Hi, I am looking for some extra books and or settings for a modern horror game. I will cherry pick them for neat ideas and mix and match those within my own setting. Now I mainly use several games for inspiration consisting of the nwod mortal line, Ghostories, East Texas University and several others. The games must be preferably non Cthulhoid horror and no urban fantasy (so no peoplez with powerz).
Esoterrorists comes to mind. Heard of Fear Itself but never seen. Apparently another Gumshoe setting?
Bureau 13 was great for this. However, with the recent death of its creator, I have no idea if any of the material is available anymore. Not to mention, the creator also had a strange view on electronic files, only selling them on cd-rom for huge prices
Dark Conspiracy was also interesting.
My selection:
Kult - The absolute antidote to Cthulhu-jadedness. Visceral violence in a meticulously constructed Judeo-Christian/Gnostic vision of our our world. Flatly you cannot consider modern horror without experiencing Kult. A controversial masterpiece, with the back story and magic systems being evocatively authentic in feel. I'm also awaiting for a translated edition of Spain's Aquelarre - a medieval horror game, also based upon Christian-inspired horror.
The World of Darkness games - especially Wraith: The Oblivion. Again it's a change of pace from Cthulhu horror, and the seminal Shadow-Play system actually delivers on the personal horror that is mooted - rather than just Urban Fantasy. Vampire is still the most popular game though, and Werewolf the most immediately playable. With regards to the Chronicles of Darkness line, you could do no worse than a straight up game of Hunter: The Vigil.
Unknown Armies - puts a massive emphasis on psychological profiling, which is built in to character profiles that goes beyond most other games. It also has a provocative set of magic systems, based upon reinforcing (Avatars) or corrupting (Adepts) reality as we know it. Darkly ironic.
For me, that's the three. They can all be played without 'powers' as such too.
Just want to add that with me horror goes hand in hand with investigation. My setting is based off the dark animism of both of the werewolf games and the wod, but in combination with black magic, cults, serial killers and conspiracies. It doesn't have any other monsters like vampires, werewolves or fae. You can pretty much divide the setting in three. There is the spirit world, people who to investigate and/or hunt the spirits and people who want to make use of the spirits for their own benefit.
TSRs Marvel Superheroes interestingly enough can handle horror and investigation. But unfortunately there were no good modules to show it really.
Another one forgot is Alternity's Dark*Matter RPG. Very X-Files vibe at times.
Not quite modern, depending, but TSRs Masque of the Red Death Victorian horror setting has alot of potential. Cant say how viable it is for examples though. I've only seen one module for it in an issue of Dungeon.
Oh, and there is the Conspiracy X game, which was similar to Delta Green as a modern agency conspiracy, but stuck with straight Alien conspiracy theories rather than anything to do with Lovecraft. Its was kinda eclipsed by Delta Green at the time, but it still had a lot going for it. Eventually converted to both GURPS and the Unisystem.
Unknown Armies certainly puts a different take on 'occult horror'.
Also, Palladium's Beyond the Supernatural is a very underrated game. Even if you don't like the Palladium system, there's tons of good stuff in there.
Quote from: TrippyHippy;962224Flatly you cannot consider modern horror without experiencing Kult. A controversial masterpiece, with the back story and magic systems being evocatively authentic in feel.
Agreed. Another vote for Kult.
KULT!!!
Kult's cosmology is chock full of great ideas to steal. Lots of occult stuff to mine there, so go at it!
Quote from: RPGPundit;962756Also, Palladium's Beyond the Supernatural is a very underrated game. Even if you don't like the Palladium system, there's tons of good stuff in there.
Totally forgot about Beyond the Supernatural. Its actually a great system as its a pre-Rifts pre-Megadamage system and the magic is overall toned down enough to be managable.
The other is Palladium's Nightbane setting. Though that is a rather different take on horror more akin to Vampire.
Most of the games I already know. Dark Conspiracy is worth a look, but Beyond the Supernatural seems the most interesting suggestion till now and very much in line with what I am doing. I also like to keep the psychics and mediums for the players and the dark magic and cults for the npc's for example.
Dead of Night 2nd edition is a good read, in line with your request.
Call of Cthulhu has good non-chtulhoïd scenarios : Sisters of sorrow, Coming Full Circle...
Quote from: jan paparazzi;963145Most of the games I already know. Dark Conspiracy is worth a look, but Beyond the Supernatural seems the most interesting suggestion till now and very much in line with what I am doing. I also like to keep the psychics and mediums for the players and the dark magic and cults for the npc's for example.
Thats pretty doable with BTS since theres not alot of professions and thus its easier to prune or restrict access. Especially the magic types. The Diabolist is I believe intended as NPC only. The Latent Psychic and Psychic Sensetive are two of the easier psi options to keep. The others make for good NPCs. But you'll have to look over them yourself and figure out what works and what doesnt.
Quote from: jan paparazzi;963145Most of the games I already know. Dark Conspiracy is worth a look, but Beyond the Supernatural seems the most interesting suggestion till now and very much in line with what I am doing. I also like to keep the psychics and mediums for the players and the dark magic and cults for the npc's for example.
Well, it's good if you've found your inspiration. However, the choice of playing psychics and mediums does seem a little against the initial notion of wanting 'no peoplez with powerz'. In fact, I always felt that Beyond the Supernatural was basically an urban fantasy too, but I guess I'm looking at it wrong.
