ESP & Eyeliner

An 80s Action Adventure role-playing setting designed for use with The Black Hack

Written by yunglevain ESP & EYELINER is a supplement made for use with The Black Hack, inspired by that ever-enduring combination of extra-sensory powers, otherworldly horror and the 1980s.

Lurking at the edge of society are individuals with mental powers beyond the scope of the average mind. They are our only hope for fighting back the darkness that exists beyond the curtain.

Rules from The Black Hack apply normally unless otherwise noted.

CLASSES

1. Cop: All you want to do is make it home and crack a beer. Maybe you’re a small town sheriff, a big city beat cop or a federal agent.

2. Cultist: You believe in some kooky shit, but with what you’ve seen, why wouldn’t you?

3. Drifter: No family, no ties, nothing to hold you down or prop you up.

4. Geek: You’re familiar with the inside of lockers. You might be a hacker, scientist or arcade game mas- ter.

5. Greek: You’re a master of the keg stand. Your loyalty lies with your brothers/sisters.

6. Jock: No one stops you from scoring. You might be a star quarterback, jumpshot master or a hockey pro.

7. Kid: You’re at the cusp of puberty and nobody takes you seriously.

8. Mom: Family is important but you’ve got to have a life outside the home.

9. Punk: Up with black leather, hair spray and spikes. Down with fascists.

10. Vet: You did your duty and it haunts you.

Cops, Jocks and Vets choose advantage on all STR or CON tests.

Cultists, Greeks and Punks get advantage on all CHR tests.

Drifters, Geeks and Moms choose advantage on all INT or WIS tests.

Kids get advantage on all DEX and CON tests.

All adults start with d10 HD, teens a d8, kids a d6. All classes except kids attack for d6 damage unarmed, kids attack for d4.

Improvised weapons (chairs, pool cues, bottles, rocks, etc) add +1 to your damage roll.

Melee Weapons (knives, bats, crowbars, hockey sticks, slingshots) do d8 damage.

Small arms (pistols, revolvers, hunting rifles, bows) do d10 damage.

Assault weapons (Shotguns, AK-47s, M16s) do d12 damage.

Explosives (grenades, Molotov's) do d20 damage. DOCUMENTED EXTRA-SENSORY POWERS

If your character has ESP, roll on this page to get a power. If you get an ability with sub-abilities, roll a d4.

1) Apportation: Transference of an object from one place to another.

2) : Traveling the material or otherworldly plains via .

3) Clairsens: A psychically enhanced sense.

1. Clairsentience: Ability to gain knowledge via touch. Also known as .

2. Clairaudience: Psychically empowered hearing. Hear otherworldly sounds.

3. Clairolfactus: Psychically empowered smelling.

4. Clairgustance: Psychically empowered tasting. Taste the true essence of a substance.

4) : Sight beyond sight.

1. Medium: Psychically view and communicate with otherworldly beings.

2. : Psychically view future events

3. : Psychically view distance people or places.

4. Retrocognition: Psychically view past places and events.

5) Dowsing: Psychically locate treasures within the dirt—ground water, metal, gemstones, oil and even gravesites.

6) : Psychically lift your body into the air—and maybe even fly.

7) : Psychically create and manipulate fire.

8) : Psychically transfer thoughts into another mind-and maybe even control them.

9) Telekinesis: Psychically manipulate objects—lift, bend and even break them.

10) Thoughtography: Psychically burn mental images onto physical objects.

