20213

Leagues of Gothic Horror

Guide to Walking Dead
by Mr. Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams

Lead Editor: Anthony Boyd

Graphic Design: Robin Elliott

Typesetting: Paul Wade-Williams

Cover: James Hayball

Illustrations: Chris Kuhlmann

Ubiquity Rules System Design: Jeff Combos

www.tripleacegames.com

First Published 2017

ISBN 000-0000000
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Printed in the USA

This game uses the Ubiquity Roleplaying System, developed by Exile Game Studio (www.
exilegames.com). Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Game Studio, and all associated logos and
trademarks are copyright, Exile Game Studio, LLC. Used with permission.

©2017 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Gothic Horror and all related marks and logos are
trademarks of Triple Ace Games. All Rights Reserved.
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Table of Contents
Chapter the First: Infernal Origin..................................................3
An English Plague?....................................................................... 6
Chapter the Second: The Nature of the Damned........................... 7
Creation......................................................................................... 7
Identification............................................................................... 15
Protection.................................................................................... 17
Destruction.................................................................................. 18
Chapter the Third: Forsaken Lairs............................................... 19
Necromancers.............................................................................. 21
Chapter the Fourth: Diabolical Powers....................................... 23
Common Abilities......................................................................... 23
Zombies/Skeletons.................................................................... 23
Flesh Golems............................................................................ 23
Revenants..................................................................................24
Ghouls....................................................................................... 24
Other Powers............................................................................... 24
Other Powers List.................................................................... 24
Weaknesses.................................................................................. 29
Common Weaknesses................................................................. 30
Unusual Weaknesses................................................................ 30
Chapter the Fifth: Catalog of Fiends........................................... 33
Mortals........................................................................................33
Flesh Golems............................................................................... 35
Ghouls.......................................................................................... 35
Revenants.....................................................................................40
Skeletons..................................................................................... 42
Zombies......................................................................................... 45
Chapter the Sixth: Princes of Darkness........................................51
Walking Dead Villains............................................................... 51


 Chapter the First:
Infernal Origins

“Soft flesh is eaten by hard teeth.” grouped in with vampires, who most definitely
—Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies require sustenance.
After much debate, it was decided to retain
The Ghost Club’s decision to publish a sixth the original title. Thus it is you come to hold in
guide to monsters caused much consternation your hands the Guide to Walking Dead.
within the Leagues of Adventure. The discus-
sion centered not on the need for a further
volume or the dark nature of the proposed Flesh Golems
contents, but on something as simple as the
work’s title. The original golem was not in any way a
The Ghost Club author had, in his wisdom, member of the animated dead. Formed from
opted to group zombies, skeletons, Franken- clay and modelled into anthropomorphic
stein monsters (henceforth “flesh golems”), shape, the golem was an artificial construct
revenants, and ghouls into the same general under the control of its creator.
category—that of the walking dead. History does not record who first coined
The few critics who argued that mummies the term “flesh golem,” a term that is both apt
and vampires also qualified as walking dead and erroneous simultaneously.
were hastily silenced with a reminder that i) On the one hand, a flesh golem, like its
they had not objected to the earlier works being clay predecessor, has been shaped by the
published without the inclusion of other types hand of man—unlike a zombie, flesh golems
of undead, and ii) mummies and vampires are are stitched together from multiple corpses.
very specific types of undead and undoubtedly On the other hand, a flesh golem is a sentient
worthy of their own in-depth study. creature, albeit one of often limited intellect
Some members argued that “animated and filled with unholy rage.
dead” would be fairer to all, since not every The first flesh golem was created by Victor
corpse had legs. An argument was lodged that Frankenstein sometime in the early 19th century.
not only are ghouls still alive, but that the term Born in Italy and raised in Switzerland, young
“animated” implied a lack of independent Frankenstein developed an interest in the medi-
thought, something definitely not applicable eval alchemists, more specifically their search for
to revenants, ghouls, or flesh golems. the fabled elixir of life. Information concerning
Ghouls and zombies both need suste- his research into the metaphysical is sketchy—
nance to survive (as do some but not all flesh rumors of laboratory notes and hearsay among
golems), and thus “hungry dead” was pitched certain elements of the scientific community are
as an alternative title. Again, there were voices all that remains of the scientist’s work.
who claimed that such fiends should have been Records from the University of Ingolstadt


Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
clearly indicate the young student studied chem- one warped physically and mentally by the re-
istry, though other sources lead one to believe peated consumption of human flesh. Ghouls
he used electricity (perhaps in conjunction with are thus cannibals.
chemicals) to give life to his creation. Despite the Cannibalism is likely as old as mankind. In
claims of some, there is absolutely no evidence many instances it was born out of necessity, es-
that Frankenstein resorted to arcane means—his pecially during lengthy sieges or harsh winters,
work may have been beyond the understanding or after shipwrecks. In others, it occurred due
of even other enlightened men, but it was still to religious or cultural tradition.
firmly grounded in scientific principles. While modern scholars might raise an eye-
While Frankenstein referred to his cre- brow at ancient historians’ insistence that in
ation as a monster, demon, and fiend, it was entire tribes living beyond civilized lands prac-
intelligent, articulate of voice, sensitive, and tised cannibalism by choice, cannibalism has
possessed a desire to learn. In some ways, it not been confined to the unenlightened past.
was perhaps better than many mortals born During the Congo Arab War (1892-1894),
of conventional means. It is sadly true that the Batetela allies of the Belgians cleared the
the creature did ultimately commit murder battlefield of the dead and wounded to fill
and turn its thoughts toward revenge, but this their stomachs. Although there is no indica-
was perhaps inevitable given the method of its tion Europeans partook of human flesh, they
birth and its possessing features so ugly that all certainly took little action to prevent cannibal-
of society shunned it, including its creator. ism among their troops. One Belgian officer
Several scientists have attempted to emulate wrote home stating that, “It’s horrible but
Frankenstein. Although a few have succeeded exceedingly useful and hygienic ... I should
in restoring life to dead flesh, all such experi- have been horrified at the idea in Europe! But
ments have also been absolute failures. Of the it seems quite natural to me here.”
examples that have followed, not one has pos- True ghouls, although they are never re-
sessed the higher intellect of the original. ferred to by that title, have plagued civilization
Little better than animals, the monstrosities for time immemorial. Even today, reports of
are slaves to their base emotions and lack all their existence occur in newspapers around
concept of right and wrong—they do as they the globe. In most cases, the reports refer to
please, with absolutely no regard for the con- the perpetrators as “degenerates,” a term casu-
sequences of their actions. It is these abomina- ally thrown around by reporters to describe
tions that truly deserve the title monster. anyone they consider they less educated or
These vile creatures are also known as “ca- cultured than themselves. Alas, it is also often
davers,” “stitched,” and, more cruelly, “Fran- bandied about as a racial slur.
kenstein monsters.” Given their chosen diet, ghouls are rarely
found lurking at the heart of civilization.
Instead, they dwell in remote yet populated
Ghouls areas, such as the Scottish Highlands, Appala-
chian Mountains, or Florida Everglades, places
Ghouls are native to Arabian mythology. where the disappearance of a stranger every
Sometimes described as evil spirits, possibly few months raises few eyebrows.
related to genies, and other times as corporeal
monsters, they haunt graveyards and battle-
fields, where they scavenge for human flesh. Revenants
Although they featured in One Thousand and
One Nights, ghouls first entered the English Taking their name from the Latin reveniens
language in 1786 with the publication of Wil- (“returning”), revenants are literally those who
liam Beckford’s novel Vathek. have returned from the grave.
In the parlance of the Leagues of Adven- It is important to note that revenants ap-
ture, a ghoul is a mortal man or woman, albeit pear in folklore as both apparitions and as


 Infernal Origins
walking corpses. This work deals solely with
the latter, the former having been covered in
Guide to Apparitions. While it is theoretically
possible for a revenant to rise from the grave
to complete some noble deed left undone in
life, every documented case to date involves
revenge or the terrorization of the living.
Through analyzing folklore, the Ghost Club
has divided revenants into two categories. The
first are those who were wronged in life and
now seek vengeance from beyond the grave.
The second were wicked in life and desire only
to continue their evil ways, even after death.
What little folklore exists concerning folk-
lore primarily comes from Great Britain and
Ireland, though certain creatures from Scandi-
navian folklore, such as the aptrgangr (“again-
walkers”), may qualify as revenants.
That modern scholars have access to these
centuries old tales is primarily thanks to Wil-
liam of Newburgh, a 12th century historian.
One tale describes how a man of “evil con-
duct” grew suspicious of his wife’s activities.
Hiding in the rafters of their house, he caught
his spouse being unfaithful with a younger lo-
cal man. Incensed at what he was witnessing,
the man lost his balance and fell to his death. ing on doors and calling for the occupants to
Despite having a Christian burial, the wicked join them. Within a few days, those summoned
man rose from the dead each night. forth by the revenants died of disease.
Several murders occurred before the locals
finally acted. The man’s grave was opened, his
corpse hacked at with spades, and the remains Skeletons
dragged outside the village, where it was finally
burned on a pyre. Scholastic globetrotters have long been
Most British stories confuse revenants with divided on the first recorded mention of ani-
vampires. This is forgivable considering that some mated skeletons.
revenants do require blood to survive and that Most agree that their existence stems from
beheading them or cutting out their hearts are the Middle Ages, when skeletons were por-
tried-and-tested means of destruction. To be fair trayed as the personification of death. In West-
though, these methods would end the activities ern Europe, for instance, the Grim Reaper is
of most corporeal undead. It is certainly true that portrayed as a hooded skeleton. Traditional is
incorporeal revenants do possess the ability to relative, however, for the popular image dates
drain blood, but to date, no physical revenant has only from the 16th century, being attributed
displayed the same power or yearning. to a woodcut by Hans Holbein the Younger.
One common supernatural ability attribut- Skeletons in the guise of death also appear in
ed to revenants is that of pestilence. The Abbot various woodcuts and paintings depicting the
of Burton, writing in the early 12th century, dance of death (or the dead).
tells of two peasants who rose from the dead Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting, The
with their coffins supported on their shoul- Triumph of Death depicts an army of animated
ders. They would walk around the town, bang- skeletons in a landscape of death and destruc-


Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
tion—countless humans have been slain, trees translates as “god,” and zumbi, which means
are shown devoid of leaves, fish float dead in a “fetish.” Since many slaves dragged across the
pond, and shipwrecks litter the sea. sea to European colonies in the Americas were
To art historians, it is simply a pictorial from this region, it is very plausible that they
representation of the ultimate victory of death brought their native beliefs with them. Over
over all things. A small few globetrotters have time, the words took on a different, though
suggested the painting might be taken from still related, meaning.
life—though where an army of skeletons might Oddly, native Central and West African cul-
have arisen and slaughtered a settlement with- tures lack creatures similar to zombies in their
out being recorded elsewhere in writing or art mythology. They are, however, found in South Af-
remains a mystery they have yet to solve. rica. Here roam the maduxwane and xidachane,
Another faction suggests an earlier origin. mindless walking corpses most often animated
During the quest for the Golden Fleece, Jason by black magicians to serve as slave laborers.
was required to undertake a series of tasks. Unusually, the sorcerer cannot animate any old
One of these was to sow a field with the teeth corpse for this purpose. In order for the ritual
of a dragon. Each of these promptly grew into to have any chance of working the corpse must
a warrior. Although Greek texts refer to these belong to somebody killed by the magician.
warriors only as spartoi (a word that translates
only as “sown men”), certain modern scholars An English Plague?
claim that they were skeletons rather than sol-
diers of flesh and blood. The question of whether or not zombies
have ever appeared in Great Britain has proved
a vexing one. For sure there have likely been
Zombies isolated instances, with walking dead animated
by fell magicians learned in the black arts, but
The first recorded use of the word zombie what of a large-scale incursion?
in the English languages dates back only to The only evidence hinting at such an event
1819, when Robert Southey used the word was found among papers written by Jane Austen.
in his History of Brazil. In that particular in- Whether the few remaining pages are genuine
stance it did not refer to any form of undead, or not has never be satisfactorily proven. More
but to an indigenous Brazilian king, Zumbi, importantly, since their supposed discovery a de-
who rebelled against the Portuguese invasion cade back they have subsequently gone missing.
of his homeland. Although believed to be im- Those who support the story claim the
mortal by his followers, Zumbi was summarily author was witness to a zombie attack on
executed by beheading in 1695. London and the surrounding territories at the
The word zombi stems from Haitian French end of the 18th century. Having written up an
and refers specifically to a corpse given a sem- account, Austen attempted to have the piece
blance of life through magic rituals. More spe- published. A complete newspaper blackout by
cifically, it is the work of a bokor, a practitioner the government, coupled with no publishers’
of black magic (see Guide to Black Magic). desire to print such lurid work, ensured it
The creation of zombies is not confined to never saw the light of day. By all accounts, Aus-
Haiti. The movement of slaves and the merging ten removed the horror elements, reworked
of Catholicism and African beliefs into Voodoo the story into a more suitable form for the age,
has seen the art spread onto mainland America, and had it published as Pride & Prejudice.
specifically in and around New Orleans. Such stories should always be taken with
It is possible, though not yet proven be- a large pinch of salt, for surely if a mass of
yond reasonable doubt, that zombi has its ori- animated corpses descended upon any large
gins in Central and Western Africa, where the city in this green and pleasant land then no
Kongo language is dominant. In this ancient amount of government interference could
tongue can be found the words nzambi, which ensure total silence.


 Chapter the Second:
The Nature of
the Damned
“Not all the magic of earth is benevolent.”
Magic
—Alden Bell When it comes to animating the dead,
magic is the oldest, the most common, and the
In this chapter we look at the various means most misunderstood method.
by which walking dead can be created, their Raising the dead is not an easy proposition
motivations, their dietary requirements, and for a sorcerer. Not only is the ritual rare, but it
methods by which a globetrotter can identify requires a thorough understanding of the magi-
the nature of his foe. For those who through cal arts. Even if one masters the ritual and has
choice or fate must face off against the undead, sufficient magical acumen to channel the power,
there are suggestions for ways of defending damaged or decayed corpses make the ritual
against their attacks and ultimately destroying harder to complete successfully. The creation of
them. animated skeletons is reserved only for the most
powerful magicians (or those prepared to weak-
en themselves physically by drawing additional
Creation magical energy or committing blood sacrifices).
Contrary to popular belief, the Raise Dead
As the old saying goes, the road to Hell is ritual is not limited solely to practitioners of
paved with good intentions. No matter the Black Magic. Several Old Ways religions have a
intention behind the act of necromancy that version of the ritual, though arguably they are
spawns one of the walking dead, it is ultimately faiths with a darker nature.
an act of wickedness. Rituals are not the only means by which some-
one can raise the dead. Some vampires possess
the ability to animate corpses yet are ignorant of
Methods the magical arts. While a small few globetrotters
theorize that such vampires are somehow able
Laymen initiated into the Leagues of Ad- to channel a portion of the fell energy that flows
venture often possess scant knowledge of the through their veins into corpses, most attribute
occult. In their minds, clouded as they are by their gift to a deal with the devil.
the imagination of penny dreadful authors, the Certain occult relics may also be used. The
creation of walking dead can only be attributed most well-known of these is Powder of Laza-
to magic of the darkest sort or the perversion of rus, though various similar powders, oils, and
science. While these are undoubtedly the most pastes exist under a variety of names.
common methods, and are thus discussed first Regardless of the method employed, un-
below, the Ghost Club has recorded four other dead created through magic are always mind-
means by which the dead may walk. less entities, slaves to their creator’s will.


Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
an understanding of medicine, with an eye

Zombie Astral toward anatomy. Even then, it still requires a

spark of genius (or perhaps madness) to turn
idle dreams into stark reality.
Zombies exist in two distinct forms—those
that exist as a corporeal shell and those Dabblers, those with only a limited under-
that exist only in spirit form. Because of standing of science behind reanimation, are
this dual nature, zombies in Haitian Voo- quite capable of creating a zombie—a mindless
doo are seen as incomplete entities, miss- husk that slavishly obeys orders. Only those
ing as they are either a body or soul. with true and deep knowledge are capable of
By binding a zombie astral—as ethereal
creating sentient beings from corpses. In most
zombies are properly known—into a
physical object, a magician can bestow instances, the end result is a flesh golem, a rage-
another with a short-term benefit, such filled monster that has no place in society. Only
as increased health or physical prowess, on the rarest occasions is a corpse restored to
enhanced knowledge of a particular skill, life as an intelligent and caring creature.
or improved wealth. Once the zombie as- One major difference separates mindless
tral’s power is used, the spirit departs. zombies and skeletons animated through
In game terms, the creation of a zombie
magic and those birthed through weird sci-
astral is nothing more than a trapping of
the Spirit Binding ritual. ence—duration. Unless the ritual is repeated
at regular intervals, the undead are destined
to collapse back into an inanimate state after
24 hours. Those who owe their existence to
Globetrotters or NPCs who want to animate weird science, while they may require regular
the dead through arcane arts require either nourishment in the manner of a mortal, have
an occult artifact to do the work for them or, no preset expiry time.
more commonly, the Magical Aptitude Talent, Whether or not animating the dead can ever
4 levels in the Magic Skill, and knowledge of be called an ethical act is beyond the scope of
the Raise Dead Ritual. this work, and is thus left in the hands of the
Use of the Raise Dead ritual permits only individual weird scientist and globetrotter.
the animation of zombies and skeletons. In order to raise the dead through weird
science, characters need either a weird science
Weird Science artifact or scientific knowledge. In the latter
case, this means the Weird Science and Spark
The use of weird science to animate the of Life Talents, and levels in Medicine and ap-
dead can, without much doubt, be attributed propriate Sciences.
to Victor Frankenstein. Whatever his inten- Through weird science, a character can
tions, he is the father of what some within the create zombies, skeletons, and flesh golems as
Leagues have dubbed “weird necromancy.” living creations.
Although it ultimately matters little to the
end result, scientifically animated corpses are Cannibalism
birthed through chemicals, electricity, or a
combination of both. Exotic components and In many cultures, cannibalism is a taboo,
methodologies may be employed, and experi- even if undertaken in life-and-death situations.
ments may be shrouded in an air of the mys- Others might understand the need to survive
terious, but there is no room for the arcane in and the steps one will take to ensure survival,
any shape or form. but those who have partaken of human flesh
The creation of walking dead through sci- forever carry a social taint.
ence is not a quick or easy path. Depending In other cultures, cannibalism is part and
on his preferred method, the scientist must parcel of life, often playing an important role
be versed in chemistry and/or the study of in religious or social practices. These cultures
electricity. Furthermore, he must possess are typically lower down the technological


 The Nature of the Damned
ladder and live in remote areas of the world. The end result is something that, while
Even among their ilk, cannibalism is governed still mortal, has no place among either men or
by various rules—one does not simply murder beasts.
the nearest human just to sate one’s appetite.
Typically, such cannibalism involves the eating Curse
of enemies (sometimes to gain a portion of
their strength) or deceased relatives. In some ways, a curse causing one to be-
Ghouls, who are of course living beings, come one of the walking dead is little different
are the only known creatures whose existence from the Raise Dead ritual. After all, both are
can be attributed solely to cannibalism. Obvi- obviously magic and appear to achieve the
ously not every cannibal becomes a ghoul. same result.
Those forced to consume human flesh in order One obvious difference is that a curse
to survive some terrible hardship more often is uttered against the living. Without this ca-
than not never desire to taste it again. Even in veat, the whole point of the curse is rendered
cultures where human flesh is regularly eaten, moot—the victim must live with the knowledge
ghouls are a rarity. that he will not rest easily after death. Typically,
Although it has yet to be proven beyond victims rise as an intelligent zombie within a
doubt, the consensus among globetrotters is few days of death.
that only a deep-seated psychological desire In rare instances, the curse actually prevents
to consume human flesh can transform one a mortal from dying of old age. This apparent
into a ghoul. It is an unholy craving no other
substance can sate. Unlike with other entities
described in this book, ghouls are not created
in one particular instant or event. Instead, they
gradually lose their humanity. At what point the
human existence ends and the ghoul’s begins
varies immensely from case to case.
Whether they feast on carrion or commit
murder to satisfy a lust for fresh meat, ghouls
quickly drift toward a nocturnal lifestyle. Dur-
ing the early stage they seek to conceal their
activities out of a fear of reprisal (and in some
cases shame). Later, it becomes pure instinct to
use the shadows for cover.
As their feasting continues, they become
something less than human in both mind and
body. Jaw muscles grow tougher in order to
rip meat from the bone, eyes enlarge to take
advantage of starlight, skin grows pallid from
lack of sunlight, and, in many cases, the ghouls
develops the habit of walking on all fours.
Years spent hiding underground or living
in shadows eventually leads to an intolerance
toward sunlight. Often solitary, many ghouls
eventually lose the capacity for true speech.
For most, their verbal communication is
purely bestial, consisting of mewling, growls,
and the like. Some retain the ability to utter a
few words, most commonly to lure potential
victims to their doom.


Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
blessing comes with a terrible cost—the con- Contagion
tinued aging of the flesh without the grace of
death. After aging to the point where he would One unusual way of becoming a member
normally have died, the victim transforms into of the walking dead is to suffer an injury from
a true member of the living dead. a contagious zombie. Thankfully such vile
His flesh rots on the bone, albeit usually at creatures have proven extremely rare, and it is
a reduced rate, until he is ultimately a walking to the great benefit of mankind that the status
skeleton, while his mind remains untouched quo remains. Were such contagion permitted
by the passage of time. The latter is yet another to spread in this age of rapid steam train and
aspect of the curse that separates it from the airship travel, humanity as a whole would be
Raise Dead ritual—the victim retains his full imperilled.
intelligence and is thus fully aware of his un- Although cases of infection have proven
natural condition. few and far between, the Leagues have gath-
One tale, supposedly stemming from the ered enough intelligence to deduce there are
Golden Age of Piracy, tells of the crew of the two separate strains of disease.
Annabelle. A band of pirates, they were cursed The first, referred to among globetrotters as
after stealing a Mayan artifact from a temple the “dormant strain,” remains inactive within
The crew appeared fully human except in the victim’s body until the point of death. Only
moonlight, when their undead nature was a detailed analysis of the victim’s blood (re-
revealed in all its ghastly horror. quiring a Medicine: Diagnosis roll at Difficulty
All bar the most powerful curses contain 3) reveals any sign of infection. Unfortunately,
a means of ending the enchantment. For in- there is no way to combat the disease in its
stance, if the curse was borne from stealing an dormant state—even weird science antibiotics
idol from a temple, then returning the object have proven useless. Unless some suitable cu-
typically ends the curse. Should the victim al- rative is created and administered, the victim is
ready be a member of the walking dead when condemned to join the walking dead.
the curse ends, then he dies a second (and At the point where death occurs, the disease
hopefully final) death. becomes active. Anywhere from a few minutes
Few modern magicians possess either the to an hour later, the corpse rises as an infec-
skill or the knowledge to condemn the living tious mindless zombie fixated only on biting
to return as an animated corpse after death. others and spreading its ghastly contagion.
More likely, the curse is laid down by some The second variant is known as the “active
ancient artifact or powerful enchantment laid strain” and is far more insidious. From the
down in ages past. moment of infection the victim begins a rapid
slide toward death. While a small few have
Willpower thrown off the infection before death occurs,
most succumb within a few short hours. Unlike
It requires an immense amount of willpow- the dormant strain there is no delay between
er to fetter one’s soul to the mortal realm and death and reanimation—the moment the for-
extend one’s existence as an apparition. To mer ends, the latter begins. Globetrotters are
anchor one’s soul to one’s corpse and animate advised to procure a quantity of antibiotics
the dead flesh demands not only a superhu- The standard method of passing on the
man will but also intense emotions. contagion is through a bite. With regard to
Since negative emotions are generally either strain, it has been theorized that any
stronger and more frequently associated with bodily fluid can act as a medium for infection.
death, it is usually these that dominate the Globetrotters fighting suspected infectious
resultant walking dead. Driven by their emo- zombies should are advised to keep their
tions, these horrors are possessed of cruel mouth and nose covered and quickly bandage
intellect. To date, this is the primary method any wounds, no matter how small and insig-
by which revenants are created. nificant they might seem.

10
 The Nature of the Damned
Physical Appearance
Mention the term walking dead to a layman
Physical Flaws
and they are likely to conjure in their mind’s
Zombies, especially rotting ones, flesh
eye the image of a partially rotten corpse claw- golems, and skeletons need not be in
ing itself free from the earthy shackles of the perfect order. By adding a Physical Flaw,
grave. It is an enduring image, and most cer- even a mindless minion suddenly stands
tainly one with many precedents, but it is not out from the crowd of fellow walking
the only form taken by walking dead. dead and can become a memorable, al-
beit brief, foe.
For those who must fight such fiends, tell-
Suitable Flaws are Clumsy, Crippled,
ing the various undead apart is essential for Dwarf, Lame, Obese (obviously not
long-term survival. skeletons), One Arm, Poor Vision, and
It is important to note that while all walk- Young.
ing dead are preserved against decay (see Diet
below), they may not have a preserved physical
appearance.
still bear ghastly injuries. In such cases, it
Fresh would be difficult to mistake the walking dead
for one of the living.
The walking dead looks like it was buried
only yesterday—which may in fact be true. At Preserved
a distance, or concealed by fog or heavy cloth-
ing, a fresh walking dead may be mistaken for A preserved corpse is one that has been
a living soul. Close proximity usually dispels protected against natural putrefaction by natu-
this mistaken opinion, for even in near perfect ral (such as freeze-drying) or artificial (such as
condition a fresh corpse carries with it the ritual mummification) means.
unmistakable pallor of death. Known as pal- While it is possible a walking dead may
lor mortis, this whitening of the skin occurs have been mummified in the elaborate style
within a quarter hour of death. of the ancient Egyptians, it is more likely they
Of course, there are medical conditions that have been embalmed using chemicals. Not
can cause a living person to look extremely only to such individuals share traits with fresh
pale—a state of deep shock or cardiovascular corpses, but their skin has a waxy hue.
problems, for instance. Since revenants are ca-
pable of intelligent conversation, they may use Rotting
illness as a means of disguising their undead
condition. Fortunately for the living, there is This is the natural appearance of most zom-
one aspect of death that is harder to disguise. bies and many revenants. Putrefaction involves
The second stage of death, algor mortis a number of stages and thus rotting is a broad
(“coldness of death”) is much harder to mis- category. The skin varies in tone from green to
take, assuming one makes physical contact black, the eyes are typically milky, extremities
with the subject, of course. With all natural may be missing, and what flesh remains may
biological processes ended, the walking dead’s be in an advanced stage of rot, revealing the
temperature begins a steady decline until it skeleton beneath.
matches the ambient temperature. A revenant Doctors have long known that the rate of
may don gloves to limit contact with the living, decay is not a constant. Natural variables such
but a surreptitious globetrotter can usually as location, temperature, humidity, light expo-
find a way around such obstacles. sure, and weather can result in vastly different
Novice globetrotters should note that a rates of putrefaction, as can factors such as the
fresh physical appearance relates only to the corpulence of the cadaver, cause of death, and
state of decomposition—a fresh corpse may the clothes it is wearing.

11
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Skeletal Enslaved
The final stage of death is skeletonization. Until recently, the Leagues referred to walk-
As the name implies, it is the stage when all ing dead with no capacity to reason as mind-
flesh has rotted away, leaving only the bones. less. Following several lengthy field studies,
Depending on conditions, this may occur any- it was decided that enslaved was a more apt
where from a few weeks to many years after title.
death. Since this is a work of Gothic Horror One reason mindless was dropped is
rather than reality, the Gamemaster can ignore simply because it is not accurate. For sure,
this figures—if the story demands a centuries while zombies and skeletons­—the only truly
old corpse to be rotting rather than a skeleton, enslaved dead—cannot converse, function in
then that’s what the globetrotters face. society, or solve even the simplest problems of
their own volition, they do possess a spark of
intellect. Duller than even the lowliest human
Intellect brain, it is nevertheless enough to enable them
to understand and follow the orders of their
Regardless of how the walking dead was creator. In terms of intelligence quotient, they
animated or its physical appearance, when it are perhaps on par with dogs.
comes to intellect there are just two catego- Enslaved walking dead are commonly
ries—enslaved and free-willed. found in servitude to their creator. No mat-
ter the task assigned to them, they are utterly
powerless to refuse his commands. Most are
employed as guardians or slave laborers.
There are limits to their mental aptitude, of
course—a zombie might well be able to open a
door, wield a pickaxe, or pull a lever, but tasks
such as driving an automobile or performing
rudimentary first aid are most definitely beyond
its grasp. This not entirely down to reduced in-
tellect—zombies also have diminished physical
coordination, as evidenced in their stumbling
gait, making them ill-suited to tasks requiring
manual dexterity or coordination.
Other zombies answer not to the whims of
a magician or weird scientist, but to base emo-
tions. This is most common among those cre-
ated by curses or contagion. In place of obey-
ing spoken orders, these abominations seek
only to feed (perhaps one of the most basic
instincts) or to pass on their infection (which
alienists have suggested is little different to the
human urge to reproduce). While they cannot
be controlled by mortals, these unfortunate
creatures are no less enslaved.
As far as can be deduced, enslaved zombies
and skeletons have no memories of their for-
mer life. Indeed, it is doubtful that anything of
the zombie’s former self survives the transition
into death.
Globetrotters should be aware that enslave-

12
 The Nature of the Damned
ment of intellect does not imply stupidity—an Walking dead the Duty Motivation do not
elderly ghoul might be a slave to its hunger, act in accordance with any moral fortitude or
but it is a cunning creature with animalistic because they have made a vow—they do so
instincts. because they have absolutely no choice. Thus,
among the lower echelons of animated dead,
Free-Willed Duty actually refers to mindless obedience.
Few, if any, undead with this Motivation will
Possession of free intellect does not mean ever earn Style points.
the walking dead cannot be a slave to some- As with intellect, obedience can refer to
one or something more powerful than itself. strong emotions rather than the commands of
Rather, it means the fiend is not a mental slave, a master. This is especially true of flesh golems.
having as it does the capacity for independent While many do seek revenge against their cre-
thought, deductive reasoning, and abstract ator, this is often a short-term goal, one eas-
philosophy, not to mention the ability to feel ily accomplished. With that urge satisfied, the
and recognize complex emotions. flesh golem begins its reign of inflicting misery
In the same way that human intellect ranges and pain on others. Revenge has now given
from a level where one can barely function to way to emotional enslavement.
that of genius, free-willed walking dead display Similarly, a contagious zombie has only
the same range of cognitive abilities. As a rule one overwhelming desire—to create more of
of thumb, however, higher intelligence is com- its kind by infecting the living.
monly found only in ghouls and revenants. While Revenge is the primary Motivation
While it is impossible for an enslaved walk- among revenants, historical records clearly in-
ing dead to develop free intellect without dicate that some wicked souls return from the
outside interference (such as by augmentation dead simply to terrorize the living (often through
by a weird scientist necromancer), the reverse spreading disease). Rather than Revenge, these
occurs with great frequency in ghouls. Over revenants have the Duty Motivation.
time, their higher intellect diminishes, leaving
them slaves to their unholy appetite. Revenge
The desire for vengeance can be an ex-
Motivation tremely powerful motivator. No undead wants
to see those who wronged it stand trial for their
When it comes to goals and desires, the crimes—the fell and corrupt creature wants
walking dead are arguably the least complex of to see them suffer mentally and/or physically.
the various supernatural entities. Even those Ultimately craving the death of their victims is
with the capacity for independent thought are not a universal trait except among revenants.
inevitably doomed to slide into a single, all- The lust for vengeance is rarely, if ever,
consuming base goal. found among enslaved walking dead. A mind-
less zombie might go on a bloody rampage
Duty against those who wronged it in life, but true
revenge takes time, and that requires the capa-
When it comes to motivation, walking dead bility to plan ahead, a trait found only among
raised through necromancy or weird science those with free-willed intellect.
are almost always bound by a form of duty. A
walking dead’s sense of duty is not the same Survival
as a globetrotter’s, though. Among the living,
duty refers to obligation and doing what is The basest instinct of any living creature is
right and required, no matter the personal to survive, and the most obvious way to achieve
cost. A person might have plans for their life, that is to eat. Despite being a primal urge, this
but responsibilities take priority. Motivation is more commonly found among

13
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
soul, and he is driven to complete his task

Starving A Zombie by the most expedient means. Likewise a rev-

enant risen to protect its material wealth from
robbers (or perhaps greedy family members)
Although the sample zombies and skel-
etons in this work are different, those won’t put its money in the bank—it will safe-
presented in Leagues of Gothic Horror guard it near its grave and fight like a demon to
share identical statistics. Since skeletons ensure none of it is stolen.
do not require food, acquiring living As with Duty, there is no benevolent side to
flesh doesn’t present their creator with these creatures, nor are Style points likely to
any difficulties. So can you create a skel-
be awarded. Our thief earns no Style points if
eton by deliberately starving a zombie?
Well, yes and no. he “convinces someone to seek forgiveness for
A zombie denied food but kept animated what they have done,” for example, whereas
for a prolonged period will eventually the miser is unlikely to “make a lot of money.”
lose all of its flesh. However, that occurs
only when the zombie reaches –5 Health
through starvation. At this point the flesh Diet
rots from its bones.
However, it also becomes a different
creature, and that comes at a price. The Any investigator of the supernatural worth
zombie automatically collapses into a his salt knows that vampires must consume
pile of bones, ending whatever ritual or blood in order to survive, and that ghouls
weird science experiment gave it unlife are cannibals, but it is little known that every
in the first place. member of the walking dead has some nutri-
It can be animated again, this time as a tional requirements.
skeleton, but it also has the higher dif-
Unlike regular corpses, the walking dead
ficulty modifiers for being a skeleton.
(ghouls excluded) can prevent further decay
of their corpses through their diet. Thus, a rev-
enant with a fresh appearance may never suffer
ghouls rather than zombies and skeletons. the ravages of putrefaction, no matter how long
While zombies must be fed (see Diet below), it endures. Similarly, a rotting zombie does not
most do not seek flesh of their own volition. automatically become a skeleton, even if it
Zombies with this Motivation are likely to somehow remains animated for decades.
have risen from the grave as a result of a curse,
a punishment for some ghastly transgression Feeding
in life. Until the end of time (or destroyed by
globetrotters), the zombie exists only to eat Simply put, the undead must consume
the flesh of the living. food for its long-term survival. Depending on
the type of walking dead, the process takes
Other one of two distinct forms.
As Mortal: The walking dead requires reg-
While the above Motivations are by far the ular intake of food to maintain its health in ex-
most common, nothing prevents a free-willed actly the same way as a mortal must eat to live.
walking dead from possessing a more interest- As with the living, the walking dead requires
ing Motivation. This is typically the result of one pound of flesh per week to avoid suffering
a curse, where the undead has been charged a point of lethal damage from starvation.
with some task it must complete before it can Ghouls only gain sustenance from devour-
rest. For instance, a thief may be required to ing meat. Before any physical transformation
return every coin he stole from a temple. begins, the ability to consume greens aids in
Although this is a form of Redemption for avoiding detection. They can digest fruit and
the thief, his methods will not be gentle or vegetables, though they provide absolutely no
particularly subtle. He is undead, a damned nourishment. Revenants that need to feed must

14
 The Nature of the Damned
consume blood in the manner of a vampire—it intellect can also improve themselves in a
is the only method available to them. similar manner. In game terms, this means the
Unlike humans, whose lifespan is fixed no Gamemaster can create these walking dead
matter what or how much they digest, walk- with higher Ally, Follower, or Patron levels than
ing dead are supernatural creatures. A ghoul, the stock variants to create more challenging
a creature that is technically still a living be- opponents for the globetrotters. It is also helps
ing, can endure for centuries, possibly even keep them on their toes, for they can never
millennia, as long as it can find enough to eat. judge the power level of an opponent based
Such a creature would be wretched beyond de- purely on its type.
scription however, and could not be mistaken No matter how long they remain animated,
for one of God’s creations, let alone a human enslaved zombies and skeletons can never
being. improve themselves—they simply lack the in-
Avoid Decay: Magic or weird science may tellect to glean anything for new experiences.
give a zombie unlife and maintain its unholy Chapter Five of this book presents a number of
existence for a day, but prolonged contiguous new walking dead.
periods of animation eventually take their toll.
Arcane or scientific energy can keep the undead
animate, but they cannot prevent decay. Unless Identification
the walking dead eats at least one pound of
living flesh each day, it suffers a point of lethal It is a sad fact of our chosen path that more
damage as it rots at a greatly accelerated rate. than one promising globetrotter has met his
demise by failing to correctly identify the na-
Sustained ture of his enemy. Belief that one is facing a
lowly flesh revenant when the villain is actu-
Rather than sustaining its existence and ally a vampire can very quickly prove fatal, as
state of preservation through the consumption can mistaking a fleet-footed flesh golem for a
of food, walking dead in this category do so shambling zombie.
solely through the arcane or scientific energy
involved in their creation.
Sustained by this invisible and infinite Research
source, no method known to mortals can cut
the undead off from its source of nourishment The first thing a globetrotter must do is cor-
and cause it to suffer starvation. Since the rectly identify the nature of his foe. As well as
energy source is infinite, the walking dead are his own senses, the globetrotter must learn to
preserved at the state of decay they exhibited piece together information from eyewitnesses.
at their creation. To that end, charisma and a personable nature
In game terms, walking dead of occult or are just as vital as book smarts or a big gun.
scientific origin created with the rules for liv- Even relatively trivial facts can help narrow
ing constructs are usually sustained. down the type of monster one is stalking. For
instance, if a death occurred during the day,
then the fiend is most unlikely to be a vampire,
Improvement even if he sucked his victim’s blood. More like-
ly he is a revenant in corporeal form. Similarly,
Many supernatural creatures grow more a zombie seen to work complex machinery or
powerful with age. Given that the walking pause and make a decision on its own is likely
dead category covers a number of very differ- the creation of a curse rather than black magic
ent beings, it should come as no surprise there or perverted weird science.
is no one answer. There are no absolutes, of course. Even
Ghouls and flesh golems learn and gain with the most diligent research and question-
experience as they age. Zombies with free ing, a clue may be misinterpreted or a walk-

15
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
ing dead may prove to have unique abilities. Do not fall into the trap of believing that
Whenever one is fighting the supernatural, only the rich and powerful have reputations to
one must be prepared for the unexpected and protect—even the poorest souls have a stand-
adapt accordingly. Still, there are some basic ing among their own kind.
steps that should be taken. Most witnesses cannot tell a ghoul from
a flesh golem, having thankfully seen neither
Nature of the Incident beforehand. It is thus essential to wring every
scrap of information concerning the monster’s
That a globetrotter is investigating a sus- appearance in order to identify the nature of
pected walking dead is because something has the foe. Mistake a shambling zombie for a hulk-
happened that has attracted, or been brought ing flesh golem and your investigation may
to, his attention. The nature of the incident come to a premature and bloody end.
and the scene where it occurred hold clues as One should always enter an investigation
to the nature of the foe. with an open mind rather than any precon-
For instance, let us imagine that the glo- ceived notions of what the villain might be.
betrotters have been called to investigate a This is especially true when questioning eye-
murder. Unless the victim is missing chunks of witnesses. One must be careful to avoid lead-
flesh, one can deduce the killer is unlikely to be ing the witness with poorly phrased questions.
a ghoul. True, it might have killed to conceal its Do not ask, “Did the suspect have a pallid
secret, but such information will only become color?” Instead, ask the witness to describe the
known at a later stage in the investigation. suspect’s skin color.
While relentless, most zombies lack the
strength to smash door a stout door. Hence, Written Records
destruction of property, especially heavy ob-
jects, is more commonly the result of a ram- Except in the case of revenants, and more
paging flesh golem. rarely ghouls, library research is next to use-
If something was stolen, then it is wise less—it matters little what a zombie was like
to assume that the killer was working for a in life if the person is now a mindless meat
more powerful villain—criminal masterminds, puppet to some Satanic sorcerer.
whether mundane, arcane, or involved in When a revenant is back for revenge there
weird science, rarely sully their hands with is a story somewhere in his background, a rea-
trivial crimes. In this instance, the attacker is son as to why he refuses to sleep quietly. The
probably a zombie. As in conventional criminal sooner one can reveal a name, the sooner one
cases, why the villain sought to steal the object can begin investigation possible reasons for his
might take considerably more time to deduce. return. The obvious place to begin is with the
death certificate.
Eyewitnesses Unfortunately, learning the revenant’s name
may require a lengthy investigation. Unless
Unfortunately, experience has proven that the walking dead was witnessed by someone
eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable. who recognized him and has nothing to lose,
Witnesses to the walking dead may be in globetrotters are likely to encounter a wall of
severe shock and require help from an alienist silence—since the revenant is likely out for
before they can reveal anything of use. Oth- revenge, its intended victims are hardly likely
ers may blank the incident from their mind, to want their part in a scandal made public.
placing a poorly-concealed mundane spin on
obviously supernatural events. Those with
a reputation to protect may be adamant that Intellect Level
they saw nothing unusual for fear of suffering a
stain to their social standing or being mocked Identifying and categorizing a zombie’s
by their peers. intellectual level is a quick fire way of deter-

16
 The Nature of the Damned
mining whether it is the true villain or a pawn
dancing to the tune of a more powerful foe or
its base instincts.
The presence of a master obviously opens
up a second line of investigation. Determining
how an animated zombie or skeleton was cre-
ated is not an easy task, but such knowledge
allows one to prepare ahead for the inevitable
confrontation with its master. Those animated
by magic are often daubed or branded with
mystic signs, whereas ones borne from weird
science may have electrodes in their neck.
Reports that all zombies try to kill their
foes through biting them are fanciful at best.
As has been repeatedly proven, most zombies
use their hands to pummel foes. A zombie
that repeatedly tries to bite you may simply be
hungry or obeying orders, but it is wisest to
assume it is contagious.

