GURPS Horror Is Copyright © 1987, 1990, 2002, 2011 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated
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Written by KENNETH HITE Additional Material by J.M. CAPARULA, PETER V. DELL’ORTO, SCOTT HARING, WERNER H. HARTMANN, and SEAN PUNCH Edited by SEAN PUNCH Cover Art by CHRISTOPHER SHY and MICHAEL WHELAN Illustrations by ALEX FERNANDEZ, IGOR FIORENTINI, CHRISTOPHER SHY, BOB STEVLIC, and JACOB WALKER ISBN 978-1-55634-803-7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STEVE JACKSON GAMES Were-Forms . 61 Becoming a Werewolf . 62 Stopping a Werewolf . 62 Man-Eaters . 62 CONTENTS The Unnatural Natural . 64 Fear of Sex . 65 Attorney . 35 INTRODUCTION . 4 Fear of the Natives: Child . 35 Publication History . 4 The Manitou . 66 About the Author. 4 Criminal . 36 Detective. 37 FEAR OF MADNESS . .67 The Serial Killer . 67 1. THE RAG AND Doctor. 37 The Psycho Killer . 67 BONE SHOP . 5 Explorer . 38 Journalist . 38 The Killer Beside Me. 68 Embrace Your Fear. 6 Mystic . 39 The Evil Clown . 68 CHARACTER DESIGN . .6 Occultist . 40 Mad Nature: The Shaggy Ones . 69 Character Concept. 6 Police Officer . 41 FEAR OF MUTILATION . .69 Brief Biography . 6 Priest. 41 Mutilation Panics . 69 Character Hooks . 6 Retired Soldier . 42 The Ripper . 70 Personalizing Characters . 7 Slayer . 43 Jack the Ripper. 70 Character Development . 9 Tech . 43 The Disembodied Brain . 71 Motivation, or, “Why Are We in Writer . 44 The Creeping Hand. 71 This Graveyard at Night?” . 9 THE CHALLENGE . .44 FEAR OF STARVATION . .72 PARTY DESIGN . .9 Investigation . 45 Hungry Spirits . 72 Against the Darkness: Heroes . 10 Monster-Hunting. 45 FEAR OF THE UNIVERSE . .73 Working With the THE MONSTER-HUNTER’S Fear of the Foreign . 73 Other Players . 10 Things Man Was Not Monsters as Characters . 11 TOOLBOX . .46 Investigatory Gear. 46 Meant To Know . 73 TRAITS . .11 Combat Gear . 48 Describing the Indescribable . 74 Advantages . 11 Holy Water Heresies . 48 Fear of God. 75 Independent Body Parts. 15 Helpful Herbs . 49 Alien Invaders . 76 New Advantages . 20 Silver Weapons . 52 FEAR OF THE UNNATURAL . .77 New Limitations . 22 Magic Bullets . 53 The Ghost. 77 New Perk . 22 Ghostly Possession Modifiers . 80 Disadvantages . 22 2. THINGS THAT GO BUMP The Tulpa . 81 Secret Advantages IN THE NIGHT . 54 Malevolent Objects . 81 and Disadvantages . 22 CHOOSING YOUR MONSTER . .55 The Natural Unnatural . 81 Disadvantages from Fear of Witches. 82 Fright Checks . 26 Stereotypes and Archetypes . 55 FEAR OF OTHERS . .82 New Disadvantage. 26 Monsters as Fears . 56 New Meta-Traits . 27 Bullets Can’t Stop It! . 56 The Unseelie . 82 Faerie Fear Filters Skills . 28 FEAR OF TAINT . .57 . 83 Other Hidden Races The Occult!. 29 The Vampire . 57 . 84 New Techniques . 30 Vlad the Impaler. 57 Alien Infiltrators . 84 Powers . 30 The Ghoul . 59 The Metamorphic Invader . 85 FEAR OF DISEASE . .86 CHARACTER TEMPLATES . .33 Poisoning Phobias . 59 Academic . 33 FEAR OF NATURE . .60 The Killer Virus . 86 Aristocrat . 34 The Werewolf. 60 Stopping the Plague . 86 Artist . 34 The Wolf-Man . 61 Nosferatu . 