Huntervania ©2021

By Armand Kossayan
just-a-hobby.itch.io/huntervania

All images taken from the public domain

Images altered by Armand Kossayan

Just a Hobby Games

justahobbygames@protonmail.com

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 This is a tabletop role-playing game about a group of vampire and
monster hunters. As players, you'll take on the roles of The Hunter,
The Wyzend, The Priest, and The Dhampyr as you hunt supernatural
evils. Along the way, you'll struggle with the characters' flaws and
shortcomings as you explore the psychology of the type of person who
might take on such an occupation, living on the road, facing
unimaginable horrors, and generally being as far removed from regular
folk as the very monsters you hunt.

This game was originally inspired by the first season of the

Castlevania cartoon, though other vampire hunter fiction plays into it
as well, such as Vampire Hunter D.

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 Table of Contents Adventure Quick Start Table ..................................................................49
Playbooks ......................................................................................................... 52
The Usual Intro to RPGs Section................................................................... 1 The Hunter ..................................................................................................53
Powered by the Apocalypse........................................................................... 2 The Wyzend ................................................................................................59
Experimentation in Design ............................................................................ 3 The Priest .....................................................................................................69
Length of Play ................................................................................................... 4 The Dhampyr..............................................................................................77
Rules and How to Play .................................................................................... 5
Start of Play...................................................................................................6
Attributes.......................................................................................................8
Using Moves and Rolling Dice .................................................................9
Difficulty Ratings...................................................................................... 11
Tags and Harm .......................................................................................... 13
Turn Order ................................................................................................. 17
Advantage and Disadvantage ................................................................ 18
Marking and Spending Experience Points.......................................... 19
Psychological Harm ................................................................................. 21
The Psychological Harm List ................................................................. 22
Player vs. Player........................................................................................ 24
The Dhampyr Playbook and the Aether Attribute ........................... 25
Traits............................................................................................................ 27
The Traits List............................................................................................ 29
Coin.............................................................................................................. 33
Fortune Roll ............................................................................................... 34
Some Terms................................................................................................ 36
Gear.............................................................................................................. 37
GM Section.......................................................................................................40
GM Moves, Soft and Hard ...................................................................... 41
List of GM Moves ..................................................................................... 43
Monsters, Demons, Vampires, and Bad Folks .................................... 45

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 The Usual Intro to RPGs Section Powered by the Apocalypse
If you're reading this text, chances are this isn't your first tabletop This is a Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA). PbtA describe a wide
role-playing game. I could fill this space with musings on the nature of range of games that use a system and philosophy inspired by
RPGs and how to engage with them, but you're probably just going to Apocalypse World, a game by D. Vincent Baker. Being familiar with
skip this section anyway, so I'll keep it short. Apocalypse World or other PbtA games is not necessary, but it can
help. PbtA games are somewhat different than many other traditional
This is a narrative driven, conversational game where a group of tabletop role-playing games, and games like Apocalypse World have
people tell a story within the framework of the game's rules and fantastic instructions for how to properly run them. While I've tried to
systems. One person, usually called the Game Master or GM, include similar instruction in this text, it's not nearly as exhaustive as
describing situations within which the rest of the players find their something like Apocalypse World. If you're interested in the PbtA
fictional characters. The players narrate how their characters engage system, check out some of the games from the list below (which is by
with the scene, then roll some dice to see if things go the way they no means as thorough as it could be).
described or if something goes wrong. You keep doing this until all the
player characters (PCs) achieve their goals, or it stops being fun. • Dungeon World
• MASKS
In order to play, you'll need a bunch of 6-sided dice or a digital • Monster Hearts
dice-rolling app, copies of the various playbooks for each player, and • Night Witches
this document. This game works best with 4-5 people. Due to how this
game is designed, you’ll want to use at least three of the four playbooks
when playing. An experienced (or brave) player might take on more
than one character if you're short a few players.

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 Experimentation in Design Length of Play
This game is written in part for the purpose of experimentation This game is intended for one-shots (a single gameplay session) or
with the PbtA system. In particular, the dice system, some of the short campaigns (3 or 4 sessions). While you can obviously play as
playbooks, and the fact that the GM does a bunch of rolling all long as you want, the limited number of playbooks, relatively fast
intentionally deviate from the PbtA system for the purposes of seeing if leveling, and a somewhat limited scope for the game lends itself to a
and how they work. If you end up playing the game and have feedback shorter play experience.
on how the game worked for you, please let me know.

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 Start of Play

Rules and How to Play When you first begin play, decide who will be the game master. All
other players choose one of the four available playbooks. Each
playbook is unique, with the Hunter, the Wyzend, and the Priest
complimenting the strengths and weaknesses of the other two
playbooks. If you only have three players, choose from these three
playbooks.

The Dhampyr playbook is a special case, and should only be used

when you have four players.

Once you’ve selected your playbook, go through this text, choose a

trait for your hunter (see the section on traits), and introduce your
character to the rest of the group. Your character should have a name
and a simple back story that informs us about who they are, where
they come from, and why they decided to become hunters. Don’t spend
too much time on this. It’s often better to figure out who these people
are in play, and through their actions in the game.

Once everyone is ready, you can begin your adventures. Only one
person needs to read this document to run the game, but it’s short and
simple enough that having everyone read it could be beneficial.

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 Attributes
There are five attributes in this game: air, earth, fire, water, and
aether. The attributes are an abstraction of a character’s capabilities.
The greater the attribute value, the more capable the character.
Humans have three to four of the elemental attributes, determined by
their playbook.

The four elemental attribute can have a value of 1-4. These attribute
values will change while playing the game, but can never drop below 1
or exceed 4.

The dhampyr playbook only has one attribute – aether – which is

described in further detail in its own section. Aether is not limited to
the 1-4 range.

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 Using Moves and Rolling Dice
When you use your gear or a skill you are making a move. The description will include the cost of a partial success. The GM describes
player narrates what their character is doing, and explains what they’re this cost in the game’s fiction, and the player has the option to take
trying to accomplish. The move’s description will usually tell you to their success, or abandon their action to avoid the described
roll one of your attributes. An attribute’s value tells you how many dice consequences.
you can roll. If you have an attribute value of 3, you roll 3 dice. Some
moves don't require a roll, in which case they just do what the If the GM rolls more successes than the player, the player fails to
description says. accomplish what they were attempting, and must face the consequences
of their failure. Either the move will tell you what these consequences
When you roll, 4, 5, or 6 results count toward successes. Dice that mean, or the GM gets to make a move against the players. GM moves
land on 1, 2, or 3 neither count toward, or against a success. They are are described in greater detail later in this text, but usually, GM moves
simply ignored. will complicate the character’s lives.

Moves are rolled against a difficulty rating (DR). When you roll, the
GM also rolls as many dice as the DR. Just like the player's dice, the
GM's dice count toward success on a 4, 5, or 6, and are ignored on a
1, 2, or 3. When both sides have rolled their dice, you compare the two
sets of results. The player’s goal is to roll more successes than the GM,
or failing that, to roll at least as many successes as the GM.

If the player has more successes than the GM, they succeed at what
they set out to do. This means the player gets what they want without
any complications. The character’s action plays out as the player
described before rolling.

If the player rolls the same number of successes as the GM, they
have a partial success. Usually this means the character can still do what
the player described before the roll, but at a cost. The move’s

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 Difficulty Ratings
Difficulty ratings range from 1-4. When a player describes their
action, their move’s description may list a difficulty rating they must
roll against. If a move doesn’t list a DF, the GM determines how
difficult it is for the character to achieve their goal. When determining
difficulty, keep in mind that the PCs are professionals. Hunting
monsters is what they do as a way of life, and they’re good at it. That
said, monsters are also very dangerous, and even the best hunter will
struggle against antediluvian vampires.

The GM will let the player know their DR before the player rolls. If
the player decides the difficulty is too high, they can choose not to take
their action. Alternatively, they can try to adjust their description to Simple challenge – DR 1
make the action easier to accomplish. The GM should explain what Moderate challenge – DR 2
makes the action so difficult, and offer suggestions on how it might Difficult challenge – DR 3
become easier at the player’s request. If a player’s described action isn’t Near impossible challenge – DR 4
challenging for their character, there is no need to roll. They simply do
it.

Some moves have a stated DR as part of the move’s description. In

such cases, the DR is fixed, and not set by the GM.

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 Tags and Harm
Harm is physical, situational, or psychological effects on a character. that could cure such harm, then you might allow it. It’s up to the group
The amount of harm a character can handle is determined by their to determine just how violent and harsh you want your game to be.
playbook.
At the player's choice, light or serious harm can be marked as
Harm comes in three varieties: light, serious, and psychological. psychological harm instead. A player can take psychological harm
Each one of these has its own harm track. In most cases, when a before the light harm track is full if they wish, but it might be best to
character takes harm, it is considered light harm. If the light harm track save psychological harm for when you want to avoid serious harm. You
is full, the player can choose to take psychological harm, or must take mark psychological harm the same way you mark light or serious harm
serious harm. – with tags.

