de occulta

MATURE
CONTENT
WITHIN
LateGaming
 How The System Works 4
Combat 7
Damage 13
Weapons and Equipment 20
Creating your Character 23
A brief history of Magic 29
De Occulta Mysteria 31
The Grimoire 31
Rotes 34
Relics 36
Locations 38
Cults 39
Pneuma 40
The De Occulta Testament 41
Things that go bump in the night 42
Media to be consumed 43
Year Zero Engine Free Tabletop License (v 1.00) 44

de occulta is a game of roleplaying sel sh occultists who would gladly skin their relatives if they needed
something to write on.

de occulta is the second book in a proposed dark urban fantasy by LateGaming. The rst, ex sanguine, involves
Vampirs.

de occulta is copyright © 2024 Late Gaming - http;//lategaming.com

Writer: Matt Johnston

This game is not af liated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Fria Ligan AB. The Year Zero Engine System
Reference Document is used under Fria Ligan AB's Free Tabletop License.
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 Now, obviously we can't be sure if this is the only part of this text
remaining, but the sections that remain indicate that this was
certainly part of a larger collection of works on magic, dating to at
lea the twelfth century. They are essentially transcriptions of
and commentaries on a series of Greek pap ri with some special
importance, though I am not sure what. Of course, it would help
considerably if I knew a bit more about their context. Their
original location, for example?
- Dr David McLeish, independent scholar, occulti
st
y
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 How The System Works
Most PCs will have attributes and skill which work on this scale

Rating Attribute Meaning Skill Meaning Dice

V Supernatural Superhuman d20
A Extraordinary Elite d12
B Above Average Veteran d10
C Average Experienced d8
D Below Average Novice d6

Dice rolls for PCs then means taking the appropriate attribute and skill and rolling both dice. For
example, if a PC has Mobility B and Sidearms C, they roll d10 and d6 for their attempt to shoot a
pistol. Each result over 6 is a success. A d6 and d8 are only capable of 1 success. Both d10 and
d12 are capable of two successes. A d20 is capable of up to 4 successes.

Roll Result
15 Failure
69 1 Success
10 15 2 Successes
16 19 3 Successes
20 4 Successes

Di culty of Tasks
The base di culty in the game is a 6 on a dice roll meaning a single success.
This can be altered by Modi ers. Perhaps a -2 or -1 on a dice roll to show that the Task is intricate
or involved. Or a +1 or +2 to the task to show the task is simple.

Tasks may also require additional successes. This is to indicate that the Task results are usually
only available to trained (or very lucky) people. Note that most humans will only be capable of 2
successes and even the best can only achieve 4.

Time
Time in this game is described in three ways

Round 5 10 seconds used for Combat or Short Tasks

Stretch 5 10 minutes used for Tasks
Shift 5 10 hours used for Long Tasks or Travel
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 Successes
Once you have counted the successes from the dice, the Referee must compare this to the number
of successes they have decided is necessary for the task. Most actions only require 1 success but
particularly di cult tasks, or tasks which are longer than a few seconds may require additional
successes.

Any additional successes over the di culty may be applied to a number of di erent e ects.

1. Extra Damage (in Combat)

2. Extra Depth (Extended Successes, useful for non-combat rolls)
3. With Haste (A success spent on Speed will reduce the time by half )
4. With Stealth (a success spent on Stealth will be performed quieter)
5. Wider E ect (A success spent on Wider E ect extends the e ect of the action to a
wider audience. This might be Commanding or Persuading a larger group
6. Defence Reactions (see Combat later)
7. Bonus (or Ammo) Dice. (Spare successes on a roll may be used to add extra d6 dice
on a di erent roll.

e.g. Cornelius has Agility A (d12) and Mobility B (d10) and lucks out on his MOBILITY roll to throw
a stone at a guard.. Four successes! A stone does 1 damage but Crits on a 3. He spends 2 successes
to get a Critical on the guard and the third success to buy the With Stealth quality. The Guard
drops silently.

Specialties and Success Enhancement

Specialties on skills may provide a +1 modi er to the base dice or may provide a Success
Enhancement. This means the normal roll proceeds and if it succeeds, the +1 is taken as an extra
Success instead.

e.g. Amelia has been tasked with Hunting for food. She has INT C and Survival C. She has the
Hunter specialty, but rather than improve her chances of success, she decides to save it as a
Success Enhancement. She rolls 2d8 and gets a 6 and a 4! 1 success! Using her Success
Enhancement she increases it to 2 Successes. The Referee says she has found a likely source of
food...

Pushing Rolls
If a roll is a failure, there is usually the option to Push the roll. This comes with the added issue of
Complications. Any dice which are not 1 or 6+ must be re-rolled. If any 1s are present in the Pushed
roll (including those from the rst roll) then a Complication occurs. It should be apparent that
rolling two 1s on your base dice means no push is possible.

Sample Complications
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On a STR or AGI roll, the complication may be 1 Damage for each 1 on the dice. This is applied
directly to STR or AGI.
On an INT or EMP roll, the complication may be taking 1 Stress for each 1 on the dice. This is
applied directly to INT or EMP.
When using an item, the Referee may require a Reliability roll or the item breaks.
If trying to be Quiet, the complication means that not only was it not quiet, but an enemy heard.
When trying repair something, it means the device breaks further or the tools break.

Experience
Most roleplaying games have an experience point system which has the e ect of showing how
slowly skills have developed before character generation and how rapidly they increase during
play.

This is also used to increase Stability and the Occult specialty to beyond 2.

Player characters will receive 1 point per session. To increase a skill requires time and experience.

To gain a new skill (d6), requires 12 experience points and 12 Shifts dedicated to training and
practice.

To increase a skill from d6 to d8, requires 16 experience points and 16 Shifts dedicated to training
and practice.

To increase a skill from d8 to d10 requires 20 experience points and 20 Shifts dedicated to training
and practice.

To increase from d10 to d12 requires 24 experience points and 24 Shifts dedicated to training and
experience.

New Specialties cost 10 points. A second level (available only for Occult) costs 20 points.
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Combat
Everyone can do two things within a single round; these are known as the Slow Action and the Fast
Action. A Slow Action can be turned into a Fast Action (meaning the player gets two Fast Actions).
A Reaction (such as to an attack) is a Fast Action that occurs out of turn sequence, but the player
must have a Fast Action available that turn.

Slow Actions include:

Any type of attack*
Any type of movement while prone
Climb or jump
Reload a weapon (unless using the Reloader Specialty)
Most skills used, e.g. Persuasion, Medical Aid

Fast Actions include:

Aiming a weapon
Any Defensive action or reaction
Taking an aimed shot*
Movement while standing up
Stand up from prone
Take cover
Change weapons
Pick up an object

*if a player has declared their Fast Action in the previous round is to Aim, they may take the shot in
the following turn as their Fast Action as long as they are not attacked in the interim.
 Initiative
Fighting others always starts with Initiative. This decides who goes rst.

This starts with the roll of dice.

First Round
In the rst round of combat, every player should roll their Stability. Highest rolls go rst, but
anyone rolling 1 5 misses the opportunity to act in the rst round. Anyone who can act, should
declare they actions and make their rolls. This roll cannot be Pushed but anyone with the Combat
Awareness specialty can roll twice and choose which result they want.

Second Round and subsequent rounds.

Everyone gets a chance again to act, those with highest Stability go rst. In the event of a tie, the
highest INT goes rst. If that's still a tie, the highest AGI. In the event this is still a tie, resolve
actions as if they are simultaneous.

If a player takes damage in a round before their turn, they need to succeed on a Stability roll or
they lose their turn.

Ambush and Surprise

If one side of a con ict is Surprised (such as in an ambush) then all of their Initiative Stability rolls
are at -1. Anyone who drops lower than a D for the round can’t act at all. They will have to wait
until the next round so they can act as normal in their turn.
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Range
All actions within combat are counted in 10m hexes (or zones). If you are in the same hex as an
opponent, you may engage them in Melee combat. If you have ranged weapons, you can engage
any enemy you can see, subject to range modi ers for the weapon.

Each weapon has a range (in 10m hexes). This is the Short Range of the weapon and commonly
incurs no penalty. Medium Range is twice Short Range (2*SR). Long Range is twice Medium Range
(4*SR). Extreme Range is twice Long Range (8*SR).

Short Range No Modi er

Medium Range -1
Long Range -2
Extreme Range -3

The Referee may decide if a longer range can be achievable and, separately, e ective. They should
also use their discretion (and if necessary a map) to decide whether something is possible.

Conversely, shooting at people who are at Point Blank range (in the same hex) may incur a penalty.
Pistols and Sub-machine-guns get a -1, Ri es and other long-arms get a -2.
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Attacking
On their turn, characters may make an attack, as long as they are within range (or appropriate
range modi ers are used), they have the ammunition if making a ranged attack, and have enough
actions and are not otherwise engaged.

