Table of Contents RULES DERBY DAY ADVENTURE Credits 1 Introduction 22 About the Creators 1 Image of Derby Day 22 Introduction 2 Plot Synopsis 22 Background 2 Derby Day 22 Image of Queen Victoria 3 The Cast 23 Characters 4 Act One: Set-up 24 Tamara Swift 5 Rundown 24 William Swift 7 Joining the Festivities 24 Nigel Townsend 9 Class Information 24 Queen Bodicea 11 Aristocracy 24 Lord Byron 13 Middle Class 25 Lord Nelson 15 Working Class 25 The Rules of Play 17 The People’s Charter 25 The Basic Roll 17 The Cane Gentlemen 26 Resisted Actions 17 Gypsy Visions 26 Modifiers 17 The Chase Is On! 27 Base Modifiers Table 17 Act Two: Complications 28 Success Level (SL) 17 Rundown 28 Success Level Table 17 Mystic Battle 28 Penny Dreadfuls 18 Cane Gentleman 29 Fear Table 18 The Urchins 30 Combat 18 A Finnegan 30 Close Combat Sample18 Act file Three: Revelations 31 Ranged Combat 19 Rundown 31 Ranged Modifiers Table 19 Coachhouse Fight 31 Damage 19 Brulshar Demon 32 Effects of Injury 19 The Coin 33 Getting Better 19 Drama Points 19 Act Four: Climax 34 Uses for Drama Points 20 Image of Derby Day Race 34 Rundown 34 Magic 20 Lording Over 34 Spellcasting 20 Angus MacTaggert 36 Spell Backfire Table 20 A Grand Brouhaha 36 Repeat Casting 20 Viscount Duncannon 37 Dispelling 21 William Atherton 38 Spell Defense 21 Defensive Magics 21 Act Five: Resolution 39 Defensive Magic Types 21 Rundown 39 Lesser Sensing 21 The Aftermath 39 Blank Character Sheet 40 More Skulduggery? 39 Director Quick Sheet II I CREDITS Garner Johnson is a life long gamer who has been associated with Task Force Games, TimeLine Ltd., Producers: M. Alexander Jurkat, George Vasilakos and Eden Studios and is assistant manager of a local game and comic store. He earned degrees in econom- Director: George A Matzen ics and history, specialized in military history and has written or edited a number of adventures or rules Writers: Timothy S. Brannan (game rules) and Gar- books for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, City of Heroes, and ner Johnson (adventure and rules) Ghosts of Albion. Although a Chicago native, he cur- Unisystem Game Designer: CJ Carella rently resides in Nebraska, when not found running events at various gaming conventions. Editor: M. Alexander Jurkat Ghosts of Albion created by Amber Benson and Editing Assistance: David Chapman, Laura J. Lexan- Christopher Golden der Ghosts of Albion™ & © 2004 Amber Benson and Christopher Golden. ABOUT THE CREATORS All rights reserved. Used under license from Amber Benson and Amber Benson was born in Birmingham, Alabama Christopher Golden. where she enjoyed an imaginative childhood before The Unisystem™ Game System © 2004 CJ Carella. The Unisys- tem™ is used under exclusive license. © Eden Studios, Inc. All moving to California to pursue a career as an actor, rights reserved. writer, and director for film and television. Though best known for her three seasons portraying the white witch “Tara” on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she also appeared on television as Brian Dennehy’s daughter in a trio of Jack Reed tele- films. Amongst her film credits are The Crush, Bye Bye Love, Imaginary Crimes, Latter Days, and Steven Soderbergh’s King of the Hill. In addition to her act- ing roles, Ms. Benson wrote, directed and produced the romantic comedy Chance, in which she also stars, and is the co-writer and director of Ghosts of Albion: Legacy, an hour-long animated BBC serial. Ms. Ben- son lives in Los Angeles with her family. Christopher Golden is a Bram Stoker Award-win- ning writer best known for his novels The Boys Are Back in Town, The Ferryman, Strangewood, Of Saints and Shadows, the Body of Evidence series of teen thrillers,Sample file and co-author of the youth fantasy series Out Cast. He has written or co-written a great many books, comic books, and video games related to the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. In the comic book field, he has written tales of Batman, Spider-Man, Doctor Fate, and Hellboy. Timothy S. Brannan has worked for universities, the Navy, dot coms, and mental institutions. Oddly enough, less than imagined separates these places. He has graduate degrees in education and psychol- ogy, but pushed aside the loving arms of academia, where he is a professor of statistics, to draft the Ghosts of Albion role playing game. Amongst other writings, he is the author of three (soon to be four!) books on roleplaying witches in various game systems. When not writing, Tim can be found somewhere in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his beautiful wife and two wonderful sons. 1 TAMARA SWIFT: Well, something foul