When you take light harm, you mark it with a descriptive tag – While the light and serious harm tags are created by the group
sprained ankle, flesh wound, disoriented, and so on. Light harm does based on the game's fiction and the situation in which the harm is
not need to be physical. You might use a tag to describe poor taken, psychological harm tags are chosen from the list below. Once
positioning such as off-balance or out-of-reach. Or you might take a your psychological harm track is filled, you cannot take any more
lesser version of psychological harm that only lasts for a few moments psychological harm, and must take light or serious harm instead.
such as confused, enraged, and so on. Light harm doesn’t last very long. Psychological harm can be removed with special skills.
Perhaps a few moments, or about a day. Narratively, this might happen
with an hour or two of downtime, or a night's rest depending on the Psychological harm does have a mechanical benefit. Each type of
needs of the group. Suffice to say, you'll recover from light harm pretty psychological harm has a description that lets you collect experience
easily. points (XP) when you role-play the condition. This means your
character is rewarded for behaving in the way the psychological harm
When you fill your light harm track and don't have space for more tag would suggest of someone experiencing such a condition.
light harm, any additional harm taken is considered serious harm. Experience points are described in further detail a little later in this
Serious harm is marked the same way as light harm, but with text.
descriptive tags more fitting the nature of the harm taken – broken
ribs, punctured lung, dismembered, and so on. Serious harm takes time
and medical attention to fix. Some moves let you remove serious harm The types of psychological harm
tags, but narrative elements like going to see a healer, or spending a • broken
few days resting might also remove serious harm. • coward
• cursed
If serious harm is bad enough, it might never be removed. Losing an • delusional
arm isn’t something you can heal away. Let the game’s fiction • madness
determine when serious harm is permanent. That said, permanent • paranoia
harm should be a rare occurrence, and only experienced while facing • reactionary
overwhelming odds. Alternatively, if your game has the kind of magic

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 Characters who are suffering from light harm receive a -1 penalty
to an attribute of their choice. This means that until the light harm is
removed, they have 1 less die to roll on that attribute. You cannot take
a penalty to the same attribute twice. Each light harm affects a different
attribute of the player's choosing. Keep in mind that elemental
attributes cannot fall below 1.

Characters who are suffering from serious harm are at a

disadvantage to all rolls on an attribute of their choice. As with light
harm penalties, you cannot take disadvantage twice on the same
attribute. Each serious harm must affect a different attribute.
Disadvantage and advantage are described in greater detail a little later
in this text.

Once a character's serious harm track is filled, any further serious

harm leads to their death. Alternatively, if the situation allows for it,
the character is taken by the vampires and will come back as a non-
player character (NPC) vampire at a later time. That character is lost
to the player, and is now the GM's to do with as they please. The
player should create a new character and join up with the group if they
wish to continue playing. This could be a brand new character, or an
existing NPC who might “graduate” into the role of a hunter.

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 Turn Order Advantage and Disadvantage
This game doesn’t have formalized rules for turn order or initiative. When you mark serious harm, you pick one attribute which is now
Instead, it is left to the table to decide the order in which characters at a disadvantage. A disadvantaged attribute can only succeed on die
act. As usual, let the fiction decide who goes first, be it the PCs or their rolls of 5 or 6. 4s no longer count toward success.
enemies. If the players sneak up on unsuspecting foes, they will likely
get the first action. Conversely, if the vampires fall upon them in the Monsters, demons, vampires, and other adversaries also suffer from
night, they will only be on the defensive and likely unprepared until disadvantage. Whenever an enemy is reduced to half their harm
they get their bearings. threshold (rounded up), they are considered bloodied and are at a
disadvantage. In such cases, the GM rolls with disadvantage for the
Each player should get a few moments in the spotlight without difficulty rating.
dominating a scene. Jump from one character to another as the fiction
dictates. The GM can specify who is being affected or targeted by Other obstacles can also be at a disadvantage. A distraction that
outside forces, giving them an opportunity to respond, and maybe get takes the attention of the guards, allowing the hunters to sneak by, puts
an extra action of their own in before moving the attention to the next the guards at a disadvantage to notice the party. A particularly
character. sophisticated set of lock picks would leave a simple lock at a
disadvantage. If a hunter is trying to break down a wall, and the
Consider an action scene in a movie, and how the camera moves infrastructure is already damaged, the wall is at a disadvantage. It's
from one character to the next, highlighting moments of triumph and ultimately up to the GM to decide when an obstacle is at a
defeat, allowing characters to come to one another’s aid, and so on. disadvantage. GMs should be encouraged to apply disadvantage to
obstacles liberally as the game's fiction demands.

Similarly, a roll can have advantage if it makes sense in the fiction.

Advantage works a lot like disadvantage only it allows for die rolls of 3
or greater to succeed (meaning 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s all count toward
success). Occasionally a move will allow a player to take advantage on
their roll, or the GM might allow for either the PC, an enemy, or an
obstacle to have advantage. Advantage can be used to give the player
character an added edge when they are demonstrably more capable
than the obstacle or foe they are rolling against.

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 Marking and Spending Experience Points
Experience points (XP) are an abstract measurement of your While this game is paced with one shots (single session games) and
character's skill growth. You can mark experience points in a number mini-campaigns (a handful of sessions) in mind, you could adjust the
of ways. If you roll on an attribute that has been reduced due to light XP costs for longer games if you wish. Increasing the cost of attribute
harm, or when you roll at a disadvantage, you mark experience. You gains to 5 XP, and new character skills to 7 XP will slow the game’s
only get this XP after the roll is resolved. pacing down enough to support somewhat longer games.

If you cause your party trouble by acting on one of your

psychological harm tags, you mark experience. For example, if your
character has taken the psychological harm tag “coward,” and hides in
You gain experience (XP) when you…
fear instead of fighting with the rest of the hunters, they get to mark
experience. • Roll an attribute reduced by light harm.
• Roll at a disadvantage.
Similarly, if you act according to the specifications listed on your • Trigger your psychological harm.
hunter's trait, you mark experience. See the section on traits for more • Trigger your hunter trait.
information. • Complete a personal goal.

Finally, you mark experience any time you complete one of the
personal goals listed on your character's playbook. Each goal can earn
you XP once, so cross out the goal after you collect your XP. Spending experience (XP)…
• 3 XP to increase an attribute rating.
You can spend 3 XP to add a point to one of your character's • 5 XP for a new skill.
attribute ratings, or spend 5 XP to learn a new character skill. • 1 XP to turn a failed die to a success.
Remember that you cannot have more than 4 points in any single • 1 XP to add a die to a roll.
character attribute.

Alternatively, you can spend 1 XP to turn a failed die roll into a

success. Each point of XP used in this manner only affects 1 die. So if
you want to turn 2 failed dice on a roll into successes, you must spend
2 XP. Remember, you earn XP on a reduced or disadvantaged roll after
the roll is resolved, not during, so you cannot spend XP earned from a
roll on the same roll.

Finally, you can spend XP to gain extra dice on a roll, 1-for-1. You
must do this before you roll, and cannot add dice to a roll after rolling.

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 Psychological Harm The Psychological Harm List
Psychological harm is the mental or emotional toll on a character Broken – The hunter is easily affected by simple day-to-day
taken from their experiences combating evil. Fighting supernatural obstacles, failures, or injustices that they would have previously
horrors has a way of negatively affecting a person, and professional shrugged off. Mark XP anytime the character breaks down due to their
hunters are not exempt from these effects. It is used in this game for a inability to deal with such difficulties.
number of reasons: to convey the affect of violence on a person's
psyche, to allow for more opportunities for role-play by the players, Coward – Fighting the horrors of the night has left you a terrified
and to reward role-play in a mechanical way. The goal here is the help mess. When your cowardice negatively affects the party, or leads to an
players embrace their character's shortcomings and flaws in favor of innocent being harmed, mark XP.
dramatic storytelling.
Cursed – A monster's curse (real or perceived) has turned a
Psychological harm in this game is inspired by gothic horror, and is hunter's fortunes against them. Decide the way in which a curse affects
not reflective of real-world mental illness. Make sure everyone playing the character (with GM's approval). Whenever the curse negatively
the game is comfortable with this sort of character exploration. affects the party, mark XP.
Psychological harm should affect the characters, not the players. If
people are uncomfortable with how such effects are being played, it Delusional – The hunter believes something that is objectively
might be best to move on from the scene. If the problem is more false. Decide what they believe with the GM's approval. Anytime this
pervasive than a single scene, it’s time to discuss it with the whole delusion negatively affects the party, mark XP.
group and find a resolution that alleviates players’ concerns.
Alternatively, this might just not be the right game for your group. If a Madness – The hunter sees and hears things which aren't there, and
scene feels like it’s getting intense or uncomfortable, stop the game and believes that imagined forces are working against them. Whenever
make sure everyone is okay with what’s happening. If someone says these visions have a serious, negative impact on the party, mark XP.
they’re uncomfortable with a scene, respect their boundaries and move
on. The point of this game is for people to have fun, after all, not to Paranoia – The hunter is irrationally concerned with what they
upset people or make them unhappy or uncomfortable. perceive to be the malicious intentions of others, and imagines benign
forces are acting against them. Whenever this paranoia negatively
Players only mark XP when they voluntarily act upon their effects the party, mark XP.
psychological harm. The GM can let a character’s psychological harm
color their hard moves, but this does not earn the player character XP. Reactionary – The hunter will respond to obstacles with little
thought, and in ways that seem wildly out of line with what the
situation calls for. Whenever their reactionary tendencies negatively
affect the party, mark XP.