The following modi ers apply:

Close Combat Modifiers

Attacker prone -2
Target prone +2
Target defenceless +3 (or automatic)
Aimed blow -2
Diving blow +2 (requires both actions)

Ranged Combat Modifiers

Quick Shot (no aim) -1/-2
Fast Action Aim -
Slow Action Aim +1/+2

Point Blank -1/-2 depending on weapon

Short Range No Modi er
Medium Range -1
Long Range -2
Extreme Range -3

Target is prone -1
Target in Cover -1 for 25% / -2 for 50% / -3 for 75%
Large (or Monstrous) Target +2
Small Target -2
Target is Moving -1
Target in Flight -2

Dim Light -1
Darkness -2
Heavy Rain or Wind -2
Dense Smoke -3
Called Shot -2 (and choose location)
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 Defense
If you have a Fast or Slow Action available, you can choose to Defend against any incoming attack
you’re aware of. With most ranged attacks, the target is not aware. Defences may be

Parry/Block - the defender must make a Successful attack with an appropriate method (for
example, you can block a punch with a unarmed block, but blocking a sword with an unarmed
strike is not advised) and score equal or more successes than the attacker.
Dodge - you can choose to dodge any close combat or ranged attack that you are aware of. Roll
Mobility and each success reduces the attackers successes by one.
Disarm - you can choose to disarm an armed melee opponent but you must have enough
successes to reduce the attack to zero and have one more to perform the disarm. If you fail to
achieve a disarm, the attack proceeds as if you didn’t react to it. If your enemy has a spare action,
they can attempt to block the disarm.
Counterattack - your defence roll must be enough to overcome the attack and score an additional
success to land your counterattack, doing normal damage. If your enemy has a spare action, they
can attempt to block the counterattack.

Spare successes can be used to power Defence reactions in the same turn.

Cover
Cover may be 25%, 50%, 75% or 100% (complete). The roll to hit is compromised by modi ers as a
result. It is possible to shoot through the cover and hope that the damage done will pierce the
cover and therefore ignore the penalties.

The Referee may assign 1 3 points of Armour as a result of the cover material.

Light Brush/Thin wood 1

Plasterboard/thin sheet metal 2
Brick/Tree trunk 3

Automatic Fire
Some rearms are capable of repeated or sustained re. The player may re additional shots from
their weapon up to the weapons listed ROF. This is resolved as a normal attack roll except that
each additional shot adds an “Ammo Dice”. This is a d6 which increases the chance of getting a hit
but each number on the dice also lists the number of bullets used. They can provide extra
successes - but the Base Dice (Attribute & Skill) must still succeed.

Example: Peter shoots his Assault Ri e at a Vampir. The ROF for his weapon is 3. He can add up to
3 Ammo dice to his roll. Peter has Agility A and Ranged Combat C but he also has the Ri eman
specialty. He roll d12, d10 and three d6 (his Ammo dice), getting 8, 4, 3, 4, 6 consecutively. His 8 on
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 his d12 Base dice indicates a hit! Any additional 6 or higher counts as a success to he scored 2
successes against the enemy. However he used 13 rounds (the 3, 4, 6 on his Ammo Dice) to do it.

This mechanism is designed to provide a simple way of counting bullets.

Suppression
Firearms can also cause Suppression on targets. If you are hit by enemy re - even if no damage
was done because of Armour or Cover, you may be Suppressed. You must make an immediate
Stability roll. This roll cannot be Pushed. If you fail, you are Suppressed, you are forced to drop
prone, take 1 point of Stress and lose both actions next turn. The following turn you may recover
unless you are suppressed again.

Reloading
This is a Fast Action on a successful Ranged Combat roll, otherwise this is a Slow Action. If the
Ranged Combat roll fails, it can be Pushed. If it still fails, a Mishap occurs - perhaps the magazine
drops or the bullets fall.

Overwatch
If the declaration of Overwatch (Slow Aim) has been made, a shot may be taken as a Fast Action
during any point in the turn - even if it isn’t the players turn. You will lose your Overwatch if you
are attacked or suppressed.

Explosions
Explosions are rated from A to D, where A is the most powerful - this is known as the Blast
Intensity. This e ect is within the same hex as the explosive. Each hex away from the epicentre of
the blast reduces the e ect by 1 level. Once it reduced beyond D, the explosion has no further
e ect.

When it explodes, roll two dice of the Blast Intensity. Any success causes damage and additional
successes cause additional damage. Anyone caught in the blast area, even if they are not hit, must
immediately make a Stability roll or be Suppressed. Only cover may protect from this. If the target
is already prone, the Blast Intensity is reduced by 1 step.
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 Damage
Each weapon has a damage rating which is applied on a successful hit.

Damage is reduced by any armour the target may be wearing. Any additional success may increase
the damage caused. If the damage reaches the Critical threshold of the attack, a Critical injury
occurs.

All attacks have a location which is assigned randomly unless this is a Called Shot

Roll Location
1 Legs
24 Torso
5 Arms
6 Head

When resolving armour, make sure the location has the appropriate armour modi er (for example,
ak vests only protect the Torso, helmets only protect the Head). Sometimes an armour modi er is
a + (meaning that the armour is more e ective) but usually it’s a negative which means the Armour
reduces damage received (and therefore reduces the chance for a Critical).

Combat Examples

Peter attempts to shoot a bow at a target. He has Agility C and Ranged Combat B and no
appropriate specialties. He rolls d10 and d8 getting one success. He does the normal damage for an
arrow (1).

Peter attempts to punch a panicked bystander. He has Strength C and Close Combat B and the
Brawler specialty. He rolls 2d10 for his attack getting a 7 and a 10. That’s three successes! Unarmed
damage is 1 but he takes both extra successes for extra damage, scoring 3 points. Critical for a
punch is 4 points however.

Peter rolls to shoot a crazed cultist. The cultist is moving so the Referee imposes a -1 Modi er for
the roll. Peter has Agility A and Ranged Combat C and also has the Ri eman specialty. His player
rolls a D10 (for the -1) and a d8 getting 6, 4 resulting in 1 Success. He retained his Ri eman specialty
for a Success Enhancement, giving him 2 Successes. His weapon does 2 damage and critical
threshold of 3, so he applies the extra successes to damage.

Taking Damage
Each point of damage comes o an attribute - providing a -1 for each point Remember most
humans will have d6-d8 in their Physical attributes and really tough ones will have d12. If either of
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your physical attributes are both reduced to below d6, you are Incapacitated. If both are reduced
below d6, you are dying and now have to make Death Saves.

In a round, if you take damage and have not already had your action for this round, you must
make a Stability roll or lose your action.

If you are Incapacitated, you are mostly incapable of action (and unable to make any rolls). The
victim can crawl and mumble but their perception will be limited by the pain and shock.

An Incapacitated target can be brought to their senses in two ways:

1. A Successful Medical Aid roll will restore attributes equal to the number of successes.
2. Waiting a Shift (5 10 hours), heals back up to 1 level of an attribute.

Each Shift spend resting or sleeping after that, they will heal 1 level on their lowest Attribute. This
assumes they are not disturbed, attacked, and are not dehydrated, starving or otherwise su ering.

For example: Peter was reduced to STR 0 and AGI d6 by an attack. If he takes one more point of
damage (applied to his AGI), he will be dying. But right now he's incapacitated until he receives
assistance or heals back 1 level on his STR in a Shift.

For example: While incapacitated, Peter is again struck, reducing his AGI to 0. He's now dying and
must make an immediate Death Save (Stamina roll). If he fails, he dies. If he succeeds, he survives
for this scene, but he must make another death save at the end of the next Stretch (5 10 minutes). If
he succeeds at that, he must make another at the end of the next Shift (5 10 hours). If he succeeds
at that one, he is no longer dying as he will have healed 1 level.
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 Critical Injuries
Hit points (and their loss) represent fatigue, bruising, esh wounds and shock but when the injury
caused by a single attack exceeds the Critical threshold of a weapon, a Critical injury is caused.

When a Critical Injury is caused, roll d66 on the table below.

