Pyrexia - Wrath

© The Weirding, 2025

You'll Do Bad Things

A new, anarchic horror series from Image.

© The Weirding, 2025

Sisterhood #1

A new horror series from creator-owned imprint, Ghost Machine.

© The Weirding, 2025

The Mummy

Universal's The Mummy from Image comics.

© The Weirding, 2025

Some Things Simply Don't Fit

As Cordelia Chase knows all too well, some shoes simply don't fit. Likewise, some people and people types are simply not a good fit for games like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. These games deal with adult situations and character concepts, involve demons and demonic themes, and generally aren't everyone's cup of tea. This is not meant to diminish these would-not-be players, just to note that not everyone is a fan of Stephen King or the dark and perpetually brooding.

Games like these have a modern Goth-like sensibility in more ways than one (we already discussed clothing), and that does not appeal to many people. The Nihilistic outlook and overly pessimistic themes are often enough to drive away even the most excitable of gamers, because they see no possibility for long-term play or character progression. And those are valid concerns in games where the Player Characters are so overpowered by the Big Bads.

A good rule of thumb is to only approach people you know are interested in Horror and Dark Fantasy - they're usually easy to spot, especially if you get a chance to speak with them. Others you'll just have to get a feel for; gamers may be more inclined, even if they aren't Horror fans, just for the experience of playing something different. Normies and casuals are likely to reject it simply because they are not that familiar with the hobby as much as any other reason. But you might get lucky and uncover a pulp fan (pulp stories are where a lot of modern TTRPG featuring these adult themes originated to begin with).

Obviously avoid the ultra-religious and perpetually upbeat. It may be discriminatory, but it hardly rises to the level of persecution. They are clearly going to be disinterested in the material, even if not offended. And avoid those with delicate sensiblities or strong political leanings who may overshadow or disrupt the game with frequent interruptions and unnecessary diversions into real-world topics.

These are horror games, so the entire point is to creep-out the players and make them uncomfortable. The rest is just rolling dice. Not everyone is going to be into the idea.

However, do not enter into a contract just so you can spend a few hours playing a game - especially with adults... which are the only ones with which you can enter a contract (children do not have the authority to enter contracts). Unless you are being paid to run a game, you should never be under any contractual obligation to do, or not to do, anything, especially in a game session. Things like this are beyond the pale and anyone who insists on such a thing is definitely a bad fit for games like the Angel Roleplaying Game. Just pick a different game to play that everyone can agree on.

If you are really uncertain as to whether or not someone would make a good player, you might lightly pitch the idea but not press the issue. I know how anxious you can get when you really want to play a game you have but you know it's not going to work with just any player because I have about a dozen of them on my shelf. Still, you don't want to push too hard. Let them warm-up to the idea on their own.

Horror RPG, perhaps more than any other genre, is simply not for everyone and a bad fit can not just ruin an entire game and bring a session to a screeching and possibly dramatic (in a bad way) halt, but even ruin relationships. It's just kind of rough material.

© The Weirding, 2025

Creepshow #3

No Stephen King this issue, but there's always hope!

© The Weirding, 2025

Investigation is the Combat

Sanity is to games like Buffy the Vampire Slayer what HP are to games like D&D; where you worry about your health in Dungeons & Dragons, you fear for your sanity in games like Angel RPG. This is not Shock nor is it Stress, as both of those are covered by Fright; this is pure, abject Fear that unravels your common senses and ability to deal with everyday situations - ergo, your mental health, or Sanity (SAN).

Likewise, Investigating and Researching is to these games what exploring and combat are to AD&D. "Only fools rush in" is a wise adage to keep in mind when playing TTRPG in which the Occult is at-play all around you, all the time. Often, these attempts can be handled just like Combat is in games like D&D, but with longer stretches of time taking place between rolls. Although ample opportunity for roleplay exists, the long stretches of time needed to Research and Investigate are usually better handled by Skill checks.

For instance, it can take a few weeks to properly Research a book, and it might turn out to be the wrong book to Research - something you cannot know without spending the time to find out. One missed swing after another would tell you that you're not ready for that monster standing in front of you in a more combat-heavy game, and that would happen in a matter of in-game seconds. However, you are warned not to rush these things, as the center of attention is shifted from Combat to Investigation in games like Chill.

