31% OFF Ghastly Affair PDFs on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow!

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Now through Halloween 2018, the PDF versions of the “Ghastly Affair Player’s Manual”, “Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual”, a “A Ghastly Potpourri”, and the Ghastly Affair novel “Hunter’s Song”, are all 31% off on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow!

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Ghastly Affair PDFs are Now 25% OFF for Christmas in July!

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18th Century, blackpowder, dreadpunk, Eighteenth Century, First Empire, French Directory, French Revolution, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Gothique, Historical, Louis Seize, Louis XV, Louis XVI, mannerpunk, Napoleonic, nineteenth century, OGL, Regency, role playing, role-playing game, roleplaying game, Romance, Romantic Age, Romantic Horror, Romantic-era, Romanticism, rpg, schauerroman

Now until the end of July, all Ghastly Affair PDFs are 25% OFF on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. That includes the PDF versions of the “Ghastly Affair Player’s Manual”, “Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual”, and “A Ghastly Potpourri”, plus the Ghastly Affair novel “Hunter’s Song”!

Random Road Encounters in the Ghastly Age (and Other 18th Century Settings)

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Random encounter tables are a cornerstone of Old-School RPGs that add a high level of verisimilitude to your game world. Not only do they make travel a more interesting (and potentially dangerous) experience, but if used on-the-fly they also allow a Ghastly Affair Presenter (or GM) to experience a level of novelty and surprise usually reserved for the Players.

The following tables are generally applicable for the spring, summer, and autumn of most late 18^th / early 19^th century European regions not currently at war, or undergoing a major natural disaster. Determine one potentially interesting encounter for the morning, one for the afternoon, one for the evening, and one for night (if the PCs travel then). Naturally, there might have been other travelers and animals along the way, but they are assumed to have ignored the PCs, been too far away to interact, etc. If the PCs are traveling by carriage, an encounter are likely to occur when the carriage has temporarily stopped so the horses can rest, and the passengers relieve themselves.

Old-schoolers will probably recognize the d8+d12 mechanic for encounter tables, which gives a spot of equal probability for numbers from 9 – 13, with decreasing probabilities on either side of that range. I find the limited possible range of results to be actually creatively stimulating, as it forces one to focus on only the most evocative and interesting encounters. Also, I personally enjoy rolling the odder shapes of polyhedral dice. I know, it’s a sickness.

Thanks to Blogger Ynas Midgard for suggesting a need for these tables.

Morning, Afternoon, & Evening – On the Road Between Villages (d4):

1	No Encounter
2 – 3	Roll on Table 1: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening Road Encounters
4	Roll on Table 3: Obstacles and Curiosities

Morning, Afternoon, & Evening – Passing Through a Village:

Roll on Table 4: Daylight Village Encounters

Night – On the Road Between Villages (d4):

1 – 2	No Encounter
3	Roll on Table 2: Night Road Encounters
4	Roll on Table 3: Obstacles and Curiosities

Night – Passing Through a Village:

Roll on Table 2: Night Road Encounters

If you’re not referring to an actual map, assume that travelers along a main road will pass through a village every 2 miles (roughly 3.2 km), if more than 10 miles (approximately 16 km) from a major city. Off the main roads, villages can be as much as 5 miles (approx. 8 km) apart. If within 10 miles (approx. 16 km) of a major city, travelers might pass through a new village every mile (approx. 1.6 km) until they enter the suburbs that extend about about ½ to 1 mile from the formal city limits. A village is usually part of the greater estate of an aristocratic family whose Grand House will be located within 2 miles of the village square. Travelers on main roads will reach a coaching inn (where they can eat, get lodgings, and rent a fresh team of horses) every 5 – 9 miles (approximately 8 – 14.5 km). Most travel occurs in the morning, afternoon, and evening, but a coach is also likely to travel through the night to reach its destination (or an acceptable inn). It was not unknown for coachmen traveling by night to fall asleep, causing horrible accidents.