D66 Injury Lethal E ects Time Healing

Limit Time
11 Winded No - None -
12 Stunned No - None -
13 Crippling Pain No - None -
14 Sprained ankle No Mobility -1 and movement is a slow action until a Healing roll is None -
made.
15 Blood in eyes No Recon and Ranged Combat −2 until a Healing roll is made. None -
16 Concussion No Mobility -1 None D6
21 Severed ear No Recon -1 None D6
22 Broken toes No Movement becomes a slow action. None D6
23 Broken hand No Hand cannot be used. None D6
24 Knocked out teeth No Persuasion −1 None D6
25 Impaled thigh No Movement becomes a slow action None 2d6
26 Slashed shoulder No Arm cannot be used. None D6
31 Broken nose No Persuasion and Recon -1 None D6
32 Crotch hit No One point of damage for every Mobility or Melee roll made None D6
33 Broken ribs No Mobility and Recon −1 None 2d6
34 Gouged eye No Ranged Combat and Recon −1 None 2d6
35 Busted kneecap No Movement becomes a slow action. None 2d6
36 Broken arm No Arm cannot be used. None 2d6
41 Broken leg No Movement becomes a slow action. None 2d6
42 Crushed foot No Movement becomes a slow action. None 3d6
43 Crushed elbow No Arm cannot be used. None 3d6
44 Punctured lung Yes Stamina and Mobility -2 Shift D6
45 Bleeding gut Yes One point of damage for every Mobility or Melee roll made. Shift D6
46 Ruptured Yes Infection with intensity D Shift D6
intestines
51 Busted kidney Yes Mobility -2 and movement is a slow action Day 2d6
52 Severed arm artery Yes Arm cannot be used Stretch D6
53 Severed leg artery Yes Movement becomes a slow action Stretch D6
54 Severed arm Yes Arm cannot be used Shift -
55 Severed leg Yes Movement becomes a slow action Shift -
56 Cracked spine Yes Paralyzed from the neck down unless Medical Aid roll is made in None 3d6
time.
61 Ruptured jugular Yes Stamina -1 Round 2d6
62 Ruptured aorta Yes Stamina -2 Round 3d6
63 Disemboweled Yes Instant death. - -
64 Crushed skull Yes Instant death. - -
65 Pierced head Yes Instant death. - -
66 Impaled heart Yes Instant death. - -
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Critical Injuries listed as Lethal cause a Death Save - a Stamina roll after the time period of the
Injury has passed (Round, Stretch, Shift). If the Death Save fails, the character dies. If they survive
then they must make another death save when the listed time (the injury period) has passed again.

Stabilising the Critical Injury requires a Medical Aid roll. This takes the same amount of time as the
injury period. If the roll is a success, the time limit is improved one category (Round becomes
Stretch, Stretch becomes Shift). If the injury period is increased beyond Shift, no more Death Saves
are required. The Medical Aid roll can be made multiple times, limited by the Injury period, but
each requires a Death Save.

Stress
Stressful experiences such as being attacked or witnessing something horrible can temporarily put
you out of action or cause long term mental injury.

You gain Stress from

• Pushing an INT or EMP roll, gaining 1 Stress for every 1 on the dice.
• Witnessing or experiencing a stressful situation, for example

• Getting hit by an attack 1

• Seeing a lethal critical injury on an ally 2
• Witnessing a massacre or torture 3

Each point of Stress reduces INT or EMP temporarily. If either INT or EMP are reduced below d6,
you are Broken by Stress. You may cower or run for cover but you cannot make any meaningful
actions or roll for any skills.
Vampirs who are Broken by Stress will ee or hide.

Care
A Broken target can be brought to their senses in two ways:

• A Successful Command roll will restore Hit Points equal to the number of successes.
• Waiting a Shift (5 10 hours), heals back up to 1 point.

If not Traumatised they heal 1 point per Shift of Rest or Sleeping. This rate can be increased by a
Medical Aid or Persuasion roll from another player once per shift, which restores Attribute points
equal to the Successes rolled.

During this Care period if the Roll is successful, the player can opt to SWAP a rank in EMP and CUF.
For instance, Peter has EMP C and Stability C. During some counselling he decides to drop his
Stability to D and raise EMP to B. The counselling has made him more empathic and sensitive at
the cost of his resistance to shocks.
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 Trauma
The net time they sleep, the player must make a EMP or Stability roll. Failure indicates the
character gaining a trauma from the table below. This trauma can be healed by someone with a
successful Medical Aid or Persuasion roll.

If they succeed, the player can make another Stability or EMP roll, and if that succeeds, the trauma
is cured. Only one attempt can be made and then a Healing Time (in Shifts) must be waited out
before another can be made.

D66 Trauma E ect Healing

Time

11-16 Trembling Modi er −1 on all Agility-based rolls D6

21 White Hair None Permanent

22-24 Anxious Modi er −1 on all Intelligence-based rolls. D6

25-31 Sullen Modi er −1 on all Empathy-based rolls. D6

32-35 Nightmares Make a Stability roll every shift spent sleeping. Failure means that the sleep D6
doesn’t count.

36-41 Nocturnal You can only sleep during the light part of the day. 2d6

42-43 Phobic You are terri ed by something related to what broke you. You 2d6
suffer one point of stress each round within Short range of the object of your
phobia.

44-45 Alcoholic You must drink alcohol every day, or suffer one point of stress 3d6

46-51 Claustrophobic Every stretch in a con ned environment, you suffer one point of stress 2d6

52 Mythomaniac You cannot stop yourself from lying about everything. The effect needs to be 2d6
roleplayed.

53-54 Paranoia You are certain that someone is out to get you. The effect needs to be 2d6
roleplayed.

55 Delusion You are totally convinced of something that is totally untrue, for example that 3d6
a certain color or item does not exist.

56 Hallucinations Make a Stability roll every Shift. If you fail, you suffer a powerful 3d6
hallucination. The Referee determines the details.

61-62 Altered Your personality is altered in a fundamental way. Determine how together Permanent
personality with the Referee. The effect should be roleplayed.

63 Amnesia You lose all memory, and cannot recollect who you or the other PCs are. The D6
effect should be roleplayed.

64-65 Catatonic You stare blankly into oblivion, and do not respond to any stimuli. D6

66 Heart attack Your heart stops, and you die of pure fright. -
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 Other Sources of Harm

Infection and Poison

If you su er 1 point of damage from a source that may be infected or poisoned, you must be
attended by a Medical Aid roll by someone who knows of the infection or poison.

Poisons and infections have an Intensity (A D) which cause injury. The normal type of poison (with
lethality) forces the player to make an Opposed Roll against Stamina. If they fail, they take 1 point
of damage to Hit Points until they are Incapacitated. Once incapacitated, they make another
Stamina roll against the Poison intensity and if they fail, they die. Without an antidote, they will be
forced to make another Death Save every Stretch (5 10 minutes).

Some poisons don’t kill you, they just cause Paralysis or Unconsciousness. If the opposed roll fails,
the e ect is received.

Infection operates the same way except they can make a Stamina roll every Day and if they pass,
the infection passes and the character is no longer sick. Antibiotics add a +2 to this roll.

Cold
When the cold is bitter and you don’t have adequate clothes or shelter (GM’s discretion), you must
roll for Stamina at regular intervals. The colder it is, the more frequently you need to roll. A chilly
Fall day requires a roll per day – in winter, you might have to roll once every shift or even every
stretch in extreme conditions. Extra protection, like a blanket, can give a bonus to your roll.

If you fail, you become hypothermic and su er one point of damage and one point of stress. You
also cannot heal naturally. You must keep rolling for Stamina at the same interval, su ering more
damage and stress each time you fail. If you are incapacitated while hypothermic, you die the next
time you need to roll. Only after you have warmed up, if only by a camp re, are you able to heal
again.

Starvation
You must eat a ration of food at least once every day. After a day without food, you starve. When
starving, you don’t heal damage normally. You heal stress normally. You also su er one point of
physical or mental per week. If you are broken while Starving, you die after another week without
food. As soon as you have eaten, you are no longer starving.
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 Dehydration
You must drink a ration of water every day. After a day without water, you become dehydrated.
While dehydrated you cannot heal damage in any way but may heal stress. You take 1 point of
physical or mental attribute damage every day and if you are incapacitated, you die after one more
day without water. As soon as you drink, you are no longer dehydrated.

Sleep Deprivation
You need to sleep for at least one shift each day. After one day without sleep, you cannot heal
stress. If you are Broken by stress while sleep deprived, you collapse and sleep for at least one
shift, and are unable to wake up during that time. As soon as you have slept for at least a shift, you
are no longer sleep deprived.

Drowning
Unless speci cally mentioned, all player characters can swim. In rough seas or when in water for
extended periods of time, players need to make a Mobility roll to stay a oat with failure meaning
they sink. Every turn under the water requires a Stamina roll or 1 point of damage will be incurred.
If the player character is incapacitated while in the water (due to drowning or other damage), they
will need to make an immediate Death Save every round or they drown. After a Stretch
underwater and incapacitated, the character dies. Only by being brought to shore before this time,
and a successful Medical Aid roll will permit recovery.