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 Player vs. Player
This game is really not designed around player vs. player (PvP)
combat. PvP is when two or more player characters get into a fight
with each other.

PvP combat isn't really supported in this system, but here are some
suggestions on what to do should it occur. Firstly, try to resolve the
situation through role-play. It might seem obvious, but in-character
discussions and arguments can accomplish a lot, and shouldn't be
ignored.

If that fails, the GM should treat moves as follows. If one player

uses a move against another, they roll as usual. The defending player
sets the DR by taking the average of their attribute points (rounded
up) +1. This is likely to give an edge to the defending character, so
make sure you really want to attack them before rolling. Player actions
against the dhampyr playbook are always up against a DR of 3.

The fiction decides who acts first in PvP combat, but if it's unclear,
or if both sides try to act at the same time, then use the following
guidelines. The dhampyr always has the first move option against the
other playbooks, followed by the hunter, the wyzend, and finally the
priest. If the attacking character succeeds against the other player's roll,
they have the option to go again with another move. If however they
get a partial success or a miss, the initiative moves to the other player's
character.

If a player character harms another player character, they always do

1 harm regardless of their weapon or attack. Assume it's light harm
until the target's light harm track is full, then move onto serious harm
as usual. Moves are otherwise arbitrated by the GM, with the outcomes
based on the move's description.

Seriously though, this game isn't built around player vs. player
combat, so proceed at your own risk if it comes up.

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 The Dhampyr Playbook and the Aether Attribute
A dhampyr is half human and half vampire. The exact nature of
their mixed heritage is ultimately up to the player to decide, but suffice
it to say that it is a difficult and cursed existence, despite some of the
seeming advantages it provides. While there are moves that specifically inform how much
aether is restored when drinking blood, the list below is
In terms of gameplay mechanics, dhampyrs are a special case in that provided for situations when these moves are not being used:
they only have one attribute – aether. The aether attribute doesn't work • A healthy human who is fully drained by the dhampyr will
the same as other attributes in a number of ways. For starters, aether is restore 5 points.
not affected by light harm the way other attributes are affected, but • A healthy human who is only partially drained, leaving them
follows its own ruleset. alive, restores 3 points.
• A vampire drained of blood will fully restore the aether
The aether attribute is in constant flux. It begins with a pool of 8 pool.
points. It is up to the player to decide how many points of aether they • A large animal that is drained will restore 2 points of aether
will use on a roll. Once the dhampyr rolls, the used points from their (a full sized wolf or larger).
aether pool are depleted, and must be restored through other means. • A small animal that is drained will restore 1 point of aether.

If the dhampyr's aether pool is depleted, and they want to make a

move, they roll 1 die at a disadvantage. When the dhampyr suffers light harm, they mark the harm on their
harm track, but do not suffer a -1 penalty to aether. Part of their
supernatural power means they can take light harm without being
Dhampyrs have a number of ways they can restore aether. affected by it like a mortal. The first serious harm marked by the
• When they rest through the day in a dark, sunless space, they dhampyr will reduce their maximum aether pool by 1 until the serious
restore half their aether pool (rounded up). harm is healed. The second serious harm marked by the dhampyr puts
• When a dhampyr shows their humanity to someone who them at a disadvantage on all rolls. The third serious harm marked by
previously mistrusted them for their monstrous nature, they the dhampyr halves their maximum aether pool.
recover 3 aether. They need to convince that person through
their actions that they aren't just another nightmarish
monster, but retain enough humanity to earn their trust or
respect.
• The dhampyr can spend XP to regain aether points, 1 for 1,
up to their maximum.
• Certain moves allow the dhampyr to restore aether. These
moves will often specify how many dice the player rolls.
Unless otherwise specified, these dice do not consume aether.
• Drinking the blood of another will restore aether.

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 Traits
All hunters, regardless of playbook, pick a trait. This is meant to Negative fallout from the character's behavior triggers the XP gain.
help flesh out the character and make them more human. It is also a Character’s trait driven actions should demonstrate measurable
tool to encourage character role-play, since you get to mark XP setbacks for the character or the party.
whenever you suffer the negative consequences of your trait. The GM
might also use a PC's trait to help determine how or why they fail Keep in mind that these aren't all-defining characteristics of a
when making a move against them, or might use the trait to help hunter, just one aspect of who they are. If a character's trait is over-
determine the costs associated with partial successes. However, XP is used to the point of being disruptive, the GM or the group should take
only marked if the player voluntarily had their character act upon their a moment and discuss this with the player.
trait, not as a result of a GM move that uses the trait for narrative
color. Traits can change as the character develops. If a player decides to
change their trait, let the rest of the group know why you think the old
When acting on a trait, the player takes narrative control of a scene. trait no longer applies, and why you want to pick up the new trait.
They describe their character’s actions, and how it affects the scene, the Traits should not be changed too often, and should reflect some change
party, or NPCs. Players should follow the fiction established by the in the character based on the game’s fiction.
group, and these scenes should make sense in the greater story. If the
rest of the group thinks this scene doesn’t fit with what’s happening,
discuss what might help it work, or consider alternative approaches.

Traits empower a player to take the reigns of the narrative in ways

that other moves do not. They can be a powerful tool to help drive the
story forward, and should be used with consideration and consensus.
Traits do not allow a player to dictate the behavior of other PCs
however, and players should discuss how the other characters react in a
way that respects the scene’s intent, and the established fiction of the
game.

27 28
 The Traits List
Classist – Whether born into nobility or peasantry, the hunter Irresponsible – The hunter lets earthly delights get in the way of
bares a grudge towards those outside of their class. What drives this their job. Be it boozing, pursuit of riches, lust for flesh, or other such
hatred? Mark XP whenever your prejudice toward members of a pleasures, they will forget their mission when so tempted. What drives
different class significantly impede the party or the hunt. their priorities for such desires? Mark XP whenever temptation
hampers the hunt or hurts the party.
Dishonest – The hunter is a liar, to the point of compulsion. What
causes them to lie regardless of the need for dishonesty? Whenever Monstrous – The dhampyr's vampiric nature is obvious to others.
your lies cause significant problems for the party, mark XP. Humans will react with fear and hate toward them. How does the
world's anger toward the dhampyr affect them? When the dhampyr's
Heretic – The hunter has it out for The Church, and will take any monstrous nature causes serious problems for the party, mark XP. It is
opportunity to speak or act out against members of The Church. What up to the player, not the GM, to decide when people notice the
happened to make their hatred so personal? Mark XP whenever you dhampyr's true nature. Only the dhampyr can take this trait.
significantly hamper the party's efforts by standing against The Church.
Morbid – The hunter has seen enough evil and suffering that they
Inexperienced – The hunter may have studied long in the ways of are fascinated by the darker aspects of life. Was this perspective a
hunting evil things, but has little practical experience. Is this because gradual shift, or did some specific event drive them toward such
they are still young, or has something else kept them out of the fight? thoughts? Mark XP whenever your unsettling outlook or behavior
Mark XP whenever your lack of practical experience costs you the causes serious problems for you or your party.
hunt or harms a bystander.

Inflexible – The hunter is set in their ways, and no amount of

evidence will change their beliefs. Why are they so rigid in their
outlook? Mark XP whenever your inflexibility hurts an ally or a
bystander, or impedes the party.

Inhuman – Years of hunting demons and vampires has made the

hunter something less than human. They are savage, cold, distant, or
otherwise lack human characteristics like empathy and compassion.
What might it take for them to find their humanity again? Mark XP
whenever your inhumanity significantly harms others, physically,
emotionally, or mentally.