Horror and Investigation games are about solving puzzles: Investigating strange crimes because you have a hunch that there's something more sinister afoot. But, is there really or have your experiences just made you a jaded, paranoid Investigator who now sees the threat of The Dark in everything? There's no way to know without going through the motions.

Horror and Investigative games are primarily "theater of the mind," although many can be very tactical, especially once Combat begins. However, technicalities aside, the monsters involved outweigh the PCs by a lot, and are likely to wipe the floor with them unless they come overly prepared. Just imagine thinking you are facing a Demon and showing up with a lot of silver daggers and zero wooden stakes, only to encounter a cunning vampire! The best you can hope for then is an early escape...

In a more Combat-focused game, your crew is likely to have a good balance of Combat-oriented envoys with a myriad of contingencies either on paper or put together by the group. Games like Call of Cthulhu usually feature brainier, untrained PCs that fight only because they have to, knowing full well that any fight could be their very last - and probably should be, given the monsters' panoply of powers.

I try to run these games as though the Tomes to be Researched and the Crimes to be Investigated are the dragons of the scenario: The Big Bads to be defeated along the way to the Ultimate Bosses (the actual monsters they're likely to have to fight). The big rolls are not going to be Combat-oriented, but Skills and Abilities associated with Research and Investigation. And actions like going undercover, infiltrating the Bad Guys, and learning more about what they believe, how they behave, and what makes them do the things they do, replace buying better weapons and stacking bonuses for quicker, better kills.

Even the structure of rising action stays the same, as one book leads to another, one clue leads to the next, and the bigger picture slowly comes into focus; not unlike clearing-out low-level trash mobs in a dungeon to clear the path toward the BBEG at the end.

Although the flow and structure remain, at the foundation, largely the same, these are two very different styles of games for which not everyone is suited. Players of dark fantasy and horror games tend to have more tolerance of the gruesome and dark aspects of adult fare - of which Horror definitely is. You need to be an adult and behave like an adult to play in one of my adult games (in which romance and sex are almost never mentioned, but a lot of death and violence loom perpetually large). 

The focus of the adventure might die before you can save her, or might already have died when the investigation started even if you don't learn that until the end. (Seemingly, at least) Supernatural complications arise all along the way as the Big Bads try their best to throw you off their trail, runaways and ne'er-do-wells make great victims because their disappearances rarely rouse suspicion except among their own kind, and having an affinity for Mystery and Horror entertainment tends to be a hallmark of the gamers who play these types of games.

Those who have only ever played D&D might not make the best fit for these types of games, as they often have trouble converting to the different style. So, I'm writing these as primers or guides to the games before you play, just so you can prepare for a different (although similar) experience.

And be aware that not everyone runs their games the way I do, so your mileage will definitely vary!

© The Weirding, 2025

Zelda's Flophouse for Dark Conspiracy 1st-Ed.

Part of the 55-year-old alcoholic's problem is that Zelda is too soft on the bad ones, and she never knows which ones the bad ones are—at least, that's what she tells herself. The truth is that she is too soft on the bad ones, but she knows which ones they are. Her problem is that she won't stay away from them, and so finds herself in the middle of other peoples' problems too often for the law to leave her in peace.

Zelda's house on the outskirts of Robinsville has been turned into a halfway house or flophouse where PCs can find a rundown hole-in-the-wall to use as a bolthole or in a pinch. The rent is taken daily and is $100, flat. Zelda doesn't mind company, but she wasn't born yesterday, and it's $100 for each extra person after 11:00pm. There's a 40% chance of law enforcement patrolling the house overnight, but only a 10% chance during the day. The lot is overgrown, so Concealment of 25% is automatic. PCs stand a good chance of evading is the point.

The TV is constantly on; Zelda likes "the company." The radio in the kitchen is constantly on and tuned to the local talk radio station, WXPO, just in case any in-game exposition needs to be delivered or the players need to be reminded of their characters' latest exploits. There are a lot of wastebaskets and a lot of empty beer and wine bottles, there are also ashtrays everywhere. As she used to be a reader, piles of old magazines are fanned on coffeetables and surfaces around the house.

