Shadow Theory (d20 Modern Horror)

[Kuma Kode]

Forsaken Husk is probably CR 1;
Bruisers and Edwards should be CR 2,
The Lurker I'd pin at CR 6.

Awesome. That's exactly how I figured it, and Vorpal Tribble's challenge rating calculation method turned out a 6.8 for the Lurker, so I'm pretty confident now to actually write that into their stat blocks.

Definitely would suggest you allow Wis 15+ as an alternative or even a substitute for the Cha 15+ psionic feat prerequisites, given that this is the attribute most closely associated with awareness.

Right. I considered making the required stat Wisdom, since it, like you said, is associated with awareness, as well as powering Sanity, which the feats consume. I guess I chose Charisma instinctively due to the D&D penchant for assigning innate magic to Charisma. I changed the required score to Wisdom, making psionics a SAD ability. Also, making charisma even less useful in the post-apocalyptic world (which I suspect it would be, anyway).

Interestingly, this means Premonition can fry your psychic abilities temporarily, lowering your Wisdom below the requirement and therefore suppressing the feats. I kind of like that, actually.

[Surrealistik]

Couple of other things.

I recommend that players get the chance to reduce Sanity loss via a Will save when casting magic; perhaps the loss cannot be entirely negated, but it should be reducible.

Also, what of sociopaths when it comes to abandoning others to monsters? Most people would certainly feel guilt, but there's always that soulless 1%. Perhaps this is a trait you can introduce which would feature benefits and penalties.

EDIT: You might also consider adding a 'Taint' or 'Corruption' score, which reflects literal damage to the soul, that exhibits ever worsening effects as it's accumulated. Spikes of it can cause possession by the Otherworld, in much the same way spikes of sanity loss can cause indefinite insanity. Once the score gets too high, the character is irreversibly damned, and probably mutates into something horrible (like a Tainted).

[Kuma Kode]

I recommend that players get the chance to reduce Sanity loss via a Will save when casting magic; perhaps the loss cannot be entirely negated, but it should be reducible.

Not sure. Generally, I wanted magic that was accessible to any class but wouldn't get overpowered or turn the game into Wizards and Warlocks, so the standard spell system was right out. I stumbled onto Call of Cthulhu, which is built pretty much classless, and that spell system relied on the spell devouring ability scores and Sanity, which I liked; everyone can cast a spell, but no one really wants to. Call of Cthulhu does not allow for the Sanity loss to be mitigated, and I didn't plan for it either. Characters who are interested in spellcasting should probably take the Occultist advanced class to get the benefits of Sanity resistance.

Though the spell system obviously hasn't been playtested, so I suspect I'll have to tweak the spells quite a bit to balance their costs.

Also, what of sociopaths when it comes to abandoning others to monsters? Most people would certainly feel guilt, but there's always that soulless 1%. Perhaps this is a trait you can introduce which would feature benefits and penalties.

Psychopathy is essentially an inability to feel emotion. That would protect the character from most of the setting's theme. I considered a psychopath character after the House M.D. episode about such a condition, and decided that it's most likely a variety of permanent insanity. The psychopath would be immune to practically all Sanity loss because they cannot experience fear, and can't be psychologically traumatized by the horrors they witness.

A psychopath would make for a very interesting NPC survivor traveling with the group, especially since the psychopath would merely act in his/her own best interest, which will usually be to act in accordance with the group (safety in numbers). The psychopath should be treated as having -10 Sanity and should not be available as player character.

Also, more on this when I get around to posting The Fallen.

You might also consider adding a 'Taint' or 'Corruption' score, which reflects literal damage to the soul, that exhibits ever worsening effects as it's accumulated. Spikes of it can cause possession by the Otherworld, in much the same way spikes of sanity loss can cause indefinite insanity. Once the score gets too high, the character is irreversibly damned, and probably mutates into something horrible (like a Tainted).

When I made the Black, I considered a Corruption score that would likely follow the same rules as Taint does in Heroes of Horror. Casting spells could alternatively add to the Corruption instead of dealing normal ability damage, but I also worried that Shadow Theory already introduces the Sanity mechanics to d20 Modern, and I'm not sure if I want to add in a whole new stat with its own mechanics on top of the already game-changing Sanity.

[Surrealistik]

Call of Cthulhu does not allow for the Sanity loss to be mitigated, and I didn't plan for it either. Characters who are interested in spellcasting should probably take the Occultist advanced class to get the benefits of Sanity resistance.

I'm not suggesting outright mitigation so much as that the loss can be halved or somehow reduced, with the difficulty of the Will Save, and the height of the consequences probably scaling with the power of the spell.

Psychopathy is essentially an inability to feel emotion. That would protect the character from most of the setting's theme. I considered a psychopath character after the House M.D. episode about such a condition, and decided that it's most likely a variety of permanent insanity. The psychopath would be immune to practically all Sanity loss because they cannot experience fear, and can't be psychologically traumatized by the horrors they witness.

It's not that they are completely devoid of emotion so much as they cannot empathize with others, thus they can still be terrified and traumatized, though their behaviour will be largely selfish and amoral.

Casting spells could alternatively add to the Corruption instead of dealing normal ability damage, but I also worried that Shadow Theory already introduces the Sanity mechanics to d20 Modern, and I'm not sure if I want to add in a whole new stat with its own mechanics on top of the already game-changing Sanity.

I think it would be an excellent addition. I really like how this sort of thing has been done in Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader as a direct example.

[Callos_DeTerran]

This is a fascinating thread, truly, and I will be keeping a sharp eye on it. A couple questions though...

Do you have the d20 Apocalypse book? The trade point system would be immeasurably valuable for a game like this, as would some of the feats and the advanced classes in it.

Do you have a reason in mind for why the rift happened? You don't need to share it, but it's always a good thing to keep in mind.

[Kuma Kode]

The Fallen

They are the darkness that lurks in the light.
They are the Entities with a friendly face.
They could be right beside you, but you wouldn't know it.

When faced with the horrors of the Otherworld, humans can cope in several different ways. First off, they might simply not cope at all. The person's mind snaps, shatters, or crumbles irrevocably as it struggles and fails to understand the Otherworld, leaving an empty shell known as the Lost. Secondly, a person may rationalize or forget the details of their experiences using helpful, instinctive psychological defense mechanisms. These lucky few usually become Survivors, whose brains simply shut out the Otherworld and the true reality of the universe. Finally, there are those whose minds struggle to understand... and succeed. Their psyches twist and warp to accommodate information and beings that it was never meant to, and could never accept in its previous incarnation. These damned souls become the Fallen.

The Fallen may very well be the greatest danger to the Survivors. The Fallen are humans, physically uncorrupted by the Black, who have been transformed psychologically by the knowledge of the Otherworld. Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. Interestingly, the Fallen possess the eerie ability to appear normal, a capacity sometimes referred to as the mask of sanity. They will even fake fear when confronted by the Entities, but this emotional reaction is not authentic. Inwardly, they worship, or at least swear allegiance to, the very creature they pretend to fight.

Entities and Tainted Ones can sense the internal corruption of the Fallen and will not attack them unless the Fallen is fighting with Survivors, in which case the Entities will engage as normal. This battle is simply a charade; even unintelligent entities appear to understand the Fallen's ability to blend into human society and will assist in continuing the illusion. They may even injure, but never kill or maim, the Fallen in question.

Somewhat amusingly, Fallen cannot instinctively sense each other, and it is not unheard of for two to infiltrate the same group and be completely unaware of the other one's true nature.

The Mask of Sanity
A Fallen behaves normally, showing no outward symptoms of psychosis. They are, however, permanently insane, and have a Sanity score of -10. Because of this, they never suffer Sanity loss.

Fallen who attempt to join a Survivor group usually need not make Bluff, Disguise, or Perform (Acting) check unless the survivors are aware of the existence of the Fallen. Still, Fallen who expect to spend a long period of time infiltrating a group would do well to invest at least a few ranks into Perform (Acting) to give their "fear" a more convincing feel.

Ecology
The Fallen typically serve Entities, running daylight errands for them, scouting out terrain with which they are unfamiliar, or infiltrating survivor groups to pick off or capture the pests that disrupt their sleep.

When encountered, they are usually running an errand or picking up supplies for themselves.

Many Fallen know whispers, possibly taught to them by the Entities themselves. Additionally, Fallen are likely to possess or know the location of a forbidden tome, which they typically try to keep from the survivors who may use it to gain more insight into the unfolding apocalypse and the plans of the Otherworld denizens.

Unlike the Lost and the Tainted Ones, Fallen should never be generic mooks; they should always be unique, heroic characters with their own personality and skill set.

Christina Harold - Smart Hero 2 / Fast Hero 1 / Occultist 2 - A capable and charismatic wielder of Otherworld magic.

[Kuma Kode]

I'm not suggesting outright mitigation so much as that the loss can be halved or somehow reduced, with the difficulty of the Will Save, and the height of the consequences probably scaling with the power of the spell.

Hmm. I'll consider it, but right now I'll see how it goes this way. If it seems the Sanity loss from spellcasting is too restrictive, I'll probably implement that. The problem with the Sanity rules is that for an actual campaign in Call of Cthulhu, monster encounters are relatively rare. Otherwise, the characters will go insane too quickly. I tried to compensate for the higher presence of monsters using the Desensitization mechanic and having Sanity be easier to recover through Psychotherapy and accomplishments. If that's not enough, spells would be suicidal acts, and I'd have to incorporate a way to cut the costs.

Thanks, I'll keep the idea on the backburner until I see how the spells work in an actual playtest.

It's not that they are completely devoid of emotion so much as they cannot empathize with others, thus they can still be terrified and traumatized, though their behaviour will be largely selfish and amoral.

