Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition: Web Based Excerpts

What is this?

This is a digital excerpts of the updated rules text for Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition (2025). It allows for quick rules reference and includes the entirety of Chapter 1: The Investigators Guide along with some additional excerpts from the text. There are a few versions of the core rules. In terms of scope these digital excerpts are as big as the previous iterations (Investigators and Legacy). For a easy reference:

  • Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition: This complete edition has in depth tools, resources, and content for Liminal Horror.
    • For a complete version of the text, you will need to buy Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition (2025) either as a pdf or in print.
    • An SRD (System Reference Docuement) for the Deluxe Edition can be found here. It includes more content and is presented for Facilitators and Designers to create things for Liminal Horror.
    • This web-based version includes excerpts from the text but has everything you need to run and play the game.
  • Liminal Horror Investigators: This updated rules text includes everything you need and has been in print since 2023 (it is staying in print as well). There are a few appendices that cannot be found anywhere else.
  • Liminal Horror Legacy: This original rules set (2023) is still completely compatible with all of the official modules and

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Investigator Guide - in it’s entirety (CC-By-4.0)

Chapter 2: Facilitator’s Guide - excerpts (Copyright © 2025 Goblin Archives & Josh Domanski)

Acknowledgements

  • Writing, Layout & Design: Goblin Archives and Joshua Domanski
  • Art: Zach Hazard Vaupen
  • Editing: Jarrett Crader
  • Promotional Design & Marketing: Dai Shugars
  • Rules Lineage: Cairn 1e (2020) by Yochai Gal.
  • Cell Phone Stability by Evlyn Moreau
  • Liminal Horror was inspired by many folks, including Prismatic Wasteland, Emmy Verte, Arnold Kemp, Ava Islam, Luke Gearing, Sean McCoy, Chris McDowell, Yochai Gal, Caleb Zane Huett, Sean Ireland, Luna P.
  • Playtesting: Michael Reynolds, J. Yamil, Dagamant, Ryan (TWS), Adam Vass, Stella Condrey, J. Carter, Tyler Welch, Shadow, John Taylor

DEDICATION

In memory of our dearly departed cats who served as companions and project managers as Liminal Horror grew:

  • Little Guy - 2024 (Goblin Archives)
  • Itty Bitty the Space Penguin Kitty - 2023 (Jarrett Crader)
  • Fanny - 2024 (Zach Hazard Vaupen)

This project is multi-licensed. The digital/web version that includes excerpts from Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition is:

  • CC-BY 4.0 and has been rewritten and adapted from Liminal Horror Investigators 2023.
  • Any additional excerpts are included for personal use and will be denoted as being Copyright © 2025 Goblin Archives & Josh Domanski
  • All Art Copyright © 2025 Zach Hazard Vaupen
  • No part of this text can be used for the purposes of training AI, large language models, neural networks, or other machine learning.
  • This is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise indicated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents in this book are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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INTRODUCTION

There’s a strange comfort to ambiguity. To stand at the threshold between states of what was and what’s next, to inhabit the places of transition. But you’re never truly alone here. There are things that hunger within the dark places. Strange creatures and mysteries lie in wait, and tumbling into the wrong place at the wrong time may put you on the path towards doom.

Grab your flashlights and blood splattered jackets as you try to make it through the night. Beware: snapping bone and rending flesh are often the simplest outcome. While there may be great power within these places, not all mysteries can be solved, and not everyone can be saved. Above all, there are fates far worse than death.

The Ultimate Modern Horror TTRPG Toolkit

LIMINAL HORROR is a rules-lite, adaptable survival-horror roleplaying game about normal characters and their struggles against the things that go bump in the night. The game focuses on surviving the weird and investigating horrors, blending simple, old-school inspired rules with modern, narrative first principles. Survival is not guaranteed and those that do make it through the night are often forever changed.

This Deluxe Edition builds off the core system presented in the original Liminal Horror zines. Alongside character creation and core mechanics are a robust series of tools, advice, creatures, and scenarios to aid Facilitators in getting their horrors to the table.

The Basics

Despite the size, this text is meant to make the distance to getting to the table minimal. Much of the book is supplementary materials to help Facilitators create memorable sessions for any genre of modern horror. If you’re already familiar with tabletop roleplaying games, you can be ready to get rolling in under thirty minutes.

For quick reference, the core rules fit on a single page. Want to play tonight? Read through the this web-page for the basic mechanics and character creation. Planning for a future campaign? While you can use these tools to create a multiple sessions, you may benefit from reading some of the official modules, looking at some of the Third Party Content that has been released, or read through the Deluxe Edition (print or digital pdf), specifically the Facilitator’s Guide and Catalog of the Strange for tools, advice, and all manner of horrors to bring to the table.

Core Touchstones

  • Uzumaki (2013) - Junji Ito
  • The Magnus Archives (2016-2021) - Jonathan Sims
  • X-Files (1993-2002, 2016-2018) - Chris Carter
  • The Evil Dead Series (1981, 1987, 1992, 2013, 2015-2018, 2023) Sam Raimi
  • It Follows (2014) - David Robert Mitchell
  • Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1993-2002, 2016-2018) - Jim Stenstrum & Glenn Leopold.
  • Silent Hill Series (1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008) - Keiichiro Toyama
  • Alan Wake Series (2010, 2023) - Remedy Entertainment
  • The Thing (1982) John Carpenter & Bill Lancaster

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At A Glance

PLAYER ROLES

Under standard play, one player assumes the role of the Facilitator to control the world and its horrors. The rest of the players assume the roles of Investigators who fight back against the things that go bump in the night. The system often works best with one Facilitator and one to five Investigators.

ARBITRATION

Facilitators make fair and consistent rulings during play, advancing situations in which the players can engage with the fiction. The goal is to create interesting collective stories of horror and struggle against powers greater than oneself.

PLAYER CHOICE

Facilitators provide an adequate amount of information to promote player agency and clever problem solving. Risks should be clear, choices should be difficult, and the impact of these choices should matter.

NO CLASSES, NO LEVELING

Investigators are not limited by a predefined class and are instead made unique by their background, equipment, and experiences. Growth occurs through diegetic means, as there is no leveling or mechanical experience. Investigators grow more interesting through the relationships they build, strange items they find, and by accruing Fallout.

CHARACTER LIMINALITY

Investigators embark on a process of change as a direct result of the horrors they are forced to grapple with. This transition from “normality” to the weird is the main function of Liminal Horror’s core design. Exposure to monsters, Stress, Fallout, and being forced to make increasingly difficult choices results in Investigators who may or may not survive, but will undoubtedly be changed through play.

SETTING AND PLACE

The places in which these stories are told are just as important as the Investigators, even the seemingly mundane, as they provide a relatable frame of reference for the players. The weird, strange, and horrific stand juxtaposed against that familiarity, making it ever more eerie. Default play assumes a roughly contemporary setting, though the system can be easily adapted to span a variety of time periods.

DEATH

The world is dangerous, and death is always a possible consequence. It should be ever present, but never random or unexpected.

Death comes for everyone, but some suffer a worse fate.

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INVESTIGATOR’S GUIDE

This chapter present all of the core rules and character creation needed to play Liminal Horror. These rules are fully compatible with Legacy and Investigators editions. The extra room allowed for elaboration on rules.

Creating Investigators

A step by step guide to create an Investigator used to play Liminal Horror. There are additional tables included to provide expanded options for players.

  • Backgrounds
  • Archetypes
  • Optional Investigator Details
  • The Party
  • Associates & Connections

Equipment Lists

A non-comprehensive list of different items available to Investigators.

  • Protection
  • Melee Weapons
  • Non-Lethal Weapons
  • Projectile Weapons
  • Explosives
  • Chemicals
  • Investigator Gear - Tech
  • Investigator Gear - Tools
  • Transport and Lodging
  • Services

Core Rules For Play

The basic mechanics for playing Liminal Horror.

  • Procedure of Play
  • Rules Summary
  • Rules and Mechanics
  • Violent Encounters

Health & Wellness

Investigators will inevitably be harmed during their encounters with the weird.

  • Healing and Recovery
  • Deprivation and Fatigue
  • Wounds

Stress & Fallout

Stress and Fallout are the mechanical representations of how Investigators are changed through their encounters.

  • Stress
  • Fallout
  • Mundane Fallout
  • General Fallout

Rituals (our magic)

Liminal Horror’s analog to magic.

  • Overview
  • d100 Ritual List

Safety Tool Advice

Some advice and resources on using safety tools during play.

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PLAYER PRINCIPLES

Principles are the basic guidelines for playing Liminal Horror. They will often drive play more directly than the core mechanics. Return here when you’re indecisive about what to do next during play.

AGENCY

  • The numbers on the character sheet act as tools to mechanically engage with the game. They do not define the character.
  • Use how a character has grown to inform play.
  • Lean into the weird and unknown.

TEAMWORK

  • Work to support others at the table.
  • Elicit interaction from other players.
  • Investigators don’t always have to be aligned, but players should be aiming toward the same goal of memorable stories of horror and fun interactions with friends.

TALKING

  • Non-player characters (NPCs) have drives and flaws. Interact with them as if they are real people.
  • Build relationships, engage with rivals, and invest in the NPCs.
  • Information and positive outcomes can often be achieved through dialogue, but sometimes a cultist’s communion requires an offering of blood and bone.

CAUTION

  • Fighting is risky, and the consequences of violence are long-lasting.
  • Use tools, knowledge, and the environment to gain every advantage. Preparation can stave off certain doom.
  • Victory comes in many forms, and often it is a successful retreat.

PLANNING

  • Ask questions.
  • There is no “perception” or “intelligence” attribute. Engaging with the world hinges on using the information provided.
  • Reconnaissance, subtlety, and fact-finding are necessary for survival.

Ambition

  • Discover the drives and goals for you as a player, your character, and the team. Use those to inform play.
  • Try and fail forward. An engaging story is infinitely more interesting and memorable than simple successes.
  • It is the complications and resulting actions that we remember afterward.
  • Characters die, but the story will continue.
  • Play to find out what happens.

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CREATING AN INVESTIGATOR

In Liminal Horror, players assume the role of Investigators, otherwise normal people caught up in mysteries that threaten to end their lives or break them down and change them. Investigators are the type of folk who have the drive and resolve to keep pushing forward in the face of unspeakable horrors. They might be searching for answers, trying to save a friend, looking for Resonant Artifacts, or simply trying to live to see another day.

For the tables on the following pages, roll to select options at random or choose favorites. You may also work with your Facilitator to create custom alternatives.

1. ATTRIBUTES

Roll 3d6 for each Attribute, in order. You may swap any two results. Attributes represent your Investigator’s ability to act under pressure.

  • STRENGTH (STR): Physicality, brawn, and toughness.
  • DEXTERITY (DEX): Readiness, grace, and precision.
  • CONTROL (CTRL): Willpower, charm, and weird.

2. HIT PROTECTION

Roll 1d6 to determine starting Hit Protection (HP). This represents an Investigator’s ability to avoid serious harm, both physical damage and Stress.

3. STARTING INVENTORY

Each Investigator begins with a smartphone (camera, flashlight, etc.) and 1d6 x 100 cash. Additional starting equipment is provided through Backgrounds or Archetypes. Many of these items can be used as a weapon if needed, for d6 damage. Players may also use their cash to purchase items from the Equipment List. It is assumed that Investigators have a backpack, purse, or cargo pants to store their gear, giving them a total of ten inventory slots. See Inventory for how to keep track of these items.

4. BACKGROUNDS & ARCHETYPES

Roll or choose a Backgrounds or Archetypes.

Backgrounds are the default starting point for new Investigators. They represent a basic profession, skill, or point of interest to provide a starting context for a character, and include several related starting items. Beyond that, they are a blank slate to build off of.

Archetypes are expanded Backgrounds, providing a more robust characterization to start with by including a glimpse at an Investigator’s history and clues to their personal goals. Archetypes are useful when you’re looking to quickly get into the action, such as one-shots or short arcs, or when you want to lean into specific thematic touchstones. Twelve Archetypes are provided, with additional available in the official modules or in the Deluxe Edition -Appendix: Archetypes (p. x).

5. FINISHING UP

Give your Investigator a name and pronouns and you’re ready to dive in. For additional elements to flesh out your character, see Optional Investigator Details.

