CORE ​RULES

PROCEDURE OF PLAY

Once a scenario is introduced, Liminal Horror follows a loose procedure of play:

1. The Facilitator sets the scene by describing the situation.
2. The Players decide how they would like to proceed with their investigation.
3. The Facilitator describes any obvious clues or overt dangers.
4. The Players determine how they would like to respond to or interact with the situation.
5. The Facilitator determines if those actions require rolls.
   • Most simple tasks (opening doors, searching locations, etc) simply happen without the need for a roll.
   • If the outcome of an action is unclear, determine who is most at risk of failure and ask them to make a corresponding Save.
   • A Player’s action may also result in Stress or damage directly without a roll.
6. The situation is resolved and the Facilitator describes any changes based on the outcome of the rolls.
7. Repeat.

RULES SUMMARY

ABILITIES:

• STR (Strength): Physicality, brawn, and toughness.
• DEX (Dexterity): Readiness, grace, subtly, and precision.
• CTRL (Control): Willpower, charm, and the weird.

SAVES
For risky actions, roll a d20 equal to or under the target ability score.

HP - HIT PROTECTION
An Investigator’s ability to avoid serious harm (both physical and Stress). HP recovers quickly when Investigators take moments in safety.

ARMOR AND STABILITY
Armor reduces incoming damage by that amount. Stability reduces incoming Stress by that amount.

INVENTORY
Investigators have 10 Inventory Slots. Most items take up one Slot, bulky items take two Slots. Carrying items beyond 10 Slots reduces HP to 0.

DEPRIVED AND FATIGUE
The Deprived condition comes from a lack of critical need (food, sleep, etc.) and prevents HP recovery. Being Deprived for 24hrs adds a Fatigue condition to an Inventory Slot, and requires rest to recover that Slot.

CELLPHONE STABILITY
When an Investigator uses a cellphone, handheld camera, CCTV, etc., to view a horror they receive +1 Stability. If Stress exceeds Stability, roll on the table:

• 6: Everything keeps working.
• 4-5: The battery is dying, it has one more instance of providing Stability before it dies.
• 2-3: It powers down, no longer providing Stability until charged.
• 1: It breaks, no longer providing Stability until it’s repaired

RESONANT ARTIFACTS
Resonant Artifacts are objects imbued with the weird. An Investigator can use the power of a Resonant Artifact as part of their normal action, provided the activation trigger can be completed within a few seconds.

ACTIONS
On their turn, Investigators may move 40 feet and take a single action. Actions are attacking, additional movement, or some other reasonable action. These are simultaneous.

Retreating from a doomed situation requires a successful DEX Save and a safe destination.

If Investigators are surprised, then they must pass an DEX Save in order to act during the initial round. Subsequent turns have Investigators acting, then adversaries.

COMBAT
All attacks auto-hit under reasonable circumstances. Attackers roll Damage or Stress die, subtract Armor (damage) or Stability (Stress), and deal remaining total to the target’s HP. Multiple attackers roll together and keep the single highest die.

DAMAGE AND WOUNDS
Damage that exceeds HP is deducted from STR. Target must make a STR Save or suffer a Wound, which fill Inventory Slots.

STRESS AND FALLOUT
Stress that exceeds HP is deducted from CTRL. Target must make a CTRL Save or suffer Fallout, which fills Inventory Slots.

HEALING
A quick rest in a safe location fully restores HP. Ability Score loss and healing Wounds requires medical attention or extended rest. 0 STR means death, 0 DEX means paralysis, 0 CTRL means the Investigator is lost.

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MECHANICS

ATTRIBUTES

Attributes represent Investigators’ ability to act under pressure. The average score is 10 and the maximum is 18, representing the range of normal human capabilities. While Attributes may inform an Investigator’s general competency, they are not all encompassing. Each Investigator has three primary Attributes:

• STRENGTH (STR): Physicality, brawn, and toughness. Used for forcing doors open, climbing over fences, jumping across rooftops, throwing objects, or carrying a fellow Investigator.
• DEXTERITY (DEX): Readiness, grace, subtly, and precision. Used for acting before an adversary, fleeing from danger, or slipping by guards unseen.
• CONTROL (CTRL): Willpower, charm, and weird. Used for social interactions, dealing strange artifacts, or processing the strain of seeing horrors.

