Grim Noir - Core Book - MQ0KIx

A GUMSHOE film noir RPG
Julius Kuutti
GRIM NOIR
A GUMSHOE detective roleplaying game
GRIM NOIR RPG
Designed and written by Julius Kuutti.
Illustrated by Julius Kuutti and Oskari Wäänänen.
Published in 2021 by Northern Realms Publishing.

Read more: www.northernrealms.net
Copyright © 2020 Northern Realms.
Text copyright © 2020 Julius Kuutti.
Some artwork Copyright ©2013, ©2015, ©2017 Steve Miller. Used Under License.
Some artwork Copyright ©2014 NULEOW Games. Used Under License.
Some artwork by Bradley K McDevitt. Used Under License.
Some artwork © 2015 Scott Harshbarger, used with permission. All rights reserved.
Some artwork © 2013 Elizabeth Porter, used with permission. All rights reserved.
Some artwork © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission. All rights reserved.
Special thanks: Natasha Erkkilä-Kuutti, Anette Määttä, Antti Lax, Lauri Niskanen, Oskari
Wäänänen, Tuomas Mikkonen, Uoti Huotari.
Proofreading: Lauri Niskanen, Espen Schjøttelvig, Jacquelynn Nguyen.
Playtesters: Anette Määttä, Antti Lax, Bao-Tam Huynh, Carlos Viciana, Ella Karjalainen, Esko
Vesala, Heikki Marjomaa, Johanna Rekko, Joni Halonen, Juhokalle Pekkala, Jukka Hiltunen,
Kalle Luotonen, Kyösti Tuominen, Lauri Niskanen, Lorena Echkart, Neea Myyryläinen,
Niko Kaikkonen, Niko Leinonen, Oskari Wäänänen, Pasi Niskanen, Paula Kassenaar, San
Sjöström, Tuomas Mikkonen, Tuomas Vainiopää, Tuukka Tenhunen, Uoti Huotari, Ylva Ny-
man.
Based on the world of Grim Harvest RPG created by Oskari Wäänänen.

This work is based on the GUMSHOE SRD (found at http://site.pelgranepress.com/index
.php/the-gumshoe-system-reference-document), a product of Pelgrane Press, developed,
written, and edited by Robin D. Laws with additional material by Kenneth Hite, and licensed
for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license: (http://cre-
ativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmit-
ted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or
mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the
case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses
permitted by copyright law.
ISBN 978-952-68021-4-5 (paperback)

ISBN 978-952-68021-5-2 (PDF)
Table of contents
INTRODUCTION 8
SETTING 14
CHARACTER CREATION 20
RULES 70
SPECIAL RULES AND GAMEPLAY 100
THE CITY 120
STORIES 152
RUNNING SCENARIOS 178
EXAMPLE CHARACTERS 186
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE 196

INTRODUCTION
The world of Grim Noir is a perilous place. A city of dark al-
leys and glamorous restaurants. It is a labyrinth of schemes
that draws you in and won’t let you out. Everyone knows that
The City is a dangerous place and has learned to deal with it,
one way or the other. However, there is more to The City than
violence and political games. Hidden behind fine suits and
the glitter of diamonds are supernatural forces that pray on
unsuspecting victims. Only a few know the unearthly nature
of the power play behind the scenes. And those who get in-
volved with it, may never leave unscathed.
Grim Noir is a roleplaying game in a film noir setting. In this

game the Game Master (GM) and players together create a
tale of intrigue and excitement. The characters inhabit a city
where vice is a virtue and even the most composed characters
have dark histories to tell. This is a game about defeating your
own insecurities or learning how to hide them.
Many elements in this game contain something out of the or-

dinary. In this way Grim Noir is as much about external con-
8
INTRODUCTION
flict between the supernatural and the mundane as it is about

internal conflict of the characters’ anxieties and hopes. The
supernatural is usually hidden behind shadows, and though
humans might be afraid of dark alleys or abandoned houses
they remain ignorant to why this happens. Player characters
have some sort of idea what is going on behind the scenes
which occasionally makes it even more frightening. To know
for certain what kind of creatures hide among humans and
what your destiny will bring forth is a difficult thing to bear.
Especially if it feels like there is nothing that one can do to
influence the outcome.
To play this game you only need this book, paper, pens, a
couple of regular six-sided dice and imagination.
AIM OF THE GAME

Each game of Grim Noir has a mystery to solve and a story to
tell.
The mystery is at the center of the game. It could be an un-

solved murder, a threatening conspiracy or a any other in-
triguing situation to the characters in the game. By
investigating and gathering clues the players attempt un-
cover the truth and to solve the mystery.
The story is what emerges from playing the game. The plot
of the game, the actions of the characters and the outcomes
of those actions. Together the game master and the players
bring the story alive with their interactions while playing.
It’s intended that in Grim Noir the story always comes first. A
good game of Grim Noir has drama, plot twists and a hefty
dose of despair. Everyone playing the game should keep in
mind that the goal of the game is to work together to create
the best possible story. This game is not about winning the
game and competing with other players or the GM.
9
The GM is the main ar-
chitect of the story as
he creates the setting
and the plot as well as
controls the flow of
events. He has the re-
sponsibility to run an
interesting game and
to find a way to involve
all player characters so
that they feel a part of
the story. The GM
should, however, give
space to the players to
craft their own drama
when there is room for
it.
Players share part of

the responsibility in
creating a great story.
Their goal is to work
together with each
other and the GM to
create scenes that have
drama and drives the
story to an interesting
direction. If a player
feels there is an oppor-
tunity to turn a scene
into something more exciting, they should try to seize the
moment and bravely create situations where something dra-
matic might happen. This could be a heated confrontation
between rivaling characters or an accident brought about by
overconfidence. Remember also that the story can come be-
fore the well-being of the characters. It might be difficult to
harm your character on purpose, but sometimes that can cre-
ate the best drama.
10
INTRODUCTION
GUMSHOE RULE SYSTEM

