Shadows Of The Zone

A STALKER inspired campaign for

Shadow of the Demon Lord
 What It’s About
SHADOWS OF THE ZONE is about survival in a world doomed to a slow-moving
armageddon. The Zone is ever-expanding, permanently changing the environment in
unpredictable, irreversible manners. Players take on the role of desperate survivors,
mercenaries working for the highest bidder, or even brainwashed cultists who seek
to expand the Zone by force. Things found within the Zone are old and broken, and
sometimes changed in surreal ways. Supplies are scarce and expensive. For those
who live under the Shadow of the Zone, death is certain and quick, so make it all
count while you still can.
How It Started
At the end of World War 2, the American OSS was already resettling Nazi scientists
with new lives in the United States. Under Uncle Sam, they continued much the same
research they had done before, only now they worked for the newly-minted CIA. One
of these research programs was the infamous MKULTRA, a wide-reaching operation
that branched into chemical and psychic warfare. Unwitting citizens of the US as well
as foreign prisoners and even whole military units were tortured, poisoned, and
drugged in the search for telepathy, fabled truth serums, mind control powers, and
other mystical endeavors. While the real operation faded out in the 70’s, within this
dark twisted world, MKULTRA continues to this day.

On July 4th 1985, MKULTRA experiments being carried out within the Y-12 National
Security Complex at Oak Ridge, Tennessee led to the disastrous meltdown of a
nuclear reactor within that same complex. With the combined psychic trauma from
the torture of human experimentation and the radiological catastrophe, the
Noosphere was ripped wide open and radiation flooded the Southeastern United
States. The town of Oak Ridge and its surrounding areas were completely isolated by
the Department of Energy and the CIA under the guise of cleaning up nuclear waste,
but the newly created National Security Zone quickly became too much to control.
Bizarre mutations emerged among wildlife, resulting in aggressive wild dogs,
varmints with extra limbs, and the appearance of new horrific creatures straight out
of horror movies and nightmares.
How Its Going
In the years since the creation of the Zone, it has continued to grow at a steady pace.
Several towns have been swallowed whole by the Zone as the safety cordon
continues to move farther out in all directions. The regional economy is in shambles
as displaced citizens move into cities and rural areas unprepared for such disasters.
Crime runs rampant and a black market thrives on mundane smuggled goods as well
as strange and precious Artifacts birthed in the Zone.

A new subclass of American scoundrel has emerged; the scavenger, the trespasser,
the adventurer, the loner, the killer, the explorer, the robber. Plenty of people with
more guts than brains, or the ones desperate to feed their families, sneak into the
Zone illegally seeking out the arcane Artifacts. Researchers for private companies
pay fair sums for materials and specimens. Some wealthy families even pay to have
their abandoned belongings retrieved. And then there are the freaks who get
brainwashed and stay there. More on that later. All of these people are Stalkers, those
who risk their life and sanity in a strange alien wilderness in pursuit of money and
power.
 Focus
Adventure Wealth
Attributes: All start at 10, +1 to one. Attributes: All start at 10.

Perception: Intellect, Defense: Agility, Perception: Intellect +1, Defense: Agility,

Health: Strength, Healing Rate: ¼ Health: Strength, Healing Rate: ¼
Rounded Down, Size: ½ or 1, Speed: Rounded Down, Size: ½ or 1, Speed: 10,
Agility +1, Power: 0. Power: 0.