You're correct; my comment was rather oversimplified. Still, a true psychopath is aberrant enough psychologically to fall under the category of "insane," and should probably be disallowed as a player character. At least, personally, I would prefer to have one of the characters secretly be a Fallen instead of a psychopath.

Obviously, they wouldn't suffer the guilt penalty, regardless of how you ultimately treat them.

I think it would be an excellent addition. I really like how this sort of thing has been done in Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader as a direct example.

I haven't actually seen those. Really, I'm pretty much only familiar with D&D 3.0, 3.5, and d20 Modern/Future. I have passing familiarity with Serenity and Call of Cthulhu. Otherwise, I'm pretty newbish when it comes to gaming systems. I'll check them out, though, and might implement a Corruption mechanic.

Thanks for the questions and suggestions, though! Input is always great, as it starts new ideas.

This is a fascinating thread, truly, and I will be keeping a sharp eye on it. A couple questions though...

Do you have the d20 Apocalypse book? The trade point system would be immeasurably valuable for a game like this, as would some of the feats and the advanced classes in it.

Do you have a reason in mind for why the rift happened? You don't need to share it, but it's always a good thing to keep in mind.

Hilariously, I saw d20 Apocalypse and thought, "That would be perfect!" Then when I flipped through it I discovered that, with the exception of the scavenging rules and perhaps the TU, it's pretty much useless. It seemed to me that the book assumes a period of time in which humanity has started to stabilize, even if it's just in tribe-style groups. While you could play Shadow Theory that way, the game is primarily designed with the immediate aftermath in mind, as in the first adventure is the night the Event took place and the others explore how the characters deal with the change. Compared with the mortality/corruption/insanity rates I had initially envisioned, humans don't really do a lot of trading. If two groups encounter each other, they will likely merge for mutual safety, not trade and then be on their separate ways.

Granted, I'm sure there's stuff I missed like feats and such, but a cursory examination didn't really reveal anything I figured I could incorporate, with the exception of the scavenging rules.

However, you're right... I should probably revamp the equipment to use TUs and not Purchase DCs to make Shadow Theory's time frame a bit more flexible....

The Event was something I never really pegged down. I had a few possibilities, but nothing I decided would be "canon." Possible ideas include:

• Evil cultists who actually succeeded in their doomsday spell instead of being slain by PCs at an appropriately dramatic time.
• A bleed caused by an experimental attempt to access an alternate dimension for travel purposes (like Event Horizon).
• Completely natural event. Essentially a cosmic "ice age."

I wanted to leave it open enough that a GM could use their own cause with minimal fuss, though I think the underlying assumption I'm building for is "cosmic ice age."

[Kuma Kode]

Added the Haruspex [Tainted]. Banshee will be up, soon, too.

Harpy is up, as well.

Decided I will probably use a Corruption mechanic, just gotta make it.

[Kuma Kode]

Added the Tindalos [Entities]. Suggestions as to what Challenge Rating it is would be awesomesauce. I am thinking CR ~12.

Will also work on two other entities soon: an invisible spellcaster and a creature that feeds on Sanity loss.

[Kuma Kode]

Sight Unseen
Lalenol + Nanyothua
Corruption Cost: 2 Wisdom damage and 1d6 Sanity
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target, Area, or Effect: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

The shadows conceal, confusing truth and muddying the mind. That which is obvious becomes difficult to discern, and the eyes can be trusted no more.

This utterance causes the target to vanish from sight, impossible to perceive through normal means. Any objects carried or worn by the target also become invisible, up to their maximum load. This affects any kind of visual sense, but does not hide the target from non-visual senses, such as touch, smell, or sound. Creatures with blindsense or tremorsense may still locate the concealed creature.

If the subject attacks or even bumps against another creature, the spell immediately ends.

Even if the target cannot be seen, others may be able to deduce their location through other clues, such as footprints in a puddle or snow.

This spell is foiled by the See the Unseen utterance and the Second Sight psionic feat.

Echelon 1: As above.
Echelon 2: The spell lasts 1 minute/level.
Echelon 3: The spell lasts 1 minute/level and does not end if you bump against another creature.
Echelon 4: As Echelon 1, but Target becomes 1 creature/2 levels.
Echelon 5: As Echelon 3, but Target becomes 1 creature/2 levels.

[Kuma Kode]

Dispel Magick
Ngthlh-ddh + Nanyothua
Corruption Cost: 2 Charisma and 1d6 Sanity
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target, Area, or Effect: 60 foot burst, centered on caster
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

For every problem, there is a solution.

This powerful incantation unravels Otherworld energies, restoring them to their ambient state and destroying any constructs of these energies.

Any spells with a non-instantaneous duration in the area of effect, whether friendly or hostile, are attacked by this spell. Any spells of a lower echelon than Dispel Magick end immediately, as if their duration had expired. Any spells of the same echelon as Dispel Magick end immediately if the caster level of the target utterance is less than that of Dispel Magick. If it is higher, the dispeller must make a caster level check (1d20 + their caster level) against the target spell (DC 10 + the opposing caster's level). On success, the spell ends. If the dispel fails, the target remains and endures Dispel Magick's ravages, as does any utterances of a higher echelon.

Unfortunately, Dispel Magick is completely indiscriminate. It targets its own caster and any beneficial spells they carry, as well as all other spells within 60 feet, whether carried by an ally or enemy. A poorly timed Dispel Magick can be even more disastrous for the survivors than for their opponents.

A secondary version of the utterance allows it to target a forming Shadow construct, disrupting an utterance currently being cast as if using a counterspell. Unlike a true counterspell, however, Dispel Magick carries a corruption cost as normal and doesn't always succeed. A caster level check against the forming utterance's caster is required. On failure, the utterance continues as if uninterrupted. On success, the spell is interrupted successfully and fails. Like with counterspelling, use of murmurs does not affect whether or not Dispel Magick can interrupt the utterance.

Echelon 1: This spell can dispel echelon 1 utterances with a successful caster level check.
Echelon 2: This spell can dispel echelon 1 utterances automatically, and can dispel echelon 2 utterances with a successful caster level check. Counterspelling gain a +4 bonus on caster level checks.
Echelon 3: This spell can dispel echelon 1 and 2 utterances automatically, and can dispel echelon 3 utterances with a successful caster level check. Counterspelling gain a +8 bonus on caster level checks.
Echelon 4: This spell can dispel echelon 1, 2, and 3 utterances automatically, and can dispel echelon 4 utterances with a successful caster level check. Counterspelling gain a +12 bonus on caster level checks.
Echelon 5: This spell can dispel echelon 1, 2, 3, and 4 utterances automatically, and can dispel echelon 5 utterances with a successful caster level check. Counterspelling gain a +16 bonus on caster level checks.

[Kuma Kode]

Vampiric Touch
Ystharnotag + Degachabo
Corruption Cost: 2 Strength damage and 1d4 Sanity
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target, Area, or Effect: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Spiritual energies envigorate the user of this incantation, healing their wounds and restoring their vigor. Nothing comes from nowhere, however, and the life you gain, another must lose.

You must succeed at a melee touch attack against your chosen donor. If you succeed, your touch deals 1d6 points of damage, +1 per caster level. You recover as many hit points as your victim loses. You can never gain more hit points than your victim has to give, however.

If you cast this spell on a construct, it does nothing. If you accidentally cast the spell on an undead creature, it works in reverse, damaging you and healing your target.

Echelon 1: The utterance works as above.
Echelon 2: The utterance deals 2d6 damage, +1 per caster level.
Echelon 3: The utterance deals 3d6 damage, +1 per caster level.
Echelon 4: The utterance deals 4d6 damage, +1 per caster level.
Echelon 5: The utterance deals 5d6 damage, +1 per caster level.

[Kuma Kode]

Seal of Tora / Eibon
Bogtene + Phu-ug
Corruption Cost: 4 Intelligence damage and 1d6 Sanity
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. +5 ft./ 2 levels)
Target, Area, or Effect: cylinder of force 5 ft. wide and 10 ft. tall
Duration: 1 hour/level or until destroyed (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The eldritch sign of Tora has the power to ward a location against the Darkness, providing a temporary shelter against the growing storm. Take care, however, for like all shelters, the Seal may only withstand so much damage before it crumbles to dust around you.

The Seal of Tora creates a glowing, eldritch sigil on the floor, illuminating the area like a torch and preventing the Otherworld from passing through the protected area. Entities and Tainted Ones attempting to enter the warded area encounter a smooth, glass-like wall composed of pure energy that glows softly when touched. Tainted Ones suffer 1 point of damage while adjacent to the Seal, and Entities sustain 1d4 points of damage. This damage is caused by the supernatural light and cannot be negated by damage reduction. Humans and objects may pass through the ward without hinderance or damage. Spells and supernatural abilities, except for psionics, do not function through the Seal, whether from inside out or from outside in. Utterances cannot be used within the Seal. Magickal effects already present are supressed within the Seal, but their duration continues to count down.

The Seal is completely impenetrable to Entities, regardless of their protective abilities or their ability to manifest. They can damage the Seal, however, by attacking the glowing wall itself. The Seal of Tora has a hardness of 1 and 200 hit points, and fails completely when it reaches 0 hit points.

Entities and Tainted Ones cast a slightly different version called the Seal of Eibon. It functions identically, except that it blocks psionics instead of utterances and it wards against humans and non-contaminated objects instead of Entities and Tainted Ones. It darkens the warded area and deals 1 point of damage to humans. Psionic characters take 1d4 points of damage, instead.

