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ENTER THE SURVIVAL HORROR
Inspirations
Enter the Survival Horror strives to create the feeling of scarcity
and desparation found in the Survival Horror Genre of video
games.
The intention is to create an atmosphere of tension as player characters (PCs) find themselves. The players determine the
resources continually deplete, as players become intimately
familiar with a dense, interconnected location.
This game is self-contained and does not require any external
documents to play.
Themes/Genre
Themes: Exploration, Survival, Resource Management
Genre: Survival Horror
Characters are expected to suffer permanent harm and death. The
game provides mechanics to make these catastrophes dramatic,
effective, and rewarding, and provides a number of pregenerated
characters to get you immediately back in the action. Combat is a
game of resources, as almost everything you do comes with a cost.
It might be better to barricade off a hallway and find another way
around, rather than deal with with danger within.
Enter the Survival Horror is a game about weighing the worth
of the last of your shotgun shells. It's a game about the joy of
discovering a safe room or a key. It's a game about mastering your
environment while losing yourself.
Style of Play
Enter the Survival Horror is more rigid and structured than most
Forged in the Dark games, as it seeks to create a specific, curated
atmosphere through mechanics. This isn't a game about creative
and well-prepared rogues, it's a game about being trapped in a
hostile environment that is out of your control. A predetermined,
interconnected map, fixed item locations, and locked doors are
emphasized. It's a game about slowly exploring a location, while
never being truly safe.
Safety Tools
Being a game about horror and survival, things are going to get
bloody. This game leans heavily into body horror, shock, and terror.
That means that it's doubly important that players are comfortable
at the table. Safety tools should be provided for all players
(Including the Director!), and everyone should be familiarized with
them in order to facilitate a safe, inclusive atmosphere.
CLICK HERE FOR SAFETY TOOLS
Game Information
This game is designed to be played with 4-6 players, with one
acting as the Director. Sessions should ideally last for 2-5 hours,
and end on a cliffhanger. Rated "M" for Mature.
The Game is a Conversation
A roleplaying game is a conversation between the Director and the
players. The Director presents the fictional situation in which the
actions of their characters in response to the situation. The Director
and the players together judge how the game systems are engaged.
The outcomes of the mechanics change the situation, leading into a
new phase of the conversation — new situations, new actions, new
judgments - creating an ongoing fiction and building “the story” of
the game, organically, from a series of discrete moments. No one
is in charge of the story. The story is what happens as a result of
the situation presented by the Director, the actions the characters
take, and the consequences that result. The story emerges from the
unpredictable collision of all of these elements. You play to find
out what the story will be.
Strive for Clarity
Players are tasked with making difficult life-and-death decisions on
a moment-to-moment basis. But without proper information, it
feels like players are being asked to make random stabs in the dark
just to see what happens. As such, always err on the side of giving
players too much information. You want choices, not guesses.
Player Principles
Shine in the spotlight, but pass it on!
Be a fan of your fellow players. Don’t forget, the Director is a
player too!
No one gets out unscathed and that’s ok.
Revel in success AND failure.
Play your character like a car you stole.
If you go out, go out big!
Find your character's humanity.
Justify your actions within the fiction of the world.
Director Principles
Play to find out what happens.
The world is cruel and unforgiving.
This is the worst day of the characters' lives.
Never make the player characters look foolish.
Be a fan of your players, be cruel to their characters.
Address characters, not players.
Ask provocative questions, build on the answers.
What is needed to play
Assuming you are playing in person, the following items will make
running the game much easier
Character sheets
Six sided dice (d6s). At least 6 for all players, but more is
better.
2-5 hours
Mood music
2
Core Concepts
Players are up against terrible odds - monsters, traps, madmen and
more. Can you escape? Can it be stopped?
Hurt and Desperate
The game begins with the player characters already having lost
valuable resources. The top priority at the beginning of the game is
likely to be to find a way to patch themselves up. It is
recommended that each character begins the game having taken
three types of damage, either taking harm or losing instincts. Don't
forget to award Luck!
Unknown Variables
Players are often going up against threats they have no frame of
reference for. Players may find that they can only make educated
guesses as to what the position or effect of their actions will be.
However, they can always investigate closer, take setup actions, or
listen to their instincts to get a better idea of what they're up
against.
The Dungeon
Adventures always begin with the characters arriving at the
entrance of a dungeon, having just made a desperate escape. It is
made immediately clear to the players that leaving the dungeon is a
fail state that will surely result in their deaths. Escape is not a
viable option.
Players are trapped in a dense, interconnected, claustrophobic
setting with a mystery at it's heart. Adventure modules provide
premade maps with semi-fixed item locations and encounters.
Freeform games are possible, but may adopt a different structure or
tone.
The Rules
Enter the Survival Horror uses six-sided dice, referred to
throughout these rules as d6s for it's conflict resolution.
Rolls are made using d6 dice pools, quickly assembled from the
information you have on your character sheet and the situations
your characters find themselves in. Dice rolled in this way help to
direct the conversation toward outcomes of triumph, conflict or
disaster. Whatever the result, the story moves forwards. Clocks are
used as a visual measure of ongoing progress and incoming danger.
The slices, or 'ticks' of the clocks are marked or cleared by your
actions.
You will also collect resources; primarily weapons, ammo, tools,
crafting items, and keys. These resources are tracked on your
character sheet and must be carefully managed to avoid disaster.
Every part of your character sheet is a resource that can be
strategically used and sacrificed to your advantage. Make the most
of it!
Players will be exploring the location, finding locked doors,
searching for keys, and returning to previous areas to find new
passages and secrets. At any time, players can discover clues, or
listen to their instincts to help guide them.
The world is filled with dangerous monsters, and will only
become more dangerous. Players will be tasked with assessing if a
threat is worth engaging with, bypassing, or avoiding.

What is a dungeon?
A dungeon is defined as an enclosed and
predetermined location that is designed to facilitate the
game. The location is perilous, full of locked doors,
traps, and enemies. It usually has a predetermined
beginning, a suggested climax, with the connective
tissue being free form and open-ended.
Dungeons can be any type of location, indoor,
outdoor, above or below ground. Some examples of
dungeons might be -
A spooky mansion
An abandoned hospital
A decrepit clocktower
A remote village

The Game
Player Characters are a group of survivors who are working
together against impossible odds. Characters are expected to suffer
multiple catastrophes, up to and including death. No matter what,
this experience will change them forever.