SAVES

When attempting something difficult or dangerous, acting to avoid harm, or the result of failure would be interesting, roll a d20. If the result is equal to or under the most relevant Attribute, the action is completed as intended. Otherwise it fails. A result of 1 is always a success, and a 20 is always a failure.

If there is no risk, no external pressure, or the results of failure are uninteresting, no roll is needed. If the action is contested between two or more individuals, the one most at risk as a result of failure makes the Save.

HIT PROTECTION (HP)

Hit Protection is an Investigator’s ability to avoid serious harm, from both physical sources and Stress. It is an abstraction that represents an individual’s resolve, stamina, skill, and luck. HP recovers quickly when Investigators take moments in safety.

INVENTORY

Each Investigator begins with 10 Inventory Slots. Most carryable items take up one slot, and small items that would typically fit in pockets can be bundled together in a single slot. Items that are bulky or require two hands to properly use take up two slots. Investigators may carry a reasonable amount of items beyond their slots, though those who do so become Deprived. Vehicles can be used to store additional inventory, but those items are inaccessible if Investigators are away from the vehicle.

While it is assumed Investigators have a bag or backpack, Inventory Slots are an abstraction. They may also be filled with a variety of status effects, which represent the burden that surviving horrors has on the Investigator, rather than inherent physical capabilities.

Medical accessibility equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches do not take up Inventory Slots.

ITEM TAGS

Some items have tags that give them unique properties. Examples include:

• Bulky: Items that take up two inventory slots and are awkward to carry or require two hands.
• Blast: An attack that hits everything in a target area, with damage rolled separately for each affected. If the area is not designated, use damage dice to determine the number of targets.
• Non-lethal: Targets DEX after HP.
• Stress: Targets CTLR after HP.

Additional Item Tags can be found in the Deluxe Edition Appendix: Item Tags (p. x).

ARMOR AND STABILITY

Armor protects against physical damage. Incoming damage is reduced by the target’s Armor score (typically between 0 and 3) before it is applied to HP. Armor most commonly comes from equipment, but may be the result of various natural means of protection or from certain Fallout.

Stability is a metaphysical armor, protecting against the emotional strain of Stress. Incoming Stress is reduced by the target’s Stability score (typically between 0 and 2) before it is applied to HP. Stability is fairly rare. While some items might provide Stability (trinkets, using phones/cameras), it most commonly comes from certain Fallout.

CELLPHONES AND STABILITY

When an Investigator uses a cellphone, handheld camera, CCTV, etc., to view a horror through indirect means, they receive +1 Stability for the duration. Each time they receive Stress over their Stability Score, the player rolls d6:

• 6: Everything keeps working.
• 4-5: The battery is dying, it has one more instance of providing Stability before it dies.
• 2-3: It powers down, no longer providing Stability until recharged.
• 1: It breaks, no longer providing Stability.

WEALTH

An investigator’s personal wealth is defined by the cash they have on hand. This represents the money they have immediate access to and not necessarily a full bank account or net worth. Liminal Horror is set in a world with modern conveniences. Minor basic goods aren’t consequential and can be purchased with the swipe of a credit card as long as an appropriate shop can be found. Cash comes into play when the Investigators want to purchase more specialized equipment, though some vendors may require different forms of payment. Use the Equipment List as a basis for available goods and prices, though various narrative variables may alter both the prices and the availability of the listed items.

Over the course of a mystery the Investigators may gain more cash by selling goods they have or stealing. NPCs might have jobs available or rewards for the safe return of those affected by the horrors. Between scenarios, an Investigator can replenish their cash by returning to their primary source of employment.

Above all, debt transcends all boundaries, and can be a boon or a burden.

