______Warning! Horror, Monsters, Violence & the Supernatural The fictional world of Nightbane® contains subject matter that deals with the supernatural, mon- sters, conspiracy theories, the paranormal, magic, war and extreme violence. The setting is our modern world taken over by demonic creatures from another world and their legion of nightmarish henchmen. Even the heroic Nighbane must turn into monstrous beings and use magic and strange powers to battle the supernatural invaders. Some parents may find the subject matter, violence, magic and supernatural elements of the game in- appropriate for young readers/players. Furthermore, the realistic manner in which the fictional horror material is presented may be disturbing for some young readers. WE STRONGLY SUGGEST PARENTAL DISCRETION. Please note that none of us at ® condone or encourage the occult, the practice of magic, the use of drugs, vigilantism or violence. ______

Sample file Nightbane® Survival Guide™ is a sourcebook for the Nightbane® Role-Playing Game.

1 Dedications To my loving family and loyal friends, who have stood beside me during my darkest hours and most brilliant triumphs, and always encouraged me to chase my dreams no matter if they understood them or not. You are my world, and I would be nothing without you.

– Mark Oberele, 2009

To Rachael Shapira and our son, Joseph.

– Irvin L. Jackson, 2009

To all the Nightbane fans who patiently waited for the saga to continue. This is just the start of a renewed focus on the Nightbane® series.

– , 2009

The cover,byMark Evans, depicts a trio of Nightbane on the prowl.

PDF Edition – August 2018

No part of this publication may be scanned, OCRed, reproduced or distributed in any way for electronic publication on the Web/Internet or any other medium.

Copyright 2009 Palladium Books Inc. & Kevin Siembieda

All rights reserved, worldwide, under the Universal Copyright Convention. No part of this book may be reproduced in part or whole, in any form or by any means, without permission from the publisher, except for brief quotes for use in reviews. All incidents, situations, institutions, governments and people are fictional and any similarity, without satiric intent, of characters or persons living or dead, is strictly coincidental.

Nightbane®, Rifts®, ®, Phase World®, Megaverse®, The Mechanoids®, ®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, ®, Coalition Wars®, After the Bomb®, RECON®, and Palladium Books® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Palladium Books Inc. and Kevin Siembieda. Nightbane Survival Guide, Nightlords, Night Princes, Nightlands, Night Avatar, Darkblades, Demonlings, Demongoyles, Demonsellers, Great Hound, Hollow Men, Lightbringers, Living Chariots, King Moloch, Morphus, Namtar, NSB/National Security Bureau, Preserver Party, Psi-Mechanic, Shadowboard, Spook Squad, Waste Coyote, Club Freak, Doctor Heron, Ashmedai, Blood Dancers, , , , S.D.C., I.S.P., Inner Strength Points, P.P.E., Potential Psychic En- ergy, and other names, titles, initials, characters, character likenesses and slogans are trademarks owned and licensed by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.

PalladiumSample Online: www.palladiumbooks.com file

Nightbane® World Book 5: Nightbane® Survival Guide™ is published by Palladium Books Inc., 39074 Webb Court, Westland, MI 48185-7606. Printed in the USA.

2 Palladium Books® Presents: Nightbane® World Book Five: Nightbane® Survival Guide™ Written by: Irvin Jackson & Mark Oberle

Additional text & ideas: Kevin Siembieda

Morphus Tables by: Kevin Siembieda with ideas and inspiration from the works of Eric Baierl, Roy C. Craigo, DeAnna Renae Bearce, Aaron Oliver, David Solon Phillips, and Edward Woodward III that origi- nally appeared in various issues of The Rifter®.

Editors: Alex Marciniszyn Wayne Smith Kevin Siembieda

Proofreader: Julius Rosenstein

Cover Painting: Mark Evans

Interior Artists: Amy L. Ashbaugh Nick Bradshaw Kent Burles Mark Dudley Stephen L. Fox

Art Direction: Kevin Siembieda Typography & Layout: Wayne Smith

RPG rules written by Kevin Siembieda. Nightbane®Sample RPG setting created by C.J. Carella. file Special Thanks to Mark Oberle and Irvin Jackson for bringing Nightbane® back to vivid life, to Mark Evans for creating a pro- vocative and moody cover, to all of Palladium’s dynamic artists on this book, but especially Amy Ashbaugh and Stephen Fox who han- dled most of the art chores, and to the most loyal, hard working staff in the game industry, Wayne, Kathy, Alex, Julius, and Jason. – Kevin Siembieda, 2009