This game uses modified GUMSHOE rules to give players an
enjoyable film noir experience and the chance to explore
their character’s personal development. The rules enable
gameplay that is focused on story and drama. In Grim Noir,
style and drama are more important than winning. Players
are encouraged to try and solve as many problems as they can
with in-game dialogue instead of mechanical conflict resolu-
tion. Dialogue is a powerful tool that can help to create an at-
mosphere of a film noir genre in the game.
GUMSHOE speeds and

streamlines the time-
honored form of the inves-
tigative roleplaying game.
The central question a tra-
ditional RPG asks is: Will
the characters get the in-
formation they need? As-
suming that they look in
the right place and apply
appropriate abilities to the
task, GUMSHOE ensures
that the heroes get the ba-
sic clues they need to move
through the story. The
question GUMSHOE asks
is: What will the heroes do
with the information once
they’ve got it?
In a fictional procedural,
whether it’s a mystery
novel or an episode of a
cop show, the emphasis
isn’t on finding the clues in
the first place. When it re-
ally matters, you may get a
paragraph telling you how
difficult the search was, or a
montage of a CSI team
11
searching an apartment. But the action really starts after the
clues are gathered. Investigative scenarios are not about find-
ing clues, they’re about interpreting the clues you do find.
Failure to gain information is rarely more interesting than

getting it. New information opens up new narrative possibil-
ities, new choices and actions for the characters. Failure to get
information is a null result that takes you nowhere.
GUMSHOE, therefore, makes the finding of clues all but au-
tomatic, as long as you get to the right place in the story and
have the right ability.
That’s when the fun part begins, when the players try to put
the components of the puzzle together.
12
INTRODUCTION
SETTING
BASED ON CINEMA - FILM NOIR
This game draws heavily from film noir, a film genre from
the 1940s. Film noir is a mirror that reflects the dark side of
contemporary urban reality, focusing on corruption, crime,
violence, hopelessness and greed, the ugly side of humanity.
None of the characters are perfect. They wrestle with secrets

and trouble. The feeling of isolation is a theme emphasized
heavily and often expressed with empty streets and people
packed in their cars. In places where there are people they are
indifferent and in the shadows.
A major factor in the story is The City, both a stage and arena
where the story takes place. It is dark and threatening, filled
with shady alleys and closed doors. The City is something
akin to a maze where it is easy to get lost and it symbolizes
the descent into the mystery that shrouds the story. In the
end, even if the hero should overcome the odds and reach his
goal, he has lost something equally important in the process.
14
SETTING
GRIM NOIR
Now, what is Grim Noir? It is a modern twist on the tradi-
tional Noir theme that adds some spice in the form of the
mysterious and the supernatural. In the world of Grim Noir,
certain supernatural powers and characters exist and extend
their power over the people living in The City. The player
characters start out as ignorant, but inevitably get involved
with this power play and will struggle to survive it. They have
to balance their normal lives against the pressure and dangers
of the strange world that they discover.
Each player takes the role of a character in a film noir story

and play their part in solving the mystery that is in the center
of the plot. Characters can, for example, be hard-boiled de-
tectives who need to solve every case thrown at them or re-
porters who are willing to get hurt for a grand scoop. What is
important is that they are characters who get drawn to the
mystery and want to find out the truth behind it, no matter
how difficult the journey might be.
Player characters can play different types of roles in the

game’s story, but they all share a unique ability to see and in-
teract with the supernatural. People with this ability are called
Reapers. This is what makes player characters special in Grim
Noir. To normal people, most things supernatural are invisi-
ble by nature even if they stood face to face with them. They
are the lucky ones, though, as witnessing too much to the su-
pernatural can lead to mental problems. Keeping their head
straight and fighting the creeping paranoia is a challenge ev-
ery Reaper faces eventually.
Characters will fight against the odds in order to solve the

mystery and save themselves or just struggle for their own
survival. Still, this game is not so much about horror as it is
about pressure and coming to terms with the consequences
of your actions.
15
REAPERS
A Reaper is a person that can see and interact with the super-
natural. All player characters are Reapers.
16
SETTING
SUPERNATURAL
Heaven and Hell are real and they have always influenced this
world. The whole concept of religion is based on reality and
was shaped throughout the centuries by careful manipula-
tion. These opposing forces are locked into a Cold War that
has lasted for a thousand years. A Pact was formed that for-
bids Heaven and Hell from waging direct war on Earth, but
that does not mean they are not involved in human affairs.
Quite the contrary. Both sides control great resources and use
them to gain a solid foothold on Earth in order to gather the
one resource that they need: souls.
DIVINE POWERS
The presence of Divine Powers brings a definitive religious

