Anomalous Investigations

ctopus
The Weird World............................................1
Rules Reference............................................2
The Panic Table........................................ 3
Character Creation.........................................4
Classes................................................ 6
Custom Character Classes............................... 7
Skills.....................................................8
Altered Abilities.........................................10
Missions and Downtime.....................................12
Field Requisitions.................................... 12
Political Capital.........................................14
Paperwork.................................................16
Security Clearance and Licenses...........................17
Security Clearance.................................... 17
Licenses.............................................. 17
Equipment and Standard Loadouts...........................18
Weapons............................................... 19
Armor and Personal Protective Equipment............... 19
Scientific Equipment................................... 19
Tools................................................. 20
Esoteric Equipment.................................... 20
Vehicles.............................................. 21
Special Assets........................................ 21
Anomalous Assets...................................... 21
Running an Investigation..................................22
Investigation Results................................. 23
The Setting...............................................24
Memorandum on Bureau Operations 201-4A................ 24
Hatzlinger-Boroff Theory.............................. 25
Anomalies and Paranormal Threats..........................26
The Bureau................................................28
F.B.A Org Chart....................................... 30
Working for the Bureau....................................31
The Unit.............................................. 31
Character Sheet...........................................32
 The Weird World

I. There are many worlds, worlds that intrude upon the

safe borders of our familiar universe. Where these
other worlds intersect ours, the normal rules no
longer apply. The laws of physics change, people and
animals gain strange abilities, and objects are imbued
with lingering effects.

II. The Federal Bureau of Anomalies investigates,

contains, and secures paranormal objects, people, and
locations. Internally the FBA is simply known as “The
Bureau”—Externally it is not known at all. Under cover
of secrecy and layers of government bureaucracy, the
Bureau keeps the population safe from dangerous and
bizarre paranormal threats.

III. Others—academics, journalists, investigators—work

independently from the Bureau, most often because they
had a brush with the paranormal themselves.

IV. You may work for the Bureau, whether as a field

agent sent to investigate anomalies, a scientist
researching them, or a ranger sent to neutralize
aggressive threats. Or, you carry out investigations
outside the organization, perhaps even finding yourself
in the Bureau’s sights. You may even be Altered—
changed by an anomalous event and given strange
powers.

Whatever your role, you have seen a glimpse of the

true nature of reality, and there is no going back.

Created By: Elliot Norwood, Octopus Ink Games

Mothership RPG are trademarks of Tuesday Knight Games. For

additional information, visit www.tuesdayknightgames.com or
contact contact@tuesdayknightgames.com

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 Rules

Anomalous Investigations uses the rules from the Mothership RPG

system. Refer to the Mothership Player’s Survival Guide for
general rules and how to play using the Panic Engine system.

This book details rules that differ from those found in the
Mothership RPG. In particular these are:

Character Classes (pg. 6-7): 5 new classes are presented here,

along with rules for making a custom class.

Skills (pg. 8-9): New skill rules for a “flat” skill list.

Altered Abilities (pg. 10-11): Rules for characters with

paranormal abilities.

Mission Downtime (pg. 12-13): Actions characters can take

between missions to recover and grow.

Political Capital (pg. 14-15): The currency of favors and

Bureau approval used by agents.

Paperwork (pg. 16-17): Working for the Bureau is not all weird
portals and monsters. Some aspects of the job are truly
terrifying.

Equipment and Equipment Rules (pg. 18-21): How to acquire it

and what it does.

Running an Investigation (pg. 22-23): Tips for running an

investigation mission, and rules for progressing a case.

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Each player should have access to the following:

Two d10 dice, or one set of d100 percentile dice for Skill and
Stat checks.

One d20 die for Panic and Investigation rolls.

A character sheet (found at the end of this book or available

for separate download) and something to write with.

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 Character Creation

1. Roll Stats

You have four Stats: Strength, Speed, Intellect and Combat,

which represent how well you act under extreme pressure.
Roll 2 ten-sided dice (2d10), add them together, then add
25. Record the results for each Stat.

2. Roll Saves

Your three Saves are Sanity, Fear and Body, representing how
resistant and reactive you are to different kinds of trauma
and danger. Roll 2 ten-sided dice (2d10), add them together,
then add 10. Record the results for each Save.

3. Choose your class

There are five classes associated with Bureau operations.

Additionally there is a ‘generic’ class option with some
more customization presented later in these rules, which can
be used to create your own investigator. Classes have bonus
or penalties to Stats and Saves that will modify your base
results. Additionally, they list a Trauma Effect, or how
your character reacts in stressful situations, and starting
Skills.

If you like, you can use the trauma responses from the
Mothership RPG Marine, Scientist and Teamster for the
Ranger, Specialist, and Union classes respectively.

CLASS DESCRIPTION
Field Agent Detectives and investigators, the first in the
field to detect and assess new anomalous events.
Ranger Heavily armed response for hostile anomalous
threats. Also tasked with extra-dimensional
exploratory missions.
Specialist Scientists, technicians, and researchers of
anomalies.
Union General Bureau staff: administrators, research
assistants, emergency services, guards,
containment staff, and custodial.
Altered Anomalous humans, with an ongoing influence from
an anomaly, but stable enough to be employed in
service of Bureau operations.

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4. Roll Health per Wound

Classes begin with a certain number of Wounds. When they are

gone, you die. Each Wound has a certain amount of Health,
which is how much Damage it can sustain before it’s lost.
Roll 1d10+10 for how much Health Per Wound you have and mark
it on your sheet.

5. Gain Stress

Your current Stress and Minimum Stress both start at 2.

6. Note your Trauma Response

Each class deals with Stress and Panic differently, which

comes into play later in the game. Mark your Trauma Response
for future reference.

7. Choose Skills

Each class starts with relevant Skills, which help

characters perform better at different challenges. Some of
these skills are up to you to choose.

8. Description

Mark name, pronouns, and any other description you like. You
are now ready to deploy on your first mission, agent.