True to her nature, there is a 30% chance of a stray dog or cat on the premises that Zelda is feeding. It may not stay long or it may stick around, it just depends on how long the characters stay. There are also ants and some cockroaches, though only a few mice. Sadly, the carpet is shag and sticky. The kitchen linoleum is hopelessly stained and badly in need of mopping, but the entire house is covered in a layer of dust and grime that would take a team to remove.

Zelda can be fun to drink with, but only to a point; after that, her mood swings sharply depending on the subject being discussed, the music that's playing, the atmosphere... she is an alcoholic with few redeeming qualities, but not a bad or mean person. She has a pretty firm rule against hard drugs and trafficking, and will immediately eject anyone she discovers engaging in such activity.

Finally, there is a 35% chance of d3 other NPCs co-habitating Zelda's Flophouse at the same time. Draw a card for their demeanor and give each one attribute at 3-4 and one stand-out skill at 1 or 2. Their RES should match their demeanor, but give each only one random Treasure roll plus pocket loot.

Zelda 9♥

EMP 1
CHA 3
Business 1
Human Empathy 1

Brunette, Curly, Mid-length
Slight, Aged (Alcoholic, Smoker)
Dentures, Worn Clothes usually T-Shirts and Sweatpants with Sneakers
Little Make-Up
Phone contains d3 Contacts (Bounty Hunter, Law Enforcement, Factory Worker)
Purse contains Pocket Loot (Random)
Zelda still wears a ring a former boarder and ex-lover stole for her, she is still in love with him even though he is long dead 25¥
She has d100¥

PCs should be dissuaded from dispatching Zelda; they can pilfer whatever they want or need off of her after she passes out. Getting her blind drunk is easier than killing her. She makes a great Contact/Information Source (T) and leads to many other good Contacts, including Bounty Hunters, Law Enforcement, and Proles.

Other NPCs you might possibly encounter include local homeless and pr*stitutes, both of whom visit even when they aren't utilizing Zelda's flophouse.

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COPYSCAPE NOTICE: I have previously written-up Zelda's Flophouse: It appeared in a sidebar on The Weirding dot Net for more than 15 years. I do not wish to lose it, and I hope others can use it for whatever system they are running.

© The Weirding, 2024

Treasure for Buffy, Chill, and Dark Conspiracy RPG

Random Treasure in Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG, Chill, and Dark Conspiracy

Using Dark Conspiracy's NPC card-based Demeanor system (p.168) to determine the general RESources an NPC or Critter is likely to possess gives us a starting point for determining what one might find on an NPC, critter, or at a location. The latter of which depends largely on what the location was being used for and by whom.

♠: Spades, Ambition. Clearance Pass, ID, d4 credit cards with (d10x10k¥) limit. Roll twice.

♣: Clubs, Batons, Violence. Weapon, Hand Weapon, (d3x100¥) cash. Roll once.

♥: Hearts, Social. ID, Contact Book/Phone, (d6x100¥) cash, d2 credit cards 10k¥ limit. Roll once.

♦: Diamonds/Jewels, Greed. d6 credit cards (d10x100k¥), (d10x100¥) cash, d6 x Jewelry. Roll three times.

Values do not only refer to actual cash worth, but also the difficulty of accessing the item. Thus, the Eye of the Drake is actually a rather gross and ugly necklace, but it is worth an awful lot because it is magical and difficult to acquire. These prices do not replace AVAIL codes in Dark Conspiracy or Empyrean, but items of magical/Darkling nature are generally unavailable on any market, and thus don't usually have AVAIL codes.

Random Treasure Table (Start)

1. Nothing

2. Pocket Lint - STOP.
   

3. 20¥ pocket change, Roll Again.
   

