News Regarding The Entropy Effect

The long-anticipated modern era, reality-bending SF/Horror RPG 'Entropy Effect' was originally scheduled for 2017 but was held put on Hiatus due to unforeseen health issues experienced by one of the authors and the family bereavement we suffered.

In late 2018 we took the decision to extensively re-write the combat system, a change that would speed combat up and minimise the need for players to do mental arithmetic.  Gone is the 'The amount you hit by effects your Stopping Power'. The result is, we believe, a much better, more streamlined combat system  Of course, as is the way with game design, this change had knock on effects and M R McGowan and I have had to rewrite most of the game.  Again the result is a vast improvement on what we already thought was a good game.  Now, it is even better!

While we were re-writing the game any way we decided to expand it a little too.  Adding rules for interrogation, new psychic abilities and new creatures to torment your players with.  What is more, we are adding one of the playtest scenario's to the rules system, along with a sample character, Frank Stafford, who you can see being designed in the examples of character creation across the section.

The playtests for this launch on Tuesday and, all being well, we hope to finally bring this fantastic, dark, evocative game to you in 2019.

In addition to the rules, we will be releasing a quickstart version of the game with sample scenrio.  This will include four pre-generated characters and just enough of the core mechnics o let you play the scenario 'Sharp Teeth PRetty Teeth'.  It will be released before the core rules which in turn will include the adventure 'Talbot's Syndrome' - the follow up to Sharp Teeth Pretty Teeth.

Further adventures for 'The Entropy Effect' will be released through the year.

You can read more about 'The Entropy Effect' here soon.

The Library! GMs map #41 out now!

I'm lagging behind a little as far as keeping the Blog updated goes, sorry about that folks, I'll try to do better.

Anyway, the most recent addition to our GM's maps range is one for the investigative horror or mystery fans - GM's Map #41, The Library!

A 4-storey Library suitable for a range of historical periods from the Renaissance to the near future via the Victorian period or the 1920s

Libraries are a staple for investigative and investigative horror games. Your PCs may spend hours upon hours studying dusty tomes or old newspaper articles, pouring over every word to find those vital clues that might lead them to uncover the truth. However, they don't need to be some vaguely defined notion against which the PCs make a succession of research skill rolls, bring your libraries to life with this, the 41^st offering in our GM's maps range.

Libraries can themselves be the locale for some mystery, murder, robbery or haunting, or perhaps the PCs unleash some monstrous horror from beyond with their incautious studies. In a post-apocalyptic world, the last remaining libraries are a treasure trove of lost knowledge that might be worth fighting and even dying over.

Make your library an integral part of your adventures and you can develop some memorable scenes that players will remember for years to come.

Publisher's Licence

Publishers wishing to use this map in their own products may do so subject to the following restrictions;

You may use the map in your own adventures or supplements provided you add your own content.

This map may not be resold as part of a product that is intended primarily as a map or collection of maps.

If you use this map please credit the author B F Irving and Gethsemane Games and include the line “Map created with Campaign Cartographer 3 by Profantasy Software”

Comming soon we will have a 3-storey Shopping Arcade, keep your eyes open for that one!

A Ghost Story for Christmas Sale

Happy Christmas from Gethsemane Games,

There is an old tradition at this time of year that we here at Gethsemane Games like to keep, perhaps above any other. Often attributed to Mr Charles Dickens, the tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas is far older than that and pre-dates both his storey 'A Christmas Carol' and the reign of Queen Victoria. Nor is it even a uniquely British tradition, although we tend to carry it on even today and the BBC proudly keep the tradition going by broadcasting a range of adaptations of the stories of M R James, Dickens and a host of other writers. In America the magnificent Washington Irving is said to have been quite the enthusiast for the tradition as evidenced by his storey 'Old Christmas' which can be found in “The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent” first published in 1819”.

With that in mind, we would like to celebrate the practice of telling ghost stories at Christmas with a little tradition of our own, our 'Ghost Storey at Christmas' sale. From now until January 6th our Haunts and Horrors line and a selection of our GMs maps which seem particularly pertinent to creating haunting scenarios of Gothic horror will be available for only $1 each!