3
The Action Roll Assessing Factors
When making an action roll, you roll several six sided dice at once To assess effect level, first start with your gut feeling, given this
and read only the single highest result. To create a dice pool, situation. Then, if needed, assess factors that may modify the effect
Choose an instinct and take a number of dice equal to its rating. level. The most common factors are potency, scale, and tier. If the
PC has an advantage in a given factor, consider a higher effect
level. If they have a disadvantage, consider a reduced effect level.
Instinct (+1d +2d if dominant)
+ Potency
Action (+1d if proficent) The potency factor considers particular weaknesses, taking extra
time or a bigger risk, or environmental factors. Sneaking is more
potent if you move about in the dark.
+ Potential Bonus Dice +
Tier
Tier represents the effectiveness of tools, weapons, equipment, or
Assist (+1d) - Inventory Trouble (+1d)
other resources.
Devil's Bargain (+1d) - Push Yourself (+1d)
Scale
Scale represents the number of opponents, size of an area covered,
If you roll more than one 6, it’s a critical success.
scope of influence, etc. Larger scale can be an advantage or
You succeed and gain an extra benefit (usually +effect).
disadvantage depending on the situation. In battle, more people are
If the highest die is a 6, it’s a full success.
better. When infiltrating, more people are a hindrance.
Things go well. It happens as you intended.
If the highest die is a 5-4, it’s a partial success.
You do what you were trying to do, but suffer Effect
consequences.
Effect Level gauges how much is accomplished on a favorable roll.
If the highest die is 3-1, it’s a bad outcome.
Things go poorly. You probably don’t achieve your goal
and you suffer consequences. Gain 1 Luck. Extreme
You overwhelm. Is there anything left?
Position
Once the player chooses their action, the Director sets the position
for the roll. The position represents how dangerous or troublesome
Great
the action might be. There are four positions: controlled, risky, You achieve more than usual. How does the extra
desperate, and catastrophic. To choose a position, the Director effort manifest? What additional benefit do you enjoy?
looks at the profiles for the positions below and picks one that most
closely matches the situation at hand.
Standard
Controlled You achieve what we’d expect as “normal” with this
action. Is that enough, or is there more left to do?
You act on your terms. You exploit a dominant
advantage.

Limited
Risky You achieve a partial or weak effect. How is your
impact diminished? What effort remains to achieve
You go head to head. You act under fire. You take a your goal?
chance.

Desperate Zero
You achieve nothing of consequence.
You are outnumbered or outmatched. You’re in serious
trouble.

Catastrophic
You overreach your capabilities. This is life or death.