4. Key d6: 1-2 Door in room, 3-4 Car outside, 5-6 Lockbox in room

5. 50¥ pocket change

6. (d10x100¥) pocket change

7. Debit/Credit Card (d10x1000¥) limit

8. Jewelry 1-2 Ring, 3-4 Necklace, 5 Bracelet, 6 Anklet, 7-8 Toe Ring, 9-10 Earrings Value (d10 x 1000¥)

9. Lighter and Cigarettes (Ceramic case, 135¥)

10. Roll Again

Weapon
Dark Conspiracy/Buffy/Chill

1. Ammo 9mm d6/12 LP/SR 5

2. Ammo .22 d6/12 LP/SR 5

3. Ammo .38 d6/12 LP/SR 5

4. Ammo .45 d6/12 LP/SR 5

5. Beretta d6/9 LP/SR 5

6. Desert Eagle .44 3d6/18 LP/SR 7*

7. Standard .45 d6/12 LP/SR 6

8. Rifle, Shotgun d6/18 LP/SR 8

9. Scope +1 Aim/To-Hit, +10% Telescopic optics.

10. Repeating X-Bow d6/16 LP/SR 5

* Big-Ass Pistol

Hand Weapon

1. Fist Pack +1

2. Big-Ass Brass Knucks +d6

3. Big-Ass Knife d6/(3xSTR)/SR 4

4. Big-Ass Sword d6/(5x[STR+1])/SR 6

5. Baton d6/(3xSTR)/SR 3

6. Garrote 2d6/(3x[STR+1])/SR 4 **

7. Hand Tool d6/(d3xSTR)/SR 3: Hammer, screwdriver, heavy wrench, et.al.

8. Chainsaw 2d6/(6x[STR+1])/SR 5

9. Roll on Enchanted Items

10. Roll on Magickal Items

** Must score Headshot.

Enchanted Items

1. Nothing

2. Nothing

3. Timeless Watch PL 1: A watch that never needs winding nor batteries.

4. +1 Athame (Knife, q.v.) PL 2

5. +1 Ring of Protection (+1 WPR vs. Spellcraft, Ritual Magic, Darkling EMP, EWS) PL 2

6. +1 Cauldron of Brewing: Enchanted Copper Brewing Gear. PL 2

7. Ghostlight PL 2 (As Light of Guidance - Magic Box, p.71)

8. Cloak of Invisibility (Roll vs. PCN -2) PL 3

9. Energy Blaster PL 3 (STR x SL)

10. Screamer PL 3 (WPR x SL): A Darkling mouth screams incessantly. Can be stuck to anything.

Magickal Items

1. Nothing

2. Nothing

3. Nothing

4. Nothing

5. +1 Athame $1000, 1500¥

6. +1 Cauldron/Pot of Brewing $600, 1200¥: Copper brewery in low-magic worlds.

7. +1 Ring of Protection: Eye of Agate $1100, 1700¥

8. +1 Augur of Scrying: Bloodstone $1500, 3500¥ See following.
   

9. Eye of the Drake: Necklace $11k, 25k¥  See Following.

   10. War Trophy $50k, 50k¥ See following.

---

8. +1 Augur of Scrying 

Chill 

+10% Fortune Telling, Ritual Magic, Contemporary Religion¹
---
¹Must have Faith 1+

Scry
(Pot.) PL 3
15-minute scrying ritual using an augur which must be at least 100¥ in value (usually a crystal of some kind).
2d10 WPR Fatigue

Locate person or object. To search for Supernaturals or magic use, the character must have The Sight (Angel RPG, p.58), and traces of magic from items and places where magic has been present will appear as false positives. Test (Ritual Magic -12, Fortune Telling and Contemporary Religion¹ -27). PC needs a PCN 60 in Chill to cast this spell (d10 WPR Fatigue). Augur is made from materials worth 1000¥+ (as is the case with the +1 Augur of Scrying). 

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game 

Scry is resolved using Witch-Fu vs. 12 in Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG.

1 Success = General planetary region
2 Successes = General Province/State region
3 Successes = General City
4+ Successes = Specific Location 

Ritual: Scrying up to 15 mins. +2; Mats: Augur 100¥ +3; Assist: 0 +1;
Sub: Ritual Magic +10 +2
         Fortune Telling -15, L +4
TOTAL: 8, 10
Range: Planet +9; Dur: +1; Area: Planet. +10; Fat: 2d10 WPR +4
DETECT Pot. 3
TOTAL: 27

9. Eye of the Drake
PL 5
Dark Conspiracy

Eye of the Drake comes from a Demonground drakken and allows the bearer to scry into Dæmonground—areas that do not show up when normally scrying. This Divination tool also adds +1 Psionic Scan. The drake that lost it wants it back and it is a much vied-for magickal item, so it isn't something you should be showing-off. +1 XP, Hunted by Underworld (amongst whom this item is particularly popular). Bearer does not need INT of PL to employ the Eye of the Drake, but does need to know the Scry spell or have Psionic Scan.

