!”

LINES TO USE (OR NOT) IN A HISTORICAL HORROR SETTING • “Oh, fantastic! Zombies are attacking everyone on the Titanic’s maiden voyage! What else can go wrong?!” • “Well, if Archduke Ferdinand has been possessed by unspeakable evil, I guess the best thing for the world is to kill him . . .” • “So the only way to prevent werewolves from controlling the royal line is this ritual that will convert lycanthropy to hemophilia?” • “Okay; we need to be careful. This ritual is very delicate, and you know how Mount Pompeii aggravates my allergies!” • “If the fish-men succeed in summoning Cthulhu, it will result in the greatest flood the world as ever known. As Noah is my name, I shall not fail!” • “I think we’ve succeeded; we managed to kill all of the plague-carrying rats. Oh, except that one that got away.” • “If you can see evidence of the Greys, remember that they can monitor all transmissions, so be sure to use the code phrase: ‘That’s one small step for man.’ ”

ENDS

For more details on penanggalan, including GURPS templates, see this month’s Eidetic Memory on pp. 18-19.

ONE LIFE

TO

DIE

For a campaign idea, ask the players to get together and decide on which month in history – and where in the world – they would like to have a horror campaign set. Once they choose and make up characters, inform them that their heroes are going to die at the end of that month. (You might even let them know in-character – perhaps via a prophecy or other precognitive ability.) How much living can they get done in that month? What happens when tourism meets terror? As an added dirty trick, stretch the definition of “dying” at what was supposed to be the end of the campaign: “The next evening, you all awaken in your new bodies, thirsty for blood . . .” Then continue for another story arc or two.

Horror can strike anyone, anywhere, anywhen. From a small band of dwarves tracking a manticore to its lair before it kills again to an elite company of space marines dropped into a malevolent living ocean, any traditional PC types (and many untraditional ones, from visionary painters to realtors with peculiar Transylvanian clients) can become the heroes of a horror story. – GURPS Horror

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ABOUT GURPS more. To discuss GURPS with SJ Games staff and fellow gamers, come to our forums at forums.sjgames.com. The Pyramid web page is pyramid.sjgames.com. Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, and we’re putting them online – with links to let you buy the resources that interest you! Go to each book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link. Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata pages for all GURPS releases are available on our website – see above.

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