4
Setting Position and Effect
The default position and effect for any given action roll is
Risky/Standard.
The player declares their intention, and chooses what Instinct
and Action they are using to accomplish it, as well as any
additional relevant factors such as equipment or how they are using
the terrain. If factors adjust either the position or effect from the
default Risky/Standard, the Director brings attention to this. If the
player doesn't like the position and effect, they may choose to
modify their approach or abandon it entirely.
Trade Position for Effect
After factors are considered and the Director has announced the
effect level, a player might want to trade position for effect, or vice
versa. For instance, if they’re going to make a risky roll with
standard effect (the most common scenario, generally), they might
instead want to push their luck and make a desperate roll but with
great effect.
Bonus dice
Here are some of the ways you can add additional dice to your
rolls:
+1d when if a teammate uses the Assist special action to help
you (special actions are listed on page 6)
+1d for inventory trouble
+1d for taking a Devil's Bargain
+1d by Pushing Yourself
Potential Consequences
If a character suffers consequences, the Director selects one or
more options off this list proportional to the level of consequence.
Suffer Harm. +1 Luck
Lose an Instinct. +1 Luck
Expend a Resource
Worse position
Reduced Effect
Complication
Tick the Doom Clock
A dangerous clock ticks
Resist
When a character suffers a consequence that you don’t like, you
can choose to resist it. Just tell the Director, “No, I don’t think so.
I’m resisting that.” Resistance is always automatically effective —
the Director will tell you if the consequence is reduced in severity
or if you avoid it entirely.
The player then makes a Doom Roll (more information on pg.
8).
Connections
Connections represent emotional or social bonds your have with
your temammates, for better or worse. Friends and enemies both
share a relationship that can be used during interactions.
Connections are abstract, reflecting a general shift in power within
a relationship. Connections can be gained during a Moment of
Peace (pg 9), or during a particularly intense moment shared
between characters. Characters can have one Connection to a
player character at a time that can be spent to gain a benefit.
Whenever you spend a Connection, explain how that bond
influences the situation.
When you assist, or are assisted by a character with a
connection, you can spend that connection to either forgo the 1
luck cost, grant an additional +1d, increase position, or increase
effect.
If you protect, or are protected by a character with a connection,
you can spend that connection to resist consequences.
Worst Impulse
Your character's worst impluse is the bad habit they fall back on
when stress becomes too great. It might be a vice, a bad habit, a
bad attitude, or harmful behavior. Whatever it is, it's not merely
annoying or inconvenient, it's actively harmful and can lead you
into trouble.
Your worst impulse can be indulged by Inviting Trouble, or
might be compelled by circumstances or as a consequence.
Example Worst Impulses
Cowardly
Paranoid
Selfish
Hopeless
Irrational
Overindulgance
Cruel
Compulsive
Guilt
Mania
Greed
5
Consequences
Enemy actions, bad circumstances, or the outcome of a roll can
inflict consequences on a PC. A given circumstance might result in
one or more consequences, depending on the situation. The
Director determines the consequences, following from the fiction
and the style and tone established by the game group.
Reduced Effect
This consequence represents impaired performance. The PC’s
action isn’t as effective as they’d anticipated. You hit him, but it’s
only a flesh wound. She accepts the forged invitation, but she’ll
keep her eye on you throughout the night. You’re able to scale the
wall, but it’s slow going — you’re only halfway up. This
consequence essentially reduces the effect level of the PC’s action
by one after all other factors are accounted for.
Complication
This consequence represents trouble, mounting danger, or a new
threat. The GM might introduce an immediate problem that results
from the action right now: the room catches fire, you’re disarmed,
reinforcements arrive, etc.
Or the GM might tick a clock for the complication, instead.
Maybe there’s a clock for the alert level of the roaming monsters.
Or maybe the GM creates a new clock for the suspicion of an NPC
you have an uneasy alliance with and ticks it. Fill one tick on a
clock for a complication from a controlled position, two ticks from
a risky position, or three ticks from a desparate position.
A serious complication is more severe: reinforcements surround
and trap you, the room catches fire and falling ceiling beams block
the door, your target escapes out of sight, etc.
Don’t inflict a complication that negates a successful roll. If a PC
tries to corner an human enemy and gets a 4/5, don’t say that the
enemy escapes. The player’s roll succeeded, so the enemy is
cornered... maybe the PC has to wrestle them into position and
during the scuffle the enemy grabs their gun.
Lost Opportunity
This consequence represents shifting circumstance. You had an
opportunity to achieve your goal with this action, but it slips away.
To try again, you need a new approach — usually a new form of
action or a change in circumstances. Maybe you tried to deactivate
a trap delicately, but it becomes apparent your tools won't cut it.
You might have to resort to brute force, or plead with the
Mastermind to spare you.
Worse Position
This consequence represents losing control of the situation — the
action carries you into a more dangerous position. Perhaps you
make the leap across to the next rooftop, only to end up dangling
by your fingertips. You haven’t failed, but you haven’t succeeded
yet, either. You can try again, re-rolling at the new, worse position.
This is a good consequence to choose to show escalating action. A
situation might go from controlled, to risky, to desperate as the
action plays out and the PC gets deeper and deeper in trouble.
Gain a Condition
This consequence represents things metaphorically weighing you
down. Things like hunger, thirst, exhaustion, poison, and
intoxication can slow you down. Conditions are treated like items
and put into the inventory. They are assigned a tier and a burden
value, and can also be given tags that include debuffs, such as
Heavy (you are overburdened while under this condition), Reduced
Position, Reduced Effect, -1d, etc. While the condition is tier 1 or
higher, you are under the effects of that debuff.
Conditions can be removed by addressing their root cause.
Eating while hungry, drinking while thirsty, applying an antidote
when poisoned, etc will reduce the tier of the condition or remove
it altogether.
Harm
This consequence represents a long-lasting debility (or death).
When you suffer harm, record the specific injury on your character
sheet equal to the level of harm you suffer. If you suffer lesser
harm, record it in the bottom row. If you suffer moderate harm,
write it in the middle row. If you suffer severe harm, record it in the
top row. See examples of harm and the harm tracker, below.
If you need to mark a harm level, but the row is already filled,
the harm moves up to the next row above. So, if you suffered
standard harm (level 2) but had no empty spaces in the second row,
you’d have to record severe harm (level 3), instead. If you run out
of spaces on the top row and need to mark harm there, your
character suffers a Catastrophe.
Lost Instincts
This consequence represents mental strain, distress, and trauma.
When you lose an instinct, cross out one half of an instinct pair.
Only one half of each pair can be crossed out, never both halves. If
you need to remove a fourth instinct, you instead suffer a
Catastrophe.
As a consequence from a controlled position, the player may be
allowed to choose which instinct is lost. As a consequence from a
risky position, the Director chooses. As a consequence from a
desperate position, the instinct may be erased completely - not able
to be regained by taking the Recovery action. A player can spend
luck to replace one or both halves of an instinct - even one that has
been erased.
Inventory Trouble
An item in your inventory (usually one relevant to the action roll
made) is lost, damaged, or destroyed. A controlled consequence
might just cause you to drop an item, which can be retrieved if you
can reach it. A risky consequence might reduce the tier of a
weapon, or add a negative tag such as "damaged" or "consume". A
desparate consequence might cause the item to be taken from you
and used against you, dropped into an inaccessable area, or
destroyed altogether.
Catastrophic Position
There is only one consequence that is suffered on a mixed or failed
roll from catastrophic position - the character suffers a Catastrophe,
and must choose what terrible fate befalls them, including instant
death, loss of limb, a fate worse than death, and more.
6
Fortune Roll
The fortune roll is a tool the Director can use to disclaim decision
making. You use a fortune roll in two different ways:
When an outcome is uncertain, but no other roll applies to the
situation at hand.
When you want a determination about a situation the PCs aren’t
directly involved in.
Through careful planning, the players have tricked two
monsters into fighting each other. How does that turn
out? The Director makes a fortune roll for each of
them. One gets a good result but the other gets limited
effect. The Director decides that the first monster kills
the second, but suffers some injuries during the
skirmish.
Never Safe
As the adventure wears on, backtracking becomes more dangerous.
When players return to an area, the Director makes a fortune roll.
Roll a number of dice equal to the Threat Level of the area.
Critical. The Doom Clock fills, or an Intrusion strikes.
6. A hazard strikes, but there is time to react
5-4. Warnings of future hazards.
3-1. No danger for the moment. Players gain a Lucky Find.
Devil's Bargain
PCs in Enter the Survival Horror are under an incredible amount
of pressure, facing threats that no one should have to face. To
reflect this, when making an Action Roll, the Director or any other
player can offer you a bonus die if you accept a Devil’s Bargain.
Common Devil’s Bargains include:
Collateral damage, unintended harm.
Sacrifice an item.
Deplete item use.
Betray a teammate.
Start and/or tick a troublesome clock.
Suffer harm.
The Devil’s Bargain occurs regardless of the outcome of the roll.
You make the deal, pay the price, and get the bonus die. The
Devil’s Bargain is always a free choice. If you don’t like it, just
reject it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider taking it).
If a player wants to do something that is outside the scope of the
rules, they may ask the GM for a Devil's Bargain to make it
possible.
Special Actions
Listed here are some special actions that fall outside of the Action
Roll. Some actions can be taken at any time, even in the middle of
another roll that is being resolved.
Assist
Spend 1 luck to add +1d to a teammate's roll. Describe how your
actions assist them. You may be exposing yourself to
consequences.
Protect
Take the Consequences for a teammate.
Setup
Setup. When you perform a setup action, you have an indirect
effect on an obstacle. Succeeding on an Action Roll increases the
position and/or effect for any member of the team (including
yourself) who follows through on the manuver, potentially by
multiple levels.
Listen to your Instincts
When faced with a dilemma, a player may choose to listen to their
instincts. The player chooses one of their instincts, and presents
that inner voice with a question, dilemma, or thought. The Director
then personifies that instinct, and engages with the character.
Your instincts only knows what the character knows, but may
have unique intuitions, insights, and perspectives that may prove
valuable. Each instinct has their own drives and goals, and may or
may not have your best interests at heart.
Player. "I'd like to inspect the door."
Director. "Would you like to listen to your
instincts?"
Player. "Uh, sure! I'll listen to 'science'."
Director. "Hey, it's me, your science instinct!
Hmmm... Looks pretty darn secure, tier 4 if I had to
guess. But it's got to open somehow. Maybe there's a
control pad nearby! Do you think it runs on AC or DC
currents? Is it an active or retrograde circuit?"
Player. "Ok science, don't get carried away now."
Last Resort
Go out in a blaze of glory. Take an action. It counts as a critical
success with maximum effect. You suffer a catastrophe. Do you
survive? What's left?
7
Instincts
Instincts reflect a character's skills, approach, and personality. They
come in pairs that are two sides of a coin - when in a proper state of
mind, it shows that you are in control and can master your
impulses. However, the blood and the screams get to you. When
the 'Lose an Instinct' consequence is suffered, one half of a pair is
either crossed off, or removed entirely. The lost instinct can no
longer be invoked. Crossed off instincts can be recovered, but
removed instincts cannot. However, players can spend Luck to
replace one or both halves of an instinct pair.
Chris has the instinct Strategy / Impulse, but suffers the
lose an instinct consequence. He chooses to cross out
Strategy, leaving him only able to act on Impulse. This
makes Chris less likely to plan, and more likely to fly
by the seat of his pants.
If you lose an Instinct, but have already lost 3 (and therefore cannot
cross out an Instinct without losing both halves of one), you suffer
a Catastrophe.
Dominant Instincts
A dominant instinct is an instinct that is at the forefront of your
mind. At character creation, choose one instinct to be dominant.
While making action rolls with this instinct, roll with +1d. You
may gain additional dominant instincts by spending luck.
If you lose an instinct that is dominant, you may choose a new
instinct to make dominant instead. You may also change what
instincts are dominant during a Moment of Peace.
Actions
Characters have six actions, rated from 0-1. When making an
action roll, they choose an Instinct and an Action.
Finesse. Nimbly dodge. Aim with precision. Manipulate
something delicate.
Force. Attack head on. Use your aggression. Destroy.
Resolve. Endure pain. Stand your ground. Keep your cool.
Tinker. Create or modify something useful. Interface with
devices. Disable a trap.
Sway. Persuade an ally. Intimidate a foe. Lie convincingly.
Study. Find something useful. Figure out how something works.
Discover a weakness.
Catastrophe
When you suffer a Catastrophe, choose the most dramatic option.
Instant Death. You suffer harm that instantly ends you.
Stabbed in the heart, cut in half, shot in the head.
Mental Break. You snap. Succumb to despair, give in to your
worst impulses, betray your friends.
Mortal Wound. You are marked for death, but not just yet.
Continue limping on until you inevitably perish.
Forever Changed. You'll never be the same again. Horrifically
maimed, worldview changed, unable to continue on your
current path. Can you continue with such burdens?
Fate worse than Death. Death would be a mercy. Reference
this adventure's Fate Worse Than Death.
Utter Disaster. Instead of suffering the consequences,
everything falls apart.
Lose Everything. All equipment on your person is lost or
destroyed.
Dead
As long as their body is accessible and not destroyed, a dead
character's items are able to be picked up by their allies. If a
character is carrying a key item when they die, and it is destroyed
or lost, the item is simply gone. The players will need to find
another way to bypass the obstacle. You can always listen to you
instincts for advice.
Dead characters may return as zombies, or something worse.
Luck
Luck is the currency you use to grow and survive. Endure hardship.
Suffer. Adapt. Overcome. Players mark Luck as soon as the
triggering event happens, and can spend Luck at any time (even in
the middle of a roll).
Earning Luck
Help the game table +1
Get a bad outcome +1
Act from Catastrophic position +1
Suffer harm +1
Lose an instinct +1
Lash out at a teammate +1
Invite trouble +1
Watch an ally die +2