Table 1: Morning, Afternoon, and Evening Road Encounters

d8+d12	The characters catch sight of…
2	an Immortal Wanderer.
3	Fairies. Typically Sprites disguised as ordinary people, animals, or plants.
4	a large Animal(s), predatory or dangerous. Pack of Wolves, pack of Wild Dogs, Bear, etc.
5	a small Animal(s), predatory or dangerous. Fox, Hawk, Wildcat, Polecat, Viper, etc.
6	a large Animal(s), non-predatory. Deer, Wild Boar, stray Sheep, stray Cattle, etc.
7	a small Animal(s), non-predatory. Rabbit, Raven, Crow, etc.
8	1d12 religious traveler(s). Nuns, Monks, Pilgrims, Inquisitors, etc.
9	1d12 farmer(s) or laborer(s). Shepherd with Sheep, foragers, commuting workmen, etc.
10	1d12 foot travelers. Tourists, sightseers, ramblers, etc.
11	1d4 wagon(s) or cart(s). Filled with farm produce, consumer goods, lumber, stones, cloth, babies being transported to orphanages, etc.
12	1d8 non-aristocratic rider(s) on horseback.
13	Mail or stage coach. With 2d6 passengers. Passengers past the sixth will be hanging onto the exterior.
14	1d4 aristocratic carriage(s). Each transports 1d4 Aristocrats and 1d4 servants.
15	1d20 aristocrat(s) on horseback. Pleasure ride, hunting party, etc.
16	1d20 Gypsies, or traveling entertainers.
17	1d20 Soldier(s). Gendarmes, militia, press gang, etc.
18	1d12 Bandit(s) (or other criminals).
19	1d6 strange people. Feral Child, 1d4 Degenerate(s), 1d6 Cultists, etc.
20	a member of the royal family (or highest nobility). On horseback, or in their carriage. 90% likely to be accompanied by 2d4 servants, or else will be traveling incognito.

Table 2: Night Road Encounters

d8+d12	From out of the darkness comes…
2	a dangerous Spirit. Spectral Animal, Wraith, Wayward Shadow, Possessor Demon, Fire Demon
3	a Fairy. Sprite or Goblin.
4	a usually diurnal Animal (wandering by night). Bear, stray domestic Sheep, etc.
5	a large Animal, predatory or dangerous. Pack of Wolves, pack of Wild Dogs, Wild Boar, etc.
6	a small Animal, predatory or dangerous. Owl, Fox, Badger, Wildcat, Polecat, Viper, etc.
7	a large Animal, non-predatory. Typically Deer.
8	a small Animal, non-predatory. Typically Rabbits
9	1 or 2 non-aristocratic riders on horseback. Possibly returning from (or setting out for) an evening’s entertainment, Demon Hunter(s) pursuing quarry, etc.
10	a carriage or coach. 1d4 passengers returning from (or setting out for) an evening’s entertainment, attending the meeting of a secret society, etc. 25% chance someone in the carriage is there against their will.
11	1d4 game poachers. Probably masked, or with blackened faces.
12	1d10 common criminals. Bandits, Grave Robbers, or Everyman thieves under 5th Level.
13	2 (or 3) trysting lovers. 75% likely to be from different social classes, not married to each other, or otherwise unconventional.
14	1d4 aristocratic riders on horseback.
15	2d6 soldiers. Gendarmes, press gang, deserters, drunken carousers.
16	1d4 infamous criminal(s). Bandit(s) or Grave Robber(s) of 5th Level or above. 50% likely to be accompanied by 1d10 common criminals under 5th Level.
17	1d6 strange people. Feral Child, 1d6 Cannibal(s), 1d6 Degenerate(s), 2d10 Witches, etc.
18	a Phantom.
19	a Monster. Werewolf, Demoniac, Gigantic Wolf, Bzou, Ogre, etc.
20	a Revenant. Ghoulish Revenant, Common Vampyre, Zoomorphic Revenant, Walking Skeleton, Mindless Revenant, etc.