theme to Grim Noir. It will remain the GM’s right to decide
how strongly the religious aspect is used and how it affects the
story. By default, religion in Grim Noir is seen as a tool for
manipulating the masses and concealing the truth. The forces
behind religion are rarely benevolent and too often they sim-
ply do not care about anything apart from acquiring power
and control over people.
As people die their souls do not continue their journey. In-

stead they remain on Earth without a purpose as spirits that
often do not even realize they are already dead. Souls are in-
visible to humans, but Reapers see them with little effort. Ad-
ditionally, Reapers also have the ability to gather souls and
carry them within their body. It is this ability that makes
Reapers especially valuable to Agents of Heaven and Hell.
Agents are beings from Heaven and Hell who live perma-
nently on Earth and are tasked with gathering as many souls
as they can. Since the forming of the Pact, Agents now rely on
proxies to harvest souls on their behalf. Reapers are one of
the select few who are able to deliver souls to Agents, and are
paid a good price for each soul they sell. Reapers themselves
17
often gain powerful positions by acquiring resources, con-
nections and favors through Soul Trading.
Players of Grim Noir will inevitably run into this hidden part
of The City as they are pulled deeper into the story and dis-
cover more and more about the mystery they attempt to
solve. Whether they want to avoid it, take advantage of it, fear
it or fight it, is entirely up to the players. However, no matter
the approach, the supernatural cannot be escaped com-
pletely.
A major part of the game is to try to balance between what-

ever normal life the characters hope to maintain and the dan-
gerous supernatural forces that need to be dealt with, or taken
advantage of, in order to gather enough clues to solve the
mystery at the center of the story.
THE PACT
An armistice struck between Heaven and Hell a thousand

years ago. The details of the deal are lost to the annals, but in
essence Heaven and Hell cannot wage war directly on Earth.
Because of this they are forced to use human Reapers as prox-
ies to gather souls.
18
SETTING
CHARACTER CREATION
This section explains how to create characters in Grim Noir.
The mechanical part of character creation is simple, but
thought should be given to the character’s personality and
background. Player characters in Grim Noir are talented and
unique, but also distinctively vulnerable and troubled indi-
viduals. The struggle to overcome these weaknesses is a ma-
jor theme in the game.
Create player characters by choosing your Character Con-

cept, Investigative Abilities and General Abilities. You create
characters by spending build points on your character’s abil-
ities. Each ability has a numerical rating. To improve the rat-
ing by 1, you have to spend a build point.
Investigative Abilities allow you to find the information your

character needs to move forward in a mystery-solving narra-
tive, plus occasional additional benefits.
General Abilities help you survive while you’re gathering in-

formation and solving problems.
20
CHARACTER CREATION
CHARACTER CREATION STEPS
Step one: concept:
• Choose a role
• Choose at least one life event
• Describe your family and friends.
Step two: assign investigative abilities.
Step three: assign general abilities.
Step four: choose a Drive and let GM review.
The GUMSHOE rules define your character by what she or

he can accomplish in an investigative scenario. The compo-
nent elements of each ability don’t matter in rules terms. The
rules don’t care if your Psychology ability is one part native
mental acuity to two parts training or vice versa, although
you can mention them when describing your character to
others. All that matters is how you solve cases and overcome
other obstacles arising from them.
KEY CONCEPTS
Investigative Ability: skills to gather clues and information.
General Ability: skills to overcome challenges and obstacles.
Ability Rating: ability maximum value. Abilities refresh to

this value in-between cases.
Ability Pool: current ability value. Decreases during gameplay

as abilities are used.
21
RATINGS AND POOLS
The number you assign to each ability is called a rating. Al-
though you may improve them gradually over time, ratings
remain static over the course of the typical game session.
For each ability, your character has a pool of points which

fluctuates over the course of each session. You begin each
case, or scenario, with pool points equal to your rating. You
might then immediately spend some of them during a pre-
lude phase to the investigation itself. You will definitely spend
points as you conduct the investigation. At times your pool
may increase, sometimes refreshing to equal its rating again.
The distinction between ratings and pools is a crucial one.
22
CHARACTER CREATION
EXAMPLE: Rating and Pool
Nick Sullivan has a rating 3 in Art and History, 2 in Law and 4

in Occult Studies. In the beginning of the case his pool of
points is equal to the rating as he has not spent any of his
points for the investigation yet.
Academic R P
Art and History 3 3
Law 2 2
Occult Studies 4 4
At a crime scene Nick uses one point from his Art and History
pool to get information why an art thief chose certain paint-
ings to steal. The GM decides that a spend of one point is
enough to get a clue and provides Nick Sullivan the informa-
tion he needs to proceed in the investigation. Nick’s Art and
History pool is reduced by one point to two.
Academic R P
Art and History 3 2
Law 2 2
Occult Studies 4 4
His rating does not change as that represents his overall skill
and potential in Art History. At the end of the case, all spent
points in the pool are refreshed to equal the rating. For Nick,
his Art and History pool is refreshed back to 3 at the beginning
of next case or story.
23
STEP ONE: CONCEPT
Character creation starts with an idea of your character’s per-
sonality and background. After that you are ready to start the
creation process.
1. Choose a suitable role for your character.