Echelon 1: The spell works as above.
Echelon 2: The utterance creates a 5 ft. seal with 400 hit points or a 10 ft. wide seal with 200 hit points.
Echelon 3: The utterance creates a 5 ft. seal with 600 hit points, a 10 ft. wide seal with 400 hit points, or a 15 ft. wide seal with 200 hit points.
Echelon 4: The utterance creates a 5 ft. seal with 800 hit points, a 10 ft. wide seal with 600 hit points, a 15 ft. wide seal with 400 hit points, or a 20 ft. wide seal with 200 hit points.
Echelon 5: The utterance creates a 5 ft. seal with 1,000 hit points, a 10 ft. wide seal with 800 hit points, a 15 ft. wide seal with 600 hit points, a 20 ft. wide seal with 400 hit points, or a 25 ft. wide seal with 200 hit points.

[Kuma Kode]

Added the Roughneck and Wight [Tainted], thereby completing the Stage 2 Corruptions. There is now one Tainted for every class. Next comes Stage 3, which includes more mutated forms of the six we have here, plus additional mutations resulting from multiclassed monsters.

Also more entities are on the way, as well as the city of Arkham, in which all of this goes down.

[Kuma Kode]

Forbidden Tomes

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.

~ H.P. Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu" ~

The Otherworld has invaded our plane of existence before, and left its mark on the hearts and minds of those who fought against it. Some of them buried the information they gathered, hoping and praying that no other humans need experience the horrors they did, but a few others, whether driven by madness, a desire to understand, or pure malice, seek to share their terror with others. These few are the authors of what are known as Forbidden Tomes, books and manuscripts that detail the creatures and phenomena of the Otherworld.

Reading these books can give a survivor much-needed insight into the events that are unfolding around them, and can even teach them how to manipulate the Otherworld to achieve magickal effects, but they always carry a dangerous psychological cost.

Reading the Tome
Encountering, studying, and understanding a tome is a fairly step-by-step process.

Initial Contact
Finding a tome usually isn't terrifying in its own right, and a survivor may not even identify the book's true nature. A survivor must give the tome attention to have any interactions with it. Whenever a character picks up and inspects the tome in any meaningful way, such as flipping through the pages, they trigger the Initial Contact. Most of the time, this manifests as initial Sanity loss from the disturbing images and text in the tome, but it could also include a supernatural effect such as ability damage or the summoning of a guardian Entity.

Examination Period
If the character continues to study the tome after the initial contact, they can attempt to understand it. The Examination Period, the time required to read and understand the tome, varies wildly depending upon the book and its particular translation.

A character must spend several hours each day studying the tome, but it need not be undisturbed or all at once. A survivor interested in a forbidden tome will likely carry it with them and read it while they walk or wait for another character to complete an action.

If a survivor is kept away from the tome or does not spend time with it for several days, they will need to make an Intelligence check (DC 15) to pick up where they left off. If they fail, they will need to restart the examination period from the beginning.

Study DC
Once the examination period has ended and the character has read the book, they must make a Decipher Script check against the tome's Study DC. This represents how difficult the tome is to understand. Characters without ranks in Decipher Script may use an Intelligence check instead. If the character fails, they must redo the examination period, but gain a +1 bonus on the Study check per previous failure.

If a character cannot read the language in which the forbidden tome is written, they cannot make Study checks. Tomes are sporadic, unorganized, and lack context or a logical progression of ideas; abilities or skills that allow a character to glean information written in a language they do not know are insufficient. Only a fluent reader has any hope of reading the tome successfully.

Completion
If the character succeeds on the Study check, they have successfully read and understood the tome. They suffer additional Sanity loss, as well as gaining one or more ranks in Forbidden Lore (and reducing their maximum Sanity by the same amount). Furthermore, they may attempt to learn whispers or extract scrolls and lexicons from the text, if they exist.

A tome does not become useless when it is completed; characters may wish to keep forbidden tomes around as a sort of dreadful reference library. Spending 1d4 hours rereading a forbidden tome allows the character to make a Forbidden Lore check, even if he had previously failed, with a bonus equal to the number of Forbidden Lore ranks the book offers. If you fail, you may not use that book again for that bit of information, but you could check other tomes you have.

Learning Magick
Once the character finishes reading a tome, they learn how many whispers, lexicons, and scrolls the book contains. They may extract a lexicon or scroll with 1d3 days of work, but a whisper takes longer to master. To master a whisper, the character must spend 1d3 weeks practicing it. At the end of the period, the character immediately knows the whisper, lexicon, or utterance scroll, no check required.

Lexicons, whispers, and scrolls are not learned upon completion of the tome, nor can they be learned during the tome's examination period. They require additional time above and beyond the time the tome itself requires.

To randomly determine the contents of the tome, roll on the table below. This table can be used to determine a lexicon or whisper.

{table]01 - 04 | Reveal | 55 - 58 | Object
05 - 08 | Project | 59 - 63 | Creature
09 - 13 | Protect | 64 - 65 | Electricity
14 - 17 | Summon | 66 - 67 | Fire
18 - 19 | Absorb | 68 - 70 | Area
20 - 22 | Dispel | 71 - 72 | Soul
23 - 25 | Dominate | 73 - 75 | Death
26 - 27 | Deceive | 76 - 80 | Body
28 - 32 | Restore | 81 - 82 | Light
33 - 36 | Imbue | 83 - 84 | Time [Murmur]
37 - 41 | Corrode | 85 - 86 | Grasp [Murmur]
42 - 44 | Shadow | 87 - 89 | Blind [Murmur]
45 - 49 | Mind | 90 - 92 | Deaf [Murmur]
50 - 54 | Self | 93 - 100 | Power [Murmur][/table]

Forbidden Tomes
The tomes that follow are unique books. Each one is presented with its title first, then the author and date of publication. Other notable information about the tome, including which language it is written in, is also included. The statistics block ends with relevant game information, including the examination period and study DC, the number of magick components included, the initial Sanity loss, the Sanity loss upon completion, and the number of Forbidden Lore ranks gained upon understanding the tome.

The Black Book. Written by the medieval sorcerer Adrian Lim in 1269. Contains information about the spiritual world garnered through his divinations for various nobles and kings. Original in French, translated copies exist in German and English. Large tome published with a glossy, black leather cover.
Examination Period: 1d8+2 weeks (DC 23). Magick: Contains 1d4 Whispers, 1 Lexicon, and 1d4 Scrolls. Sanity Loss: 1d8 initial and 2d8 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +2 ranks.

The Diary of Darren Crowley. Contains notes of a Native American tribe in the Canadian wilderness who worship their ancestors who inhabit a nearby cave. The exploration goes awry and Dr. Crowley inadvertently provides a detailed account of the Corrupted. Leather bound, handwritten diary in English. Reproduced in a limited number as small pamphlets.
Examination Period: 1 week (DC 20). Magick: Contains no magick. Sanity Loss: 1 initial and 1d4 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +1 ranks.

Shards of the Gate. Originally written to combat confirmation bias surrounding near-death-experiences, in which people typically mention and remember NDEs that support their own religious beliefs and ignore contradictory experiences. The writer discovered a small subset of people who were traumatized by their experience and describe disturbingly similar hellishness that fits no current religion or philosophy, and hints that the afterlife may not be as reassuring and friendly as we like to think. Professional paperback publishing in English. Translated to Spanish. Inadvertently provides information on the Otherworld.
Examination Period: 1d3 weeks (DC 20). Magick: Contains 1 whisper and 1 scroll. Sanity Loss: 1d4 initial and 1d8 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +1 ranks.

The Yongjing Manuscripts. This strange essay was written by a young woman in Yongjing, China. It is very well thought out and extremely rational, unlike other tomes, but horrific lore exposing the dangers and infinite evil of the Otherworld lurks nestled within the well-structured arguments. The arguments are so convincing, in fact, that many who read it kill themselves, just as the mysterious writer did moments after completing the manuscript. Written in Chinese. Copied via chain letters into nearly all other modern languages.
Examination Period: 1 week (DC 20). Magick: Contains 1d3 whispers, 1d3 lexicons and 1d4 scrolls. Initial Contact: Obsession. If the reader fails a Will save (DC 15), they cannot willing stop reading the book until they complete it or until they are dead. Additional Effects: Deals 2 Charisma damage per day of reading. This heals normally, resulting in a net 1 point per day loss. If the reader reaches 0 Charisma, they attempt to kill themselves. Sanity Loss: 1d8 initial and 1d10 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +2 ranks.

The Eleanora Letters. Written in 1864. This collection of love letters from a mysterious woman only known by her pen name Eleanora is extremely explicit. In her letters, Eleanora describes in disturbing detail the sexual acts she fantasizes about having with her unknown and unnamed lover. As the reader digs deeper, it can be discerned that the object of Eleanora's explicit and profane sexual fantasies is not human. Written in Latin. Rarely translated.
Examination Period: 1d3 weeks (DC 20). Magick: Contains 1 whisper and 1d2 scrolls. Sanity Loss: 1d6 initial and 2d6 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +2 ranks.

The En'Gha Fragments. Written in 1903 by August Merrell and his associates. This book contains the translations and history of a set of stone tablets. These tablets tell the history of a prehistoric city in what is now Rhode Island, as well as its fall at the hands of inhuman horrors rising from the caves beneath. Written in English.
Examination Period: 1d3 weeks (DC 23). Magick: 1 whisper and 1d2 lexicons. Sanity Loss: 1d3 initial and 1d8 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +2 ranks.