Table 3: Obstacles and Curiosities

d8+d12	You are faced with…
2	a stray bullet striking one of your horses.
3	a collapsed section of the road, or sinkhole.
4	the evidence of a recent combat.
5	a carriage wreck. 25% chance 2d4 people are still present. 50% chance 1d6 of them are dead.
6	a strikingly picturesque view. 25% likely that 1d4 people are already here appreciating it, possibly drawing or painting the scene in watercolors.
7	an unusually large quantity of insects. Gnats, bees, flies around a mound of horse excrement etc.
8	a passenger (or fellow rider) suddenly becoming violently ill.
9	a corpse, human or animal.
10	a horse with a thrown shoe, or a broken wheel on the carriage.
11	a quantity of produce or consumer goods that have been left fallen onto the road. Most will be broken or otherwise ruined, of course, but some might be salvageable.
12	a horse that has suddenly been spooked, and is starting to bolt.
13	an object or passenger falling from a horse or carriage. Luggage slips off, passenger (or servant) hanging onto the outside loses their grip, door to carriage opens and a passenger jumps out, etc.
14	a downed tree across road.
15	a closure or barricade on the road. 50% likely to be attended by 1d4 Soldiers or Bandits.
16	foliage and / or trees on fire.
17	debris from an ancient, collapsed building on the side of road.
18	a sudden and unexpected storm, with lightning, high winds, and hard rain.
19	an extremely rare (and valuable) plant visible from road.
20	strange puddles on the road. Bloody, phosphorescent, filled with fish, etc.

Table 4: Daylight Village Encounters

d8+d12	While passing through a village, your interest is piqued by…
2	a raging fire.
3	a strikingly attractive shepherd(ess) with their flock.
4	villagers engaged in a particularly odd local custom. Burning straw animals, dancing in bear costumes, hitting each other with decorated tree branches, wearing outfits covered in small bells, etc.
5	a flamboyant procession for a local saint or hero. Procession is likely to actually be an ancient Pagan ceremony given a thin Christian veneer.
6	a wedding party.
7	a funeral procession.
8	a group of children playing a strange game you’ve never seen elsewhere.
9	a cluster of peasant women arguing.
10	1d8 rider(s). Aristocrats on a hunt, an outlaw being chased, agent(s) of the local lord collecting rents, etc.
11	a group gathered in the village square to hear the crier. A change in local laws or taxation, announcement of an upcoming wedding, warning of a visit by an important person, etc.
12	a stray (or foraging) domestic animal. Sheep, cow, pig, etc. 5% likely to be rabid, or otherwise diseased.
13	an aggressive dog or cat. 10% likely to be rabid.
14	a stumbling drunk.
15	a carriage or coach. Someone is forced into the carriage; a women locked inside screams at the window; a gun or dagger is pulled out before the curtains are drawn; etc.
16	an angry mob in the process of surrounding someone.
17	1d8 Gypsies, or traveling entertainers.
18	2d4 construction laborers heading off to their worksite. Possibly to erect a folly building for the local landlord, plant hedgerows or build walls to enclose previously open land, etc.
19	the unique architecture of a building.
20	a large predator that has wandered into town in broad daylight. A Bear, a pack of Wolves, etc.