is afoot. For more information on the Ghosts of Albion RPG, Let’s have a look! kindly visit http://www.edenstudios.net. For more information on the Ghosts of Albion universe, please —EMBERS, ACT I visit the Ghosts of Albion website at http://www. Sampleghostsofalbion.net file INTRODUCTION BacKGROUND Welcome to the Ghosts of Albion RPG introductory demo pack! hosts of Albion takes place in a version of hese pages provide all that’s needed to begin 1839 England, a year after Queen Victoria’s telling tales and battles evil forces in the uni- coronation, where magic, the supernatural, verse of Ghosts of Albion. Gather a few friends and various monsters all exist. Supernatu- Gral evil is real and very deadly. Demons, undead, and a 10-sided die or two and get ready to Tplay. If that kind of dice cannot be found (look in any cold-hearted Faeries, werewolves (called ferals), and good adventure game store), a deck of cards (face or many other creatures stalk the wilds or fringes of suit cards removed and shuffled) will do in a pinch. humanity. Fortunately, the soul of each land empow- ers a human or two with great magical abilities to One amongst you should take on the role of Direc- fight against these forces of darkness. These people tor—the one that actually runs the game, keeps the are called Protectors, and they wield powerful spells. story moving, and embodies everyone who is not Although it is a time when many people still believe a Cast Member. This person should read all the in superstitions, the Protector’s role is still a secret rules laid out here and the specifics of the adven- one, not widely recognised, acknowledged, or ap- ture Derby Day (see p. 22). The others play the Cast preciated. Members—the characters actually participating in the events of the game. They can read the rules portion The Protectors are not alone in their fight, however. of this pack and should be provided with copies of They are aided by the ghosts of fallen individuals, the Original Cast (see pp. 5-15). They should not be they famous or obscure, who have the power read the adventure (that will spoil the excitement of to come when called and affect other supernatural the game). beings even while most of humanity can’t see them. 2 Some faeries can also be counted on for aid. These and granted a higher income than most ever hoped supernaturals are more benign, or at least realise that to see. The middle class is searching for identity and our world and theirs are connected and if mankind has turned to the idea of propriety, doing what is becomes corrupted or falls into darkness they are expected in terms of religion, marriage, and personal likely to follow. Human magicians, poets with occult actions. The middle class also desires the right to skills, or simply ordinary people with a sense of duty vote and to influence the nation’s future. towards Jolly Old England also assist. The working class is in a One may even find miserable position. They an unusual vampire toil up to 14 hours a day whose conscience for six days a week. Wages and ethics are stron- are low and the cost of food ger than normal for high due to tariffs on im- their race. ported grain. Many are on the brink of starvation. Life The setting itself is short, brutal, dirty, and is a time of transi- overcrowding in ramshackle tion and turmoil. buildings or tenements is The Industrial typical. There is a tax on Revolution began windows so quarters are in England around small, lightless, and filthy. forty years ago, Open air dunghills exist in but has not run its many of the courtyards in course yet. Over poor sectors and the sewers half of the popula- are woefully inadequate. tion is still living in Whether the working classes rural areas. There will revolt as they did in are only around 200 France in 1830, ally with the miles of railways. middle class to take power Steam power has from the aristocracy, or wal- been harnessed for low in their own misery is some textiles facto- yet to be determined. ries and a limited number of steam This miasma is thickened ships, but has gen- further by the various erally not become machinations of evil powers. common place yet. Sample file Demon Lords like Balberith London is lit mostly seek to enter into man’s by oil lamps—gas world to spread evil and light is reserved chaos. Powerful vampires for the main streets pass amongst humanity and theatre district, with goals of their own, and is not widely Queen Victoria feeding off the mortals, yet accepted. This is maintaining the secrecy of not the time of Jules their existence and actions. Verne, H.G.

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