That includes the Haunts and Horrors RPG rules, the scenario's 'Blood Money', 'The Curse of Amun Menetnashte', 'The Ahriman Tablets' and the acclaimed 'Suffer Little Children' as well as a selection of mansions, haunted houses, stately homes and other suitable places for your tales of terror taken from our GM's maps range.

From Gethsemane Games, have a very happy, Christmas!

Visit the H+H range Here and take advantage of the 'Ghost Storey for Christmas' Sale

http://www.rpgnow.com/…/Geths…/subcategory/5782_27281/Horror

GM's Map Halloween Special Launched

Map making can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating for GMs, especially GMs with limited time to begin with. In our new 'GM's Maps' range, we will be providing a range of pre-made maps for you to use in your games.

Mist swirls about the skeletal trees as the two figures creep towards the darkened house on midnight lane. The cold seeps into their bones as each one goads the other on,
“You scared bro?”
“Me? N... no, it's just a house. They are only stories, what's to be afraid of?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Just stories,”
From the attic window, a pale face watched the two students approach. Long dead eyes glared at the two young men.
“Oh yes!” it hissed, “Just stories. The truth is much worse!”

Our Halloween special is an American Colonial style house ripe for the haunting by whatever ghosts, ghouls or ghastly creatures you care to summon up.

Publisher's Licence

Publishers wishing to use this map in their own products may do so subject to the following restrictions;

You may use the map in your own adventures or supplements provided you add your own content.

This map may not be resold as part of a product that is intended primarily as a map or collection of maps.

If you use this map please credit the author B F Irving and Gethsemane Games and include the line “Map created with Campaign Cartographer 3 by Profantasy Software”

Hallowe'en Sale!

Hallowe'en Sale

Its that time of the year when everyone's thoughts turn to those things which go bump in the night!

In order to help you make this Halloween extra spooky, Gethsemane Games has placed all of our 'Haunts and Horrors' Gothic horror line PDF products on sale for just £1, that's One British Pound (actually, make that ninety-nine pence, we really love Hallowe'en!).

Happy Hauntings!

http://www.rpgnow.com/browse/pub/3429/Gethsemane-Games

Haunts And Horrors 2nd ed.

There are many dark and desolate places in the world. Places where the Haunts and the Horrors lurk, waiting to prey upon the unwary. Where practitioners of magic indulge in their dark arts, for good or for ill.

Step from the present into the gas-lit world of the 19th century, or investigate the paranormal mysteries of today Face the supernatural horrors from the folklore of many diverse cultures, and struggle against creatures beyond common philosophies, the haunts and horrors that plague ' nightmares.

Haunts and Horrors is a flexible horror RPG intended to let GMs set their games in any period of history they choose, from the Georgian period to the modern day.

Suffer Little Children

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/134145/Suffer-Little-Children?cPath=5782_27281

What dreadful curse haunts the dreams of the children of Enfield such that they fear the embrace of sleep?

What foul thing moves them to terror?

Unable to find any physical cause the town doctor turns to the alienists at the Sanatorium for help, yet even they are baffled by the strange malady that sweeps through the town bringing night terrors and fearful dreams to the young.

In north-west England during the reign of Her Royal Highness

Queen Victoria, something terrible troubles a sleepy village.

A strange white figure is seen in the night.

What terrible secret of the town's past is behind the mystery?

Or is the new waterworks to blame, as so many claim?

And what role does the crumbling folly in the grounds of the high house have to play in all of this? Built from stones so ancient they have seen the dawn of man, inscribed with ancient symbols of a lost culture.

Could that hold the key?

In “Suffer Little Children” the players must unlock these secrets and defeat a foul enemy with the aid of unlikely allies and beset with terrible dreams and visions of their own.

The Curse of Amun Menetnashte

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/205657/The-Curse-of-Amun-Menetnashte?cPath=5782_27281

For over two thousand years a forgotten Egyptian Sorcerer has lain at rest within his tomb, lost beneath the sands of Egypt. Until now.

Unwittingly the Percival-Papadokis expedition have awoken the Sorcerer from his slumber and his restless Ba and Ka, aspects of his spirit self, seek restitution for an ancient wrong.