Revenants
When dealing with a suspected revenant,
the walking dead may not be the only monster.
As discussed above, most revenants were evil
in life and continue to be so in death. In cases
where revenge is their motivation, there must
have been an earlier crime. Hence, there may
actually be one or more mortal villains.
Take, for example, the case of an academic
or inventor who returns in life to kill his for-
mer associates. While it is possible they were Protection
the direct (or indirect) cause of his death, it
is equally possible they cheated him. Perhaps As a rule, walking dead lack the insidious
they published his ground-breaking scien- mental powers of apparitions and certain vam-
tific research after his death under their own pires, and the diabolical rituals of black magi-
names, thus denying the revenant the glory he cians. Instead, they are reliant on surprise,
sought in life. physical strength, and weight of numbers
In the former case the victims deserve at to defeat their foes—or rather their master’s
least to be hauled before the courts. In the foes, as is more often the case. Fortunately for
latter example, they should be publicly named globetrotters, the walking dead are rarely as
and shamed for their caddish behavior. physically impressive, or as violent, as were-
More often than not, aiding the revenant is wolves.
the surest way to ensure it returns to its grave Against shambling walking dead, those in-
and stays there. Of course, once a revenant has capable of walking any faster than a slow walk,
committed murder then it has proven itself a by far the best defensive is to maintain a healthy
true monster beyond redemption and should distance. Capable of only 2 mph when running
be swiftly destroyed—investigating the reason flat out, these creatures present a danger only
behind the haunting can wait. if they manage to surround or trap their prey.

17
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
This is where investigation comes in handy, for ity of walking dead are not affected by religious
there are zombies that, while they look identi- objects—crosses give them no pause, nor does
cal to their plodding cousins, are capable of holy water sear their flesh. Likewise, hanging
enhanced speed. Desiring to introduce a touch garlic around one’s neck or daubing wolfsbane
of levity to those who hunt down the walking oil on one’s skin will do naught to thwart their
dead, the Ghost Club refer to these as the “run- implacable progress.
ning dead.”
One method of increasing one’s odds of
survival when fighting any walking dead is to Destruction
fit Ballistic Defense Plates (see Weird Science
Compendium) into one’s clothing. Even the There are exceptions to every rule, but for
lightest protection greatly reduces a zombie’s the most part the walking dead have no special
rancid bite or skeleton’s bony punch. immunities to damage or exacting means by
Be wary of the desire to engage them in which they must be killed.
melee. Alone or in small groups there is mini- Yes, it is impossible to stun or tire them into
mal risk to a skilled globetrotters, but in larger submission, but they do not require bullets cast
groups they can quickly overwhelm an indi- of precious metals or sharpened sticks rammed
vidual, especially one who lacks the training to through their chests to end their existence. That
engage multiple foes simultaneously. said, they can be relentless foes, shrugging off
As ungodly as they might be, the vast major- wounds that would cripple a living opponent.
By far the easiest means to destroy one of
the undead is to repeatedly inflict traumatic
damage with missile weapons. Here is where
the intelligence one gained earlier comes into
play once more.
A zombie, while it can absorb a great deal
of damage, is a slow moving, relatively weak
opponent with no grasp of even the most
rudimentary tactics—all it does is advance
toward prey as fast as possible, flailing idly if
it reaches a barrier it cannot cross. Standing
around blowing one apart is hardly sport, but
it is something one can do all day, especially if
one has a good vantage point.
By comparison, a flesh golem is an intelli-
gent creature. More importantly, it can absorb
roughly twice the damage that would kill a
typical mortal. Make the first shot count, for
once you reveal yourself it will find cover and
seek a means to advance on you unseen.
One advantage over fighting black magi-
cians, vampires, or shapeshifters is that not
even the walking dead can be mistaken for a
mortal, at least not after a rudimentary medical
examination of the earthly remains. Of course,
while globetrotters may have nothing to fear
from law enforcement officers trying to arrest
them for murder, explaining why they were
shooting or hacking apart a corpse raises more
than a few awkward questions.

18
 Chapter the Third:
Forsaken Lairs

“He then took me into his laboratory and wants a ghoul to live a seemingly normal life
explained to me the uses of his various ma- and occupy a grand house in a well-to-do part
chines, instructing me as to what I ought to of town then that’s where he lives. Likewise, a
procure and promising me the use of his own mad scientist might have his laboratory set up
when I should have advanced far enough in in a seemingly derelict warehouse in a different
the science not to derange their mechanism.” part of the city from his respectable residence.
—Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, or the Mod-
ern Prometheus
Walking Dead
When one mentally pictures the walking
dead, the resultant image is likely to involve It should be noted that the average skel-
them shambling through an overgrown, fog- eton or zombie occupies the lair of its creator
shrouded graveyard. Similarly, imagine a necro- rather than having its own refuge. Near-mind-
mancer and one might mentally conjure a tribal less, these lowly undead are utterly incapable
sorcerer chanting fell words in a dark grove or a of creating or modifying their surroundings of
mad scientist pulling levers and tapping dials in their own accord. With that in mind, this sec-
the basement of a storm-cloaked castle. In this tion details only the walking dead capable of
chapter, we take a look at typical lairs and how creating true lairs.
(if at all) the Refuge Resource applies to the
walking dead and their insidious creators. Flesh Golem
Unlike globetrotters, monsters and non-
player character villains do not have to pur- This section applies only to flesh golems
chase Refuge: Size—they have whatever size who have been abandoned by their creator
Refuge their background and the adventure or who have summoned enough willpower to
require. For instance, a tribal sorcerer in escape their dominance.
darkest Africa likely has a simple hut (Refuge: Flesh golems have been dealt a cruel fate.
Size 0), whereas a European scientist with On the one hand they are drawn toward hu-
aristocratic ties might have a large townhouse manity like a moth to a flame. On the other,
(Refuge: Size 1) or small castle (Refuge: Size 3) they seek only to inflict pain and misery on
at his disposal. Any bonus Resources garnered those who shun them for their fell appearance.
through Refuge: Size should be used to further Having little need, or indeed desire, for home
improve the creature’s Refuge. comforts, flesh golems favor places in the heart
Note that there are always exceptions of towns and cities.
to the rules, and the needs of the adventure Here, in abandoned tenements, empty
should always take priority. If the Gamemaster warehouses, boarded up townhouses, and the

19
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
poverty of the rookeries, the sounds of human- or a library in the home of a reclusive scholar
ity going about its mundane existence both murdered by the golem. Such trappings are
soothes the creature’s need for company and nothing more than background flavor, though,
fuels its undying anger toward the living. and needn’t be purchased as a Resource.
Few flesh golems are concerned with a Flesh golems have no birth certificates,
large Refuge—even those who occupy ware- legally own no property, and do not work for
houses claim only a small portion. As such, a living. To that end, there is no paper trail a
Refuge: Size can be ignored. Flesh golems globetrotter can investigate to unearth their
neither appreciate nor desire the finer things lair. Similarly, flesh golems generally lack the
in life. Their homes are shared with lice, fleas, intelligence to fit sturdy locks or set traps.
and rats and littered with debris and filth; their Combined, these mean flesh golems get little
beds are piles of rags or clothes; and any furni- mileage from the Refuge: Security Resource.
ture is likely to be in a state of gross disrepair.
Most lack the intellect to use tools in any Ghoul
meaningful way or understand the written
word, and the thought of creating something Save for a few unique specimens, ghouls
artistic is utterly alien to their rage-filled minds. haunt the edges of society. They lurk in un-
Any equipment is likely to be left behind by sanitary places, such as the filth-choked sewers
the lair’s former occupants. For instance, tools beneath bustling streets or in long-abandoned
left behind when a workshop was abandoned moldy tombs on the fringes of graveyards.
With regard the latter, their Refuge is likely
a single mausoleum and thus no larger than
Size 0. Depending on how far it roams and the
territory it protects, the former may extend for
miles, granting the ghoul Refuge: Size 3+.
At the heart of the labyrinth of dark, dank
tunnels, though, is always a single chamber
where the creature feels safest. It is here that
the gnawed and cracked bones of its many
meals lie discarded.
Whether or not a ghoul has invested in an
Equipment bonus depends on its cognitive
abilities. Initially, a ghoul may favor some of
the trappings of its former life. An academic,
for example, may have a small library, while an
artist may attempt to hold onto the shreds of
humanity through a studio.
Eventually, and inevitably, higher brain
functions give way to bestial instinct. As the
ghoul transforms into a pure hunter, its equip-
ment is forgotten and left to rot. While it grants
the ghoul no game mechanics, having the glo-
betrotters find the remnants of equipment is a
reminder that the monster they hunt was once
a member of society.
Similarly, even in its most bestial state, a
faint glimmer of the ghoul’s former humanity
might remain. While it does not directly benefit
from them through an Equipment bonus, per-
haps the scholarly ghoul instinctively hoards

20
 Forsaken Lairs
books. These would not be placed in orderly mannered pharmacist who, in secret, tinkers
fashion on shelves as with a library, for the not with mortar and pestle but with bones and
ghoul has no desire to read them (assuming it sinews?
is even capable of reading).
Ghouls do not have a public identity, and Equipment
thus discovering anything about their present
whereabouts through scholarly research is Raising the dead is no mean feat, and nec-
pretty much impossible. Any Security rating romancers need all the help they can get. Thus,
refers instead to the difficulty of stumbling Refuge: Equipment is the most important of
across the creature’s lair, gaining access, and/ the three subcategories.
or navigating through it. While a necromancer can benefit from most
For instance, a ghoul occupying a mauso- any Skill, logically the bonus should be put to-
leum has the benefit of a heavy stone door. ward either Magic or Medicine, depending on
The Refuge: Security rating might thus give how the necromancer gives life to the dead.
a penalty to Strength rolls to move it aside. The exact trappings vary according to the
The ghoul may also sweep away any sign of its necromancer’s needs. A Voodoo priest might
passage around the tomb and refrain from dis- have a collection of bone amulets, drums, and
turbing vegetation, thus granting a penalty to sacred powders, while his European cousin
Perception or Survival: Tracking rolls to detect uses black candles, horned skulls, wands,
anything amiss. Unless the ghoul lives in the and mystic circles. The scientific necroman-
only mausoleum in the graveyard, the globe- cer may have a vat of bubbling chemicals in
trotters may struggle to find its lair. which corpses are immersed, a lightning rod
Ghouls have a keen sense of smell. Likely connected to a weather vane on the roof, or
the occupant knows the normal odors in a complex dynamo powered by his trusty as-
and around its lair in the same manner as a sistant. Don’t let real world physics get in the
globetrotter knows the location of objects in way of your story—if you want your deranged
his house. When something is out of place, necromancer to animate the dead by use of a
it stands out like a sore thumb. The Security sonic oscillator, then his laboratory has one.
rating could thus act as a penalty to intruders’ Other Skills a necromancer might choose to
Stealth rolls. augment through Refuge: Equipment include
Academics, Linguistics, and Science.

Necromancers Security
Whether he animates the dead through For necromancers, Refuge: Security serves
ancient and bloody rituals or taps into the two purposes. First, it makes it difficult for in-
wonders of modern technology, the villainous truders to locate and infiltrate the lair. Second,
necromancer needs a place to work. Most, if it prevents experiments from escaping.
not all, have some form of Refuge. How investigation rolls are hampered by
Gamemasters seeking more general advice the Resource depends on the type of necro-
on the lairs of magicians should consult the mancer as much as where they reside.
Guide to Black Magic. For instance, in remote corners of the
Note that there is no such thing as a typical world, where superstition holds sway and
necromancer, and thus neither is there a typi- people know that magic is real, fear may pre-
cal lair. With regard magical necromancers, the vent the locals from speaking to strangers. The
stock image for many is that of a Voodoo priest modifier thus applies to Diplomacy, Intimida-
or priestess. But what of the refined gentle- tion, and Streetwise rolls. Even if the globetrot-
woman who plays bridge every Friday night, ters can persuade the frightened inhabitants
bakes succulent cakes for the church sale, and to talk, the necromancer may live deep in a
calls upon Satan to raise the dead? Or the well- swamp or jungle. In such cases the modifier

21
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Bureaucracy or Investigation rolls to discern if
the villain has any additional property at his
disposal.

Size
Although it involves the spoken medium,
roleplaying is also about conjuring images
in the minds of the players. Falling back on
stereotypes when designing a necromancer’s
lair is actively encouraged, as most players
have likely seen horror movies. For instance,
no mad scientist seeking to raise the dead is
complete without a laboratory in a forbidding
castle, while a voodoo priest requires either a
hut (in a swamp) or a Southern style mansion
(in a state of disrepair).

Free Resources?
When choosing a Refuge: Size Resource,
don’t bother spending precious slots on it.
Even if you are creating a Patron 5 villain with
six Talents or Resources to assign, just give the
cad whatever level you deem appropriate. At
the end of the day, the size and style of his cho-
sen refuge are nothing more a backdrop for
action or social scenes.
We do not recommend granting free levels
may affect Athletics, Expedition, or Survival: in Refuge: Equipment or Refuge: Security,
Navigation rolls to reach the site. however. Unlike Size, these Resources are tied
A necromancer living in a town or city may to actual game mechanics.
not be particularly hard to track down. Likely Whether a necromancer should gain bonus
they own or rent property, have a job outside Resources from his Refuge: Size Resource is a
of necromancy, enjoy a social life, and so on. matter of personal taste. Some Gamemasters
Of course, any necromancer worth his salt will might consider this cheating, since the villain is
have his arcane workshop or scientific labora- gaining something for free. Others won’t care.
tory either concealed behind sturdy locked We suggest a middle ground, where Refuge:
doors (or maybe even a secret door) or in a Size bonus Resources can be applied only to
different building altogether. That people Refuge: Equipment or Refuge: Security.
should have locked doors and refuse to open Let’s look at an actual example. Our villain
them to curious strangers is hardly a crime, is a typical mad scientist who lives in a small
especially in the Victorian era, when privacy is castle. This equates to Refuge: Size 3, which
to be respected. gives him a bonus Resource. Since he requires
In instances where the necromancer lives a laboratory, he gains Refuge: Equipment 1 for
in one location but works out of another, he free. His home has no Refuge: Security—either
may have obfuscated any paper trail (such as he isn’t worried about intruders, or his castle is
by purchasing or renting it through a third in a state of disrepair, with doors missing and
party or in a different name), thus hampering holes in the outer walls.

22
 Chapter the Fourth:
Diabolical Powers

“Nothing is impossible to kill. It’s just that slightly smaller target, but piercing weapons
sometimes after you kill something you have may do no more than chip a bone or pass
to keep shooting it until it stops moving.” harmlessly through the rib cage.
—Mira Grant, Feed Zombies and skeletons may be slow, but they
do not tire. Outrunning them over a sort distance
This chapter describes common and un- is extremely easy for most globetrotters, but
usual strengths and weaknesses found among when the sprint becomes a marathon the odds
the walking dead. are in favor of the undead. While a human needs
rest and sleep, the undead can walk indefinitely.
While it should be obvious, we must state
Common Abilities that zombies and skeletons require neither air
nor sleep. Thus, they cannot be suffocated or
Here we discuss the abilities commonly pos- drowned, and they are able to carry out their
sessed by each of the four types of walking dead. orders day and night without need for a break.
Globetrotters should be aware that “commonly The magical energy, electricity, or chemicals
found” does not mean “always found.” animating a standard zombie not only fail to
prevent decomposition, they actually speed it
up. In order to prevent rapid decay, a zombie
Zombies/Skeletons must consume one pound of living flesh each
day. That the flesh must be living presents a
Zombies and skeletons are arguably the major headache for necromancers.
weakest of the many supernatural horrors, A captive human, cow, pig, or other large
but countless globetrotters have reported how mammal may feed a zombie for many weeks,
difficult it is to actually end their unnatural but likely the unfortunate victim will die of
existence. Neither is particularly tough, but infection, blood loss, or shock long before
neither do they feel pain. Hack off a skeleton’s every scrap of his living flesh is consumed.
arm or blow a hole through a zombie’s chest Purchasing livestock at an unusual rate may
and the monster will keep shambling forward, raise eyebrows and provide globetrotters with
utterly oblivious to the damage. They can be a clue to the existence of a necromancer.
knocked back, and even knocked down, by
the impact of a weapon, but a blow that would
knock the wind out of a mortal for dozens of Flesh Golems
seconds is casually brushed aside.
Skeletons have the added advantage of hav- Unlike zombies, flesh golems are capable
ing no flesh. Not only does this make them a of feeling pain. This is not to say they are any

23
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
easy to destroy, however. Not only are these out any noise. Ghouls appear to be well aware
hulking abominations capable of ignoring the of shadows, making the use of any darkness to
stun effect of minor injuries, but they are noto- conceal their presence.
riously robust creatures.

Revenants
Other Powers
While it is fair to say that walking dead
Regardless of their appearance, corporeal of the same type share many common traits,
revenants are rarely more physically powerful grouping them together, especially in terms
than they were in life. What makes them for- of determining strengths and weaknesses, is a
midable foes is their ability to return from the serious misjudgment. Great variation is found
dead time and time again. Blast one to pieces even among specific types of walking dead. It
with explosives, dissolve the remains in acid, is for this reason that we urge globetrotters
pass it through a threshing machine, and the to study their enemy before charging in with
revenant will still return the next night with guns blazing.
nary a scratch on its flesh. For each level in Patron a walking dead has,
The revenant’s only other supernatural including Level 0, it may take one of the special
power is its unerring ability to track foes over abilities below. This ability is in addition to its
truly impressive distances. Those targeted by regular Talent or Resource improvement. Note
one of these vengeful fiends may earn a brief that in some cases the special ability is itself
respite by traveling elsewhere across the globe, a Talent. This allows a walking dead villain to
but ultimately they must keep moving to avoid effectively gain two Talents for each additional
being hunted down. level of Patron if it so desires.
Unless restricted by prerequisites, a lesser
walking dead, one with a Follower or Ally
Ghouls level, may take one of the following abilities,
but does so in place of a regular Talent or
As has already been stated, ghouls are not Resource. For instance, a standard zombie
undead. Although relatively sturdy creatures, (Follower 0) might lose its High Pain Tolerance
they have no special resistance to weapons. but gain Kill the Brain, making it much harder
When forced to hunt live prey they favor to destroy. A Follower 1 zombie, on the other
ambushes, striking from the shadows and hand, would retain High Pain Tolerance and
clawing at their intended meal before it has gain a second Talent or special ability.
a chance to react. Ghouls do not need to see In instances where an ability described
or hear an approaching victim—their sense of below shares the same game mechanics as a
smell is especially acute. Talent, even if it has a different name than the
The growing aroma of perfume or sweat Talent in question, the ability stacks with that
provides a clear indication not only of the Talent when applicable.
target’s distance, but also its general type. For
instance, perfume would indicate a lady, a rela-
tively weak target in most instances, whereas Other Powers List
a heavy odor of sweat might indicate a dock-
worker or other laborer, a meal more likely to The special powers below allow the Game-
resist unless killed quickly. master to create unique walking dead. Using
The second advantage a ghoul possesses them keeps the players on their toes, as they
when attempting to ambush prey is its natural can never be sure exactly what abilities a foe
(one might say unnatural) stealth. These car- has at its disposal.
rion feeders have been known to walk over Where a Patron prerequisite is given, it re-
loose gravel and dry ground vegetation with- fers to the minimum level of the creature. Such

24
 Diabolical Powers
abilities are more powerful than the standard burrowing. Note that taking the Swim Talent
ones, and can thus be used only by powerful does not increase burrowing speed.
and unique villains. Concealed beneath the ground, the walk-
ing dead can be detected only with hearing-
Brain Food based Perception rolls or specialist weird
science equipment. In the former case, the
Prerequisite: Ghoul Difficulty depends on the depth of the burrow-
Ghouls require flesh to survive, but for ing corpse.
some, devouring the fresh, creamy-textured
brain of a victim brings surprising benefits. As Carrier
the brain is digested, the ghoul gains some of
his meal’s memories and skills. Prerequisite: Zombie or ghoul
Tracking whose brain the ghoul ate and This walking dead is a carrier for a particu-
what skills the victim might have known is lar disease. Regardless of whether the creature
unnecessary. For ease, a ghoul with this ability is alive (such as a flesh golem or ghoul) or
gains the benefits of the Jack of All Trades at truly dead (zombie), it is totally immune to the
Level 1, regardless of its Intelligence rating. specific infection.
The ghoul can take this ability a maximum of Available are diseases are camp fever, chol-
three times, gaining another level in Jack of All era, and smallpox (see Leagues of Adventure).
Trades each additional time. If you have the All for One supplement, Riche-

Burning Touch
Prerequisite: Must have died from burns;
zombie or skeleton
Through magic or science, heat suffered
during death is retained in the creature’s body
and can be channeled through its hands.
Instead of punching an opponent, it may
attempt to burn them. This requires a Brawl
touch attack opposed by the victim’s Active
Defense. Damage is inflicted is 1L caustic, as if
caused by a burning torch.