Fire
Fire, like poisons and explosions, is rated in Intensity A D and two base dice of the intensity are
rolled. For every success rolled by the Fire, one point of damage is taken. This happens every turn
unless the re is doused (requiring a Mobility roll opposed by the Fire Intensity). Using a blanket
gives a +1 modi er to your roll.
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 Weapons and Equipment

Weapons List

Weapon REL ROF Damage Crit Blast Range Mag Armour Weight Price
Unarmed 5 1 1 4 - - - +3 - -
Bottle 1 1 1 2 - - - +3 0.25 -
Knife 5 1 2 3 - - - +1 0.25 5
Club 5 1 2 4 - - - +2 1 1
Sword 5 1 3 4 - - - +1 1 20
Wooden Stake 5 § 3 3 - - - -1 1 10
Axe 5 1 3 3 - - - +1 1 30
Spear 5 1 3 4 - 1 - 0 2 50
Rock 5 1 1 3 - 1 - +2 0.5 -
Sling 5 1 1 3 - 2 - +2 0.5 20
Bow 5 1 1 2 - 4 1 +1 1 150
Crossbow 5 1 2 3 - 4 1 0 1 200
Pistol 5 2 1 2 - 2 15 +1 0.5 100
Ri e 5 1 3 4 - 10 5 0 1 250
Shotgun 5 1 3 4 - 2 5 +1 1 200
Assault Ri e 5 3 2 3 - 5 30 0 1 400
Machine Gun 5 6 2 3 - 6 200 0 2 1000
Heavy Machine Gun 5 4 3 4 - 15 100 0 7 2000
Antitank Weapon 5 1 6 3 C 3 1 -1 1 100
Grenade 5 1 2 3 C 3 1 0 0.25 30
Molotov cocktail 2 - - - Fire C 2 1 1 1 15
Grenade Launcher 5 1 3 3 D 5 1 0 1 250

Armour

Armour Type Location Protection Weight Price

Steel Helmet Head 1 1 25

Kevlar Helmet Head 1 0.5 100

Steel Plate Torso 2 3 300

Flak Jacket Torso 1 1 150

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Equipment

Each character can carry up to their Strength dice size in weight. For example, STR dice of B, the
dice is d10, so the dice size is 10. They can therefore carry 10 kgs of items without being
encumbered.

Remember to include Armour and Weapons in this calculation.

Item Cost Weight Details

Backpack 1 Doubles the amount you can carry (STR size * 2)

Binoculars 0.5 +1 to Recon involving sight

Camera 1 Takes and stores pictures.

Camping Equipment 6 A 2 man tent, cooking equipment

Candles 0.25 6 candles, each lasting 2 hours

Climbing Equipment 5 Rope, harness and karabiners for 1 person

Day Ration, Food 0.25 A minimum day ration of food

Day Ration, Water 2 A minimum day ration of water

First Aid Kit 0.5 Adds +1 to Medical Aid

Fishing Equipment 1 Rod, tackle for 1 person

Flashlight 0.25 Provides 4 hours of light

Fuel Can 10 Holds fuel

Gas Mask 0.5 Provides up to 8 hours of protection from gas attacks

Hunting Gear 1 Snares and wire.

Medical Bag 1 Adds +1 to Medical Aid, also has drugs, antibiotics

NBC Suit 1 Protection from chemical and nerve agents

Radio 1 Allows remote communication, range 2 km

Rope 1 100 metres of rope

Shovel 1 Easier to dig a hole

Telescope 0.25 +1 to Recon involving sight

Tools, Electrical 0.5 +1 to Tech tasks involving electrics

Tools, Generic 1 +1 to tech tasks

Encumbrance
The easiest way to deal with Encumbrance is to in ict a -1 to Mobility and then AGI for every
multiple of their STR dice size or part thereof in Kgs carried.

e.g
Carrying 30 Kgs (a common backpack) would be a -2 for someone with STR B. Carrying 50 Kgs
would be a -4. Carrying 30 Kgs would be a -4 for someone with STR D.

When AGI is reduced to below D, the PC cannot move with that weight.

Money
Occultists commonly have to pay the bills with jobs that do not re ect their occult talents. An
occultist with a bound Pneuma has some choices.

The referee may choose to allow an Occultist to start with much better resources.
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 Creating your Character

Create Characters
This system will allow the creation of human and Occultist characters through a simple two-stage
archetype system. First, create the human and then apply the Occultist archetype.

For human characters, use this table:

Rating Attribute Meaning Skill Meaning

A Extraordinary Elite
B Above Average Veteran
C Average Experienced
D Below Average Novice

First, choose your characters age as this will help to determine attributes and skills. All attributes
start at C, you may make as many increases to the attributes as listed in the table below. Plus you
can gain an extra increase by decreasing one attribute from C to D.

Age Group Attributes Skills Specialties

16 35 1 1x B, 2x C, 3x D 1
36 55 3 1x B, 2x C, 5x D 2
56+ 2 1x B, 3x C, 5x D 3

Attributes
The Attributes are:
• STR - Strength - ability to lift loads, general tness, resist harm and endure pain
• AGI - Agility - ability to move your body, a measure of speed and ne motor skills
• INT - Intelligence - a degree of perception, mental quickness and intuition
• EMP - Empathy - charisma, empathy and emotional stability

How many levels you have in Physical Attributes indicates how resistant you are to physical harm.
How many levels you have in Mental Attributes indicates how resistant you are to mental shocks.

Stability
This is a measure of the characters mental stability

Unless detailed elsewhere, Stability starts at D. Characters may improve this at the start of the
game by exchanging a rank with a main Attribute, allowing them to start at C.
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 Any time a character is surprised, at the start of any combat or if they experience something that
would shake them to their core, they make a Stability roll. This roll may not be Pushed.

Failure means they have succumbed to their panic or anxiety and their actions may be curtailed.

Success means they have pushed through their natural reaction and are able to act normally.

Skills
The Skills are:

Close Combat - the ability to ght with sts, knives, swords, clubs, and spears. Each extra success
on the roll can increase damage.

Force - the ability to apply strength e ectively, used for lifting and carrying.

Stamina - increased tness and resistance to harm. Used to resist poisons and infections and also
survive critical injuries and resist death.

Driving - use to operate vehicles - from motorcycles to planes. Some specialties my be needed to
operate particularly complex vehicles.

Mobility - used to jump, climb, run or throw. A measure of how skilled you are at using your body
to move in terms of speed or precision of movement.

Ranged Combat - used to shoot pistols, bows and ri es. Specialties give extra bonuses for using
the speci c type of weapon. Each extra success can cause extra damage.

Recon - used for perception, sneaking, and avoiding detection by other means. It's usually an
Opposed roll against your enemy's Recon, most Successes wins the match.

Survival - knowing how to nd shelter, food and clean water. Also, how to trap game, follow a
track of an animal and knowing which parts to eat and which to avoid.

Tech - a measure of the scienti c and technical mind. Used for repairing items, jury rigging a x,
scavenging useful parts and building new things from scratch.

Command - a measure of leadership and force of personality. A good leader is able to convince
others to follow where they don't want to go.

Medical Aid - the ability to apply aid to a wounded comrade (or even yourself ). Useful to save
lives, help other back on their feet, apply appropriate treatments.

Persuade - used to reach your goals without violence or intimidation. Can improve a bargaining
position, help for a better deal or tell a lie.
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 Specialties
Specialties are extra bonuses or access to restricted knowledge which is much more specialised
than the main skills. For the most part, Specialties provide a +1 modi er to the dice roll (turning a
C, into a B, for instance). A player may opt to have their speciality as an Enhancement instead.
They forego the bonus during the roll in order to get an extra Success. The original roll still needs
to succeed.

For example: Leda has Agility A (d12) and Movement B (d10) also has the Pitcher specialty. She
foregoes the +1 (which would have meant turning his d10 into a d12) and chooses an Enhancement
instead. She rolls to throw a stone at a guard.. Two successes! A stone does 1 damage but Crits on a
3. She spends her 1 extra success and adds her +1 Enhancement from the Pitcher speciality to get a
Critical on the guard.

Skill Specialty Bene t

Close Combat Brawler +1 to Unarmed attacks, or using improvised weapons (bottle, rock)

Melee +1 to Melee attacks using weapons in Close Combat

Killer You know where to strike to make your enemy fall and not get up. Ever. When your enemy
sustains a critical injury you may roll twice and choose the result you want.

Martial Artist Choose one of the following

• the PC may choose the critical check threshold reduction from 4 to 3
• the PC may choose to apply 1 hex knockback for any attack which achieves a critical
rather than a critical roll (with threshold 4)
• The PC may choose to knock the opponent to the ground.

Force Mule +1 to carrying items for long periods

Brute +1 to using strength to crush or hurt an opponent while grappling

Breaker +1 to breaking things whether that's doors or objects

Stamina Builder +1 to all rolls involving building or repairing a structure

Mule Increases your encumbrance limit by 50% and doubles backpack allowance

Ranger +1 resistance to physical exertion/environmental hazards; cold, thirst, or hypothermia.