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BACKGROUNDS

Background / Starting Equipment Bundle

  1. Actor: Audition binder, portable charging brick, spare cosmetic supplies, change of clothes.
  2. Administrative Assistant: Extensive contacts, corporate credit card, expandable briefcase, taser (d6, nonlethal).
  3. Amature Photographer: Digital camera, tripod, laptop, telescoping lens.
  4. Animal Control: Bite proof gloves (+1 Armor), throw net, steel catch pole.
  5. Artist: Artistic tool of choice, notebook, camera, small but passionate fan base.
  6. Athlete: Sports equipment of choice, sweatband, powdered sports drink.
  7. Backpacker: Headlamp, backpack, stove and gas, bear mace (d6 DEX), rope.
  8. Baker: Notebook with recipes, rolling pin, serrated bread knife, flour.
  9. Barber: Straight razor, scissors, hand mirror, disinfectant solution.
  10. Bartender: Winekey (d6), bottle of liquor, cigarettes, confiscated fake IDs.
  11. Bicycle Courier: Bike, helmet (+1 Armor), messenger bag, unopened package, multitool.
  12. Bodybuilder: Weight belt, lifting straps, gym bag, resistance band, pre-workout supplement.
  13. Bus Driver: Lunchbox, comprehensive road map, taser (d6, nonlethal).
  14. Carpenter: Hammer, nail gun, small woodworking tool set, pencils.
  15. Contractor: Stocked toolbelt, utility knife (d6), heavy duty flashlight, drill.
  16. Cook: Blue tape, chef’s knife, leather apron (+1 Armor).
  17. Electrician: Crescent wrench, cable cutters, hammer, flashlight.
  18. Electronics Technician: Screwdriver set, pliers, rotary tool set, coping saw.
  19. Emergency Medical Technician (EMT): Medkit, trauma shears, stethoscope, WAG bag.
  20. Engineer: Laptop w/ design software, waterproof field notebook, wireless router, seldom used PPE.
  21. Factory Worker: Industrial apron (+1 Armor), safety harness, thermos.
  22. Fisher: Rod and reel, tackle box, filet knife, pliers.
  23. Garbage Collector: Cut resistant gloves (+1 Armor), hi-vis vest, reach extender, safety glasses.
  24. Gardener: Pickup truck, spade, multi-tool, hat, garden fork.
  25. Hunter: Binoculars, flashlight, knife, bone saw, rifle (d8, bulky, loud), trail camera.
  26. In-Home Health Aide: Prescription pills, IV equipment, first aid kit, gloves, tape.
  27. Janitor: Coveralls, work gloves, industrial grade cleaner, wrench, safety signs.
  28. Very-Online: Laptop w/ bag, online following, fake credentials, energy drinks.
  29. Landscaper: Sheers, pesticides, fertilizer, gloves, electric leaf blower.
  30. Lumberjack: Ax (d6), gloves, chainsaw, head lamp, rope and safety harness.
  31. Mechanic: Adjustable wrench (d6), portable toolbox, electrical tape, brake cleaner.
  32. Mortician: Body bag, bone saw, scalpel, needle and thread.
  33. Mountain Biker: Mountain bike, anti-collision shirt (+1 armor), full face helmet (+1 armor when wearing), action camera.
  34. Office Job: Business casual attire, red stapler, stack of memos, ID badge.
  35. Plumber: Hacksaw, plumber’s torch, wrench, endoscope.
  36. Podcaster: Mini shotgun mic, smartphone tripod, LED light.
  37. Postal Worker: Bag of mail, comfortable shoes, taser (d6, nonlethal), sunscreen.
  38. Receptionist: Extensive rolodex, hands free headset, letterhead, mace (d6, nonlethal).
  39. Sanitation: Coveralls, headlamp, heavy duty gloves, air freshener.
  40. Skater: Skateboard, video camera, bolt cutters, collapsible ladder, wax.
  41. Social Worker: Laptop w/ bag, ID badge, pocket knife (d6), notebook and pen.
  42. Store Clerk: Box cutter (d6), walkie talkies, name tag, incredibly comfortable shoes.
  43. Tattooer: Gloves, tattoo machine, ink, sketchbook, wad of cash.
  44. Teacher: Coffee mug, scissors, large bag, homework.
  45. Teenage Dirtbag: Drill, lockpick, screw driver, spray-paint, angle-grinder.
  46. Therapist: Memo recorder, notebook and pen, business cards, small revolver (d6).
  47. Trucker: Flashlight, cash, bungee cords, duct tape, emergency gear, radio.
  48. Unemployed: Wanted ads, a final unemployment check, pocket knife.
  49. Vet: Syringe, scalpel, scissors, animal tranquilizers.
  50. Volunteer Firefighter: Collapsible ladder (bulky), ax (d6), fire extinguisher, flashlight.

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ARCHETYPES

  1. Too Old: The fight against the horrors that lie in the shadows is never ending, and you’ve been doing this a long time. It’s time to find someone to pass the torch to. Take: Wedding ring (+1 Stability), hidden cane sword (d8), detailed journal.
  2. True Crime: Everyone with a microphone has a podcast these days, and your metrics have taken a dive. You need a new angle, a new mystery that no one else has covered yet. That’ll get the audience back. Take: mini shotgun mic, smartphone tripod, LED light.
  3. Final Girl: By some miracle, you made it out alive when no one else did. Left with nothing but questions, returning to “normal” has been difficult and you can’t shake the feeling that the horrors aren’t done with you. Take: A Fallout, machete (d6), bloodstained jacket.
  4. Writers Retreat: It’s been far too long since you put anything on your editor’s desk. Despite the awards and now waning notoriety, the words just don’t flow like they used to. Maybe some time away from routine will get the creative juices flowing. Take: E-paper tablet, whittlin’ jackknife (d6), writing award, bottle of liquor.
  5. Without a Trace: They’re gone. You’ve been searching, but no one seems to know anything. However, they weren’t the only one to disappear under mysterious circumstances and you may have found a lead. Take: File of evidence, handgun (d6), deteriorated video message from that night.
  6. Resonance: You were young when you found it, the strange object that felt like it called out to you. It’s allowed you to do impossible things, but you weren’t cautious, and now others want it too. Take: A Resonant Artifact, stylish leather jacket (+1 Armor).
  7. Bewitched: You found an ancient leather book in an unusual place. You’ve only managed to translate a small fraction of its indecipherable text and diagrams, but it’s opened your eyes to a whole new world. Take: Leather bound tome, two Rituals.
  8. Class Clown: So what if you didn’t go to college with your friends? So what if you had to move back into your parents’ basement? You’re dependable and can always find a way to lighten the mood. Take: Baseball bat (d6), multitool, bicycle.
  9. Chosen One: The Church always said you were born to do great things, but they were never clear on what that entailed. You managed to break away, putting that all behind you for a chance at a normal life. Take: Ornate amulet (+1 Stability), ritual dagger (d6), gold chalice.
  10. Bookworm: Socializing isn’t your strong suit, as you’ve never really been able to “get” people. Books, however, are something you deeply connect with. Take: Library card, book strap w/ 3 books of choice, stationery set, booklight.
  11. Tastemaker: Your life changed after the videos you posted about your niche hobby went viral. Now it’s become a full time job, complete with the agonizing anxiety of constantly finding something new to post about to maintain your following. Take: Expensive camera, portable lighting, designer bag.
  12. Anonymous Author: Waiting tables pays the bills, but true joy comes from your cat, your “cozy” hobbies, and the following you’ve amassed as a prolific fanfiction author under a secretive pseudonym. Take: Tablet computer, mirrorless camera, knitting needles, yarn.

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OPTIONAL INVESTIGATOR DETAILS

Roll on the tables below when you could use a hand fleshing out the details for your Investigator.

STYLE

  1. All Business, All the Time
  2. Streetwear
  3. Band Tees
  4. Paint it Black
  5. Athleisure
  6. Crisp and Ironed
  7. Casual Comfort
  8. Authentic Vintage
  9. All the Rage
  10. Work Uniform
  11. Oversized Hoodie
  12. Island Floral
  13. Everything Tailored
  14. Function Over Fashion
  15. Cargo Pockets
  16. Jeans and Tees
  17. Trapped in 2009
  18. Grunge Minimalist
  19. Y2K
  20. Denim on Denim

THE ABYSS STARES BACK

What was your first encounter with the unknown?

  1. You lost a loved one under mysterious circumstances.
  2. The evidence online is too much to be ignored.
  3. You witnessed something in the darkness.
  4. You survived an attack you cannot explain.
  5. Something is lurking in your dreams.
  6. Someone close to you is pulling you in, or pushing you away.
  7. Cult activity (perhaps they recruited someone significant).
  8. You may be a card carrying member of a secret society.
  9. You read something not meant for mortal minds.
  10. You haven’t yet, that’s what session 1 is for!

IDEOLOGY AND BELIEFS

What lens do they use to interpret the world and guide them toward action?

  1. Everything has a rational explanation rooted in science.
  2. Individuals can make a difference.
  3. You ascribe to a specific political ideology.
  4. A specific religion guides you.
  5. Morality is black and white.
  6. You believe in fate and it directly impacts your life.
  7. Belief in higher powers such as astrology, spirituality, etc.
  8. Free will is the only truth.
  9. There are deep truths that others are not aware of. The answers are out there.
  10. You believe in the power of community.

CHARACTER TRAITS

d10 Physique Face Speech
1 Athletic Bony Blunt
2 Muscular Broken Gravelly
3 Curvy Chiseled Booming
4 Lanky Elongated Precise
5 Small Dimpled Cryptic
6 Rigid Perfect Squeaky
7 Stout Round Formal
8 Towering Sharp Accented
9 Robust Memorable Droning
10 Ample Body Forgettable Choppy
d10 Virtue Flaw Misfortune
1 Honest Quick to anger Abandoned
2 Honorable Lazy Defrauded
3 Cautious Pessimistic Addicted
4 Humble Nervous Demoted
5 Courageous Craven Blackmailed
6 Merciful Rude Discredited
7 Disciplined Deceitful Condemned
8 Serene Vain Disowned
9 Gregarious Greedy Cursed
10 Tolerant Vengeful Exiled

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THE PARTY

If you’re beginning play with the assumption that your Investigators are already established as a group, use the tables below to aid in establishing the pre-existing bonds. Roll, choose your favorites, or come up with your own.

WHY HAS THE PARTY COME TOGETHER?

As a group, determine how your Investigators know each other. Some mysteries may have built in hooks to bring the Investigators together, while others may provide a more open starting point. Below are some prompts for getting started.

  1. United through self guided research. Online paranatural forum? Club? Support group?
  2. You’re an established mystery solving group. What was the mystery that brought you together and how did it go poorly?
  3. Someone close to you disappeared, each under similar mysterious circumstances. How did you connect the dots and find each other?
  4. A simple “wrong place, wrong time.” How does the resulting event bind the Investigators together?
  5. The Investigators meet in a diner. Fluorescent lights hum over checkered linoleum. Why are each of you there?
  6. A mysterious patron that has brought the Investigators together. How did they reach out?
  7. Tragic event brought you all together. What was it? Was the cause ever determined?
  8. Opportunity to make some money. How did you find out about the job?
  9. You’ve come together for a creative pursuit. What is the medium (podcast, documentary, radio)? What experience do you have doing this type of work?
  10. You are all childhood friends. What happened back then that none of you can forget?

INVESTIGATOR BONDS

Some Investigators may have more personal bonds with each other. Go around the table and have each player state a relationship to another Investigator. This should be informed by their Background/Archetypes and their character details.

  1. They’re hiding something from you. What clued you into this realization?
  2. You used to date, but broke up. Was it mutual?
  3. They saved your life. What tried to attack you?
  4. You’re good friends. How long have you known each other?
  5. You both work for the same company. Which company is it? What are your jobs?
  6. You’re neighbors. What near altercation led to your formal introduction?
  7. You’re siblings. Which of you is the responsible one?
  8. You’re desperately in love. What has prevented you from acting on your feelings?
  9. They know about your criminal past. Why do they keep it a secret?
  10. You’re a mentor. What wisdom do you impart?
  11. You’re a mentee. What skill did your mentor help you with?
  12. You were taught by the same mentor. How did the arrangement come to an end?
  13. You were members of a secret organization. Why did you leave?
  14. They came to you for help. What trouble did you aid in resolving?
  15. You met on an internet forum. What strange conspiracy theory did you share?
  16. You went to the same school, but never hung out. What unexpected coincidence led to you becoming friends later in life?
  17. You were fierce rivals. What caused the hatred to turn to respect?
  18. You aspire to be just like them. What trait do you admire most?
  19. You’re comrades-in-arms. What challenge did you face together?
  20. They took something from you. How did thievery turn to friendship?