2. Choose at least one life event that your character has experienced.
3. Describe your character’s family and friends.
ROLES
Role represents the character’s background, social status and
resources. Every role comes with several pre-selected Inves-
tigative Abilities and General Abilities, as well as a special skill.
Glancing through the list of roles is a good starting point for
character creation.
Each role sets out minimum requirements in both Investiga-

tive and General Abilities. Before spending any points else-
where, make sure you have those covered. These required
ability points are free.
WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 1950’S
Although women’s social status was very different in the 50’s,

that does not have to be the case in your game. In Grim Noir
many women can still occupy those traditional roles, but
player characters are exempt from those expectations. That is,
unless they specifically want to. This is something your group
should decide before playing.
24
CHARACTER CREATION
A character’s role represents his style in play, but it may also

be his main employment and situation in the beginning of
the story. That being said, interesting characters can also be
created by choosing unexpected roles for your characters.
For example, the role Detective might be fit for a character
who aspires to become a priest, but through finding clues and
information about the existence of supernatural beings. On
the other hand, the role Preacher would do well for a private
detective character whose main goal is to serve God or gen-
eral public instead of private customers.
Each role allows player characters to regain Stability during a

case by acting according to specified guidelines.
LIST OF ROLES
Criminal
Detective
Doctor
Gambler
Grease Monkey
Occultist
Officer
Politician
Preacher
Professional
Reporter
Seducer
25
CRIMINAL
“I take what I want, crybaby.”
Criminal encompasses burglars, street urchins, bums and the

sort. A criminal is capable of moving in the streets while get-
ting past security and avoiding the law. Often wanted and
hunted by others, but most of the time quick enough to get
out of the way. Almost everyone bends the law, but the Crim-
inal outright breaks it whenever it suits him.
Investigative Abilities: Art and History 1, Locksmith 1,

Streetwise 1
General Abilities: Athletics 4, Filch 2, Scuffling 2
Regain Stability: Perform a favor for one of your criminal

contacts.
DETECTIVE
“Dang. You say you lost your cat? Well.. huh.”
These lone heroes are both blessed and cursed with extreme
curiosity. Often well equipped, skilled and connected, but
never quite well enough to be safe and comfortable. They are
haunted by past events and unsolved crimes.
Investigative Abilities: Cop Talk 1, Interrogation 1 Psy-

chology 1
General Abilities: Gambling 1, Guts 4, Shooting 1, Surveil-

lance 2
Regain Stability: Make an arrest or confront someone

about a crime they committed.
26
CHARACTER CREATION
DOCTOR
“Infected wounds, fractured limbs... It’s all routine, really.”
Equipped with fine tools and expensive education, Doctors

are at the very top of society. Although doing fairly well, their
determination is threatened by overwhelming challenges of
unending pain and suffering. They are indeed the men and
women that people come to for help. Still, no one can save
everyone, and the further they extend themselves, cynicism
looms ever closer.
Investigative Abilities: Chemistry 1, Medicine 1, Research

1
General Abilities: Filch 2, Medic 4, Shrink 2
Regain Stability: Save somebody’s life or help a patient get

proper treatment.
GAMBLER
“Well, it’s a nifty chance. No time for a doubt!”
Individuals who live for the moment and try not to think of
the future. Brash and lively, Gamblers have a wide social net-
work. They might get lucky and become well off at times, but
their future is always uncertain. Their unending escapism
and greed will drive them into taking more and more risks.
Mathematically speaking, failure is a certainty.
Investigative Abilities: Bureaucracy 1, Craft 1, Locksmith 1
General Abilities: Athletics 2, Gambling 4, Sense Trouble

2
Regain Stability: Make a gamble where you stand to lose

something.
27
GREASE MONKEY
“Your car engine is making a funny noise. You should probably get
that fixed soon.”
Gears, bolts, and tools. Those are the things Grease Monkeys
love the best and excel at. There is barely anything that they
cannot fix when they put their mind to it. They see every-
thing as a puzzle to be solved. Sometimes they just have trou-
ble understanding not everyone wants other people to go
around fixing their problems.
Investigative Abilities: Craft 1, Physics 1, Streetwise 1
General Abilities: Athletics 2, Infiltration 4, Performance

Arts 2
Regain Stability: Fix something that another person needs

to complete a task.
OCCULTIST
”So these shadows that are following you... How do they make you
feel?”
Occultists have found out something about the universe that

was well hidden for a long time. They know things that are
perhaps too deep and mysterious for any human mind to
grasp. They even boast to know how the human mind works.
Occultists are driven by curiosity and strong will to make a
real difference.
Investigative Abilities: Interrogation 1, Occult Studies 1,

Psychology 1
General Abilities: Medic 2, Sense Trouble 2, Shrink 4
Regain Stability: Help a person struggling with their san-

ity.
28
CHARACTER CREATION
OFFICER
“I know he probably didn’t do it, but I had to arrest someone.”
This role means authority. It’s fitting for any character work-
ing for an organization that exercise power over society, like
law enforcement, government or powerful secret societies.
Officers are the guys whose arrival will turn the tides of the
scene. Hated and despised by some, but loved and trusted by
general public.
Investigative Abilities: Cop Talk 1, Evidence Collection 1,

Physics 1
General Abilities: Driving 2, Scuffling 2, Shooting 4
Regain Stability: Use your authority to turn a situation to

your advantage.
POLITICIAN
“Everything will be better tomorrow. I promise.”
Gifted with a silver tongue, Politicians always have a way with

words and understand how to influence opinions. They al-
most always work with people and organizations and know
how to run even the most complicated systems. They are vi-
sionary individuals who feel a great need to strive for some-
thing bigger.
Investigative Abilities: Bureaucracy 1, High Society 1, Psy-

chology 1
General Abilities: Guts 2, Intimidation 2, Persuasion 2,

Wealth 2.
Regain Stability: Rally a group of people behind your

idea.
29
PREACHER
“The devil’s presence can be sensed here.”
Preachers are divine soldiers of truth and pure intentions.