Harm Spending Luck

When a character take the 'suffers harm' consequence, it means
7 - New dominant instinct
they suffer a severe blow. Harm is usually physical harm of some
7 - New special ability
kind - it hurts, but never slows you down or prevents you from
7 - New action proficency
taking action. Write down an evocative word or short phrase that
4 - Replace instinct pair
describes your harm into one of your harm slots.
2 - Lucky Find
If you gain a level 4 harm, or gain an harm don't have an harm
2 - Push yourself (+1d or +effect)
slot to put it in, you suffer a Catastrophe.
1 - Assist (+1 to teammate roll)

8
Progress Clocks
Clocks are a visual measure of ongoing effort against an obstacle or
the approach of impending trouble. Clocks are meant to be seen at
all times - hidden or secret clocks defeat the purpose! A clock is
like a countdown - when the clock is filled (or sometimes when
emptied!) something dramatic happens. This might represent a
monster's health, a multi-layered security system, or persuading an
unhinged survivor. Simple obstacles may not require the use of a
clock. Clocks may last for the scene they are created, for multiple
scenes, or even multiple sessions. Clocks usually vary from 4-10
ticks in length, with 2-tick and 12-tick clocks used less frequently.
Clocks longer than 12 ticks should instead be split into multiple
clocks.
Using Clocks
Clocks are numbered meters that measure ongoing effort against an
obstacle or the approach of impending trouble. A clock is like a
countdown - when the clock is filled something dramatic happens.
This might represent a monster's health, a multi-layered security
system, or persuading an angry mob.
Clocks are an extremely flexible way to measure just about
anything. Here are some examples to help give you context for how
to use them.
Simple Obstacles
Not every situation and obstacle requires a clock. Use clocks when
a situation is complex or layered and you need to clock something
over time—otherwise, resolve the obstacle with a single action.
You may also use a series of connected simple obstacles to
represent a multi-stage task.
Obstacle clock
Represents opposition. This might be a monster that needs slaying,
a complex problem to be solved, or a vast distance that needs to be
traversed. Players usually want to fill this up to complete it.
Countdown clock
The clock represents time. Players might need to kill time before a
party, try to accomplish a goal before the sun sets, or try and avoid
detection. Players usually don’t want this clock to fill, and may
work to empty it.
Dueling clocks
Two or more clocks that represent competing interests. Can the
players fill the Escape! clock before the Reinforcements Arrive
clock is filled?
So what happens when a clock is filled? Whatever consequences
suit the fiction! By announcing and visualizing the clock, you
telegraph the consequences of it filling up. When it fills up, that
happens.
Clock Length
2 ticks - trivial
4 ticks - complex
6 ticks - challenging
8 ticks - daunting
10 ticks - overwhelming
12 ticks - yikes!
The Doom Clock
At the beginning of an adventure, create a 12-tick clock called
DOOM. Every time the clock fills, the Director selects off the
Doom Menu that shows how the danger has grown. The clock
then resets and decreases in size (12→10→8→6→4→2).
Each adventure has a customized Doom Menu tailored to it.
Doom Menu
The Doom Menu is a curated list of ways for the adventure to get
worse. If the Director or Players have an idea don't be afraid to add
to it! Each item can be selected off the menu once.
Example Adventure Name
When the Doom Menu fills, the Director is granted an
additional Intrusion, OR pick an option off the Doom
Menu.
Example Doom Menu
New Threat. A deadly new threat appears
The Dead Rise. What is dead may never die
The Blood Moon Rises. Monsters change into a
more dangerous forms
Exhausted. Your team's hunger, thirst, and fatigue
becomes a problem
Ambush. Danger strikes without warning
Darkest Hour. Disaster strikes without warning
No Rest, No Peace. Players are unable to take a
Moment of Peace
Too Late. An important opportunity has been lost
All for Naught. The ending gets a bleak post-credits
sequence
Bring the new danger into play immediately, or wait until the
appropriate moment.
Never Safe
If players are covering a lot of ground, waiting a long time, or
trying to take a moment of peace in an unsecured location, the
Director may choose to make a roll to determine if a new threat
appears. The Director rolls a number of dice equal to the current
threat level (minor, serious, deadly).
Critical. The Doom Clock fills. Director chooses from the
Doom Menu. A hazard strikes without warning.
6. A hazard strikes, but there is time to react
4-5. Warnings of a hazard, or a telegraphed hazard arrives.
1-3. No dangers arrive or a Lucky Find.
Doom Roll
A player may be called on to make a Doom Roll. The starting pool
is usually between 0-3 dice depending on their position. Players
can also add bonus dice to the pool in the usual ways. When rolled,
the doom clock ticks a number of times equal to the lowest single
die result.
9
A Moment of Peace Safe Activites
While in a place of safety (no immediate threats, no unguarded Recover
points of entry), players may declare a moment of peace. If it is Your physical and mental health are intertwined. Treating your
determined that location is not sufficently defensible, the Director body and treating your mind are one in the same.
may choose to make a Never Safe roll to see if the PCs are You may use one of your safe activities to mark 1 tick on a
undisturbed. Recovery clock. You may distribute your ticks as desired on either
While in this moment, players tally up the luck they have earned, your Harm or Instinct Recovery clock.
and may take two safe activities for free.
If you expend improvised recovery equipment, gain +1 tick
If you expend specialized recovery equipment, gain +2 ticks
Safe Activities If you made a connection during this Moment of Peace, they
Recover grant you +1 tick OR you do not expend your equipment
Craft an Item
Find Inner Strength Craft an Item
Lucky Find When you attempt to craft, create, or repair something during a
Moment of Peace, you may use one of your safe activities to
A PC can make time for more than two activities, at a cost. For automatically succeed.
each additional activity, they spend either:
If you made a connection during this Moment of Peace, they
grant you increased effect
Expend 2 tier worth of equipment
Spend 2 luck Find Inner Strength
Make a Doom Roll Find the strength to go on. You may use one of your safe activities
Accept a Devil's Bargain to gain 1 luck.