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Classes

Field Agent
STATS/SAVES SKILLS
+5 Intellect Firearms (Trained)
+5 Combat Investigation (Expert)
+15 Sanity Save 2 Trained Skills
+15 Fear Save

Trauma Response: When you make a Fear save in close range to

another Unit member, you get [+] on the save.
Ranger
STATS/SAVES SKILLS
+10 Combat Firearms (Expert)
+10 Body Save Wilderness Survival (Trained)
+20 Fear Save Athletics (Trained)
+1 Wound 1 Specialization or 2 Trained

Trauma Response: Once per session when you panic, you can
choose to take 2 stress instead.
Specialist
STATS/SAVES SKILLS
+10 Intellect 1 Non-combat Master Skill
+5 To 1 Stat 1 Specialization
+30 Sanity Save 2 Trained Skills

Trauma Response: Whenever you fail a Fear or Body save gain 1

extra stress. Whenever you fail a Sanity save, lose 1 stress
Union

STATS/SAVES SKILLS
+5 to all Stats 3 Non-combat Trained Skill
+10 to all Saves 1 Expert Skill or 1 Specialization

Trauma Response: You may choose to gain [+] on a Body save, if

you also gain [-] on your next Fear or Sanity save.

Altered
STATS/SAVES SKILLS
+15 to one Stat 2 Trained Skills
+20 to Fear Saves Altered Ability (pg. 10)
-10 to Sanity Save

Trauma Response: While your stress is 10 or higher, your

Altered ability manifests out of your control whenever you fail
a save.
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Custom Character Classes

If playing an investigative game without using the assumed

setting presented later in this book, or otherwise wish to create
an investigator outside the classes provided here, use these
rules to build a custom character class.

1. Name your class or profession (eg. journalist, doctor,

historian).

2. Distribute +15 points to Stats and +30 points to Saves,

however you want, in increments of 5.

3. Choose: +15 additional points to Stats or Saves OR +1 Wound

4. Roll or choose from the Custom Trauma Response table, or pick

a trauma response from another class or Mothership class.

5. Choose 4 skills at trained level, or 2 at trained level and

1 skill at expert level, or 1 skill at master level and 1
skill at trained level. Remember you can work with the
Director to make up new skills, if something would better fit
your class idea than what is on the list.

D20 CUSTOM TRAUMA RESPONSE

1 Hardy. 1/session gain [+] on a Body save or Strength check.

2 Bold. 1/session gain [+] on a Fear save or Speed check.

3 Focused. 1/session gain [+] on a Sanity save or Int check.

4 Lucky. 1/Session you can transpose the result of any d100 roll (eg. 72 ->
27).
5 Gifted. You have [+] on checks to your highest Stat.

6 Flawed. You have [-] on checks to your lowest Stat.

7 Weak. You have [-] on Body Saves.

8 Cowardly. You have [-] on Fear saves.

9 Unstable. You have [-] on Sanity saves.

10 Anxious. Gain 2 Stress instead of 1 on a failed Stat check or Save.

11 Terrified. When you fail a Fear save, make a Panic check.

12 Nervous. When a close player makes a Fear save, make a Fear save at [-].

13 Credulous. When a close player makes a Sanity save, make a Sanity save at
[-].
14 Clumsy. [-] on Strength checks.

15 Unwary. [-] on Speed checks.

16 Incurious. [-] on Int checks.

17 Pacifist. [-] on Combat checks.

18 Hemophobe. When a close player gains a Wound, make a Panic check.

19 Indecisive. The first time you roll each save in a session, it is at [-].

20 Panicky. The first time you panic in a session, it is at [-].

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 Skills

Skills represent the knowledge and training of agents and

investigators. When you make a Stat Check or Save and have a
skill that would apply to the situation, you add a skill bonus
to the Stat or Save.

Each Skill has three levels of expertise:

For example, if you have the Forensics skill at Trained level,

and make a Stat check using Intelligence, you would add +10 to
your Intelligence score and try to roll d100 under the total.
SKILL LEVEL BONUS
Trained +10
Expert +15
Master +20

There are also Specializations that can modify existing skills.

Specializations are a niche, more in depth field of study. To
learn a Specialization, you must have at least Expert level in
the prerequisite skill. When you gain a Specialization, you add
an additional +5 bonus to any roll where the Specialization
applies (adding to the prerequisite skill). The +5 bonus only
applies once per roll, even if you know multiple Specializations
for one skill.

For example, a character has the Hand-to-hand Specialization for

the Athletics Skill. In a fight, they can add +15 (Skill bonus)
and +5 (Specialization bonus) to their Combat Stat, for a total
of +20.

Sometimes Specializations are listed under multiple skills. You

only learn a Specialization once, but if you reach expert level
with a new Skill that has a Specialization you already know, you
automatically gain the Specialization for that Skill as well.

Skills are meant to be open-ended. A non-exhaustive list is

provided here, but players should feel free to work with the
Director to make up new ones. Likewise, for new Specializations,
discuss what its prerequisite skill(s) should be or make up a
new one.

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TRAINED HISTORY
EXPERT ANTHROPOLOGY
MASTER ARCHAEOLOGY
ANIMAL HANDLING LAW
ESOTERIC ANIMALS OCCULTISM
ART PALEONTOLOGY
ATHLETICS INVESTIGATION
ASTRONAUT TRAINING CRIMINOLOGY
HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT FORENSICS
S.C.U.B.A. TRAINING LAW
BIOLOGY JURY-RIGGING
APPLIED ESOTERICS ESPIONAGE
BOTANY EXPLOSIVES
PALEONTOLOGY LINGUISTICS
PHARMACY APPLIED ESOTERICS
ZOOLOGY SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE
BUREAUCRACY MATHEMATICS
LAW ACCOUNTING
CHEMISTRY APPLIED ESOTERICS
APPLIED ESOTERICS ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE
EXPLOSIVES MEDICINE
PHARMACY PHARMACY
COMPUTERS SURGERY
APPLIED ESOTERICS MILITARY TRAINING
HACKING ASTRONAUT TRAINING
SIGNALS INTELLIGENCE COMMAND
DISGUISE EXPLOSIVES
ESPIONAGE TACTICS
DRIVING PHYSICS
AIRCRAFT APPLIED ESOTERICS
ARMORED VEHICLES ENGINEERING
WATERCRAFT PSYCHOLOGY
ELECTRONICS CRIMINOLOGY
APPLIED ESOTERICS PARAPSYCHOLOGY
ENGINEERING STREETWISE
HACKING THEOLOGY
FIREARMS OCCULTISM
ESOTERIC WEAPONS WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
HEAVY WEAPONS DIMENSIONAL RIFTS
9
 Altered Abilities

Altered abilities are paranormal abilities granted to those who

are Altered, (ie. Human Anomalous Entities), or who have bonded
with an Anomalous object (Odd). These are paranormal ‘quirks’
that grant some special power to the altered person, though they
often also have a drawback or unintended side effect.