Languages/Professions: You speak two Languages/Professions: You speak one

languages. language and have one additional
Profession.
Level 4: Health +4, Fool’s Luck: You have
one Fortune point to spend per Level 4: Health +3, Lead Into Gold: Once
adventure. Once spent it doesn’t refresh per rest, when you find ammunition while
until the beginning of your next searching for loot, you can immediately
adventure. exchange it for the equivalent value in
Power cash, and vice versa.
Strength 11, Agility 10, Intellect 10, Will
Knowledge
9. Strength 9, Agility 10, Intellect 10, Will
10.
Perception: Intellect, Defense: Agility,
Health: Strength +1, Healing Rate: ¼ Perception: Intellect +1, Defense: Agility,
Rounded Down, Size: ½ or 1, Speed: 10, Health: Strength -1, Healing Rate: ¼
Power: 0. Rounded Down, Size: ½ or 1, Speed: 10,
Power: 1.
Languages/Professions: You speak one
language. Languages/Professions: You speak one
language and have one additional
Level 4: Health +5, Intimidating Profession.
Presence: When using the Intimidate
action in social combat, you may roll Level 4: Health +2, Know It All: Once
Strength without inflicting damage. per rest, give yourself or an ally +1 boon
on an Intellect or Will challenge roll.
 Expert Paths
Controller LEVEL 9
LEVEL 3
Characteristics: Health +3, Perception
Attributes: Increase two attributes by +1. +1

Characteristics: Health +2, Power +1. Breaching Rounds: When making a

weapon attack, you ignore one step of
Psychic: You discover one tradition from cover.
among the list of Psychometry,
Enchantment, Teleportation, or Time, then Reflex Drill: When a creature within
make 3 choices: for each choice you Short Range of you moves, you may make
either learn a new tradition from that list a Free Attack. Additionally, your Free
or learn a spell from a tradition you Attacks deal +1d6 extra damage.
already know. Gunner
LEVEL 6 LEVEL 3
Characteristics: Health +2 Attributes: Increase two attributes by +1.
Psychic: You discover one new tradition Characteristics: Health +4
or learn a new spell from a tradition you
already know. Enfilade Fire: On an attack roll with a
LEVEL 9 firearm, if you succeed with a 20 or more,
you can immediately make another attack
Characteristics: Health +2, Power +1 against a creature within Reach of the
original target. This effect continues until
Psychic: You discover one new tradition you fail to roll higher than a 20.
or learn a new spell from a tradition you
already know. Controlled Bursts: When attacking using
Breacher a weapon with the Full Auto property, you
LEVEL 3 reduce the penalty from that property’s
effect from 2 Banes to 1.
Attributes: Increase two attributes by +1. LEVEL 6

Characteristics: Health +3 Characteristics: Strength +1, Health +4.

CQB Specialist: +! Boon when making Belt Fed: When using a weapon with the
an attack roll using a Short ranged or Reload proeprty, you can make one
melee weapon. additional attack with it before having to
spend an action to reload.
Open Locks: Unchanged from SOTDL LEVEL 9
core rulebook.
LEVEL 6 Characteristics: Health +4.
Characteristics: Health +3, Speed +1 Heavy Weapons: You may ignore the
Strength requirement for wielding
Careful Maneuver: You ignore the weapons.
effects of difficult terrain on land.

Trap Sense: Unchanged from the SOTDL

core rulebook.
 Expert Paths 2
Stalker LEVEL 6
LEVEL 3
Characteristics: Health +4
Attributes: Increase two attributes by +1.
Combat Medic: +1 Boon when attacking
Characteristics: Health +3 with one-handed weapons such as pistols
or daggers.
Camouflage: You can Hide when only
Partially Obscured. Special Responder: For the purposes of
wearing armor, treat your Strength score
Weakening Strike: When you as being one higher.
successfully attack a target, the next LEVEL 9
attack against that same target has +1
Boon. Characteristics: Health +4
LEVEL 6
Stimulant Shot: As an Action, you may
Characteristics: Health +3 expend a use from a First Aid Kit to
remove one of the following Afflictions
Assassinate: Unchanged from SOTDL from a target within Short range:
core rulebook. Fatigued, Frightened, Dazed, or
Diseased.
Quick Reflexes: Unchanged from the
SOTDL core rulebook. Tactical Casualty Care: You can use
LEVEL 9 Shared Recovery twice.

Characteristics: Health +3, Speed +1

Improved Camouflage: You make all

tests to Hide with +1 Boon.

Weakening Strike: When a target who is

currently the subject of your Weakening
Strike becomes Injured, the Injuring
attack deals +1d6 damage.
Medic
LEVEL 3

Attributes: Increase two attributes by +1.