If you made a connection during this Moment of Peace, they

At the end of the moment of peace, the Doom Clock grant you +1 luck.
completely fills and resets. Players may choose off the Doom
Menu, instead of the Director. Lucky Find
You may use one of your safe activities to gain 1 Lucky Find.
Make a Connection
Any time during a Moment of Peace, including while taking a Safe
Activity, you may choose to spend time with a teammate and make
a connection with them. Share a quick scene of a moment of
bonding, an argument, a confession, etc. Mark that character as
your current Connection on your Inventory. If you already have a
Connection on your sheet, this new Connection overwrites it.
Other teammates may join in this shared moment, but you may
only have one Connection at a time.

Indulge your Worst Impulse

Any time during a Moment of Peace, including while taking a Safe
Activity, you may choose to indulge your Worst Impulse. If you do,
you cannot make a connection during this Moment of Peace. You
gain 1 luck, and 1 additional Safe Activity.

10
Inventory
Each player character has a number of inventory slots. An item that
you pick up always takes up one inventory slot. Most often you
will be picking up weapons, ammo, recovery items, keys, tools,
and crafting materials.
Picking up Items
As you explore, you will stumble upon many items both special
and mundane. Closets full of brooms and cleaning supplies,
libraries full of books, kitchens full of ingredients. The Director
will call out items of special significance, but you are free to
interact with and pick up anything you find in the environment. Do
not feel limited only to the items of special significance - virtually
anything can be a crafting ingredient. Those decorative bottles of
liquor might be the first step toward a Molotov Cocktail.
You usually find items in one of three ways - mundane items
found in places you would expect them, significant items called out
by the Director, and Lucky Finds that allow you to declare what
you have found.
When you pick up a new item, mark it's name, tier, tags, and
Burden.
Tier
Most items have a tier number, that represents the effectiveness of
the tool, weapon, or resource.
Lucky Find
While exploring, you will often find small rewards as Lucky Finds.
When you stumble across a lucky find, your or an ally gains one of
the following:
A clue. This may come as a flash of insight, a message, or a
discovery.
Add a tier 1 item to your inventory, such as:
- weapon - firearm - ammo - tool - crafting ingredient -
Better Lucky Finds
Players may pool together Lucky Finds to find higher tier items.
For example, if two players get lucky finds, they may pool them
and spend 2 Luck to find tier 3 magnum ammo, or a key! Even plot
critical items can be found in this manner.
Expend Resource
When suffering consequences, it may be declared that a resource is
being damaged. This can mean many things - the item is dropped,
lost, destroyed, lowers in tier, gains a negative tag, becomes
temporarily unusable, is broken, or more.
Additionally, while making an action roll you may willingly
expend a resource to gain +1d to that roll.

Tags Consume
Items with the tag consume are always expended when a character
Each item may have any number of tags. These help you identify takes an action with one.
what it's properties are and how effective they are against certain
obstacles. For example, if fighting a Hunter, it's thick armor will
lower the effect of a handgun's low caliber bullets. However, a high Heavy
caliber Magnum Revolver won't have a problem. When you carry an item with the tag heavy, you are always
The Director determines if and how a tag effects the current considered to be Overburdened.
situation. For example, using a flamethrower with the tag
unpredictable in a enclosed room may help inform the
consequences of a failed roll.

Example Tags
Melee
Sharp
Blunt
Throwing
Low Calibur
High Calibur
Spread
Precise
Close Range
Mid Range
Long Range
Armor Piercing
Burn
High Voltage
Unreliable
Volatile
High-tech
Non-lethal

11
Burden
Each item has a burden value between 0 and 2, indicated by the
pips on the right of each item. Tiny items, such as a key, might be 0
burden, and do not weigh you down. Small items, such as a
handgun or a box of ammo, deserve some consideration and are
usually 1 burden. Large items such as a heavy gear, a shotgun, or a
sword, are bulky and difficult to carry and are usually 2 burden.
While in safety, you can add or drop items at will. While under
duress, you can make an action roll to re-adjust your equipment
burden. On a standard effect, you can drop or rearrange items as
you wish.

Conditions
During play, you may gain a Condition. Conditions are carried in
your inventory, and are a way to express hunger, fatigue, poisoning,
and more. Similar to items, a condition may have a burden value
between 0 and 2, and may weigh you down and push you closer to
being overburdened. In the tags section it may also detail additional
penalties that you suffer while carrying the condition.
Conditions can only be removed by addressing the problem that
they represent. Depending on the game, some conditions cannot be
removed entirely, only reduced to tier 0 where they do not confer a
penalty.

Victor has gained the condition Hunger. He places it in

his inventory, and assigns it a tier of 2 and a burden
value of 2. He searches a kitchen and uses a Luck Find
to find tier 1 canned food. By eating it, he reduces his
Hunger to tier 1, and the burden value to 1.

Overburdened
If you are carrying 7+ burden, you are Overburdened. You are
noticably weighed down by your burden, and your actions may be
slower and clumsier. You roll -1d when making Action Rolls.