VEHICLES

As a group, determine what types of transportation the party has access to based on their Backgrounds/Archetypes. If it makes sense, the party may have access to more than one vehicle. Car chases are often an essential part of solving a mystery. Vehicles have HP, and when HP reaches 0 it will become totalled. Most weapons will often only do cosmetic damage to a vehicle, and would fail to affect vehicle HP.

PRE-MADE VEHICLES

A collection of vehicles ready for your Investigators.

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ASSOCIATES & CONNECTIONS

ASSOCIATES

Associates are additional companions to aid in the investigation, either directly by joining the party or as reliable contacts to help achieve the party’s goals from afar. Smaller parties may wish to create 1-2 Associates that join them at the start of the scenario. The party can gain additional Associates by convincing NPCs to join them or by finding the right folks to hire.

To create an Associate, roll 3d6 for each Ability Score and 1d6 for HP, choose a Background, give them a simple weapon (d6), and roll on the tables in Optional Investigator Details as needed to further flesh them out.

These Associates are with the Investigators to help, and have their own skills, areas of expertise, and drives. Treat them as party members: they will leave if treated poorly.

Pregenerated Associates can be found in Limial Horror Deluxe Edition - Appendix: Associates (p. x).

CONNECTIONS

Connections are folks who have a relationship with an Investigator prior to the beginning of the scenario. They might be a family member, a current/former romantic partner, someone they met online, a coworker who relies on them for a ride to work, a bitter rival, etc. While these individuals may never become intertwined in the investigations directly, they help make backstories more robust and give the Investigators someone to fight for or turn to when in need of aid.

For longer investigations or those where backstories have particular importance, have each player create two NPCs.

  • List one person who is significant to your Investigator. What is their relationship? Give them a name and brief description.
  • List one contact your Investigator has. What is the contact’s area of expertise and what is their relationship to the Investigator?

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EQUIPMENT

Having the right equipment on hand just might be the difference between life and death. This is a non-comprehensive list of equipment that can be found or purchased by Investigators. Use as a starting place for creative play and modify as needed for the specific location your scenarios take place in. Prices may vary depending on quality and where the item was purchased. Basic goods can be purchased from general stores and retail chains. More specialized equipment requires tracking down specific dealers and black markets.

Additional services can be found in the Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition - Appendix: Investigator Tools (p. X).

PROTECTION

  1. Armored Vest (+1 Armor) $600
  2. Military Grade Heavy Kevlar Vest (+2 Armor) $2000
  3. Ancient Amulet (+1 Stability) $3000
  4. Gas Mask $150
  5. Facemask $20
  6. Hazmat Suit $1500
  7. Leather Apron (+1 Armor) $200
  8. Motorcycle Helmet (+1 Armor) $300
  9. Football Pads (+1 Armor) $150
  10. Leather Jacket (+1 Armor) $300

MELEE WEAPONS

  1. Hands (d4) Free
  2. Brass Knuckles (d6) $50
  3. Improvised or Crude (d6, bulky) Free
  4. Knife (d6) $100
  5. Baseball Bat (d6) $75
  6. Machete (d6, messy) $50
  7. Baton (d6) $200
  8. Hatchet (d6) $60
  9. Axe (d6, bleed) $75
  10. Sword (d6) $250
  11. Katana (d8, quick) $2000
  12. Chainsaw (d10 bulky, messy, loud) $250

NON-LETHAL WEAPONS

  1. Taser (d6, non-lethal) $75
  2. Mace (d6, non-lethal, limited) $40
  3. Beanbag rounds (d6, non-lethal) $25
  4. Stun Gun (d6, non-lethal) $250
  5. Shock baton (d8, non-lethal) $500
  6. Cattle prod (d6, non-lethal) $75

PROJECTILE WEAPONS

  1. Crossbow (d6, silent) $500
  2. Bow (d6) $250
  3. Pistol (d6, discrete) $500
  4. Revolver (d6) $350
  5. Submachine Gun (d4 blast) $2000
  6. Rifle (d6, bulky) $600
  7. Hunting Rifle (d8) $800
  8. Assault Rifle w/ Underbarrel (d8, d6 blast) $1500
  9. Sawed off Shotgun (d4 blast) $500
  10. Shotgun - slug (d8) $750
  11. Shotgun - shot (d6 blast, debilitating) $750
  12. Shotgun - nonlethal (d6 nonlethal) $750
  13. Sniper (d8, d12 if in stealth, piercing) $4000
  14. Flamethrower handheld (d6 blast, burning) $800
  15. Flamethrower military grade (d8 blast, burning) $5000
  16. Heavy machine gun (d10, slow, potent) $7500
  17. Grenade launcher (d8 blast, distressing) $6000
  18. Thermal Sight $800
  19. Sound suppressor (adds silent) $750
  20. Scope $200

EXPLOSIVES

  1. Molotov Cocktail (d6 blast, burning) $30

  2. Flashbang (blast, temporarily blinds those who fail a DEX Save) $60

  3. Tear gas (DEX Save or violently cough) $60

  4. Grenade (d8, blast) $150

  5. Propane Tank (d10, blast, dangerous) $60

  6. Explosive Rounds (add the blast tag to a firearm) $200

CHEMICALS (HARD TO ACQUIRE)

  1. Tranquilizers (STR Save or pass out) $250

  2. Poison (d6 poison, perilous) $100

  3. Acid (d4 acid, perilous) $100

  4. Stims (+1d4 temporary STR, +1d4 temporary DEX) $200

INVESTIGATOR GEAR (TECH)

  1. 3D printer $3000
  2. Alarm Bypass $500
  3. Bug (audio/video) $300
  4. Bug Detector $250
  5. Burner phone $250
  6. Data-Analysis Software $500
  7. Data-Mining Virus $750
  8. Directional Microphone $200
  9. Drone (advanced) $1200
  10. Drone (basic) $400
  11. Duffle Bag $50
  12. Earpieces $200
  13. Encryption Breaker $1000
  14. Good Camera $400
  15. Hacking Software $2500
  16. Hacking Multi-tool $1000
  17. Jammer $750
  18. Laptop $1000
  19. Night Vision Goggles $250
  20. Recorder $150
  21. Research Journals $200
  22. Scientific Equipment $2000
  23. Tracking Device (local uplink only) $150
  24. Tracking Device (with transmitter) $500
  25. Walkie Talkies $200

INVESTIGATOR GEAR (TOOLS)

  1. Binoculars $200
  2. Blow Torch $250
  3. Bolt Cutters $40
  4. Car Opening Kit $200
  5. Chain and Lock $50
  6. Climbing Gear $200
  7. Electrical Tool Kit $200
  8. Emergency Medical Kit $175
  9. Fire Extinguisher $40
  10. Flare $20
  11. Flashlight $40
  12. Forcible Entry Tools $150
  13. Forgery Kit $250
  14. Glass Cutting Tools $175
  15. Grease $30
  16. Handcuffs $50
  17. Head Lamp $25
  18. Lock Gun $125
  19. Locksmith Tools $175
  20. Pharmacist Kit $300
  21. Pulley and Rope $60
  22. Sledgehammer $50
  23. Spray paint $15
  24. Tarp $30
  25. Zip Ties $15

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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.

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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.

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​HEALTH AND WELLNESS

HEALING AND RECOVERY

HP can be recovered by taking a few minutes to rest in a safe place. This is enough time to catch your breath, steel your nerves, take a swig of water, or have a small bite to eat. However, if the horrors are still around this leaves the Investigators exposed, as a safe place will not always remain so.

Attribute loss is more severe, requiring a week of rest with medical intervention to recover. Some extenuating circumstances may expedite this process such as metaphysical means (see Rituals), experimental procedures, or consuming strange green plants.

Wounds can be cleared from an Inventory Slot once appropriate medical attention has been received and they are no longer an active threat to an Investigator. However, be mindful of the narrative implications of any lingering scars. See Recovery for more details.

DEPRIVATION AND FATIGUE

An Investigator deprived of a crucial need such as food, water, or rest is unable to recover HP or Attributes through rest, taking on the Deprived status. Being Deprived for longer than 24 hours fills an Inventory Slot with the Fatigue condition, with an additional slot filled for every 24 hours afterward until crucial needs are met. Each instance of Fatigue requires suitable recuperation to remove.

The Fatigue condition may also be gained through narrative means from enemies, or as the consequences of strenuous actions (ex: using certain Rituals, Resonant Artifacts, an extended hike, etc.).

WOUNDS

When an Investigator takes Critical Damage, they receive a Wound, which consumes an Inventory Slot. If the location and severity are not obvious, roll d12 to determine the location and d8 to determine the severity relative to the type of damage received. Reconcile any conflicts with location and severity by using the more severe option.

Alternatively, use Attribute loss to determine severity using the result on the severity table that corresponds with the incoming Attribute loss that caused the Wound. Multiple instances should be cumulatively worse and take the total Attribute loss from maximum when determining the new Wound.

Severity acts as a reference point, with Flesh Wounds being temporary, Minor and Major Injuries having lasting effects that require medical treatment/mitigation, and Lethal Wounds requiring immediate response. Flesh Wounds and certain Minor Injuries can be healed with a short rest, basic first aid, or time. Other Minor Injuries, Major Injuries, and Lethal Wounds require immediate intervention to stabilize, and need medication attention to fully address.

EXAMPLES OF WOUNDS

  • GUNSHOT: gunshots, fast moving projectiles that enter (and sometimes exit)
  • SLASHING/STABBING: all things that cut and sever
  • CRUSHING/BLUDGEONING: fists, bricks, bats, slams that cause blunt force trauma
  • BURN: fires or chemicals that bubble, burn, and melt
  • GORE: damage from brutal or gruesome monsters

LOCATION

*Here’s a d12 version
d12 LOCATION
Use the following table to determine the location of damage/Wounds

  1. Head
  2. Face
  3. Throat
  4. Chest
  5. Back
  6. Shoulder
  7. Arm
  8. Hands
  9. Stomach
  10. Leg
  11. Knee
  12. Foot

Use the following table to determine the location of damage/Wounds

  1. Head
  2. Face
  3. Ears
  4. Mouth
  5. Lips
  6. Cheek
  7. Eyes
  8. Nose
  9. Chin
  10. Scalp
  11. Throat
  12. Chest
  13. Collar bone
  14. Back (upper)
  15. Back (lower)
  16. Spine
  17. Shoulder
  18. Bicep
  19. Arm
  20. Forearm
  21. Elbow
  22. Wrist
  23. Hand
  24. Fingers
  25. Palm
  26. Fingernails
  27. Knuckles
  28. Stomach
  29. Groin
  30. Hip
  31. Thigh
  32. Leg
  33. Knee
  34. Calf
  35. Shins
  36. Achilles
  37. Ankle
  38. Foot
  39. Heel
  40. Soles of feet
  41. Toes
  42. Butt
  43. Kidneys
  44. Heart
  45. Lungs
  46. Intestines

WOUND TABLE

  SEVERITY GUNSHOT SLASHING/ STABBING / BITING CRUSHING/ BLUDGEONING BURNING GORE
1 Flesh Wounds Graze Shallow Cut Knocked over Singed Retching
2 Minor Injury Through-and- Through Cut or Laceration Massive Bruising Peeling Laceration
3 Minor Injury Bullet Remains Inside Stabbed Sprained (extremity) Blistering Mangled (fingers)
4 Minor Injury Bone Fracture (extremity) Slashed Dislocated Shoulder Large Burn Flayed (partially)
5 Major Injury Major Injury Internal Bleeding Severed (fingers) Concussion 3rd Degree Burns Severed (hand or foot)
6 Major Injury Major Injury Bone Fracture (chest) Severed (hand) Broken (collar bone) Still on Fire (extremity) Severed (limb)
7 Major Injury Major Injury Gushing Artery Severed (limb) Broken (Arm, leg, hand) Flesh Sloughed Off Impaled
8 Lethal Wounds Massive Hole Throat Slit Split Open (Skull) Engulfed Disemboweled

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STRESS AND FALLOUT

STRESS

Stress is a metaphysical analog to damage. It represents the burden of encountering the horrors and the weird, how it wears at an Investigator’s resolve, eventually breaking them down and changing them. The more Stress you take, the more likely it is you’ll be changed by Fallout.