Altered can always manifest their given ability, though using it

to accomplish a risky task still requires a Stat Check or Save.
Additionally, blatant use of paranormal powers is a good way to
draw attention to yourself. If you are Altered, using your
ability does not grant a bonus to your roll, but it does allow
you to do something beyond normal human capability.

Critical rolls on a Stat Check or Save involving paranormal

abilities means something exceptional and powerful happens
related to your ability—good or bad.

Altered who are cleared for field work by the Bureau only ever
have one Altered ability. Those rare people that have more than
one ability, or are more powerful, are usually proportionally
unstable (mentally or physically) and the Bureau would not employ
them for typical field operations even if they were.

The following list of abilities is not comprehensive. Work with

the Director to add another if you would like something not on
this list. Altered abilities should be a strange, usually niche
effect, and have some kind of downside or quirky limitation.

Example Altered Abilities:

— You can walk through up to 10 feet of solid matter, but your

clothes and other worn or carried items do not follow you.

— You can dematerialize into a flying swarm of dust or particles.

Extremely vulnerable to wind. It takes at least 15 minutes to
re-form.

— You are exceptionally good at visual pattern recognition, can

see camouflaged people, creatures, and objects easily and
track movement at great distance. However, viewing right-
angles and other artificially constructed patterns gives you
a searing headache.

— You can connect to and process wireless data sources (wifi,

telecomms, satellite, etc.) in your mind as easily as reading
a book, but the wash of data is hugely distracting from your
physical senses when you do so.
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— You can use hypnotic control on other people, making them obey
your will, but only if you maintain constant eye contact with
them. Even blinking may break the connection, and they will
recognize the manipulation.

— People forget you completely as soon as they stop speaking

with or directly interacting with you, only remembering you
again if you interact with them further. Unfortunately this
applies to your teammates as well. Animals are not subject to
this effect—in fact they are drawn to and agitated by you.

— You can teleport short distances (under 50 feet), but only

exactly due North.

— You have telekinesis that can affect objects up to 50 pounds,

but only that are entirely comprised of organic material.

— You can breathe underwater by taking water into your lungs.

When you reemerge to the surface you are subjected to several
minutes of horrible coughing as you expel the water, and can
do little else.

— You can see anomalous effects and traces as a colorful aura,

and are drawn to them as a moth to a flame.

— You can choose to speak in radio waves, broadcasting to any

receivers within a mile over a wide band of frequencies. This
cannot be directed, it issues from you in all directions in
that range.

— You can glow in the dark, providing sufficient light to see in

darkness. Your entire body glows when you do so.

— You can turn invisible, including your clothes and carried

items, but cannot see while you do so.

— You can choose to gain a moment of unnatural luck, succeeding

at a task despite unlikely odds. Your luck immediately turns
for the following thing you do, causing failure.

— You can heat your hands to high temperatures, easily high

enough to start fires. They take a while to heat and cool back
down, like an electric stove.

— Your physical form swells, giving you great strength and

bestial features such as sharp teeth and claws. A mighty,
almost uncontrollable hunger accompanies this transformation
and must be sated to fuel it for long.

— Anything mechanical loves you, you have a knack for making

such things work: older cars, machines, etc. Anything
electronic hates you, and always glitches out: computers,
smartphones, etc.

11
 Missions and Downtime

Play is organized into Missions and Downtime. Units are often

handed missions through the Bureau, but also have some
discretion as to their operations. They may uncover information
during a mission that requires further action as later
missions, and Units are generally expected to handle any
operations that require follow up.

Whatever way a Unit acquires a mission, they next prepare by

gathering resources they expect they will need, then deploying
to the location of suspected anomalous activity.

After a mission is complete, the Unit debriefs, reporting their

mission status to the Bureau and adding up any Political
Capital (pg.14) they might have received. Each mission also
generates Paperwork (pg.16) that must be dealt with.

In between missions, each Unit

Field Requisitions
Sometimes agents will need a
particular asset during the
course of an investigation.
They can make a field
requisition to the Bureau to
obtain the asset, generating
+1 Paperwork for the current
mission. Once a Field
Requisition is made, any
future requisitions will
require a Political Capital
check as well as generating
extra Paperwork.
Some assets can be delivered
almost immediately. Others,
such as deploying special
equipment to a remote area,
will take some time to arrive.
While the Bureau’s resources
are considerable, they are not
unlimited. At the Director’s
discretion, there may be no
further support forthcoming.
member has downtime to rest
and recover. Each player has
time to take two downtime
activities between missions,
then it is back to work. Units
can test Political Capital
once per downtime to gain one
extra downtime activity.
Downtime activities are
assumed to require a
significant amount of time to
complete, so you don’t have
time to carry out a downtime
activity while on a case.
The following are activities
that can be done during
downtime:
Relieve Stress. Blow off
steam, reinforce bonds with
friends or family, relax. Make
a Sanity save. On a success,
roll 1d10 and convert that
many points of stress into
points of Sanity, Fear, or
Body saves. On a failure only
reduce stress by the result.

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Seek Treatment. The Bureau retains specialist psychiatric and
esoteric therapists. Take this activity 3 times to remove a
permanent condition. All treatment is recorded in your Bureau
file.

Get Medical Care. Take advantage of Bureau medical staff to

recover from physical harm. You regain 1 Wound for each time
you take this activity. When you have healed all wounds, you
can take this activity again to regain your maximum hit points.