12
Customizing your Adventure

E
ach game of Enter the Survival Horror is
designed to be tailored to the adventure. By
customizing these elements, you can ensure that
the game reflects the story you are trying to tell.
These elements are The Doom Menu,
Catastrophes, Intrusions, Genre Books, and Fate
Worse Than Death
The Doom Menu
Refer to page 8 for more information. Populate the Doom Menu
with difficult choices that suit your game. If you are running a
survival-focused game, add more options about dwindling
resources and exposure to the elements. If you are running a
paranoia-focused game, add options that separate the group, plunge
them into darkness, or give opportunities to sow doubt. Feel free to
include your players in brainstorming bad things that can happen!
Intrusions
At the beginning of the adventure, the Director has 2 Intrusions
they can use at any time. When the Director uses an Intrusion, they
take control of the scene to make the worst thing possible happen.
A stalker-class enemy may burst through a wall, a captured foe
might escape, a deadly trap might spring.
Intrusions can be ANYTHING, but they are always significant
shake-ups. Reality may warp, disaster may strike, safety may be
breached. Intrusions disrupt safety and the status quo, they are
NOT meant to simply inflict consequences or to nullify player
choices.
Each adventure will outline some suggestions for Intrusions, but
these are only guidelines to help you stay on genre and to guide the
game towards the intended experience.
The Director may be granted additional Intrusions as a result of
the Doom Clock filling.

Catastrophes
In many games, the default Catastrophe list will provide enough
options. However, depending on the genre, you may want to have
Example Intrusion:
specialized consequences that are tailored to your game. Mastermind
Specifically, consider if there is a Fate Worse Than Death that
The Mastermind has eyes and ears everywhere. With
would be appropriate.
access to hidden cameras, microphones, and sensors,
nowhere is safe for long.
Fate Worse Than Death When you spend an Intrusion, a deadly trap is
sprung. Describe how the trap was sprung, and
A special Catastrophe that provides a mechanical framework for establish the danger of the current situation.
players to undergo gruesome transformations, betray the group, or
have their mind torn apart. Several example Fates can be found on
page XX, but feel free to create your own!
Example Intrusion: The
Example Fate: Infected Otherworld Encroaches
If a player chooses this Catastrophe, they reveal that A piercing wail rings out shrill through the air. The sky
they have been infected. The incident that caused the darkens. Dread overcomes you. The world changes,
Catastrophe does not need to be what infected them - it shifting under your feet.
Make a 4-tick clock called
only reveals that they have been infected at some DARKNESS FALLS. After every action roll taken, or
point. An infected character is a dead man walking - when the characters are filled with indecision, the
there's no saving them, but they can persist, trying to clock ticks. When the clock fills, the shift is complete,
do some last good on the way to the grave. leaving characters to endure the new terrors of the
When they take Consequences, they always lose an Otherworld.
instinct in addition to the other consequences they
suffer. After they have crossed off the first half of their
instincts, they begin to cross off the second half. Their
mind slips away and they become a base version of
themselves as the infection courses through their veins.
When they lose their last instinct, they succumb to the
infection and become a monster, and turn on their
allies.
They may become a zombie, or something worse
depending on the nature of their infection.

13
Example Items

T
he following is a list of example items that might
be found in your game. This list is by no means
comprehensive. Many items that will be found
will be need to be improvised on the spot.
Remember that tags are descriptive, not
perscriptive - feel free to add, remove, or modify
tags as appropriate.
Melee Weapons
Tactical knife. Tier 1, Burden 1. Melee, sharp.
Stun Gun. Tier 3, Burden 1. Melee, high voltage, non-lethal.
Crafting Items
The world is littered with various useful bits and bobs just waiting
to be turned into something useful. As part of exploring the
environment, or through Lucky Finds, you may find crafting
materials. When you are ready to craft something, declare what you
are trying to make, and what materials you want to use to make it
with.
The Director decides if the materials being used are appropriate,
if more materials are required, or if special tools are needed to craft
it successfully. A clock is then assigned based on complexity,
usually between 2-6 ticks. 1-3: one tick, 4/5: two ticks, 6: three

Firearms ticks, critical: four ticks. When the clock is full, the item is
crafted.
A gun without ammo is just an unwieldy stick, and cannot be used.

9mm Handgun. Tier 1, Burden 1. Low caliber, precise.
Shotgun. Tier 2, Burden 2. Spread.
Grenade Launcher. Tier 3, Burden 2. Spread, mid range.
Flamethrower. Tier 3, Burden 2. Short range, burns, volatile.
Magnum. Tier 4, Burden 1. High caliber, precise.
Spark Shot. Tier 4, Burden 2. Short range, high voltage,
prototype.
Example Crafting Materials
Gunpowder, Chem Fluid, Explosive Agent, Ethanol,
Charge Pack, Blasting Cap, Sensor, Bonding Agent,
Scrap, Sharp Objects, Nails, Planks
Crafting higher level materials
To craft higher tier items, you may need higher tier crafting

Ammo materials. In this case, combine two items into a crafting material
of a higher quality. For example, you may put the ingredients of
9mm Ammo (Handgun). Tier 1, Burden 1. two bottles of gunpowder (tier 1) through a fine-grain sieve to
9mm Enhanced Ammo (Handgun). Tier 2, Burden 1. Armor make high-grade gunpowder (tier 2). You may concentrate two
piercing. bottles of chem fluid (tier 1) into potent chem fluid (tier 2). Or
Bullets (Magnum). Tier 4, Burden 1. you may combine scrap electronics (tier 1) and wires (tier 1)
Shells (Shotgun). Tier 2, Burden 1. Can trade effect for scale. into a circuit board (tier 2) with a soldering iron.
Frag Rounds (Grenade Launcher). Tier 3, Burden 1. Scale
1.
Incindiary Rounds (Grenade Launcher). Tier 3, Burden 1.
Scale 1, Burn.
Fuel Pack (Flamethrower). Tier 2, Burden 2. Scale 1, Burn.
Charge Pack (Spark Shot). Tier 4, Burden 1. High voltage,
prototype.

Other
Frag Grenade. Tier 5, Burden 1. Scale 2, Consume.
Incindiary Grenade. Tier 4, Burden 1. Scale 1, Burn,
Consume.
Flash Grenade. Tier 3, Burden 1. Scale 2, Harmless,
Consume. Counts as a Setup action.
First Aid Kit. Tier 2, Burden 1.
Blue herb. Tier 1, Burden 1. Cures poison, Consume.
Lighter. Tier 1, Burden 0. Light 1, Burns.
Lockpick. Tier 2, Burden 0.
Flashlight. Tier 1, Burden 1. Light 3.
Radio. Tier 2, Burden 1. Communicate with other radios.

14
Anatomy of a Monster

E
ach adventure in Enter the Survival Horror has
it's own unique collection of monsters that
players will encounter. Here are a collection of
the most common enemies. Boss monsters are
always unique encouters that are detailed in the
adventure.

Threat
Threat represents how dangerous an enemy is to fight, and how
effective weapons are against them.

A handgun with standard ammunition has a tier of 1,

and a zombie has a threat of 2. Therefore, a character
attacking a zombie with a handgun will have reduced
effect, usually expressed by dropping their effect from
Standard Effect to Limited Effect. However they may
choose to use a different weapon, use the environment
to their advantage, or another player may perform a
setup action in order to raise the effect level.