The Life and Death of Dr. Roah. First appeared in 1487. Author unknown. This book appears to be a biography detailing the life and untimely death of Dr. Roah. The events of this individual's life and even their personality traits are often perceived as mirroring those of the reader, making Dr. Roah's death after reading a strange manuscript all the more disturbing. Copies in English, Russian, Chinese, German, and French.
Examination Period: 1d6 weeks (DC 23). Magick: 1d4 lexicons, 1d4 scrolls. Sanity Loss: 1d6 initial and 1d10 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +2 ranks.

Testament of Tora. Discovered by a traveler in India in 1337. The testament's cover is crafted of an extinct wood, and bound in human skin. It details a journey through the Otherworld, ultimately ending with an encounter with an Elder God, named Ephatharth. Only one is believed to exist, and is kept in the National Library if India in a secret room devoted to occult lore.
Examination Period: 2d6 weeks (DC 26). Magick: 1d6 whispers, 1d8 lexicons, 1d10 scrolls. Sanity Loss: 2d6 initial and 3d10 upon completion.

Necronomicon. The Necronomicon is a famed and legendary occult book with murky origins. Copies varying from near-flawless translations to useless novelty knock-offs, but the original has been lost, possibly even destroyed. The original tome is believed to be bound and paged with human skin, written with blood, and clasped with bones, though it is suspected that this description is an exaggeration.

What is known is that the book contains many detailed descriptions of the Otherworld's denizens and workings, accompanied by illustrations and formulas. The contents are haphazard, completely unorganized, and difficult to decode, and appears to be written by an individual not fluent in the language in which they wrote. Otherworld scholars believe that the original Necronomicon was, in fact, written by an entity, possibly a lurker.

Copies exist, though they are believed to be inferior to the original manuscript. One such copy is sealed in Miskatonic's library, in the rare book's section within a display case. It is never lent out, having been deemed far too valuable.

Copy: Examination Period: 3d8 weeks (DC 32). Magick: 2d4+1 whispers, no lexicons, no scrolls. Sanity Loss: 1d10 initial and 3d8 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +4 ranks.

Original: Examination Period: 3d12 weeks (DC 36). Magick: 3d4+2 whispers, no lexicons, no scrolls. Sanity Loss: 2d8 initial and 3d12 upon completion. Forbidden Lore: +5 ranks.

[Kuma Kode]

Added the Chitterer [Entities]. Also, after running a session of Shadow Theory, I realized that premade Corrupted would be awesomesauce, so there are now 6 generic zombies in the Tainted, beneath the Corrupted template spoiler.

As you might guess, powerlifter zombies are the scariest (Strong Ordinary), while supermodel zombies (Charismatic Ordinary) are what you use when you want to be nice to your survivors.

[Kuma Kode]

An Example of Play
What follows is a notes-style review of a real session, to provide an idea of how a largely player-driven survivor game plays out.

Day 2 - 8:00 AM
St. Mary's Hospital - Ambulance Bay

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The group begins by discussing their plans for the day. They decide to head to Miskatonic University to gather information and to stop at a shopping mall along the way to gather supplies.

Weaponry changes hands to better fit the situation, and Fox decides to tape a flashlight to his shotgun. It is somewhat awkward, but provides convenient hands-free lighting. Before leaving, he heads out to grab the metal baton they used to jam a door the previous night, but, eerily, it is nowhere to be found. Marna, the group's mechanic, drives the group's salvaged ambulance through the streets while Fox keeps his eyes out for cop cars.

Soon the group encounters an abandoned police vehicle, so they stop, but keep the ambulance running in case an emergency retreat is needed. Terrence, a student of Miskatonic, accompanies Fox to the car, keeping their eyes out for anything suspicious. Terrence notices that while there are a few dead bodies in the streets, bloody drag marks indicate that some corpses had been dragged into a nearby building. They check the car, and take food and ammunition from the trunk. They decide to check the building.

Inside the bank, they see nothing remarkable, and decide to head in while Kazumi and Marna wait in the ambulance, watching. As they enter the lobby, Terrence's radio begins to emit a ghostly, warbling static and the duo immediately retreats into the light of day. They turn to see humanoid silhouettes moving within the building, which soon reveal themselves to be Corrupted bank tellers. One of them, however, appears to have once been a SWAT officer and is equipped with body armor.

Kazumi yells "What are you doing?!" to her companions, but they ignore her and discuss the idea of taking on the zombies for the armor. Eventually, Fox, a police officer, decides the armor is probably too heavy and will slow him down more than he's comfortable with (He lacks proficiency with medium armor). The group takes this encounter as confirmation that the monsters hate light.

They continue on their way, but later encounter what appears to be a person digging in an alley's dumpster. They quickly stop and pull back. The person lacks the tell-tale white skin and black hair of the zombies, so the group decides to talk to him. Terrence and Fox again hop out and head into the alley. The man turns, sees the duo, and immediately charges at them in a blind rage. Terrence yells "Stop," but the man does not respond and the two attempt to subdue their deranged attacker with nonlethal force. He flails and screams, attacking with no regard for his own personal safety. As the battle continues, with little result as the man appears to be ignoring much of the pain, Kazumi fills a syringe with sedative and hops out. She hurries to help them, and forcefully administers the drug (Charge plus a melee attack). He quickly falls unconscious (Fortitude save failed). Without even knowing the man's weight, Kazumi correctly guessed the proper amount of drug required (Treat Injury check to avoid accidental euthanasia = Natural 20 = 32 [Success]).

The group decides that he's not a monster, and might just need some TLC, so they take him inside and cuff him to the gurney.

Langley Shopping Center
Jim’s Sporting Goods
Approx 8:30 AM

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The party drives around the shopping center until they find the sporting goods store. Happily, they file out and set up in the light. The radio is silent. Because of the angle of the sun, no direct light is entering the store, so it's pretty dark. Marna and Fox set up a floodlight just outside the door and toss in a couple of flares. When they are pleased with the illumination, Terrence and Fox turn on their flashlights and check the store.

Fox hears something tapping on the floor. Terrence and Fox circle around on opposite sides and discover a small, vaguely insectoid three-legged creature equipped with a stinger. Fox moves in to smash it. It senses him and immediately begins to shriek and chitter while waiving its tail in a threatening manner. Both Fox and Terrence begin to stomp at it, but the creature manages to evade two attempts before finally ending its life beneath Fox's boot.

Kazumi sticks her head in and calls, “You both still alive? What the hell was that?”

“Not now.” Comes Terrence's snappy response.

The group heads in and begins to round up hunting rifles when a deep, angry wailing sound erupts from deeper within the mall. Terrence and Fox hurry to the chain gate that blocks the interior mall access, but it is jammed and damaged from the store clerk's panicked usage. From around the corner, down the interior halls, comes charging four Corrupted. The group suspects they heard the chitterer.

The survivors panic as they struggle with the damaged gate. Kazumi and Marna continue to grab as many supplies as they can in a haphazard manner, stuffing ammunition and camping supplies into dufflebags.

Within moments, the zombies have reached the glass and punched their way through, grabbing at the survivors. Terrence continues to yank on the gate while Fox levels his shotgun at the most dangerous-looking zombie (one wearing camo pants and a red Tapout shirt). He tries to shoot but the zombie knocks his gun to the side.

Kazumi shakes her head, and decides to take more direct action. She loads a Remington rifle and takes aim just as Terrence successfully unjams the gate. Despite the odds, she manages to get off a solid shot and takes off part of Mr. Tapout's head (-4 Nonproficiency penalty, -4 penalty for firing into melee, Corrupted +4 cover bonus to defense from Fox).

Terrence and Fox yell at Kazumi for such a dangerous shot and snag the gun from her. She seems a little annoyed but continues to feel that she made the right choice, even if it was pretty reckless. Marna continues making runs back and forth, but spots a humanoid shape crouched in one of the aisles. Marna yells for Fox, and the creature stands. It is much like an Incan mummy, with withered brown flesh, no eyes, a mouth full of needle-like teeth and an expression of utter horror. It screams and charges.

Fox tears through the store, leaping over displays and vaulting over shelves to protect Marna, while Kazumi grabs her gun back from Terrence. The creature swings its claws at Marna, but Fox manages to take the brunt of the assault. Marna, bolstered by the aid of her friends, pulls the largest wrench she has from her toolbelt and swings it at the creature, cracking its jaw. Before it can recover, Fox shatters its ribs with the butt of his shotgun, while Terrence comes up from behind and shatters its legs. The creature collapses to the floor, where the trio pound it to make sure it is dead.

Kazumi notices that the zombies outside have lost interest and left, or are looking for a way around (there doesn't appear to be any).

Happy about their successes, the group cheerfully continues to grap rope, guns, ammunitions, and batteries. Less than 30 seconds later, they hear a hiss and find that the creature has risen. The survivors promptly flip out. Marna flees from the creature, by who she was still standing very close, and the skeleton gives chase. It stops at the edge of the light when she exits the store, and Fox sees his chance. He roars like an animal and tackles the creature into the parking lot. It shrieks in agony and begins to sizzle in the light. Fox and Marna continue to beat it while it fries, soon ceasing to move. The radio falls silent.

Marna and Fox take a moment to relax after smashing the monster to snortable levels. The mechanic grabs a few baseball bats and camping supplies while Kazumi takes samples of the creature. She tries to tend to Fox's claw wounds, but he waves her away and tells her that he needs a minute to process what just happened.

The doctor proceeds to organize the new supplies into the ambulance's cupboards. While Fox spaces out. Kazumi and he bicker but eventually he lets her tend to his wounds.

The group sorts out their weapons. They acquired 3 Winchesters and 8 boxes of appropriate ammunition, 2 Remingtons and 8 boxes of ammo, 5 boxes of 9mm ammo for Fox's glock, and 3 Mossbergs with 5 boxes of buckshot. Additionally, the group has a vast assortment of camping gear, bags, and clothing, as well as some improvised melee weapons.