Train a New Skill. Bureau training programs are provided to

improve staff effectiveness. Take this activity 5 times to
learn a new skill at Trained level, 10 to improve a skill to
Expert level or gain a Specialization, or 15 to improve a skill
to Master level. The Director may limit the total number of new
skills you can learn.

Work on a Project. The Bureau encourages personal projects

related to the job (within reason). Of course, the results of
all such projects are subject to Bureau containment and
classification protocols. Work with the Director to state what
you want to accomplish and how many downtime activities it will
require to complete.

Make Outside Connections. It is often useful to build

relationships with those outside the Bureau. You gather
information or gain a useful personnel asset for the next
mission. Careful, if your connection learns about anomalies or
the Bureau it’s going to mean more Paperwork.

Gain Political Capital. If you have nothing better to do with

your time off you could always schmooze your superiors (or try
to clear your maligned reputation). Gain +5 Political Capital
per downtime activity. You can only do this activity when your
Political Capital is 25 or lower (no one likes a suck up).

Requisition an Asset. Make a Political Capital test. On a

success you gain access to a special asset for the next mission
(see special assets table pg. 21). If the requested asset is an
Anomaly, make the check with [-].

File Paperwork. Paperwork in the Bureau is endless, but taken

very seriously. The Bureau frowns on uncompleted paperwork.
Clear one unit of paperwork per downtime activity taken.

Request Information. Bureau Units are kept as separate cells as

accumulation of too much esoteric knowledge is dangerous (both
operationally and inherently—some ideas can literally change
your mind). Bureau institutional knowledge, case reports, and
research is kept in a secure library. Agents wishing to try and
correlate institutional knowledge to a current case have to
make a special request. Test Political Capital with [+]. On a
success you are given the information you seek, if the Bureau
has it (if not, you do not lose any Political Capital from this
test).
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 Political Capital

Bureau operations are funded out of black book budgets—agents

don’t need to worry about raising or tracking funds for
operations. Likewise, any standard equipment needed for a
Mission is provided if it is reasonable for the mission profile
(firearms, communications, research devices, etc.).

However, that doesn’t mean there are unlimited resources for

any given operation. The Bureau values secrecy above all, but
secrecy is a double-edged sword when it comes to funding. Black
book budgets dry up and get reshuffled, or government
representatives unaware of the Bureau start to ask too many
questions, plus the day to day containment and cover up
operations of anomalies consume a considerable amount of Bureau
resources. The Bureau is a bureaucracy at the end of the day,
and expenses must be justified (and submitted in triplicate).

Instead of money, each Unit has a special attribute called

Political Capital, which represents the good will of the Bureau
toward the team. Political Capital has a maximum value of 100.
Whenever a situation calls for the use of Political Capital
(such as requesting a special asset, petitioning Bureau
leadership, or requesting additional downtime) any Unit member
can test the Political Capital score by rolling d100 under the
attribute, with the following results:

Critical Success: Your request is successful, and you do not

lower your Political Capital attribute.

Success: Your request is successful. Subtract your roll

result from your Political Capital attribute.

Failure: Your request is a failure, but it does not affect

your Political Capital attribute.

Critical Failure: Your request is a failure and you’ve hurt

your standing. Subtract the result from your Political
Capital attribute.

14
After each mission the unit gains (or loses) an amount of
Political Capital based on the results and actions taken during
the mission. A general rule for PC gain or loss are the
following:

Mission Success: +10 PC

Minimal collateral damage or attention: +5 PC

No loss of Bureau agents or major assets: +5 PC

Mission Failure: -10 PC

Collateral damage or Bureau exposure: -5 PC

Loss of Bureau agents or major assets: -5 PC

Negligence or insubordination: -5 PC

Political Capital can go into the negative, meaning you have

harmed your reputation within the Bureau. While your Unit’s
Political Capital score is negative, no one can test Political
Capital until it is positive again. If Political Capital ever
reaches -100, your Unit is re-organized, and all members are
sent to another Unit or job in the Bureau (usually light desk
work where the agency can keep an eye on them). Everyone must
create new characters in a new Unit (unless the whole unit
decides to go rogue).

Of course, any Bureau agents that try to actively sabotage or

work against the Bureau go beyond normal politics, and become a
hostile target which will be hunted down without prejudice.

Going Rogue

It has happened on occasion that Bureau staff attempt to

leave the Bureau and operate independently. Rarer still,
whole Units go rogue and begin operating according to their
own motivations. The reasoning may range anywhere from
disillusionment towards the Bureau, zealousness in a
particular mission against Bureau orders, or being ‘turned’
by an anomalous event and no longer acting in the Bureau’s
(or humanity’s) interests.

Whatever the motivation, a rogue Unit is left without the

considerable resources and support structure the Bureau
provides. They will have to gather resources independently,
and any cover personas will be burned. Furthermore, they will
become the target of other Bureau Units looking to contain or
neutralize them. Effectively, they will have become a new
Anomalous threat in the Bureau’s eyes.

15
 Paperwork

The Bureau is a bureaucracy, and that means lots of paperwork.

Detailed mission reports are critical for overall operations of
the agency. There is also a strict demand for accountability of
esoteric events and items. Some agents believe that because
they effectively cannot be fired, paperwork is used punitively
for poor performing units. This is strictly a fabrication, and
not Bureau policy.

Each completed mission generates one unit of Paperwork, plus

one for each of the following (making a mess of a mission
requires a lot of explaining):

The mission failed

The Bureau was exposed or a civilian learned of Anomalies

due to the actions of an agent

There was significant collateral damage due to the actions of

an agent

A Bureau special asset was destroyed or lost (two if an

asset fell into hostile control)

A Bureau agent was lost

Two if an Anomaly was created or released through the

actions of an agent

Anything else at the Director’s discretion

Mission operations take precedence over paperwork, so it must

be completed in downtime between missions. Paperwork is shared
by the Unit as a whole.

A Unit with outstanding paperwork has [-] on Political Capital

tests. A Unit with 20 or more Paperwork loses -5 Political
Capital after each Downtime until the amount of Paperwork drops
below this number.