Drawn into the events that result from the awakening of the once forgotten Amun Menetnashte the player characters find themselves enmeshed in a struggle against ghostly apparitions, an undead mummy and ghouls. Worse yet, they must satisfy the conditions of a powerful magical spell or die, becoming the latest victims of...

...The Curse of Amun Menetnashte.

Blood Money

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/112090/Blood-Money?cPath=5782_27281

“Blood Money”, an adventure set in England during the early years of Queen Victoria's reign. The old coaching inn “The little drummer boy” has seen better days, the advent of the railways has hit the inn's custom, but perhaps not so much as the tales of a strange phantom horseman that plagues the highways around the inn.

Who, or what is the dark form that haunts the roads and moors around the old coaching inn "The Little Drummer Boy" and what is the cause of its hatred for the Johnstons?

The Ahriman Tablets

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/215460/The-Ahriman-Tablets?cPath=5782_27281

Set in Egypt in the 1870's 'The Ahriman Tablets' can be either a stand-alone adventure or an interesting follow up to 'The Curse of Amun Menetnashte'.

A curious find among the trade goods of the Bazaar sets the party on an arduous journey into the Kharga Oasis region of Egypt in search of a long lost temple. Thought to be a Zoroastrian fire temple dating back to the Persian occupation of Egypt, the temple hides a dark and sinister secret.

To reach their goal the party must face the hazards of the desert, both real and preternatural as a malevolent force seeks to deter them from uncovering the ancient hidden truths locked within the sand-choked ruins. Pitted against the creatures of desert folklore, the harsh conditions of the Kharga Oasis and their own self-doubt the expedition's tribulations have only just begun for once they find the ancient site their excavations are troubled by yet more mysterious occurrences. The dark spirits that have lain forgotten beneath the desert sands have awoken and regarded the expedition with malevolence as they seek to keep the interlopers from learning the truth of this place.

NEW RELEASE! GMs Maps: 23 Victorian Work House

The latest of our GM's maps range 'Map 23: 18th or 19th Century Work House' is now available on RPG.now!

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/215797/GMs-Maps-23-Work-House?src=newest

Map-making can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating for GMs, especially GMs with limited time to begin with. In our new 'GM's Maps' range, we will be providing a range of pre-made maps for you to use in your games.

The maps will be provided in PNG, JPEG and PDF file format, unnumbered for you to number and populate with fiendish traps and monsters as you see fit.

re sinister experiments away from prying eyes?

Workhouses were a fact of life in several countries during the 18th and 19th centuries the poor, the sick and the orphaned would often find themselves in the loveless, cold embrace of such an institution. Miserable places in which paupers and orphans would be put to work in exchange for basic accommodation and food.

Even in these lowly conditions, the inmates could not escape the rigid class structures so common in Victorian Britain and they would be divided into first and second class paupers, those deemed of 'Good character' and those deemed of bad.

With histories such as these, workhouses would make ideal places for hauntings in horror RPGs. However, imaginative GMs may come up with all sorts of ways to use such buildings. Perhaps the PCs are condemned to live in such an establishment, or perhaps they are investigating some crime committed there. Gangs of criminals may even be hiding out in such a building or, in more recent times perhaps the building is no longer the workhouse it once was but has been converted to another use?

Historically old workhouse buildings have been converted to hospitals, schools, museums, residential apartments, shop units and even civic buildings. Some were even converted into hotels.

Converted Workhouses were remodelled to various degrees to suit their new purposes.

Publishers wishing to use this map in their own products may do so subject to the following restrictions;

You may use the map in your own adventures or supplements provided you add your own content.

This map may not be resold as part of a product that is intended primarily as a map or collection of maps.

If you use this map please credit the author B F Irving and Gethsemane Games and include the line “Map created with Campaign Cartographer 2 by Profantasy Software”

(Haunts and Horrors) NEW RELEASE! The Ahriman Tablets

NEW RELEASE: The Ahriman Tablets


Set in Egypt in the 1870's 'The Ahriman Tablets' can be either a stand-alone adventure or an interesting follow up to 'The Curse of Amun Menetnashte'.