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 Narcissist – The hunter has a way of making everything about
themselves, to the point of being unempathetic towards the needs of
others, unable to accept blame for their failures, and see themselves as
far more capable than they really are. Whenever this condition
negatively affects the party, and you refuse to accept blame for your
failure, mark XP.

Pacifist – The hunter doesn't believe in violence as a solution, and

will not harm a monster or vampire by their own hand. Furthermore,
they will not tolerate violence toward people by any member of their
party. How do they justify their pacifism in such a violent world? Mark
XP whenever your unwillingness to harm a monster hurts another, or
when you create serious conflict with a party member for their violent
acts against others. The Hunter playbook cannot take this trait, as
violence is central to their way of life.

Reluctant – The hunter never wanted this way of life, yet here they
are. Monsters always seem to find them, and people come to them
requesting help even though they would rather live a “normal” life.
What would it take for the hunter to accept their calling? Mark XP
when your unwillingness to stand up against evil leads to the suffering
of others.

Zealot – The hunter is driven to the point of obsession. They put

the hunt before all else, and will pursue their target to the ends of the
world. What is the source of the hunter's drive? Mark XP when your
obsession puts others at risk.

31 32
 Coin Fortune Roll
The Hunter's life is that of a pauper. They don't have a day job, and Occasionally you'll find reason to let chance determine the outcome
travel expenses and the cost of maintaining their gear often diminish of something that none of the player moves cover, or to determine if
any meager rewards they might earn in the course of their adventures. luck is on the party’s side or not. For example, do the characters have
As such, a character either has coin, or they don't have coin. A enough money to bribe a local constable without spending coin? Did
character cannot have more than 1 coin. More specifically, coin is a the game of dice the hunter played with the locals work in their favor?
binary abstraction of a small amount of money set aside by a PC for a Were the vampire's thralls out of the castle for a hunt, or are they all
special purchase. waiting around for the hunters to show up?

The affordability of day-to-day costs such as renting a bed at an inn, In such cases, the GM can make a fortune roll to determine the
daily rations, small bribes, and other minor expenses are driven by the outcome. A fortune roll is a simple die roll – one die to determine
narrative. It should be assumed that the hunters will have to often sleep success or failure based on the outcome. When making a fortune roll, a
outdoors, and hunt for their food or live on the handouts of grateful 1, 2, or 3 works against the players, while a 4, 5, or 6 works to their
people they have helped. If you're unsure whether the party has enough benefit.
loose cash to afford such minor costs, you can make a fortune roll (see
below). The GM has the option to apply disadvantage to the die if the odds
are somewhat against the character's favor – for example, it's been a
Any item from gear list costs 1 coin. This doesn't mean everything while since they were paid for a job, and it's less likely they have
on the list costs the exact same amount, but rather that they cost enough small change for that bribe. Similarly, the GM can apply
enough to require your small savings to be expended. advantage if the odds were particularly in the character's favor – for
example, they were recently rewarded by a noble and are more likely to
Characters can earn coin by finding it in the course of their have some extra cash for the bribe. By shifting the field of success/
adventures, plundering the treasures of their foes, or as payment from failure in such ways, you still allow chance to decide the outcome, but
those who can afford to reward them for their actions. A peasant might also allow for narrative elements to play into the roll.
only have a bed and a meal by way of reward, but a noble or merchant
might be able to pay in coin.

33 34
 Some Terms
If the game refers to a scene, it's an abstract notion that might be a
relatively short period of time, or a longer period of time that's
skimmed over narratively. It might be a single fight, a verbal
confrontation or a conversation, a trek across an expanse of land
described in a few sentences, and so on. When the “on-stage”
characters change, the location changes, or the major obstacle facing
the player characters changes, it can be assumed that you've started a
new scene. This isn't very different than a scene in a movie or
television show.

If the game refers to a session, it assumes a period of play lasting

roughly 1-3 hours in real time. If your sessions go longer than that, the
GM can suggest that session based moves have had a chance to refresh
at some point in the middle of play. It might also be interpreted as a
significant period of time passing in-game, such as a week or more of
travel without incident, or a period of time when the characters are
resting, studying, and so on.

An obstacle is any challenge the PCs need to get past. Locked doors,
watchful guards, and monsters searching for the party are all obstacles.

Moves are an umbrella term for either gear or skills. Gear and skills
are just two different types of moves. In either case, the move will
explain how it works in its description.

+1 or +2 armor means that the target with the tag is not affected by
the first 1 or 2 harm (respectively) inflicted against them in a scene.
Once used, armor is no longer effective for the rest of the scene. If
someone has +2 armor, and takes 1 harm, they have +1 armor
remaining. They lose +1 armor instead of taking 1 harm.

1, 2, or 3 uses means the piece of gear can only be used as many

times as the number of uses. Some gear can be “refreshed” so that you
get the uses back. Each piece of gear's description will fill you in on the
details.

35 36
 Gear
Coin – money to spend. You either have it or you don’t. Magical Focus – a specially prepared tool that helps a wyzend cast
more difficult spells. The focus has three charges per session, and
Demon's Drought – when someone drinks this magical liquor, they charges can be spent to add extra dice to an elemental magic roll 1-for1.
are unable to tell the truth until the rising of the sun. Don't expect to These items are rare, and considered to be heretical by The Church.
find this at your local general store.
Magical Parchment – a spellcaster can use this to inscribe a spell for
Healer's Kit (1 use) – removes 1 serious harm. later casting. Cast a spell as per the elemental magic move on the
parchment. On a success, the spell is stored in the scroll, and can be
Horse – useful for getting around quickly or across large distances. unleashed at any time by anyone who holds it without the need to roll.
On a partial success, a spell is stored in the parchment, but it's not
Leather Jerkin – a piece of armor that provides the wearer with exactly the spell the caster intended. On a miss the spell reacts wildly
additional protection. Once per session, at the player's choosing, the to the parchment, destroying it and causing chaos.
jerkin negates one serious harm. It is assumed that the jerkin takes the
damage instead of the character, and will require some repair to allow Mule – allows the party to hold up to 2 additional coin, carried by the
for the protection to work again. You can assume the character made mule.
repairs during a quiet moment or while resting between sessions.
Shadow Cloak – a cloak made of specially treated fabrics that blend in
Lockpicks – tools to let you get past a lock. Roll 3 dice vs DR 2 to with the shadows. Once per session, the wearer can remain unseen as
open a lock. On a success, the lock is no match for the picks. On a long as they remain still in a dim place.
partial, you can open the lock, but the picks are damaged beyond
further use. On a miss, the picks are destroyed, the lock is permanently Sorrow’s Swig – when someone drinks this magical liquor, they are
damaged, or you are noticed before you can open it (GM's choice). unable to tell a lie until the setting of the sun. Not commonly available.

Special Herbs (1 use) – when smoked, these herbs will reveal visions
of interest to the smoker. The GM will tell you something relevant to
the next few days in-game, or to your mission. This information may
be a little vague, but you'll know what it meant when the time comes.
Take advantage on one roll relevant to the vision.

37 38
 GM Section

39 40
 GM Moves, Soft and Hard
The GM gets to make their own moves in response to the player's
actions. Usually this happens when the players miss a roll, but other
situations might call for GM moves as well. Keep in mind, whatever
• If the players hesitate or spend more than a few
move you choose, it should make sense in the situation and move the
moments in decision making, it's usually a good time
narrative forward.
for a soft move. The purpose of this soft move is to get
the story going. Occasionally you might make a hard
GM moves can either be soft or hard. This is a bit abstract, but
move to get things going in earnest, but a soft move
essentially, a soft move sets up further actions and narrative
should suffice most of the time.
opportunity, while hard moves have more of an immediate impact. Soft
moves provide opportunity while hard moves have a lasting impact. • If a player misses a roll, it's usually a hard move. You
might use a soft move to setup a future hard move and
An example of a soft move might be “your sword flies from your create a “snowball” effect where one move leads to
hand, and your enemy reaches for it. What do you do?” Compared to another between the PCs and the GM. You can make a
the hard move version of that same scenario: “your sword flies from soft or hard move on a player miss even if their move
your hand and your enemy grabs it, swinging it toward you in one doesn't specify this. It is always recommended for the
fluid motion – take 1 harm.” The soft move took the player's weapon GM to make a move in response to a miss, to enforce
away, but gave them an opportunity to try to get it before their foe. the character's failure with appropriate consequences. If
The hard move took their weapon away, and lead to them getting hurt a move lists specific negative consequences for a miss,
in the process. Both soft moves and hard moves should ultimately use those as GM moves.
move the story forward. • Once in a while, the perfect opportunity for a GM
move will arise in the fiction. A soft move is suggested,
GM moves should never impede the forward momentum of the but a hard move will really get the action flowing in
narrative. Failure should always introduce new elements to the fiction, such situations.
usually as a complication.