16
 Security Clearance and Licenses

Security Clearance

Information and access in the Bureau is controlled by security

clearance levels. These may be assigned individually or in
groups. With Units, clearance is typically assigned equally to
all Unit members. The clearance levels are:

Level I: Minimum clearance level for the Bureau. Knowledge

of the general realities of the Weird World and Bureau
operations.

Level II: Standard clearance level for Unit operations

working in the field to find and contain anomalies.

Level III: Clearance level for Unit Operation Heads, and

mid-level Bureau operations.

Level IV: High-level clearance for Bureau executives.

Level V: Bureau Director level clearance only, and those at

the discretion of the Director.

You can attempt to access information up to your current

clearance level when you do a Request Information downtime
activity. Attempts to circumvent clearance restrictions can
result in loss of Political Capital, losing clearance levels,
or other reprimands. Units gain clearance levels at the
discretion of the Bureau executives.

Licenses

Some equipment requires certain licenses in order to be used on

missions, in order to demonstrate proficiency and safety of
operation. This is represented by a character having a Skill at
at least Trained level or Specialization as listed in the item
description. An equivalent Skill or Specialization can be
substituted at the Director’s discretion.

17
 Equipment and Standard Loadouts

The following are standard loadouts per class. You may swap out
equipment from the Equipment tables on a one-to-one basis, as
long as you meet the license requirements.

Equipment listed as a Special Asset (Special Assets, Anomalous

Assets, and some vehicles) require a Political Capital check to
requisition (PC checks to request Anomalous assets have [-]).

Vehicles are requested separately from your normal loadout,

typically you can only request one or two vehicles at a time.

Field Agent: Altered:

— Sidearm — Backpack

— Flashlight — Esoteric Ward

— Agency Badge — Anti-stab vest

— Two additional items — Two additional items

of your choice of your choice

Ranger: Union:

— Automatic Rifle — Toolkit

— Ranger Armor — Hardened Laptop

— Radio Comms — First Aid Kit

— Two additional items — Two additional items

of your choice of your choice

Specialist:

— Anomaly Field
Scanner

— Sample Kit

— Portable Analysis
Kit

— Two additional items

of your choice

18
Weapons

WEAPON RANGE DAMAGE AMMO CRIT LICENSE SPECIAL

Automatic Long 3d10 DMG 12 Gunshot Military
Rifle Range Training
Combat Knife Adjacent 1d10 DMG N/A Bleeding N/A
[+]
Flare Gun Long 1d5 DMG 2 Fire/ N/A Bright flare visible
Range Explosion day and night from
Long Range
Grenade Close 3d10 DMG 1 Fire/ Military On hit, damages all
Explosion Training Adjacent to enemy
Rifle Long 2d10 6 Gunshot Firearms
Range
Sidearm Close 1d10 DMG 10 Gunshot Firearms
Shotgun Close 4d10 4 Gunshot Firearms 1d10 DMG at Long
Range

Armor and Personal Protective Equipment

ARMOR AP SPEED LICENSE SPECIAL

AET Ward Harness 4 Normal N/A Protects against esoteric energy
as an esoteric ward, with some
physical protection.
Anti-Stab Vest 5 Normal N/A AP applies to Bleeding DMG only.

Gas Mask N/A Normal N/A Protects against airborne

chemicals and bio-hazards.
Restricts vision.
Hazmat Suit 2 Normal N/A Protects against bio-hazard and
chemical threats.
Kevlar Vest 5 Normal N/A Firearm protection.
Ranger Armor 7 [-] Military Special Ranger protective suit
Training that includes environmental and
esoteric protection.
S.C.U.B.A. Gear 2 [-] S.C.U.B.A. 1 hour of oxygen for underwater
Training environments.
Vacuum Suit 3 [-] Astronaut 1 hour of oxygen for vacuum or
Training hazardous atmosphere.

Scientific Equipment

EQUIPMENT LICENSE DESCRIPTION

Anomaly Field Scanner N/A Detects anomalous energy in Close range.

Portable Analysis Kit Biology, Analyzes samples with various tests.

Chemistry,
Physics, or
Medicine
Sample Kit Biology, Full kit for taking scientific or medical
Chemistry, samples, including swabs, test tubes, and
Physics, or various chemical test strips.
Medicine
Sample Cold Storage N/A Plug-in or battery operated unit that
preserves samples as long as powered.
Battery lasts for 24 hours.

19
Tools

TOOL LICENSE DESCRIPTION

Backpack N/A Basic extra storage.

Binoculars N/A 20x magnification.

Body Cam N/A A camera worn on your clothing that can

stream video.
Camping Gear N/A Tent, sleeping, cooking, and lighting gear
for outdoor camping.
Climbing Gear Athletics Rope. pitons, and other standard climbing
gear.
Cold Weather Gear N/A Heavy duty clothing for low temperature
environments.
First Aid Kit N/A Bandages and treatments for minor
injuries.
Flares N/A Chemical lighting that can be seen Long
range (if unobstructed) for 1 hour.
Flashlight N/A Standard battery powered lighting.

Geiger Counter N/A Instrument for detecting radiation in

Close range.
Hacking Software Suite Hacking Specialized software suite for infiltrating
computer systems and networks. Gives [+]
on Hacking checks, but can only be used
once per target.
Hardened Laptop N/A Bureau secured and encrypted laptop.

Lock Picks Jury-Rigging Tools used for unauthorized access to

physical locks.
Night Vision Goggles N/A Allows for clear vision in the dark.

Radio Comms N/A Standard radio communication gear.

Typically handsets or shoulder radios.
Survival Gear N/A Water filtration and sterilization, high
density shelf-stable rations, hand axe
(2d10 bleeding DMG), compass.
Toolkit N/A Drill, wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers,
cutters, etc.

Esoteric Equipment

EQUIPMENT LICENSE DESCRIPTION

Containment Grid Applied Stationary powered grid used to contain
Esoterics esoteric entities in a 1 meter circle.
Entities with 1 Wound or fewer cannot
escape the area. Other creatures can
escape on a successful check with their
lowest Stat, but take 1d10 DMG (Fire).
Esoteric Ward N/A Grows hot and vibrates in the presence of
Anomalous energy. If you would take damage
from a paranormal effect, this prevents up
to 3 DMG, then is destroyed.
Field Resonance Applied Stationary device. Typical field unit has
Stabilizer Esoterics 10 meter radius. Inside this area,
everyone has [+] on Saves against
paranormal effects.
Shield N/A Experimental esoteric defense system.
Provides 5 AP against one source of DMG of
your choice, once per mission.
Summoning Grid Applied Stationary powered grid used to attempt to
Esoterics summon an esoteric entity. Each use adds
+1 Paperwork when your mission ends.