RESONANT ARTIFACTS

Resonant Artifacts are objects imbued with paranatural power. They are sometimes referred to as arcane objects, relics, or “magic” items, but they are intrinsically strange and dangerous. During tense situations, an Investigator can typically utilize a Resonant Artifact as part of a normal action, provided the activation trigger can be completed within a few seconds. More on Resonant Artifacts can be found on page x.

VEHICLES

Vehicles are assigned a Hit Protection (HP) value to represent their current integrity. When HP reaches 0 the vehicle is totaled. Totaling a vehicle causes damage to those in and around it, beginning at d6 damage and increasing based on the severity and narrative circumstances.

Damage caused by a vehicle is relative to the target and its speed. Start at d6 and scale according to the fiction. Damage against the vehicle depends on the method. Some instances may be Impaired (see Attack Modifiers based on scale.

DIE OF FATE

Situations may arise where the outcome of an event is based on luck alone (ex: Are there a pair of scissors in this desk? Can I find the correct key on this ring on the first try? Was the horror close enough to hear that vase hit the ground?). When this occurs, roll a d6. An outcome of 3 or less means fate favors the Investigators, while an outcome of 4 or higher means bad luck befalls them.

VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS

Violence quickly leads to deadly consequences and should be avoided where possible. When the horrors come to claim your Investigators, use the procedures below to reach resolution.

ROUNDS AND TURN ORDER

Combat is broken down into a series of rounds, each lasting approximately 10 seconds, though strict time keeping is unnecessary unless desired. During a round, each individual gets a turn to act, with the assumption that everything happening within a round occurs in a roughly simultaneous manner. Under standard circumstances, Investigators act first in whatever order they choose, followed by their adversaries.

If a more strict turn order is desired or it is unclear who would act first, have each individual make a DEX Save. Those that pass go first, with order determined by the lowest result.

SURPRISE

If the Investigators are unprepared for combat, be that through ambush or betrayal, have each Investigator make a DEX Save for a chance to act before their adversaries.

• SUCCESS: The Investigator may act before their adversaries.
• FAILURE: The Investigator does not get to act during this initial round.

After this initial round, combat proceeds as normal.

ACTIONS

On their turn, Investigators may move up to 40 feet and perform an action. This may be attacking, making a second move, using a Ritual or Resonant Artifact, or some other combat maneuver.

Players state what actions their Investigators will attempt before rolling any dice. If they attempt something risky, the Facilitator may call for a Save from the party most at risk.

Being useful in a fight isn’t always about dealing damage. Sometimes it’s more beneficial to distract the adversaries, create obstacles, complete secondary objectives, or simply run away. Exploiting the weaknesses of your adversaries can lead to attacks from your allies being Enhanced or those from your adversaries being Impaired.

ATTACKING AND DAMAGE

There are no rolls to hit. If an attack has a realistic chance of hitting a target, roll the corresponding damage die, subtract any armor, and apply the remaining to the target’s HP.

An attack that causes HP loss but does not bring total HP to 0 is considered a glancing blow or a miss, and the target has avoided serious harm. How this plays out depends on the narrative circumstances of the moment, but it may be a punch leaving a minor bruise, a slash making contact but barely breaking skin, or a bullet smashing into the wall just above a target’s head.

When HP is reduced to 0, any remaining damage is applied directly to the target’s STR score. This is where a slash draws blood or a bullet finds home and serious harm befalls an individual.

There are some horrors that deal Stress directly to their targets instead of dealing physical damage (see Stress & Fallout). In this case, roll the corresponding Stress die, subtract any Stability, and apply the remaining to the target’s HP. When HP is reduced to 0, any remaining Stress is applied directly to the target’s CTRL score.

Attacks that are non-lethal or attempt to immobilize an individual target DEX after HP is reduced to 0. This might be a taser or a horrid spider wrapping a victim up in webs.

Under typical circumstances, unarmed attacks deal d4 damage, most conventional and improvised weapons deal d6 damage, two-handed weapons deal d8 damage, and specialized weapons deal up to d10 damage.