Their arsenal is their charisma, belief and masses of people
supporting them. In gameplay, these characters may work for
any organization, and very often they are given positions of
trust. Their authority is very rarely questioned, and during
the years they have discovered all the joys and benefits that
come with it. They might have strayed from the path at times,
but their shortcomings are well hidden by a web of lies.
Investigative Abilities: Occult Studies 1, Psychology 1, Re-

ligion 1
General Abilities: Performance Arts 4, Stability 4
Regain Stability: Assure and give hope to people facing

difficulties that whatever they are doing will work out in
the end.
PROFESSIONAL
“I know this stuff. You do not.”
As ultimate experts of their field, Professionals can work for

any employer that values their expertise. Their skills and abil-
ities are widely known, and their authority is often taken for
granted. They are used to their high status, and are usually
well equipped to answer a challenge. Their misdeeds are hid-
den and forgotten, and can be for a long time until someone
digs too deep.
Investigative Abilities: Law 1, Religion 1, Research 1
General Abilities: Driving 2, Infiltration 2, Shrink 2 Sur-

veillance 2
Regain Stability: Give valuable advice to someone or im-

press someone with your knowledge.
30
CHARACTER CREATION
REPORTER
“Better go and see before anyone else gets there.”
Always ready to rush to the scene. Reporters know that the

world is comprised of things that cannot wait. They know
that only by being the first they can make a real difference.
Perhaps enough to become famous. A permanent life of dan-
ger is the price they are willing to pay.
Investigative Abilities: Evidence Collection 1, Locksmith

1, Research 1
General Abilities: Filch 2, Gambling 2, Persuasion 2, Sur-

veillance 2
Regain Stability: Reveal a secret that someone wants to

keep hidden.
SEDUCER
“Well, hello there, gorgeous.”
Blessed by otherworldly beauty and grace, these creatures

shine like diamonds among coal. Although at first glance they
seem upstanding, virtuous and wholesome, they are simply
broken and incomplete individuals that have found a single
way to survive and cover. They are deeply troubled by their
lack of self-esteem and are incompetent in building long last-
ing relationships. They will do anything for genuine human
contact, but even when it happens they are unable to accept
it.
Investigative Abilities: Art history 1, High Society 1, Street-

wise 1
General Abilities: Athletics 2, Sense Trouble 2, Shrink 4
Regain Stability: Enjoy a social event like a party.
31
LIFE EVENTS
Life events are critical experiences the character went
through. Life events mold the character into the person they
are now and determine some of their main characteristics.
The GM can use life events to flesh out a more personal story
for the players. You have to choose at least 1 life event for your
character but you can also choose 2. If you are brave enough
to choose 2 life events you get a one time bonus of 5 extra
build points to distribute between your General Abilities in
character creation.
DEATH IN THE FAMILY
Someone in your immediate family died recently. You feel

that it was your fault somehow. Maybe if you had paid more
attention or maybe if you had not gone on that business trip
you could have been there to stop it.
Unlike everyone else you cannot gain Stability by visiting

your home. You will have to be very careful not to lose
your sanity. Every time you are reminded of your lost
family member you feel extreme guilt and must find a way
to make yourself feel better or find a strong diversion to
take your mind off things.
32
CHARACTER CREATION
DIVORCED
Your marriage started off wonderfully, but ended in tragedy,

just like all the good things in your life. It wasn’t your fault,
but you still feel miserable about the whole ordeal. Any time
you see happy couples you feel a compulsive need to change
the scenery and just hope that you never run into your for-
mer spouse during the story.
If you see a happy couple, test willpower against difficulty

4. If you succeed you can resist the pain and remain in
place. Otherwise, flee or change the scene.
FIRED
You lost your job and are struggling to get by. You cannot
afford most of the things other characters can. Just buying
food is difficult to you. Your family does not know yet and you
intend to keep it that way so that they won’t worry too much.
Just how long will you be able to keep things secret?
You cannot buy anything more than food and the occa-
sional newspaper. All extra money goes to paying debts
and bills. All Wealth test difficulties are increased by 1.
RIDICULED
You have been ridiculed publicly and people still remember

it. Maybe something you said hit the papers or you were the
face of a stupid marketing campaign. Everywhere you go
there are people who point you out and joke at your expense.
You have a hard time convincing people of anything.
Because of your reputation people do not take you seri-

ously. All Persuasion attempt difficulties are increased by 1
33
INJURED
An accident injured you badly and since then you have

suffered a physical disability. This disability makes it more
difficult for you to attempt physical challenges. You are clum-
sier than others and feel pain when performing challenges
related to physical activities. Your clumsiness is embarrassing
and makes you feel less of a complete person than others.
All Athletics attempt difficulties are increased by 1.
FRAMED
You’ve been framed of a crime you did not commit. You are
on the run from the law, trying to find out who framed you
and why. It’s possible to solve the crime and clear your repu-
tation. However, you must then pick another Life Event to re-
place Framed.
If you are spotted by the police, they will pursue you. If