For those wishing to make their own d8+d12 Encounter Tables, here are the assumed encounter frequencies, and actual odds of each result:

d8+d12	Encounter Frequency
2	Improbable encounter. Approximately a 1% chance. (Actual probability: 1 in 96)
3	Strange encounter. Approximately a 2% chance. (Actual probability: 2 in 96)
4	Unusual encounter. Approximately a 3% chance. (Actual probability: 3 in 96)
5	Infrequent encounter. Approximately a 4% chance. (Actual probability: 4 in 96 )
6	Occasional encounter. Approximately a 5% chance. (Actual probability: 5 in 96)
7	Occasional encounter. Approximately a 6% chance. (Actual probability: 6 in 96)
8	Frequent encounter. Approximately a 7 % chance. (Actual probability:7 in 96)
9	Ubiquitous encounter. Approximately an 8 % chance. (Actual probability: 8 in 96)
10	Ubiquitous encounter. Approximately an 8 % chance. (Actual probability: 8 in 96)
11	Ubiquitous encounter. Approximately an 8 % chance. (Actual probability: 8 in 96)
12	Ubiquitous encounter. Approximately an 8 % chance. (Actual probability: 8 in 96)
13	Ubiquitous encounter. Approximately an 8 % chance. (Actual probability: 8 in 96)
14	Frequent encounter. Approximately a 7 % chance. (Actual probability: 7 in 96)
15	Occasional encounter. Approximately a 6 % chance. (Actual probability: 6 in 96)
16	Occasional encounter. Approximately a 5 % chance. (Actual probability: 5 in 96)
17	Infrequent encounter. Approximately a 4 % chance. (Actual probability: 4 in 96)
18	Unusual encounter. Approximately a 3 % chance. (Actual probability: 3 in 96)
19	Strange encounter. Approximately a 2 % chance. (Actual probability: 2 in 96)
20	Improbable encounter. Approximately a 1 % chance. (Actual probability: 1 in 96)

 

A Helpful Reminder for my Fellow Americans

The settlement pattern of most 18^th Century European countries differed quite significantly from the sprawling, low-density model of modern rural (and suburban) America. In general, the structures in a village were not spread-out, but built quite closely together. The typical inland village consisted of a square mile of farmland, with a compact nucleus of attached or semi-attached houses surrounding a central square. The population mostly preferred to live in close proximity to each other, and would generally commute out to the fields they rented (or worked in the employ of the local landlord). The exact density of the village varied by the area, of course. While the houses of an English village might possibly have a few feet of space between them, an Italian village could often be as densely packed as a city (albeit a very small one). In general, those who wanted to live a distance away from others were assumed to be criminals, religiously unorthodox, or otherwise undesirable. Isolated farmhouses were usually sizable homes inhabited by the relatively few, upper-middle class families who owned their own land, and employed live-in servants and workmen (for example, the Earnshaws of “Wuthering Heights”).

A New Review of Ghastly Affair

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OSR blogger Ynas Midgard has just posted a new review of Ghastly Affair!

http://ynasmidgard.blogspot.com/2018/05/review-ghastly-affair.html

A Ghastly Potpourri – Now Available on RPGNow and DriveThruRPG!

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18th Century, blackpowder, Character Options, dreadpunk, Eighteenth Century, First Empire, Folklore, French Directory, French Revolution, Georgian, Ghastly Affair, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Gothique, Historical, Historical Gaming, History, Louis Seize, Louis XV, Louis XVI, mannerpunk, Medieval Folklore, Napoleonic, nineteenth century, OGL, Preternatural Effects, Regency, role playing, role-playing game, roleplaying game, Romance, Romantic Age, Romantic Horror, Romantic-era, Romanticism, rpg, schauerroman

“A Ghastly Potpourri” is blooming with possibilities for the Ghastly Affair RPG, and other dark OSR games!

GMs and players of any game set in the late Georgian, Regency, French Revolutionary, and Napoleonic eras will also find much of interest, as will anyone gaming in the Horror, Dark Fantasy, Weird Fantasy, Dreadpunk, Mannerpunk, Steampunk, or Austen-punk genres.

Inside you’ll find:

• • New Character Options, for more interesting Ghastly Affair PCs!
  • Lists of Character Inspirations, from history and media!
  • New Preternatural Effects and Weird Objects, to delight and terrify!
  • Creatures and Adversaries, with stats for Ghastly Affair and other OSR games! Includes new re-imaginings of two classic OSR monsters.
  • The Incarnations of Spiritual Powers, from Kubla Khan who dwells in Xanadu, to The Queen of the Night!
  • Random Tables, to inspire scenarios and dark adventures!