Burrow
The walking dead can burrow through soft
or loose material, such as soil or sand.
Zombies and skeletons, which have no
need to breathe, leave no tunnel behind them
when burrowing. Ghouls and flesh golems
both require oxygen. They can remain under-
ground for a number of combat turns equal
to their Body x 2 rating. After this, they take
1N damage per additional combat turn as they
slowly suffocate.
When burrowing, the creature moves a
distance equal to its base swimming rate per
combat turn. A walking dead that takes this
ability again retains its full Move rating while

25
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
lieu’s Guide to Healthcare, you can also select Additional Levels: A golem can take this
from bubonic plague, consumption, hepatitis, ability an additional three times. It gains an addi-
malaria, and pneumonic plague. tional +2 bonus to its Brawl rating at each level.
No matter how much time is spent in its
company, merely being in close proximity to Gnaw
the infected undead does not risk infection.
Whatever infection it carries, the germ lives Zombies are known for the propensity to
only in the creature’s mouth. Anyone bitten by bite victims, though gnawing on opponents is
the fiend must make an appropriate Body roll not restricted solely to them.
to avoid infection. The combat turn in which it makes a suc-
cessful grapple, the walking dead may make
Contagious bite attack as a free action. Each combat turn
the hold is maintained, the zombie may make a
Prerequisite: Zombie bite attack with a +4 bonus. This counts as its
The zombie carries a deadly contagion, Attack action for the turn.
though its effects only become apparent when
a victim dies. Independent Body Parts
Any living creature bitten by a contagious
zombie is automatically infected. When a bite Prerequisite: Zombie or skeleton
victim dies (of any cause), he or she automati- When a normal zombie or skeleton loses a
cally animates as a zombie. This usually takes limb, it becomes inert, a lifeless object of flesh
around 10 combat turns (one minute), though and/or bone. A walking dead with this ability
sometimes the transformation is much quicker is more fragile than normal—for each wound
(one combat turn). Removing the victim’s head it takes, a limb is automatically dismembered.
immediately after death prevents animation as In the case of this entity, the limb remains ani-
one of the walking dead. mated, though it has limited mobility.
Ordinary medicine has yet to provide an an- A severed leg, for instance, can hop about and
tidote against this infection, though weird sci- kick out. Typically the leg remains on the ground
ence might provide a solution. Unfortunately, and attempts to sweep out its opponents legs.
the only way to test an elixir is on an infected This count as a trip trick. Arms can crawl and
victim, who would then have to be killed to continue to claw at victims. Decapitated heads
determine whether it worked. Experimenta- can do little but roll around and moan, though
tion on animals is the most ethical means, but they can bite anyone who ventures too close.
it still means capturing a contagious zombie or For ease, individual limbs retain the base
infected animal. statistics of the host zombie or skeleton, save
for Size, which drops to –1. This increases their
Crush Defense to 3. Each severed limb can take but a
single wound before being destroyed.
Prerequisite: Flesh golem
Flesh golems are immensely strong. While Infected Bite
most favor punching opponents to a bloody
pulp, a few take great delight in crushing the Prerequisite: Zombie or ghoul
life from foes. Zombies and ghouls are not renowned for
The golem can crush the life out of those their oral hygiene. Stringy bits of decomposing
it grapples. If the golem successfully pins an flesh get trapped between their teeth, resulting
opponent, it can begin squeezing on the next in all manner of nasty bacteria spawning.
round. Instead of making an Attack, the golem Each time a mortal is bitten by an undead
automatically inflicts lethal damage equal to its with this ability, he or she must make a Body
Strength. Being pinned, the victim can resist x 2 roll (Difficulty equal to the number of
only with his Passive Defense. wounds suffered in the attack) or the wound

26
 Diabolical Powers
becomes infected. While infected, the natural
healing rate is halved. That is, the globetrotter
heals one nonlethal wound every two days and
Are there Walking
one lethal wound per six days of bed rest. An
infected globetrotter with the Quick Healer
Dead in the Bible?
Talent would recover at the standard rate. Did Jesus not raise Lazarus of Bethany
Fighting off the infection requires a Body from the dead (John, Chapter 11)? Both
x 2 roll each day. The Difficulty is 2 and ten Matthew and Acts speak of a day when
the dead, both righteous and wicked,
successes are required before it is cleared from
shall rise from the dead. Surely these re-
the victim’s system.
fer to walking dead?
At first glance, and especially to the un-
Iron Grip educated mind or sensationalist thinker,
that may appear to be the case. A thor-
The physical strength of a walking dead ough reading of the relevant passages
ranges from that of an average human to su- reveals that this is totally erroneous,
however.
pernatural levels. Whatever its normal strength
In the former case, the resurrection of La-
level, this particular undead has a superhu- zarus was a divine miracle, not the insidi-
man grip. The fiend makes grapple attacks as ous will of some black-hearted sorcerer
normal, but has a +4 bonus to resist the hold or early weird scientist. Lazarus returned
being broken by its opponent. not as a walking corpse condemned to
This ability has proven particularly effective serve Jesus as a slave, but to true life, as
when the walking dead is part of a pack—it he had enjoyed before his demise.
Similarly, the mass rising of the dead at
grabs and pins an opponent, allowing other
the end of days refers to imperishable liv-
undead to strike the victim with greater ease. ing spirits rather than corruptible flesh
and blood.
Iron Teeth
Prerequisite: Ghoul
Stories of ghouls cracking open fresh bones Living Dead
with their teeth or gouging huge chunks of
flesh from corpses are largely erroneous. In Prerequisite: Ghoul
most cases, a ghoul’s jaw muscles and teeth Ghouls hide from society because of their
are no different than an ordinary human’s. Of profane appetite and their hideous appear-
course, the aforementioned stories would not ance. While a ghoul with this ability can do
have started were there not a grain of truth. nothing about the former, it can at least move
The ghoul has powerful jaw muscles and among humans. No matter its age, the ghoul
sharp teeth. In addition to its claws, it has a not only appears as it did before becoming one
bite 0L attack. The bite ignores one point of of the walking dead, but it never appears to
Passive Defense from armor. grow any older. The ghoul also retains its intel-
lect, never devolving into a bestial fiend.
Kill the Brain
Moldy
Prerequisite: Zombie
Sometimes plugging a zombie full of lead or Prerequisite: Rotting appearance; zombie
dismembering it is not enough. Certain fiends Some undead stink of grave mold; others
can be slain only by destroying the brain. are literally infested with mold. This undead
The zombie ignores all damage except falls into the latter category.
from called shots to the head and area effect Whenever the creature is wounded, all liv-
caustic damage (such as being immersed in a ing creatures within five feet must make a Body
vat of acid). x 2 with a Difficulty equal to the number of

27
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
wounds inflicted by the attack. Any successes ture can animate in a combat or scene is equal
allow a person to quickly close his mouth and to its Charisma + Willpower. These near-mind-
avoid sucking in a lung-full of choking mold less servants have a maximum Follower level
spores. For each point by which the roll is equal to the summoner’s Patron level. For ex-
failed, the opponent is automatically stunned ample, a Patron 1 flesh golem could summon
for one combat turn. Follower 1 zombies or skeletons.
Note that although the zombie reeks of The power that animates the shambling
grave mold, the odor itself is harmless. Indeed, corpses is temporary and exacts a heavy toll on
unless the undead also has the Stench ability their rotting corpses. At the end of the combat
or Lesser Stench weakness it is barely discern- or scene in which they were animated, they
ible unless in close proximity. crumble to dust, rapidly decompose, shatter,
or are otherwise irrevocably destroyed.
Rage
Reform
Prerequisite: Flesh golem
Flesh golems are created knowing only pain Prerequisite: Patron 0
and anger. For most, the latter manifests only Some undead must be blasted to pieces or
as constant roaring and lashing out at targets struck in the brain in order to slay them. Some
of opportunity. Some specimens, though, are must be hacked apart limb by limb. Others re-
capable of flying into a terrifying and destruc- quire immersion in acid or being set on fire. In
tive rage. certain rare cases, not even these methods are
As a free action, the flesh golem can exert enough to guarantee the fiend will not shrug
(take one point of nonlethal damage) to gain off the cold embrace of death and rise again.
+2 bonus to all Strength-based Skill and Attri- If the walking dead’s Health is –4 or above
bute rolls until the end of the combat turn. at end of a combat turn then it automatically
The creature may purchase this ability regenerates back to full Health and regrows
up to three times. It gains a +4 bonus to all any severed limbs. In order to slay it, the un-
Strength-based Skill rolls at second level and a holy abomination must reduced to –5 Health
+8 bonus at third level. or lower in a single combat turn.

Raise Dead Second Death

Prerequisite: Intelligence 1; Patron 0 Prerequisite: Revenant that died a violent
Typically, zombies and skeletons lack the death
mental capacity to animate the dead through The most common reason for the creation
any means, flesh golems lack the patience to of a revenant is to avenge its untimely, and
focus on such a complex and draining endeav- often unjust, death. A revenant with this ability
or, and ghouls don’t see the point of animating has both a boon and a bane.
a potential meal. A walking dead with this abil- On the plus side, it can only be injured by
ity possesses necromantic power. It can raise the original method of its death. For instance,
the slumbering dead from their graves without if the revenant was beheaded, then only called
any knowledge of magic (black or otherwise) shots to the head with a blade or axe inflict any
or weird science. wounds. One burnt at the stake can only be
The target corpses must be within a few harmed by fire. Poisoning presents a few prob-
hundred feet (line of sight is not required) lems for globetrotters, as do more extreme
and cannot have been previously destroyed in (and historical) methods of execution, such as
combat. That is, a walking dead with this pro- having a heated poker inserted into one’s rec-
fane ability cannot keep animating the same tum (as supposedly happened to Edward II).
remains over and over. Determining the required method is usu-
The maximum number of minions the crea- ally impossible just by looking at the revenant.

28
 Diabolical Powers
Instead, globetrotters must research the Swarm Host
creature’s history as a living person in order to
deduce the manner of its initial demise. Prerequisite: Rotting appearance; zombie
On the down side, the revenant lacks the It is not unusual to see maggots and grave
otherwise common ability to return from worms crawling on or burrowing through a
death over and over again. Once it is put down zombie’s flesh, but this specimen is host to a
in the required manner, it remains in the grave colony of voracious creatures.
for eternity. Once per combat or scene, the zombie can
unleash a swarm of beetles, and other such
Stench small creatures as an Attack action. This can
be done only when the zombie is engaged in
Prerequisite: Rotting appearance; flesh close quarters combat.
golem, ghoul, or zombie The swarm does not bite. Instead, it crawls
This power is both a boon and a bane to the and wriggles over the target, distracting him.
walking dead. A charnel stench hangs heavily over The opponent suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls
the undead, causing all living creatures who come until the swarm is removed. This requires a
near to it to gag. Any living creature within 15 feet Dexterity x 2 roll (with the –2 penalty) and
of the creature suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls so counts as an Attack action. The roll can be
long as it remains in range. Even backing away has repeated as often as necessary.
a lingering effect—the stench pervades the nostrils
for a number of turns equal to 7 - Willpower rating Trackless
after retreating from the area of effect.
There are ways to block this, of course. Whether this ability is natural or supernatu-
Nose plugs or a scarf soaked in vinegar, for ral has been debated by globetrotters many
example, negate the vile stench. times. Whatever the cause, the walking dead
While it produces no negative effects for leaves virtually no trace of its passage, even
those who smell it at a distance, the foul stench through snow or soft mud. Survival: Tracking
carries downwind. The range depends on the rolls to follow the creature suffer a –8 penalty.
strength of the breeze. Unless a stronger scent
masks their fetid odor, walking dead with this Wall Walker
ability suffer a –2 penalty to Stealth rolls.
Prerequisite: Zombie or ghoul
Summon Animals Bolting ground floor doors and shuttering
windows provides adequate defense against
Prerequisite: Ghoul many forms of supernatural creature. In a few
As an Attack action, the ghoul can emit instances, it is wise to ensure upper floor win-
an unearthly howl. The call is answered by a dows are also firmly secured.
single swarm of rats or a number of individual The walking dead can crawl up walls or
feral dogs equal to the ghoul’s Charisma + across ceilings at half its usual Move distance.
Willpower. The creatures must be in the It may also Run, but again only at half speed.
nearby vicinity (they do not appear out of thin If it suffers knock back or knock down while
air). The creatures are completely beholden to climbing, the creature must make a Dexterity
the ghoul for the remainder of the combat or x 2 roll with a Difficulty equal to the damage
scene, after which they depart. dealt or lose its grip.

Sunlight Resistance
Weaknesses
Prerequisite: Ghoul
The ghoul is no longer pained by sunlight. The walking dead have many inherent
It lacks the Pained by Sunlight weakness. strengths, but they are not without their weak-

29
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
nesses. This section describes both common changing conditions. Aside from simple ob-
weaknesses, those found in all specimens of a jects, they are incapable of manipulating tools.
specific type of walking dead except on very They can crank a handle, or swing a pickaxe in
rare occasions, and unusual weaknesses found a mine, for example, but there is no hope of
only in scant examples. training one to use a weird science pneumatic
drilling machine (unless it involves a repetitive
task, such as cranking a handle).
Common Weaknesses
Pained by Sunlight
Anger & Pain A ghoul’s greatest weakness is its intoler-
ance of sunlight. The pain one feels when
Flesh golems may not be particularly touched by the sun’s rays is not harmful, but it
bright, but they possess enough intelligence is distracting. This is rarely of great benefit to
to understand their life is a living hell. Bound globetrotters, for ghouls hide away in tunnels
to the will of their creator, constructed from and crypts while the sun is in the sky.
multiple corpses, and in constant physical
pain, it is little surprise they are in a state of Slow
constant anger.
When screamed at by a person because More than one globetrotting wag has joked
of their frightful looks, or when attacked by a that rather than being the walking dead, skel-
globetrotter, flesh golems lash out blindly, car- etons and zombies should be renamed as the
ing little for their own safety. This instinctive “shambling dead.” As noted at the beginning
reaction, arguably a potentially suicidal one of this chapter, the walking dead may shamble
when confronting an armed opponent, makes along at a sedate pace, but they never tire. Where
them poorly suited to being outside of their their ambulatory deficit is truly felt is in combat
creator’s direct influence for long periods. and when chasing prey over short distances.
This propensity for instinctive violence
makes flesh golems poor tacticians. Where a Slow Reactions
more intelligent, less pain-ridden, foe will alter
its tactics according to the situation, for flesh The combination of a low intellect and no
golems the only concern is to batter foes to manual dexterity leaves zombies and skeletons
death as quickly and violently as possible. very slow to react, especially in combat. With
the undead invariably acting last in a combat
Mindless turn, globetrotters have the tactical choice of
whether to engage their opponents or retreat
As described elsewhere, zombies and skel- to a safe distance before the undead can react.
etons lack any form of higher intellect. This
makes them ideal slaves, for they do not ques-
tion orders and have no capacity for rebellious Unusual Weaknesses
thought at being misused by cruel masters.
With zombies and skeletons possessing Gamemasters may add these weaknesses to
no higher brain functions, they cannot be walking dead to create unique and interesting
reasoned with, bribed, or conned. Even the opponents for the globetrotters.
simplest organisms have a innate fear of fire,
and thus it may be possible to intimidate one Aura of Corruption
of the walking dead.
Unfortunately, being mindless also comes The walking dead exudes an aura of cor-
with several problems. They lack imagination ruption. This is not the same as a foul odor,
and the capacity to reinterpret orders to suit for it cannot be discerned by conventional hu-

30
 Diabolical Powers
man senses. Animals, however, possess higher then it can either Move or Attack in a combat
senses. Herbivores flee as soon as they catch turn, but not both.
wind of the monster’s corruption, while carni- Gamemaster’s Note: If the above system,
vores adopt an aggressive stance. is too complex for your tastes, you can swap
In addition, milk curdles in its presence, the mechanics for something much simpler.
fresh fruit rots, maggots and worms crawl from Two suggestions are presented below.
the ground, and flowers and grass wither at * With less mass, the creature is more eas-
the undead’s passing. ily knocked back or down. For these purposes
only, its effective Strength rating is reduced by
Fragile one (minimum 1) each time it is wounded.
* The creature has difficulty coordinating
Prerequisite: Zombie, skeleton, or flesh attacks due to missing pieces. It suffers a cumu-
golem lative –1 penalty to all rolls after each injury.
Advanced decomposition or poor work-
manship leaves the undead in precariously Holy Item Aversion
fragile state. Each time an attack inflicts one or
more wounds, something drops off or breaks. Prerequisite: Flesh golem, ghoul, or rev-
Each time this happens, the walking dead enant
suffers one of the infirmities listed below, as The undead knows its eternal soul is damned
chosen by the Gamemaster. The entry in pa- and has developed an innate aversion toward
rentheses indicates how many times the mis- crosses, crucifixes, or holy wafers (and para-
hap can be applied to an individual undead. phernalia of other religions at the Gamemaster’s
Whether or not the injury can be fixed is discretion). Unlike with a vampire, touching
left for the Gamemaster to determine. The one of these objects against the creature’s flesh
style of campaign will likely play a big factor in produces no effect. They can, however, keep a
this decision. For instance, an eyeball knocked flesh golem, ghoul, or revenant at bay, but only if
from a flesh golem’s head may be left dangling. the wielder is a true believer in the faith—merely
As an Attack action, the monster may be able to waving a holy object around as no effect.
push it back into the socket. Similarly, as hap- Presenting such an object to the walking
pens in some movies, an undead may pick up a dead requires an attack action. In order to
severed limb and jam it back into place. close within five feet of the wielder, the fiend
Arm (2): The undead has a –2 penalty to must make an opposed Willpower test. If it
all rolls requiring two hands. A walking dead rolls more successes than the wielder, the
that loses both arms is incapable of undertak- abomination is unfazed and may act as normal.
ing any task that requires hands. It retains the Otherwise, it can advance no closer.
ability to kick or bite in combat, though. Alternatively, a cross can be used to force a
Eye (2): Flesh golems and ghouls only. The walking dead to move where the wielder wish-
fiend has a –2 penalty on any ranged attack or es. As an Attack action, the mortal makes an op-
Perception rolls where depth perception is posed Willpower test against the undead. If he
important. A second injury of this type leaves rolls more success than the fiend, he may force
the fiend blind. It automatically fails any roll it back five feet in a direction of his choice.
requiring sight.
Jaw (1): Flesh golems and ghouls only. The Hunger
creature’s lower jaw is ruined, leaving it un-
able to talk or bite. Prerequisite: Zombie or ghoul
Leg (2): The first time this occurs, the In the case of zombies, an unnatural ap-
undead has –2 to its Move rating (minimum petite for fresh meat causes it to temporarily
1). If it loses a second leg, the monster’s Move disregard its orders. A ghoul with this weak-
rating drops by –4 (minimum 0). The fiend can ness cannot help but swallow a chunk of meat
crawl, but if its Move has been reduced to zero when the opportunity arises.

31
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
After killing an opponent, or when a hunk tack an opponent, move across the battlefield,
of fresh meat is within its walking distance, and then attack a second opponent.
the undead must spend the next combat turn Naturally, it cannot do this if the time be-
eating. This counts as its Attack action for the fore recharging has already expired.
turn. In a life-or-death situation, such as when
being attached by a second opponent, a ghoul Salt
may make a Willpower x 2 roll at Difficulty 3 to
resist having a snack. Prerequisite: Zombie
As well as being a preservative, salt is a sym-
Lesser Stench bol of purity and has been a key component in
wards against the supernatural for millennia.
The walking dead smells of decay, either In certain folklore, zombies can be released
from its decomposing flesh, the grave from from their undead state by filling their mouth
which it rose, the environment in which it with salt. Being aware of this, some sorcerers
lurks, or the remnants of its last meal. Although sew up their zombie’s mouth as a precaution.
strong, the odor does not induce gagging in A zombie with this weakness suffers double
nearby mortals. It does, however, reveal the damage from shotguns firing rock salt crystals.
presence of the undead. Unless a stronger Alas, salt makes for poor ammunition. The
scent masks their fetid odor, walking dead with range of shotguns firing rock salt is reduced
this ability suffer a –2 penalty to Stealth rolls. to 10 feet.