87 GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSON Managing Editor ❚ PHILIP REED Art Director ❚ WILL SCHOONOVER GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH Asst. Managing Ed. ❚ MONICA STEPHENS Marketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN Page Design ❚ PHIL REED and –––– Production Artist ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales ❚ ROSS JEPSON JUSTIN DE WITT Indexer ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS GURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ ––––––– Print Buyer ❚ MONICA STEPHENS VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO Lead Playtester: Jeff Wilson Playtesters: C.J. Beiting, Kyle Bresin, Ciaran Daly, Chris Davies, Peter V. Dell’Orto, Shawn Fisher, Werner H. Hartmann, Martin Heidemann, Jonathan Helland, Leonardo Holschuh, Urtzi Jauregi, David Johnston, Michael Kreuter, Jonathan Lang, Jimmy Bruun Madsen, Phil Masters, Scott Maykrantz, Garðar Steinn Ólafsson, Ralph Palm, Kelly Pedersen, Emily Smirle, Shawn K. Stevenson, and William H. Stoddard GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid 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. GURPS Horror is copyright © 1987, 1990, 2002, 2011 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book 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 author’s rights is appreciated. 2CONTENTS FEAR OF TECHNOLOGY . .88 4. OMINOUS FEELINGS, Building in the Twists. 134 The Android. 88 GATHERING The Payoff . 134 VICTIMS: THEIR CREATION The Evil Computer . 88 SHADOWS . 120 FEAR OF THE STATE . .89 AND ABUSE . .135 ELEMENTS OF HORROR . .121 The Men In Black . 89 A GOOD BAD MAN IS Uncertainty . 121 FEAR OF DEATH . .90 Isolation . 122 HARD TO FIND . .136 The Zombie . 90 The Cell Phone Problem. 122 It’s Only the Wind. 136 The Mummy . 92 The Unnatural . 123 Cowards Die The Lilitu . 93 a Thousand Deaths. 138 STYLE AND THEME . .123 FEAR OF APOCALYPSE . .94 Styles . 123 FEAR, MADNESS, AND DECAY . .139 The Daikaiju . 94 Thrills vs. Gore . 124 Fright Checks. 139 FEAR OF HELL . .95 Gothic Horror. 125 Multiple Fright Checks. 140 The Demon . 95 J-Horror . 126 Cumulative Effects of Fear . 140 ”Be Thou Not Afraid”. 95 Survival Horror . 127 Stress and Derangement . 141 Fear of No Hell: Themes . 127 Not Just Stunned . 141 Frankenstein’s Monster . 97 Romantic Horror . 128 Tumors . 142 Symbolic Settings . 128 Demonic Possession . 142 3. DARK THEATRES . 98 Modes . 129 Insanity. 142 Tell Me More About CAMPAIGN LENGTH . .99 RUNNING HORROR . .131 These “Vampires” . 145 One-Shots. 99 Who Can You Trust? . 131 Psychiatric Drugs . 146 Extended Campaigns . 99 Timing . 131 Power Corrupts . 146 NARRATIVE STRUCTURES . .100 Changes of Pace . 131 Escape . 101 Props and Atmosphere . 131 5. TALES TO TERRIFY. 149 Gauntlet . 101 Adding Horror In . 132 SEAS OF DREAD . .150 Nemesis . 101 SCENARIO DESIGN . .132 BLOOD IN THE CRATERS . .157 Picaresque . 101 The Teaser . 133 Quest. 101 The Story Hook . 133 BLASPHEMOUS LORE . 162 Mix and Match . 101 First Blood . 133 ANTAGONISTS . .102 Making It Different. 134 INDEX . 173 The Nature of the Beast: Enemies . 102 GURPS Cabal. 102 Let the Players Play . 103 Precisely About GURPS Calibrated Evil. 103 Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of GURPS players. Our High-Powered Horror . 104 address is SJ Games, P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self- DESIGN PARAMETERS. 105 addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. Resources include: Scale. 105 Scope . 106 New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow – see what’s Austerity . 106 new at gurps.sjgames.com. Boundaries . 106 e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids, and sup- Rural or Urban? . 107 port in PDF form . digital copies of our books, plus exclusive material avail- Some Horrific Planes . 108 able only on e23! Just head over to e23.sjgames.com. UNCANNY POWERS . 109 Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). Our monthly PDF magazine includes Magic . 109 new rules and articles for GURPS, systemless locations, adventures, and much That Old Black Magic . 110 more. Look for each themed issue from e23! Standard Magic Items . 111 Internet. Visit us on the World.