Sample file Who’s to blame

Writers Jamie Chambers, Brian Clements, Jimmy McMichael, Matt Vancil, Nathan Rice, Nathan Rockwood, Andy Vetromile Additional Design Cam Banks, Ben Dobyns, Chris Duppenthaler, Don Early, Steve Wolbrecht Editing and Development Cam Banks Proofreading Liz Wilhelm Graphic Design / Layout and Typesetting Digger Hayes Art Direction Renae Chambers Interrior Illustration / Photography Jason Engle,Sample Cornelia D. Moore, file Marc Studer Special Thanks Leila Aram-Panahi, Lizz Baldwin, Tony Becerra, Scott C. Brown, Stacy Chambers, Chris Clark, Jessica Clements, Cobbler’s Crystals, Matt DeMille, Tamia Diaz, Andy Dotson, Christian Doyle, Jason Doyle, Shawn Franklin, Mike Gallagher, Jennifer Gilbert, HeadGames Podcast, Tracy Hickman, Kevin Inouye, Kirk Isaacson, Matt Jay, Barry Johnson, Dirk Kahler, Anne Kennedy, Brian Lewis, Patrick Levad, Tish Lopez, Jaime Mastromonica, Cindy Messler-Early, Milton Eng, Phil Misner, Bill Murray, Emily Olson, Jen Page, Kristen Paulson, Steve Payne, Kevin Pitman, Phil M. Price, Cindi Rice, Aaron Rose, John Frank Rosenblum, John Schock, Shawn Shelton, Matt Shimkus, Jeremy Spray, Jesse Stratton, Wayne Tapia, Tree, Adam Utley, , Katy Williams, TJ Williams, Airan Sea Wilson, Kat Wood, Phil Woodard, Camille Vancil, Greg Vancil, Dom Zook, and the Purple Ninja Dedication To each and every teacher, friend, supporter, and fan that we’ve worked, played, and laughed with over these many years: You’re too numerous to name, and you are reading this due-in-part to, well, you. Remember to not take yourselves too seriously. From all of us: Thanks, Love, and Butt Kicks