  Plus, an Original Short Story by the author of the Ghastly Affair novel “Hunter’s Song”!

Available in PDF and softcover print.

• Get yours today on RPGNow and DriveThruRPG!

Its Time is Coming Soon…

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Character Options.
Inspirational Lists.
New Preternatural Effects and Weird Objects.
Creatures and Adversaries.
Incarnations.
Random Tables.
Fiction.

PDF and Softcover Print.

On RPGNow and DriveThruRPG:
3/23/18

33% OFF the Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual PDF for GM’s Day!

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The Illustrated PDF Version of the Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual is now 33% OFF on RPGNow and DriveThruRpg, as part of their GM’s Day celebration!

Even if you don’t play Ghastly Affair, the Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual is filled with resources for running better Gothic, Horror, Georgian-era, Napoleonic, Regency, Austen-inspired, Mannerpunk, and Dreadpunk games. Besides extensive notes on the themes and motifs of Gothic and Romantic fiction, and clear advice on creating and running game sessions, it includes a year-by-year chronology of events in Europe between 1765 and 1820 – with an emphasis on the strange, the shocking, and the scandalous.

Get yours now!

Sale ends 3/12/18.

Notes on New Classes for GROOVY Ghastly Affair

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I’ve previously posted about my plans for a supplement updating Ghastly Affair for the Swinging Sixties and Groovy Seventies. The following are the new Classes I’m considering for GROOVY Ghastly Affair. None of them are playtested yet, of course, so a lot is likely to change as the supplement evolves.

Biker

The Biker is something of a replacement for the Gypsy, filling the role of the abjected outsider. They would also be strong in combat, like the Bandit. I could see an entire Saga where all the PCs are Bikers traveling the roads, battling both The Man, and supernatural evil.

Ability Adjustment: Strength +1, Dexterity +1,
Special Abilities: Danger Bonus (+1), Motorcycle Riding (+1), Brawl (+1), Intimidation (+1), Build and Repair Machines (+1)
Weaknesses: Social Discrimination (as Gypsy), Rivals (enemy bikers will cause some kind of trouble for the character every Affair)
Hit Dice: d10
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 6, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: Every Level

Advances as a Fighter in other OSR games.

Investigator

The Player would choose whether their Investigator is a Police Detective (inspired by characters like Columbo and Kojak), Private Eye (inspired by characters such as John Shaft and Charlie’s Angels), or Investigative Journalist (inspired by characters like Carl Kolchak). Undercover vigilantes inspired by characters like Foxy Brown or Coffy could also be represented by this Class.

Ability Adjustment: Wisdom +2
Special Abilities: Danger Bonus (+1), Detect Lies (+1), Disguise (+1), Sneak (+1). Police Detectives can call in Police Backup, Private Eyes gain 1 Private Informant per Level, and Investigative Journalists are skilled in Investigative Research.
Weaknesses: Criminal Nemesis (as Demon Hunter, but a human criminal), Attracts Trouble (every Affair, someone involved in a crime will try to draw the Investigator in.)
Hit Dice: d8
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 8, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: Every Level after 1st.

Advances as a Cleric if used with other OSR rules.

Gangster

Basically an update of the Bandit Class. Probably needs more work to really emulate the literary/cinematic Gangsters of the late 20th century.

Ability Adjustment: Dexterity +2
Special Abilities: Capturing (+1), Danger Bonus (+1), Concealment(+1), Fame (as Bandot), Intimidation (+1)
Weaknesses: Hard Luck (as Bandit), Infamy (as Bandit)
Hit Dice: d8
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 8, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: Every Level after 1st.

Advances as a Thief if used with other OSR rules.