Characteristics: Health +4

Shared Recovery: Unchanged from

SOTDL core rulebook.

First Aid: As an Action, you can expend

TWO uses from a First Aid Kit to heal a
creature up to its Healing Rate.
 Crafting such as two-headed snakes or dogs that
can mimic human voices. Go deep
Those who live in the Zone make the most enough into the Appalachian jungle
out of everything they have - after all, you’ll see that the radiation touches even
they have to carry it in with them while creatures you didn’t know existed in the
sneaking past mutants and guards. If you first place.
can’t bring it with you or find it in the
Zone, then the next best thing is to make For every full 24 hour day spent inside
it yourself. In order to craft an item, the Zone without protection, make a Will
consult the requirements below then challenge roll. If the roll is failed, you
make an Intellect based challenge roll. gain 1 Insanity.
Salvage Starting Wealth
You need Parts (electrical components,
nuts and bolts, the like) measured in a Destitute: You have a club, rags to wear,
Dollar amount that is equal to at least a and $5.
third of the item’s price. If it isn’t an item
listed in the books, the Game Master may Poor: You have a club, a spear, a knife,
have to make one up. basic clothing, water, a flashlight,
matches, and 2d6 Dollars.
Tools
You need the right tool kit to make the Getting By: You have a dagger, a
item; either a Gunsmithing Kit, Chemistry revolver, basic clothing, a backpack, a
Set, Sewing Kit, or Mechanic’s Tools. You week’s worth of rations, a canteen full of
can use one of these tool kits in place of water, a coil of rope, matches, a flashlight
another if you don’t already have the w/ spare batteries, and 4d6 Dollars.
right one. In such a case, add 1 bane to
the challenge roll. Comfortable: You have a dagger, a Small
Time Pistol, 10 rounds of ammunition, nice
The amount of time it takes to craft an clothes, a backpack, cold weather gear, a
item depends on the physical size and week of rations, a canteen full of water, a
the complexity of the task. A skilled coil of rope, matches, a flashlight w/
gunsmith with the proper tools can craft a spare batteries, and 3d20 Dollars.
new rifle from spare Parts in an hour. A
mechanic working on a car might need Wealthy: You have a dagger, a Large
several. A team of characters trying to Pistol, a Shotgun, 10 rounds of ammo
build a house from scratch will take each, nice clothes, a backpack, cold
weeks, or even months. Time should be weather gear, a week of rations, a
handled on a case by case basis by the canteen full of water, a coil of rope,
Game Master, taking into account the matches, a flashlight w/ spare batteries,
knowledge and experience of the and 4d20 Dollars.
crafters involved.
Radiation Rich: You have a Dagger, Large Pistol,
Light Rifle, 15 rounds of ammo each, a
The Zone has experienced severe
radiation in many areas, especially Load Bearing Vest, a week of rations, a
around the old Y-12 complex. Long-term canteen full of water, a coil of rope,
exposure to low levels of radiation can matches, a flashlight w/ spare batteries,
result in cancers many years down the 5d20 Dollars, and a servant/bodyguard to
road. At higher levels, mutations become carry it all.
possible along with acute radiation
poisoning. Much of the wildlife in the
area has mutated to become larger, more
aggressive, or have bizarre properties
 Properties Changes
Reload
All firearms have the Reload property
followed by a number, such as Reload 3.
This is the number of attacks that can be
made with the weapon before you must
spend an Action to reload. These are
modern weapons with box magazines or
ammunition belts that are much higher
capacity than the single-shot ranged
weapons of yesteryear.
Full Auto
Some firearms are capable of firing
multiple rounds with a single trigger
squeeze. These weapons are more rare
than their semi-automatic counterparts,
and are illegal for civilians to own unless
they possess an expensive and restricted
license. When using a weapon with this
property, you may make a second attack
roll immediately after your first, with 2
bane.
 New Items
Batteries Gas Mask
Small batteries are normal AA/AAA This item is a full-face rubber mask
batteries which are disposable, non- designed to be worn with or without a
rechargeable, and cheap. They last for 6 helmet and threaded for standard NATO
hours of continuous use. They come in a 40mm gas mask filters. It protects the
stack of 10 costing $5. wear from CBRN agents. Gas Mask $65,
Filters $10.
Large Batteries are heavier, more Stoves
expensive, and more rare. They can be These compact, foldable cooking stoves
recharged by an appropriate device, last allow outdoorsmen to boil water or cook
for 48 hours of continuous use, and cost food by burning tinder or fuel tablets.
$50 for a single Large Battery. $20.
Flashlight Night Vision Goggles
A modern, duty-grade high power A set of specialized military NVG’s which
flashlight which runs on Small Batteries. run on Large Batteries. They allow the
Everything within 25 yards that is not wearer to see in complete darkness,
hidden is Lit, and beyond that up to 50 gaining the Darkvision trait from page 17
yards is Shadows. $15. of the core rulebook. They can be worn
Camera alongside a helmet, but not a gas mask.
The latest model on the consumer $2000.
market, capable of high quality digital First Aid Kit
photos and videos. While these are A modern version of the Healer’s Kit from
becoming more popular, they’re also page 106 of the core rulebook. It is a
expensive and you need a computer in pouch full of bandages, tourniquets, and
order to move the files off of the camera. other such items necessary to treat a
Uses Small Batteries. $300. traumatic injury. It can be used 6 times
Cigarettes before it is depleted. $65.
A mundane pack of cigarettes, good for Radiation Suit
trading as currency or taking the edge A bright yellow hazmat suit that
off. If smoked immediately before completely protects the wearer from
making a Will challenge roll for the CBRN threats. Can be worn over armor.
purposes of Insanity, gain 1 Boon to that On taking damage while wearing the suit,
roll. This item costs $5 for a pack of 20. roll a d6. On a 1, the suit tears and is
Handheld Radio ruined. $350.
A portable device capable of sercure,
encrypted communication with other
radios that are tuned to each other. This
item is powered by its own Large Battery
which can be removed and swapped
between radios, but will not fit other
items. Radios purchased new in the box
will include a dedicated charging device
that only fits the radio battery. $200.
Road Flare
The Flare takes an Action to light, can be
held in one hand, and burns for 1 hour.
The area around it in a 2 yard radius is
considered to be in Shadows. $5.
 New Armors
Clothing Agility Varies Common No Strength
Requirement
Motorcycle Agility+1 $50 Common No Strength
Leathers Requirement
Load Bearing Agility+2 $85 Uncommon Strength 11
Vest
Stab Vest 13 $100 Rare Strength 11