A curious find among the trade goods of the Bazaar set's the party on an arduous journey into the Kharga Oasis region of Egypt in search of a long lost temple. Thought to be a Zoroastrian fire temple dating back to the Persian occupation of Egypt, the temple hides a dark and sinister secret.

To reach their goal the party must face the hazards of the desert, both real and preternatural as a malevolent force seeks to deter them from uncovering the ancient hidden truths locked within the sand-choked ruins. Pitted against the creatures of desert folklore, the harsh conditions of the Karga Oasis and their own self-doubt the expedition's tribulations have only just begun for once they find the ancient site their excavations are troubled by yet more mysterious occurrences. The dark spirits that have lain forgotten beneath the desert sands have awoken and regarded the expedition with malevolence as they seek to keep the interlopers from learning the truth of this place.

A scenario for moderately experienced to experienced characters, designed for Haunts and Horrors but easily converted to any investigative horror RPG. Also, includes some new creatures a new preternatural ability and some new rules for your H&H campaigns.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/215460/The-Ahriman-Tablets?src=newest

(Haunts and Horrors) New Preternatural Ability: Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis (New) Range 10 meters, Area of Effect, 2 Meters, Duration 1 Min per point of the users WIP, Initiative Penalty Nil

The ability of psychokinesis enables the user to influence physical items without physically contacting them. A form of Telekinesis it allows a creature to turn handles, operate machines or open doors as if it was physically touching them even when it is not. The ability can be used to operate machinery, pick locks and so forth.

(Haunts and Horrors) New Creature! Adjule

Adjules

Type: Independent Things

Among the Tuareg people of the Sahara Desert region in North Africa there are legends of strange canine beings. These creatures, variously known to the Arabs and the Tuareg nomads as Adjules or occasional Kelb-el-khela.

Adjules hunt in packs and are believed by some to have the ability to sew discord among local populations in order to make prey easier to hunt. Some students of folklore insist Adjules do not hunt humans, while others disagree.

Adjules are extremely rare and tend to be found in and around the Sahara desert especially near Mauritania, the majority of sightings are dismissed as African Wild Dogs, and they do bear a striking resemblance to them form a distance. When seen up close however the creature's unatural nature becomes more common. The patterns on an Adjules fur seem to shift slightly and disconcertingly as one watches while its eyes seem to be windows into dark and terrifying realms beyond our reality.

STR; 25-35

SIZ; 10-35

AGL; 20-50

PER; 30-50

LUC; 25-40

WIP; 30-45

Attacks: Bite 60% or more KPA 18 Worrying

Armour: None

Preternatural Abilities

Emotional Projection Range;- line of sight Area of effect;- 1 person Duration;- 1 minute per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- -3 IL

Psychic Drain Psychic Drain Range;- 3 meters Area of effect;- 1 person Duration;- Instant. Initiative penalty;- -2IL

Translocation Range;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;- Self Duration;- Instant Initiative penalty;-N/A

Other Abilities

Adjules can regenerate, recovering 1d10 lost HP each round. Also once each round the most severe wound they have will reduce by one step. This can result in broken or destroyed limbs functioning again.

This ability stops once they Adjule is dead.

Adjules are susceptible to magic and psychic attack as well as normal weapons and injuries. They do not suffer from extremes of cold or heat.

(Haunts and Horrors) New Creature! Angra Mainyu

Today we have a new creature for your Haunts and Horrors game.  It is the first of a series of creatures from the folklore of the middle east, in this case, Persia.  The Angra Mainyu will be appearing in our upcoming H+H Scenario 'The Ahriman Tablets', due for release later this year.

Angra Mainyu

Angra Mainyu are dark spirits of destruction from the Zoroastrian tradition. The oldest Avestan writings seem to use the term as an alternative name for the destructive Deity Ahriman, the Zoroastrian equivalent of Christianity's Satan. Later writings begin to write of Angra Mainyu in the plural, as a range of demonic spirits in the service of Ahriman and his female counterpart Az.

These demons can be formed in various ways, some are the ghostly remains of Usij. Strictly speaking the Deava's in service of Ahriman and Az are a form of Angra Mainyu, but in game terms, the Deava's are the vastly more powerful spirits of destruction while the term Angra Mainyu is used for the lower level demonic and ghostly beings that serve Ahriman.