Maudit (Cursed Artist)

Inspired by historical figures such as Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud, and characters like Sam Evans from “Dark Shadows”. This would also work for regular Ghastly Affair.

Ability Adjustment: Wisdom +2
Special Abilities: Artistry (+1), Dark Patron (such as a powerful Vampyre, a Dark Fairy, or Satan himself), Local Haunt (their favorite bar or club, where they can get refuge and obtain information), Perception (+1), Prophetic Artwork (made toward the beginning of each Affair, and contains clues of which the artist isn’t even aware)
Weaknesses: Addiction (always an alcoholic, or addicted to some drug), Outrageous Fortune (some outrageous catastrophe will affect himself, a friend, or a family member every Affair)
Hit Dice: d6
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 6, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: 2nd, 5th, & 8th Level

Advances as a Thief if used with other OSR rules.

Ne’er-do-well

Inspired by characters such as Roger Collins (from “Dark Shadows”), Gomez Addams, and Johnny Alucard (from “Dracula 1972 AD”). Replaces the Libertine, which (as written) is more suited to the 18th century than the 20th.

Ability Adjustment: Charisma +2
Special Abilities: Charm (+1), Disguise (+1), Fraud (+1), Sneak (+1), Fashion Sense
Weaknesses: Weak-willed (vulnerable to Seduction and becoming addicted) and Wastrel (compelled to gamble, and pay twice as much for everything)
Hit Dice: d6
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 6, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: 2nd, 5th, & 8th Level

Advances as a Thief if used with other OSR rules.

Parapsychologist

The ubiquitous psychic researcher of late 60s /early 70s horror. Inspired by characters such as Dr. John Markway ( “The Haunting”), Dr. Lionel Barrett (“The Legend of Hell House”), and Dr. Peter Guthrie (“Dark Shadows”).

Ability Adjustment: Intelligence +2
Special Abilities: Academic Credentials (as Mad Scientist), Discover Secrets (+1 when trying to find hidden areas, or secret information), Esoteric Knowledge (+1), Magical Rituals (one learned per Level), Scientific Knowledge (+1)
Weaknesses: Marked by the Supernatural (supernatural beings always direct their attention towards the Parapsychologist), Obsessed with Mysteries (compelled to solve enigmas)
Hit Dice: d6
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 6, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: 2nd, 6th, & 10th Level

Advances as a Cleric if used with other OSR rules.

Psychic (Seer)

Another Class that would also work well for regular Ghastly Affair, as the “Seer”. Inspired in the modern age by characters such as Florence Tanner (“The Legend of Hell House”), Ben Fischer (“The Legend of Hell House”), Theodora (“The Haunting”), and David Collins (“Dark Shadows”).

Ability Adjustment: Wisdom +2
Special Abilities: Choose (or randomly determine) five Psychic Powers. To use a Psychic Power, make a Wisdom Check with a Penalty equal to the Power’s Level. If successful, the User also suffers Nonlethal Damage equal to the Power’s Level. If the Check is failed, the Power can still be activated, but inflicts Lethal Hit Point damage equal to the Power’s Level.
Weaknesses: Debilitating Visions (once per Affair the Psychic will have an awful dream or vision that inflicts 1d6 points of Nonlethal Damage, but also provides a useful clue to the Affair), Unnerving Presence (Must always make Charisma Check when meeting new people, or they will initially dislike and avoid the Psychic)
Hit Dice: d4
Experience Points to Reach 2nd Level: 10, + 4 per Level after
Damage Bonus Increases: 2nd, 6th, & 10th Level

Advances as a Magic User / Wizard if used with other OSR rules.