3 Contents Random Character Detail Tables ············50 Outlook on the Hidden War ··············53 Dark Day ·························6 New Skills for Nightbane ················54 In the Aftermath of Dark Day ···············7 Education Modifiers ···················60 The truth about monsters ················8 Military/Soldier ····················64 The Nightbane Survival Guide ··············8 Psychology of a Nightbane ················65 Finding the Nightbane Survival Guide ···········9 A hero’s mindset ·····················65 The Hidden War ····················10 Optional Nightbane Specific Insanity Table ········66 Let’s start with the basics ·················10 Anatomy of a Morphus ·················68 Your first change ···················10 Finding meaning behind a Morphus ············69 The Morphus ·····················10 Nightbane Morphus Tables ···············69 The Hidden War ····················11 New Appearance Table ··················70 Surviving a war in the shadows ··············12 New Nightbane Characteristics Table ···········71 Keeping to the Shadows after Dark Day ·········13 New Morphus Tables ··················71 Clean Cell Phones ····················14 Alphabetical Listing ···················71 Unwitting Go-Between ··················16 New Morphus Tables ··················71 You are Nightbane ···················17 Alien Shape Table II ···················72 The Becoming ······················17 Angelic Table ······················73 Difficulties Maintaining a Normal Life ·········18 Aquatic Animal Form Tables ···············75 The secret to a successful escape ············19 Crustacean Table ···················75 A secret life as a crusading hero ············20 Dolphin/Whale Table ·················76 Nightbane Allies & Contacts ··············21 Fish Table ·······················77 Making New Contacts ·················21 Octopus/Squid Table ··················78 Creating Contacts ····················24 Shark Table ······················79 Theories of Origin ····················24 Artificial Appearance Table ················80 Theories of the Underground Railroad ···········25 Biomechanical: Aquatic Table ··············82 Theories of the Resistance ················26 Biomechanical Table III ·················83 Theories of the Nocturnes ·················27 Gimmick Toy Switches ················83 Theories of the Warlords ·················28 Dinosaur Form Table ···················85 Theories of the Seekers ··················28 Disproportion Table ···················87 Common beliefs held by the Seekers ··········29 Head ·························87 Theories of the Lightbringers ···············29 Arms & Hands ····················88 The Lunatic Fringe ····················30 Legs & Feet ······················88 Doctor Francis S. Mang ················31 Torso ·························88 The Quest for Truth ···················32 Extraterrestrial Table ···················89 Origin Subplots and Adventure Hooks ·········33 Fantasy Table ······················90 The Kafka Lost Diary ···················34 Infernal Table ······················91 The Night World Puzzle Box ···············35 Mineral Table II ·····················93 The Lost Mural of Verdicelli ···············36 Stigmata Table III ····················95 The Atlantis Society ···················36 Undead Table ······················96 The Crimson Ark ·····················37 Unnatural Appendages & Limbs Table ··········97 The Sable Diaries ·····················38 Unusual Facial Features Table II ·············98 Yuri the Mad ·······················39 Victim Table ·······················99 The Tomb of the First ···················39 New Talents ······················101 The Shadowboard & the Internet ·············40 Talent Manifestations ··················101 Libraries ·························41 New Nightbane Talents ·················101 Museums ························41 Shadow Weapon ···················102 The Seekers ·······················42 New Elite Talents ····················103 Other Nightbane ·····················42 Guardian Angel ···················105 The Nightlords & their Minions ··············43 Spelljack ·······················105 Other SupernaturalSample Beings ················44 file True Reflection ····················106 The Becoming ······················45 Nightbane Factions ···················108 Young Nightbane ·····················47 Faction Recruiting ····················108 Older Nightbane ·····················48 The Underground Railroad ················110 Transformation Rules ··················49 Passengers ······················110