Stress often comes from environmental triggers or narrative consequences, such as witnessing something horrid or failing a Save, but is also the direct result of the horrors attempts to corrupt and change an individual. In general:

  • 1 Stress: Witnessing something horrid.
  • 1d4 Stress: Particularly horrific scenes or the abilities of minor horrors.
  • 1d6 Stress: Abilities of major horrors.
  • 1d8+ Stress: Abilities of particularly monstrous entities or witnessing events not meant for human eyes.

FALLOUT

Fallout is a representation of the horrors having a tangible effect on the Investigators as a result of taking Critical Stress due to their encounters with the weird and horrific. It serves as a mirror, showing the Investigators that they may soon become like the horrors they face if they’re not careful.

Fallout serves as loose character progression, both in a mechanical and narrative sense. It often makes an Investigator stronger or more capable, but it also makes them a little weirder, and may change how they behave or how they’re perceived by others.

Under most circumstances, Fallout is a permanent change. However, some Fallout can be healed through dangerous Rituals, medical intervention, or by removing oneself from proximity to the horrors that caused it.

Fallout often works best when tailored to specific horrors and scenarios, but a general list to serve as inspiration can be found on the next page. Additional Fallout can be found in the Deluxe Edition Appendix: Fallout (p. x).

MUNDANE FALLOUT

There are occasions when an Investigator will receive Stress from a comparatively mundane source, such as seeing the body of a fallen ally or an item breaking at an inopportune time. In the event that this triggers Critical Stress, it may not seem appropriate for the situation for the Investigator to take a traditional Fallout. In this case, the Investigator takes the Stressed condition, which fills an Inventory Slot. When Stressed, each instance of Stress deals an additional +1. The Stressed condition can be cleared when the Investigator takes a few moments of rest in a safe place to center themself.

For additional alternatives, see the Deluxe Edition Appendix: Conditions (p. x).

GENERAL FALLOUT

  1. Caustic Blood. Your blood turns to an acid-like substance. While it does not hurt you, it will harm others. If it makes contact with another being it causes d6 damage.
  2. Hunted: You have become entwined with an entity that creeps ever towards you. It never stops, stalking you endlessly until you are dead. It can look like anyone. Only those connected to it (through Fallout, Rituals, cult influence, contract, pact, etc) can see it coming. Ever prepared, increase your HP by d4.
  3. Re-Animated: Death will not be able to find you. Whenever you “die” (STR reaches 0) your body will become a Reanimated Dead (see Reanimated Dead in the Deluxe Edition Catalog of the Strange).
  4. Exsanguinate: Consuming the blood or flesh from a living host will instantly replenish your HP, even in a risky situation.
  5. Behold the Night: Your eyes shift to a dark shade of purple. You are able to perceive unimpeded, even in darkness.
  6. Calcification: The bones upon your knuckles and hands harden in sharp spurs. While using them causes your skin to tear, your bare fists deal d6+d6 damage.
  7. Chaos Rituals: A connection to the weird has been formed, but it is wild and outside of your control. Once per day you can perform a random Ritual without paying the cost.
  8. Resonance: Your attunement to the strange makes you more able to locate and understand the nature of Resonant Artifacts. This boon is especially attractive to those who seek to harness Resonant Artifact for their own means.
  9. Plagued by Visions: It comes for you every night, without fail. You do not know if they are from the beginning, or the end. All you know is that they won’t stop, and that they must mean something. After a week of nightmares, tell your Facilitator two distinct images that linger at the edge of your remembering. You gain +1 Stability.
  10. Shadow Step: You can step through shadows. Every time you do you leave a bit of yourself behind. On use, your CTRL decreases by d4 (this does not trigger a Save or Fallout).
  11. Heavy is the Head: An ethereal crown hangs above your head. It is not visible to all, only a special few. Tales have been told of your coming. Increase your CTRL by d6 (max 18).
  12. The Hunt: It becomes harder to ignore the primal impulses that burn deep inside you. Your attacks are Enhanced. You become the primary target of otherworldly Horrors, and their attacks against you are also Enhanced.

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RITUALS

There are those who have forged connections to ancient entities and resonant energies, leveraging their power to perform strange and unusual feats. Accessing this power requires the use of a Ritual.

Rituals are powerful, but unpredictable. They can take many forms, including somatic movement, incantations, scrolls, old tomes, or as the result of Fallout. Most Rituals will happen automatically, though some may require a Save, especially if the target resists the effects.

Each Ritual takes up an Inventory Slot, whether that’s through a physical object or the emotional burden of otherworldly knowledge. Some may be single use, while others can be used freely as long as the Investigator is willing to accept the burden.

Using a Ritual will always require that a cost be paid. At a base level, the user takes d6 Stress, though some may have more severe cost or require greater sacrifice. An Investigator can push themselves to bend a Ritual to affect more targets or have a more potent effect for a cost of additional Stress. In these circumstances, upgrade along the dice chain (d6 > d8 > d10+) in a manner proportionate to the additional effort.

Most Rituals take an action to complete, though some may take hours or even days depending on their complexity and intended effect. For Rituals with ongoing effects over a period of time, an Investigator takes d6 Stress every hour the Ritual is active. An Investigator is Deprived while maintaining a Ritual.

If an Investigator uses a Ritual in combat, its damage is equal to the cost of Stress (i.e., d6 Stress for d6 damage). Paying a greater cost can increase the damage, however the attack can be Enhanced or Impaired as normal for no additional cost of Stress depending on the narrative circumstances.

If the Ritual triggers Critical Stress for the Investigator, it results in Fallout or a Condition (see Deluxe Edition Appendix: Conditions, p. x) depending on the nature of the Ritual.

  1. Amnesia: Obliterate the last 15 minutes of a target’s memory.
  2. Beckon Beast: A nearby creature is summoned to your location. Upon arrival, the creature acts by its own volition.
  3. Bond: Permanently fuse two objects together.
  4. Curse: Alter the fate of another individual by reducing one of their Attributes by d6 for the duration.
  5. Wither: Drain d6 years from the lifespan of the target.
  6. Cling: Small bristly hairs sprout from your skin, allowing you to climb on any surface for the duration.
  7. Mage’s Fail-Safe: Creates a ward that deflects the next source of incoming damage. Projectiles are redirected in a random direction.
  8. Glamour: Bend reality to create an illusion and disguise the features of a target for the duration.
  9. Dreamwalk: Enter the dreams of a sleeping individual, granting you limited influence over the nature of the dream.
  10. Elastic Form: Stretch and elongate your form to stretch beyond human limits and slip through cramped spaces.
  11. Flesh Craft: A thick tar pours from your hands, mending any external Wound. The Wound will no longer fill an Inventory Slot, but it takes an expert craft to make something unblemished.
  12. Sublimation: Your body vaporizes into a cloud of living gas for the Ritual’s duration. You can move and are aware of your surroundings, but cannot take other actions and are stuck in this form until the Ritual’s duration has passed.
  13. Grounding: You can shift the orientation of gravitational forces within a contained space for the duration.
  14. Imbue Life: Give an inanimate object life for the Ritual’s duration. It can move according to simple commands.
  15. Immolation: Flames erupt from a target, dealing blast damage equal to the cost of Stress. The target is protected from harm from the Ritual.
  16. Refract: Bend the light around a target to make it nearly invisible for the Ritual’s duration.
  17. Levitate: Cause a target to hover in mid-air for a short period of time, before slowly descending. Direction and speed while levitating is relative to how the target was moving when the Ritual was cast.
  18. Mirror Image: Create an illusory duplicate of a target. The illusion is dispelled once interacted with.
  19. Necrotic Whispers: You may speak with a dead body. They answer as many questions as the cost of Stress. You do not know if they are speaking truthfully and they can only answer what they knew when alive.
  20. Portal: Create a hole up to 6 feet wide and 1 foot deep in any surface.
  21. Sightseize: See and hear from the perspective of someone nearby.
  22. Serpentine Brood: Your spilled blood transforms into snakes upon contacting the ground. The cost of the Ritual is blood instead of Stress, dealing standard damage. The number of snakes that appear is equal to damage taken.
  23. Swap: You can make two similarly sized objects that you can see swap places.
  24. Night Dive: You can swim through the air as if it were water.
  25. Telekinesis: Move a small object with your mind.
  26. Telepathy: You can connect to other individuals through thought for the Ritual’s duration.
  27. Vermin’s Call: You summon a swarm of vermin (rats, insects, etc.) that can attempt to complete a single task for you.
  28. Evocation: Summon a spirit or demonic entity to inhabit a living body. Make a CTRL Save. On a success you pick the target. On a failure the entity itself gets to choose which body it inhabits.
  29. Dominate: You bend the will of a target. You cannot fully change their mind or get them to commit an irritation act but you can influence their next choice or alter their disposition.
  30. Blood Forge: You extract your blood and coalesce it into a weapon, making your next attack Enhanced. The cost of the Ritual is blood instead of Stress, dealing standard damage.
  31. Exsanguinate: Drain blood from a target, dealing damage equal to the cost in Stress. With it comes brief and often confusing flashes of the target’s memories.
  32. Essence Transfer: Permanently transfer your consciousness to the body of a willing target, leaving your former body behind as a dead husk.
  33. Living Flame: Create a small amount of elemental plasma. Beyond conventional applications of fire, the pure nature of the flame can disrupt and destroy Resonant Artifacts.
  34. Divination: You can discern the location of a person or item. The location is clear for mundane objects and people, or those within close proximity, but vague for those involving strange energies or horrors.
  35. Kintsugi: A golden resin flows from your fingertips to seal a target’s wounds, healing STR equal to the cost of Stress.
  36. Apotropo: Creates a protective barrier against other Rituals for the duration.
  37. Resurrection: Restore life to a recently deceased individual.
  38. Threshold: The next door you open leads to the Cascade Commons Service Corridor.
  39. Pestilence: A rot spreads outward from a chosen point of origin. Plants wither and die, wood turns to mush, and stonework cracks from eroding mycelial cords.
  40. Be Kind, Rewind: Reverse the flow of time to travel backward up to 30 seconds.
  41. Bind: Create an energy field to encircle a target and restrain them. The bind lasts as long as the Ritual is active, but the target can attempt to break free.
  42. Static Shock: Energy cascades from your fingertips in multiple arcs. It is difficult to control and aim, dealing blast damage and hitting all individuals within the target area.
  43. Fractal Duplication: Make a CTRL Save. On a success you create a perfect duplicate of an object. On failure you create d100 duplicates of the object, each less perfect than the last, and the original object is destroyed.
  44. Mirror Step: You create a portal out of a mirror, allowing you to enter the Mirror Dimension.
  45. Doppelganger: Fracture yourself into two forms that embody your id and ego. The Ritual lasts until both halfs choose to rejoin, but the longer they are split, the greater chance that their desires will diverge from one another.
  46. Prayer: Open communication with a known Dead God. If they choose to respond, it’s through visions, dreams, and nightmares.
  47. Angelization: A set of horrid wings sprout from the back of a target. Afterwards the target is capable of flight, but in a limited capacity. If the target is an Investigator, mark this as Fallout.
  48. Entropy: Your current situation gets catastrophically worse in the most chaotic manner currently possible.
  49. Ascension: An elaborate process, transforming a human into the embodiment of a Dead God. Once completed, the transformation is permanent. The form taken is dependent on which entity is invoked.
  50. Vice-Versa: Swap bodies with another individual. You maintain a psychic link for the duration. If one of you dies when the Ritual is active, you both die.

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SAFETY TOOLS

Liminal Horror often deals with mature content. Common themes include death, body horror, dismemberment, stress, trauma, gore, corruption, and helplessness. We encourage requesting consent before engaging in content that may make members of your group uncomfortable. There are many safety tools that can aid in this process, but we recommend using Lines & Veils by Ron Edwards and the X-Card by John Stavropoulos as a starting point.

