GM: Create the Nightmare.

Roll or choose from the tables below! Bloodborne is a

A threat...
1. A group of occultists
2. An ancestral family
3. A knightly order
Hides within...
This Place is Finished. Enthralled by the mysteries of Cosmos, arrogant men have brought a plague of monstrous beasts and rotten blood. 1. Maze-like catacombs
They sought communion with the Great Ones, but their minds proved unready. Where the Great Ones dwell, a Nightmare is born. Where the
2. A somber cathedral
Nightmare spreads, a Dream fights back. Naive and futile as it may be, itself perhaps a Nightmare in disguise, the Dream lures Hunters into a
game by From Software
and SCE Japan Studio.
This is a free RPG by
4. A fallen Hunter
Emanuele Galletto,
5. A group of scholars set in that same universe
and based on the rules for
6. A Great One Lasers and Feelings by
John Harper. It is not a
commercial product.
4. A secluded village
Bloodborne, its logo, and
5. A crumbling manor the Hunter’s rune are prop-

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3. An ancient library 6. An abandoned district erty of From Software.
promise of security. Of home. Of a pale, wet, and welcoming embrace. May you Find your Worth in the Waking World...
And will use... This game is licensed under

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a CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 license.
Players: Create your Hunters. Players & GM: Playing the Game.
When you do something risky, roll 1d10 to find what happens. Roll
1. Magic from Cosmos 4. Occult medicine https://creativecommons.

2d10 if you are prepared, and 3d10 if you are an expert. You also
2. Its many followers 5. Ritual sacrifices org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/
Choose a truly unique Trick Weapon for your hunter: Shield

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roll an additional +1d10 if you are Bleeding (see below).
Cannon, Scythe Hammer, Rifle Cane, Pyre Kukri... 3. Its feral strength 6. Eldritch machinery If you want to contact me:
www.facebook.com/
Choose and depict a guiding Rune for your hunter: Silence, In- Because it wants... roosterema
genuity, Rage, Regeneration, Quickness, Illusion, Hope... The GM will tell you how many dice to roll, based on your character 1. To regain lost power 4. To transcend its nature
and the circumstances of the action.

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Choose your Number, from 2 to 9. A high number means you Roll your dice and compare each die result to your Number. 2. To give birth to a child 5. Vengeance
are closer to KINSHIP (insight; tinkering; casting spells; calm 3. To be loved/worshipped 6. To end this world
and skillful action). A low number means you are closer to BEAST-
If you are using KINSHIP (insight; tinkering; spells; calm
^
HOOD (aggression; instinct; feral, passionate action).
GM: Run the Game.

Give your hunter some dark, baroque or exotic name: Alya,
Dusian, Goriev, Mira, Mortimer, Nadia, Wolfe...
You Have: clothes and headgear unique to your hunter, providing
some measure of armor but allowing freedom of movement; a ban-
dolier with healing blood vials and quicksilver bullets; some kind of
grim trophy from one of your past hunts.
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and skill), you want to roll under your Number.
^ If you are using BEASTHOOD (aggression; instinct; fury;
passion), you want to roll above your Number.
If none of your dice succeed, things go badly. The GM
describes how they get worse. In a dangerous or harmful
situation, the GM might cause you to become Bleeding:
Place each major prey within its own twisted area of the Nightmare,
and make sure the hunters can learn more about its nature from
the environment, items, people and enemies they encounter while
investigating and approaching their target.
Don’t limit yourself to the visuals shown within the game; mash
together different architectures and put your own labyrinthine,

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if you were already Bleeding, you are instead slain and re- gothic, or horrific spin on them.
Player Goal: Battle terrifying beasts and mind-bending cosmic form within the Dream... Will you be able to rejoin your
horrors. Try to accomplish your hunter’s goal. Whenever you introduce a new place, creature, or enemy, make sure

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Hunter Goal: Choose one or create your own:
w Locate the root or host of this Nightmare and destroy them.
allies before it’s too late?
you convey their inevitably twisted, repulsive and sometimes awk-
If one of your dice succeeds, you barely managed to do it. ward nature.

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w Protect an innocent one from the dangers of this Nightmare.
w Find your lost hunter mentor and/or learn about their fate.
w Ascend among higher beings. Shed this primitive body.
w The sweet blood seeks to consume all. Quench its ruinous thirst.
Players: Create your Dream.
As a group, pick two Boons for your Dream: it is guarded by a pow-
erful being; it has a fully operational workshop; it is often visited by
friendly hunters; or it is well connected to the Nightmare.
For each option you didn’t pick, gain the corresponding Burden: it
is constantly threatened by a powerful being; it lacks even the most
basic workshop tools; it is often attacked by rival hunters; or its con-
nection with the Nightmare is weak and unreliable.
The GM inflicts some kind of complication or cost.
If two of your dice succeed, you achieve your goal!
Good hunter.
If three dice succeed, you get a Critical Success. The
GM will tell you what kind of additional benefit you get.
If you roll exactly your Number on one or more dice,
The Blood Sings to You. Your hunter’s enhanced sens-
es allow them to gain special insight into what’s going
on. Ask the GM a question: they must answer honestly.
Examples of good questions: What’s her weak spot? Is he
telling the truth? How can I avoid this? What’s the best
way to _____? What is really going on here?
You can then change your approach and repeat the cur-
rent roll, if you want.
Keep the players on their toes and make them feel like prisoners
within a nightmare, but don’t force nor pre-plan the outcome of
uncertain actions. Call for rolls when things seem risky, be fair
when evaluating circumstances and character preparation, and
don’t forget that the dice might suddenly turn the tables. Use fail-
ures to put characters in tough but interesting spots, and remember
this is a story of mortals infused with otherworldly blood fighting
impossible abominations. It’s supposed to get out of hand!
Bleeding & Blood Vials
Hunters carry blood vials with them. A Bleeding hunter can use
them to heal, but in a dangerous situation this might require a
roll. Know when to retreat and find a safe spot to heal.