Table of Contents Introduction ......................... 1 Combat & Healing ............ 19 ONE ROLL TO RULE THEM ALL ........ 19 The D13 Universe ................ 4 COMBAT TIME .................................. 19 PLANES OF EXISTENCE ....................... 5 Turn Sequence .......................... 19 A WORD ABOUT GAME COMBAT DISTANCE ......................... 20 TERMINOLOGY .................................. 5 COMBAT MOVEMENT ....................... 20 ATTACK ACTIONS ............................ 21 Actions, Dice, & Cards ..... 7 Attack Damage .......................... 21 D13 DICE ........................................... 7 Drawing or Reloading ............... 21 ACTIONS ............................................ 7 Paranormal Gifts in Battle ........ 21 Target Number ............................. 8 DEFENSE .......................................... 22 Degree of Success ...................... 9 Innate Defense ........................... 22 Difficulty ...................................... 11 Protective Gear .......................... 22 Bonuses and Penalties .............. 12 Dramatic Defense ...................... 22 ADVANCED ACTION TYPES ............... 13 INJURY, SCARS, MUTILATION, & Extended Action......................... 13 DEATH ............................................ 23 Cooperative Actions .................. 13 Injury Penalties .......................... 23 Competing Actions .................... 14 Unconsciousness ...................... 23 Uncertain Actions ...................... 14 Scars & Mutilation ..................... 23 The 1-10 Scale of Success ...... 15 Stunning Attacks ....................... 23 Attribute/Skill Options ............... 15 Death ........................................... 23 DRAMA CARDS ................................. 15 An Extended Example .............. 24 Using Number Cards ................ 15 RECOVERY & HEALING ..................... 25 Using Face Cards ...................... 17 Regaining Life Force ................. 25 Natural Healing .......................... 25 Medical Treatment .................... 25 Psychic Healing/Energy Medicine ................................... 25 Retiring a Character .................. 25 USING A BATTLE BOARD .................. 26 EXAMPLE WEAPONS ........................ 28 EXAMPLE PROTECTIVE GEAR ........... 29 SampleOPTIONAL COMBAT RULESfile .............. 30 Defensive Action ....................... 30 Held Action ................................. 30 Aimed Attacks ............................ 30 Creating Characters .. 32 Paranormal Gifts ........... 54 EMPYREAN SOULS ........................... 32 TYPE OF PARANORMAL GIFT ............ 54 Character Journal ..................... 33 Gifts by Major Arcana ................ 55 Shadow’s Touch ........................ 33 Gifts by Poker Deck ................... 56 Empyrean Natures .................... 34 PARANORMAL GIFTS BY SUIT ........... 56 MORTAL INCARNATIONS .................. 35 Cups: Communion ..................... 56 1. Sex ....................................... 35 Swords: Manipulation ................ 56 2. Age ....................................... 35 Pentacles: Perception ............... 56 3. Attributes ............................. 35 Wands: Prognostication ............ 56 4. Health................................... 35 USING A PARANORMAL GIFT............. 57 5. Life Force ............................ 36 The Game Sequence ................ 57 6. Occupation .......................... 36 Card Suits and Skill Level ......... 57 7. Skills ..................................... 36 The × 10 Rule of Thumb .......... 58 8. Paranormal Gifts ................. 36 Losing & Regaining Control ..... 59 9. Shadow’s Mark ................... 37 Success, Control, & Poker Cards 59 10. Name ................................... 38 Shared Life Force Loss ............. 60 Backstory.................................... 38 Replenshing Life Force ............. 60 Equipment .................................. 38 PARANORMAL GIFT EFFECTS ............ 61 Occupations Table .................... 39 Abacomancy ............................... 61 SKILLS LIST ...................................... 43 Apportation ................................. 61 Which Skills Should I Choose? 43 Astral/Mental Projection ............ 61 Occupation & Skill Interplay .... 44 Aura Reading .............................. 61 Paired & Related Skills ............. 45 Claircognizance/Second Sight. 62 EXAMPLE CHARACTER: Clairaudience ............................. 62 LYMAN BARDEN ............................. 51 Clairgustance ............................. 62 DEATH OF AN INCARNATION ............. 52 Clairsentience ............................ 62 1. Supernatural Assistance ... 52 Clairvoyance ............................... 62 2. Secondary Role .................. 