Recharge Unholy Healing

Prerequisite: Flesh golem Prerequisite: Flesh golem or ghoul
Flesh golems are sustained by the electric- Despite being constructed from the body
ity or chemicals coursing through their bodies. parts of several individuals and given unnatu-
This specimen has a defect that requires it to ral life through perverted science or complex
seek regular recharges or doses of life-sustain- dark rituals, flesh golems heal naturally and
ing chemicals. can have their injuries treated by a physician
The golem can go without a recharge for a (not that many doctors would willingly agree
number of days equal to its Body rating. After to such a task). The same applies to ghouls,
this, it automatically loses one point of Health which are not actually undead. For reasons un-
per day until it acquires a suitable recharge. known, though, some are incapable of healing
Those bound to their creator usually have through conventional means.
little difficulty achieving this. Those that have While nonlethal injuries heal normally, nei-
broken their bonds, however, must seek them ther Medicine rolls nor natural healing can be
out. Typically this means raiding a pharmacy or used to recover from lethal wounds. Instead,
weird scientist’s laboratory. the undead must fix itself by utilizing flesh,
There is a slight upside to needing constant bone, and organs scavenged from corpses. In
recharging. The flesh golem can voluntarily burn rare cases, the monster may kill someone and
through whatever energy or chemicals sustain make use of fresh components.
its life in order to gain an advantage. Doing so A corpse provides suitable materials to heal
reduces the number of days before a recharge is lethal wounds equal to its former Body rating
due by one, but gains the creature an additional (assume 2 in most cases). Thus, a ghoul that
Move or Attack action for a single combat turn. has suffered three lethal wounds requires at a
For clarity, the second action is totally inde- minimum of two corpses (on average) to bring
pendent of the first. Thus, the creature could itself back to full Health.
move twice as far as normal without having to Patching up lethal wounds in this man-
expend its Attack action on a Run, sprint twice ner takes two hours per point of damage and
to cover lots of ground in a single turn, or at- leaves the creature hideously disfigured.

32
 Chapter the Fifth:
Catalog of Fiends

“God knows it was not of this world - or no

Body Snatcher
longer of this world - yet to my horror I saw Follower 1
in its eaten-away and bone-revealing outlines Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Duty;
a leering, abhorrent travesty on the human Style: 0
shape; and in its moldy, disintegrating apparel Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2,
an unspeakable quality that chilled me even Strength 3, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
more. “ power 2
—H. P. Lovecraft, The Outsider Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
tion 4, Initiative 4, Defense 3, Stun 1, Health 4
Skills: Athletics 5 (Digging 6), Larceny 4, Me-
Mortals lee 5, Stealth 5 (Sneaking 6)
Talents: Pack Mule (Treat encumbrance level
as one level less)
Resources: None
Body Snatcher Flaw: Illiterate (+1 Style point whenever his
illiteracy causes him severe difficulty or embar-
Not every monster has a supernatural rassment)
origin. Body snatchers, also known as resur- Weapons: Punch 0N, Shovel 7N, Pickaxe 8L
rection men, dig up the recently deceased and
sell the corpses for use in illegal medical proce-
dures (the Anatomy Act of 1832 made corpses Necromancer
available for legal procedures), or to scientists
of dubious morality and purpose whose ready In fiction, a necromancer is most commonly
supply of cash ensures no awkward questions portrayed as someone who animates the dead.
are asked by their ghoulish hirelings. When In reality, the name applies to a person who
fresh corpses are in short supply, body snatch- communicates with the dead to tell the future
ers aren’t above using violence to secure what (such as a medium). This entry follows litera-
their employer requires. ture and applies solely to the former.
Contrary to reports and public opinion, Necromancers fall into two main types—
few body snatchers actually rob the corpses those who use magic and those who use
they gather from graves. As odd as it might science to achieve their aims. Motivations
sound, body snatching from a grave is merely are more varied. Some necromancers raise
a misdemeanor, whereas theft carries harsher the dead or create life as a means of secur-
punishments. Murder, of course, is a capital ing wealth (Greed) or power (Power). One
offense. example would be one who uses zombies as

33
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
it flies in the face of all that is good and proper.
Thus, the magical necromancer is always a vil-
lain.
Ally 2
Archetype: Occultist; Motivation: Varies;
Style: 1
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2,
Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
power 4
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
tion 7, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health 6
Skills: Academics: Occult 5 (Necromancy 6),
Intimidation 4, Investigation 5, Linguistics 5,
Magic: Black Magic 10, Melee 4
Talents: Magical Aptitude (Can cast rituals)
Resources: Artifact 1 (Magician’s Wand: +2 to
Magic rating)
Rituals: Channel Dead, Fear, Raise Dead (+1
to Magic rating), plus one more of Gamemas-
ter’s choice
Flaw: Aloof (+1 Style point whenever his busi-
ness-like attitude causes him trouble)
Weapons: Punch 0N, Dagger 5L

Scientific Necromancer
Scientific necromancers, while villains by
dint of their vile experiments and lack of moral
judgment, are no match for globetrotters in
combat—they are men of science (albeit per-
a source of slave labor or to create an army. An- verted), not violence. Fortunately, they often
other may dabble with reanimation as a means have a loyal henchman or spare animated
of bring back a lost loved one (Love). Another corpse or two at their disposal to deal with
may do so in order to study the mysteries of pesky interlopers.
life and death (Mystery). The scientific necromancer has a choice of
two Craft and two Science Skills. Which ones
Magical Necromancer depend on whether their experiments are
powered by chemicals or electricity.
As the old saying goes, the road to Hell is Ally 2
paved with good intentions. A necromancer Archetype: Scientist; Motivation: Varies;
may set out with the noblest of intentions, but Style: 1
inevitably he is sucked down into darkness and Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2,
despair by the forces he unleashes. Strength 2, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
Raising the dead for any motivation is a power 3
highly dubious endeavor, especially in an age Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
when Christian thought and the need for good tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health 6
moral behavior still holds sway over much of Skills: Craft: Electrics or Pharmacology 6, In-
the population. Although Leagues of Adven- vestigation 5, Medicine 6, Science: Biology 6,
ture allows any magician to invoke the Raise Science: Chemistry or Engineering 6
Dead ritual, it remains, at best, an evil act, for Talents: Spark of Life (can create intelligent

34
 Catalog of Fiends
artifacts), Weird Science (can create weird sci- Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2,
ence devices) Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will-
Resources: None power 3
Flaw: Righteous (+1 Style point whenever his Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 7, Percep-
actions alienate him and his friends, or causes tion 4, Initiative 3, Defense 5, Stun 5, Health
others to publicly question his motives and 10, Horror 2 (4 once you realize it’s a walking
moral judgment) corpse)
Weapons: Punch 0N Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 5,
Stealth 5*
Talents: Iron Jaw (+1 Stun rating), Robust
Flesh Golems (+2 Health)
Resources: None
Flaw: Sadism (+1 Style point whenever it is
needlessly cruel to its friends or enemies)
Frankenstein Monster Weapons: Punch 7N
* Frankenstein Monsters have a –1 Size pen-
Frankenstein’s monster is dead, self-im- alty on Stealth rolls.
molated on a funeral pyre in the Arctic wastes.
But the mad scientist’s notebooks have found
their way into the hands of others. The reader Ghouls
should note that nowhere in the novel does
Mary Shelley state exactly how the monster
was created. Talk of grave-robbing and stitched
corpses is an invention of Hollywood, but it is Bal-Bal
also the one we use here.
Whereas the monster was intelligent, sensi- Native to the Philippines, the bal-bal is a
tive, and well versed in literature, these imita- gluttonous fiend with breath that reeks of the
tions of Frankenstein’s work are brutish, stu- grave. It possesses a powerful sense of smell,
pid, amoral, and childlike in their knowledge though only with regard dead and decaying
of the world. They are blank slates who know flesh. Its sharp teeth and claws are ideal for
only pain and misery and who enjoy inflicting biting and tearing off chunks of flesh.
the same on others. These fell mockeries of Although the bal-bal does not hunt living
man lack the original’s independence, and are humans, it breaks into funeral parlors and ex-
mindlessly obedient to their creator. humes graves in search of nourishment. Thus,
These monsters range in appearance from while not greatly feared by the living, it is ab-
the original, who was eight feet tall, grotesquely horred. In order to avoid revealing its presence
ugly, with yellowish skin that “barely disguised in the community, the fiend’s intended meal is
the workings of the vessels and muscles under- replaced with the trunk of a banana tree, thus
neath,” glowing eyes, blackened lips and hair, inferring that the deceased was stolen by body
and white teeth, through to the corpse-stitched snatchers rather than consumed.
imagery from the movies, replete with hideous Unlike the European ghoul, the bal-bal is
scars, long arms, a flat head, bolts through the truly undead. Although it appears human, its
neck, huge hands which end in black nails, and clawed hands, lolling tongue, and red eyes are
enormous, heavy boots. clear indicators of its inhuman nature.

Frankenstein Monster Bal-Bal

Follower 2 Follower 2
Archetype: Artificial life; Motivation: Duty; Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 1 Style: 0

35
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
suspecting travelers into the deep desert, where

Hyena the monster can kill and eat them at its leisure.
Arabian ghouls have no sensitivity toward
sunlight, and thus are active during the day.
Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity
2, Strength 3, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Being demonic in nature, they have no need
Willpower 3 to sleep. Neither do they become more bestial
Secondary Attributes: Size –1, Move 5 with age. Those few with an aversion toward
(Run 10), Perception 4, Initiative 3, De- religious objects cower only when the Koran is
fense 6, Stun 3, Health 5 presented before them.
Skills: Brawl 7, Stealth 6*, Survival 6
Talents: Skill Aptitude (+2 Brawl rating)
Weapons: Bite 9L Ghoul, Arabian
* Hyenas have a +1 Size bonus on Stealth
rolls. Follower 2
Archetype: Demon; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 1
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2,
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
Strength 4, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will- power 2
power 2 Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Per- tion 4 (Smell 8), Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 4,
ception 4 (8), Initiative 5, Defense 7, Stun 4, Health 6, Horror — (4 in natural form)
Health 6, Horror 3 Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6 (Punching 7), Con
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Intimidation 5, 6 (Lies 7), Stealth 6
Stealth 6, Survival 5 Talents: Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Percep-
Talents: Keen Sense (+4 Perception rating tion rating), Skill Aptitude (+2 Stealth rating)
with regard scent of human corpses) Resources: None
Resources: None Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever its
Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever its appetite causes it problems)
appetite causes it problems) Weapons: Claws 7L
Weapons: Bite 6L, Claw 6L Shapechange: An Arabian ghoul can trans-
form into a hyena or drop its illusionary hu-
man form and reveal its ghoulish appearance
Ghoul, Arabian as an Attack action.

The origin of the word ghoul lies not in the

graveyards of Europe, but the arid deserts of Ghoul
the Middle East. A demon made flesh, and re-
lated to the greater genies, the Arabian ghoul is Contrary to popular belief, ghouls are not
a horrendous monster, with matted black fur, undead. A ghoul is a person whose taste for
enlarged teeth, bestial hands and feet, and red human flesh has warped their physical body
eyes. Whereas its European namesakes prefer and mind into something neither man nor
carrion, the Arabian ghoul prefers living flesh. woman, beast nor human.
A shapeshifter by nature, it can assume the Ghouls exist on the fringes of society, scav-
form of a hyena (see sidebar). The ravenous enging corpses from graveyards or, on rare
fiend also has the power to assume the physi- occasions, committing murder to sate their
cal appearance of the last person it consumed. inhuman hunger. Pained by light and fearful
The demon gains none of its victim’s Attributes, of being caught, they spend the daylight hours
Skills, Talents, Flaws (unless obviously physical, huddled away in dark holes or sewers, gnaw-
such as One Arm)—it merely adopts their form ing on the bones from which they have already
and voice. In human guise, it seeks to lure un- devoured the succulent flesh.

36
 Catalog of Fiends
Most ghouls quickly lose their capacity for Hag
speech, though some are capable of single
words or short phrases. Often these are used Follower 2
to lure unsuspecting prey into their grasp. Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 1
Ghoul Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2,
Strength 3, Charisma 2 (4), Intelligence 3,
Follower 2 Willpower 3
Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
Style: 1 tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 4, Stun 2, Health
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2, 5, Horror —
Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will- Skills: Academics: Occult 5, Athletics 4, Brawl
power 2 5, Con 5 (7), Craft: Candy 4, Intimidation 4
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep- (6), Magic: Black Magic 7
tion 4 (Smell 8), Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun 4, Talents: Charismatic (+2 Charisma rating but
Health 6, Horror 3 (4 if feeding) only when dealing with children), Magical Ap-
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 7, Intimidation 4, titude (Can cast rituals)
Stealth 8, Survival 5 Resources: Refuge: Equipment 0 (+1 bonus
Talents: Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Percep- to Magic rating), Refuge: Size 0 (Cottage)
tion rating), Skill Aptitude (+2 Stealth rating)
Resources: None
Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever its
appetite causes it problems)
Weapons: Claws 7L
Pained by Sunlight: Ghouls suffer a –2
penalty to all rolls when in sunlight.

Hag
The occult is not a straightforward subject.
Depending on the specific context, one might
be referring to a mortal witch or a nightmare
spirit when discussing hags. While many stu-
dents of the occult group flesh-eating hags
under witches, they are, in fact, a third type of
creature with the same name and belong in a
separate category—that of ghouls.
Ugly and old, cannibal hags have given rise
to stories of Baba Yaga, Muma Padurii, and
Grýla, as well as the cautionary tale of Hansel
and Gretel. Whereas regular ghouls prefer to
scavenge, hags especially savor the flesh of
children. In addition to snatching babies from
cribs, they are experts in luring children into
their ghastly clutches.
Hags have no dreams of domination or
wealth. So long as they receive regular meals,
they are quite content to stay in their remote
cottages and study the black arts.

37
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
they appear. Not consigned solely to western
European mythology, they are found in Greek
(where they appear as cyclops) and Japanese
(where they are called oni) folklore.
The true nature of ogres has the Ghost Club
vexed. Many members believe they do not exist,
save as distant memories of cannibal tribes or
individuals possessed by demonic spirits. Some
members believe they are an evolutionary stage,
one achieved only by the most aged ghouls. A
small faction holds that they are a separate spe-
cies of mankind, one either extinct or on the
verge of disappearing. To others, ogre is just
another name for the yeti or similar mysterious
hominids. It may yet prove that they are a sort
of Mr. Hyde, a manifested dark aspect of an
ordinary citizen who secretly craves to dine on
human flesh but who lacks the conscious will to
undertake such a depraved act.
Whatever the truth, ogres still exist, al-
though not in any large numbers. Where once
they roamed freely, today they are forced
to hide in the shadows. They are taller and
broader than the average human, hirsute, and
exceptionally tough. Ogres eat only human
flesh, savoring the soft and juicy meat and
organs of children over stringy adults.

Ogre
Rituals: Alter Visibility, Control Weather, Em-
power, Harm, Spirit Binding Follower 3
Flaws: Elderly (–2 penalty to any roll where Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival;
strength, speed, or endurance is a factor; +1 Style: 1
Style point whenever her age slows her down Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 3,
or she is taken advantage of because of it) Strength 5, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will-
Weapons: Punch 5N power 3
Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 8, Percep-
tion 5, Initiative 5, Defense 8, Stun 7, Health
Ogre 12, Horror 3
Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 6,
In Roman mythology, Orcus was a minor Melee 6, Stealth 6*, Survival 6
deity of the underworld, where he served as Talents: Iron Jaw (+1 Stun rating), Iron Teeth
punisher of oath breakers. His origins actu- (Ignores one point of Passive Defense from
ally lie with the Etruscans. Depicted as a hairy armor), Robust (+2 Health rating)
giant, he was not a god, but a ferocious, can- Resources: None
nibalistic monster who terrorized central Italy. Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever its
It is from his name and description the word appetite causes it problems)
ogre originates. Weapons: Bite 8L, Punch 8N, Huge cleaver 8L
That ogres were once widespread is evi- * Ogres suffer a –1 Size penalty on Stealth
denced by the number of fairy tales in which rolls.

38
 Catalog of Fiends
Tonton Macoute Resources: None
Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever its
Children across Haiti know and fear the appetite causes it problems)
name of the gigantic and ghoulish Tonton Weapons: Punch 8N, Grapple 8
Macoute (“Uncle Gunnysack”). A bogeyman * A Tonton Macoute suffers a –2 Size penalty
figure whose name is invoked to frighten on Stealth rolls.
naughty children into good behavior, Macoute Gunnysack: Macoute’s sack is large
(as he is more frequently addressed) kidnaps enough to hold a single child of Size –1 or two
disruptive children, dragging them away in his children of Size –2. With a successful pin from
large sack. Come the morning, he eats them a grapple, Macoute can ensnare a child in his
for breakfast. sack. Once captured, the child instantly and
Save for his top hat and milky eyes, not to automatically falls into a deep slumber. The
mention his trademark sack, Macoute appears child awakens unharmed once removed from
human. What stands out most is his height, for the sack.
he rises to 18 feet tall.
In some legends, Macoute is a unique be-
ing, a wicked eternal spirit in corporeal form Vetala
that can be laid to rest only for short periods.
Destroyed through violence, he automatically Mentioned in Hindu mythology, vetalas are
reanimates the next sunset fully healed. Other demonic spirits with the ability to possess and
folklore says that Macoute is a name shared by animate human corpses. The animated dead
such creatures. In life, he was a wicked man. is not a zombie, but is closer to a ghoul. So
In death, his sin allows black magicians to ani- long as the vetala is present, the corpse does
mate his corpse. His unusual size, so folklore not decompose further. In many instances, the
goes, is due to the quantity of his sins in life. corpse is decayed enough that its supernatural
Relatives of Tonton Macoute—few of which origin is obvious to all. Corpses in a poor state
are giants—are found across the globe. In may be mistaken for zombies. A fresh corpse,
Spain and parts of Spanish America they are however, may be able to pass in society, al-
called El hombre del saco (“The sack man”). though it is cold to the touch and still has any
Argentinians and Chileans know him as El Viejo injuries sustained in death.
del Saco (“the old man with the bag”). Zsákos Unless forced to defend themselves, vetalas
ember (“the person with a sack”) haunts the pose little threat to the living, for they eat only
children of Hungary, Krampus terrorizes the carrion. This does not mean they are tolerated
Alpine nations, and Bori Baba (“Father Sack”) in Hindu society—no one likes having their
has his eyes set on wayard Indian children. relatives used as a host for a spirit or being
exhumed and eaten. Like their distant kin,
Tonton Macoute they favor scavenging meals from graveyards
and charnel houses.
Follower 2 Vetalas are extremely reluctant to leave
Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival; their host body, and can keep it mobile even
Style: 1 after it has taken grievous damage. This reluc-
Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 3, tance gives them a cowardly nature, making
Strength 5, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will- them more likely to run away than engage in a
power 2 lengthy and potentially lethal conflict.
Secondary Attributes: Size 2, Move 8, Percep-
tion 4, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun 5, Health Vetala
13, Horror 4
Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 7, Follower 2
Stealth 5* Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Survival;
Talents: Robust 2 (+4 Health rating) Style: 1

39
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, remains inert until the start of the next combat
Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will- turn. If no such host can be found, the vetala
power 3 returns to the spirit world, where it is bound
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep- to remain for a year. A vetala cannot possess a
tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health corpse it has previously animated.
6, Horror 3 (may be higher, depending on the
condition of the host body)
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Intimidation 4, Revenants
Stealth 6, Survival 6
Talents: High Pain Tolerance 2 (Ignores 5
wound penalties)
Resources: None Haugbui
Flaws: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
Weapons: Punch 6N Found inhabiting ancient burial mounds,
Body Swap: A vetala can be driven from its the haugbui is the corporeal relative of the
host body by a Banish ritual or exorcism. It is feared draugen, or barrow-wight (see Guide
automatically forced to depart the host when it to Apparitions). Unlike its spectral cousin,
is killed. If there is another corpse within the a haugbui cannot wander far from its grave.
vetala’s Willpower x 5 feet, then it automatically Thus, it commonly assaults only those who
takes up residence in a new body. The corpse dare to trespass near its resting place. Most of-
ten they utilize their teeth, claws, and fell magic
only to protect their grave goods from robbers.
It is this love of material wealth that keeps a
haugbui from moving on to the afterlife.
Although some haugbui have haunted the
land since prehistory, many are of Viking stock.
As such, they can be found across Scandinavia,
northern Britain, and parts of Russia.
Haugbui are capable of speech, though they
are not ones for small talk or trivial conversa-
tions. Usually they talk only to warn intruders
of imminent death and invoke spells.
A haugbui is skeletally thin but far stronger
than its frame and withered muscles would in-
dicate. Its eyes glow with a baleful glint. Most
were kings or mighty warriors in life, and wear
the rusted remains of mail hauberks and carry
notched and pitted swords or axes.
Haugbui cannot rise from death multiple
times, though slaying the corporeal body of one
is not guaranteed to end its existence. Should its
treasure remain untouched, then the creature
will never return. If so much as a single coin
is stolen, however, the haugbui may return in
spiritual form. In this instance, use the statistics
for the aforementioned barrow-wight.