Psychic Powers

d100	One of the Psychic’s Powers is..
1	Astral Projection (Level 5)
2 – 4	Augury (Level 2)
5 – 6	Calm Animals (Level 1)
7 – 10	Clairvoyance (Level 4)
11 – 14	Clairaudience (Level 3)
15 – 16	Combust (Level 1) (also see “A Ghastly Potpourri”)
17 – 18	Commune With Spirit (Level 5)
10 – 20	Cure Light Wounds (Level 1)
21	Elf Stroke (Level 1)
22 – 23	Exorcism(Level 5)
24	Find Person (Level 4) (also see “A Ghastly Potpourri”)
25 – 26	Hide Thoughts (Level 2)
27 – 30	Hypnotism (Level 1)
31	Identify (Level 1)
32	Ignore Pain (Level 1)
33 – 34	Know Direction (Level 0)
35 – 36	Locate Creature (Level 5)
37 – 38	Locate Object (Level 3)
39	Major Creation (Level 5)
40 – 43	Mediumship (Voluntary mental Possession by a Spirit, which can be ended by either the Psychic or the Spirit. Probably Level 1)
44 – 45	Mesmeric Healing (Level 2)
46	Minor Creation (Level 3)
47 – 48	Nondetection (Level 3)
49 – 50	Obtain Oracle (Level 4)
51	Overwhelming Fear (Level 4)
52	Phantasmagoria I (Level 1)
53	Phantasmal Killer (Level 5)
53 – 54	Possess Beast (Level 3) (also see “A Ghastly Potpourri”)
55 – 56	Prestidigitation (Level 0)
57 – 58	Projected Double (Level 5)
59 – 60	Protection From Evil (Level 1)
61 – 62	Read Minds (Level 2)
63 – 64	Remove Disease (Level 3)
65 – 66	Remove Fear (Level 1)
67 – 68	Restoration (Level 5)
69 – 70	Scare (Level 2)
71 – 75	Scrying (Level 5)
76 – 79	See Invisibility (Level 2)
80	Shower of Stones (Level 1)
81 – 83	Sorcerer’s Hand (Level 0)
84 – 85	Speak With Animals (Level 2)
86 – 87	Speak With Dead (Level 2)
88 – 89	Speak With Plants (Level 2)
90 – 91	Suggestion (Level 3)
92 – 96	Telekinesis (Level 5)
97 – 98	Telepathic Bond (Level 5)
99 – 100	True Seeing (Level 5)

 

As for the existing Classes, Demon Hunter, Everyman, Magician, and Mad Scientist would be used unchanged.

The True Innocent of the Swinging Sixties and Groovy Seventies would no longer have the “Fainting” Weakness. It would be replaced with something like “Honest to a Fault”, indicating that the Innocent is a very bad liar, who shakes and stammers when they try to deceive. Even when they do lie successfully, the truth always comes out. The big inspiration here is Victoria Winters from “Dark Shadows”, of course.

The Bandit, Grave Robber, Gypsy and Libertine Classes are perhaps more suited for games set in the late 18th / early 19th century. However, since the intrusion of the past into the present is major thematic hallmark of the Gothic, characters seemingly (or even actually) from another time might indeed be present in the “modern” world of GROOVY Ghastly Affair.

Valentine’s Day Sale – 25% Off Ghastly Affair PDFs

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Experience Love and Death in the time of Romance and Revolution, with the Ghastly Affair Valentine’s Day Sale. 25% Off the PDF versions of the Ghastly Affair Player’s Manual, and Ghastly Affair Presenter’s Manual!

Sale ends 2/15/18.