20
Vehicles

SPECIAL
VEHICLE LICENSE DESCRIPTION
ASSET
Rental Car N/A No Standard nondescript rental car.

SUV N/A No Rental SUV with more capacity.

Boat Watercraft No Small boat rental.

Armored Car Armored Yes Standard car or SUV modified with armored
Vehicles panels and windows.
Armored Personnel Armored Yes Heavily armored vehicle for troop
Carrier Vehicles transport. Very conspicuous.
Helicopter Aircraft Yes Small helicopter, holds up to 5 people.

Small Aircraft Aircraft Yes Small aircraft. Holds up to 5 people.

Warded Vehicle Applied Yes Experimental warded SUV. Protects all

Esoterics occupants as an esoteric ward.

Special Assets

ASSET LICENSE DESCRIPTION

Explosives Military Grenades, plastic explosive, shaped
Training, charges, etc. DMG tpyically 1d5 Wounds.
Heavy
Weapons
Heavy Weaponry Military Machine gun, flame thrower, rocket
Training, launcher, etc. DMG typically 1d5 Wounds,
Heavy or other special effects.
Weapons
Money N/A Large amounts of cash, large money
transfer, bulk valuables, etc

Anomalous Assets

ASSET LICENSE DESCRIPTION

Class I ODD* Level I Low level Anomalous Object or Device
Clearance OR (ODD). Requires a Political Capital check
Applied to take as loadout.
Esoterics
Class II ODD* Level II Mid level Anomalous Object or Device
Clearance (ODD). Requires a Political Capital check
to take as loadout.
Class III ODD* Level III Mid level Anomalous Object or Device
Clearance (ODD). Requires a Political Capital check
to take as loadout.
Class IV ODD* Level IV High level Anomalous Object or Device
Clearance (ODD). Requires a Political Capital check
to take as loadout.
Class V ODD* Level V High level Anomalous Object or Device
Clearance (ODD). Requires a Political Capital check
to take as loadout.
*ODD assets are left intentionally vague. Use the abilities from the Altered
ability list for inspiration on the powers an ODD can grant, especially for Class
I ODDs. Higher class ODDs should get exponentially more powerful abilities… and
drawbacks. These should be used with caution.

21
 Running an Investigation

For Missions involving an investigation it’s important to allow

them to run smoothly and not halt the game based on a poor dice
roll or failed check. To aid in this, there is a special check
called an Investigation roll.

When making an Investigation roll, the players always find

enough information to proceed with the mystery or case. The
roll determines the degree of success, and possible other
effects or complications.

To make an investigation roll, one player present in a scene

rolls a d20 die. Consult the Investigation Results table for
what happens.

A player may make a Stat check using a Skill to attempt to

modify the Investigation roll. The Skill must be relevant to
the scene and available clues. Any player in the scene may
attempt to use a Skill, but only one player once per scene may
do so to modify an Investigation roll.

If it fails, the Investigation roll is made with a -1 penalty

(minimum 1), and the character takes Stress as normal. If it
succeeds the Investigation roll is made with a +1 bonus and the
player may gain extra information related to their Skill check.

Players can still use Skill checks in scenes as normal to

perform specific tasks, engage in combat, or similar.
Additionally, not every mission will require an investigation.
If your Unit is raiding a cultist compound or eliminating a FAE
invasion, you will likely not need an Investigation roll.

22
Investigation Results

1. You gain the bare minimum information to proceed

after being stymied and hitting dead ends, and are
frustrated by your progress. Take 1d5 Stress.

2—5. You gain a brief amount of information needed to

proceed, such as an address, a name, or another small
clue that leads to a new scene. You also suffer a
complication: the target of your investigation or a
third party interferes in some way, slowing you down
or forcing you do deal with the new situation before
proceeding.

6—10. You find most of what there is to learn, but not

everything. This may involve incomplete information or
a minor complication.

11—15. You learn everything a competent investigator

can learn about the scene.

16—19. You learn everything a competent investigator

can learn about the scene, plus put together something
extra, such as a related story, rumor, or case file.

20. You learn everything a competent investigator can

learn about the scene, plus something extra. You also
delve too deep into the paranormal, connecting with
something beyond human knowledge or understanding.
Make a Panic check.

23
 The Setting

The following is a description of the assumed setting for

Anomalous Investigations, detailing the Bureau and its
operations. Feel free to throw this out and use whatever
setting and materials that work for you.

Memorandum on Bureau Operations 201-4A

Due to results of experimentation regarding human awareness on

the effects of anomalous activity (see Hatzlinger-Boroff Theory
FBA2304.123) the Executive committee is hereby enacting a
priority Bureau directive effective immediately.

Anomalies must be destroyed or neutralized, securely contained,

or quarantined in place, in that order. Exceptions to this
operational order can be made by executive-level Bureau
operatives.

Whereas the wider public knowledge of anomalies may result in

cataclysmic dimensional incursions, it is the Bureau’s top
priority to hide the occurrences of the paranormal from wider
public exposure.

The Bureau requires agents to carry out operations. Therefore

recruitment and staffing is a carefully balanced equation. The
Bureau must run on as few members as possible, with departments
split into cells so that no one team has too much anomalous
exposure.

Bureau agents frequently deal with civilians and uninitiated

authorities in the course of an investigation which are exposed
to some degree to the paranormal. In most cases, once the
threat is over these people will forget or rationalize away
oddities as a defensive mechanism, and no further action is
needed. In the case of those who continue to pursue this
knowledge, the Bureau must evaluate options, including
recruitment, surveillance, containment, or termination.