They decide to keep one fully loaded shotgun above the windshield, to provide quick and easy access to self defense for the driver. Fox contemplates heading to Sears for a chainsaw, but Marna isn't a fan of the additional noise and fuel consumption.

After taking a moment to relax, smoke, and organize, the group heads down the lot.

Langley Shopping Center
Sears
Approx 9:30 AM

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The survivors head to Sears, and park the ambulance in such a way to allow the headlights to illuminate the area beyond the entrance.

Fox suggests that he go in alone and just grab what the group needs, since he's a faster runner (Improved Speed talent) and could get out if things go bad. The group agrees, but waits just outside with their weapons in case something goes wrong. It's dark, but Fox keeps the light off. He grabs expensive tools from near the entrance, and brings them out to Marna, essentially upgrading her already-owned mechanical toolkit to a deluxe one.

He goes in deeper, looking for thick leather or denim clothing that could be used to piece together some rudimentary armor. He finds some leather aprons and begins to grab as much as he can. He hears a cough and some mumbling from a few aisles down. He grabs a few more aprons and decides to sneak a peek. He discovers the same four zombies they encountered in the sporting goods store, huddled around one of the mummy-like creatures. They appear to be caressing and mumbling to it. Two of the zombies spot Fox, who immediately takes off towards the light. The monsters give chase, but he outruns most of them.

One of them, a creature with long, bony claws, keeps up with him, moving with a speed that rivals Fox's. He manages to reach the light, and the monsters stop chasing at the entrance. Fox stands with his back turned to the monsters, not wanting to see anymore of them, while Marna and Kazumi load the supplies into the ambulance. The Corrupted retreat into the darkness, while the Edward snags a wrench from a nearby display and chucks it at Fox, cracking him in the back of the head. Angered, he shoots the creature in the shoulder. It retreats into the darkness.

The group decides to head to Miskatonic and stop at a gas station for supplies.

Gas Station
10:00 AM

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Marna and Kazumi begin work on leather armor, which will take 12 hours of work, while Terrence and Fox scavenge for food. They discuss supplies and the university, as well as tactics. Kazumi informs the group that she wants to get a zombie to autopsy. The survivors mull over the idea and begin to formulate a plan to get one, delaying their visit to Miskatonic until tomorrow. They begin their plan by looking for a small building, likely to contain only one or two zombies.

Flower Shop
11:00 AM

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The survivors find a small, unassuming flower shop crammed between two much larger buildings, and decide to try it out. As Fox and Terrence approach, the radio begins to make static. "Oh good," Fox says, "There's one in here." He shakes his head. "I can't believe I just said that."

Marna stands by with rope. While Fox kicks in the door and Terrence holds the shotgun at the ready. Sure enough, the sounds of an enraged Tainted reverberate through the store. A monster with long, bony claws barrels through the flower shope, pouncing at Fox and slicing into his stomach. Terrence tries to strike it in melee, but its thick skin protects it. Fox goes into a full defensive mode and tells everyone to get outside.

The Edward begins to attack Terrence, and manages to claw him quite badly. Marna rushes in, grabs her wounded comrade, and pulls him into the sunlight. Fox steps back slowly and shoots the creature. Fox continues to battle it as Kazumi takes care of Terrence outside. Marna attempts to lasso the bladed beast but it barely evades her.

Fox manages to back into the light, and the creature claws him. It shrieks as its hand sizzles a bit in the sun. Fox drops to the ground and shoots the Edward, allowing the rest of the team to unload on it. Unfortunately, it evades their attacks and ducks behind the wall of the flower shop, beside the entrance door.

Fox snarls and heads in after it, but finds that it is not around the corner. He is startled when the creature slashes him from above, and finds the white-eyed monster clinging to the ceiling like a gecko. He steps back out of the shop and fires again into the creature's throat, dropping it to the floor where it lays. The survivors tie up the Tainted One, cover it with a blanket, and strap it to the gurney. They rope their other sedated captive and place him in the passenger seat.

With it secured, Kazumi begins to examine it for the next few hours.

Findings: Heart and lungs larger than normal, blood is black like tar, internal organs necrotic. Claws are integrated into hand and arm, new muscle tissue and tendons with new bones. Other strange growths made of tendons, teeth are elongated, skin is tougher. Judging by cancerous growths it was exposed to a mutagenic, possibly a virus or bio-weapon. Claws indicate design and imply bio-weapon. Creature recently consumed human body parts. Brain is also necrotic, particularly the frontal lobe, mushy. Nervous system is intact. Muscles are intact. The organs that the creature does not appear to need are necrotic.

Marna vomits outside the ambulance as it fills with the stench of rot, then hops into the driver's seat and directs the ambulance to a nearby park to stay the night.

Thomas Park
7:00 PM

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Marna parks the vehicle for the night, while Fox and Kazumi toss the Edward's corpse outside. Kazumi and Terrence bleach and disinfect the entire rear compartment. Fox and Marna have a smoke outside and lament the lack of alcohol. Terrence sets up in the front of the ambulance to meditate while Kazumi sees to the party's wounds.

As night falls, a thunderous roar echoes through the city, shaking the windows and the sides of the ambulance as arches of green lighting shoot through the sky. Within moments, Terrence and Marna see the terrifying visage of a zombie right outside the passenger door. It is cut up and its guts are hanging out: It is the very same monster they just finished dissecting a few hours prior.

It stabs its claws straight through the window and slashes Terrence. Marna freaks out and jumps into the driver's seat, turns the ignition, and slams on the gas. Fox and Kazumi wonder what just happened. Terrence informs them rather calmly that it got back up. “Just run it over, like 100 times," Fox suggests. "Just smash it.”

Marna turns completely around and slams on the gas. She flashes the Edward with the high beams and runs it over. The group hears a satisfying thud. Marna backs over it to make sure it won't rise again before driving down the road a few blocks to park elsewhere.

Kazumi and Marna stay up and work on the armor while Fox and Terrence rest. They have to go to Miskatonic tomorrow, and no one knows what horrors it may hold for them.

[Kuma Kode]

Zombies and Intelligence
The Corrupted, colloquially called Zombies, are driven by an overwhelming desire to destroy uncorrupted creatures. Like zombies in movies, they are largely uncreative and single-minded in their pursuit of flesh. The Corruption overcomes any other desire or thoughts the affected individual had, and even wipes their memories. All these creatures know is their need to feed.

Seemingly to the contrary of this vermin-like mentality, many of the Corrupted possess human-like mental ability scores. Despite this, they lack any knowledge gained from their former lives and in fact know no languages, though they may mutter meaningless phrases they once knew. Corrupted may learn new information, however.

The Intelligence of a Corrupted does not necessarily reflect its tactical mind. Of the Stage 1 and Stage 2 varieties of Tainted Ones, only the wight is lucid and capable of complex plans. All others are driven by overwhelming desire to feed or, in the case of the haruspex, relieve their pain. Intelligence does reflect a Corrupted's ability to think and learn, however. While they may be driven by their zombie-needs, an intelligent Corrupted is more capable of circumventing obstacles to their goal or remembering survivor tactics, as well as making up their own creative means of attack. A roughneck (Intelligence 4) May be as creative and tactical as an extra in Night of the Living Dead, but an Edward (Intelligence 14) may duck around a corner, only to climb onto the ceiling and pounce on a survivor who is unprepared for three-dimensional combat.

[PersonMan]

I like the fusion of generic zombies and intelligent zombies. This is pretty interesting...

[Kuma Kode]

Corrupted
Template
“Corrupted” is an acquired template that can be added to any living corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature). A corrupted uses all the base creature’s statistics except as noted here.

Challenge Rating: As base creature.

Size and Type: The creature's size and type remains unchanged, but it gains the (Tainted) subtype.

Hit Dice: The corrupted loses all but its first class level. Racial hit dice remain unchanged. A corrupted may continue to take class levels after its transformation, however.

Defense: A corrupted creature's flesh thickens and stiffens, granting it a +2 natural armor bonus to Defense.

Attacks: A corrupted retains all the natural attacks of the base creature. A creature with hands gains one claw attack per hand; the corrupted can strike with all of them at its full attack bonus. (If the base creature already had claw attacks, it can use the corrupted claw attack and damage, if they’re better.)

Damage: Natural and manufactured weapons deal damage normally. A claw attack deals damage depending on the corrupted’s size (use the base creature’s claw damage if it’s greater): Diminutive or Fine 1, Tiny 1d2, Small 1d3, Medium-size 1d4, Large 1d6, Huge 1d8, Gargantuan 2d6, Colossal 2d8.

Special Qualities: A corrupted retains all the special qualities of the base creature, as well as gaining those granted by the Tainted subtype.

Allegiances: A corrupted loses any previous allegiances and adopts a new allegiance to the Otherworld. This allegiance cannot be broken.

Action Points: A corrupted does not acquire or amass action points. It loses any action points possessed by the base creature.

Reputation Bonus: A corrupted has a +0 Reputation bonus.

Ability Scores: A corrupted gains the following ability score increase: Str +2, Dexterity +2, Constitution +4, Wisdom -2. In addition, a corrupted has a charisma of 1.

Skills: A corrupted loses all skills acquired during its former life.

Feats: A corrupted loses all feats except those that do not require knowledge or psychological training (such as Toughness and Great Fortitude).

Sanity Drain: A human corrupted's Sanity drain becomes 0/1d4.