COMMUNICATION

Communication and trust are the cornerstone of running a game that prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of its participants. Open and respectful communication between players is an important baseline. Listening, using safety tools, and respecting boundaries (this includes not prying if someone steps away or uses one of the tools) is key.

With mature themes, it is important to be regularly checking in with each other before, during, and after play.

OPEN DOOR

This culture of play enables participants to leave or take a break from the game without the need for an explanation.

LINES & VEILS

Lines & Veils establish a baseline, listing the types of content that players may not want included in their games. Lines are elements that will not be featured in play at all. Veils are elements that may be present, but are not acted out directly through play. These are actions that happen “off-screen” or during a “fade to black”. They can be mentioned, but should not be dwelled upon.

Lines & Veils should be established by the group before diving into formal play, generally included within a Session 0 or during character creation. All players should keep these in mind during the game, but it’s important to remember that these lists are living and should be amended as needed.

THE X-CARD

The X-Card is your last line of defense. It can be a literal card at the table, or a signal provided by the players (making an X with their arms, typing “X” into a text chat, verbally saying “X-Card”, etc.). If a topic is introduced at any point during play that makes a player uncomfortable in an un-fun way, they can deploy the X-Card to veto that content.

Once an X-Card is deployed, that player should indicate which topic made them uncomfortable, but they should never be expected to explain explicitly why it makes them uncomfortable. From there, the group should discuss the best way to move forward (fade to black, rewind the scene, etc.), and the Facilitator should make an effort to ensure that content does not appear during future play.

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EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 2: FACILITATORS GUIDE

Below are some excerpts from Chapter 2 of the Deluxe Edition. These are presented to help aid in the running of Liminal Horror and are analogous to what was presented in previous releases of Liminal Horror. You can find the complete Facilitators Guide in Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition (pdf or in print).

FACILITATOR PRINCIPLES

Principles are your basic guidelines for running Liminal Horror. Return here when you’re looking to challenge your Investigators or whenever you are indecisive about how to push a scenario further.

INFORMATION

  • Information should never be hidden behind rolls.
  • Provide information readily and freely to facilitate critical thinking and clever play.
  • Elicit questions from players and give them direct answers.

SECRETS

  • Leverage the themes of dread, forbidden knowledge, and mutability of human flesh.
  • Provide information on the physical and tangible reality to players, but keep the true nature of things just out of reach.
  • Give Investigators opportunities to pull at threads, drawing them deeper into the tangled web of the weird.
  • You do not always need to know all the answers, especially if Investigators could not reasonably obtain them. Sometimes things are purely a mystery.

PREPARATION

  • Make the world alive, allow it to change and grow because of players’ actions.
  • Be flexible in your preparation. Create situations and possibilities.
  • Plot and story should emerge organically and not be predefined.
  • Give NPCs and factions motivations, flaws, and drives. Have NPCs react accordingly to their principles, on and off screen. NPCs should always have a drive to survive.
  • Play to find out what happens.

DIFFICULTY

  • Realism and fictional positioning are a good starting place for defining difficulty.
  • Choices should have consequences, and all failure should be interesting.
  • Saves cover various instances of uncertainty and risk. If there is neither, do not call for a roll.
  • Reward cleverness and ingenuity.

DANGER

  • Characters change as a result of play, either from the choices they make, the Wounds they suffer, or the Fallout that warps them.
  • Present the potential of danger clearly to players, and give them the opportunity to react.
  • Increasing the amount of Stress increases the rate Investigators are enveloped by the corruption of Fallout and the weird.
  • Characters die.

CHOICE

  • Offer tough choices.
  • All situations should have multiple outcomes.
  • Clarify player intent before dice are rolled to make sure players have all information that would be obvious to their Investigators.
  • Every action leaves an impact on the world in some way.

FAILURE

  • Failure should push the story forward.
  • Foster an atmosphere where success and failure are equally exciting.
  • Elicit complications or twists from players.

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CREATING A DOOM CLOCK

The Doom Clock is an escalating sequence of narrative events that will come to pass if the Investigators do not act. This serves as a guide to what’s happening “offscreen” and is a tool for helping maintain pacing and tension over the course of a scenario. It’s an ever present reminder that the clock is always ticking forward in a countdown towards certain doom, only preventable by the actions of the Investigators.

Below is a general guide of the basic structure of the Doom Clock. When creating a Doom Clock of your own, there are a number of factors to consider, so the number of steps may shrink or expand as needed. The key is to focus on creating a sense of escalation in line with the underlying plans of the horror at the center of your scenario.

  • Doom 1: Calm Before the Storm. Where the Investigators enter the narrative, spurred by some catalyst related to the underlying horror. A sinister plot may already have begun to be spun, but it remains hidden beneath the surface.
  • Doom 2: Omens. Hints that something grander is at play begin to manifest. Encounters with the strange and uncanny occur, but plausible deniability is maintained. The horror makes a move, but its effects may not be immediately obvious to the Investigators.
  • Doom 3: The Plot Thickens. The situation gets worse. Encounters with the weird increase in frequency, familiar faces disappear, or the environment noticeably changes.
  • Doom 4: The Horror Exposed. The threat is made apparent. While there still may be plenty of secrets to uncover to understand the whole picture, the stakes of inaction begin to become clear.
  • Doom 5: Nowhere to Hide. The horror comes knocking, either through direct action against the Investigators and NPCs or indirectly through environmental change. The threat can no longer be ignored.
  • Doom: No Turning Back. Certain doom has come calling. The Investigators have failed to prevent the horrors from enacting their plans, but all may not be lost.

WHEN TO USE A DOOM CLOCK

A Doom Clock is not going to be essential for every scenario. For example, the scenario Camp Coldwater (see Deluxe Edition, p. x) emulates the action of a slasher, using a much more streamlined countdown where the monster comes to claim a new victim every 20 minutes of real time during the session. A Doom Clock is best employed when you wish to slowly ramp the tension up over an extended period of time. This could be as little as a single session, especially if the steps are condensed down, but is primarily aimed at helping maintain pacing over an extended series of sessions. Review Cult Classic (see Deluxe Edition, p. x) for an example of Doom Clock in practice.

WHEN TO TICK FORWARD

Moving the Clock forward to its next step is best done when it is most narratively interesting or the tension has begun to lag a bit. However, it is often helpful to align the steps with set triggers such as Phases, individual sessions, in-game days, or even levels of dungeon as the Investigators descend deeper towards the source of a horror. When designing your Clock, consider the ideal length and pacing of your scenario and adjust accordingly.

PLAN FOR INTERFERENCE

The players will disrupt the events of the Doom Clock. In fact, that is its very design intent. That does not mean the Clock will no longer have its uses, as it helps define the ends goals of the horrors. Those horrors are still going to try and achieve their goals, despite or especially because of Investigator interference. The “what they are trying to do” will remain the same, even if the “how” shifts.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DOOM COMES

Doom isn’t always going to mean a world ending cataclysm occurs, just some fundamental change. Doom is the end goal of the horror, it’s the thing that the Investigators should hope to prevent. This could be the destruction of a town, an important character being lost forever to the horror, or a cult finishing a ritual to birth their god unto the world. More importantly, the narrative does not end when the clock strikes doom.

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CREATING HORRORS

Memorable horror is often defined by the monsters that lurk just outside of frame. The following section details how to create your own creatures or monstrous NPCs to haunt and stalk your Investigators.

THE BASICS

Before getting into stats and abilities, take a moment to consider the narrative aspects of your horrors and how they relate to your themes and settings.

  • What does it look like? What sets this creature apart?
  • How was it created? Where does it come from? Where does it live now?
  • What does it want? What will it do to get what it wants?

CREATING HUMAN MONSTERS

While many of your horrors will be monstrous creatures, consider the role of entities that were once human but were transformed into horrors. Human monsters are a great way to show the impact of Fallout or corruption through the use of Rituals or Resonant Artifacts. They are a glimpse of what the Investigators could become under different circumstances if they are not careful, showing that there are fates far more terrifying than death alone.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

  • Attributes: These have a baseline of 10, and can be considered as such if not directly noted. Beyond that, 3 is deficient, 6 is weak, 14 is noteworthy, and 18 is legendary. Only god-like entities have Attributes above 18, but at that point numbers don’t really matter.
  • Hit Protection: HP is not a measure of Hit Points. It’s the ability to avoid serious harm, which includes skill, luck, drive, and resilience. 3 HP is average, 6 HP is sturdy, and 10+ HP is a serious threat.
  • Armor: This acts as physical resilience. The typical range is from 0 to 3. An entity can have armor that exceeds 3, but there may be other ways to represent the intended purpose of the exceedance through resistances granted by special abilities.
  • Stability: This acts as psychological resilience. The typical range is from 0 to 2. You generally won’t need to worry about this for adversarial entities, as the Investigators only deal Stress in rare instances, but it may be useful for NPCs that run the risk of encounters with the horrors.
  • Damage: Use d6 as the baseline damage for conventional and improvised weapons, including natural weapons such as claws and sharp teeth. Scale as needed, with d4 for unarmed attacks, d8 for two-handed or modified weapons, and d10 for specialized weapons or particularly brutal attacks. Damage of d12+ should generally be reserved for Enhanced attacks.
  • Stress: Particularly weird creatures or those that would try to corrupt or infect the Investigators should have an ability or attack that deals Stress. This is the primary way to threaten the Investigators with permanent change through Fallout. Use d6 Stress as the baseline and scale accordingly.
  • Special Abilities: Entities may also have abilities that trigger when dealing Critical Damage to an Investigator. While these will often be particular types of Wounds that are inflicted, they may also be additional actions taken by the Horror to leverage their advantage. The horrors may also have special abilities that trigger when they take Critical Damage, causing a physical or behavioral change instead of falling out of combat.
  • Reinforcements: While abilities that simply deal damage are fine, there are other ways to threaten the Investigators, such as summoning allies or changing the environment.
  • Rituals: These are a good source of abilities, either directly as a Ritual or just as a natural ability. Note that horrors don’t take Stress for their use in the same manner as the Investigators.
  • Evocative Details: Above all, the numbers behind these entities aren’t going to be the things your players remember. A flavorful and stylish creature will often be much more effective at the table than one that is simply mechanically complex.

CHEAT SHEET

  • Is this entity able to avoid being hit or avoid serious harm? Boost its HP.
  • Can it soak up damage? Give it Armor.
  • Is it physically powerful or especially vicious? Give it a high STR or larger damage dice.
  • Does it have quick reflexes? Give it high DEX.
  • Is it particularly weird? Give it high CTRL or ability to deal Stress.

BASIC HORROR TEMPLATES

Presented below are four basic stat blocks that represent common types of horrors the Investigators may encounter. Use them as a template to aid in getting started and for the purpose of comparison, then expand upon them to make your creatures unique. Alternatively, find a creature in the Catalog of the Strange (see the Deluxe Edition) to use as a basis and tweak as needed.

GRUNT

Small or weak entities that pose a limited threat when alone, but quickly become dangerous when amassed in groups.
STR: 8 DEX: 6 CTRL: 3
HP: 6
Weak or Unarmed Attack: d4

BRUTE

Strong entities or those with natural resistances. Typically a challenge when alone or in pairs, and are often supported by several Grunts.
STR: 14 DEX: 10 CTRL: 8
HP: 8 Armor: 2
Weapon Attack (d8) or Area Attack (d6, blast)

  • Special Ability: Either a devastating ability that triggers upon dealing Critical Damage, or a behavioral change when receiving Critical Stress.

GHOUL

Entities that are physically weak, but have dangerous and powerful abilities. While dangerous on their own, they are a serious threat when paired with Grunts or Brutes.
STR: 8 DEX: 12 CTRL: 14
HP: 4 Armor: 1
Weapon Attack (d6) or Corrupting Attack (d6 Stress)

  • Special Ability: An ability that causes corruption, hits multiple targets, or changes the environment in some manner.
  • Special Ability: An ability that either enhances its allies or creates new horrors.