At level 1 all attempts to do harm via ESP deal d8 damage. At level 3 increase it to d10. At level 5 in- crease it to d12. At level 7 it’s d12 + 3. At level 10 increase it to d20. ESPERS

1 Volunteer Volunteer: You signed up for a strange project to make extra cash. 2 Lab Rat Lab Rat: You were experimented on against your will

Ritual: A rite performed by a mysterious cult left you imbued with 3 Ritual new powers

4 Exposure Exposure: You were exposed to weaponized N-rays

5 Mutation Mutation: You were born with your mysterious abilities

6 Omen Omen: Ever since the *mysterious happening* you’ve been altered.

After using their psychic powers all ESPers must roll their power die. If the roll is 1-2 then the usage die is downgraded to the next lower die in the following chain: d20 > d12 > d10 > d8 > d6 > d4

All adult ESPers begin with a d8 usage die, kids begin with a d6. After dropping a die an ESPer experi- ences a nosebleed. While suffering from a nosebleed an ESPer makes all tests with disadvantage.

When you roll a 1-2 on a d4 an ESPers powers are nearly depleted and cannot be safely utilized until a long rest. An ESPer with power dice life can overexert themselves and subtract 1/2 their CON directly from their HP to attempt to use their powers. This HP can only be recovered by a long rest.

STR DEX CON ESP attacks that can be ESP based manipulation of objects ESP attacks that can’t be dodged dodged

INT WIS CHA

Resisting ESP ESP based attempts to gain information Deception and Illusion

STR, DEX and CON determine tests to manipulate the physical world via ESP.

INT, WIS and CHA determine tests to resist ESP powers and manipulate the mindscape, astral plane and The Other Place.

All ESPers can: communicate telepathically with nearby ESPers and sense the presence of an- other ESPer. ESPers are also innately connected to The Other Place and are capable of interact- ing and manipulating with it—often at great physical cost to themselves (roll your power die with disadvantage.) THE OTHER PLACE

The Other Place is a twisted mirror of our own reality. Amongst replicas of places and objects from our world, are flora, fauna and architecture not bound by our own understandings of biology and physics. Experiments by factions on both sides of the Cold War have opened fissures between our world and The Other Place. These fissures can poison and taint the places on Earth they’re connected too—this can mean anything from crop failures, livestock die-offs and even mysterious illnesses spreading through communities. If large and stable enough they can even be used to pass from one world to another.

The atmosphere of The Other Place is toxic to most organic life on Earth. Without proper air filtration the average adult human will succumb to toxicity within 30 days. The average child can survive about 14 days.

N-rays are a form of radiation that while rare on Earth is plentiful in The Other Place. Efforts to weapon- ize it have revealed an uncanny ability to bestow certain humans and animals with extra-sensory abilities. Exposure to pure N-rays is fatal for all organic matter from Earth.

THE ASTRAL PLANE

A realm of that exists in space between human minds. It requires great skill and mental acuity to traverse this realm safely. Some believe it can be used to access other realms and dimensions beyond our human understanding.

THE MINDSCAPE

The deepest recesses of the human mind. A skilled ESPer can shape and mold it like an artist can clay. All highly intelligent life is inherently resistant to intrusion within their personal mindscapes. FACTIONS

THE FBI: Constantly investigating incidents related to fissures between our world and The Other Place. Kept in the dark by other intelligence agencies and the government. Many agents are being to resent this status quo and some are even beginning to put the pieces together.

THE CIA: Heavily involved in research into the nature of The Other Place and the nature of extra-sensory abilities. Denies and hides the existence of any such phenomena. Utilizes a growing number of ESP-abled agents in limited field operations.

THE KGB: As involved, if not more so, in the study of ESP and other planes as its American counterpart. See cracking the secrets of both as paramount to the defense of the soviet state and communist ideology. The KGB has been employing clairvoyants in the field since at least the 1950s.

THE CHILDREN OF THE ORCHESTRA: A new but steadily growing cult lead by the mysterious Starmoor Cleveland. The Children see The Other Place as a paradise and worship a pantheon of gods they believe inhabit it.

PAX TERRA: A mysterious corporate entity dedicated to “the enrichment of the human spirit and leading mankind down a path of peace.” They fund several research projects related to the study of ESP. Generating Faction Intrigue

What good would a supplement be without all the tools you need to generate adventure on the fly? On the pages that follow you’ll find tables designed to help you immerse your players in adventures.