Margaret Weis Productions, the MW Logo, , and the Cortex System logo are trademarks owned by Margaret Weis Productions, Ltd. Demon Hunters Characters and World created by Matt Vancil. Used with permission. © 2008 Dead Gentlemen Productions, LLC. All rights reserved. Table of Contents Introduction...... 4 Nationality, Ethnicity, and Origin–icity...... 25 Attributes ...... 25 Dice...... 4 Traits...... 27 Warning for Noobs...... 4 Skills...... 28 Skill Rolls...... 29 Chapter One: A World of . Derived Attributes...... 30 Dark … er … dimness...... 5 Gear ...... 30 Plot Points...... 31 JOIN THE WAR ON HORROR!...... 6 Character Development...... 31 Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch.... 6 Advancement Points...... 32 Mission of the Brotherhood...... 7 Example of Demon Hunter Creation...... 33 Brotherhood Training and Recruitment...... 7 The Order of the Infernal Scepter...... 8 Chapter Omega Fifteen...... 36 Mission of the Order...... 8 Order Recruitment and Training...... 8 Chapter Three: What It Takes...... 42 The Earthwalkers...... 9 The World of Dimness...... 9 Traits...... 43 Vampires, Werewolves, and Assets...... 43 Demons—Oh, My!...... 9 Complications ...... 44 Scaling Traits...... 44 The Good Guys...... 11 Clueless Mortals...... 12 The Big-Ass List Of Traits...... 45 Assets...... 46 History...... 12 Complications...... 66 ythic istory M H ...... 12 Skills...... 73 Ancient History...... 13 Benchmarks of Proficiency...... 74 Pretty Damn Old History...... 14 Skill Descriptions...... 74 20th Century History...... 15 Recent History...... Sample16 Cfilehapter Four: We Ride...... 80 Terrestrial Geography...... 17 Playing the Game...... 81 Africa...... 17 Using the Dice...... 81 America, North...... 17 When to Roll...... 82 America, South...... 18 Unopposed Rolls...... 82 Antarctica...... 18 Opposed Rolls ...... 83 Asia...... 18 Attribute Rolls...... 83 Australia...... 19 Skilled Rolls...... 84 Europe...... 19 Unskilled Rolls ...... 84 Celestial Geography...... 19 Complex Actions...... 84 Hell...... 19 Modifiers...... 85 Heaven...... 20 Assistance...... 86 Mad Science and Mystic Arts...... 20 Plot Points...... 86 Technology...... 20 Gaining Plot Points...... 87 Quantum Magic...... 21 Spending Plot Points...... 88 Ritual Magic...... 21 Spellcasting 101: The Mystic Arts...... 90 Mystic Arts Requirements...... 91 Chapter Two: Recruitment...... 22 Rituals...... 91 Sacrifice...... 91 Characters and Story ...... 23 Playing it Out...... 92 Creating a New Chapter...... 23 Getting Distracted...... 93 Recruit ...... 23 Getting Kicked in the Junk by the Universe...... 93 Veteran...... 23 Ritual Threshold Guidelines...... 93 Seasoned Veteran...... 23 Cheating the Universe...... 95 Concept ...... 24 Combat...... 96 The Turn...... 96 Adventure Concepts...... 143 Movement...... 99 Adventure Structure...... 143 Attacking...... 100 Scenes ...... 146 Defense ...... 103 Events, Adventures, and Campaigns...... 147 Special Situations...... 105 Playing the Parts...... 149 Getting Hurt...... 106 Game Mechanics and Storytelling...... 151 Damage Types...... 107 Technology and Magic...... 153 Fallout...... 107 Game Mastering Tips...... 154 Other Injury...... 107 Conditions...... 108 Chapter Eight: Demons, Angels, . How it All Plays Out: A Tactical . and Innocent bystanders...... 159 Example...... 109 Brotherhood of the . Healing and Recovery...... 110 Celestial Torch...... 160 Recovering Stun Damage...... 111 Anti-Tank Sally...... 160 Recovering Wound Damage...... 111 Brotherhood Recruit...... 161 Medical Assistance...... 111 Cipher (Standard)...... 161 Vehicles...... 113 Cipher (Glitchy)...... 161 Hazardous Conditions...... 113 Cipher (Human)...... 162 Getting Wrecked...... 114 Grizzled Veteran...... 162 Vehicle Weapons...... 115 Kincaid...... 162 Brotherhood Vehicles...... 115 Purple Ninja...... 163 Chase Scenes ...... 115 St. Peter...... 163 Types of Vehicles...... 115 Tree...... 164 Order of the Infernal Scepter...... 164 Chapter Five: The Warehouse...... 116 The Amazing Velma...... 164 Demon of the Order...... 165 The Warehouse...... 117 Sam Hell...... 165 Doors ...... 117 Missy...... 165 Equipping Your Chapter...... 117 Order Recruit...... 166 Bureaucracy...... 117 Johnny “The Demon” Ossesso...... 167 Availability...... 118 Clan of the Golden Fang...... 167 Cash Money...... 118 Master Wu...... 167 The Black Market...... 118 Ninja Vampire...... 168 General Gear...... Sample119 Syphilitic file Ninja Vampire...... 168 Omega–class Standard Gear...... 119 The Pound...... 168 Clothes...... 120 Pound Agent...... 169 Weapons and Armor...... 122 Specialty Equipment...... 128 Sisters of Divine Retribution...... 169 Holy Relics...... 131 Sister Mary Dillinger...... 169 Upgrading Your Equipment...... 132 Nun with a Gun...... 170 Services...... 134 Revout...... 170 Foolish Mortals...... 170 Chapter Six: How Not to Die...... 136 Frightened Teenager...... 170 High School Witch...... 170 Local Sheriff...... 171 Chapter Seven: Playing God...... 137 Mad Scientist...... 171 Overzealous Hunter...... 171 Role of the Game Master...... 138 Tabloid Reporter...... 172 Running a Game...... 139 Tourist with a Camera...... 172 Portraying the World...... 140 Tweedy Academic...... 172 Demon Hunter Conventions . Chris Weiner...... 173 and Themes...... 140 Random Supernats...... 173 Campaign Styles...... 140 Half-Demon...... 173 Serious...... 140 Vampire...... 173 Dead Gentlemen Style...... 141 Werewolf...... 174 Goofy...... 141 Zombie...... 174 Missions...... 141 Designing Adventures...... 142 Introduction