TYRANT

Near unstoppable killing machines, where running away is the best option and open engagement is quickly deadly.
STR: 16 DEX: 6 CTRL: 16
HP: 12 Armor: 3
Weapon Attack (d8) or Area Attack (d10, blast)

  • Special Ability: Either a devastating ability that triggers upon dealing Critical Damage.
  • Special Ability: An ability that impacts how the creature moves, allowing it to ambush or get the drop on its targets.
  • Special Ability: An ability that provides an enhancement.
  • Special Ability: A specific physical change it undergoes when receiving Critical Damage.

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LOCATION GENERATORS

This die drop procedure can be used to randomly create points of interest, be that within a constrained space or a larger location. Once you’ve established a theme or overarching logic for your location, use the corresponding random tables to aid in filling the spaces. These can also be augmented with the Generic Locations (see Deluxe Edition, p. x) to better flesh out the spaces.

EXAMPLE LOCATION TYPES

  • City/Town
  • City Block
  • Sewers or Underground
  • Campground
  • Forest
  • Dimensionally Warped Locations
  • Building

MATERIALS NEEDED

  • A piece of paper.
  • Something to write with.
  • A handful of d6 one d10.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

  • What was the location’s original purpose?
  • Who/what has access to this location?
  • What is the location’s history?
  • What are the themes of this location?
  • What are the aesthetics?
  • Is there a specific Horror associated with this location?
  • What factions have assets here?

CONNECTIONS

Locations/rooms should be connected by paths that allow the Investigators to navigate between them. These will vary depending on the type of location you’re creating, but they may include regular connections, secret paths (hidden and require discovery), or conditionals (require additional means to navigate). There should be multiple connections between most of the locations to create interesting means of navigation and should vary where they make sense. Where possible, there should be a non-linearity in connections, creating multiple paths, loops, branching paths, shortcuts and dead-end.

DIE DROP PROCEDURE

  1. Grab a pool of six d6, adding additional for dense locations or areas of large scale.
  2. Roll the dice onto a sheet of paper. These become your points of interest. Write the resulting number on the map.
  3. Create connections based on the type of location. A forest or town might have paths or roads that cut between them, while buildings will have rooms that are either connected directly or to a joining hallway.
  4. For each point of interest, roll d10 on the corresponding table, writing the result. Use the table result as a starting point, having your guiding questions guide the process.
  5. Fill in the spaces as needed. Towns will have additional shops or homes and buildings will have rooms. These remaining spaces will just be empty or not have anything particularly interesting going on in them.

POINTS OF INTEREST

  • 1-3: Nothing
  • 4: Inhabited
  • 5: Horrors or Hazards
  • 6: Weird

NOTHING

The spaces are empty or contain mundane elements and functions that are not of particular interest.

INHABITED

These spaces are either currently inhabited or are heavily used. This may be by people or utilized by the horrors in some manner. When creating a living world, take into consideration when they would see the most use and how that impacts the interaction of the Investigators.

  1. Someone going about day to day life.
  2. A member of one of the Factions (see Deluxe Edition, p. x) or some sign of their involvement.
  3. A potential Associate.
  4. A person in need of assistance.
  5. Someone hiding a dark secret.
  6. Two factions vying for a resource or evidence of their rivalry.
  7. Someone grappling with Fallout.
  8. A person or object that was lost.
  9. A Ritual part way toward completion or signs of an attempted Ritual.
  10. Someone seeking an ally.

HORRORS OR HAZARD

Roll a d6. If the result is even, a Horror is present. If odd, a Hazard is present.

Horrors may be the monstrous creatures themselves or their lairs. What Horrors are present will depend on the nature of your scenario. Use the Catalog of the Strange (see Deluxe Edition, p. x) as needed to help identify which Horrors may be present. If a specific Horror has already been identified, use this point of interest to reinforce their tie to this place.

Hazards are situational elements that impede progress, with most being overtly threatening in some manner. More info can be found in the Setbacks, Puzzles, and Traps (see Deluxe Edition, p. x).

WEIRD

The weird represents a strange or unnatural occurrence, often through locations that have been warped or changed due to exposure to the horrors.

Weird

  1. An unnatural Landmark.
  2. A Resonant Artifact.
  3. An Omen or hint that something is wrong.
  4. Manifestations of the horrors that have changed the space.
  5. A merchant of the weird and strange.
  6. A victim, partially through a transformation.
  7. A clue that leads to another location nearby.
  8. A powerful or hidden resource.
  9. Evidence of a Ritual, either in preparation or evidence of its effects.
  10. Something that should not be there.

Omens

An excerpt from Liminal Horror Deluxe Edition - Chapter 4: Haunted Pacific Northwest (p. x).

As you travel through the region, there are odd and foreboding events that may be caught at a glance while driving by that foreshadow the horrors present at the Investigators’ destinations. Some last only a moment, while others linger the entire time as you drive through.

  1. The faint image of a second, shattered moon, hanging in the sky.
  2. Twilight seems to hold for hours.
  3. A wall plastered with missing persons posters.
  4. Repeated graffiti indicating that “She is watching”.
  5. Prominent fungal growths.
  6. Rows of unmoving eyes, reflecting light from the treeline.
  7. The moon changes phases every time you look.
  8. A candlelit procession.
  9. A billboard: “The Flesh is weak.”
  10. A series of burnt out buildings.
  11. Odd lights/objects on the horizon.
  12. A convoy of green military vehicles.
  13. All the shops are closed.
  14. Dripping paint, “Save Us”.
  15. Morse code comes over the radio, “We cannot stop what is coming. Stay Away”.
  16. Bullet casings litter the side of the road.
  17. Smoke can be seen in the distance.
  18. Billboard: “Visit Bayocean, the City by the Sea”.
  19. A “God is Dead” sign.
  20. A lone unmarred scarecrow in a burnt down field.

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ENCOUNTER PROCEDURES

While your scenarios may come stocked with horrors to encounter while exploring the spaces, it’s often useful to also introduce random encounters. This allows for the Facilitator to infuse dynamic situations into play with minimal planning that keep players on their toes, as even the Facilitator won’t know exactly when these encounters occur until the moment they’re triggered.

Presented on the following pages are three distinct encounter systems to take into consideration when deciding how to best leverage random encounters. Each provides a means of building suspense, introducing clues and omens, and providing a framework for integrating encounters into play. Choosing the right procedure depends on the tone, scope, and scale. These include:

  • Encounter Die: A straightforward encounter system that randomizes when encounters occur.
  • Tension Die: An encounter procedure where time is an ever dwindling resource that leads to inescapable encounters.
  • Voidcrawl: A narrative generator that utilizes multiple tables to push Investigators deeper as they look into the weird and strange.

EXPLORATION TURN

Each encounter system utilizes the Exploration Turn to aid in tracking time and maintaining tension, representing the amount of time it takes to complete a significant action. These include actions such as moving between spaces, searching or exploring a space, taking a break to regain HP in an unsecured location, or when 20-30 minutes pass in real time when the Investigators are otherwise not engaged in a conflict.

Following the advice in Tracking Time (see Deluxe Edition, p. x), how much time passes in-game per Exploration Turn will scale based on the needs of the scenario. It may take an hour to travel from one side of town to the other, so in a low tension situation this may be a single Exploration Turn. In contrast, walking down a hallway in a building filled with monsters would be a single Exploration Turn given the high stress nature of the setup.

ENCOUNTER DIE

The Encounter Die is an encounter system that relies on pure randomization to determine when encounters occur. Each time an Exploration Turn passes or the party does something that would attract the attention of the horrors, roll a d6.

  • 1: An encounter occurs immediately.
  • 2-3: There are signs of an encounter, or an omen or clue. These are not immediate encounters, but may become one depending on the actions of the Investigators.
  • 4-6: Nothing happens.

An example of the Encounter Die in practice can be found in the Deluxe Edition scenario: Silent Street Station (see Deluxe Edition, p. x).

WHEN TO USE THE ENCOUNTER DIE

The Encounter Die is best leveraged in tense situations where encounters popping up at unpredictable times would create a more dynamic scenario. This is typically within locations that have an inherent constraint. Common examples in play are exploring buildings where horrors lie in the shadows, running through a stretch of forest inhabited by predatory creatures, or wandering down city streets draped in fog.

PREPARING THE ENCOUNTER DIE

If there is more than one horror or source of tension in your scenario, it will be useful to prepare an encounter table that lists out the entities that would have the potential to appear in the various locations of your scenario.

Encounters aren’t always going to be direct and violent confrontations with the horrors. In general, leverage Reaction Rolls as needed. However, it may also be beneficial to prepare a series of non-violent encounters when making your encounter table. Non-violent encounters should add to the tension, present an interesting or difficult choice to the Investigators, offer important information or clues, present a setback, or expound upon the major themes of the scenario. Examples include:

  • An NPC in a place they shouldn’t be.
  • A tree falling in the road, preventing further progress by car.
  • Marks or signs that a horror may be lurking nearby.

TENSION DIE

The Tension Die is an encounter system that simulates a clocking ticking down towards an inevitable encounter. Begin with a point pool of 20. Each time an Exploration Turn passes or the party does something that would attract the attention of the horrors, roll a d6 and subtract the result from the point pool. If a 6 is rolled, roll again and subtract both results for the pool. When the point pool reaches 0, an encounter is triggered. After the encounter is resolved, reset the pool and begin again.

An example of the Tension Die in practice can be found in Camp Coldwater (see Deluxe Edition, p. x).

WHEN TO USE THE TENSION DIE

The Tension Die is best used when there’s a singular powerful entity stalking the party, when the horrors would notice and respond to the actions of the Investigators, or when you need to simulate time running out. As encounters are guaranteed, the Tension Die puts greater focus on player choice, as time becomes a valuable resource to manage.

PREPARING THE TENSION DIE

If your scenario features multiple horrors, follow the advice Preparing the Encounter Die for creating encounter tables.

If your scenario features a single powerful entity, consider how it manifests when the encounter triggers. It may burst through the wall, suddenly appear behind the Investigators, or be waiting around the next corner or in the next room.

It may also be useful to adjust the point pool to some total other than 20 based on the scenario.

  • Want to keep tension high? Drop the pool down to 15 or 10.
  • Want a slower burn leading to a more climactic encounter? Bump the pool up to 25 or 30+.

VOIDCRAWL

The Voidcrawl is a narrative generation tool, taking the Encounter Die and overloading it to provide a series of additional narrative prompts while maintaining ease of use. Each time an Exploration Turn passes or the party does something that would attract the attention of the horrors, roll a d6 and consult the table below.

  1. Day Encounter. Encounters with NPCs or some strange or uncanny occurrence. Situations that are not immediately threatening, but could escalate depending on the actions of the Investigators.
  2. Clue. Hints about the greater mystery at play or warnings that danger is nearby. While clues are typically present in the environment with a bit of searching, this is immediately obvious to the Investigators.
  3. Omen. A portent for things to come. Pick one of the Investigators and roll on the Fallout table of the given scenario, using the corresponding result to seed an omen for the next Fallout they will receive.
  4. Setback. An unfortunate hindrance. A situation that impedes the progress of the Investigators or drains their resources in some manner.
  5. Horror. A frightening or horrific scene. A situation that puts the Investigators at unease or hints at the presence of a horror.
  6. Night Encounter. Direct encounters with the horrors. Situations that are dangerous and life threatening if the Investigators don’t act quickly.

The Voidcrawl is a tool for pacing, as it helps keep a scenario moving by presenting a variety of interesting situations for the Investigators to react to and resolve. However, it can also be linked directly to the features of the scenario to better aid in creating an escalating sense of tension. Phases can be used to create a day/night cycle or linking results directly to a location where a dark descent is set to occur.

DAY/NIGHT CYCLE
During the day, or when the Investigators are in a mundane location, treat results above 3 as if nothing happens. During the night, or when the Investigators are in a location that is inherently dangerous, use all results.

DARK DESCENT
When the Investigators descend deeper into an increasingly more dangerous situation, split the results into 3 or more parts. For level 1, ignore results above 2. For level 2, ignore results above 4. For level 3, use all results.

An example of the Voidcrawl in practice can be found in the scenario Cult Classic (in the Deluxe Edition, p. x). The Voidcrawl is also featured in The Bloom (2023) and The Parthenogenesis of Hungry Hollow (2024).

