HORROR Bad Things are stalking us – shadowy forms that slide away when you look – get ready to scream, because your fears are about to come to life . GURPS Horror has everything you need to run a great horror campaign, including: • A systematic dissection of horror as a genre and as a genre treatment – everything from the most brutal splatter to the most subtle psychological horror. • Plenty of tips on horror gaming, for both players and GMs. • Character templates, including the troubled Artist, the eccentric Detective, the dabbling Occultist, and the implacable Slayer. • Disturbing new takes on familiar advantages and disadvantages. • Evil clowns, werewolves, undead, and Things Man Was Not Meant To Know – with full game statistics and guidance on using them in a horror campaign. • Two original campaign frames: Seas of Dread and Blood in the Craters. GURPS Horror requires the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. The information on plots, twists, and tricks is useful for any horror campaign. By Kenneth Hite Additional Material by J.M. Caparula, Peter Dell’Orto, Scott Haring, Werner H. Hartmann, and Sean Punch JACKSON STEVE Edited by Sean Punch Cover Art by Christopher Shy, Rogério Vilela, and Michael Whelan Illustrated by Igor Fiorentini, Christopher Shy, Bob Stevlic, and Jacob Walker 4TH EDITION, 2ND PRINTING GAMES PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2017 SJG 01-6013 01-6013 Printed on Demand HORROR Bad Things are stalking us – shadowy forms that slide away when you look – get ready to scream, because your fears are about to come to life . GURPS Horror has everything you need to run a great horror campaign, including: • A systematic dissection of horror as a genre and as a genre treatment – everything from the most brutal splatter to the most subtle psychological horror. • Plenty of tips on horror gaming, for both players and GMs. • Character templates, including the troubled Artist, the eccentric Detective, the dabbling Occultist, and the implacable Slayer. • Disturbing new takes on familiar advantages and disadvantages. • Evil clowns, werewolves, undead, and Things Man Was Not Meant To Know – with full game statistics and guidance on using them in a horror campaign. • Two original campaign frames: Seas of Dread and Blood in the Craters. GURPS Horror requires the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. The information on plots, twists, and tricks is useful for any horror campaign. By Kenneth Hite Additional Material by J.M. Caparula, Peter Dell’Orto, Scott Haring, Werner H. Hartmann, and Sean Punch JACKSON STEVE Edited by Sean Punch Cover Art by Christopher Shy, Rogério Vilela, and Michael Whelan Illustrated by Igor Fiorentini, Christopher Shy, Bob Stevlic, and Jacob Walker 4TH EDITION, 2ND PRINTING GAMES PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 2017 SJG 01-6013 01-6013 Printed on Demand 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, ROGÉRIO VILELA, and MICHAEL WHELAN Illustrations by IGOR FIORENTINI, CHRISTOPHER SHY, BOB STEVLIC, and JACOB WALKER Softcover: stock # 01-6013 • ISBN 978-1-55634-823-5 • PDF: stock # 31-1003 • Version 2.0 – September 2017 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 Skills . 28 FEAR OF TAINT . .57 Faerie Fear Filters. 83 The Occult!. 29 The Vampire . 57 Other Hidden Races . 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 Chief Executive Officer ❚ PHILIP REED Executive Editor ❚ MIRANDA HORNER GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH Chief Creative Officer ❚ SAM MITSCHKE Marketing Director ❚ RHEA FRIESEN Assistant GURPS Line Editor ❚ JASON “PK” LEVINE Chief Operating Officer ❚ SUSAN BUENO Director of Sales ❚ ROSS JEPSON GURPS Project Manager ❚ STEVEN MARSH Art Direction ❚ WILL SCHOONOVER Prepress Checkers ❚ MONICA STEPHENS GURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ Production Artist and Indexer ❚ NIKOLA VRTIS and MIRANDA HORNER VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO Cover Production ❚ ALEX FERNANDEZ Page Design ❚ PHIL REED AND JUSTIN DE WITT 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 pyramid logo 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, 2017 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. 2 CONTENTS 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 In Horror . 132 SEAS OF DREAD . .150 Nemesis . ..