Adventures in The City (any city)

1 A (well-respected)/(crackpot) 5 A politician who’s taken money from journalist suspects that the gov- (Pax Terra)/(The KGB)/(The Children) ernment is hiding the existence wants out of his arrangement. of psychic powers. 2 A fissure has opened up (by the 6 A mysterious disease is sweeping docks)/(some abandoned ware- through a low-income neighborhood. houses)/(in the sewers)

3 An off-the books diplomatic mis- 7 (d6) envoys from an unknown plane sion is being held between the have appeared in the city. Why are they U.S. and Soviet Union. PCs hired here? What do they want? to (protect)/(disrupt) it.

4 Mindee Brave is a pop sensation. 8 Something’s afoot at DreamStation Ar- Some, however, are claiming that cade. Kids getting a high score on a new her music secretly contains CIA machine are supposedly going missing. mind-control messages. FBI Intrigue: The truth is out there. Will you hide CIA/KGB Intrigue: Which side will you take in or spread it? the Cold War?

1 The FBI is hot on the trail of a se- 1 Safely transport a scientist to a rial killer who may have extra- secure research location. They sensory powers. are being hunted by (d4) assas- sins. 2 A would-be whistle-blower has gone missing and their partner 2 Protect a defecting agent. needs your help. 3 A discovery about ESP has been made. Steal it and eliminate 3 d4 FBI agents are in town investi- everyone who knows about it. gating reports of a mysterious creature. 4 The (CIA)/(KGB) have made a groundbreaking discovery. 4 A once missing person alleges Find out what it is. that they were experimented on

5 A spy is in hot water. 5 An agent wanting to know the truth behind ESP seeks your help 6 Volunteer to explore a new sec- 6 One or more the PCs is wanted tion of The Other Place. for arrest! There’s video showing they committed a terrible crime. Are they guilty?

PSYCHIC DISTRESS CALL OF THE WEEK: Your player’s have received a psychic distress beacon from a nearby ESPer. Roll to determine what the problem is.

1 TERRORISTS 5 GOVERNMENT AGENTS 2 EVIL CREATURE 6 FISSURE

3 EXPOSURE 7 CAN’T CONTROL POWERS

4 ROGUE ESPER 8 KIDNAPPED Children of The Orchestra Intrigue: Where will you PAX TERRA: Help us change the world and tell your children you were when the world you’ll get an expense account. changed?

1 A very pregnant woman is (on the 1 Eliminate a corporate whistle- run from)(seeking out) The Chil- blower. dren. She needs your help. 2 Silence rabble-rousers in a 2 A splinter group of The Children small town near a PT outpost. has been experimenting with a recently discovered fissure. 3 A Congressman has been ask- ing questions. Deal with it. 3 A prominent member of The Chil- dren has turned up dead. 4 Test subjects have taken over a remote lab. 4 A prominent member of The Chil- dren announces a run for office. 5 An attempt to breach The Other 5 The Children are seeking out new Place has gone awry. members with ESP. 6 Undergo an experimental treat- ment to enhance your ESP. 6 A (CIA)/(KGB) agent embedded within The Children has been dis- covered. NOTES FOR PLAY: • Treat all incursions into The Other Place or explorations of the Astral Plane like you would any other dungeon.

• Not all player characters should be ESPers—in fact, it’d probably heighten the drama to have as few as possible.

• Improvised armor (hockey pads, couch cushions stuffed under clothes) provides 2 AP, real armor (riot gear, plate mail) provides 5.

• Candy and soda restore d4 HP. Hot junk food restores d6. A real meal restores d8. Home cooking heals for d12 and adds a bonus of 5 temporary HP.

• Your players absolutely need money to buy stuff. How they get it is between you and them.

• Characters who have jobs, school, athletics and families will be missed if they don’t, y’know, make an appearance every once in a while.

• Trendy new clothes or a haircut temporarily increases a character’s CHA.