4 Agents ························110 Contacts: 13 Reasons to become one ···········22 Conductors ······················111 DuBois Family, Faction ·················125 The Resistance ·····················113 DuBois Family, Victor DuBois ··············139 The Warlords ······················112 Faction Arbiters ·····················129 The Nocturnes & Seekers ················114 Factions ·····················108&131 The Spook Squad & Lightbringers ············115 Factions, Creating them ·················115 Creating NPC Factions ·················115 Factions: DuBois Family ················125 Step One: Faction Size & Orientation ··········116 Factions: Lightbringers ···············29&115 Step Two: Agency Features ···············117 Factions: New Wanderers ················126 Equipment ······················117 Factions: Nocturnes ················27&114 Magical & Occult Resources ·············118 Factions: Recruiting Tactics ···············108 Offices, Hideouts & Distribution ···········119 Factions: Resistance, The ·············26&113 Criminal Activity ···················121 Factions: Seekers, The ·············28,42&114 Internal Security ···················123 Factions: Spook Squad ···············30&115 Some Notable Factions ·················125 Factions: Underground Railroad ··········25&110 The DuBois Family 125 Factions: Warlords ···············13,28&112 The New Wanderers ·················126 Factions: Yue Crime Syndicate ·············127 The Yue Crime Syndicate ···············127 Factions: Zero Tolerance ················127 Zero Tolerance ····················127 Formless Ones (see Theories of Origin) ··········24 Nightbane Arbitration ·················128 Guardians, see Lightbringers Faction ········29&115 A Dangerous Life ···················130 Hidden War, The ··················10&20 The Nightlords ····················130 Maintaining Facade ····················50 The Factions ·····················131 Morphus: Anatomy of ··················68 Mentors & Nightbane ·················132 Morphus: Pick a Street Name ···············13 Shadowleague & the Shadowboard ··········132 Morphus: New Tables (start) ···············71 Other Supernatural Beings ··············133 Morphus: Your first Change ···············10 Official Government Agencies ············133 New Skills ························54 Nightlord Anti-Nightbane Operations ··········134 New Morphus Tables ···················71 What we know about the Nightlords ··········134 New Talents ······················101 Common Nightlord Traps ···············136 Nightbane: Becoming, The ·············17&45 Balashi, Grand Inquisitor ···············137 Nightbane: Character Detail Tables ············50 Victor DuBois ····················139 Nightbane: Dangerous Life ···············130 Dark Adventures ····················142 Nightbane: First, The (legend of) ·············39 Part 1: Dead Ringer ···················142 Nightbane: Life as a Crusading Hero ···········20 Visiting the Murder Scene ··············143 Nightbane: Maintaining Friendships ············20 The Spook Squad House ···············144 Nightbane: Maintaining a Normal Life ···········18 NPC Rogue Ashmedai ················145 Nightbane: Mentors ···················132 Part 2: The Hub ·····················147 Nightbane: Origin Theories ················24 Honeycutt Telecommunications Building ·······148 Nightbane: Psychology ··················65 Fourth Floor ·····················151 Nightbane: Quest for Truth, The ··············32 Adventure Aftermath ·················155 Nightbane: Running Away ················18 Heron’s Attack Mastiffs ·················153 Nightbane: Secret to a Successful Escape ·········19 The Echelon Entity ···················156 Nightbane: Stay Hidden ··················13 Doctor Winslow Heron ·················157 Nightbane: Survival Guide ·················8 Nightbane: Talents, New ················101 Quick Find Table Nightlords ····················130&134 Ashmedai Rogues ····················145 Nightlords: Anti-Nightbane Operations ··········134 Adventure: Dark Adventure Scenario ···········142 Nightlords: Grand Inquisitor Balashi (stats) ········137 Adventure Hooks ·····················33 Nightlords: Lady Lilith ·················135 Becoming, The ···················17&45 Nightlords: Lord Magog ·················134 EducationSample Character Tables (start) ·············60 file Nightlords: Night Prince Balashi ·········135&138 Espionage Tactics (start) ·················14 Nightlords & Their Minions ················43 Contacts: Creation Rules ·················24 NSB·······················18&133 Contacts: Invisible Informant ···············15 Shadowleague & Shadowboard ·············132 Contacts: Making them ··················21 Skills, New ························54

5 Looking in the mirror, a monster stared back at him. A mon- ster with his own face. Dark Day The next ten minutes were a blur of screams, terror, denial, “Where the hell is the sun?” tears and vicious scrubbing to no avail. The pure white scales It was about the tenth time that morning Rick had asked him- covering Rick’s body would not come off, and the armored self that question. And like before, there was no answer forth- pieces grafted to his shoulders, chest, and legs seemed to be as coming. There was no answer in the President’s plea for much a part of him as his wildly beating heart. His mind could- everyone to stay calm. There was no answer in the shaken call n’t handle it and he fled the monster in the mirror to join the from his boss telling him the stock market wouldn’t open that screaming masses in the streets. morning, and there was no answer from the bible that he almost It didn’t take much of Rick scaring the hell out of already never opened. panicked bystanders before an incredibly powerful hand At first he had looked out the window, wondering why he snatched him by the shoulder and pulled him between two couldn’t see any stars. It was the city, but you should at least see buildings. a few of the brighter ones overcoming the glare of city lights. “Man, you picked the wrong morning for a stroll,” said a Then he’d thought he’d seen . . . something . . . chasing . . . powerful, resonating voice behind him. something else down the street. Both were...well, monstrous. Rick turned slowly, a sense of camaraderie calming him even While his rational mind told him it was the panic and shock of as he stared up at the hulking half-man, half-spider thing tower- the situation causing him to ‘imagine’ he was seeing monsters ing over him. Rick, speechless, could barely make out half a running down the back alley behind his apartment building, he dozen other figures in the shadows behind the spider-thing. All hadn’t looked out the window since. of them were monsters. All of them looked different. And yet he Bad enough the sun didn’t rise and the sky was black, pitch felt he knew each one. black. Bad enough there was shouting, gunfire and random acts “Who...what are we?” of rioting. He didn’t need to scare himself imagining monsters The man-spider somehow managed a kind smile on that hor- lurking inSample the shadows. file rible visage as he answered. Giving up on questions that, for now, had no answers, he “We are brothers.” went into the bathroom to shave. While there was no work to- day, sometimes routine was the best medicine when the world ********** went nuts on you. At least that was what he’d always heard.

6