Chill

-3 Hunted (EWS 110-120, Underworld - 110-120 point NPC)

Eye of the Drake allows the holder to scry into pocket dimensions normally out-of-bounds. This includes the Land of Nod, et.al.

Buffy/Angel

Supernatural Senses: The Sight (3-pt.)
The bearer can see traces of Magic and the Supernatural. ARPG, p.58. 

-2 Adversary (Underworld, Champion)

In all cases, Hunted/Adversary is necessary because the Eye of the Drake (although there is more than one) are much sought-after by spellcasters and the Underworld.

10. War Trophy
        PL 7

As per the WarMagus Spell (Empyrean):

-3 Adversary (WarMagus, Veteran)
-2 Adversary (Law Enforcement, et.al.)
-1 Adversary (Underworld, Investigator)

The WarMagus who created this War Trophy wants it back, if he can find it.

Allows the possessor to instantaneously travel to and from a pocket dimension at the center of all time. All planes and realms of existence are within a finger's distance, allowing the owner full travel of the multiverse, coming and going, at the speed of thought.

War Trophies are grisly things—the human lampshades and fallen soldiers' remains -level of grisly—and thus, should remain hidden. Law enforcement agencies, including historical departments and organizations, might be looking for them and would definitely be interested if they find a War Trophy.

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I recently acquired Ghosts of Albion, so I will revisit this post, especially the spells.

If the Nu-Yen symbol is not showing after the values above, I went with that instead of dollars because I used a lot of weapons from Shadowrun. I am using an economy, so the dollars price is about one-half the Nu-Yen value, or current market. You may want to raise those a bit to further restrict access to some items. Rank and Renown may also play a part in accessing certain, if not all, items.

© The Weirding, 2024

Lore of the Wampyr (Buffy, Angel / Empyrean)

Only two have been uncovered so far, and one went "missing" in the S.A.V.E. fire of the late 1980s (Core, p.145); the other is at the College for Modern Thought at Vincent. It is not on display and, even if the players know the name, it is not for personal perusal; however, it is available once the PCs build-up a rapport with the director, workpeople, and general staff. 

They can attempt to purloin it, but that shouldn't be easy. It is in a back room that is kept locked and dark, cool and entirely disconnected from the rest of the library and campus. Several other important and valuable works reside alongside it, though there's no room for them here. No one is watching the room, but the lock requires 5 SL Crime (Lockpicking); if the party tries to break it or destroy it to get to the book, it may damage it (which it does if the lock takes more than 20 LP in a single attack). The lock itself has 30 LP, 4 AV (Armor). 

(Buffy has no STA equivalent, though Conspiracy X includes Endurance Points, which are equal to the character's LP and are determined the same way [STR + CON] on LP Table. Now, decrease all damages by d6 LP; instead, the first d6 of all damage is EP, Bash/Bludgeon does EP only, and all Unarmed Melee does EP only, as well. If you choose to play Angel as-is, ignore EP and the damage changes.)

Likewise, INT and Will cross-referenced on the LP Table gives you the character's ψ (PSI), which is expended during the course of spellcasting, being scared (FFS), suffering stress, employing Psionics, and similar situations. This is important, as Lore of the Wampyr contains at least one spell (Let There Be Light).

The book is leatherbound with metal backing on the cover and spine. The title has been burned into the front of the book, possibly with a woodburner. The Lore of the Wampyr has Armor 2 (Leather). Armor has to be bested in one hit and soaks damage equal to its value, thus the tome can be scratched nearly to shreds but not destroyed without doing at least 2+ LP in one attack.

Lore of the Wampyr (Empyrean/UniSystem kitbash - Stricter Chill2e write-up) 

PL: 6

PCs must accrue the PL in SL rolling (Occultism+INT) against the PL (6+9=15) for comprehension (DC 15). This may take some time, but failure simply means another test must be made after one night's rest (Full Rest, D&D). Once completed, the reader gains +3 DP [Resolve] vs. Vampires, +1 Thaumaturgy, +3 Occultism, and learns the spell, Let There Be Light PL 4.