Deciding when to use a hard move or a soft move is ultimately up

to the GM, but the following guidelines should help inform those
decisions.

41 42
 List of GM Moves
Capture someone – whether it's a player character or an NPC they Separate them – force them apart through the use of the
care about, allow their enemies to take someone away. A vampire environment, their enemies, or their individual pursuits. Let them try
capturing someone bodes particularly poorly for that person. to work on their own for a scene or two to show them the power of
the full team in action.
Draw upon their traits and harm tags – use their characters'
backgrounds, traits, and harm tags (physical or psychological) to cause Take something from them – perhaps a character loses their
them trouble. The tags are there to help when players miss or get weapon, the wheel of their cart breaks, or the crucial maguffin slips
partial successes. from someone's grasp.

Give them an opening, possibly at a cost – give them a way out Use their move against them – flip their intended effect on them,
of their bad situation and see if they take it. Making this opportunity letting them suffer the consequences intended for another.
come at a cost can add tension, but sometimes you can just use this to
move the story forward. When you’re not making GM moves, ask lots of questions. What
does your character think as they plunge the blade into the bishop's
Have someone make a bad decision – be it a villain or an NPC chest? What was your character's first kill like? What put your
ally, have someone other than the PCs make an unwise decision or act character on the path of the hunter? Questions are a great way to build
on a bad impulse that negatively impacts everyone involved. character, and help the players contribute to the game's world and
story.
Inflict harm – combat is messy business, and even a great warrior
will get hurt in the chaos of a fight. Inflict harm against the PC's and Always follow up a GM move with “what do you do?” This is, in
their allies regularly. essence, a conversation between the GM and the players, so allow them
respond to your moves, just as you respond to their own actions. GM
Make threats – let them know about something bad coming their moves should set up opportunities for players to make their own
way, be it an individual, a force of nature, impending supernatural moves, allowing for a sort of conversational back and forth between
doom, or an entire army of monsters. the GM and the players.

Put bystanders in danger – if they're engaged in combat on the

streets of a town or city, remind them of the fallout of their reckless
behavior by endangering innocents or important NPCs. Try to give
them an opportunity to intervene though, or at the least, let them
know the danger is present instead of just killing off a bystander
without warning.

43 44
 Monsters, Demons, Vampires, and Bad Folks
The GM will create adversaries for the hunters to battle as the game Groups or swarms of lesser monsters can be identified as a single
is played. Creating a monster is simple, and only takes a few minutes. opponent mechanically, rather than giving each individual creature
When building a monster, they should have the following elements. their own stats.

Most enemies will do 1 harm per attack. They cannot do multiple

Name – what is the monster called? harm at once, unless that's part of their special ability. If an enemy is
Harm Track – how many hits can they take before they are particularly powerful and deadly, a “boss” type monster (Dracula, for
brought down. Remember that monsters and other foes are example), they could do automatic serious harm regardless of the PC’s
bloodied once their harm track is reduced to half (rounded harm track, or inflict multiple harm in a single attack. Save such
up), and further DR rolls are at a disadvantage for the enemy. abilities for the truly deadly enemies though.
Description – a few words to describe what the monster
looks like. This is optional. The PCs are pretty tough, with a light harm track that “resets” with
Traits – enemy traits describe the monster’s drive. The thing a bit of rest. So throw a lot of baddies at them. Making them deal with
that they want to do while in a scene. multiple dangerous foes at the same time can really increase the
Moves – one or two moves that are usually triggered when tension and terror. Foes that go down in one or two hits are well
the PCs fail a roll while engaged with their adversary. Moves paired with a tougher, “boss” type enemy. Be mindful that the fights
for monsters are descriptive. don't go for too long though, you want to balance them out with scenes
Abilities – where as a monster’s move is descriptive, their that allow for character building and narrative development.
special ability is mechanical. It describes how they affect the
PCs, their gear, the environment, and so on.
Weakness – determine if the monster has a particular
weakness. Not all monsters have special weaknesses. If you
can kill a thing simply by swinging a sword at it, swords
doesn’t need to be listed as a weakness.

45 46
 Below are some examples of baddies that the PCs might encounter.

Name: Hellhound Name: Vampire, Greater

Harm Track: 3 harm Harm Track: 13 harm, +2 armor
Description: a lesser demon that looks like an otherworldly Description: an ancient and powerful vampire, not to be taken
wolf. lightly.
Traits: to guard a place against trespassers, to burn its foes. Traits: to dominate or destroy all in its path.
Moves: spits fire and has a vicious bite. Moves: highly skilled with most weapons, claws that do serious
Abilities: the hound can spit flame which can damage gear. harm.
Weakness: holy water. Abilities: can move with supernatural speed, transform into
animal forms, and control the minds of mortals (one at a
time).
Weakness: stake to the heart, holy water and magically
Name: Rat Swarm enhanced weapons, sunlight.
Harm Track: 2 harm, +1 armor
Description: a swarm of rats driven by evil influence.
Traits: to terrorize a populace, to spread disease.
Moves: cover a person with many rats and attack with infected Name: Town Guard
bites. Harm Track: 2 harm, +1 armor
Abilities: infect a person with a disease (-1 to one attribute Description: a common human, usually in light armor.
for 2 weeks). Traits: to follow their captain's orders, to oppress the common
Weakness: fuel and flame across their ranks. folk.
Moves: attack with swords and halberds.
Abilities: can call for more guards.

Name: Thrall
Harm Track: 2 harm Name: Werewolf
Description: a human servant of a vampire that spies for their Harm Track: 6 harm, +2 armor (against normal weapons)
master. Description: a human transformed into a wolf like monster at
Traits: to serve their master in the hopes of one day becoming night.
a vampire. Traits: to hunt people without thought or restraint.
Moves: when in combat, they use weapons such as swords and Moves: large size, incredible strength, and sharp claws.
clubs. Abilities: its great power allows it to do serious harm.
Abilities: their master can see everything the thrall sees. Weakness: wolf's bane or magically enhanced weapons.

47 48
 Adventure Quick Start Table
The tables below are provided as a resource for quickly starting a
game with minimal planning. They're meant to provide nothing more
than a plot device to get things started. Either roll a 10 sided die to
pick a threat and a plan at random, or pick a few that appeal to you.

The Threat...
1. A vampire council.
2. Demons hiding among people.
3. Vampires in The Church.
4. Priest turned vampire.
5. Vampire's human servants.
6. An awakened antediluvian vampire.
7. Newly turned vampires.
8. A specialized team of monsters and vampires.
9. A coven of witches and warlocks.
10. A group of werewolves.

Plans to…
1. Perform an ancient ritual to turn the rivers into blood.
2. Obtain a demonic artifact to corrupt nature.
3. Fulfill a vampiric prophesy to bring about endless night.
4. Mind control local nobles to start a war.
5. Protect a human loved one from The Church.
6. Hunt the hunters.
7. Dominate local trade.
8. Start a vampire war.
9. Corrupt the human youth with demonic blood.
10. Awaken one the first vampire from their long torpor.

49 50
 Playbooks

51 52
 The Hunter
You are a hunter of demons and vampires. Perhaps it's a bloodline Short Sword
thing, or perhaps you were trained from childhood. Regardless, you Once per scene, you can take a person out at close range with little
have the skills to hunt the vile horrors of the night. While your fellows trouble. No roll needed, simply decide which mortal dies by your blade,
also hunt evil and may answer to the title of hunter, you are The and it's done. When fighting supernatural monsters, roll earth to attack.
Hunter – the final authority on the subject. On a success, do 1 harm. On a partial success, you can do the harm but
at a cost. On a miss, you take harm from your enemies instead.
The hunter is a fairly direct and obvious playbook. You kill monsters,
you're pretty good at it, and you follow fairly basic PbtA systems to Throwing Daggers (2 uses)
achieve your goals. Great for people newer to the system, or who just
want a big hammer to deal with every obstacle in their way. Roll air to strike at multiple foes from a distance, and mark one use.
On a success, you hit 3 targets for 1 harm each. On a partial success,
Attributes and Harm Track you hit 2 targets for 1 harm each, but the rest come for you. On a miss
you hit an unintended target, attract the wrong kind of attention, or
worse.
• Air – 2
• Earth – 2
• Water – 3 Starter Skills
• 3 Light harm, 2 Serious Harm, 2 psychological harm
A Day of Normalcy
When you forsake your duties as a hunter to drink, party, and take
Gear it easy for a day or two, remove 1 psychological harm. The GM may
make a hard move to show how you shirking your responsibilities lead
Hunters Whip to trouble for others.
Roll water to disarm a foe with your whip, and maybe take more
Do Something Dangerous
than just their weapon. On a success, you disarm them and choose 2.
On a partial success, you disarm them and choose 1. On a miss When you do something dangerous that's not covered by your other
something bad happens. moves, roll earth. On a success you do it without trouble. On a partial
success the GM will tell you what it will cost you to succeed. On a
• The disarmed weapon lands where you want, far, close, or in your
miss, it goes terribly wrong.
other hand.
• You cause 1 harm. What was torn from their body?
• An ally or bystander isn't hurt.