Resistance +1 resistance to interrogation, Psy Ops, torture or intimidation.

Driving Biker +1 to driving all bicycles and motorbikes. Includes basic maintenance and the ability to
ride with no hands or perform wheelies!

Helm get a +1 to Driving rolls including motorboats and sailboats. You cannot drive a vessel
under sail without this. Includes knowledge of knots, protocols and maintenance.

Pilot get a +1 to Driving rolls involving xed wing and rotary wing aircraft. You cannot drive
xed wing or rotary wing aircraft without this speciality.

Driver +1 to driving all wheeled vehicles except motorcycles. With this specialty, simple
manoeuvres such as hand-brake turns or donuts do not require a roll.

Mobility Diver +1 Mobility when swimming or in the water. This includes the use of SCUBA gear. PCs
without the speciality cannot operate SCUBA equipment.

Mountaineer +1 to Mobility when climbing, rappelling, and tying knots. Some more sophisticated knots
and equipment may be unavailable to use without this speciality
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 Skill Specialty Bene t

Pitcher +1 to Mobility for throwing, from knives to spears to grenades.

Rider provides a +1 to Mobility rolls for riding horses and negates the penalty for shooting from
horseback.

Runner +1 to Mobility checks for Running. While running, the Speciality also allows the automatic
success of a single check for Stamina,

Ranged Combat Archer +1 to Ranged Combat for using bows and crossbows. Includes knowledge of stringing and
etching.

Reloader +1 to Ranged Combat checks when trying to reload rearms as a Fast Action

Ri eman +! to Ranged Combat for ri es, assault ri es, sub machine guns and shotguns. This
includes cleaning and maintenance.

Sidearms +1 to Ranged Combat for revolvers and automatic pistols.

Sniper +1 to Ranged Combat for ring sniper ri es and hunting ri es. Includes the care and xing
of long scopes.

Recon Awareness Can always roll Stability twice for initiative.

Historian When arriving at a new location, the Referee should tell you if something signi cant
happened here in the past.

In ltrator +1 to Recon rolls when trying to remain undetected. Provides an additional -1 to enemy
Recon rolls if the PC is in place, well camou aged and does not move.

Intelligence Roll Recon when you spot enemy troops, Success indicating a good handle on numbers,
ghting strength and origin.

Investigator Roll Recon when you spend a Stretch investigating a scene. Each success should result in a
clue from the Referee until no more clues remain.

Scout +1 for Recon when trying to spot others and avoid ambushes. A spare Success may also be
used to perform a free Fast Action in the event of an ambush.

Survival Cook Provides an additional ration of food when applied to the results of hunting, shing,
foraging or trading.

Farmer +1 to rolls for Farming. Provides the knowledge of when to plant and what to plant.

Forager +1 for Foraging rolls - involving nuts, fruit, fungi and other naturally found foods

Navigator +1 for Navigation in the wild without maps or compass. +2 if you have a map/compass.

Hunter +1 for Hunting rolls which includes tracking and laying snares.

Scrounger +1 to rolls involving nding scraps to scrounge. Each Success increases quantity or rarity
of the items.

Tech Blacksmith +1 to Tech rolls for metalwork including casting, forging, smelting and metals recovery
from scrap. Doubles metal output when applied to results of Scrounging or Trading

Chemist +1 for working with chemicals, including identifying them or synthesising them (for
example, alcohol from grain)

Combat Engineer +1 to Tech for building bridges or walls for defensive purposes. Also helps when
demolishing them.

Communications this provides a +1 for Tech rolls and provides knowledge of signal boosting and morse
code or encryption equipment. Without this speciality, sophisticated encryption
technolo y cannot be used.

Computers this provides +1 when making Tech rolls involving computers. This does not include the
ability to programme computers in any meaningful way
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 Skill Specialty Bene t

Electrician this provides +1 when making Tech rolls with electrical systems. This includes the
knowledge of AC and DC systems and the dangers.

Gunsmith this provides +1 to tech rolls when building or repairing guns and ammunition. This
includes the knowledge of loads and payloads.

Improvised Provides +1 to tech when constructing improvised weaponry and explosives. This includes
Munitions the safe handling of gunpowder or fuses and explosives.

Locksmith this provides a +1 to Tech rolls for opening locks and safes. Only PCs with this specialty
can even attempt to open a safe.

Mechanic This provides +1 to Tech rolls when repairing mechanical systems. This includes the
knowledge to notice when things are wrong (adding to Recon).

Scientist this provides the PC with a general smattering of almost every science. If the PC chooses a
speci c science, they get +2 rather than the normal +1.

Command Intimidate +1 to using coercion and threats to get what you want.

Leader +1 to inspire others to follow you or understand what motivates people. Provides a +1 to a
CUF roll if using Unit Morale.

Tactician On a success, the Referee must tell you the most likely tactic of a known enemy force. The
intelligence must be accurate but can change with justi cation.

Medical Aid Combat Medic +1 when assisting someone who is incapacitated. This does not help with Critical Injuries
but can contribute to death saves.

Counselor +1 when trying to assist another with mental health di culties and stress.

Field Surgeon +1 to Medical Aid when treating Critical Injuries.

General +1 to Medical Aid when treating disease or poison. Includes the ability to safely identity
Practitioner and prescribe drugs.

Veterinarian +1 when dealing with the medical issues of animals.

Persuasion Linguist Adds one language at Fluency. Other languages can be added as Specialties at half-cost.

Musician Able to play a single instrument comprehensively. Future instruments can be added as
Specialties at half-cost.

Interrogator +1 to convince someone to tell you secrets.

Pro ler On a success, the Referee must tell you what the targets most likely move will be. Each
additional success gives an extra d6 for attempts to Persuade or Intimidate.

Psy Ops +1 to Persuade when trying to lie or gaslight others. On a Failed roll, the disposition of the
target turns for the worse. On a Failed Push, they may become violent.

Teacher +1 when teaching or training others. Also reduces the cost of learning Specialties by 1
point for the student.

Trader +1 to Persuade when buying or selling. Extra Successes can reduce the buy cost by 20% or
increase the sale cost by 20%

Unaligned Occultist 1 and 2 Can be used with INT but often rolled by itself, provides knowledge of occult things. This
specialty can be taken twice.

Hardened You don’t take any stress from seeing another person hurt or killed.

Ultimate Sacri ce You can sacri ce points of health or stress to get extra d6s on a roll, like Ammo dice.

Focused Once per session you can choose to ignore any penalties due to stress, distraction (noise,
light, explosions). With no distractions you get a +1 on your chosen activity.

Indomitable If reduced to 0 in an attribute, you can immediately take 1 stress point and gain 1 physical
attribute back.
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In Magic,
the truth is
revealed.
A brief history of Magic
The beginning of time
In those days giants walked the earth and fought with the gods. Secrets were passed from the gods to man
through Thoth, Prometheus and Hermes Trismegistus - Secrets of fire, science and magic.

350 BC
Plato describes Atlantis. It symbolises the origin of all knowledge. Believed to be a myth, certain mystics
claim it is a cipher for the location of the biblical Eden. It has become apparent that there is a link between the
ancient gods, Atlantis, Eden and the biblical Flood that rid the earth of evil.

30 AD
Jesus of Nazareth, member of the Essene cult, is arrested and executed. Though he was crucified by Roman
hands it was the desire of his enemies, the Hebrew sorcerers, that he die as a criminal. His chief disciple, Peter,
defeats the sorcerer Simon Magus in a magical duel and moves the cult of Christ into secrecy to avoid further
persecution.

685 AD
Khalid ibn Yazid, an arab prince, refuses his crown and leaves his court in order to pursue his studies. He is
taught by Morienus, a sorcerer and alchemist, but his subsequent actions, purging his lands of other sects, have
tainted his tradition so that they are no longer known as holders of a secret wisdom but regarded as butchers.

930 AD
Sabbatai Donnolo unearths the hidden Sefir Yetsira or Book of Creation, a major work of theology and also of
magic and miracles. It is prolific during the Middle Ages but later passes almost into the realm of myth.
Whether or not the work is authentic, passages from it survive and describe the magic used to create the earth.

1224 AD
A covenant is drawn up between two cults to ensure mutual protection til the end of the millennium. In their
desire to consolidate their agreement they alienate many of the other cults extant at this time. Fortunately for
them, most of these other cults are destroyed by the fires of the Inquisition but some survive and remember the
betrayal.

1314 AD
Established in 1118 AD, the Knights Templar are destroyed on account of possessing too much political and
economic power. The charges brought upon them, however, were idolatry and sedition.

1520 AD
In his key work De Occulta, Agrippa lays down his Unity of Traditions, a desire to unite all religion. His
intention was that his magical brethren should unite under one purpose. His attempt fails but his works were
widely distributed and have become one of the main inspirations on magical thought.