Due to the fact that there are several ways for an Angra Mainyu to come into being, their attributes and power can vary greatly between one individual and the next, which is reflected in the following profile.

STR: n/a

SIZ: n/a

AGL: n/a

PER: 20-70

LUCK: 20-60

WIP: 10-80

Preternatural Abilities

Different Angra Mainyu have different preternatural powers but what follows is a list of the more common ones. How many preternatural powers any given Angra Mainyu has also seems to vary wildly from 2 to 10.

Curse, Chill, Darken, Drain Strength, Dream Speak, Fright, Inflict Wound, Manipulate Object, Phantom Sound, Phantom Sound, Physic Drain, Pestilence, Plague, Possession, Silence, Strike Blind, Strike Deaf, Strike Mute, Suggestion, Warp.

Angra Mainyu tend to prefer powers that reflect destruction and darkness over all others and cannot use powers that would create something real. Thus they can not use 'The Writing on the Wall' or similar powers, as it would create something ('Writing'). The only exception is the creation of illusions.

Other Abilities

Angra Mainyu can remain invisible in dark places, even when some light is present they may remain invisible so long as there are deep, dark shadows deep enough that a human in dark clothing would be permitted a stealth roll to avoid detection. In sunlight or when trapped directly in a beam of light – or when viewed via 'Mind's Eye' or similar powers, the creatures appear as dark shadows of vaguely human form as if clad in tattered rags. They lack legs and their eyes seem to be pools of even deeper darkness.

Some Angra Mainyu may retain the ability to practice magic.

Destroying Angra Mainyu

These spirits can be driven back to whatever hell spawned them via an Exorcism, although they will use everything at their disposal to prevent themselves from being exorcised.

Sometimes the creatures are 'Bound' to unholy altars or artefacts which are concentrated to Ahriman or Az. When this is the case no exorcism will succeed until the item is found and its consecration to the dark gods is undone. This can be done by blessing it or re-consecrating it to another deity (Usually Ahura Mazda in the Zoroastrian tradition but in truth any deity that isn't tied to Ahriman will suffice just as well).

Other Notes

Angra Mainyu should be considered to belong to the classification 'Demons', even when they were created from the spirits of dead Usij.

(Haunts and Horrors) New Creature - Efreet

As promised, we are continuing our presentations of new creatures for your Haunts and Horrors Games with the Efreet.  From the mythology of the middle east, the Efreet have apeared in the folklore of the Ancinet Persians, Egyptians and bothe pre and post Islamic Arabs.  

Efreet

Aka Efrit. Ifrit, Jan

A type of Djinn in Arabic folklore noted for their strength and cunning.

In their native form the Efreet are enormous winged creature of a vaguely human form but composed entirely of fire. These creatures can be either male or female in appearance.

The Efreet can be found haunting ruins or underground places but according to folklore they may band into tribal societies with social stratification akin to the early Arab tribal societies.

Although their nature is that of fire, making them wild and destructive by nature they also have a strange tendency to seek revenge against murdered when a murder occurs near them or the body is disposed of near them. In this instance the Efrit gains the ability to assume the physical appearance of the victim. Driving an iron nail into the spreading blood or the blood stain of the fatal wound of the murder victim will prevent the Efreet from gaining the ability to take the victims form or from making revenge for the murder.

Efreet can also assume the forms of scorpions or jackals.

When in the form of a jackal, scorpion or murder victim hat form may be harmed by natural means of normal weapons, however this does not harm the Efreet itself which will reform infinite native form within an hour or so.

The djinns natural form is immune to normal weapons or harm but is vulnerable to magic.

The Efreet were spoken of in Islamic mythology and Arabic foklore gut many occult students believe they were also known to the ancient Persians.

According to Egyptian folklore the Efreet were spirits of the desert and could assume the form of a whirlwind. The Egyptians believed these creatures were servants of Set.

Although common in Islamic folklore and even mentioned in the Quran and other Islamic scriptures, Efreet are thought to have been known to both the ancient Egyptians and he ancient Persians.