Signed,

Sebastian Mathisen,

Director, Federal Bureau of Anomalies

24
Hatzlinger-Boroff Theory

R. Hatzlinger, I. Boroff, et al

Abstract

After extensive Bureau research it has been determined that

human minds can influence the occurrence of anomalies.
Specifically, as more people are exposed to the paranormal and
aware of the true nature of the world, the rates of anomalous
occurrences increase exponentially. This has been demonstrated
in small scale experiments in redacted and redacted. Of course
results must be extrapolated from existing data, a larger scale
test may result in a runaway anomaly event.

Results

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amet quam elementum, a accumsan velit interdum. Sed congue
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ultricies facilisis felis auctor. Aenean eget tempus erat.

Ut sollicitudin mi eget dignissim iaculis. Nunc vulputate

commodo velit in maximus. Ut sodales, velit ac dictum
fringilla, leo libero euismod est, quis dignissim purus libero
eu nisi. Integer imperdiet consequat est, sit amet consectetur
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ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere
cubilia curae; Etiam id congue tortor, vitae eleifend nunc.
Quisque pretium ullamcorper rutrum. Aliquam vulputate gravida
congue.

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auctor. Curabitur vulputate eleifend imperdiet. Nulla a magna
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magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus.

eu nisi. Integer imperdiet consequat est, sit amet consectetur

mauris pulvinar vel. Ut vitae consequat risus. Vestibulum ante
ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere
cubilia curae; Etiam id congue tortor, vitae eleifend nunc.
Quisque pretium ullamcorper rutrum. Aliquam vulputate gravida
congue.em ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Vivamus id congue libero. Orci

25
 Anomalies and Paranormal Threats

Paranormal events or entities (“Anomalies”) are the result of

other dimensions protruding into ours and leaving lingering
traces. Bureau researchers have determined these intrusions may
be caused for a number of reasons, including but not limited
to: intense and concentrated bursts of energy (nuclear weapons,
particle colliders), areas of massive traumatic loss of life,
intense emotional reactions from certain individuals, non-human
beings, application of esoteric theory (“spells”), and the
intentional actions of extra-dimensional entities.

The Bureau’s purpose is to investigate, contain, research, and

neutralize Anomalies that manifest in our world. These
Anomalies may take one of the following forms:

Small Anomalous Zone (SAZ): Anomalous effects manifest in a

small area, such as a single room, a house, a sports field, a
floor of a high rise, or a natural formation like a meadow or
cave. The effects are persistent throughout but contained
within the area itself. Containment procedures are typically
to disable the anomalous effect with esoterics or brute
force if possible, otherwise to quarantine and limit access.
A SAZ may also manifest as an inter-dimensional portal,
allowing access between worlds. These have a sub-designation
of SAZ-P.

Large Anomalous Zone (LAZ): As an SAZ, but over a much

larger area, such as the entirety of a small town, a large
geographical feature like a desert or mountain, or a large
structure like an entire high rise or cathedral. Destruction
is typically not an option in the case of an LAZ, so instead
attempts are made to stabilize the region and quarantine it.

Anomalous Object or Device (AOD aka “Odd”): Sometimes

anomalous protrusions alter an inanimate object. These
objects may begin manifesting paranormal effects on their
own, or when manipulated by people. The effect is carried
with the Odd, even if removed from the point of origin.
People can sometimes bond with Odds, and are conferred
abilities from the object. These people become a form of
Altered. Experimentation with creating Altered agents from
Odds is ongoing with only limited success.

Human Anomalous Entity (HAE aka “Altered”): Humans that are

changed from interaction with anomalous objects or areas are
known as Altered. They begin manifesting paranormal
abilities that they may or may not be able to control.
26
Unfortunately, exposure to Anomalies extensive enough to
confer these effects usually have a detrimental effect on
the subject’s physical and/or mental health, leading to
unintended catastrophes. Even those who reach a stable
equilibrium with their new abilities are often confused and
panicked until Bureau agents can reach them. Those that lean
in to their new powers may be even more dangerous.

Foreign Anomalous Entity (FAE): FAE are any extra-

dimensional entities that can be considered some form of
sentient being. This can range from beast-like creatures and
enormous monsters to hyper-intelligent or seemingly god-like
entities. They are, by their nature, extremely alien in
thought and behavior, and are often the most dangerous
threat Bureau agents will face. There are also entities
extant in our universe with paranormal features, such as
extra-terrestrial beings, non-human hominids, and cryptids.
These have typically been influenced in some way by esoteric
effects, and are considered FAE, even if they live primarily
in our world.

Applied Esoteric Theorems (AETs): A more abstract form of

Anomaly, AETs are the result of research and study in fields
such as esomathematics, esophysics, and parapsychology.
Unlike other Anomalies which are the result of extra-
dimensional intrusions, AETs can be brought about by the
application of paranormal theories into practice, even by
normal humans. Such practices were once referred to as
“spells” or “rituals”, but are now typically known as
applied esoteric theorems. In a modern context these are
used to create devices made to protect from or contain
Anomalies. However, there are still known occurrences of
people using the “old ways” by those outside the Bureau.
Such practices often require the physical and/or mental
sacrifice of sentient beings, or carrying out esoteric
rituals in locations of inter-dimensional resonance.

Esoteric Organizations, Cults, and Individuals: While not

necessarily anomalous or Altered themselves, there are
individuals, groups, and even large organizations outside of
Bureau authority that have access to esoteric knowledge.
Some of these are Bureau counterparts in other parts of the
world, or independent groups or individuals that for
whatever reason the Bureau finds acceptable to leave alone in
an uneasy truce. There are also groups and individuals with
knowledge of the hidden world that act against the interests
of the Bureau or humanity itself. These try to remain hidden
in order to carry out their goals, and are the subject of
Bureau containment missions just as much as any Anomaly.
Oftentimes such individuals or cults have been contacted by
a FAE and work to carry out its intentions, which left
unchecked can result in a devastating incursion.

27
 The Bureau

The headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Anomalies is housed

in a nondescript office building in redacted. However, the
interior of the facility has several anomalous properties—
notably it is much more extensive on the interior than would
seem physically possible from the outside. Whether FBA
headquarters is an Anomaly of its own accord or as a result of
the storage and containment of a multitude of other Anomalies
is unknown, but the location is stable enough for FBA use.