1785 AD
Claude Louis, Count of Saint-Germain reappears to his pupil Etteila. Though his claim that he is 325 years old
is disputed, he surfaces several times in the next eighty years. The last time he is seen is in 1875.
1850 AD
Eliphas Levi alleges Vintras and his Institute of Pity are an "absurd, anarchic sect". This may have been true
but it also has the effect of endearing Vintras to Levi's enemies. The depravity of the time also drew attention
back to occult philosophy. This was received with mixed blessings among the Masters.

1900 AD
Crowley expelled from the Golden Dawn for 'extreme practices'. He, and some of his more loyal acolytes, form
the Order of the Silver Star.

NOW
The Covenant is ending. An ancient alliance is ending. The future and untold riches await those with
knowledge and power enough to take it.
De Occulta Mysteria
This game is about occultists - people who have recovered magic for their own use.

The Occultist Archetype

An occultist should have an INT of at least B.
They will gain one level in the Occult specialty for free adding to any level they have previously
taken (to a maximum of 2).
The occultist will gain a Grimoire with the spells: Sigil, Circle, Summoning, Binding. Players who
have taken Occult but without the Occultist archetype do not receive a Grimoire.

Casting Rolls
Casting rolls start at 0 dice so the Occult specialty increases it to d6 or d8. This roll must result in 1
success or the casting fails. The roll may be augmented by anyone with the Occult specialty.

The Occult Specialty

This specialty is added to the roll for learning or casting spells.

The Grimoire
Every Occultist will have a grimoire where they record their discoveries. Within the grimoire are
the spells listed below. The procedures for making Sigil and Circle, the Summoning and Binding.
Occultists may also inscribe any Rotes they nd.

Grimoires are often made of expensive leather and high grade paper but other formats are
possible, including tablets/digital.

Sigil
The creation of a sigil on an object which will repel certain entities. This object cannot be
approached by the entities described within the sigil. The sigil must be written during the ritual
but it can be with any material - from inlaid gold to whipped cream. Every magical operation is one
level more di cult while in the presence of the Sigil. The Sigil may be placed and may even be
thrown. Each Sigil is created by a Casting roll with the Successes re ecting the strength of the Sigil.

The Sigil is a curious symbol that appears like a leaf with ve lobes. The proportions of the lobes
are important and even human eyes will be drawn to the symbol. It is possible to restrict humans
from approaching the sigil (if they are described within the sigil during creation) - each attempt to
approach will cost the target 1 stress per turn.
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 Circle
The inscribing of a Circle is similar to the creation of a Sigil. Circles are designed speci cally to
enclose and contain magical operations. Commonly an occultist will inscribe a circle for their own
protection and perhaps another for the containment of something they may summon. A Casting
roll determines the strength of the Circle, each success providing resistance for the Pneuma
attempting to leave or enter (requiring a Might roll).

Summoning
The method of calling a Pneuma to do your bidding. The Pneuma (πνεῦµα) will perform one action
but then is free to leave or act against the caster - the most common action is to demand a Binding
and the Pneuma is unable to refuse.

A summoning can be attempted at any time and takes a Stretch to perform. Success can be
increased by adding additional Stretches to the performance time. For each Stretch, this adds +1 to
the casting roll.

There is no sure method of knowing which Pneuma is being called though some have names
through previously having been bound.

Binding
The method of binding a Pneuma to your service. This is a battle of "wills" between the occultist
and the Pneuma. The Occultist bids their preferred attribute (plus the Occultist specialty) against
the Might of the Pneuma. To win, the Occultist must collect a number of successes equal to the
Might score of the Pneuma. However, each success scored by the Pneuma is taken as Damage
(a ecting Physical attributes) or Stress (a ecting Mental attributes). If the Occultist wins, the
Pneuma accepts the Binding. If the Occultist is incapacitated, the Pneuma can escape or begin a
Possession. The Binding takes 1 turn per roll and the occultist is unable to perform any other
actions. If they are disturbed, they lose that current roll (and the Pneuma wins).

In this method, the Pneuma is given a name which becomes part of it's prison. As it is named, it is
described and therefore contained.

For example, the weakest Pneuma would have a Might of d6. The Occultist must collect 6
successes in their Binding before the Pneuma has managed to drain their resolve. An occultist who
already has a Pneuma bound, receives a penalty to their rolls. They lose one level for each Pneuma
already bound.

The Binding also contains the instructions for Unbinding.

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Portent
An accomplished occultist can read the signs of the times and speak the language of the birds.
They will understand the importance of a ring around or blood on the moon, the breeze that
knocks over a broom, the curdling of milk and the patterns in the murmurations of birds. Many
occultists will not pay attention to Portents, believing them to be part of a folk wisdom and
beneath the consideration of serious occultists.

The occultist may not notice the event (make secret Recon rolls for the players, modi ed for
Occultist) but if they do, they will immediately recognise the signi cance. It may not be signi cant.

The following are some examples but the Referee should look up omens from di erent cultures.
These are useful ways to impart knowledge to your players.

Murmurations - the patterns of the ight of birds at sunset can tell the seasoned occultist of
changes in the local environment. This can be the weather, the movement of people.

Blood on the moon - a red moon may mean there's an immediate calamity about to happen.

Ring on the moon - trouble is coming if the occultist does not change their current path.

Broomfell - a breeze strong enough to slam a door, knock over a broom or break a branch may be
evidence that company is coming.

Curdling of the milk - when milk curdles too soon or a candle ame burns blue, it implies the
proximity of a malign presence.

Ringing in the ears - predicts the death of someone in earshot.

Hunter becomes the hunted - predicting a change in society or culture, a herbivore killing a
carnivore (like an ass killing a lion).

Ravenslook - ravens have an association with magic and when they land, their beaks often point
to other magic.
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Rotes
Rotes are spells that can be cast by anyone. They don't provide any understanding of the occult or
magic but by intoning it, the spell will activate. Upon the completion of the spell, the Rote itself
decays to nothingness, the ink (or other writing material) evaporating.

Occultists will never activate a Rote in their Grimoire, but will instead copy it to other material -
paper and ink works ne but it would be folly to use a Rote from a laptop unless you wanted to
lose all of the data on the drive. Each inscription takes 1 Shift to write and requires a Successful
Occult roll. Rotes are dangerous because of their portability and are often disguised using codes
and symbolo y. What appears as a Rote to provide a blessing or good luck may actually be a curse.

A Rote commonly can be intoned in a single turn. In theory, any Rote can be embodied in a item
and the writing will appear on the surface.

The Curse of Khalid ibn Yazid

This spell summons an ancient Pneuma (Might d20) that was bound in Legendary times to in ict
harm on an opponent. The caster must visualise the harm to be done and the Pneuma will attempt
to do it. This Pneuma has a name, Marwan, but no longer has a concept of self. This Pneuma
cannot be freed without it causing a lot of harm. This curse is written in Arabic and cannot be
intoned without uency in that language. Marwan is the pneuma/spirit of someone who o ended
Khalid ibn Yazid during his life. He was enslaved within the Rote as a Pneuma of Might d8. It will
continue assaults until the caster utters a speci c word (yunhi).

The Banishment of Iulia

This rote requires a physical component (liquid, dust, smoke) which must be spread or splashed
(but could also be drunk or inhaled) while intoning the spell. The target feels the immediate need
to leave the area (town, village, county).

The Love Spell

This Rote requires the knowledge of the true name of two (or more) people. They will feel a
compulsion to meet (even if they have never met). If they have not met by the next midnight or
noon, the Rote fades. Once they have met, the Rote is complete. If the Rote is supplemented by
other sympathetic magic (blood, hair, nail clippings), then the force of attraction is ampli ed and
requires the targets make an unassisted EMP roll to resist. They will stay in each others company,
not letting the other out of their sight until the EMP roll is successful.

The Protection of John Dee

An apocryphal Rote written by a rival of Dee which provides no protection at all.
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 The Laughter of Nephelokokkygia
This Rote is copied often and disguised within Grimoires as, upon intoning, it sends the caster and
anyone within audible range, to sleep for 12 hours. It is blocked by earplugs. It refers to the
ctional city in Aristophanes' play Birds.

The Essene Rite

This is the rite which brought back Lazarus and resurrect Jesus of Nazareth from his tomb. It takes
the body of a deceased person and summons life back into it. Any decomposition will remain and
can be healed (in theory). The spell does not remove the cause of death (wounds do not heal,
cancer is not cured) but for the time being, they are alive again. The spell also won't heal any
putrefaction processed (They're still rotting). The Referee deducts 1 level from EMP, due to feeling
the pull of death. If they had any long term injuries from Criticals, they retain that handicap.
Unless other measures have been taken, they will lose 1 level from an Attribute every week until
one of them reaches 0, at which point they will be incapacitated again. Measures can be healing,
embalming or other attention.