Hagbui
Follower 2

40
 Catalog of Fiends
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Preserva- Revenants retain some knowledge of skills
tion; Style: 0 and abilities learned in life. That said, a former
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2, accountant isn’t out to cause financial ruin for
Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will- his enemies, and thus isn’t likely to need points
power 3 invested in that Skill. As noted above, revenants
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep- desire only to cause death. A former sorcerer,
tion 4, Initiative 3, Defense 6 (8)*, Stun N/A, on the other hand, may well retain Magical
Health 7**, Horror 4 Aptitude, Magic (usually Black Magic, but any
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Intimidation 5, tradition is permitted), and a handful of rituals.
Magic: Black Magic 6, Melee 6, Stealth 6 Gamemasters should change the Attributes and
Talents: Magical Aptitude (Can cast rituals) Talents of the stock revenant below as required
Resources: None to suit the nature of the revenant in life.
Rituals: Alter Visibility, Drain Life, Sleep, Spirit
Binding Revenant
Flaws: Primitive (–2 penalty on any Skill roll
related to modern technology; +1 Style point Ally 2
whenever its primitive nature hampers it) Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Revenge;
Weapons: Punch 6N, Rusty sword 8L or hand Style: 1
axe 9L Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2,
* Rusty mail grants the haugbui a +2 Passive Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
Defense bonus. power 3
** A haugbui is immune to nonlethal damage Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Per-
and cannot be stunned. ception 5, Initiative 4, Defense 5, Stun N/A,
Health 8*, Horror 2-4, depending on the state
of decay
Revenant Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Intimidation 5,
Melee 6, Stealth 5
While a zombie’s brain is devoid of Talents: Flurry (Can attack same opponent
thought, vengeance burns brightly in the mind twice in a round at –2 penalty), Robust (+2
of a revenant. They are relentless, remorseless Health rating)
hunters, finding true peace only once the fires Resources: None
of vengeance have been extinguished. Flaws: Vengeful (+1 Style point whenever the
There is no fixed time on when a revenant desire to get even causes problems)
might rise from its grave. Some appear soon Weapons: Punch 6N
after death, seeking to murder the person who * A revenant is immune to nonlethal damage
wronged them. Others might lie still for de- and cannot be stunned.
cades or centuries, finally awakening to enact Multiple Lives: Each time a revenant is slain,
revenge on the perpetrator’s descendants. they return from death the next sunset fully
In the latter case, the trigger may be an healed. This occurs even if the corpse is utterly
important anniversary (such as 100 years since destroyed. Revenants are not immortal, though.
the revenant entered the grave), a female Each time one reanimates, its Willpower rating
descendant being born to whoever wronged drops by one (recalculate Secondary Attributes
the unfortunate soul in life, or even an auspi- as required). When Willpower permanently
cious alignment of stars or planets. Rarely, a drops to zero, the revenant can rise no more.
revenant can be called from the grave by one
of its descendants seeking vengeance.
Whether it is a lesser villain under the com- Revenant, Drowned
mand of a living relative (the true villain of the
adventure) or a major villain in its own right, a Revenants who died from drowning and
revenant should have a backstory. were buried or discarded at sea are almost

41
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Per-
ception 5, Initiative 4, Defense 5, Stun N/A,
Health 8*, Horror 2-4, depending on the state
of decay
Skills: Athletics 6, Brawl 6, Intimidation 5,
Melee 6, Stealth 5
Talents: Flurry (Can attack same opponent
twice at –2 penalty), Robust (+2 Health rating)
Resources: None
Flaws: Vengeful (+1 Style point whenever his
desire to get even causes him problem)
Weapons: Punch 6N, Grapple 6
* A revenant is immune to nonlethal damage
and cannot be stunned.
Drown: A drowned revenant that secures a
pin on an opponent can fill his foes lungs with
seawater on subsequent combat turns. This
counts as a free action. The victim automati-
cally suffers one nonlethal wound per combat
turn until the hold is broken.
Multiple Lives: Each time a revenant is slain,
they return from death the next sunset fully
healed. This occurs even if the corpse is utterly
destroyed. Revenants are not immortal, though.
Each time one reanimates, its Willpower rating
drops by one (recalculate Secondary Attributes
as required). When Willpower permanently
drops to zero, the revenant can rise no more.

identical to those detailed above. The main

difference is in their appearance—a normal Skeletons
revenant may resemble a walking corpse, but
those that have lain beneath the waves are far
more hideous to behold. Regardless of the
actual state of preservation, they return with Danse Macabre
sagging, worm-eaten skin that constantly drips
water and reeks of rotting fish and seaweed. In the minds of modern scholars, the danse
The second difference is drowned revenants macabre is nothing more than an allegorical
possess an usual power—they have the ability to reminder of one of life’s universal truths—from
create seawater in the lungs of those they hold pope to peasant, everyone dies. But the wood-
in their moist grip, causing them to drown. cuts, paintings, sculptures, engravings, and
murals found across Christendom are not just
Revenant, Drowned allegories—as the Ghost Club has discovered,
the dance of death is a very real entity.
Ally 2 The danse macabre appears as a skeletal
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Revenge; figure, sometimes clad in a funeral shroud
Style: 1 and sometimes naked. In most manifestations
Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, it carries a set of pipes on which it plays the
Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will- haunting yet frenetic dance of death, though
power 3 others wield drums.

42
 Catalog of Fiends
Those who fail to resist the melody become living person, a skeleton presents much less
entranced by the tune and begin twirling and of a target against piercing weapons, such as
whirling ever faster and faster. For many, this is spears and bullets. Against such weapons, a
the last dance they will perform, for the rhythm skeleton has +3 Passive Defense.
is a deadly one. Those who dance too long lose Dance of Death: Captivated victims auto-
their souls, leaving their fleshy remains behind matically suffer one point of lethal damage for
to serve the danse macabre. each round they are held by the entity’s power.
Most manifestations are accompanied by a Those who die by this effect become animated
small number of animated corpses in varying corpses bound to the danse macabre’s will at
states of decomposition. These mindless, soul- the start of the following round.
less corpses are the danse macabre’s protec-
tors, for while most mortals fear Death, some
dare to strike out at him. Gashadokuro
Those who know of the danse macabre’s
existence are unsure as to its origin. Most The name gashadokuro means “starving
argue that it is a servant of God, an Angel of skeleton” in Japanese. Extremely rare (and as
Death sent to harvest souls according to God’s yet never witnessed by any globetrotter), these
decree. Others argue it is a tool of Satan, for monstrous beings cannot be created through
it is indiscriminate in its harvesting. Were this magical arts. Instead, they are formed “natu-
so, though, good souls slain by the danse ma- rally” from the bones of dozens of people who
cabre would no more belong to Satan than if starved to death and were buried in a massed
they died of illness or old age, for Satan has no grave. Likely they are a gestalt entity, a collec-
authority over souls devoted to God. tive mind animating the skeleton.
Regardless, the existence of the danse Gashadokuro are not hard to miss. Al-
macabre is a reminder to all mortals to ensure though they have the form of a standard
their souls are free of sin, for Death can strike skeleton, they stand around 60 feet tall! Not
at any time. surprisingly, Japanese folklore claims these
monsters are indestructible. They certainly re-
Danse Macabre quire huge amounts of damage to bring down,
but they are far from immortal. Claims they
Ally 2 are invisible have been dismissed by the Ghost
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style: Club—if they were invisible, then there would
0 be no descriptions of them.
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 2, Driven by hunger, the enormous undead
Strength 2, Charisma 4, Intelligence 2, Will- stalk the land at night in search of lone travel-
power 3 ers. These they grab in their huge hands before
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep- biting off their heads and squeezing out the
tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 4 (7), Stun N/A, warm blood. The dried husk is then discarded.
Health 5*, Horror 4
Skills: Athletics 6, Intimidation 9, Performance Gashodokuro
11 (Dancing 12, Musical Instrument 12)
Talents: Captivate 2 (May make a single Perfor- Follower 2
mance roll against all opponents within 10 feet Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style:
to entrance them) 0
Resources: None Primary Attributes: Body 11, Dexterity 2,
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools) Strength 11, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
Weapons: Punch 0N power 3
* Skeletons are immune to nonlethal damage Secondary Attributes: Size 8, Move 13, Per-
and cannot be stunned. ception 3, Initiative 2, Defense 5 (8), Stun N/A,
All Bones: Although the same height as a Health 22*, Horror 2

43
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Skills: Athletics 12, Brawl 12, Intimidation 5, spears and bullets. Against such weapons, a
Stealth 0** skeleton has +3 Passive Defense.
Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound Slow: Cannot run or sprint.
penalties)
Resources: None
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools) Skeleton, Charred
Weapons: Bite 12L, Punch 12N
* Gashadokuro are immune to nonlethal These unusual undead can be created only
damage and cannot be stunned. from skeletons whose flesh has been removed
** Gashadokuro suffer a –8 penalty to Stealth by fire or intense heat. Truly depraved nec-
rolls. romancers burn victims alive and imbue the
All Bones: A skeleton presents much less bones with necromantic energy while they are
of a target against piercing weapons, such as still hot and smoking.
spears and bullets. Against such weapons, a As the name implies, a charred skeleton’s
skeleton has +3 Passive Defense. bones are black and cracked. They also give off
a smoky aroma, despite not actually producing
any smoke. Their bony fingers glow red with
Skeleton heat, and are hot enough to scorch flesh and
set fire to combustibles. To strike a target, the
At their most basic, skeletons are rather skeleton makes a Brawl touch attack against
similar to zombies, in that they are mindless the opponent’s Active Defense.
servitors raised from the dead. With no rot-
ting muscles and oozing internal organs to Skeleton, Charred
weigh them down, they are nimbler than their
flesh-laden cousins, though still largely unable Follower 0
to run. On the downside, they are physically Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style:
weaker and more fragile. 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2,
Skeleton Strength 1, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
power 2
Follower 0 Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style: tion 2, Initiative 2, Defense 3 (6), Stun N/A,
0 Health 0*, Horror 2
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2, Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 4, Stealth 5
Strength 1, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will- Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound
power 2 penalties)
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep- Resources: None
tion 2, Initiative 2, Defense 3 (6), Stun N/A, Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools)
Health 0*, Horror 2 Weapons: Fiery touch 1L caustic
Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 4, Melee 4, Stealth 5 * Skeletons are immune to nonlethal damage
Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound and cannot be stunned.
penalties) All Bones: Although the same height as a
Resources: None living person, a skeleton presents much less
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools) of a target against piercing weapons, such as
Weapons: Punch 4N spears and bullets. Against such weapons, a
* Skeletons are immune to nonlethal damage skeleton has +3 Passive Defense.
and cannot be stunned. Immune to Fire: Charred skeletons suffer
All Bones: Although the same height as a no damage from any source of fire short of
living person, a skeleton presents much less molten rock or metal.
of a target against piercing weapons, such as Slow: Cannot run or sprint.

44
 Catalog of Fiends
Skeleton, Warrior
In days of yore, heroic warriors and rich
nobles were interred with their arms and
armor as a sign of their status. Death has weak-
ened much of their former martial prowess
and their equipment has rusted or rotted in
the grave, but they are still a threat to globe-
trotters, especially if animated in numbers.

Skeleton, Warrior
Follower 1
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style: 0
Primary Attributes: Body 1, Dexterity 2,
Strength 1, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
power 2
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 3, Percep-
tion 2, Initiative 2, Defense 3 (8)*, Stun N/A,
Health 0**, Horror 2
Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Melee 6
Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound
penalties)
Resources: None
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools)
Weapons: Punch 5N, Rusting sword 8L or
hand axe 7L
* Skeleton warriors are clad in rotting and
rusted fragments of armor. Regardless of spe-
cific type, these grant the skeleton +2 Passive
Defense. moving their tongue) and cannot bend any of
** Skeletons are immune to nonlethal dam- their joints. The latter impairment gives them
age and cannot be stunned. a stiff, lurching gait.
All Bones: Although the same height as a There are two types of ro-langs. The first is
living person, a skeleton presents much less created by a master of the dark arts to serve as
of a target against piercing weapons, such as his slave. In this regard they are little different
spears and bullets. Against such weapons, a from ordinary zombies. These are known as
skeleton has +3 Passive Defense. Tantric ro-langs.
Slow: Cannot run or sprint. The second comes from a demonic spirit
inhabiting a corpse. Independent of any earth-
ly master, they seek only to contaminate the
Zombies living. This they achieve simply by touching
a person on the head. These demon-infested
corpses are referred to as demonic ro-langs. In
some legends, this contamination is a disease.
Ro-langs Thus, ro-langs are viewed harbingers of plague.
In truth, the contamination is a spiritual sick-
Ro-langs are found only on the high Tibet- ness rather than one of the flesh.
an plateau. They appear human, but have no Regardless of type. Tibetan folklore states
capacity for speech (they communicate only by there are five distinct varieties. Each vbariety has

45
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
tion 5, Initiative 4, Defense 5, Stun N/A, Health
8*, Horror 4
Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 6, Empathy 5, Intimi-
dation 6, Stealth 6
Talents: Fearsome (May temporarily frighten
opponents), Robust (+2 Health rating)
Resources: None
Flaws: Inflexible Body (–2 Move rating; +1
Style point whenever its inability to bend its
body or limbs causes it problems)
Weapons: Punch 6N
* Ro-langs cannot be stunned. They are im-
mune to all damage except as determined by
their vulnerability (see below).
Contamination: This foul ability is found
only among Tantric ro-langs. In order to use it,
the ro-langs must make a called shot touch attack
against its target’s head. This done, the opponent
must make a reflexive Charisma + Willpower
with a Difficulty equal to the fiend’s Willpower
rating. For each point by which the roll is failed,
the target suffers one point of Corruption.
Vulnerability: The Gamemaster must pick
one specific weakness from the list below.
* Blood: This is the most common vulner-
ability. The ro-langs can be slain by any means
that draws blood. It suffers lethal damage as
normal but is immune to all nonlethal damage.
* Bone: Only breaking the creature’s bones
a specific name—khrag-langs (blood-zombie), can kill it. Except for fists, it is susceptible only
lpags-langs (skin-zombie), rme-langs (bone- to nonlethal weapons, such as hammers and
zombie), rus-langs (bone-zombie), and sha- maces. For game purposes, the fiend dies
langs (flesh-zombie). when it has been driven to –5 Health by non-
More importantly, ro-langs can be de- lethal injuries.
stroyed only by a weakness specific to their * Flesh: The flesh of these zombies must
variety—what harms a blood-zombie has no be either cut deeply or blown off in chunks.
effect on a skin-zombie, for instance. Unfor- They suffer damage only from slashing melee
tunately for zombie hunters, the only way to weapons (such as axes and swords), shotguns
determine an individual ro-langs’ weakness is at short range, and explosives.
through trial and error. * Mole: The only vulnerable spot is a single
mole somewhere on the ro-langs’ body. Target-
Ro-langs ing this tiny area, once it has been identified,
requires a called shot with a –8 penalty.
Follower 2 * Skin: These foul abominations can be
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty/Sur- slain only by removing their skin. Only caus-
vival; Style: 1 tic damage such as acid and fire harms them.
Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2, Pinning them down and skinning them would
Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will- work, but it is a slow and grisly method requir-
power 3 ing a Horror roll at Difficulty 3.

46
 Catalog of Fiends
Zombie
In their warm and comfortable clubs,
Witch Trains
adventurers and explorers are quick to mock
Since the advent of the railway in South
those who speak of the walking dead. Such Africa, stories have arisen of “witch trains”
talk is ridiculed as superstition or drug-in- among the indigenous population. Unfor-
duced states of semi-consciousness in unfor- tunately, a “witch train” looks no different
tunate victims, or put down to heatstroke or to an ordinary train, although it only runs
brain fever on the part of the viewer. But in the during the hours of darkness.
If the stories are true, the engine driver is
dark corners of Africa where the juju men hold
a witch and the staff her obedient zombie
power, and in the Caribbean, the last haunt of slaves. Depending on the witch’s mode,
Voodoo, they are less quick to dismiss talk of living passengers may be murdered and
shambling corpses. transformed into zombies, or beaten
Animated corpses have no intelligence or per- senseless and thrown from the train in
sonality, and are exceptionally slow and clumsy. the middle of nowhere.
As such, they are little use for work requiring Governmental administrators, keen to
quash these rumors before they incite
manual dexterity or mental aptitude, but they
panic, point out that any murders or kid-
make fine soldiers and slave laborers for those nappings are likely the result of criminal
willing to traffic in forbidden knowledge, for gangs rather than supernatural menaces.
they possess unlimited endurance and stamina.

Zombie
During construction, its veins are pumped
Follower 0 full of a silver solution, while its internal organs
Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Duty; are removed to make room for a large voltaic
Style: 0 cell. Electrodes, usually silver, although iron
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 0, suffices for necromancers of limited financial
Strength 2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will- means, are driven into its fingertips. Once the
power 2 battery is charged, a single touch from the rot-
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep- ting husk can deliver a lethal electric shock.
tion 2, Initiative 0, Defense 2, Stun N/A, Health The voltaic cell cannot be recharged. The
0*, Horror 2 only way is to replace the cell, requiring the
Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Melee 5, Stealth 4 construction phase to be repeated. No addi-
Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound tional Experience points need be spent acquir-
penalties) ing a recharged electric zombie.
Resources: None Large voltaic cells can be created as Artifact
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools) 0 gadgets. A batch contains five cells, each of
Weapons: Bite 5L, Punch 5N which contains 10 charges.
* Zombies are immune to nonlethal damage
and cannot be stunned. In addition, they must Zombie, Electric
consume one pound of living flesh per day or
suffer a point of lethal damage due to rot. Follower 0
Slow: Cannot run or sprint. Archetype: Everyman; Motivation: Duty;
Style: 0
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 0,
Zombie, Electric Strength 2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
power 2
The result of unethical, and arguably per- Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep-
verse, weird science experiments, the electric tion 2, Initiative 0, Defense 2, Stun N/A, Health
zombie hides a deadly surprise. 0*, Horror 2

47
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Melee 5, Stealth 4 Skills: Athletics 4, Brawl 5, Melee 5, Stealth 4
Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound Talents: High Pain Tolerance (Ignore 3 wound
penalties) penalties)
Resources: None Resources: None
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools) Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools)
Weapons: Bite 5L, Punch 5N, Electric shock Weapons: Bite 5L, Punch 5N
(see below) * Zombies are immune to nonlethal damage
* Zombies are immune to nonlethal damage and cannot be stunned. In addition, they must
and cannot be stunned. In addition, they must consume one pound of living flesh per day or
consume one pound of living flesh per day or suffer a point of lethal damage due to rot.
suffer a point of lethal damage due to rot. Boom: The explosives packed inside one
Electric Shock: The zombie’s voltaic cell of these abominations counts as a very light
holds a maximum of ten charges. Before mak- bomb (Damage 6L, Area Effect 5 ft.). Unless the
ing an attack, the zombie may elect to charge weird scientist fitted a timing device, the bomb
its fingernails with between one and four units detonates only when the zombie is reduced to
of electricity as a free action. –5 Health or lower.
With a successful Brawl Touch Attack, the Slow: Cannot run or sprint.
zombie inflicts lethal caustic damage equal to
the charges spent. Should the zombie miss its
intended victim, the electricity harmlessly dis- Zombie, Fast
sipates. Whether it hits or misses, the charges
are drained from the battery. For those who must fight zombies, their
Slow: Cannot run or sprint. shuffling gait is something of a reassurance.
Knowing it will take the zombies some time to
reach them, globetrotters can stand back and
Zombie, Explosive blast away with firearms.
Although as yet unverified by the Ghost
There was a time when those who died in Club, rumors of zombies capable of sustained
battle were buried with dignity for their sacrifice. running speed of up to 20 miles per hour and
As unscrupulous weird scientists run amok, fallen possessing lightning fast reflexes are spread-
soldiers can once again serve their country. ing. The Ghost Club is divided over whether
Too slow and unintelligent, not to men- these new zombies actually exist or whether
tion profane, to serve as regular soldiers, they are an excuse invented by globetrotters
the corpses of these unfortunates are stuffed whose poor tactics placed them in danger.
with explosives and sent shambling across the Gamemaster’s Note: Since it ignores non-
battlefield. Those few unlucky enough to have lethal wounds, a fast zombie has no limitations
witnessed these grotesque walking bombs on how long it can sprint.
have nicknamed them “Bombies.”
Zombie, Fast
Zombie, Explosive
Follower 1
Follower 0 Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style: 0
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Duty; Style: Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 3,
0 Strength 2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will-
Primary Attributes: Body 2, Dexterity 0, power 2
Strength 2, Charisma 0, Intelligence 0, Will- Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
power 2 tion 2, Initiative 5, Defense 5, Stun N/A, Health
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 2, Percep- 4*, Horror 2
tion 2, Initiative 0, Defense 2, Stun N/A, Health Skills: Athletics 6 (Jumping 7, Running 7),
0*, Horror 2 Brawl 5, Stealth 6

48
 Catalog of Fiends
Talents: Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating), Resources: None
Run (Running speed is doubled) Rituals: Drain Life**, Fear, Spirit Binding
Resources: None Flaws: Overconfident (+1 Style point when he
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools) is forced to ask for help or when his bravado
Weapons: Bite 5L, Punch 5N gets him in over his head)
* Zombies are immune to nonlethal damage Weapons: Punch 6N
and cannot be stunned. In addition, they must * Zombie masters are immune to nonlethal
consume one pound of living flesh per day or damage and cannot be stunned.
suffer a point of lethal damage due to rot. ** Any living creature slain by this ritual re-
turns as a zombie under the master’s control
at the start of the next combat turn.
Zombie Master Raise the Dead: The zombie master is a
master of necromancy. It can cast the Raise
Not all zombies are mindless servitors. Dead ritual, but makes a Willpower x 2 roll in
Through means as yet not understood by glo- place of Magic. The animated dead do not re-
betrotters, some zombies can return not only turn to their inanimate state after one day, but
intelligent and with the capacity to speak, but remain mobile until destroyed. The maximum
with an innate ability to raise the dead. Known number of zombies that may be animated at
as zombie masters, the appearance of these any one time is equal to five times the master’s
fiends varies from freshly interred to a rotting, Charisma rating.
maggot-riddled hulk.
Many of these abominations merely seek
to prolong their own existence. With eternity
ahead, it gives them time to truly master the
inner secrets of the dark arts and plumb the
mysteries of the universe.
This should not in any way to be taken to
mean they are harmless academics. Ultimately,
their reclusive nature hides baser negative
motivation, such as greed, power, or revenge.
While no longer capable of love, they might
seek a beautiful woman or handsome man
as a companion, though such an unfortunate
would be more akin to a prized possession.