Let There Be Light
PL 4

PC's (INT+Sorcery) must be PL(4) or higher to cast this spell. Let There Be Light costs 4 PSI and 1 LP to cast and requires the character mix just under $100 worth of assorted herbs and chemicals before her. The ingredients burst into a ball of flame which lasts only a second but lights the entire room for a solid minute per SL as though it were bathed in sunlight. The light itself acts as sunlight to plants and the Undead, et.al., including high-level Evil Way Menaces vulnerable to Holy Aura, Holy Light, religious relics, Radiance, or sunlight. The Duration can be increased by one minute per 1 PSI or SL.

(Ritual 2: 15 mins.; Mats 3 $100; No Assist; Gen Test vs Chemistry Sub 3; Rng 1 Same Room; Dur 1 min.; Area 2 Sm. Room; Fatigue 1)

This spell does not exist in The Tome of the Living Flame nor is it known by its believers. Let There Be Light has been copied and included in many magickal works, mostly aimed at vampires and the Undead.

GMs might include Hellbolt but are warned against it.

PL/DV to be beaten are reduced by 5 for Magic Factor, but only under certain circumstances, such as proximity to Ley Lines, whether or not the spellcaster has read specific Tomes, or attended the Lyceum Arcanum.

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We are unaffiliated with Chill or the owner(s). The Lore of the Wampyr, and the attendant rules and rules changes, work under Mayfair's 2nd-Ed. Chill, and should work under other versions but have not been playtested under other versions. This is an original creation made for Chill 2e and converted to UniSystem.

© The Weirding, 2024

Fleshing-Out the Vampire for Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Angel RPG

The '90s vampire was sensitive, yet soulless. This concept was probably best typified in the 2000s with the Twilight series, however the Buffyverse had already trod that ground in several mediums the decade before. The vampire leads of the Buffyverse swung from one extreme to the other, week to week; they were The Big Bads one week, the wispy, romantic leads the next. After poring over the core Buffy the Vampire Slayer rulesbooks, I managed to draw-up a better package for both types of vamps (good and bad)—one that makes sense, and also defangs the overpowered vampire, whether good or bad.

Firstly, despite the fact that it's a very entertaining show, Buffy fawns over vampires, turning them into superheroes instead of monsters. Unless she dispatches them, in which case, they are rarely much of a threat in the first place. It's a dichotomy which simply does not make sense. This is carried over into the RPG, where vampires as a package (12-15 pts., Core, p.50) receive quite a few bonuses but no drawbacks. To be fair, Angel and Buffy together is the system, as Angel covers a lot of the ground the original BtVS RPG skipped, such as the Drawback: Vulnerability. To be even fairer, almost none of the packages contain Drawbacks, and there was no Package Bonus (I made one, though).

Vampires have a lot of Vulnerabilities that fall under the maximum -5 limit: Vulnerability to sunlight, stakes through the heart, religious symbols, beheading, and the fact that they must be invited into someone's home. They also suffer a -5 Habitual Addiction to Blood, and have Superhuman Form (Dual) for -1. Finally, Vampires receive the +0 Immortal (ARPG, p.52) Advantage. That's a total of -11, making the Vampire package's total cost between 1-4 pts! Now that is pretty scary.

A more replete write-up includes a trip down Emotional and Mental Problems Lane, but I'll save that for another time.

© The Weirding, 2024

The Dollhouse Family #1

The Dollhouse Family #1

Featuring finishes by former Deadworld and Cannibal Corpse cover artist, Vince Locke.

© The Weirding, 2019

Lili: The Demoness Chapter 3 – Eternal Sins

Lili: The Demoness Chapter 3 – Eternal Sins

© The Weirding, 2019

Killadelphia #1

Killadelphia #1

It's great to see all of these horror comics, especially this close to Halloween, but you'll have to wait until the end of November for this one!

© The Weirding, 2019

Aliens Colonial Marines: Rising Threat #2

Aliens Colonial Marines: Rising Threat #2

© The Weirding, 2019

Archie vs. Predator 2 #3

Archie vs. Predator 2 #3

Regular cover (A - Robert Hack, Kelly Fitzpatrick)

© The Weirding, 2019

Family Tree #1

Family Tree #1

© The Weirding, 2019