Burning Man Form

STR 75- 90

SIZ 60-85

AGL 15-55

PER 25-55

WIP 50-80

LUC 10-40

Scorpion Form

RF;5

HP; 5

BI; 9

Armour; 1 point

Nip; 42% KPA; -0- Maximum Injury Level (Mil); Superficial

Sting; 70% KPA -0- Maximum Injury Level (Mil); Superficial Special; Poison.

The “Scorpion's” poison is a potent neurotoxin with an attack of 75 and a POT of 25 which has the following effects.

Level	Effect
W	The victim feels dizzy for 1d10 hours.
L	As W plus the victim looses 1-5 HP
M	The victim suffers 1-10 HP damage and becomes sick and dizzy for 2d10 hours
H	As M, plus the victim is left weak (-1 STR -1 AGL) for 1-5 days.
S	Victim loses 2d10 HP, lapses into unconsciousness for 1d10 hours and then suffers dizziness, sickness and weakness as in M
C	As S but the unconsciousness lasts 2d10 hours.
F	Victim lapses into a coma for 1-5 days.

Jakal Form

STR 30

SIZ 25

AGL 45

PER 40

WIP 40

LUC 20

BI;11

HF 10/15*

Bite 65% KPA 10 Worrying on subsequent rounds

* As a Jackal the Efreet's Horror Factor is 10 if anyone realises that they are actually fighting an Efreet, or believes it to be some other form of shape-shifting supernatural being, then the HF rises to 15.

Preternatural Abilities (Attack at 80% when used offensively)

Burning Touch Range;- Self Area of effect;- Self Duration;- 1 CR per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- -1I

Flight Range;-Self Area of effect;- Self Duration;- 1 minute per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- -2IL

Invisibility Range;- Self Area of effect;- Self Duration;- 1 min per point of the users WIP. Initiative penalty;--3 IL

Locate Range;- No limit Area of effect; N/A Duration;- Instant Initiative penalty;- N/A

Polymorph (limited) (Jackal, Scorpion, or Murder Victim) Range;-Self Area of effect;-Self Duration;-Unlimited Initiative penalty;--3 I (limited) Range;-Self Area of effect;-Self Duration;-Unlimited Initiative penalty;--3 IL

Phantom Sound Range;-1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Duration;- 5 CR or more Initiative penalty;- N/A

Phantasm Range;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Duration;- As long as the creature continues to concentrate. Initiative penalty;- -1 IL

Summon Wind Range;- 1 meter per point of the users WIP Area of effect;-1 meter per point of the users WIP Duration;- 1 min per point of the users WIP Initiative penalty;- - 2 IL

Psychokinesis (New) Range 10 meters, Area of Effect, 2 Meters, Duration 1 Min per point of the users WIP, Initiative Penalty Nil

Other Abilities

Efreet are immune to normal harm or weapons but are vulnerable to magic. Their manifest forms of Jackal or Scorpion can be harmed by normal weapons but when destroyed, this has no effect on the Efreet itself other than forcing it to turn into a cloud of sand propelled by a whirlwind which then vanishes into the desert for 1d10 hours before the creature returns to normal.

Efreet also have a strange affinity with murder victims, the cause of this is unknown, however is a person is murdered within a mile of them, or the body of a murder victim is disposed of within a mile of he creature, it becomes determined to seek revenge for the murder. The Efreet gains the ability to 'Polymorph (limited) into the image of the victim and will be able to 'Locate' all those involved in or responsible for the victim's murder. I twill become obsessed with trying to avenge the victim.

The only way to prevent this is to drive an iron nail through the blood stain or pool of fresh blood that came form the fatal wound. Doing so severs this connection and the Efreet can no longer assume the victims form, use 'Locate' upon the killers, nor will it be determined to seek revenge for the murder.

Appearance

In it's native form the Efreet appears as a huge humanoid column of fire with bat shaped wings of flame.

Humans that touch or are touched by an Efreet suffer the effects of a 'Burning Touch'.

Special Note

When an Efreet is nearby (within 10 meters) flames begin to act oddly, they dance wildly, change colour or seem to bend and drift against the wind.