Zombie, Master
Ally 3
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 2
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2,
Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will-
power 4
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 5, Percep-
tion 7, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun 4, Health
8, Horror 4
Skills: Academics: Occult 6, Athletics 6, Brawl
6, Intimidation 6, Magic: Black Magic 8, Stealth
5
Talents: Magical Aptitude (Can cast rituals)

49
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Zuvembie ray of supernatural abilities. They can summon
certain creatures, hypnotize mortals merely
A zuvembie is a powerful type of zombie. through its voice (though it cannot otherwise
Their creation involves an elixir known as the converse), command the power of darkness,
Black Brew, a concoction whose ingredients and animate the dead.
are known to but a small few Voodoo practitio-
ners spread throughout the West Indies. Zuvembie
The Black Brew cannot be forced onto an
unsuspecting victim. Rather, the imbiber must Ally 3
voluntarily consume it. Only if the drinker’s Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Revenge;
heart is possessed of a burning desire to enact Style: 2
revenge will the foul concoction work. Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 2,
When consumed, the Black Brew kills Strength 4, Charisma 3, Intelligence 2, Will-
both the body and mind, ridding the brain of power 5
all vestiges of humanity. Within minutes, the Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep-
drinker’s flesh turns the color of meat drained tion 7, Initiative 4, Defense 6, Stun N/A, Health
of blood. Unlike its lesser kin, a zuvembie has 11*, Horror 3
no need to consume living flesh. Unless slain Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 7,
by iron or lead, a zuvembie will live forever. Melee 8, Stealth 6
These abominations wield a formidable ar- Talents: Charismatic (+1 Charisma rating),
Iron Will (+1 Willpower rating), Robust (+2
Health rating)
Resources: None
Flaw: Mindless (Cannot talk or use tools)
Weapons: Punch 5N
* Zuvembies are immune to nonlethal dam-
age and cannot be stunned.
Animate Dead: Any creature slain by a
zuvembie rises as a normal zombie at the start
of the next combat turn. The new zombie is
obedient to the zuvembie who created it. The
zombie remains animated for a number of
hours equal to its Body rating in life.
Command Shadows: A zuvembie can re-
duce visibility by commanding the shadows. This
functions as the Alter Visibility ritual, except the
undead uses Willpower x 2 in place of Magic.
Invulnerability: Zuvembies ignore all
damage except that inflicted by iron or lead.
Mesmerize: This functions as per the Capti-
vate Talent, except the undead makes a Charis-
ma + Willpower roll in place of Performance.
Summon Animals: The zuvembie can
summon a single swarm of bats or a number of
individual owls, snakes, and werewolves equal to
its Charisma rating once per night. The creatures
must be in the nearby vicinity (they do not appear
out of thin air). The creatures are completely be-
holden to the zuvembie for the remainder of the
combat or scene, after which they depart.

50
 Chapter the Sixth:
Princes of
Darkness
“How I have lived I hardly know; many every now and then. For instance, fast zombies
times have I stretched my failing limbs upon present an entirely different tactical challenge
the sandy plain and prayed for death. But re- to their shuffling cousins.
venge kept me alive; I dared not die and leave When it comes to major villains, the only
my adversary in being.” real choices are flesh golems who have broken
—Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, or the Mod- free of their creator’s influence, ghouls, and
ern Prometheus revenants. All three are stereotypical monsters,
but this does not mean they cannot be given
individuality. Indeed, without a unique motiva-
Walking Dead tion and background, these monsters have no
reason to be major villains.
Villains For instance, a revenant does not just seek
revenge on anybody who crosses its path—it has
Zombies, skeletons, and most flesh golems a list of targets that directly relates to its former
are not suitable for being the main villains in life. Piecing together the whys and wherefores
an adventure. Not only do they lack the brains of its reign of terror forms a vital part of the in-
and drive to foment diabolical schemes, they vestigation. A flesh golem that seeks to replace
are physically weak in comparison to a team of decaying body parts with those torn from its
globetrotters. victims is a different beast to one who craves
Instead, they are tools, puppets manipu- to fit into society but cannot control its rage at
lated by the true villain of the story. This vil- being rejected because of its unholy origins.
lain need not be one of the walking dead, of Even if it has only limited motivation, the
course. Mad scientists, black magicians, or creature needs to be unique. Both Slack Jaw
mortals who possess an artifact allowing them and Surly Ghoul (detailed later in this chapter)
to animate the dead might all have lesser walk- simply seek to survive. The former, though, has
ing dead at their disposal. a terrible natural ability, while the second was
Thus, these servitors exist to provide the once a preeminent surgeon. These simple ad-
characters with something to shoot and stab, ditions transform them from ordinary ghouls
serving in the same roll as henchmen to a con- into memorable villains.
ventional villain. Given their limited abilities, In order to keep the players guessing, the
zombies and skeletons can be used en masse villain should make an appearance only toward
with little risk of wiping out the entire party. the end of the adventure. Until then, the glo-
In order to keep the players from becom- betrotters must investigate crime scenes and
ing complacent, the Gamemaster should form their own conclusions as to the nature of
throw in a walking dead with unusual abilities the beast they face.

51
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
satisfying meal that bits of barley or clumps of
Christie Cleek grass, the renegades soon took to ambushing
travelers to fill their grumbling bellies. It was
“After all, you’re only an immortal until at this time that Christie earned his nickname.
someone manages to kill you. After that, you When faced with a mounted wayfarer, Christie
were just long-lived.” would unhorse them using a hook on the end
—Simon R. Green, The Bride Wore Black of a rod, an implement known as a “cleke.”
Leather How many men the gang devoured is unclear,
but most estimates place the number in the
Born Andrew Christie, the Scottish butcher low thirties.
had the misfortune of living in the mid-14th The gang’s predations soon attracted the
century. Terrible floods, coupled with a plague of attention of the authorities. A company of sol-
mice and rats, brought widespread famine. Un- diers ambushed and killed the gang, save for
able to earn a living, Christie fled into the hills, Christie, who vanished from history.
where he joined up with a pack of scavengers. Christie fled to the Scottish Highlands,
According to folklore, Christie’s talent for where he has survived for over 500 years by
butchery came in use when one of the scav- scavenging corpses and waylaying the occa-
engers died of hunger. Lean though the pick- sional wanderer who crosses his path. Time
ings were, Christie carved him up and fed the has not been kind to the degenerate cannibal.
gang. Deciding that human flesh made a more Little now remains of what little human-
ity he possessed in life. Gray skin covered in
coarse hair is drawn tight over his emaciated
flesh. He lurks and skulks in the shadows, mov-
ing on all fours in the manner of a wild beast,
and avoiding the sun whenever possible. He
has no capacity for speech, but instead growls
and barks like a rabid dog.
There is much speculation Among the
illustrious members of the Ghost Club as to
whether Christie Cleek and a cannibal named
Sawney Bean were one and the same person.
If they were, the question still remains as to
whether the stories relate to the same incident
or are separated by centuries.
Information concerning Bean is scarce, and
what does exist stems from spurious sources.
The legend says he lived sometime between
the 13th and 16th centuries and was the pro-
genitor of a family of cannibals. The family were
eventually captured and executed for their
crimes, but Bean was never apprehended.

Christie Cleek
Patron 2
Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 2
Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 3,
Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 2, Will-
power 3

52
 Princes of Darkness
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8, Percep-
tion 5, Initiative 5, Defense 8, Stun 5, Health
8, Horror 3
Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Melee 8 (Cleke 9),
Stealth 8 (Hiding 9), Survival 7
Talents: Rising Handspring (Can stand as a re-
flexive action), Run (Doubles running speed),
Trackless (–8 penalty to Survival: Tracking rolls
to follow him)
Resources: None
Flaws: Bestial (Cannot talk or use tools)
Weapons: Punch 6N, Cleke 9N
Cleke: Christie’s cleke allows him to make
grapples using Melee. Instead of being grabbed
or pinned, victims are pulled from their mount
and automatically knocked prone.
Gnaw: Each combat turn the hold is main-
tained, the zombie may make a bite attack with
a +4 bonus. This counts as its Attack action
for the turn.
Iron Grip: Christie has a +4 bonus to
maintain grapples.
Trackless: Opponents suffer a –8 penalty
to Survival: Tracking rolls.
Pained by Sunlight: Ghouls suffer a –2
penalty to all rolls when in sunlight.

Eve
“I am alone and miserable. Only someone appearance. All attempts to befriend humans
as ugly as I am could love me.” have ended the same way, with rejection fol-
—Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, or the Mod- lowed by a bloody and destructive rage.
ern Prometheus This is not to say she has completely
failed to integrate into society. She has taught
Eve was constructed by a reclusive weird herself to dance and sing to a fair degree of
scientist who craved female companionship competency, and has even developed empathy
but who lacked the social skills to find one toward mortals. Eve has attended a few dances
among humanity. Alas, he was also sorely lack- and other social events (under the pseudonym
ing in the delicate touch of the surgeon. Eve Adamson), but is forced to wear gloves
His creation, which he named Eve, was and a full veil to disguise her unnatural dis-
intelligent and charismatic, and had curves figurements. The ruse has a limited duration,
in all the right places, but her pasty-white for sooner or later someone invariably deigns
skin was marred by a mass of livid scars. Her to peek beneath the veil. That is when the
creator’s rejection was swift and brutal, as was screaming and bloodletting begins.
the creature’s response. Now alone, Eve stole When not attempting to infiltrate humanity,
what wealth she could carry and fled into the Eve lives on the fringes of society, her scars hid-
night. den beneath tightly wound rags. She has passing
Like her creator, Eve craves companion- acquaintances among beggars, but none of them
ship, something denied her by her disfigured have seen her face or know her sorrowful history.

53
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
Not revealing her true form to them is perhaps walk-shy tourists to their chosen destination. As
her greatest mistake, for the lowest of the low a bonus, there is traditionally at least one mur-
carry with them many scars and disfigurements, der on board each trip—a “consideration” to
and are less likely to react with abject fear. the head steward will ensure that it is not you.”
Like virtually all flesh golems, Eve has no —Jasper Fforde, One of Our Thursdays Is
conscience. Those she murders she considers Missing
devoid of compassion, and thus they deserve
their ugly fate. With no railways and few roads, passengers
and cargo were transported along the mighty
Eve rivers of the United States. The early 19th cen-
tury was the golden age for river steamboats. It
Patron 2 is estimated that in 1810 only around two dozen
Archetype: Artificial life; Motivation: Sur- steamboats sailed the Mississippi, but within 20
vival; Style: 2 years that number had risen twentyfold.
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, Most of these vessels were working ships,
Strength 3, Charisma 2, Intelligence 3, Will- rough and ready like the crews who manned
power 3 them. Others served as floating casinos or show-
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 6, Percep- boats, catering to disparate audiences spread
tion 6, Initiative 6, Defense 7, Stun 4, Health along the riverbanks in a never ending proces-
7, Horror 2 (4 once you realize it’s a walking sion of sailing up and down the waterway. A
corpse) small few paddle steamers, however, were float-
Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 6, Empathy 6, Intimida- ing palaces where the rich and famous could
tion 8, Linguistics 4, Performance 6, Survival 6 dine and dance in opulent fashion.
Talents: Fearsome 2 (Can temporarily frighten All things must come to an end, though,
foes), Staggering Blow (+1 bonus to knock- and the golden age of river transport was no
back her opponent) exception. Smothered by the expanding rail-
Resources: None ways, the use of riverboats greatly diminished
Flaws: Disfigured (–2 penalty on all rolls where from the 1860s onward. One showboat and
appearance is a factor; +1 Style point whenever casino, Snowmane, has not only survived the
she is rejected because of her appearance), Love- downturn, it has boomed.
lorn (+1 Style point whenever she is rejected or The ship belongs to Captain Jeremiah Bar-
she suffers hardship in the name of love) lett. Bartlett has the appearance of a man in
Weapons: Punch 6N his early 40s. He is strong and robust without
Crush: If the golem successfully pins an being bulky. Although not prone to excessive
opponent, she can begin squeezing on the vanity, he prides himself on his appearance,
next round. Instead of making an Attack, Eve especially his dark hair and beard, which he
automatically inflicts lethal damage equal to keeps neatly trimmed. Bartlett is polite to his
her Strength. Being pinned, the victim can guests, though he rarely socializes with them
resist only with their Passive Defense. outside of a few hands of cards. While his lips
Rage 2: Can voluntarily take 1N damage to may smile on occasion, his gray eyes are life-
gain a +4 bonus to all Strength-based Skill and less and cold, flickering into life only when he
Attribute rolls. dines on his favorite meal—human flesh.
Bartlett is actually 82 years of age and has
spent much of his life on the river. His longevity
Jeremiah Bartlett, is due to him being a ghoul. The captain preys
exclusively on unaccompanied passengers, and
Captain cares nothing for the gender of his chosen vic-
tim. Drugged and murdered, the unfortunate
“Since every genre is nourished by its heady souls are cooked up by Bartlett’s personal chef,
waters, a paddle steamer can take even the most a hulking mute freed slave named Gabo.

54
 Princes of Darkness
Unlike most of his fiendish ilk, Bartlett
has managed to keep his yearning for human
flesh in check. It is relatively easy to hide a few
disappearances—the riverboat sails on long
journeys and there are no passenger manifests.
As far as concerned relatives know, a missing
passengers simply went ashore at some point
and never returned. One benefit to keeping a
check on his cravings is that he has retained
both his intelligence and appearance, despite
many decades of cannibalism.

Jeremiah Bartlett, Captain

Patron 3
Archetype: Ghoul; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 3
Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 3,
Strength 4, Charisma 3, Intelligence 3, Will-
power 4
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep-
tion 7, Initiative 6, Defense 8, Stun 5, Health
11, Horror —
Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 5, Bureaucracy 4,
Con 6, Diplomacy 5, Empathy 5, Firearms 4,
Gambling 6, Intimidation 6, Performance 5,
Pilot: Nautical 6, Streetwise 6
Talents: Famine Hardy (Suffers less fatigue
from starvation or thirst), Robust (+2 Health
rating), Tough (+1 Body rating)
Resources: Fame 1 (Riverboat; +2 bonus), when you think yourself safe and happy, and
Refuge: Size 2 (Riverboat), Status 1 (Riverboat suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your
captain; +2 Social bonus) mouth, and you’ll know the debt is paid.”
Flaws: Addiction: Human flesh (+1 Style point —George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings
whenever his addiction hurts him or someone
he cares about), Secret: Cannibal (+1 Style Even John Timmerman (1733-1790) would
point whenever he is confronted with the truth admit that he was not a good man in life. A
or goes out of his way to protect the secret) pirate of low morals and ill-renown, he and his
Weapons: Punch 5N, Heavy revolver 7L scurvy crew cut a bloody swathe through the
Living Dead: Bartlett appears as he did in Caribbean and among the coastal colonies of
life and retains his intellect. the fledgling United States of America. Murder
Sunlight Resistance: Bartlett is not pained and theft were his only pastimes, and he ex-
by sunlight and ignores the usual –2 penalty celled at both. As his wealth grew, so did the
associated with ghouls. amount of innocent blood on his hands.
Timmerman eventually tired of his piratical
life. With vast wealth at his disposal, he sought
John Timmerman to settle down, buy property, and become a
respected man of leisure.
“I will hurt you for this. I don’t know After making his wishes known, he was
how yet, but give me time. A day will come eventually offered safe passage in the fledgling

55
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
town of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Keen placed around his neck, Timmerman vowed
to raise money to expand the settlement, the bloody revenge on his betrayers from beyond
council offered the pirate captain safe passage, the grave. His final words were cut short as his
land, and a new identity in return for a small neck snapped.
portion of his treasure. As the decades passed and Myrtle Beach
Unfortunately, Timmerman wasn’t the only grew into a town, Timmerman and his ilk
one with greed in his heart. Once they were were forgotten, a minor footnote in history.
convinced Timmerman’s treasure was safely In recent months, though, folk have started to
ensconced in his new home, the townsfolk, whisper his name once more. Three citizens,
under the sway of Alderman Darius Miller, descendants of those who betrayed the pirate
stormed the mansion and arrested the pirate. a century ago, were found brutally murdered.
After a hasty trial, Timmerman was sentenced Despite protestations that Timmerman lies in
to death by hanging, along with several of his unmarked grave, some folk believe he has
his crew who had opted to start a new life in returned as promised.
Myrtle Beach. The pirates were still waiting for Timmerman and his five cohorts (treat as
sentence to be carried out when their gold and regular revenants) have indeed risen from
silver was added to the town treasury. death. With the treasure long spent, they seek
The hanging of a pirate was a rare occur- to kill the descendants of their persecutors.
rence in 1790, and the executions drew a Family trees develop a lot of branches down
sizeable crowd of onlookers, despite the thick the years, and the undead pirates have a lot of
fog that rolled in off the sea. As the noose was work ahead of them.
Timmerman is a rotting corpse clad in
the clothes of an 18th century gentleman, his
neck hanging slightly to one side. His cutlass
remains as sharp as ever and he wears a brace
of primed blackpowder pistols. Not only has
Satan granted Timmerman his desire for re-
venge, he has given him supernatural powers
with which to achieve his goal.