Difficulty
Difficulty represents a creature's ability to keep fighting. Most
monsters have a clock representing their ability to be overcome.
Difficulty is the default number of ticks on the clock.

Perks
A natural special ability of the creature.

Focus
Enemies with "Focus" get to set a known priority (self defense,
protecting a certain objective, etc), and when a player action would
interfere with that priority, and the NPC can sense it, they will
throw out a consequence of a set magnitude before the player rolls.

Player: "I'm going to attack the Face Collector. I'm

going to use... Cool and Force, and just stoically walk
towards it unloading with the shotgun."
Director: "Great. It does have a focus on itself, so
coming at it head on is going to provoke a controlled
consequence no matter what. With the shotgun, you're
going to be at risky / limited."
Player: "Hm. If I attack it indirectly, I won't trigger
the focus, right? What if I shoot the chandelier above it
instead?"
Director: "Yep, that would bypass the focus.
Severing the chain with a shotgun is going to be tricky
though. Do you have a better tool for the job?"
Player: "My handgun has the 'precise' tag. Would
that be better?"
Director: "Perfect! If you can sever the chain at the
right moment, the full weight of the chandelier will fall
squarely on the creature with extreme effect."

Dead vs. Destroyed

A monster might not be as dead as it seems. Zombies might return
as deadly Crimson Heads if not properly disposed of. Players can
destroy an enemy by dismembering, burning, melting, etc. This
usually works.
15
Bestiary
Common Elites
Zombie. Elites are a more dangerous version of a common foe. Dead PCs
Threat - 2 frequently return as elite zombies.
Elites usually gain a 1-5 of the
Difficulty - 2 following perks depending on how dangerous they are. The same
Play dead. Indistinguishable from corpse option can be chosen multiple times to increase potency.
Come back Stronger. Dead zombies return as a
Crimson Head unless destroyed. Tough. Increase difficulty by 2
Zombie Dog. Dangerous. Increase threat by 1
Threat - 1 Fast. Melee and precision weapons are less effective
Difficulty - 1 Agile. Can crawl on walls and ceilings
Fast. Melee & precision weapons are less effective Focused. Creature gains a focus
Giant Spider. Fireproof. Burn weapons have greatly reduced effect
Threat - 2 Thick armor. Small arms are less effective
Difficulty - 2 Won't stay down. Will always return from the dead
Poison. Harm adds poison. Bend light. Creature becomes almost invisible
Murder of Crows. Poison. Harm adds poison, and is harder to heal
Threat - 1 Keen senses. Sharp senses for hunting prey
Difficulty - 4 Tracker. Can follow characters anywhere
Watchers. Crows only attack when provoked Explosive. Explodes upon death
Swarm. Precision weapons are less effective Elastic. Stretchy, boneless limbs to reach far
Crimson Head.
Threat - 3 Stalkers
Difficulty - 2
Every Adventure features a Stalker - a class of enemy defined by
Come back Stronger. Dead Crimson Heads return as
their relentlessness. No matter how thoroughly you kill them, they
Lickers unless destroyed.
return, more mutated and more dangerous than ever. Can only be
Licker.
stopped by destroying them properly.
Threat - 3
Difficulty - 4 Face Collector (Lisa Trevor).
Blind. Sightless predator locates prey by sound. Threat - 3
Agile. Can crawl on walls and ceilings. Difficulty - 6
Hunter. Focus (Minor). Defends against hostiles at close range
Threat - 3 The Pursuer (Mr X).
Difficulty - 6 Threat - 4
Thick armor. Small arms are less effective. Difficulty - 6
Regenerator. Focus (Minor). Focuses on nearest target.
Threat - 4 The Adversary (Nemesis).
Difficulty - 6 Threat - 4
Won't stay down. Will always return from the dead Difficulty - 6
Focus (Serious). Focuses on targets trying to escape.
Hobble. Harm hinders fleeing
Soverign (Tyrant).
Threat - 5
Difficulty - 10
Focus (Serious). Focuses on a single target.

16
Character Creation

M
aking characters is meant to be fast and
easy. Included are 12 pre-generated Appearance
characters to help you hit the ground
Describe the appearance of your character. Height, build, style, etc.
running. Coordinate with your table if all
the characters belong to a group or
organization. Don't take these options too Worst Impulse
literally - they are only intended to provide Your character's worst impluse is the bad habit they fall back on
inspiration to help you find the character. Work together with your when stress becomes too great. It might be a vice, a bad habit, a
group to help them fit into the group, the fiction, and to not overlap bad attitude, or harmful behavior. Whatever it is, it's not merely
with any existing characters. annoying or inconvenient, it's actively harmful and can lead you
into trouble.
All characters need the following: Your worst impulse can be indulged by Inviting Trouble, or
Three Instinct pairs might be compelled by circumstances or as a consequence.
One dominant instinct
Three actions proficiencies Worst Impulse
Starting gear
1 Cowardly
One special ability
Their Worst Impulse 2 Paranoid
A name 3 Selfish
Brief history / background
4 Hopeless
Description of appearance
5 Irrational
Starting Gear 6 Overindulgance
New character have 7 gear points that can be spent in the
7 Compulsive
following ways: 8 Guilt
9 Mania
x - Add a tool, weapon, or ammo, with tier equal to x (up to a
maximum of tier 3) 10 Greed
3 - Add a key item relevant to the adventure 11 Cruel

History
Write a short sentence describing your character, or roll on the
following table.

I am a... Who is a...

1 Veteran
2 Special Forces
3 College Student
4 Police Officer
5 Security
6 Biker
7 Convict
8 Screw-up
9 EMT
10 Regular Joe
1 Rookie
2 Medic
3 Sharpshooter
4 Burglar
5 Hazmat
6 Sleuth
7 Fighter
8 Scientist
9 Hunter
10 Tourist

17
Sample Instincts
When making a character, choose three instincts off the following
list, or make your own. You may find that many of these are quite
similar. That's ok! The subtle differences in wording help
emphasize the different ways the charcters think and percieve
themselves. There's a big difference between "cool" and "cold"
when it comes to personality. Choose off of the following list, roll
for them randomly, or come up with an instinct pair of your own!