MULTIPLE ATTACKERS

If multiple attackers gang up to target the same foe during a round, roll all damage dice from the attacks simultaneously and keep the single highest result.

ATTACK MODIFIERS

An attack is Impaired if the attacker is in a position of weakness that would impact their effectiveness. Impaired attacks deal d4 damage. This includes situations such as attacking through cover, being bound or constrained, or having one’s mind clouded by shadows.

An attack is Enhanced if the attacker is in a position of advantage. Enhanced attacks deal d12 damage. This includes situations such as leveraging a daring maneuver, exploiting a weakness, attacking a helpless adversary, or having one’s arm guided by the void.

DUAL WIELDING

If attacking with two weapons at the same time, roll both damage dice and keep the single highest result. This is often represented by (dx+dx). An offhand weapon will typically roll one die size smaller than the primary, for example (d6+d4).

When dual wielding, keep in mind the narrative implications of both hands being occupied. Otherwise mundane action may become risky and require a Save when attempting.

RETREAT

Escaping a doomed situation or a close-quartered encounter requires a successful DEX Save and a safe destination in order to get away. Safely retreating is a victory in its own way.

CRITICAL DAMAGE

When damage is dealt directly to a target’s STR score, they must make a STR Save with the new total. Upon failure, the target suffers Critical Damage.

When an Investigator takes Critical Damage they are critically wounded, taking a condition from the Wounds table. These consume an Inventory Slot until medical attention is received. The player can then choose whether their Investigator falls unconscious as a result or pushes through the pain to fight on, risking further damage and death.

When an NPC takes Critical Damage they fall out of combat. This might mean they are knocked unconscious, bleeding out, stunned, or dazed. However, if an NPC’s STR is above 0 they are not yet dead and may rise again at an inopportune time unless dealt with. NPCs may also take Wounds if narratively appropriate.

Some Horrors have special abilities that trigger a change when they take Critical Damage. This ability is utilized instead of them falling out of combat.

CRITICAL STRESS

When Stress is dealt directly to a target’s CTRL score, they must make a CTRL Save with the new total. Upon failure the target suffers Critical Stress and takes Fallout, which consumes an Inventory Slot. See Stress and Fallout for more details.

ATTRIBUTE LOSS & DEATH

When STR is reduced to 0 the Investigator draws their last breath and dies.

When DEX is reduced to 0 the Investigator is immobilized, paralyzed, or knocked unconscious.

When CTRL is reduced to 0 or Wounds, Conditions, and Fallout consume every Inventory Slot the Investigator is lost to the horrors. The player may choose whether this means their Investigator comes to serve the horror or simply dies as a result.

When an Investigator dies or is lost to the horrors the player is free to create a new one or take control of an allied Associate. They join the party at the next opportune moment. Favor inclusion over realism when bringing a player back into the scene.

MORALE & REACTIONS (NPC INTERACTIONS)

Morale and Reactions are a way to simulate the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs) in situations where it is not obvious. This is primarily for humans or sentient entities, and represents their emotional responses to the actions of the Investigators.

MORALE

Morale simulates an entity’s desire to survive.

When in a group, adversaries must pass a CTRL Save to avoid fleeing after taking their first casualty and again when they lose half their number. A group may use their leader’s CTRL in place of their own. A lone adversary must pass a CTRL Save when grossly outmatched or when their HP is reduced to 0. Entities that flee may regroup and return to counterattack. In this case, make an additional CTRL Save.

Associate’s also test morale when their bonds with the Investigators are stressed. This might be when they encounter a horror after being coerced into a horrid scenario, when they’re treated poorly, or when their HP reaches 0.

Morale does not affect Investigators.

REACTIONS

When the Investigators encounter an NPC whose disposition or reaction to the party is not obvious, roll 2d6 and consult the following table.

2d6 REACTIONS

2 Hostile 3-5 Wary 6-8 Curious 9-11 Kind 12 Helpful

It’s often helpful to cater the results of the reaction table to fit the specific scenario. For example, if horrors are running rampant and stress is palpable, an NPC is much more likely to have a trepidation or hostile reaction to the party.