WHEN TO USE A VOIDCRAWL

The Voidcrawl is best leveraged when you’re running a slow burning investigation, when you want to reinforce the themes of your scenario in a more dynamic manner, when you want a naturally escalating sense of tension, or when the scenario involves the potential to travel over long distances.

While the Voidcrawl is a narrative generator, it’s important to note that it does not supplant the need for interesting narrative elements to be present in the environments the Investigators are exploring. For example, if you’re running a slow burning investigation, you should not rely on the Voidcrawl to be the primary driver of finding clues, as the randomized nature leads to too much unpredictability. Instead, the Voidcrawl should provide interesting supplemental complications.

PREPARING THE VOIDCRAWL

The Voidcrawl requires more preparation than the other encounter procedures. While each prompt should be adapted to integrate with the situation at hand, it will be useful to prepare small tables for each entry ahead of time.

The Voidcrawl is also highly adaptive to suit your needs. Swap out the entries to better suit your scenario or expand the number entries by increasing the encounter die to a d8 or d10. Some additional options include:

  • Regroup: A moment of calm to recover HP and tend to critical needs.
  • Locality: A shift or change in the environment, including weather, light, or an encroaching horror.
  • Stress: A situation that directly results in the Investigators taking Stress or making a CTRL Save.
  • Decay: A situation or location breaks down, including a derelict building crumbling, creeping fungal decomposition, or a festering rot.
  • Theme: An appearance of a symbol or motif directly linking to the overarching themes of the scenario.
  • Nothing Happens: When luck is on the side of the Investigators and no encounter is triggered.

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MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS

If you are in need of ideas to build off of, the following media are some of those that directly inspired Liminal Horror and its modules through their themes, tone, subject matter, or locations.

PRINT

  • House of Leaves (2000) - Mark Z. Danielewski
  • The King in Yellow (1895) - Robert W. Chambers
  • Annihilation (2014) - Jeff VanderMeer
  • Uzumaki (1998 - 1999) - Junji Ito
  • What Moves the Dead (2022) - T. Kingfisher
  • Songs of a Dead Dreamer (1986) - Thomas Ligotti
  • Dorohedoro (2000 - 2018) - Q Hayashida
  • The Loop (2020) - Jeremy Robert Johnson
  • The City We Became (2020) - N.K. Jemisin
  • The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag (1959) - Robert Heinlein
  • Parasite Eve (1995) - Hideaki Sena
  • The Andromeda Strain (1969) - Michael Crichton
  • The Auctioneer (1976) - Joan Samson
  • Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) - Robert Louis Stevenson
  • The Imago Sequence (2007) - Laird Barron
  • Bonding (2021) - Maggie Siebert
  • Last Days (2009) - Brian Everson
  • Desperation (1996) - Stephen King
  • The Last Final Girl (2012) - Stephen Graham Jones
  • The Silk Road (2019) - Kathryn Davis
  • The October Country (1955) - Ray Bradbury
  • The Department of Truth (2020-2022) - James Tynion IV
  • The Haunting of Hill House (1959) - Shirley Jackson

AUDIO

  • I Am In Eskew (2018 - 2019) - Jon Ware
  • Wolverine: The Long Night (2018) - Benjamin Percy
  • The Magnus Archives (2016 - 2021) - Jonathan Sims
  • The Dead Letter Office of Somewhere, Ohio (2020 - 2022) - Rat Grimes
  • Shipworm (2021) - Zack Akers
  • Old Gods of Appalachia (2019 - ;) - Steve Shell & Cam Collins
  • Archive 81 (2016 - 2019) - Daniel Powell & Marc Sollinger
  • Welcome to Night Vale (2012 - ;) - Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
  • The Silt Verses (2021 - 2024) - Jon Ware & Muna Hussen
  • Limetown (2015) - Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, & Dave Yim

TELEVISION

  • The X-Files (1993 - 2002, 2016 - 2018) - Chris Carter
  • Twin Peaks (1990-1991, 2017) - Mark Frost & David Lynch
  • Severance (2022 - ;) - Dan Erickson
  • True Detective (2014 - ;) - Nic Pizzolatto & Issa López
  • The Twilight Zone (1959 - 1964) - Rod Serling
  • Supernatural (2005 - 2020) - Eric Kripke
  • Midnight Mass (2021) - Mike Flanagan
  • Black Mirror (2011 - ;) - Charlie Brooker
  • Stranger Things (2016 - 2025) - The Duffer Brothers
  • Yellowjackets (2021 - ;) - Ashley Lyle & Bart Nickerson
  • The Terror (2018 - 2025) - David Kajganich, Max Borenstein, & Alexander Woo

FILM

  • Evil Dead Rise (2023) - Lee Cronin
  • In the Mouth of Madness (1994) - John Carpenter & Michael De Luca
  • Jacob’s Ladder (1990) - Adrian Lyne & Bruce Joel Rubin
  • The Fly (1986) - David Cronenberg & Charles Edward Pogue
  • The Substance (2024) - Coralie Fargeat
  • Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998) - Jim Stenstrum & Glenn Leopold
  • Memories (1995) - Katsuhiro Otomo
  • Dark City (1998) - Alex Proyas
  • Nope (2022) - Jordan Peele
  • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - Tobe Hooper & Kim Henkel
  • Tremors (1990) - Ron Underwood, S.S. Wilson, & Brent Maddock
  • Senritsu Kaiki File Kowasugi! (2014) - Kôji Shiraishi
  • The Descent (2005) - Neil Marshall
  • Ghostwatch (1992) - Stephen Volk & Lesley Manning
  • Green Room (2015) - Jeremy Saulnier
  • Friday the 13th (1980) - Sean S. Cunningham & Victor Miller
  • Poltergeist (1982) - Tobe Hooper & Steven Spielberg
  • Martyrs (2008) - Pascal Laugier
  • Scream (1996) - Wes Craven & Kevin Williamson
  • The Birds (1963) - Alfred Hitchcock
  • 28 Days Later (2002) - Danny Boyle & Alex Garland
  • The Shining (1980) - Stanley Kubrick & Diane Johnson

VIDEO GAMES

  • Alan Wake I & II (2010, 2023) - Remedy Entertainment
  • Control (2019) - Remedy Entertainment
  • The Last of Us, Part I & II (2013, 2020) - Naughty Dog
  • Silent Hill 3 (2003) - Team Silent
  • Still Wakes The Deep (2024) - The Chinese Room
  • Sweet Home (1989) - Capcom
  • Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017) - Capcom
  • Hollowbody (2024) - Headware Games
  • Siren (2003) - Project Siren
  • Phoenix Springs (2024) - Calligram Studio
  • Oxenfree (2016) - Night School Studio
  • Pacific Drive (2024) Ironwood Studio
  • Norco (2022) - Geography of Robots
  • Inside (2016) - Playdead
  • Returnal (2021) - Housemarque
  • Deadly Premonition (2010) - Access Games
  • Sorry We’re Closed (2024) - A La Mode Games

NON-FICTION

  • Mothership: Warden’s Operations Manual (2024) - Sean McCoy
  • Like You Never Had Wings (2033) - Filthy Loot
  • Stay Alive! (2020) - Monte Cook Games
  • Boss Fight Books: Resident Evil (2020) - Philip J Reed
  • On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000) - Stephen King
  • Gothic: An Illustrated History (2021) - Roger Luckhurst
  • The Hero With A Thousand Faces (1949) - Joseph Campbell
  • Man and His Symbols (1964) - Carl Jung
  • Stealing Cthulhu (2012) - Graham Walmsley
  • A Pattern Language (1977) - Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, & Murray Silverstein
  • Underland: A Deep Time Journey (2019) - Robert MacFarlane

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ADAPTING A MYSTERY

Liminal Horror is not the only investigative horror RPG out there, and there are many other settings and scenarios that would be right at home in your modern horror campaigns. This chapter will discuss various ways to take the pieces of those games and adapt them to be better suited for this system.

Many of your favorite novels, comics, movies, and video games can be harvested for their parts or lifted wholesale with a fresh coat of paint. To bring your favorite pieces of media to life at your table, use the general guidelines below alongside the advice in the Deluxe Edition - Creating a Scenario (p. x).

GENERAL GUIDELINES

When diving in to prepare to run an adventure not directly written for this system, don’t feel compelled to create a perfect mechanical conversion. These games have different goals and design ideology than Liminal Horror, so a “perfect” conversion might not be an ideal outcome. Instead, the goal should be to capture the themes and narratives without getting too bogged down by the numbers. If you keep the following tips in mind, you’ll likely even be able to convert on the fly.

SELECTING SCENARIOS TO ADAPT

Scenarios that lend themselves nicely to be run with Liminal Horror often include one or more of the following elements:

  • A naturally escalating tension.
  • A damning secret hidden by facade.
  • An agent of change, be that to the setting or its character.
  • A setting that could be easily made to feel right at home in our real life.

The base scenario may lack explicit horror themes, but those can be added later.

GENRE SHIFTING

There are many fantasy and sci-fi stories that would make great horror scenarios with just a shift in tone. This will have less to do with changing what is written and more to do with how it’s presented at the table. The shift may be as simple as adding in a source of tension or ramping up the danger. This can be achieved by adding in a Doom Clock or Voidcrawl, or twisting the dangers to be more horrific or targeted towards the Investigators.

SETTING CONSIDERATIONS

One of the advantages of roleplaying in the modern era is that your players will already have a basic frame of reference for the environment. When adapting a setting dissimilar to our own, save yourself time by swapping out incongruous elements for real-world analogues where possible. An inn on the side of the road could be a run down motel, a fusion reactor could be a boiler room, a stone lookout post could be a firewatch station, etc. It doesn’t need to be a perfect replication of the original as long as the general purpose is similar and logically matches the updated setting.

FRAMING

Horror is often about the juxtaposition of the mundane against the weird and uncanny. Once you have a basic foundation, lean into the influences of the weird and how those stand in stark contrast to the mundane locations. If the scenario you’re converting doesn’t already have solid clues to spur investigation, this is the framework you start to build upon. Leverage extraplanar incursions, reality warping influence, darkness hidden within forests, and the uncanny nature of forgotten and abandoned places.

SAVES OR SPECIFIC ABILITY CHECKS

There will often be situations in a module or supplement that call for a specific skill check or Save. Instead of automatically defaulting to replacing them with a STR/DEX/CTRL Save, consider the advice in the Deluxe Edition’s When to Call for Rolls (p. x). If the result of failure in these situations would be uninteresting or there is potential for players to leverage the tools at their disposal, a roll may not be needed at all. You can often ignore roll prompts entirely by having the player describe their character’s actions and what they hope to achieve, and then determine if a Save would be appropriate.

MONSTERS
The Deluxe Edition’s Catalog of the Strange (p. x) has quite a few entries that can be swapped out in place of classic monsters. These horrors can be used as a framework for conversion. The Basic Horror Templates of Grunt, Brute, Ghoul, and Tyrant are also a good starting point. Some of the analogs include:

  • Gremlins = Goblins
  • Goloch = Skeletons
  • Hounds = Wolves
  • Abomination = Giants
  • Echo = Doppelgangers
  • O.R.C.s = Orcs
  • Therianthrope = Werewolves
  • Scaphiopod = Deep Ones
  • Reanimated Dead = Zombies
  • Ritualists = Wizards

STAT BLOCKS

Complex stat blocks are unlikely to be necessary for the vast majority of creatures. Most basic Horrors and NPCs will only need STR, HP, and Damage Die, relying on their narrative aspects to carry the weight. For quick conversion, use the generic stat blocks in Creating Horrors as a basis, or find a suitable analogue in Deluxe Edition’s Catalog of the Strange (p. x). In general:

  • Hit Protection: This is a creature’s ability to avoid serious harm, not a measure of their health or vitality. A creature with a high Hit Protection might be quick, particularly skilled, or have some otherworldly defense. As a baseline, an average person has an HP of 3.
  • STR/DEX/CRTL: If a creature is particularly apt at surviving direct hits, give them higher STR. If they are quick and nimble, give them higher DEX. If they understand the weird, or are particularly charming or intelligent, give them a higher CTRL. As a baseline, an average person has a 10 for each Attribute, with 18 as the maximum any mundane creature could hope to achieve.
  • Armor: The typical range is from 0 to 3 based on the protection they provide from physical damage. Most armor values can just be converted along that scale. 0 is unarmored, 1 is light protection (thick jacket, hazmat suit, leather armor), 2 is medium protection (ballistic vest, chainmail), 3 is heavy protection (full combat armor, bomb suit, plate mail).
  • Damage Die: Unarmed attacks deal d4 damage. Standard weapons deal d6 damage. Specialized weapons deal d8 damage. Reserve d10+ damage for artifacts, horrifying creatures, or particularly devastating attacks. See Damage for more details.