Di Te Perdant (Exorcism)
This Rote is favoured by occultists and has been possessed by the Church for centuries. It requires
a circle of salt and the subject is placed within. The Rote can force a Pneuma out of a body much
like the reverse of a Binding. It can also be used to force the native soul out of its own body (using
EMP rather than Might). If forced out, the essence of the person becomes a Pneuma (which may
require a roll on the Trauma table) and can be subjected to Binding as it cannot leave the circle.
This is an e ective way to place a compliant Bound Pneuma into a human body (by forcing out the
existing occupant).

Kitab al-Tajmi (The Takwin Rote) of Jabir ibn Ha an

The Takwin Rote is most often found encoded with symbols which, if not decoded correctly, will
produce nothing but stinking failure. It creates a homunculus - a replica of a human being in
diminutive form. The physical component of the spell is a humanoid doll made from organic
matter (horse manure was historically used, bound with milk and blood) which has to incubate at
a warm temperature (around 37ºC) for a month. The resulting homunculus must be fed with blood
or milk every day. Due to the diminutive size and reduced intellect, it is not very useful but can be
trained to steal or drop items.
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Relics
Magic can be placed into objects. Relics represent much older magic and what few that are known
are a fraction of what would have been in the world.

The Hand of Glory

This is the dried and pickled hand of a man hanged for murder, saturated with the tallow of the
same corpse, making each nger (and thumb) into a crude candle using the hair of the murderer
as the wick. Each candle, when lit, forces anyone within its light motionless.

The Shem
This is a piece of dry, wrinkled leather which, when placed under the tongue of a corpse, returns it
to life. If the returned corpse attempts to speak, it will dislodge the Shem and they will return to
being a lifeless corpse.

The Green Pauldron

A curved piece of a silver metal with a greenish hue. This metal is entirely impenetrable by normal
weaponry, nor can it be shaped by normal smithing techniques.

The Belt of Peter Stumpp

This belt is made from leather on side side, with a light haired covering on the reverse. When the
haired side is worn on the outside, the wearer is transformed into a wolf over a Stretch in a painful
process. If the belt is removed or turned around, the transformation reverses.

Tyet (the Knot of Isis)

An apocryphal relic representing a short piece of twine which, when tied to itself cannot be untied
except by the person who tied it. The twine is, to all intents, indestructible. This also exists as a
Rote which may be performed on any rope. Much desired by Lycanthropes.

The Veil of Solomon

Again apocryphal but this piece of gossamer cloth, when held over the eyes, permits the wearer to
perceive the movements of ghosts, spectres and pneuma.
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 The Lefay Fragment
This sheaf of papers includes the instructions for multiple Rotes. The ability to speak to animals
and plants. The instructions for the creation of magical rings. However all of the instructions are
incomplete.

Alastors Soup
This is a spoon made of bone - from a slightly enlarged shoulder blade from a humanoid. Carved
into the surface contains the instructions for making soup. The recipe making the soup, if followed
meticulously, and using the spoon creates Alastors Soup. This soup, when imbibed, has a bitter
aftertaste and sends the individual into a series of unsettling hallucinations where they are
subjected to the myriad views of Maleperdys and other Fay realms.

The Red Stone

This red stone grew to prominence in the region of Ghaiman, in southern Arabia, but by the
Middle Ages the stone had allegedly been taken to Germany where it caused havoc due to the
disappearance of a large group of children from the town of Hamelin in Lower Saxony. Theories
about the stone include that it creates a portal of some kind or that it permits whomever wields it
the power of suggestion over crowds.

Etteila's Flask of All Knowledge

This legendary artefact comes allegedly from the Comte de Saint-Germain, the notorious alchemist
and alleged immortal. The ash is made of delicate ceramics and seems quite plain. Anyone who
drinks from it is immediately possessed by the spirit of Saint-Germain, who will provide the use of
multiple languages, the ability to play several instruments and a precocious knowledge of science
and medicine as be tting a man of the late 1800s. Saint-Germain will permit the drinker to have
these bene ts during their waking hours but during sleep, will take control and spend the nights
carousing until the body collapses from exhaustion.
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 Locations
The Black Museum
Originally founded in London, the Black Museum moved to Birmingham in the mid-1800s, under
the careful watch of Birmingham City Police. In 1967, the museum moved back to London (to the
basement of the Curtis Green Building) and was renamed the Crime Museum. However, all of the
occult artefacts were removed. Missing artefacts include the From Hell letter (penned by Jack the
Ripper), the remains of Bella from the Wych Elm, the poisoners kit of Thomas Neill Cream and the
pistol belonging to Inspector Percy Neame, founder of the Black Museum, who used it to take his
own life while o cers of New Scotland Yard tried to break into his home.

Omphalos
A magical lodestone, described as depicting the centre of the world (or relating the most important
place). An occultist who concentrates on this stone by laying hands upon it, can issue a psychic call
to a subject who will be inexorably drawn to the stone. Over the next week, they will attempt to
travel there - by air, sea or land, even resorting to crawling. The stone weighs a few tons and
therefore is di cult to move. Current location is on the island of Gozo.

Maleperdys
A labyrinthine mansion of corridors and secret chambers occupied by dreamers and nightmarish
characters including a murderous taxidermist named Lampernisse. It's not clear whether this is a
real place but some occultists claim to have spoken to the Fay who attest it's reality. Maleperdys
can be found, it is said, on the other side of the door you didn't take.

Y'a-nthlea
The mythical location of a race of half-human, half- sh people who hold occult wisdom. Again
testi ed by occultists and Fay, but only accessible by magic so the truth is di cult to verify.

Behiston
An inscription by Darius the Great de nes his lineage and area of in uence as well as de ning
regions where it claims spirits (Pneuma) may not enter. While it has been proven that Occultists
can summon and bind within the con nes of the region, the place holds a mythical signi cance.
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Cults
Occultists with 1 level of Occult would have knowledge of the existence of these cults - but the
detail below would require level 2.

The Temple
The Grand and Secret Temple of the Ancient Path through the Absolute Outside has its
origin in the heart of the seventeenth century though they claim a much older lineage. They do
have a written history that reaches back through history to the tenth century and claim to be the
holders of a great legacy. Occultists within the Temple seldom place Pneuma within objects and
the Temple as a whole has a great avarice for Rotes and Relics. Both are guarded jealously.
Members of the Temple tend towards expensive suits in public and add ostentatious robes on top
of them in private. They have a rigorous ranking system which plays more to favourites than merit.
More than one Magister could be easily outclassed by a Journeyman.

The Wise
The Cult of the Wise are a relatively young lineage. Though they can trace an ancestry that
reaches almost into prehistory it is doubtful whether or not an ounce of truth lies in their .
Because they were not included in the Covenant so many years ago, other traditions deny them
the historical respect that the rest enjoy. The Wise use Pneuma sparingly but with great e ect.
They have some Rotes passed through their Book of Shadows but do not tend to have Relics of
note. The organisation is very at, with each leader of a coven being held in mostly equal regard.

The Cult of Blood

The Cult of Blood or the Vampire Cult are the vampires. Most of them have degenerated into a
fashionable society mingled with goth poseurs and unstable satanist types who are attracted to
either the sadomasochistic rituals or the haemoerotic feeding that has become common. There are
real vampires in the cult but they are unlikely to be the pale anorexic consumptive that the media
expects. They are a sombre race, set apart from humanity by their diet, their aversion to light and
their longevity. They are to be feared because they can learn how to summon and bind Pneuma in
addition to their particular Dark Gifts.

Tas'Sikkinna
The Tas'Sikkinna / Sicarii (people of the knife) are a sect of occultists who use and revere Pneuma
(who they refer to as Jinn). The knives are said to be e ective against humans, vampirs, Fay and
even ghosts and pneuma. They are active in the Northern African region, reaching across the
Mediterranean. Their Binding rite is easier than other traditions, but an individual Sikkina will
never bind more than one Pneuma at any time.
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 Pneuma
The Pneuma is known by many names; prana, qi. It represents a discrete intelligence and volition
which is both material and non-material. Pneuma are constructed of matter. The matter that forms
their bodies is not immutable and often depends on where they are. Often a pneuma will clothe
itself in more visible matter or more tangible material in order to better interact with the world.

Pneuma are usually invisible but if moving in a smoky atmosphere they can be seen by the whorls
and eddies they create when they move - which is why occultists tend to burn smoky incense. As
they can be touched, though it be light as a feather, it indicates that they have form and substance.
A pneuma can commit violence, even in this insubstantial form though they may be indirect with
their manipulation. They're more likely to cause someone to trip or blind a car driver at a pivotal
moment than attempt to assault someone directly.