Greetings, recruit! Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch. You’ve joined the war on Dice horror, and you’re ready to fight for heaven to track Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes, down demons, monsters, and prevent Hell on Earth. unless you’re a vampire or an accountant. The Read the tome you now hold very carefully, as it randomness is represented in our simulations by the  may hold the keys to survival—though careless use of use of polyhedral dice. We use everything except this knowledge might well lead to your own doom. d20s, because they are too random even for us. I You’ve seen the orientation film—er, you have mean, seriously. Here’s what you need, at least one watched the film, haven’t you? If not, you might want of each—though things’ll go much faster if every to do that right away as it contains the basics—so team member brings their own dice. now you’re ready to dive into the deep and dangerous waters of Demon Hunter lore. d2 • d4 • d6 • d8 • d10 • d12 This volume contains information on the Brotherhood and the many terrifying, evil, supernatural villains that will most likely rip your Warning for Noobs entrails out through your eyesockets. Everything We’re not going to hold your hand or wipe from our history, standard procedures, information your ass for you. You’re going to be thrown into the on both high-level Hunters and the most notorious deep end of the pool—and it’s probably infested bad guys, the Warehouse and the most important with radioactive sharks. If you don’t know what a Hunting gear, and other stuff that wouldSample make this filerole playing game is, or think you need an easier sentence far too long, will all be found within these introduction, we’ve got one for you. Go to pages. www.margaretweis.com and look for the Another purpose this book serves is to hold Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch Recruitment the rules for one of our most important training Manual. It’s free, and may even be available from tools: Tabletop Simulations. Using the information your favorite online hobby vendor. Maybe you in this book, a Demon Hunter team can undertake know a fellow recruit who has a copy of the thing a simulated mission and practice tactics and strategy lying conveniently on his nightstand with the trashy while honing teamwork and problem-solving skills. romance novel he pretends he reads just for the sex Pay attention during these sessions and you might parts. It doesn’t matter how you get it—you should last an extra day out in the field. Of course, youcould make use of this resource. Just remember, there’s just use the rules to play a ridiculously fun game no crying in the Brotherhood (except when you get while eating pizza and drinking high-caffeine soda all junked). night—but that would be a complete waste of your Flip the page, and you’ll be ready to learn about time and ours. the world we live in, which should provide enough nightmare fuel to last you a month.

 Junked means “kicked in the ‘nads.” Chapter one: A World of Dark...... er, Dimness

t the end of the day, it’s easy enough to lay your head down to rest knowing the toughest things  you likely have to face tomorrow are assholes at work, family problems, or a swift death via an overturned semi-truck. But while any of these things could ruin your day, they leave you more or

A Chapter One: A World of Dark...er, Dimness less fit and in a state of good mental health. Well, except for the whole semi thing. What if there were something else, though? What if the world you see isn’t all there is? What if other things exist, darker things just beyond your perception—things so nasty, so terrifying, so brutal and dangerous that knowledge of their existence would leave you in a catatonic stupor, drooling into your bowl of Tard-O’s, while Aunt Lisa changes your Depends? That is the world you are entering, Meat. Take my advice: Close this book. Turn away. Go back to whatever it is you normals do during the day—find daycare for your children, file reports, take pop-quizzes in chem class, remove those Cheez-Bomb stains from your khakis. You haven’t closed it, eh? Wonderful. Foolish meat tastes so much better. Especially with a nice lemon béarnaise, a little tarragon … damn it, now I’m hungry. You are choosing to enter a world of supernatural horrors, where the unspeakable lurks around every corner. This world is kept out of the public’s sight bySample the Demon Hunters. file This world is less vibrant than the one you know, less kind, and less forgiving. It is a world of Dark—er, rather, a World of DIM-ness. Yes, dimness. That’s because you’d pretty much have to be a total dim-bulb to take a job as a Demon Hunter. The benefits and the pay are crap, and don’t even start to make up for the long workday, ruined weekends, and frequent dismemberment. Plus, no overtime—you’re salaried. In this World of Dimness, it’s all real. All of it. Demons, devils, angels; werewolves, zombies, vampires; ghosts, ghouls, guys in hockey masks who haunt lakeside camps; mad scientists, robots, brains that live in jars; nuns with martial arts skills and covert-ops training; nameless, unknowable terrors from beyond that have way, way too many tentacles (Seriously, I ain’t shitting you—WAY too many tentacles. And you know what’s underneath them? More tentacles); anything that results in sleep loss and ammonia-soaked bedsheets. Yeah. It’s all real. So, then. If this whole “safe and mundane life” thing isn’t working out for you, by all means read on. And if you’re having trouble finding daycare for your kid, I could totally watch it. Them babies is some good eats. Damn, am I hungry …