Quote from: TrippyHippy;963265Well, it's good if you've found your inspiration. However, the choice of playing psychics and mediums does seem a little against the initial notion of wanting 'no peoplez with powerz'. In fact, I always felt that Beyond the Supernatural was basically an urban fantasy too, but I guess I'm looking at it wrong.
Yeah only for acquiring knowledge. Precognition, postcognition, danger sense, sensing the supernatural, communicating with spirits etc. Nothing really high powered.
I'd say Spite or Dread from Neoplastic Press. I really like Rafael Chandler's take on evil Angels and Demons.
While the game is not what you'd want per se, as it's technically Urban Fantasy/Splatter Horror. But for the bestiary, it's really worth getting just for the ideas.
Chill 3e is also very very good, great mechanics. I also really like Hunter the Vigil for Chronicles of Darkness + stuff for God Machine. Very cool horror stuff.
Quote from: jan paparazzi;963483Yeah only for acquiring knowledge. Precognition, postcognition, danger sense, sensing the supernatural, communicating with spirits etc. Nothing really high powered.
Well, to be sure, most of the games mentioned here can be played as such. In Kult, for example, it's pretty much the default that pcs are un-powered by anything beyond their own awareness. Of course the option to research a twelve hour ritual in order to mutate an unborn baby is always there, but....
Have you checked out Quantum Black?
Quantum Black Games: Home (http://www.quantumblackgames.com/)
Quote from: Omega;962984Totally forgot about Beyond the Supernatural. Its actually a great system as its a pre-Rifts pre-Megadamage system and the magic is overall toned down enough to be managable.
The other is Palladium's Nightbane setting. Though that is a rather different take on horror more akin to Vampire.
Yeah, Nightbane never really appealed to me.
Quote from: RPGPundit;963862Yeah, Nightbane never really appealed to me.
I've never really checked out Beyond the Supernatural, but I never really liked Nightbane either...
Sorcerer is a good one for ideas. But it's a kind of a one trick pony (of course that's kinda' the point of the game).
A lot of those games seem to come from the early 2000's. Witchcraft and GURPS Cabal too.
Quote from: The Exploited.;963872I've never really checked out Beyond the Supernatural, but I never really liked Nightbane either...
They're radically different games.
Quote from: RPGPundit;964430They're radically different games.
Might be worth picking it up just for some ideas in that case... Although, I'm not all that mad about the Palladium system itself.
In Nomine, both SJG & French Croc version (INS/MV), are filled with a grab bag of spiritual powers, agendas, and tricks to keep your NPCs interesting.
Legend of the 5 Rings has a slew of alternate spiritual (pro/an)tagonist takes, especially in its Shadowlands, Spirit/Kami, and Ninja seed material.
I guess I'll go with the obvious second mention of Wraith, & add Geist into the mix.
Those should factionalize spiritual approaches enough so things don't devolve into a static good v. evil, save the world!, routine.
Quote from: The Exploited.;964452Might be worth picking it up just for some ideas in that case... Although, I'm not all that mad about the Palladium system itself.
Well, as some pointed out, BtS doesn't use "mega-damage", which for some reason a lot of people seem to hate (never had a problem with that myself).
Heaven and Earth looks like an intriguing setting.
Quote from: RPGPundit;964817Well, as some pointed out, BtS doesn't use "mega-damage", which for some reason a lot of people seem to hate (never had a problem with that myself).
Funnily enough, I thought the Mega Damage thing worked well for Rifts. I liked the idea that a guy in hi-tech power armor couldn't be touched by normal sounds or mortar shells, etc. Although, I cocked an eyebrow when even small creatures had mega-damage capacity. I know it was an attempt to balance the game but it felt strange imo.
My real problem with somthing like Rifts was more that it became the go to kitchen sink, but with some really nice ideas at the core but then went on to become some bizare melting pot of every trope imaginable on one tiny planet. Mr. Siembieda needed an editor.
That said, I did buy the Savage Worlds version.
There is also the oft forgotten The Whispering Vault.
You could go with something bizarre and outlandish such as the movie "Dark City": creepy, cult aliens have scooped up a city's worth of humans and are carrying them through space. Or read James Blish's "Cities in Flight" and think about how that scenario could go wrong. Or Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama": the evil version. Or how about Farmer's "Riverworld" but the aliens are decidedly non-ethical.
Quote from: The Exploited.;964824Funnily enough, I thought the Mega Damage thing worked well for Rifts. I liked the idea that a guy in hi-tech power armor couldn't be touched by normal sounds or mortar shells, etc. Although, I cocked an eyebrow when even small creatures had mega-damage capacity. I know it was an attempt to balance the game but it felt strange imo.
My real problem with somthing like Rifts was more that it became the go to kitchen sink, but with some really nice ideas at the core but then went on to become some bizare melting pot of every trope imaginable on one tiny planet. Mr. Siembieda needed an editor.
That said, I did buy the Savage Worlds version.
Well, Beyond the Supernatural doesn't have a kitchen-sink complex.
Quote from: RPGPundit;965230Well, Beyond the Supernatural doesn't have a kitchen-sink complex.
I figured it didn't. Rifts has that high honor! :)