53 54
 Fly with Your Whip Hunter's Fortitude
Roll air to move to a destination using the hunter's whip. On a Once per fight, when you take harm, roll earth to reduce its
success, it goes as planned and you land where you wanted. On a magnitude by one level. On a success serious harm becomes light harm,
partial success you can reach your destination, but at a cost. On a miss, and light harm is shrugged off entirely. On a miss, you take the harm
you expose yourself to danger or lose something important. and something else goes wrong.

You can use your whip to help you move around in ways normal It takes a tough bastard to fight demons and vampires and to survive
people cannot. By using it to grab on to things within range (and it's when you have no supernatural powers of your own.
a long whip), you can reach high places, run across walls, save
yourself from falls, and anything else you can imagine. You cannot Like the Breeze
use this move if you don't have your whip on hand. When you move silently to avoid detection, roll air. On a success
you are not noticed. On a partial success, you can avoid notice, but
Additional Skills you'll end up short of your ultimate destination, or in a worse place
than you intended. On a miss they see you and are closing in.
Always Ready
When you face off against the supernatural in a scene where you The Hunter can use this move to affect the whole party. If one or
might have prepared in advance, explain though a flashback how you more people are moving silently with the hunter, the roll is at a
set up a trap and roll earth. On a success the trap works as described, disadvantage. More than five people cannot move silently.
allowing you to restrain, misdirect, or hurt your target for 2 harm. On
a partial success the trap works, but has an unexpected side-effect. On Pierce the Heart
a miss the trap affects something other than the intended target. Roll water to do deadly harm against the supernatural. If fighting a
vampire, take 1 extra die on this roll. On a success, you can stake a
A flashback is a way to explain how you prepared for a situation in vampire, or do 2 harm to a supernatural creature (ignore armor). On a
advance without having to actually know what would happen or partial success, you can hit your target, but at a cost. On a miss, you
needing to spend too much time in planning before springing the trap. miss your mark, and are exposed to your target.
We assume the hunter was capable enough to have predicted the
situation and setup a trap in advance, provided they had a narrative You know the ways in which to kill the bastards. Find the weak spots
opportunity for having done so. of demons, or stake the heart of a vampire with your blades – a
dagger is as good as a wooden stake when shoved into a blood suckers
Evaluate a Bad Scene chest. Staking a powerful vampire slows them down, but does not
When you use your hunter's instinct to better understand an ugly automatically kill them. Stakes are much more effective against
situation, roll water. On a success you can ask the GM a question about weaker vampires. The GM should let the player know in advance the
the situation which they will answer honestly. On a partial success you magnitude of this move.
can still ask a question, but someone or something gets the drop on
you while you were distracted. On a miss you realize the situation was
worse than you thought.

55 56
 Show Them How It's Done
When you help someone who is rolling to combat supernatural
horrors, roll air. On a success describe how you help them and give
them an extra die for their roll. On a partial success you can still give
them an extra die, but you'll have to strain yourself and take light
harm. On a fail describe how you end up unintentionally hindering
them instead of helping, and take away one of their dice for the roll.

Personal Goals
When you achieve one of your personal goals, cross it out from the
list and mark XP.

• Punch out a town official.

• Defeat a vampire alone.
• Do something both dangerous and stupid to help the group.
• Save the life of another hunter.
• Get piss drunk at the pub.
• Find common ground with the dhampyr.
• Get into a fight with the dhampyr.
• Defeat someone who previously kicked your ass.

57 58
 The Wyzend Gear
You are a keeper of forbidden knowledge, and a practitioner of the Tome of Lore
ancient arts. Where as others flirt with the elements, you command Roll water to see what the tome reveals to you on a subject of your
them. The Church and common folk fear you for what you know, but choosing, including places, people, and horrors. On a success, the GM
that is only because they know so little. will tell you something interesting and useful about a subject, and you
get advantage when acting on this information. On a partial success,
The wyzend has some relatively complicated moves. They have long, they will tell you something interesting about the subject. On a miss,
wordy explanations and parameters, and while you don't need to read not only does the tome have no information on this subject, but in
all of it every time you use the move, it can slow down a game or searching through it, you have drawn unwanted attention.
even be disruptive. The playbook is suggested for people more
comfortable with PbtA games, but anyone who is interested in more A collection of ancient knowledge and learning long since forgotten
free-form moves can give it a shot. due to The Church’s laws of ignorance. Simply possessing it marks
you as a heretic, a witch, and a servant of evil. You, of course, know
The wyzend has one major move which they will be using for a wide better.
variety of situations – elemental magic. This move lets the player
craft the nature of their spell, balancing complexity and difficulty Alchemical Tools (2 uses)
against their need. Missing on an elemental magic move will often
lead to wild and unexpected magical effects. Magic is at its essence When you need to destroy walls, burn material things, or keep the
very chaotic, with the caster trying to bring form to this raw power. demons at bay, roll fire and mark one use. With time and preparation
Someone casting a spell beyond their ability is less likely to give it the you can replenish your supply of uses.
form they want. GMs should have fun with this, and make missed
rolls just as exciting as a successful casting. The masses know not of what power lies in the simple things of the
earth. Mercury and sulphur and salt can do things even your magic
Attributes and Harm Track cannot.

Prepared Salt (2 uses)

• Air – 1 Apply specially prepared salt to the blades of your allies. Once
• Earth – 1 salted, they do +1 harm against supernatural creatures. Mark 1 use for
• Fire – 1 each character affected.
• Water – 1
• 2 light harm, 1 serious harm, 3 psychological harm Salt is easy enough to come by, but the alchemist needs time to
prepare it. After a period of rest they can refill their prepared salt
uses.

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 Starter Skills
Elemental Focus
You specialize in magic derived from one of the major elements.
Choose one element as your focus, and add 2 point to its attribute.
This choice is permanent (short of narrative driven changes) so choose
carefully: Air, earth, fire, water.

Add 1 point to an additional attribute other than your focus.

Elemental Magic
You can create magical effects using your elemental focus. Building
magical effects requires the use of specialized tags from the spell tags
lists below. Each tag has a preset difficulty rating which is added to the
spells total DR when casting. A basic spell uses the focus element, a
range tag of touch, an effect tag of 1 harm, and has a difficulty rating of
DR 1 (element/touch/1 harm/DR 1). Any changes to this formula
replace the base tags, and add the appropriate number to the difficulty
rating. You can add more than one effect tag, but the total difficulty
rating can never be higher than DR 6 (except with ritual casting).

When you cast a spell, roll the spell's element vs. the DR. On a
success it works. On a miss, the spell fizzles, and you are unable to cast Range Tags
any new spells for the rest of the scene. On a partial success, the GM • Touch – the spell affects one target within arm's reach.
chooses one from the list below: • Self – the spell exudes from the caster, affecting them.
• The spell doesn't behave entirely as planned, hurting It will move with the caster if it has a sustained effect
bystanders or the caster in addition to the intended target, and/or affects an area.
damaging something in the environment, or doing something • Far (DR 1) – the spell originates or reaches up to 30
very strange. meters from the caster, within sight.
• The tags used for the spell are forgotten, and cannot be used • Distant (DR 3) – the spell affects a place the caster
again for the rest of the day. knows well, regardless of distance. The caster must
• The spell draws unwanted attention from supernatural have visited the location within the last year, and have
horrors. Demons, vampires or other monsters join the fight. spent some time there.
• The spell draws the attention of The Church.