John Timmerman
Patron 3
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Revenge;
Style: 3
Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 3,
Strength 4, Charisma 2, Intelligence 2, Will-
power 4
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep-
tion 6, Initiative 5, Defense 6, Stun N/A, Health
7*, Horror 4
Skills: Athletics 7, Brawl 7, Firearms 7, Intimi-
dation 7, Melee 7, Stealth 5
Talents: Flurry 2 (Can attack same opponent
twice at no penalty), Ricochet Shot (Ignores up
to 2 points of cover penalties), Riposte (May
reflexively attack as part of the Parry maneu-
ver)
Resources: None
Flaws: Stubborn (+1 Style point whenever his

56
 Princes of Darkness
inflexibility causes him trouble, or he forces
others to go along with his idea)
Weapons: Punch 7N, Cutlass 9L, Blackpowder
pistol 9L
* A revenant is immune to nonlethal damage
and cannot be stunned.
Fog Walker: As an Attack action, Tim-
merman can cause fog he has summoned to
coalesce around him. Once done, this enables
him to teleport to anywhere under the fog
bank as a Move action. His minions lack this
ability, though if they are within five feet of
their master they travel with him.
Multiple Lives: Each time a revenant is
slain, they return from death the next sunset
fully healed. This occurs even if the corpse is
utterly destroyed. Revenants are not immortal,
though. Each time one reanimates, its Willpow-
er rating drops by one (recalculate Secondary
Attributes as required). When Willpower per-
manently drops to zero, the revenant can rise
no more.
Summon Fog: Timmerman can raise a fog
as an Attack action. The fog covers a square
mile, but must roll in from the sea. Typically,
it takes an hour to blanket an area. It then re-
mains for the duration of the combat or scene.
The fog gives a –2 Visibility to all except Tim-
merman and his crew. By self-inflicting a lethal
wound, the pirate can increase the density to
give a –4 visibility modifier. creation was merely an experiment, some-
thing to be studied with impartiality so that
improvements might be made in subsequent
Lucy specimens. Only then, when he had perfected
his art, would his creations be revealed to the
“All causes shall give way: I am in blood world. Calculating his creature had approxi-
Stepp’d in so far that, should I wade no mately three weeks of existence before its life
more, expired, the mad scientist set about recording
Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” its gradual death with empirical precision.
—William Shakespeare, Macbeth Number One—Barnstable’s name for his
work—may have been a mindless brute, but it
Keen to prove his theories on the creation of possessed a strong survival instinct. As the days
life through scientific means, Doctor Maximus ticked by and it slowly weakened, it begged for
Barnstable used second-rate body parts held blood to replenish its body. Barnstable ignored
together with third-rate stitching. Barnstable’s the pitiful pleas, for in his mind Number One
success was marred by his slapdash attitude to was not truly alive. As he told it, “You would
his work. Although his creature lived, it oozed be better praying to Saint Lucy of Syracuse (pa-
blood where limbs had been grafted together tron saint of protection against bleeding), for
and through its stitches. you shall receive no succor from me.”
Not that Barnstable cared one iota. His first Fuelled by rage and a lust for life, the weak-

57
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
ened creature used the last of its inhuman rating. After this, it automatically loses one
strength to break its bonds and strike down point of Health per day until it acquires a suit-
the madman who had spawned it. Grabbing able recharge. It can voluntarily burn through
a needle, Number One quickly drained the its blood. Doing so reduces the number of days
scientist’s blood and injected it into her with- before a recharge is due by one, but gains the
ered veins, renewing her vigor. creature an additional Move or Attack action for
Now going by the name Lucy, after the a single combat turn.
saint, the creature has managed to survive for
over a century. Each week or so it must inject
itself with human blood. Lucy has no problem Mama Bayou
ending human life—survival is all that matters,
and she has absolutely no conscience or moral “Watch it, nasty boy, or I might jest have
compass. Humans kill animals for food; she you fixed, iffin you not careful.”
kills humans to live. For the most part she stalks —Jason Medina, A Ghost In New Orleans
the poorest members of society, people whose
disappearance will not raise alarm bells. Forced New Orleans is a new city, having been
to go for a prolonged period without injections, founded only in 1718, but the dank, primeval
though, she attacks whatever prey is to hand. bayous that run around and through it are as
Lucy is the stereotypical image of a flesh old as time. Several of these timeless streams
golem—scarred, ugly, and violent. She is also feed into Lake Maurepas, a brackish body of
covered in a thin veneer of caked blood. water some 20 miles northwest of the city. Few
white men have ever risked exploring the mos-
Lucy quito-infested swamp surrounding it, and even
the recently-freed slaves go there only rarely.
Patron 2 Deep in the swamp lives Mama Bayou,
Archetype: Artificial life; Motivation: Sur- a withered hag of African descent. Stories
vival; Style: 2 concerning her are well known in the poorer
Primary Attributes: Body 6, Dexterity 4, districts, but rarely told to outsiders.
Strength 5, Charisma 0, Intelligence 1, Will- Mama Bayou, it is said, has existed since
power 3 shortly after the first slaves were dragged to
Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 9, Percep- the area to work on plantations. As the blood
tion 4, Initiative 5, Defense 9, Stun 6, Health from their scourging fed into the bayous, it
10, Horror 3 (4 once you realize it’s a walking coalesced to give life to Mama Bayou. Another
corpse) tale claims she was born of no earthly parents,
Skills: Athletics 10, Brawl 10, Intimidation 5, but was created by the loa. Every story says
Stealth 8* that she is a powerful Voodoo priestess, a witch
Talents: Fearsome (Can temporarily frighten whose powers allow her to raise the dead and
opponents), High Pain Tolerance (Ignores 3 bind spirits, as well as see into the future.
levels of wound penalties), Tough (+1 Body Mama Bayou is indeed ancient, having
rating) risen from death in 1732. A Voodoo priestess
Resources: None and former slave, she was a ghoul long before
Flaws: Sadism (+1 Style point whenever it is her transportation to America. Her heart may
needlessly cruel to its friends or enemies) have been wicked, but she was innocent of the
Weapons: Punch 10N crime that led to her death—using black magic
* Lucy suffers a –1 Size penalty to Stealth rolls. to blight her master’s children with sickness.
Rage: Can voluntarily take 1N damage to Shortly after her death, a cabal of Voodoo
gain a +2 bonus to all Strength-based Skill and practitioners attempted to raise Mama Bayou
Attribute rolls. from the grave using black magic. After hours
Recharge: The golem can go without a re- of chanting, the crone finally dragged herself
charge for a number of days equal to its Body from the waterlogged soil. The ritual, one so

58
 Princes of Darkness
potent it involved a dozen sacrifices, trans- Raise Dead, Spirit Binding, Spirit Sense, Sum-
formed Mama Bayou into one of the walking mon Horror
dead, albeit one who retained her personality Flaws: Disfigured (+1 Style point whenever
and intelligence. She was a zombie master, but she is rejected because of her appearance.)
retained her ghoulish lust for human flesh. Weapons: Punch 6N
After enacting her revenge on her former Raise the Dead: Mama Bayou is a true
master and his family, Mama Bayou retreated master of necromancy. Animated dead given
deep into the swamp, taking over an aban- unlife by her Raise Dead ritual do not return to
doned house on the edge of Lake Maurepas. their inanimate state after one day, but remain
She lives there still, surrounded by the sham- mobile until destroyed. The maximum number
bling corpses of those who have offended her. of zombies that may be animated at any one
Although her soul is as black as pitch, Mama time is equal to 10 times her Charisma rating.
Bayou is prepared to aid those who meet her Sunlight Resistance: Mama Bayou is not
twin demands. First, they must bring her a hu- pained by sunlight and ignores the usual –2
man corpse (on which she dines). Second, the penalty associated with ghouls.
supplicant must gift her a lock of their hair, a Warp Landscape: By altering paths, sum-
nail clipping, or a few drops of blood. moning mists, or causing vegetation to conceal
As a villain, Mama Bayou is the power trails, the hag causes all Survival: Navigation
behind a lesser foe. She may lend a follower rolls made within 10 miles of her lair to suffer
zombies for a task, curse someone on their a penalty equal to her Charisma rating.
behalf, or even strike their foe dead. Only after
repeated crimes have been thwarted should
the globetrotters discover her existence.

Mama Bayou
Patron 4
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 4
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 4,
Strength 4, Charisma 3, Intelligence 4, Will-
power 5
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8, Percep-
tion 9, Initiative 8, Defense 8, Stun 4, Health
9, Horror 3
Skills: Academics: Occult 8, Athletics 6, Brawl
6, Empathy 7, Intimidation 8, Investigation 7,
Linguistics 5, Magic: Black Magic 12, Stealth 6,
Streetwise 6
Talents: Magical Aptitude (Can cast rituals),
Psychic Resistance 2 (+4 bonus to resist su-
pernatural effects), Skill Aptitude (+2 to Magic
rolls)
Resources: Artifact 1 (Sacrificial dagger), Ref-
uge: Equipment 1 (+2 bonus to Magic rolls),
Refuge: Size 1 (Abandoned plantation house),
Status 1 (Voodoo priestess; +2 Social bonus)
Rituals: Augury, Channel Dead, Control
Animal (snakes only), Empower, Fear, Harm,
Greater Hex, Lesser Hex, Nature’s Embrace,

59
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
informed him that he could not possibly pos-
Prometheus sess a soul, for he was created, not born. Given
that, he would be assigned to oblivion when
“The soul becomes dyed with the color of his life eventually ended.
its thoughts.” Prometheus demanded that he be given
—Marcus Aurelius, Meditations a soul, for without one he was naught but a
mockery of man and an affront to God. That
Most copies of Frankenstein’s legendary he deserved one, he argued, was clearly ap-
monster are little better than rage-filled beasts, parent, for did he not appreciate poetry and
devoid of higher intellect and the capacity to understand philosophical matters? Was he not
learn. Rarely, one is produced that is highly above the beasts of the earth by acknowledg-
intelligent and capable of complex reasoning. ing the existence of merciful God?
Prometheus is one such fiend. His master refused, claiming such power
Prometheus was created to assist his master lay in the hands of God alone. As Prometheus
in his experiments, and he learned quickly. crushed the life from his creator, he vowed that
Capable of reading, he spent hours perusing he would steal that power for himself.
books on philosophy and religion. Using his former master’s wealth and
One stormy night, he posed his creator two laboratory, Prometheus delved into forbidden
questions—do I possess a soul, and what will experimentation, walking a road that no sane
happen to me when I die? Laughing, his master creature would dare to tread. Decades have
passed but the monster has finally made the
breakthrough he needed. He has found a way
to capture souls at the instant of death (using
a device he calls the Soul Collector) and store
them indefinitely in a gigantic glass receptacle
he calls the Soul Chamber.
According to his diabolical calculations, once
he has collected 100 souls he can move to phase
two of his perverted experiment. By connecting
himself to the Soul Chamber and blasting it with
a tremendous bolt of electricity the souls will co-
alesce into a single entity and fuse with his body.
Prometheus’ dream is close at hand, for the
Soul Collector is nearly full. A handful more
and he will be ready to gain a soul. What has
escaped his attention is that even if his new
soul is pure when it enters its body, it will
rapidly be stained black by the blood on his
hands. For all his labors, for all his noble inten-
tions, all Prometheus will succeed in doing is
damning himself to Satan’s embrace.

Prometheus
Patron 3
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Wisdom;
Style: 3
Primary Attributes: Body 5, Dexterity 3,
Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 4, Will-
power 4

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 Princes of Darkness
Secondary Attributes: Size 1, Move 7, Percep-
tion 8, Initiative 7, Defense 7, Stun 5, Health
10, Horror 2 (4 once you realize it’s a walking
corpse)
Skills: Academics: Philosophy 5, Academics:
Religion 5, Athletics 7, Brawl 8, Craft: Electrics
6, Intimidation 5, Linguistics 5, Science: Biol-
ogy 8, Stealth 6*
Talents: Jack of All Trades (Ignores untrained
Skill penalty when using any general Skill),
Weird Science (Can create gadgets)
Resources: Refuge: Equipment 1 (+2 bonus
to Science: Biology), Refuge: Size 1 (Large
townhouse)
Flaws: Fanatical (+1 Style point whenever his
devotion causes harm or he converts someone
else to his way of thinking), Righteous (+1
Style point whenever its actions alienate him,
or cause others to publicly question his mo-
tives and moral judgment)
Weapons: Punch 8N
* Prometheus has a –1 Size penalty to Stealth
rolls.
Crush: If the golem successfully pins an
opponent, she can begin squeezing on the
next round. Instead of making an Attack, Eve
automatically inflicts lethal damage equal to
her Strength. Being pinned, the victim can
resist only with their Passive Defense.

a veteran waving the empty sleeve of his jacket

Slack Jaw as testimony to the ghoul’s ferocious bite. Even
if globetrotters can retain their limbs, injuries
“Bite first, ask questions later.” inflicted by the ghastly maw quickly fester, lead-
—John Austin, So Now You’re a Zombie: A ing to a risk of blood poisoning.
Handbook for the Newly Undead Despite numerous investigations, Slack
If private correspondence and anecdotal Jaw’s history remains a mystery to the Leagues
evidence is to be believed, the ghoul known in of Adventure. The first record that can be ten-
the globetrotting community as Slack Jaw has tatively tied to him is from 1648. It takes the
haunted mankind for some 250 years. form of a letter written to a chaplain during
The fiend takes its nickname from an un- the English Civil War, in which the unnamed
usual ability. Like a constrictor snake, Slack Jaw author claims to have “battled a creature from
can unhinge his jaws to accommodate large the grave” which “with great gusto did sever
amounts of food. Once its jaws are locked my arm using its wicked teeth.”
around an opponent’s limb, the jaw snaps back Whether Slack Jaw originates from that
into place with tremendous pressure, tearing bloody conflict or owes its origins to an ear-
through flesh and breaking bone as it does. With lier age is something scholastic globetrotters
a swift yank of its head, the ghoul removes the would like settled. The Ghost Club has a stand-
severed limb. More than one young globetrot- ing reward of £200 for verifiable information
ter has scoffed at this tale, only to be silenced by concerning one of its greatest nemeses.

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Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
The use of the pronoun “it” is deliberate. turn from blood loss until stabilized. He also
Whatever gender it was born, the thing has no gains the One Hand Flaw.
vestiges of humanity. To use he or she when Stench: Any living creature within 15 feet of
describing so vile a creature is to do humanity the creature suffers a –2 penalty to all rolls so long
a gross disservice. as it remains in range. Even backing away has a lin-
Forgoing clothes, the bestial fiend is en- gering effect—the stench pervades the nostrils for
crusted in grave dirt and the remains of previous a number of combat turns equal to 7 - Willpower
meals. Taut muscles ripple beneath its parch- rating after retreating from its area of effect.
ment-like skin. Its mouth, filled with sharp teeth,
continually opens and closes. As it does, saliva
mixed with decayed flesh drips from its maw. Surly Ghoul
Slack Jaw has long forgotten how to speak.
“The petty-minded fools here think surgery
Slack Jaw and butchery are the same thing. Look!”
—Seanan McGuire, Every Heart a Doorway
Patron 2
Archetype: Undead; Motivation: Survival; The name Surly Ghoul has circulated in
Style: 2 the gutter press for the last year or so, and
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, always in connection with a series of unsolved
Strength 4, Charisma 1, Intelligence 3, Will- and thoroughly gruesome murders. He has
power 3 become a figure of urban legend, a bogeyman
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 7, Percep- better known through newspaper reports as
tion 6, Initiative 8, Defense 7, Stun 4, Health “The Whitechapel Cannibal.”
7, Horror 4 The few eyewitnesses that have spied him
Skills: Athletics 9, Brawl 9, Intimidation 6, have given differing reports as to his appear-
Stealth 8 ance, but the common description used by
Talents: Quick Reflexes (+2 Initiative rating) the press speaks of him as a man with a bes-
Resources: None tial appearance and malevolent eyes, and of
Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever its obvious limited intellect. Several witnesses,
appetite causes it problems) who stumbled across him in the course of his
Weapons: Bite 9L, Claw 9L unholy nocturnal feeding, claim to have called
Infected Bite: Victims who suffer a wound out to him. In return, the fiend turned to glare
from a bite attack must make a Body roll x 2 at them and hissed his name before scamper-
with a Difficulty equal to the damage taken or ing into the shadows.
the bite becomes infected. With the memory of Jack the Ripper still raw
Iron Teeth: Slack Jaw ignores one point of in London’s consciousness, the police have so
Passive Defense from armor. far managed to keep out of the papers the fact
Pained by Sunlight: Ghouls suffer a –2 that the killer does not bludgeon or strangle his
penalty to all rolls when in sunlight. victims before carelessly tearing into their warm
Reform: If the walking dead’s Health is flesh, as is commonly believed. All evidence
–4 or above at end of a combat turn then it suggests he incapacitates his victims, and then,
automatically regenerates back to full Health while they are still alive (albeit unconscious)
and regrows any severed limbs. In order to slay carefully dissects their corpse with almost surgi-
it, the unholy abomination must reduced to –5 cal precision to reveal their succulent organs.
Health or lower in a single combat turn. The pitiful creature is actually none less
Severing Bite: If Slack Jaw makes a called than Sir William Gull, formerly a Freemason,
shot bite attack to an opponent’s arm and prominent medical doctor, and Physician-in-
inflicts more wounds than the victim’s Body Ordinary to Queen Victoria. His transformation
rating (after Defense is factored in), he severs into the monster he is today began in 1887.
that limb. The victim loses 1L each combat Following a stroke that damaged his brain,

62
 Princes of Darkness
Gull began to crave the taste of flesh. At first he
could control his unnatural hunger by feasting
on raw meat.
As the months passed he was forced to
move on to live animals. Within a year he was
compelled to frequent the seedier parts of
London in order to sate his growing appetite,
for now only human flesh would suffice.
As far as the world is concerned, Sir William
Gull died on January 30, 1890. In truth, his
family, having discovered his ghoulish nature,
had Sir William secretly lobotomized by a fel-
low Freemason who could be trusted to remain
silent, and had him committed to a lunatic asy-
lum under an alias. His family gave a collective
sigh of relief when they heard the asylum has
burned down, for they believed their shameful
secret was now gone forever. Alas, Sir William
had escaped in the confusion.
His intelligence greatly diminished by the lo-
botomy and his ghoulish nature, Sir William con-
tinues to haunt the East End of London, lurking
in the shadows and narrow alleys, and preying
on society’s most unfortunate members.

Surly Ghoul
Patron 2
Archetype: Monster; Motivation: Survival;
Style: 2
Primary Attributes: Body 4, Dexterity 3, walls or across ceilings at half his usual Move
Strength 5, Charisma 1, Intelligence 2, Will- distance. He may also Run, but only at half
power 3 speed. If he suffers knock back or knock down
Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 8, Percep- while climbing, he must make a Dexterity x 2
tion 5 (Smell 8), Initiative 5, Defense 7, Stun 4, roll with a Difficulty equal to the damage dealt
Health 7, Horror 2 (4 if feeding) or lose his grip.
Skills: Athletics 8, Brawl 8, Intimidation 5,
Medicine 4, Stealth 8, Survival 5
Talents: Flurry (May make two attacks at –2 to Victor Frankenstein
each attempt), Keen Sense (+4 smell-based Per-
ception rating), Subtle Strike (May use Stealth “We followed the local death-notices
rating when making an unarmed attack) like ghouls, for our specimens demanded
Resources: None particular qualities. What we wanted were
Flaw: Glutton (+1 Style point whenever his corpses interred soon after death and without
appetite causes problems for him or his com- artificial preservation; preferably free from
rades) malforming disease, and certainly with all
Weapons: Claws 9L organs present. Accident victims were our best
Pained by Sunlight: Ghouls suffer a –2 hope.”
penalty to all rolls when in sunlight. —H. P. Lovecraft, Herbert West: Reanima-
Wall Walker: Surly Ghoul can crawl up tor

63
Leagues of Gothic Horror: Guide to Walking Dead
abandoned creature desired, and achieved,
revenge on its creator.
As documented by Mary Shelley, who had
pieced together the scientist’s sad story from
his diary and several letters, Victor chased the
creature to the Arctic, whereupon the scientist
subsequently died of pneumonia and the mon-
ster disappeared into the frozen wastes, never
to be seen again. According to his chronicler,
Victor’s death occurred sometime in the early
19th century, probably around 1816.
Victor Frankenstein lives still. Though
undocumented, his work on the elixir of life
was never truly forgotten, nor was it fruitless.
The transition from mortal to ageless being has
not been kind on the scientist’s mind. He still
believes his quest to animate matter can bring
beneficial results to humanity, and believes he
knows where he went wrong.
Using the name Victor Alucard, the insane
scientist has infiltrated the Frankenstein Club.
Having secured suitable chemical apparatus,
his next goal is to find suitable corpses—pref-
erably very fresh ones.

Victor Frankenstein
Patron 2
Archetype: Scientific Necromancer; Motiva-
tion: Truth; Style: 2
Born in Naples, Italy but raised in Geneva, Primary Attributes: Body 3, Dexterity 2,
Switzerland, Victor is the son of Alphonse Fran- Strength 2, Charisma 3, Intelligence 4, Will-
kenstein and Caroline Beaufort. Although his power 4
family was of distinguished ancestry and Victor Secondary Attributes: Size 0, Move 4, Percep-
was often given the title “baron,” he holds no tion 8, Initiative 6, Defense 5, Stun 3, Health
formal noble title. 7, Horror —
Having developed an interest in the great Skills: Academics: Philosophy 6, Athletics 4,
alchemists of old during his youth, Victor’s ini- Con 5, Linguistics 6, Medicine 7, Melee 4, Ride
tial dream was the discovery of the elixir of life. 4, Science: Chemistry 8, Survival 5
Through this, he hoped to unlock the secret Talents: Spark of Life (Biological creations
of immortality. only; Frankenstein cannot create any other
During his years at the University of Ingol- weird science artifacts)
stadt, this was replaced by an interest in chem- Resources: Rank 1 (Frankenstein Club; +2
istry, specifically with the intention of animat- Social bonus), Refuge: Equipment 1 (+2 Sci-
ing life in inanimate matter. It was a quest that ence: Chemistry rolls), Refuge: Size 1 (Large
would consume the next two years of his life. townhouse)
Though he eventually succeeded in granting Flaws: Obsession (+1 Style points whenever
life to a patchwork humanoid, Victor was hor- his obsession causes him to do something dan-
rified at the results and cast the creature from gerous or endanger someone else’s life)
his presence. Woe and misery followed, for the Weapons: Punch 0N, Scalpel 5L

64
$13.99 20213
Commanded by magic or weird science,
the worm-ridden dead do not rest easily
in the grave.

From skeletons and zombies to ghouls and Frankensteins’ monsters,

the walking dead take many ghastly forms.

Commanded by foul sorcerers or deranged weird scientists, or driven

by base instincts, their numbers might be legion were it not for the
bravery of the Leagues of Adventure.

Contents include an overview of mankind’s historical interaction with

the walking dead; how the various walking dead might be created;
diabolical powers the Gamemaster can use to create unique specimens;
a bestiary of fiendish creatures; and a number of walking dead villains
with ghastly plans and motives of their own.

Leagues of Gothic Horror is a Horror Roleplaying game from Triple Ace Games.

www.tripleacegames.com

© 2017 Triple Ace Games. Leagues of Gothic Horror and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Triple Ace Games.
Ubiquity Roleplaying System, Exile Games Studio, and all associated logos and trademarks are copyright, Exile Games Studio, LLC. Used with permission