Pneuma can communicate if they are bound into a body. They are limited by the body however - a
pneuma bound into the body of a dog will never have human speech. Binding a pneuma into the
body of a human is fraught with other issues.

Pneuma can pierce materials. Perhaps on the most base level they interleave their bodily atoms
with the obstacle. Most will prefer to go around walls and through doors. Some may be able to take
the aspect of liquids or gases and pass through tiny cracks in walls and doors. They move as fast as
the wind.

What may not be apparent to many is that Pneuma are sometimes the remnants of people. In
Hebrew mytholo y they may be known as Dybbuk, in Arabic mytholo y as Jinn. They may be
directly related to some types of celtic Slúagh (the Sidsat) but are not of the Fay. They may be
described as the spirits or souls of people, and in some cases this is correct. Through magic, a soul
may be uncoupled from its body or even replaced with another spirit.

In game terms, Pneuma have a single trait, Might. As they are creatures of pure thought, their
Might re ects their force of will, the embodiment of their volition. If bound into a body, they gain
the physical characteristics of that body. Outside of the body, if they try and move things, they use
Might. When attacking, they use Might. Pneuma cannot be harmed except by metal (traditional
iron) weapons, which may hurt them or incapacitate them. In this way they are similar to the Fay.
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The De Occulta Testament
Within De Occulta, the assumption is that players are all portraying occultists (though this is not
always the case). Players can be pneuma-binding sorcerers or they can be the followers of those
who meddle with magic. They can even be Vampirs or Lycanthropes. They could be the results of
the Essene Rite, or even a mortal who possesses a magical artefact.

The Referee should organise a "Session Zero", a preparatory session designed to help the players
discuss their character ideas as well as their desires and possible outcomes. The Referee should
also introduce the idea of "Lines and Veils"; these are areas where the players can express their
discomfort with certain concepts and have them dealt with within the con nes of the presentation.
For example, in classic horror movies (from which we draw much inspiration), murders were often
committed o screen, behind curtains or only represented in shadow. This is the veil - we know it
happens, we just don't need to see it. Similarly there may be lines that the players do not want to
cross. In Frankenstein, the creature kills a small child, but this may be a line the players don't want
to cross in this Testament.

Players should also be instructed in the use of the X Card. This is a card or even hand symbol (but
can equally be a text message or other indicator) sent to the Referee which indicates the player is
not happy with the current trend in the storyline. This should be due to the content or direction of
the game and not just because the player isn't getting their way or hasn't 'rolled' well that session.
Even so, the Referee should take it seriously and call a break if they receive an X Card so they can
see what the issue is separate from the main game.

To start the game, properly, the players should describe their characters to the other players,
revealing what they want the others to know and also indicating what is to remain secret as player
knowledge but not character knowledge. A player may know that another player has a Vampir
character, but their character (an occultist) may be unaware. This separation of knowledge is a
core skill in roleplaying.

Once the players have described their characters it is up to them and the Referee to describe how
the game starts. It's better to assume they know each other and start "in media res" rather than
painfully having to explore each detail of the relationships. Details of history and experiences can
be explored retroactively.
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Things that go bump in the night
Some of the others out there in the world are known to Occultists.

Vampirs
Occultists are painfully aware of Vampirs as they can also become occultists. They will attempt to
bargain with Vampirs because their physical and supernatural gifts are extremely useful. Occultists
would be also aware of Vampir manoeuvring to control more of the daylight world.

Lycanthropes
Occultists work well with Lycanthropes who are in control. The excesses of the Weres make them
very unpredictable and draw a lot of attention - exactly what occultists wish to avoid. Lycanthropes
seek out Occultists for help often.

Fay
Fay magic is believed to be the ultimate source of Rotes so Occultists are wary of the Fay. They
represent a path to the unseen that can only be reached through madness. It's allegedly possible to
use Summon and Bind on the Fay, but this historically has ended poorly for the Occultist.

Revenants
Occultists are accepting of Revenants - indeed some possessing Rotes which can create them
bringing life back into dead esh. They can also be created by Binding a Pneuma into a corpse.
Revenants raised by Science are valued greatly.

Shapeshifters
The ability to change a human into an animal is a lost Rote, residing only in rare relics. As a result,
Occultists may have a fascination with shapeshifters - those who can assume the form of an animal
as a 'natural' ability.
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Media to be consumed
It would be a good idea to consume as much relevant media as possible, so here are our
recommendations

Books
Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell and The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susannah Clarke
Practical Magic series by Alice Ho man
Requiem and Dark Sister by Graham Joyce

Movies

Lord of Illusions
A detective gets caught up in an apocalyptic plot with magicians.

Practical Magic
Two witches combat a demonic presence in this light hearted romantic comedy.

The Craft
Teenage girls bring calamity upon themselves when they form a coven.

The Love Witch

A throwback to old horror movies, this romantic horror/comedy features a witch.

The Devil Rides Out

An evil cult of sacri ce nd a worthy foe in the mysterious Dec de .

The Witch
Religious zealotry and magic coincide in this creepy horror tale.

Suspiria
Witchcraft at a prestigious dance academy.

Television

Motherland: Fort Salem

Witches recruited into the military to defend the USA.
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 Year ero Engine Free Tabletop License (v 1.00)
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Character Description Stability

STR AGI INT EMP

Close Combat Driving Recon Command

Force Mobility Survival Medical Aid

Stamina Ranged Combat Tech Persuade

Specialties

- Occult
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-
-
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Grimoire Rotes Relics

Sigil
Circle
Summoning
Bind

Pneumas
Name Name Name
Might Might Might
 Other Games by us...

Ex Sanguine is a sister game to De Occulta, forming another part of the Dark Urban
Fantasy Universe we are building. The Referee can run a Vampir campaign or a
Hunter campaign - exploring the Vampir Cult and the Dark Gifts available to the
oldest Vampirs. Explore the experiences of Vampirs in the modern day.
Each game is compatible and uses the YZE as found in Twilight 2000 or Blade
Runner.

Silver Haired Sentinels: Roleplaying in the Retirement Age is a rules-light TTRPG

about retired superheroes. Using a supersample d6 pool resolution system, loaded
with samples of play and detailing powers resized for heroes past their prime, it
focuses on the narrative while still allowing for epic ghts and opportunities for the
hero to give their last, best measure in the ght against injustice and overreach by
active and retired supervillains and overzealous elderly residential care
professionals. With original human-sourced art by Tichimidi and Andressa Fernanda.

Two genre-bending tangents for Twilight:2000. The rst, bringing ZOMBI to the war
torn theatre of operations, introduces the players to fast and slow zombies and the
fungal bio weapon which caused it all and accelerated the collapse. The second,
bringing the paranoid world of The 23rd Letter as military combatants in the third
world war, allows players to be fragile psychics in a world that cannot tolerate
weakness. The book includes rules for zombies (new critical and attack tables) as
well as for psychic powers (telepathy, mind control, telekinesis, re starting, healing
and psychometry). Works with the YEAR ZERO ENGINE

Now available through the Free League Workshop, four mysteries for Twilight: 2000
referees who want something mysterious in their game. Ready to slot into an
existing campaign or you can use the places (and maps) provided.
This expands the environment of post-apocalyptic Europe from military missions
and bleak survival to mystery, conspiracy and mythology. From the fertility gods of
old, to a modern curse, from a lost child to revenge beyond the grave. In the lonely
forests, there are things that move unbidden and mysteries that should remain
mysteries. Scenarios and encounters can be used for any modern day mystery
game. Designed for use with the YEAR ZERO ENGINE.

Nor Gloom of Night is a post-apocalyptic setting of hope made for your favourite
modern RPG. Become a horse-riding agent of the Reformation States twenty years
after the fall of the United States of America. The dangers out there are many; from
self-proclaimed warlords to diseases long thought eradicated by modern medicine,
from the people themselves to the harsh winters of the North West of North
America.
You, and your compatriots, as Greycaps, are the line drawn between the rebirth of
civilisation and the fall into a dark age. It’s up to you to uphold the ideals of the past
and propel us into the future.

Zombi is a roleplaying game set in the world of the Zombi. The Dead walk the lands,
killing and eating the living. Society has fallen and the only thing left now is to break
out, nd an island somewhere, live a little…before then end. But there must be more
than just static and deserted cities out there? Sometimes you hear the radio talk for
a while, sometimes you see lights in the sky and they remind you that even as the
streets are haunted with shambling, rotting monsters, humanity is out there waiting
for a chance to reclaim everything.

Testament & Creed is a description of the last days of Earth. The game begins with
the world ending. It doesn’t end in a day but rather over a period of time. Devils and
angels walk the Earth picking out the last of the virtuous and the damned and
helping or hindering where they can. People will not see winged beings plucking
people from the street but they will notice people going missing and the world being
seemingly populated by strangers.
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