⠀
Instincts Instincts
1 Attack/Retreat 26 Grit / Guile
2 Fight/Flight 27 Heart / Spirit
3 Aim / Fire 28 Hunt / Harm
4 Look / Listen 29 Subtle / Blunt
5 Search / Hide 30 Tactical / Slapdash
6 Endure / Escape 31 Plan / Improvise
7 Passive / Aggressive 32 Cold / Hot
8 Connect / Reject 33 Cool / Warm
9 By the Book / Loose Cannon 34 Hard / Soft
10 Introvert / Extrovert 35 Strength / Responsibility
11 Calm / Rage 36 Courage / Cunning
12 Power / Grace 37 Love / Hate
13 Help / Hurt 38 Tender / Brutal
14 Find secrets / Keep secrets 39 Strategy / Impulse
15 Team Player / Lone wolf 40 Interfere / Observe
16 Create / Destroy 41 Smooth / Wild
17 Study / Ignore 42 Reason / Fear
18 Brain / Brawn 43 Order / Chaos
19 Fighting / Feelings 44 Build Up / Tear Down
20 Fix / Break 45 Honor / Results
21 Science / Occult 46 Virtue / Vice
22 Light / Dark 47 Square / Snake
23 Fast / Furious 48 Work / Play
24 Measured / Style 49 Focused / Scattered
25 Mind / Body 50 Logic / Bravery

18
Special Abilities

P
layer Characters have access to a number of special
abilities, divided into categories by Genre Book.
Helper
When you assist, you may instead increase effect.
Depending on the style of game, different Genres
will be available. Events may occur in-game that
cause new genre books to become available for
Pack Mule
When Overburdened, you do not suffer from the -1d Overburdened
some or all characters.
penalty (though it may still be a disadvantage in the fiction). Items
with the Heavy tag are treated as normal.

Everyman Don't think, Act

Gain potency on your action if you jump the trigger.
Player characters always have access to the Everyman
genre book.
Lucky Trinket
When the adventure starts, add your lucky trinket to your
Balanced Mind inventory. When you would die, you may destroy your lucky
At character creation, gain a second Dominant Instinct. trinket instead.

Well Equipped People Pleaser

At character creation, get +3 gear points. You can have up to two Connections at a time.

Skilled
At character creation, gain a fourth Action Proficency.

Parley
Your first attempt to negotiate with intelligent enemies is
Controlled.

Fast Learner
It costs -1 Luck to gain a new dominant instinct, become proficient
in an action, or gain a new special ability.

Environmental Fighter
When you use the environment against your foes, your attack gains
potency.

Loyalty
When you take the Protect action for a teammate you have
Connection with, you reduce the consequences without spending
the connection. You may also spend the connection to have it count
as a Setup action, in addition to the usual bonuses.

Adrenaline
When you make an action in Desperate or Fatal position and get a
6, tick a Recovery clock.

Out of the Corner of your Eye

When you make an action in Desperate or Fatal position and get a
6, gain a Lucky Find.

Fail Forward
On any action roll, you can upgrade the result 1 level (Bad
Outcome -> Mixed Success -> Full Success -> Crit) after rolling by
taking a Devil's Bargain.

Crafty
You gain Potency when crafting or repairing items.

Defender
When you assist, you may instead improve position.

19
 Modern Badass
The Modern Badass Genre Book is well suited to
trained combat professionals. SWAT teams, Space
Marines, Adventurers, and Pulp Heroes will be served
well by these Special Abilities.
Master of Unlocking
Gain potency while picking pockets, picking locks, and disabling
traps.
Grappler
+1d when grappling.
Surgeon
You have potency to treat injuries. You also have potency to
harvest useful materials from monsters.
Suppressing fire
When you expend ammo while attacking with a firearm, your
attack counts as having increased scale.
Dual Wielding
When you fight with a pair of matched weapons (two pistols, two
knives, two of a throwing weapon, etc) having a pair of “4”s or a
pair of “5”s also counts as a critical success.
Point Blank
When you fight with a firearm while the enemy is at close range
and get a critical success; you get a free setup action, or your action
has maximum effect.
Signature Weapon
You can create a hybrid weapon out of two weapons. Usually
weighs less than the sum of the two weapons. Only you can
competently wield the combined item.
Sharpshooter
Your first attempt to attack from a long range has potency.
Handgun Expert
Handguns gain Potency when you trade position for effect by
aiming. +1d if a setup action benefits your handgun attack.
Trusty Weapon
You gain +1d while using your trusty weapon. You may choose a
new weapon to be your trusty weapon during a moment of peace.
Quickdraw
When there’s a question about who acts first, the answer is you.
Your first action in each situation bypasses Focus and usually has
Controlled position.
Sword and Sandals
Characters that use the Sword and Sandals Genre Book
have considerable overlap with the Modern Badass,
but use older technology. This book is for Low Magic
and Dark Fantasy heroes who endure with sword,
shield, and blade.
CQC
When you fight with a melee weapon and get a critical success, you
get a free setup action, OR your action has maximum effect.
Trusty Weapon
You gain +1d while using your trusty weapon. You may choose a
new weapon to be your trusty weapon during a moment of peace.
Quickdraw
When there’s a question about who acts first, the answer is you.
Your first action in each situation bypasses Focus and usually has
Controlled position.
Knife Expert
Knives gain Potency when you trade position for effect by aiming.
+1d if a setup action benefits your knife attack.
Shield Master
While you have a shield in your inventory, when you use the
protect action, you also reduce the severity of the consequences.
Channel Power
The Channel Power Genre Book is often used by
characters who gain access to magic beyond their ken.
Weird Fiction, Gothic Horror, and New Weird,
Cyberpunk and Sci Fi stories often feature characters
who have access to power they do not understand and
cannot control, be it magic, technology, or something
stranger.
Channel Power
Make an action roll to use your body as a conduit. When you take
this special ability, choose how it specifically manifests
(telekenesis, fire magic, stasis, mind control, etc). When using this
power (magic, plasmids, cybernetic implants, etc), your default
position is desperate. This position can be mitigated by using set-
up actions to exercise control. Using this power in ways that are
not intended can be more dangerous.
Channel Great Power
Make an action roll to use your body as a conduit for powerful
unseen forces. When using magic, your default position is
catastrophic. This position can be mitigated by using set-up actions
to exercise control. When suffering consequences, power is not the
problem. Control is.
20
 Movies
Inspired by Alien
Blades in the Dark, by Johnathan Harper Stephen King's The Mist
Deathwish by Ian Hart John Carpenter's The Thing
Slugblaster by Mikey Hamm The Road
CBR + PNK by Emanoel Melo 28 Days Later
The Wildsea by Ray Chou Night/Dawn of the Living Dead
Resident Evil by CAPCOM Evil Dead 2013
Resident Evil fonts created by and used with permission from
Peter Jonca

Thanks to the Forged in the Dark

Community!
The original
Ian Hart - design advice
Jayne Worldhopper - proofreading and editing
Many many more, who I hope to credit!

Thank you to my many

playtesters!
Dennis Furia
Jordan
Jason McCraken
Good Brian
Brian Bucceri
Softwood (Tom)
Sarayin (Dan)
Leane Bucceri
Matt Bucceri
Vince
Emily
Ian Hart
Ophelion
Jarred
JakePrime
Amanda Caldwell

Media that I think is a great fit

for this game
Games
Resident Evil 1, 2, 4, 7
Silent Hill 1, 2(?), 3, 4
The Last of Us
Alien Isolation
The Evil Within 1,2
Eternal Darkness
Metroid Fusion
Fatal Frame
System Shock 1,2
Bioshock 1,2
Dead Space 1,2
Clock Tower
F.E.A.R.
Darkwood
The Forest
Bloodborne