you were framed for a big crime you may also have a pri-
vate detective after you.
FALL GUY
Doing heists doesn’t always end up well. One of your heists

went wrong and you took the fall while everyone else got
away with the valuables. The police still remember you and
are convinced that crooks never change. You’ve been out of
jail for some time now and are looking for your old pals. You
wonder what they will say when you show up at their door.
The police do not trust you one bit. You won’t get help
from them no matter what the situation.
34
CHARACTER CREATION
ADDICTED
Be it booze or drugs, the truth is that you can’t quit. There is

something you want to escape so bad that you turn to your
trusted substance. It’s the only thing that keeps the demons at
bay, and in the end that is all that matters to you.
Every day, test Guts against difficulty 4. If you succeed, you

can resist the temptation. If you fail, there is nothing in the
world that can stop you from getting wasted.
TRAUMATIZED
War. War never changes, but it changes you. Traumatized by

the war, you have one of the worst cases of post-traumatic
stress disorder. Loud noises and dangerous situations put you
over the edge and make you violent.
Whenever you get into a fight your goal is not to end the
fight. It’s to end the enemy. When you get into a fight, test
Stability against difficulty 4. If you succeed you control
your actions. If you fail you must attempt to incapacitate
your opponent.
USED TO BE FAMOUS
Whether you were a movie star or a well known politician,

those days are long gone. You also hate being a nobody. You
still think people should recognize you and grant you VIP
treatment like in your golden years. When it doesn’t happen
you get annoyed, though mostly at yourself for letting it all
slip from your grasp.
You will never get special service in any establishment no

matter who you used to be or how hard you try. That
means in bars, restaurants or hotels all your attempts to
gain any special access or treatment will be denied. You
must rely on other investigators in these situations.
35
NEVER GOT THAT PROMOTION
That goddamn intern took the promotion you were aiming

for and became your boss! Not just that, but also the idiot
from accounting stole your backup plan right under your
nose. Things never really went your way at work. Even worse,
it’s not just your job, but your whole life. Every time a great
opportunity presents itself to you, somebody else manages to
seize it before you. I guess it’s just bad luck. Or maybe it’s a
curse?
Once per case you get swindled of your well deserved re-
ward. While every other character get their rewards nor-
mally the GM creates a situation where somehow you lose
yours. Does not affect refreshing abilities and gaining
build points.
EXTORTED
Someone has you by the balls and they are not letting you go
easy. This guy has something on you and isn’t afraid of using
it. You are forced to do do his bidding anytime he needs you
and unfortunately you have to obey or all your dirty secrets
are sent to the local newspaper.
Once per case you will be contacted by your extorter and

forced to do something that conflicts with the goals of the
other investigators.
36
CHARACTER CREATION
FAMILY AND FRIENDS - CORE RELATIONSHIP

Write down in a paragraph or two the loved ones and friends
that you have. They are your sources of stability. The hard-
ships you face will strain relationships and and can cause
them to break. That is why they need to be maintained regu-
larly. Family and friends are essential to keeping your sanity
in the face of despair. They help you cope. You must maintain
these relationships during the story or risk your mental
health.
Write a description for one Core Relationship.
GAINING STABILITY THROUGH FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Regularly visiting and maintaining your Core Relationship

can help you gain valuable Stability. You can gain 1 point of
Stability per session by visiting your family and friends. See
rules about Regaining Stability Points for more info.
37
STEP TWO: ASSIGN INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES
Investigative Abilities are central to any Grim Noir character;
they enable you to gather information and drive the plot for-
ward. The number of points each player spends on Investiga-
tive Abilities varies according to the number of regularly
attending players, according to the following table. The GM
leads the group through the list of investigative build points,
ensuring that each one of them is covered by at least one
member of the group.
# Of players Investigative build points

2 13
3 9
4 8
5+ 7
You start the game with 1 free point in Reaper Sight. The GM
can, however, decide that this free point will be given to you
later in the game at a time that is better suited for the story.
In an introductory game, the characters are first oblivious of
the supernatural and only after a while gain their first point
in Reaper Sight. That’s when their eyes are opened to the hid-
den world and they have to find ways to cope with the shock.
You also start with 3 free points that fit your Role. These are
listed in the Role description.
Once all of the abilities are covered, you are permitted to re-
serve any remaining build points to spend as situations arise
during play. You may assign yourself additional abilities, or
increase your ratings in the ones you’ve chosen, as seems ap-
propriate to your character and the situations he finds him-
self in. When you choose to do this, you are not suddenly
acquiring abilities on the spot, but simply revealing for the
first time what the character has been able to do all along. You
can reveal these abilities with a short monologue or flashback
true to the film noir style.
38
CHARACTER CREATION
If your GM is running an ongoing series, you will accumulate

additional build points during play.
WHAT GOOD ARE INVESTIGATIVE RATINGS?