52 Divination .................................... 63 3. Animal Incarnation ............. 52 Healing/Energy Medicine .......... 63 Hydrokinesis ............................... 63 Levitation/Transvection ............. 63 Mediumship ................................ 63 Precognition ............................... 64 Psychography/Thoughtography .. 64 Psychokinesis/Telekinesis ........ 64 Psychometry/Psychoscopy ...... 64 SamplePyrokinesis................................ file.. 65 Retrocognition/Postcognition ... 65 Scrying ........................................ 65 Telepathy .................................... 65 SUPPORTING ROLES ........................ 76 Experience ......................... 67 Paranormal Populations ........... 76 INCARNATION GROWTH .................... 67 Friends & Family........................ 76 EMPYREAN ESTEEM .......................... 67 Paranormal Action Dice............ 77 Hosting the Game ........... 69 Minions ....................................... 77 TERROR, HORROR, GROSS-OUT, & Extras .......................................... 77 HUMOR ........................................... 69 PARANORMAL FRIENDS & FOES ....... 77 Terror .......................................... 69 Psychic Friends & Family ......... 77 Horror .......................................... 70 Psychic Adversaries ................. 77 Setting the Mood ....................... 70 MAGIC SPELLS & ITEMS ................... 78 Heroic Horror ............................. 70 Spirit Board Messages ............. 78 The Gross-Out ........................... 70 THE COSMIC, MORTAL, & Humor ......................................... 70 SHADOW PLANES ........................... 78 PREPARING AN ADVENTURE .............. 71 RUNNING A GAME SESSION ............. 79 The Thing that Came to Town! 71 Drama Cards .............................. 79 The Tragic Hero’s Journey ....... 71 Give Equal Attention ................. 79 Laying Out a Plot ....................... 72 Encourage Role-Play & Narration ................................... 79 Giving It Flesh............................. 73 Discourage “Roll” Play ............. 79 Climactic Combat & Horror ...... 73 Practice Freeform Play ............. 80 ADVERSARIES ................................... 74 Use Major Arcana Description ................................. 74 Complications .......................... 80 Age 74 RUNNING A CAMPAIGN ..................... 82 Attributes .................................... 74 Plan It Like a Dark 10-Point Max .............................. 74 Dinner Party ............................. 82 Health .......................................... 74 Start Each Session With Life Force .................................... 74 a Recap ..................................... 82 Adversary Actions, Cards, & Adapt to Your Players ............... 82 Dice ............................................ 75 Enjoy Yourself! ........................... 82 Skills ............................................ 75 Equipment................................... 75 Attacks ........................................ 75 Defenses ..................................... 75 Creature Design Balance ......... 76 SampleSpecial Abilities .......................... 76 file Sample Adventures ...... 84 Sample MOnsters .......... 104 ADVENTURE ONE: “PERCHANCE BLOODY BONES ............................ 104 TO DREAM” .................................... 84 CARNIVOROUS PLANTS ................. 104 Act I: Caravan to Carcosa ........ 84 Crawling ................................... 104 Act II: Recurring Nightmares ... 86 Walking ..................................... 105 Mama Greely, Areneae Rex ..... 88 DEMONS & DEVILS ........................ 105 Act II: Areneae Rex? ................. 92 Demons .................................... 105 ADVENTURE TWO: DISTRESS CALL .. 93 Devils ........................................ 107 Act I: Are We There Yet? ......... 93 GASHADOKURO ............................. 107 The Aspire .................................. 94 GHOSTS ........................................ 108 Act II: The Gantlet ..................... 95 Banshee ................................... 108 Act III: The Great Escape! ...... 100 Dybbuk ..................................... 108 Epilogue .................................... 101 Haunt ........................................ 108 ADVENTURE SEEDS ........................ 102 Poltergeist ................................ 109 Adventure Three: PROTOPLASMIC BLOB ................... 110 Entomophthora muscae ....... 102 REVENANTS ................................... 111 Adventure Four: Mummy .................................... 111 When Shadows Rise ............. 102 Skeleton ................................... 111 Adventure Five: Pied Piper .... 102 Zombie ....................................