SPECIAL ABILITIES & MAGIC

Transcribing a creature’s special abilities is likely going to be the trickiest part of conversion, as they need to be handled on a case by case basis and the system mechanics may not allow for a direct conversion. As a general basis:

  • Focus on preserving key abilities. Combat only ever lasts a few rounds, so creatures will rarely need extensive lists of highly detailed abilities.
  • Abilities that cause direct harm should be given a Damage Die, following the advice in Damage.
  • Abilities that are particularly weird or have the potential to elicit change through Fallout should deal Stress.
  • Anything that targets the Investigators faculties (impairing vision/hearing, restricting movement, confounding, etc) should require a Save or have a specific trigger.
  • Magic’s analog in Liminal Horror are the Rituals, which provide general mechanics to a magical spell.

SANITY

It is fairly common for similar systems to include a Sanity mechanic, signifying a character’s descent into madness after being exposed to horrors not meant for the likes of mankind. Liminal Horror has intentionally diverged away from the concept in an attempt to avoid the problematic aspects associated with the stigmatization of mental health struggles. Therefore, replacing Sanity mechanics will not be a simple one-for-one. Leverage Stress and Fallout as a means to simulate the Investigator’s proximity to the weird.

The closest analogue is going to be Stress and Fallout, but instead of creating a series of Fallout that mimic the descent into madness, consider what Sanity is meant to elicit in the source material. If a brief glimpse of a realm beyond our own is meant to create an obsession with learning more, instead create a Fallout that would naturally incentivize further acquiring more knowledge. If reading an ancient tome in an alien language is meant to result in loss of one’s faculties, use a Save or give out Stress to target Control directly.

USING STRESS
The following guidelines are a good metric for integrating Stress into an adventure:

  • 1 Stress: Witnessing something horrid.
  • 1d4 Stress: Particularly horrific scenes or the abilities of minor horrors.
  • 1d6 Stress: Abilities of major horrors.
  • 1d8+ Stress: Abilities of particularly monstrous entities or witnessing events not meant for human eyes.

FALLOUT

While one of the generic lists available in the Deluxe Edition’s Appendix: Fallout (p. x) may perfectly slot into your scenario, Fallout is often best when specifically tailored to the themes of the scenario and its horrors. It’s encouraged to review Creating Fallout (in the Deluxe Edition, p. x) to have a few on hand. Depending on scope, start with 3 or 4 and go from there.

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Specific System Conversion Notes

Mark of the Odd

Liminal Horror shares a lineage with Into the Odd and its many descendants. As such, many of the adventures for these systems can be used near seamlessly. These include, but are not limited to, Electric Bastionland, Mausritter, and Cairn.

Ability Scores and Stats

Replace WIL or CHA directly with CTRL.

Damage

Damage sources can be used as written. Replace damage from creepy or uncanny abilities with Stress.

B/X Descendents

Basic/Expert D\&D and its retroclones like Old School Essentials and Basic Fantasy RPG. These guidelines should also generally be applicable to anything that labels itself as “OSR compatible”.

Hit Protection

As a basis, start with 3 HP and add an additional +1 for every Hit Die. Adjust as needed.

Armor

Use Leather, Chainmail, and Platemail as reference points. A lower THACO AC means more Armor.

  • No Armor (9+) = Armor 0
  • Leather (7) = Armor 1
  • Chainmail (5) = Armor 2
  • Platemail (3) = Armor 3

Ability Scores

Ability scores for Strength and Dexterity can be used directly. For Control, determine if Intellect, Wisdom, or Charisma are more important aspects of a creature and use that score, and adjust up and down based on how likely they are to give into the influence of the weird. Alternatively, Morale (ML) can also be used to roughly determine CTRL. ML 4 8 10 12 CTRL 6 12 15 18

Combat

Damage can be used directly as written in most cases. Use Stat Blocks for further advice. Multiple attacks in a B/X statline either uses the Blast tag (damage applied to multiple targets) and or the Dual Weapons rule (roll two dice and take the higher of the two).

Saving Throws

  • Death or Poison = STR
  • Wands = DEX
  • Paralysis or Petrification = CTRL or STR
  • Breath Attacks = DEX, STR, or an appropriate damage die.
  • Spells, Rods or Staves = CTRL

MÖRK BORG

This includes the original Mork Borg as well as its iterations and hacks such as Cy Borg, Frontier Scum, Vast Grimm, and Cthork Borg.

Hit Protection

Divide the creature’s HP in half and adjust as needed. Remember that serious threats have HP 10+.

Ability Scores

Mork Borg is primarily player facing, so there are no direct analogues for the ability scores. For Strength, use the creature’s starting HP as a guideline, though remember that only legendary entities have Ability Scores above 18. For Dexterity, start with a base of 10 and adjust as needed to account for Specials that alter DR while attacking or defending. For Control, use Morale (ML) as the rough basis. ML 4 8 10 12 CTRL 6 12 15 18

Armor

  • No Armor = Armor 0
  • Light (-d2) = Armor 1
  • Medium (-d4) = Armor 2
  • Heavy (-d6) = Armor 3

Combat

Damage can be used directly as written in most cases, though note that base weapon attacks in Mork Borg are often a d4 when they’d be a d6 in Liminal Horror. Use Stat Blocks for further advice. Multiple attacks either use the Blast tag (damage applied to multiple targets) and or the Dual Weapons rule (roll two dice and take the higher of the two).

Call of Cthulhu

Hit Protection

Divide Hit Points by 3 and adjust as needed. Use Size to determine if a creature would be more difficult to hit or harm.

Ability Scores

For Strength and Dexterity, divide their respective analogues by 5. For Control, divide the creature’s Power by 5.

Armor

Use the values below as a point of reference:

  • No Armor (0 points) = Armor 0
  • Present US Helmet (4) = Armor 1
  • Heavy Kevlar Vest (8) = Armor 2
  • Body Armor (12) = Armor 3

Movement

Movement in Liminal Horror is standardized, with most creatures able to move about 40 feet on their turn. Instead, use a creature’s Move score to determine if it would have a boost to HP or Dexterity.

Combat

For quick conversion, use equivalent weapons on the Equipment Table to determine damage. Otherwise, below is a rough conversion. Ignore damage modifiers when adapting.

  • Minor (punch, kick) 1D3 = d4
  • Moderate (guns, knives) 1D6 = d6
  • Severe (high caliber round, fire, explosions) 1D10 = d8
  • Deadly (car going 30 mph, close to an explosion) 2D10 = d10
  • Terminal (hit by speeding car, closer to an explosion) 4D10+ = d12

Sanity and Stress

Refer to the prior section on Sanity for general guidelines. For quickly replacing Sanity with Stress you can reference the Conversion Table:

Stress Conversion Table CoC LH 0/1D2 = CTRL save or 1 Stress. 0/1D3 = CTRL save or 1 Stress 0/1D4 = CTRL save or 1 Stress 1/1D4+1 = 1 Stress 0/1D6 = 1d4 Stress 1/1D6+1 = 1d4 Stress 0/1D10 = 1d6 Stress 1/1D10 = 1d6 Stress 2/2D10+1 = 1d6 Stress 1D10/1D100 = 1d8+ Stress

Delta Green

Hit Protection

Divide Hit Points by 3 and adjust as needed. Use any relevant Defensive Qualities for unnatural threats to determine if a creature would be more difficult to hit or harm.

Ability Scores

For Strength and Dexterity, use the Score for the respective analogues. For Control, use the creature’s Power Score. For creatures with Scores that exceed 20, cap at 18 for more mundane entities. Eldritch creatures either have Ability Scores of 19-20 or are powerful beyond measurement through traditional stats.

Armor

Use the values below as a point of reference:

  • Kevlar Vest (3) = Armor 1
  • Tactical body armor (5) = Armor 2
  • Wall or light vehicle armor (10) = Armor 3

Combat

For quick conversion, use equivalent weapons on the Equipment Table to determine damage. Otherwise, below is a rough conversion. Ignore damage modifiers when adapting.

  • Minor (punch, kick) 1D4 = d4
  • Moderate (guns, knives, baseball bat) 1D6 & 1D8 = d6
  • Severe (rifles, shotguns, small explosives) 1D10 & 2D6 = d8
  • Deadly (car going 30 mph, explosions) 1D12 & 2D8 = d10
  • Terminal (hit by speeding car, IED, artillery) Lethality 20% or above = d12

Combat Maneuvers

For a more tactical experience that integrates combat maneuvers, use Deluxe Edition’s Appendix: Tactical Combat (p. x).

Sanity and Stress

Review the prior guidance in Stress. For quick conversion, references to Sanity loss convert instead to Stress Damage. For a Sanity loss of (x/1Dx), have the Investigator make a CTRL save. On a success they take the first number (often 0), and on a failure they take the resulting Stress (using the dice indicated). Critical Stress results in Fallout.

Monster of the Week

Doom Clock

The Countdown can be directly ported to a six step Doom Clock.

Hit Protection

Divide the Harm Capacity by 2.

Ability Scores

Creatures in MotW do not have traditional Ability Scores. Use the generic stat blocks in Creating Horrors as a basis or find a suitable analogue in Catalog of the Strange (see Deluxe Edition, p. x).

Armor

Use as listed.

Combat

Use the amount of Harm a Wound can cause to determine the appropriate damage die:

  • 0-1 harm = d4
  • 2-3 harm = d6
  • 4-5 harm = d8
  • 6-7 harm = d10
  • 8+ harm = d12

Weaknesses

Finding and exploiting a creature’s weakness Enhances applicable damage die. Certain creatures may still require their weaknesses to be found to permanently destroy them or keep them from coming back.

Tags

Use the Appendix Item Tags as a means of porting over the tags from MotW. If there is not a close analogue, use the existing ones as guidance to make a ruling for the table.

Mothership 1e

Stress

Use as listed.

Hit Protection

Correlates to an enemy’s wounds

  • 1 Wound = HP 1-5
  • 2 Wound = HP 6-9
  • 3 Wound = HP 10-13
  • 4 Wound = HP 14+

Ability Scores

For Strength and Control, take Combat and Instinct, divide the values by 5 and add 3. There’s no direct analogue for Dexterity, so use Instinct as the baseline and adjust as needed. For quick conversion, use the table below.

Mothership 1e Liminal Horror
0 3
5 4
10 5
15 6
20 7
25 8
30 9
35 10
40 11
45 12
50 13
55 14
60 15
65 16
70 17
75+ 18+

Armor

Use the values below as a point of reference.

  • Vaccsuit (3 AP) = Armor 1
  • Hazard Suit (5 AP) = Armor 2
  • Battle Dress (7-10 AP) = Armor 3

Combat

For quick conversion, use equivalent weapons on the Equipment Table to determine damage. Otherwise, below is a rough conversion. Ignore damage modifiers when adapting.

  • Minor (unarmed) 1d5 = d4
  • Moderate (hand welder, revolver) 1d10 = d6
  • Severe (SMG, flamethrower) 2d10 = d8
  • Deadly (grenade, smart rifle) 3d10+ = d10 - d12

Triangle Agency

Monstrous Incursion

Use the Anomaly as the source of the weird in the adventure, driving the ramping tension due to its influence. Use the Focus, Impulse, Domain, History, and Appearance as the framework for the investigation.

Doom Clock

Use the Chaos effects to drive the Doom Clock and how the Incursion/Anomaly impacts the world around it.

Monsters

Use the Minor Anomaly as a means of creating Monsters that get in the way of the Investigators. The source of an Anomaly could easily be turned into a Resonant Artifact to later be contained and potentially utilized by the Investigators.

Combat

Use Harm to determine a creature’s damage die:

  • 1 harm = d4
  • 2 harm = d6
  • 3 harm = d8
  • 4 harm = d10
  • 5 harm = d12

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Liminal Horror is developed by Gobin Archives, Josh Domanski, and Zach Hazard Vaupen