Players may be surprised to learn how effective even a single
rating point is.
Any rating in an Investigative Ability indicates a high degree

of professional accomplishment or impressive natural talent.
If you have an ability relevant to the task at hand, you auto-
matically succeed in discovering any information or over-
coming any obstacles necessary to propel you from the
current scene further into the story. This way you will always
gain Core Clues automatically.
Investigative Ability points are spent to gain special benefits

like additional information that offers deeper insight into the
mystery at hand. Sometimes the GM can also allow certain
challenges to be completed with a point spend instead of a
test, especially if an Investigative Ability fits the situation bet-
ter than a General Ability.
INVESTIGATIVE BENCHMARKS
When choosing Investigative Abilities it is better to get a large
number of abilities with fairly low ratings. Even a 1-point rat-
ing is worth having. You’ll rarely want to spend more than 3
or 4 points on any one Investigative Ability.
You must have an Investigative Ability at a rating of at least 1

to get useful information with it.
39
INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES
These abilities are the bread and butter of GUMSHOE char-
acters.
INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY GROUP

Art and History Academic
Law Academic
Occult Studies Academic
Psychology Academic
Religion Academic
Research Academic
Bureaucracy Interpersonal
Cop Talk Interpersonal
High Society Interpersonal
Interrogation Interpersonal
Streetwise Interpersonal
Chemistry Technical
Craft Technical
Evidence Collection Technical
Locksmith Technical
Medicine Technical
Physics Technical
Reaper Sight Supernatural
Ability descriptions consist of a brief general description, fol-

lowed by examples of their use in an investigation. Creative
players should be able to propose additional uses for their
abilities as unexpected situations confront their characters.
Certain specific actions may overlap between a couple of abil-

ities. For example, you can persuade a mafia boss with both
High Society and Streetwise.
40
CHARACTER CREATION
Some abilities, like Research, are broadly useful, and will crop
up constantly. Others may be called for many times in the
course of one scenario, and not at all in others. When build-
ing your character, strike a balance between the reliable
workhorse abilities and their exotic, specialized counterparts.
Investigative Abilities are divided into the following sub-

groups: Academic, Interpersonal and Technical. The purpose
of the sub-groups is to allow you to quickly find the best abil-
ity for the task during play by scanning the most likely por-
tion of the overall list.
ART AND HISTORY (ACADEMIC)
You’re an expert on works of art from an aesthetic and tech-

nical point of view. On top of that you have working knowl-
edge of history that can come in handy if you encounter
historic or old items. You can:
▪ Distinguish real pieces of art from fakes.

▪ Tell when something has been retouched or altered.
▪ Identify the age of an object by style and materials.
▪ Call to mind historical details on artists and historical persons
and those around them.
BUREAUCRACY (INTERPERSONAL)
You know how to navigate a bureaucratic organization,

whether it’s a governmental office or a large business con-
cern. You know how to get what you want from it in an expe-
ditious manner, and with a minimum of ruffled feathers.
Bureaucracy is not a catch-all information gathering ability.

Bureaucrats wish to convey the impression that they are busy
and harried, whether or not they actually are. Most take a pro-
found, secret joy in directing inquiries elsewhere. When play-
ers attempt to use Bureaucracy to gain information more
41
easily accessible via other abilities (such as Research), their
contacts snidely advise them to do their own damn legwork.
You can:
▪ Convince officials to provide sensitive information.

▪ Gain credentials on false pretenses.
▪ Find the person who really knows what’s going on.
▪ Locate offices and files.
▪ Borrow equipment or supplies.
CHEMISTRY (TECHNICAL)
You’re trained in the analysis of chemical substances. You

can:
▪ Identify drugs, pharmaceuticals, toxins, and viruses.

▪ Match samples of dirt or vegetation from a piece of evidence to
a scene.
▪ Mix volatile compounds to create explosives.
COP TALK (INTERPERSONAL)
You know how to speak the lingo of police officers and are
able to make them feel confident and relaxed in your pres-
ence. You may be a current or former cop, or simply the kind
of person they immediately identify as a solid, trustworthy
citizen. You can:
▪ Casually inquire cops regarding confidential information.

▪ Be excused for minor infractions.
▪ Imply that you are a colleague, authorized to participate in their
cases.
▪ Gain access to crime scenes.
42
CHARACTER CREATION
CRAFT (TECHNICAL)
You can create useful physical objects, working with materials

like wood, metal, jewelry, and the like. Although the resulting
cabinets, kettles or rings may be beautiful, your focus is util-
ity, not art.
You are be able to use your Craft ability to specific investiga-

tive ends. You can:
▪ Discover secret containers.

▪ Piece together broken equipment and items to understand what
their function was and how they were broken.
EVIDENCE COLLECTION (TECHNICAL)
You’re adept at finding, bagging and tagging important clues.

Evidence collection is a very basic skill that can be used in
most crime scenes. You can:
▪ Spot objects of interest at a crime scene or other investigation

site.
▪ Note relationships between objects at a crime scene, recon-
structing sequences of events.
▪ Store objects for forensic analysis without contaminating your
samples.
HIGH SOCIETY (INTERPERSONAL)
You know how to mingle with the rich and famous and how
to chat them up without having security called. You are com-
fortable with “old money” aristocracy, with the Davos elite,
with the televised chattering classes and with the crassest of
nouveau riche vulgarians and celebutantes. Yachts, Gulf-
streams and three-star restaurants are your seemingly natural
habitat. Note that this ability does not necessarily convey any
actual wealth or fame. You can:
43
▪ Dress fashionably for any occasion.
▪ Get past the velvet rope at exclusive clubs and parties or past the
concierge at a four-star hotel.
▪ Drop brand names, allude to current trends, and generally
blend in culturally with rich scenesters of all types.
▪ Identify the best wine, liquor, food, jewelry and other luxury
goods.
▪ Interact with the rich and famous as an accepted equal.
INTERROGATION (INTERPERSONAL)
You’re trained in extracting information from suspects and

witnesses in the context of a formal police-style interview.
This must take place in an official setting where the subject is
confined or feels under threat of confinement and recognizes
your authority, whether real or feigned. You can:
▪ Get information out of suspects.