Level 3 Armor 15 $130 Rare Strength 13

Level 3A Armor 16 $175 Rare Strength 13

SLevel 4 Armor 17 $250 Rare Strength 15

Full Body Armor 18 $500 Rare Strength 15

New Ranged Weapons

Name Damage Hands Properties Price

Small Pistol 1d6 One Reload 3, Range $50

(short), Ammo
(Pistol)
Large Pistol 1d6+1 One Reload 2, Range $75
(short), Ammo
(Pistol)
Shotgun 2d6 Two Reload 1, Range $75
(Short), Ammo
(shells)
Combat 2d6 Two Reload 3, Range $150
Shotgun (short), Ammo
(Shells)
Bolt-Action Rifle 2d6 Two Reload 2, Range $150
(Long), Ammo
(Rifle)
Light Rifle 1d6+2 Two Reload 3, Range $200
(Med), Ammo
(Rifle)
Heavy Rifle 2d6 Two Reload 3, $250
Ranged (Med),
Ammo (Rifle)
Assault Rifle 1d6+2 Two Reload 3, Range $400
(Med), Ammo
(Rifle), Full Auto
Light Machine 2d6 Two Reload 4, Range $1000
Gun (Med), Ammo
(Rifle), Full Auto
Stun Grenade 1d6 One Thrown, Inflicts $100
Dazed on failed
Perception
check