61 62
 Ritual Casting
Ritual casting is essentially no different than the elemental magic
Effect Tags move, but by spending extra time in the casting and using special
reagents, you can reduce the difficulty of the spell, or create much
• Non-harmful (DR -1) – the spell isn't offensive, and
greater effects for the spell than in its regular form. Ritual casting also
doesn't do any damage. Reduces DR by 1.
allows you to cast spells with a greater DR than 6 (elemental magic
• +1 harm (DR 1) – adds +1 harm to the spell, raising
move's maximum allowed DR).
it to 2 harm.
• +2 harm (DR 2) – adds +2 harm to the spell, raising
When casting a spell using ritual magic, ask the GM to choose 1-4
it to 3 harm.
costs from the list below:
• Piercing (DR 1) – some targets have an armor tag,
• It's going to take a long time – many hours to a few days.
which reduces 1 or more harm of damage directed
• You'll need the aid of others, though they don't need to be
toward them. The piercing tag negates that armor, and
familiar with magic and its workings.
does full damage.
• It will cost coin for supplies and reagents.
• Field (DR 2) – the spell affects an area of about 5
• It will have an additional effect of the GM’s choosing.
meters. Anything within the area is affected by the
• It's going to attract a lot of attention from The Church or
spell.
supernatural powers.
• Wall (DR 2) – the spell creates a wall made up of the
• It's going to require specialized reagents not commonly
element. The wall is 3 meters tall, up to 10 meters
available.
long, and can be shaped as a straight line, or curved to
the casters specification. The wall lasts for as long as
For each condition, pick an option from the list below.
the caster concentrates on the spell, or add +1 to the
DR to make it semi-permanent. • You have advantage on the roll.
• Secondary Element (DR 1) – a secondary element • You gain extra dice for the roll (can choose this more than
allows the caster to change the effect of the primary once).
element. Adding fire to water creates hot steam, earth • You reduce the DR by 1 (can choose this more than once).
and air might create a rock storm, and so on. • The spell has a more powerful effect.
• Burst (DR 1) – the spell erupts in a forceful burst
from its origin, and can knock targets back. Roll the appropriate attribute vs. the spell DR. On a success, the
• Sustained (DR 2) – the spell effect is sustained for a ritual casting works as expected. On a partial, some aspect of the spell
while. isn't what you expected, though it may still work out in your favor. On
a miss the spell does something very unexpected and terrifying, at a
magnitude appropriate to what it was originally meant to do. The GM
hits you with their hardest moves.

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 Do Something Unwise
When you have to act against your better judgment, doing
something not covered by your other moves, roll fire. On a success it
somehow works out for you. On a partial success you unleash a wild
magical effect to help you pull it off, but something strange and
unsettling happens. On a miss your magic takes over and does what it
wants.

Additional Skills
Aid With Magic
When you use your magic to aid someone in combat, roll water. On
a success you grant them part of your power for a brief moment, and
they take 2 extra dice on their roll. On a partial success, you can still
give them a die if you wish, but your magic also causes them light
harm. On a miss they don't know how to handle the rush of magic and
take -2 dice on their roll. If this reduces their total dice to 0, they roll
1 die with a disadvantage.

This move only works in combat.

Counter Magic
When you're hit with a negative magical spell or effect cast by
another person, monster, or creature, roll earth. On a success the spell
is countered and hits the caster instead. On a partial success, the spell
fizzles out or affects a third party. On a miss, the spell works against
you as intended, and either the effect is doubled, or it opens you up for
further trouble.

This move triggers automatically when the caster is hit by a spell, and
can undo a GM move.

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 Lose Yourself in Your Studies Personal Goals
When you spend time in study, roll air. On a success, take advantage
on your next elemental magic roll. On a partial success you still take When you achieve one of your personal goals, cross it out from the
advantage, but have 1 less die to roll. On a miss it's counterproductive list and mark XP.
– take disadvantage on your next elemental magic roll.
• Steal knowledge from others.
This move takes time to use, and cannot be used in combat. • Keep something secret.
• Take on an apprentice.
Unassuming Manner • Deal with a dangerous situation with logic and learning.
• Defeat The Church in an ideological battle.
Roll air to try to avoid attention, ambush, and surprise, or to act • Visit an incredible place of ancient knowledge.
before anyone else. On a success, it works out. On a partial, you still • Defeat another spellcaster in a magical battle.
get to act first, but at a disadvantage. On a miss you draw more • Show The Priest the folly of their belief.
attention than if you'd not tried at all.

Perhaps you are frail and small, or you simply hide in your robes so
that others pay you little mind. Regardless, people don't notice you
when you prefer to remain inconspicuous. Your enemies underestimate
you at first glance, and you can often get the first move as a result.

Timely Arrival
When your fellow hunters are in need of aid while you are away,
roll fire. On a success, you arrive on the scene regardless of distance or
restraint. On a partial, you get there, but will need a moment to regain
your strength. On a miss, you arrive on the scene, but trouble follows
in your wake.

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 The Priest Gear
Symbol Against Evil (1 use against vampires)
The Church may be corrupted by its own ignorant evil, but that Roll water to temporarily hold evil at bay. On a success, demons,
doesn't mean all who follow the scriptures are so twisted. You are a monsters and other supernatural evils are unable to attack the hunters
true priest, and your faith is more powerful than any bishop's decree, for a few moments – as long as the hunters do not attack them. On a
or monk's blade. You can turn normal weapons into tools of holy partial success, the effect lasts for only a moment, and is ineffective
destruction, and keep the demons at bay with belief. You hold little against very powerful monsters (GM's discretion). On a miss, your god
sway in The Church itself, and may not even be an official member, but does not answer your prayers for aid, and the swarms overwhelm the
you know you walk in the light. You are not a fighter, but any serious hunters.
hunter wouldn't go out into the night without a priest by their side.
A holy symbol of the priest's faith, this item is enough to hold off
The priest is not an offensive character. Their moves are based on demons and vampires for a short time. It will keep monsters out of
helping others, negating the assaults of supernatural evils, and reach as long as they aren't attacked by the hunters. Used against a
speaking to the masses. While the priest may travel with dangerous vampire however, the symbol will soon wither and melt away as the
combatants, they themselves are often non-violent, or at least use creature's supernatural evil is far too great for even this holy tool. It is
violence as a last resort. This isn't to say the priest is useless. In fact, possible for the priest to find or purchase a new holy symbol for coin.
while the other playbooks are great for directly combating evil, the
priest is good for just about every other type of situation that may Starter Skills
arise. Every group needs a good priest if they want to be successful as
hunters.
Consecrate Weapons
Roll fire to imbue your companion's armaments with the light of
Attributes and Harm Track your faith. On a success, that character's combat moves have advantage
on all rolls against the supernatural for the rest of the scene.

• Earth – 2 With your blessing, you can turn normal weapons into holy tools of
• Fire – 2 destruction.
• Water – 3
• 2 light harm, 2 serious harm, 2 psychological
harm

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 Divine Light Radiant Influence
When all seems lost and you decide the time is right, roll fire. When you use your influence to rally the common folk against
Regardless of how you roll, all supernatural evils in the area take 5 swarms of monsters, roll fire. On a success you have a mob at your
harm. On a success you suffer serious harm, and are at a disadvantage disposal. Pick 2 from the list below. On a partial success, pick 1. On a
on all rolls for the next week or so. On a partial success you suffer two miss the mob is wild and uncontrolled. They will damage their homes,
serious harm, one psychological harm, and are at a disadvantage on all hurt each other, and fail to stand up against the encroaching evils.
rolls for the next week or so. On a miss this is your final act in this • They stand with you, inspired. The first 2 harm against the
world, and you die with the coming of the dawn. hunters is absorbed by the mob.
• Some of them are trained soldiers. The first attack against the
This is the “go nuclear” move for the priest. A player shouldn't use monsters gets a +3 harm bonus, which can be used for one
this move unless they're prepared for their character's death, which creature or group, or spread across multiple targets.
even on a success has a fair chance of happening. Seriously, only use • They fight as though possessed. A significant part of the
this when all seems lost. monstrous horde is destroyed by the people, though many die
in the battle.
Do Something Alone
When you act without your god's counsel in an action not covered Time With Your God
by your other moves, roll earth. On a success, you do it without your When you spend time in prayer, roll water. On a success either
god's blessing. On a miss your god's fury falls upon you. On a partial remove 1 serious harm, or if your god has forsaken you, earn their
success you can do it, but choose 1 from the list below. favor once more. On a partial success remove 1 psychological harm, or
• The Church will learn of your sacrilege, and remember. if your god has forsaken you, donate your coin to the needy to gain
• Your god is angered, and requires an act of penance. your god's favor once more. On a miss it feels as though your prayers
• You draw the attention of the supernatural. fell on deaf ears – take psychological harm.

This move is used when the priest attempts a difficult action not This move takes time to perform, and cannot be used in combat. The
covered by their other moves. This might include performing violence priest will require some measure of peace and sanctuary to pull it off.
against others or doing something that goes against their faith.