Strong Corrupted
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Strong Ordinary 1

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Vitality Dice: 1d8+4 (- VP)
Wound Points: 18
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 15 (+1 Class, +2 natural, +2 Dexterity)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +5
Attack: Claw +5 melee (1d4+4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +2, Will +0
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 15, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: ½

Fast Corrupted
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Fast Ordinary 1

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Vitality Dice: 1d8+3 (- VP)
Wound Points: 17
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 19 (+4 Class, +3 Dexterity, +2 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0 / +3
Attack: Claw +3 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d4+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +3, Reflex +4, Will -2
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 12, Wis 6, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: ½

Tough Corrupted
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Tough Ordinary 1

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Vitality Dice: 1d10+4 (- VP)
Wound Points: 22
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 14 (+1 Class, +1 Dexterity, +2 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0 / +3
Attack: Claw +3 melee (1d4+3)
Full Attack: 2 claws +3 melee (1d4+3)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con 19, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: -
Feats: Toughness
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: ½

Smart Corrupted
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Smart Ordinary 1

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Vitality Dice: 1d6+1 (- VP)
Wound Points: 12
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 15 (+3 Dexterity, +2 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0 / +2
Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d4+2)
Full Attack: 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +1, Reflex +3, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: ½

Dedicated Corrupted
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Dedicated Ordinary 1

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Vitality Dice: 1d6+4 (- VP)
Wound Points: 18
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 14 (+1 Class, +1 Dexterity, +2 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0 / +2
Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d4+2)
Full Attack: 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +5, Reflex +1, Will +2
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: ½

Charismatic Corrupted
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Charismatic Ordinary 1

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Vitality Dice: 1d6+3 (- VP)
Wound Points: 16
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 13 (+1 Dexterity, +2 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0 / +0
Attack: Claw +0 melee (1d4)
Full Attack: 2 claws +0 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +4, Reflex +2, Will +1
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: ½

Corrupted Mob
Gargantuan Humanoid (Tainted) Mob of 48 Corrupted Humans

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Vitality Dice: - (- VP)
Wound Points: 30d8+90 (225 WP)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft.
Defense: 11 (+1 class, +2 Dexterity, +2 Natural, -4 size)
Base Attack/Grapple: +22 / +36
Attack: Mob (5d6)
Full Attack: Mob (5d6)
Space/Reach: 20 ft. by 20 ft. / 0 ft.
Special Attacks: Expert Grappler, Trample
Special Qualities: Mob Anatomy, Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +11, Reflex +19, Will +9
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 2/2d6
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Bullrush (B), Improved Overrun (B)
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: 8

Expert Grappler (Ex): A mob can maintain a grapple without penalty and still make attacks against other targets (normally, attacking other targets while grappling imposes a –20 penalty on grapple checks). A mob is never considered flat-footed while grappling.

Trample (Ex): A mob that simply moves over a creature and doesn’t end its movement with that creature in one of its occupied squares can trample the creature. A trampled creature takes 2d6+3 points of damage. The victim can either make an attack of opportunity against the mob or make a Reflex save (DC 27) to take half damage.

Mob Anatomy (Ex): A mob has no clear front or back and no discernible anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or sneak attacks. A mob cannot be flanked, tripped, grappled, or bull rushed.

Unlike standard swarms, mobs are made up of relatively small numbers of individual creatures, so spells or effects that target specific numbers of creatures can have an effect on a mob. Each specific creature that is slain, disabled, or otherwise incapacitated by spells or effects that target specific creatures bestows two negative levels on the mob. A mob that gains negative levels equal to its Hit Dice breaks up as if reduced to 0 hit points. Negative levels gained in this manner are not the result of the Black (and thus cannot be blocked by spells or restored), but never result in permanent level loss. A mob takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and some spells.

Although mobs are treated as one creature, it sometimes becomes necessary to determine the fate of a specific individual caught up in the mob. If a mob is dispersed by nonlethal attacks, there are no casualties. If the mob is dispersed by lethal attacks, assume that 30% of its number are slain and 30% are reduced to 0 hit points. To determine a specific individual’s fate, simply roll d%: a result of 01–30 indicates death, 31–60 indicates the victim is reduced to 0 hit points, and a roll of 61–100 indicates the victim escapes relatively unscathed.

[Kuma Kode]

Bruiser
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Strong Hero 2
Vitality Dice: 2d8+8 (17 VP)
Wound Points: 18
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 15 (+2 class, +2 natural, +1 dexterity)
Base Attack/Grapple: +2 / +6
Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d6+7) or slam +4 melee (1d6+9)
Full Attack: Slam +6 melee (1d6+7) or slam +4 melee (1d6+9)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: 1
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +6, Reflex +1, Will -1
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 3
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: Climb +7, Jump +9, Swim +6
Feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Power Attack, Cleave
Talents: Melee Smash
Challenge Rating: 2
Bruisers are the hulking, musclebound mutations that some corrupted undergo when they have consumed large amounts of skin and meat. They are powerful creatures, with unnatural, massive muscles and veins that bulge beneath their pale, somewhat transparent skin. Bruisers are frequently misshapen with torn flesh and grotesque, distorted features caused by their body's inability to compensate for their rapid muscular growth.

They can be detected with a radio if the GM is using the Welcome to Silent Hill variant (see the Equipment section).

Combat
Bruisers are the frontline fighters of the Tainted ones. They rush ahead, seeking to deal as much damage as they can in the least amount of time. Despite their size, they are smart enough to ignore enemies who are hard to hit and power attack those whose defenses are weak.

If they are accompanied by other Tainted ones, they will often grapple a foe and hold it still while the others kill and devour it.

[Kuma Kode]

Edward
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Fast Hero 2
Vitality Dice: 2d8+4 (13 VP)
Wound Points: 14
Initiative: +4
Speed: 35 ft., climb 20 ft.
Defense: 20 (+4 class, +4 dexterity, +2 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +2
Attack: Claw +5 melee (1d6+1/19-20)
Full Attack: 2 claws +5 melee (1d6+1/19-20)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Pounce
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: 1
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will -2
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 3
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: Balance +9, Climb +17, Escape Artist +9, Hide +9, Jump +13, Move Silently +9, Tumble +11
Feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Acrobatic, Weapon Finesse
Talents: Increased Speed
Challenge Rating: 2
This gaunt, nearly skeletal creatures have sunken eyes and a distended jaw, and its fingers end in long, boney protrusions that have been sharpened to a razor's edge. The creature moves jerkily, with the awkward motion of a puppet on a string, but its coordination is undeniable as it scampers up the wall like a ghostly spider.

Edwards are named such because of the long, seemingly cumbersome claws that end their fingers, combined with the pale flesh and dark hair, make them appear to be nightmarish versions of Edward Scissorhands. Indeed, they can mince flesh quite quickly, and their penchant for stealth makes them a dangerous opponent.

Thankfully, if the GM decides to use the Welcome to Silent Hill variant (See the Equipment section), the radio detects the presence of an Edward.

Combat
Edwards typically climb around on walls and ledges, then leap onto their foes when they can be caught unaware and claw them viciously.

Pounce (Ex): If an Edward charges a foe, it can make a full attack, even though it has already moved.

Skills: An Edward uses its Dexterity instead of its Strength for Climb and Jump checks. Additionally, they gain a +2 racial bonus on Jump checks.

[Kuma Kode]

Roughneck
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Tough Hero 2
Vitality Dice: 2d10+10 (21 VP)
Wound Points: 23
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 18 (+2 class, +4 natural, +1 dexterity, +1 leather jacket)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +3
Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d8+3 and putrescence) or vomit +2 ranged touch (2d4 acid and putrescence)
Full Attack: Bite +3 melee (1d8+3 and putrescence) or vomit +2 ranged touch (2d4 acid and putrescence)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Vomit, Putrescence
Special Qualities: Acid Immunity, Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: 1
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +7, Reflex +0, Will +1
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 13, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: Concentration +10
Feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Armor Proficiency (Light), Toughness
Talents: Second Wind
Challenge Rating: 2
Roughnecks are the remains of individuals with a near-unbreakable body. They are typically muscled and athletic, sometimes with tattoos, with vacant white eyes and mottled, grey flesh like that of a drowned corpse. Their flesh is hard and feels like fingernails despite their soft appearance. The most tell-tale feature of a roughneck is their mouths, unhinged and toothy, that constantly drip a foul-smelling, greenish-yellow liquid. Additionally, their breath reeks of decay, a stench that can be detected at a surprising distance. This would normally be a dead give-away, except that such an odor is depressingly common in the post-apocalyptic streets these foul beasts roam.

Like most Tainted, roughnecks set off a radio under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant.

Combat
Roughnecks typically rush into combat, vomiting half-rotten flesh and stomach acids onto their targets in an attempt to soften them up and make them easier to digest. These disgusting creatures have been known to wait for several days before eating their kill, apparently because they enjoy the taste of rot. This practice is sometimes referred to as "pickling" their prey.

Vomit (Ex): The unused internal organs of a Tainted begin to rot and putrify, and a roughneck knows how to use the resulting necrotic fluids in combat. As a standard action, a roughneck may vomit a gout of putrid bile at a foe within 10 feet. To hit, the roughneck must hit with a ranged touch attack. On success, the vomit deals 2d4 points of acid damage and the victim becomes subject to putrescence. The roughneck may vomit a number of times per day equal to his Constitution modifier.

Putrescence (Ex): The bacterial life that deconstructs dead matter is usually relatively harmless, but the roughneck's body contains an altered form of bacteria contaminated by the corrupted flesh it devours. Anyone bitten by the roughneck must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 16) or contract a vicious bacteria similar to necrotizing faciitis. The Tainted bacteria differs in that the Fortitude DC is 16 instead of 13, and that it has an incubation period of 1 day.