 

Inspirations for GROOVY Ghastly Affair

Tags

20th Century, Cinematic Horror, Ghastly Affair, Giallo, gothic game, Gothic Gaming, Gothic Horror, Gothic Literature, Gothic Movie, Gothic Romance, Gothick, Gothique, Historical, Historical Gaming, History, Occultsploitation, role playing, role-playing game, roleplaying game, Romantic Horror, rpg

I’m in the early conceptual phase for a supplement expanding Ghastly Affair to cover the years from 1964 to 1976 – the Swinging Sixties, and Groovy Seventies. It was a period of upheaval, uncertainty, and panic, with many parallels to the decades surrounding the French Revolution. I’m envisioning games where Demon Hunters in mini-skirts and go-go boots fight supernatural evil on the streets of Swinging London, black-gloved killers stalk gorgeous models in terror-wracked Milan, and glamorous jet-setters conduct drug-fueled Black Masses in haunted mansions atop the Hollywood Hills. Naturally, I would assume that characters from the 18th century will discover passages into the 20th, and visa-versa! To that end I’ve compiled a thematic “canon” of movies from the Sixties and Seventies that feature the essential Gothic themes of Ghastly Affair – sex, death, Satanism, sorcery, addiction, ghosts, shocking crimes, and dark obsessions.

Some Inspirational Movies for GROOVY Ghastly Affair:

• Alice, Sweet Alice
• All the Colors of the Dark (Tutti i colori del buio)
• Amuck! (Alla ricerca del piacere)
• Baron Blood (Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga)
• Beyond the Door (Chi sei?)
• The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo)
• Blacula
• The Blood Spattered Bride (La Novia Ensangrentada)
• Burnt Offerings
• Daughters of Darkness (Le Rouge aux lèvres)
• Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
• Don’t Look Now
• Dorian Gray (Il dio chiamato Dorian) (1970 film)
• Dracula AD 1972
• The Exorcist
• Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (Le foto proibite di una signora per bene)
• Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay (Morgane et ses Nymphes)
• House of Dark Shadows
• The Iron Rose (La Rose de Fer)
• The Legend of Hell House
• Lips of Blood (Lèvres de Sang)
• The Mephisto Waltz
• Night of Dark Shadows
• Nude for Satan (Nuda per Satana)
• The House That Dripped Blood
• The Omen
• To the Devil a Daughter
• Requiem for a Vampire (Requiem pour un Vampire)
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Rosemary’s Baby
• Satanic Rites of Dracula
• Simon, King of the Witches
• Story of O (Histoire d’O)
• Suspiria
• Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave)
• Vampyres
• Vampyros Lesbos (Las Vampiras)
• The Wicker Man

I’ve included two movies (“Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fay” and “Story of O”) not usually considered Gothic or Horror, because they are nonetheless thematic and stylistic fits for my conception of GROOVY Ghastly Affair. I’ve excluded pure horror films, like “Night of the Living Dead”, that focus on the horrific without juxtaposing it with the beautiful. For that reason I’ve also mostly excluded American-style “slasher” or gritty crime movies, other than the very Gothic “Alice, Sweet Alice”. I’ve included numerous Italian Giallo films, however, because even though most contain few to no supernatural elements, their stylish, hallucinatory quality and kinky fetishism mark them as heirs to the crime-obsessed early Gothic novels.

Of course, THE touchstone for late 60s Gothic Romance is “Dark Shadows”, but GROOVY Ghastly Affair would not be simply a “Dark Shadows” RPG. As much as I might love to create an actual “Dark Shadows” game, there’s simply no way I would ever be able to afford the license. Nonetheless, the ability to successfully handle “Dark Shadows”-type stories would be the test of any game claiming to emulate Swinging Sixties Gothic.

As for books, many of the Gothic stories of the late Sixties and early Seventies (such as “The Exorcist” and “Rosemary’s Baby”) were actually turned into movies. The great Shirley Jackson novels, however, are actually a little before this time (she died in 1965). The late Sixties and Seventies were also a great time for horror comics, and the stories in the Warren publications of the Seventies – “Eerie”, “Creepy”, and “Vampirella” – were often as sexy as they were horrific.

Musically, I thinking the likes of Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Roxy Music, T Rex, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Goblin, and The Velvet Underground. The time period included the early days of Disco and Punk (and many of the aforementioned bands are in fact proto-Punk), but in my conception the Groovy Seventies ended when Punk and Disco both became prominent in 1977.