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 Additional Skills
Bless Water Divine Intervention
Once per day, you can roll water to create holy water. On a success When the situation seems without hope, beg your god for
you create a decent amount of holy water (3 uses) which does 2 harm intervention and roll water. On a success, you and your friends are
against supernatural evil. On a partial, you can only create a limited delivered from danger and brought to a safe place to rest and regroup.
quantity (2 uses) and it's less effective at 1 harm. On a miss you fail to On a partial success, you are still saved from danger, but your god
bless the water, but you also fail to realize your failure. expects a boon from you of their choosing. The boon will not be easy
to accomplish, and should you ignore it, your god will turn their gaze
Whether in small vials or by the bucket, you can turn regular water from you, depriving you of your priestly abilities. On a miss, your god
into something that will melt the skin off of demons and vampires. A has forsaken you and the horrors close in.
“decent amount” is a bucket or two, while a limited quantity is a few
vials worth. Priestly abilities refers to the priest's moves which draw power from
their faith. Blessing water or consecrating weapons might be obvious
Consoling Influence moves the priest can no longer perform, but a move like consoling
Once per session, when you have a moment of intimacy with influence may work on the merits of the priest's ability to
another player character (physical or emotional), you can remove one communicate with others.
of their psychological harm tags. You choose if and which psychological
harm is removed, with that player’s approval. The priest need not attempt their god’s demand immediately, and even
necessarily in play. Let the fiction decide the best way to address this
move and its fallout.

Healing Touch
Once per session, roll earth to ask your god to heal another player
character. On a success, they remove 1 serious harm. On a partial
success, they can remove the serious harm but take 1 psychological
harm instead. On a miss, both of you take psychological harm.

Holy Armor
When attacked by evil creatures, roll earth to negate the harm for
the rest of the scene. On a success you are unaffected by the attacks of
monsters with a harm track of 2 or less, as long as you do not directly
engage them. More powerful foes do -1 harm against you. On a miss
your god does not protect you, and the monsters are further drawn to
you as a vulnerable target.

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 Persuasive Tongue
When you preach to the common folk, either with gentle words or
fiery rhetoric, roll fire. On a success, pick 2. On a partial, pick 1. On a
miss the crowd turns against you.
• You bring them peace and calm – they settle down and go
back to their homes.
• You convinces them to help your cause, and they bring you 1
coin in offerings.
• They tell you what you want to know, as long as they
themselves know it.
• You don't draw unwanted attention from The Church.

True Nature
When you see past someone's masks into their true nature, roll
earth. On a success the GM will tell you this person's true intentions,
and if and when they lie to you throughout the scene. On a partial
success the GM will tell you the person's immediate intention or
desire. On a miss this person is unreadable. You can't attempt to see
their true nature ever again, and something about how you were
looking at them causes them to mistrust your intentions.

Personal Goals
When you achieve one of your personal goals, cross it out from the
list and mark XP.

• Resolve an aggressive confrontation through non-violence.

• Do the right thing in the face of The Church’s opposition.
• Save a fellow hunter's life.
• Earn The Hunter's respect.
• Compel an angry mob to do the right thing.
• Deal with a dangerous situation on your own.
• Counsel someone in their darkest moment.
• Show The Wyzend the folly of their ways.

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 The Dhampyr Cursed Sword
Gear

Sometimes when you need to fight supernatural horrors, it's useful

to have one of their own on your side. A dhampyr is a child of the Roll aether to attack with the sword either at range or up close. On
unholy union of a human and a vampire. Shunned by mortals and a success, you do 2 harm. On a partial success, you do 2 harm, but take
vampires alike, most live lonely, short lives. Occasionally however, a harm as well or you distract your foe, giving the next person who
dhampyr is compelled to fight against the creatures that cursed them to attacks them advantage. On a miss, the sword temporarily falls from
such an existence. While very powerful, dhampyrs have some serious your control, and may harm an unintended victim.
weaknesses as well. A dhampyr cannot tolerate excessive sunlight, but
can manage limited exposure. They do not need the blood of mortals The sword is a long, delicate looking blade that the dhampyr can
to sustain their life, but it can give them greater powers than if they go control with telekinetic powers. It can fly from their hand to strike
without. They are easily identifiable by their lack of a shadow. foes at a distance, be recalled from afar should it be lost, and distract
enemies allowing others to flank them.
The dhampyr is an unconventional and experimental playbook. It
should be played by the more “adventurous” players. Starter Skills
Blood Lust
Attributes and Harm Track
When you give into your hunger and feed on unsuspecting humans,
decide if you want to fully drain them (and recover 5 aether) or
• Aether – starting maximum pool of 8 partially drain them (and recover 3 aether), then roll 3 dice vs. DR 2.
• 2 light harm, 3 serious harm, 2 psychological On a success, pick 3. On a partial, pick 2. On a miss you recover 3
harm aether, your victim dies, and they return as a lesser vampire the
following night unless properly dealt with.
• You gain advantage on your next 3 rolls.
• Your victim doesn't remember.
• Your victim survives.

Drinking the blood of a willing human doesn’t require a roll, and

recovers either 5 or 3 aether depending on how much is drained.

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 Earthly Rest Sun Exposure
When you dig into the earth and rest while covered in soil, roll When you spend too much time exposed to direct sunlight, roll
aether vs. DR 2. On a success, pick 3. On a partial, pick 2. On a miss, aether vs. DR 2. On a success your mortal side resists the burn, and you
it's bad – the sun burns you for 1 serious harm, or you are discovered only take 1 light harm which lasts until you get out of the sun. On a
by your enemies. partial success you take 1 serious harm, and your skin beings to burn.
• Remove 1 serious harm. On a miss pick 1.
• You are protected from the sun for as long as you remain • Your serious harm track is filled just short of death. It won't
under. If you rest underground for a few hours, you restore take much to end it all.
half your aether pool (rounded up), +1 additional point. • You take 1 serious harm and you lose yourself entirely,
• You aren't discovered while you rest. feeding on the closest NPC mortal until they are dry.

Lesser Cattle
When you prowl the night in search of animals to satiate your blood
lust, roll 3 dice vs. DR 2. On a success, pick 2. On a partial, pick 1. On
a miss, lose 1 aether and be ready for the worst.
• You find enough to recover some aether – 2 in a civilized
place and 3 in the wilderness.
• You aren't seen as you drink from your prey.
• You learn something interesting while out on your hunt.

Monstrous
When you do something monstrous that is not covered by your
other moves roll aether. On a success you do it to the full potential of
your heritage. On a partial success you will need to expend 1 aether or
give into your vampiric nature for a short time. On a miss you lose
yourself in the blood lust and attack the closest person in the area.

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 Additional Skills
Devil's Charm
When you use your vampiric powers to charm a mortal, roll aether.
On a success they do what you want, but may later hate you for it. On
a partial success they'll do what you want, but you must give something
of yourself to them. On a miss your attempts are turned against you
and you find yourself succumbing to your monstrous nature for a short
time.

This move is delicate by its very nature. Controlling and compelling

people to do things they don’t want is inherently problematic. Make
sure everyone at the table is comfortable with what is being done
when using this move. If someone in your game group would prefer
this move not be used at all, that is understandable and should be
respected.

Experienced Traveler
Once per session you happen to have just the right tool for a
situation due to your years of experience. When faced with an obstacle,
explain how you were prepared for the situation by bringing along the
right type of tool or resource. If the tool would have cost coin, you can
spend that as part of this move.

Greater Power
Your maximum aether pool is increased by 1 point for a total of 9
aether. You also pick up a new trait in addition to your previous trait,
and have two traits at any time from now on.

Know Thine Own

When you attempt to identify a mortal's monstrous self, roll aether.
On a success the GM will tell you this person's potential for evil and
how much of that potential has been fulfilled. On a partial success you
still learn of their potential for evil, but not their immediate nature. On
a miss the person sees your own potential for evil (it's a lot) and
responds accordingly.

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 Long Lived Personal Goals
Choose an area of knowledge in which you have proficiency due to
your long years of unlife: When you achieve one of your personal goals, cross it out from the
list and mark XP.
• Vampiric history
• Demonology • Fall for a mortal.
• The Church • Live a day like a regular human.
• Ancient history • Have a moment of understanding with The Hunter.
• Recent history and local politics • Spend a night running wild with other monsters.
• Strike fear into the minds of Church officials through your
When you want to know more about something related to this field monstrous nature.
of knowledge, roll aether vs. DR 2. On a success, you can ask the GM 1 • Suck dry someone you care about.
question about the subject. They will answer truthfully and give you all • Drink the blood of a fellow hunter.
relevant information related to your question. Gain advantage when • Tempt The Priest to do something that goes against their
acting on this information. On a partial, you can still ask 1 question, beliefs.
but you don't gain advantage. On a miss, invent a falsehood about
relevant subject which you believe to be true.

You can purchase this skill more than once, choosing a new area of
knowledge each time.

Unnatural Speed
When you move with supernatural speed, roll aether. On a success
you can attack a target of your choice, damaging them without
resistance for 2 harm, or you reach a chosen destination without
trouble and escape any foes. On a partial, you still get to make your
move, but mark 1 light harm for over-exerting yourself, and you are
briefly sapped of energy and require a moment of rest. On a miss, you
misstep and stumble, and your enemies fall upon you.

Unnatural speed can be used to move without being noticed if the

character hasn't drawn attention to themselves yet.

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