If the victim is at risk due to the roughneck's vomit attack, they may avoid infection by exposing themselves to sunlight within 1d4 rounds of exposure, which destroys the corrupted microbes on their skin just as it destroys any other Tainted one. If the victim was bitten, or if too much time elapses after the vomit attack, the bacteria enters the victim's bloodstream and can no longer be reached and destroyed by sunlight.

Acid Immunity: Roughnecks are immune to damage from acid, regardless of its source.

[Kuma Kode]

Wight
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Smart Hero 2
Vitality Dice: 2d6+2 (9 VP)
Wound Points: 12
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 16 (+1 class, +2 natural, +3 dexterity)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +0
Attack: Tendril bites +4 melee (1d6-1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d4-1), bite +2 melee (1d6-1), tendril bites +2 melee (1d6-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft. (10 ft. with tendril bites)
Special Attacks: Lifetap, Dark Magician
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: 1
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +1, Reflex +3, Will +3
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 11
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: Craft (chemical) +9, Craft (electronic) +9, Craft (mechanical) +9, Decipher Script +9, Disable Device +9, Forbidden Lore +6, Knowledge (Arcane Lore) +9, Knowledge (Tactics) +9, Navigate +11, Read/Write English, Read/Write Spanish, Read/Write French, Read/Write Mandarin, Read/Write German, Read/Write Russian, Repair +9, Search +9, Speak English, Speak Spanish, Speak French, Speak Mandarin, Speak German, Speak Russian
Feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Finesse (B), Multiattack, Combat Expertise
Talents: Savant (Navigate)
Challenge Rating: 2
The wight is a very rare, but terrifying mutation of the Corrupted. They are withered, nearly skeletal creatures with sunken eyes and vicious, feral features. Their stomaches are shredded and torn open, and their intenstines have mutated into an array of prehensile tendrils with leech-like mouths. Unlike their cousins, wights retain a twisted sentience and are capable of rational thought and complex plans. In fact, they are frighteningly intelligent. Wights can often order and direct other Tainted, acting as a kind of squad leader. The presence of a haruspex and harpy in close proximity, for example, almost always indicates the presence of a wight.

Even worse, wights cannot be detected by a radio under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant.

Combat
Wights prefer to hide during combat, since they are rather ineffective combatants. They direct other Tainted to maximize their capabilities and listen to the survivors to learn of any plans they may have. If they have any spells, they will sit back and cast them from a safe distance. If attacked directly, wights usually flee. They will fight back if cornered, however, and their array of natural attacks, enhanced range, and ability to heal themselves vampiricly is enough to surprise and deter most survivors.

The fact that they flee, despite being essentially immortal, leads some to believe wights can feel pain. If so, they are likely attempting to avoid that unpleasant experience, and not their fleetingly temporary demise.

Lifetap (Su): Whenever a wight hits with a natural attack, they attempt to drain life from their victim. Unless their target succeeds on a Fortitude save (DC 15), the wight gains a number of hit points equal to the damage it just dealt. Any excess is gained as temporary hit points that last for 1 hour. This save is Intelligence based, and is made per attack.

Dark Magician: Wights begin with knowledge of 1d4 whispers and any utterances they can cast with them. Additionally wights have a caster level equal to their hit die.

[Kuma Kode]

Haruspex
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Dedicated Hero 2
Vitality Dice: 2d6-2 (5 VP)
Wound Points: 8
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 16 (+2 class, +2 Dexterity, +2 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +2
Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d4+1 and Live My Nightmare) or hand +2 melee touch (Live My Nightmare)
Full Attack: 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+1 and Live My Nightmare) or 2 hands +2 melee touch (Live My Nightmare)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Live My Nightmare
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: 1
Reputation: +1
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 8, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 15
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: Listen +10, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10, Survival +8, Psychic Focus +8
Feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Sixth Sense, Alertness
Talents: Empathy
Challenge Rating: 2
A haruspex appears much as it did in life, except withered and pale with ragged black hair and inhuman claws. Their eyes literally glow with a white-hot malice. They are easy to detect; haruspex constantly scream and weep as if in unbearable agony, because they are.

This pitiful creature is the result of psychic being corrupted by the Black. The constant battle between the corruption and their own psychic powers creates a torturous psychological agony. They are constantly plagued by pain and a flood of emotions, coupled with horrific visions that no human mind should ever see.

A haruspex can sense purity with her Sixth Sense feat, just as a normal character can sense corruption. Treat the human or animal as a Tainted of the same hit dice.

Under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant, a haruspex can be detected by a radio, but can usually detect the survivors at this point, as well.

Combat
The haruspex quickly and mindlessly attacks any uncorrupted creatures nearby, seeking solace through their Live My Nightmare ability. They retain enough of their intellect to use touch attacks against armored opponents and to ignore opponents who are too hard for them to hit.

Live My Nightmare (Su): Haruspexes possess a rudimentary form of telepathy that allows them to transfer thoughts and feelings to creatures in physical contact. They use this ability to siphon off their psychological torment to another creature, granting them a brief moment of calm to which they quickly become addicted, seeking this respite over all other needs.

When the haruspex touches a non-Tainted non-Entity, she transfers her agony and visions to the victim, dealing 1d6 points of Sanity damage. The victim is allowed a Will save (DC 14) to halve the damage. The DC is Wisdom based. A character with the Sixth Sense feat suffers a -5 penalty to this save. If they also have the Empathy feat, they suffer an additional -5 penalty. Psionic characters are more sensitive to the metaphysical and find it harder to block out the senses they receive.

Physical contact with the haruspex is enough to trigger her Live My Nightmare ability, including grappling and unarmed strikes directed at the haruspex. An individual grappling the haruspex is automatically struck with both hand attacks, suffering the effect twice.

[Kuma Kode]

Harpy
Medium Humanoid (Tainted) Charismatic Hero 2
Vitality Dice: 2d6+4 (11 VP)
Wound Points: 14
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 14 (+1 class, +1 Dexterity, +2 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +0
Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d6-1)
Full Attack: Bite +0 melee (1d6-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Shriek
Special Qualities: Tainted traits
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: 1
Reputation: +2
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will -1
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 16
Sanity Drain: 0/1d4
Skills: Bluff +8, Diplomacy +8, Disguise +8, Intimidate +8, Perform (Act) +8, Perform (Dance) +10, Perform (Sing) +10
Feats: Simple Weapon Proficiency, Creative (Perform [Sing], Perform [Dance]), Dodge
Talents: Coordinate
Challenge Rating: 2
A harpy looks like an attractive human, with a pleasantly shaped body and soft, friendly features, except that it shows the typical signs of Otherworld corruption. The harpy can be mistaken for a common Corrupted at first glance, only revealing its true nature when it rolls back its head at an inhuman angle and reveals a toothy, alien mouth bisecting its windpipe. Through this strange apparatus the creature emits a variety of horrific, and yet disturbingly beautiful noises, as if singing.

A harpy is what becomes of attention-seeking individuals who are corrupted by the Black. When it detects the presence of a survivor, it shrieks to alert the other Tainted. When combined with a haruspex, they can become a near-perfect, if a bit macabre, alarm system.

Under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant, a harpy can be detected by a radio.

Combat
Harpies begin battle by shrieking to call reinforcements, then alternating uses of their Disorientation shriek and Coordinate talent to assist their allies. They prefer to stay back and flee from melee. If alone or pressed into combat, they use their agony shriek to deter attackers.

Shriek (Ex): The mutated voicebox of a harpy is capable of a wide variety of frequencies, each with its own unique effect.

Summon: This high pitch, extremely loud scream is used to alert other Tainted to the presence of food. In addition to this mundane use, there is a 10% chance a Forsaken Husk manifests within 60 feet of the harpy, if a viable area exists, as if summoned from the Otherworld by the harpy's song.

Disorientation: This particular frequencies penetrates deep into a human's skull, causing severe disorientation and confusion. This version of the shriek affects a 60 foot cone in front of the harpy. Anyone struck by the shriek must make a Fortitude save (DC 14). A success leaves the creature dazzled for 1 round. On failure, the victim is stunned for 1 round and shaken for 1d4+1 rounds afterwards. This is a sonic, mind-affecting ability that does not affect Entities, but can affect Tainted Ones.

Agony: Like the Disorientation version, this use affects a 60 foot cone in front of the harpy. This frequency can cause flesh and bone to rupture, physically ripping the victim apart with pounding shockwaves. Victims struck by the shriek suffer 2d4 points of sonic damage, but may make a Fortitude save (DC 14) for half damage.

[Kuma Kode]

I like the fusion of generic zombies and intelligent zombies. This is pretty interesting...

Glad ya like it; the players have likened it somewhat to the movie I Am Legend, because the streets are safe during the day, but the buildings are not.

It's also different enough that the players won't be too terribly compelled to make zombie jokes.

If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to post them.

Also, I'm doing a little rearranging with the monster entries...

[Kuma Kode]

Forsaken Husk
Medium Undead (Entity)
Vitality Dice: -
Wound Points: 2d12 (13 VP)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft.
Defense: 13 (+1 Dexterity, +2 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1 / +2
Attack: Claw +2 melee (1d4+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +2 melee (1d4+1), bite -3 melee (1d6)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: -
Special Qualities: Undead traits, Entity traits, DR 5/bludgeoning
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +0, Reflex +1, Will +3
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 12, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Sanity Drain: 1/1d6
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: 1
These withered, dessicated corpses appear as skeletons, wrapped in thin, leathery skin blackened with rot. When disturbed, they scream with a voice of horror, like the victim of a violent murder.

Forsaken husks are a weak manifestation of the Otherworld. They are not difficult to subdue and possess little destructive power. They are a very common entity, however, and they are significantly more terrifying than Tainted ones.