The Bureau is hierarchical in structure, led by the director

(currently Director redacted), under which is the assistant
director, and then various division heads. The following
departments make up the Bureau:

Operations: Bureau Units are self contained “cells” without

cross contact to limit the scope of esoteric knowledge
bleed, but all report to a Unit handler, who then ultimately
answers to the head of Operations. Operations also works
closely with the Records division, who stores debriefings
from missions.

Research: This division is dedicated to the research of

Anomalies to better understand their properties and the
nature of the paranormal universe in general. This is
intended to better help Bureau agents secure and neutralize
Anomalies, though frequently Bureau scientists have their
own agenda, including attempts to leverage Anomaly effects
for Bureau benefit.

Containment: This division deals with the secure storage and

management of recovered Anomalies. It is thankless work that
takes place deep in an extensively secured sector of Bureau
headquarters, and Containment staff are often paranoid and
odd given their continual exposure to Anomalous artifacts
and entities.
28
 Records: The knowledge repository of the Bureau, which
stores reports on operations, research, and history of
Anomalies or anything related to the Bureau. Restriction of
esoteric knowledge especially applies in this division, and
research librarians are divided into small, independent
groups dealing in very limited subject matter. One reason
information retrieval takes so long is that cross-
referencing information is extremely difficult, and carefully
controlled by this division. Librarian cells are almost as
suspicious of each other as they are to outside departments.

Personnel: This division deals with all matters pertaining

to Bureau staff, including recruitment, division assignment,
and security clearance, as well as support operations such
as medical treatment, therapy, and training. Personnel also
works closely with Containment in the matter of anomalous
entities, particularly HAEs.

Quartermaster: This small division provides and maintains

standard equipment for Bureau staff and operations. They
also manage requisitions for advanced assets, some of which
are stored in this division, while others are requested from
Containment.

Executive: Bureau leadership, consisting of the director,

assistant director, and their support staff. Typically only
division heads interact with this division, and only the
assistant director and the director’s personal assistant may
interact with the director.

Maintenance: General upkeep of the Bureau headquarters,

including custodial, repairs, and expansion. Though given
little credit or thought by most other staff, the
Maintenance division has extensive knowledge of Bureau
headquarters and its secrets.

Institutional Knowledge: Storage of deceased agents’

remains, such that their collective knowledge can be
retrieved via esoteric means. Other divisions tend to steer
clear. Works closely with the Records division.

The FBA also maintains satellite offices in several major

populated areas under their sphere of influence to support field
operations. However, some countries maintain their own
equivalent organizations, and the FBA has limited authority or
access in these areas. In addition to field offices, the FBA
maintains several Anomaly containment sites, safe houses, front
companies, and other facilities. However, due to the
requirement for secrecy and hidden operating budget, the Bureau
is often extremely limited in operational power or reach. Units
frequently have to make due with their own ingenuity and
sometimes even outside resources.

29
F.B.A Org Chart

Sebastian Mathisen

DIRECTOR

Maximilian
Ludvik

PERSONAL ASST.
To DIRECTOR

Ilaria Jeffries

ASST. DIRECTOR

Violetta Thorn Stafford Leonard Ruskin Jia Wen

Jacobsen
HEAD OF HEAD OF HEAD OF
OPERATIONS HEAD OF RECORDS CONTAINMENT
RESEARCH

Sauli Osbourne Stanislovas Renata Cabrera Frank Lamberti

Krall
HEAD OF HEAD OF HEAD OF
PERSONNEL QUARTERMASTER INSTITUTIONAL MAINTENANCE
KNOWLEDGE

30
 Working for the Bureau

Bureau agents are usually recruited from other government

agencies, academia, the tech sector, and private industry. The
Bureau is hesitant to expose people to esoteric knowledge, so
staffing is highly selective. A common recruitment test is to
send potential new recruits (directed via their employer) to
work on minor anomalous cases without reading them in on the
full nature of the esoteric world. Other times, outsiders
stumble into the esoteric accidentally or intentionally. In
such cases the Bureau closely monitors the individual to
determine if they are suitable for employment or as an
independent contact, or if they are a threat that should be
neutralized.

Once someone is inducted into the esoteric and the truth of the
Weird World, there is no going back.

Attempts at selective memory removal for retired agents have

only met with disaster, so retired agents continue to be
closely monitored to prevent the unintentional release of
esoteric knowledge. Even in death, the Bureau takes possession
of the body as esoteric means can be used to extract knowledge
from deceased agents.

The Unit

The Bureau organizes many of its teams, including field

operations teams, into small cells called Units. This is both
to provide good team cohesion and to limit the scope of
information any one team has. Most Units are made up of Field
Agents to carry out investigations, with Union workers and
Specialist scientists supporting them. While Rangers typically
operate in tactical squads for severe threats, it’s not unusual
for a Ranger to be assigned to an investigative Unit to help in
field missions. The rarest Units are those that count an Altered
among their ranks.

If a member of a Unit is lost or retired, a new member may be

assigned from a reorganization, or from another Unit disbanded
due to heavy losses. Alternatively, a member of the existing
Unit may shift their role to cover the needs of the team. If a
player character is lost, taking over an NPC member of a Unit
can be a good way to quickly get back into the action.

31
 FEDERAL BUREAU OF ANOMALIES
SPECIAL AGENT
APPLY CLASS TRAUMA RESPONSE
PHOTO

HERE

STRENGTH SPEED INTELLECT COMBAT SANITY FEAR BODY

NAME/PRONOUNS/D.O.B. SECURITY CLEARANCE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 STRESS

WOUNDS
CONDITIONS IN TREATMENT CONDITIONS

CURED
TRAINED SKILLS
EXPERT
MASTER
SKILL TRAINING UNIT STATS
ALTERED ABILITY (SHARED ACROSS ALL UNIT MEMBERS)
FIED
TRAINED EXPERT MASTER
CLASSI
SPECIALIZATION
IN PROGRESS
POLITICAL CAPITAL PAPERWORK
EQUIPMENT
ARMOR POINTS
 TOP SECRET
F.B.A. EYES ONLY

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