The visceral horror of a shrieking corpse lingers with survivors long after the physical wounds of the battle have healed.

A radio detects the presence of a forsaken husk under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant.

Combat
A forsaken husk rushes headlong into battle wearing an expression of utter horror, shrieking as if in agony. It flenses its victim with its knife-like claws and sharp, elongated teeth, then hungrily devours the remains. Afterwards, Tainted ones will often claw open a forsaken husk and ingest the meat that spills out onto the floor. This practice does not appear to harm the forsaken husk.

[Kuma Kode]

Lurker
Small Aberration (Entity)
Vitality Dice: 6d8+6 (57 VP)
Wound Points: 12
Initiative: +3
Speed: 20 ft.
Defense: 16 (+3 Dexterity, +1 Size, +2 Natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4 / +3
Attack: Tentacle bites +8 melee (1d4-1 and attach)
Full Attack: Tentacle bites +8 melee (1d4-1 and attach), and 2 claws +3 melee (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Attach, Body Thief, Dark Magician
Special Qualities: Entity traits, Electricity Immunity, DR 10/+1
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +3, Reflex +5, Will +6
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 16
Sanity Drain: 1/1d4
Skills: Craft (Visual Art) +4, Bluff +14, Disguise +5, Forbidden Lore +13, Hide +15, Move Silently +12, Perform (Act) +14, Spellcraft +5
Feats: Deceptive, Creative (Perform [Act], Craft [Visual Art]), Improved Grapple
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: 6
This small, dark green humanoid has skin like crinkled leather and sharp, elongated claws on its three-fingered hands and feet. Its head is absent; instead, a lurker possesses a tree-like set of mouthed tentacles between its gaunt shoulders. Small fronds of hair-like filaments rise up from between the tentacles, waving gently in the air as if filtering for the scent of prey.

The creature vocalizes deep clicks or chitters when attacking.

A lurker cannot be detected with a radio under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant.

Combat
A lurker hides, preferring to engage a foe alone so it can latch on and steal their body. If it is pressed into combat, it relies on its damage reduction and any spells it knows to protect it while it tests the party for any weaklings. If it finds an injured character or an ordinary (someone without Vitality), it leaps on them and tries to steal their body.

Attach (Ex): Whenever a lurker hits with its tentacle bites attack, it latches onto the foe, dealing automatic tentacle bite damage every round as well as making its standard two claw attacks. An attached lurker loses its dexterity bonus to Defense, and therefore has a Defense of 13. An attached lurker can be struck with a weapon or grappled itself. To remove the entity through grappling, the opponent must achieve a pin against the creature.

Body Thief (Su): If an attached lurker successfully deals wound damage to its victim, the victim must make a Reflex save (DC 16). Failure indicates the creature has torn open the unfortunate victim's abdomen and climbed inside. On the next round, the lurker situates itself within the rib cage, snaking its tentacles up the victim's neck and into their brain, and assumes control of the body.

Once inside, the lurker typically uses the Asklepios utterance to seal the wound and erase evidence of the attack, then proceeds to wear the victim like a skin. The creature may use its Perform (Acting) skill to pretend to be the person in question. Because a possessing lurker has access to the victim's memories, it gains a +4 bonus on its Perform (Acting) and Bluff checks related to this activity.

For all beneficial purposes, the lurker and the stolen body are considered the same creature. Any spells it casts on itself automatically affect the body as well.

As long as the creature was not dead when the body theft took place, the lurker may remain inside indefinitely, as the body continues to operate despite the alien invader. If the body was dead, it remains dead and continues to decompose, preventing the creature from maintaining the charade after a few hours. It may still remain in the corpse as long as it likes, however. While occupying a host, a lurker is not vulnerable to light unless the host is as well.

A possessed body retains its Strength and Constitution, and uses the Dexterity score of the body or the lurker (whichever is lower). The possessed body uses the mental ability scores of the lurker. It retains none of the host's feats, skills, supernatural abilities, spell-like abilities, or talents. The body retains its Wound points but loses its Vitality points.

If the body is reduced to 0 wound, it immediately dies. The lurker violently bursts forth from the creature's chest, and seeks out a new host. Witnessing such a horrific act drains 1d3/1d10 Sanity, in addition to the Sanity check for seeing the Entity.

Any critical hit on the body also deals a normal hit to the possessing lurker.

When a character with the Sixth Sense feat has a chance to detect the lurker, they must make a Psychic Focus check opposed by a special Hide check using the lurker's Intelligence modifier instead of its Dexterity. If the lurker wins, the psychic fails to detect the lurker for 24 hours. If the psychic wins, they can sense the presence of the Entity, as normal, for the next 24 hours.

Dark Magician: Lurkers automatically know the Ystharnotag (Restore) and Bbhothigug (Body) whispers, as well as the Asklepios utterance. A lurker has a 20% chance to know 1d3 other whispers and any utterances it can learn from them. Lurkers never lose Sanity from spellcasting, since they lack Sanity scores.

Electricity Immunity: A lurker takes no damage from electrical attacks, even magickal ones.

Damage Reduction (Ex): Lurkers are supernaturally resilient, and ignore the first 10 points of damage dealt by a piercing, slashing, bludgeoning, or ballistic attack. Magick weapons with at least a +1 enhancement bonus bypass this ability.

[Kuma Kode]

Tindalos
Huge Aberration (Entity)
Vitality Dice: 10d8+30 (75 VP)
Wound Points: 32
Initiative: +2
Speed: 0 ft.
Defense: 14 (+2 Dexterity, -2 Size, +4 natural)
Base Attack/Grapple: +7 / +25
Attack: Tentacle bite +11 melee (2d8+9)
Full Attack: Tentacle bite +11 melee (2d8+9)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. (Special, see text) / 15 ft.
Special Attacks: Improved Grab, Devour
Special Qualities: Manifestation, Entity traits, DR 5/+1, Blindsense 60 ft.
Allegiances: The Otherworld
Action Points: -
Reputation: +0
Saves: Fort +6, Reflex +5, Will +5
Abilities: Str 23, Dex 15, Con 16, Int -, Wis 6, Cha 2
Sanity Drain: 1d4/1d10
Skills: -
Feats: -
Talents: -
Challenge Rating: 12
No one really knows what a tindalos looks like because no one has ever seen the creature and lived to tell the tale. Only a long, red, toothy tentacle protruding from a swirling disk of utter darkness is ever seen of the creature. A tindalos occupies an extradimensional nest, a pocket of the Otherworld, and reaches through into our world to snatch prey and drag them beyond the veil, never to be seen again. The tentacle is massive, nearly twenty feet long and three feet thick, with tough red skin and vicious hooks on the underside. These hooks clamp down into grasped prey, securing and damaging the victim before the tentacle drags them back through the extradimensional hole. If the victim manages to tear itself away, or if it is too big to pass through the portal, the tindalos uses muscular action to pass chunks of meat down the tentacle and into its mouth in the Otherworld.

The presence of a tindalos can be deduced by the smears of blood that drag along the floor, up a wall, and end abruptly near the ceiling with no visible remains.

Because a tindalos is merely an extension of an Otherworld entity, it follows unusual rules for space and reach. When running a combat involving a tindalos, pick a 5 ft. by 5 ft. section of a wall, floor, or ceiling. This is the creature's space, representing the black portal through which the tentacle reaches. Attacking this square is always a viable method of attacking the creature. Alternatively, the creature is considered to be occupying the square adjacent to its previous target and closest to the portal, so individuals hoping to assist a victim of the tindalos may attack either square, whichever is more advantageous.

A tindalos can be detected with a radio under the Welcome to Silent Hill variant only when it has fully manifested. Its closed portal merely gives off a dim aura.

Combat
A tindalos lies in wait in the Otherworld, peering through the veil. When it detects prey, it manifests, tearing open a portal and reaching through.

Improved Grab: To use this ability, the tindalos must hit with its tentacle attack. If it gets a hold, it automatically deals tentacle damage every round it maintains the hold and can attempt to devour the opponent. Unlike with most grapples, the tindalos need not move into its opponents square.

Devour (Ex): Every round the creature maintains a hold, it attempts to drag the victim into the Otherworld. The victim and the tindalos make opposed strength checks. If the creature succeeds, it pulls its victim 5 feet towards itself, plus an additional 5 feet for every 5 points by which it beat the victim. If the victim succeeds, he may break free from the creature's grip, but suffers 2d8 points of damage in the process. Allies may assist in this strength check to tear their companion free.

If the victim is dragged into the tindalos's square by this ability, they are pulled through the veil and devoured by the creature in the Otherworld, becoming irrevocably lost. A final Reflex save (DC 21) allows the victim to grab the edges of the portal and continue making strength checks against the creature on subsequent rounds. The DC of this save is Strength based. A failed strength check while grasping the edges indicates the victim has been torn from their last salvation and drawn into the Otherworld.

Manifestation (Su): A tindalos lives slightly out of phase with our world, never truly entering our plane of existence. While in this ethereal state, the creature cannot be harmed in any way, and only gives off a dim Otherworld aura. It can only detect the environment using its blindsense while so incorporeal. As a standard action, it may tear open the veil between realities and manifest physically. In this mode, it may attack other creatures, but it can be attacked as well, and its normal aura is revealed. As a full-round action, it may disengage from any grapples it is partaking in and withdraw itself through the portal, returning to its disembodied state.

Damage Reduction (Ex): Tindalos are supernaturally resilient, and ignore the first 5 points of damage dealt by a piercing, slashing, bludgeoning, or ballistic attack. Magick weapons with at least a +1 enhancement bonus bypass this ability.