▪ Understand how to best interrogate a suspect.
▪ Cross-interrogate multiple suspects and find holes in their sto-
ries.
LAW (ACADEMIC)
You are familiar with the criminal and civil laws of your home
jurisdiction and broadly acquainted with foreign legal sys-
tems. At a rating of 2 or more, you are a bar-certified attorney.
You can:
▪ Assess the legal risks attendant on any course of action.

▪ Understand lawyer jargon.
▪ Argue with police and prosecutors.
44
CHARACTER CREATION
LOCKSMITH (TECHNICAL)
You are trained in all manner of locks and security systems

and can open them to get access to whatever information or
leads that lie inside. You can open locks that hold clues auto-
matically. Only locks that exist to drive drama or conflict re-
quire spends or tests against a Difficulty.
Note that many locks require specialized tools, the possession

of which is a criminal offense in most jurisdictions. Very
complex or tricky locks may require spends to open them
speedily or to avoid noise and damage. Using Locksmith is,
in other words, a way to gather clues. A lock that won’t open
is like a witness that won’t talk or a bloodstain you can’t find
— antithetical to mystery-solving. You can:
▪ Open doors and locks.

▪ Disarm alarms.
▪ Find convenient windows to jimmy or coal-cellar doors to
force, if need be.
MEDICINE (TECHNICAL)
Your medical expertise allows you to examine people, dead

and alive, to gain information on what physical harm has be-
fallen on them. You can perform autopsies on deceased sub-
jects to determine the cause of death. In the case of death by
foul play, you can:
▪ Identify the nature of the weapon or weapons used.

▪ Identify the presence of intoxicants or other foreign substances
in the bloodstream.
▪ Identify the contents of the victim’s last meal.
▪ Reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the victim’s death
from the arrangement of wounds on the body.
45
OCCULT STUDIES (ACADEMIC)
You’re an expert in the historical study of magic, superstition,

and hermetic practice from the Stone Age to the present.
From Satanists to the Golden Dawn, you know the dates, the
places, the controversies and the telling anecdotes. You can:
▪ Supply historical facts concerning various occult traditions.

▪ Guess the intended effect of a ritual from its physical remains.
▪ Identify occult activities as the work of informed practitioners
or teenage posers.
PHYSICS (TECHNICAL)
You have theoretical and working knowledge of physics that

you can apply to many situations. This skill covers a variety
of smaller skills. You can for example:
▪ Determine the speed of crashed cars.

▪ Perform ballistics analysis for weapons and bullets.
▪ Determine the force needed to break objects or incur injuries.
▪ Identify the caliber and type of a bullet or casing found at a
crime scene.
▪ Determine if a particular gun fired a given bullet.
PSYCHOLOGY (ACADEMIC)
You apply psychological insight to the solving of criminal

cases. From the details of a crime scene, you can, based on
past case studies of similar offenses, assemble a profile detail-
ing the perpetrator’s likely personal history, age, habits and
attitudes.
46
CHARACTER CREATION
You can also glean useful information from simple observa-

tion of certain individuals, especially as they react to pres-
sure. You can:
▪ Assemble a psychological profiles.

▪ Understand motives behind people’s actions.
RELIGION (ACADEMIC)
You study religions in their various forms, both ancient and

modern. You can:
▪ Supply information about religious practices and beliefs.

▪ Quote relevant tags from the major scriptures.
▪ Recognize the names and attributes of various saints, gods, and
other figures of religious worship and veneration.
▪ Identify whether a given religious practice or ritual is orthodox
or heretical.
▪ Fake a religious ceremony.
RESEARCH (ACADEMIC)
You know how to find factual information from books,

records and official sources. You’re as comfortable with a card
catalog and fiche reader as with an unorganized pile of re-
search material. Your notepad brims with phone numbers of
exotic and useful contacts. You can:
▪ Find relevant information on a specific topic from archives or

libraries.
▪ Connect the dots between seemingly unrelated documents to
gain new perspective on a case or to find further clues to pursue.
47
STREETWISE (INTERPERSONAL)
You know how to behave among crooks, mafiosos, druggies,

hookers and other habitués of the criminal underworld. You
can:
▪ Deploy criminal etiquette to avoid fights and conflicts.

▪ Identify unsafe locations and dangerous people.
▪ Gather underworld rumors.
SUPERNATURAL INVESTIGATIVE ABILITIES

Supernatural Investigative Abilities give characters much
more insight into the supernatural part of the world and can
help them to gain clues that normally would be completely
inaccessible to humans.
REAPER SIGHT
Every Reaper has a special ability to pierce the protective veil

that keeps the supernatural hidden from sight. By concen-
trating, a Reaper can see spirits, supernatural effects and even
sense powerful beings. Every Reaper has this ability and it is
the very foundation that separates player characters from an
ordinary human.
Reaper sight is not constantly active and a Reaper has to

choose when they use this ability. The ability always operates
on a low level and may, with the GM’s discretion, give inves-
tigators a feeling that something supernatural is happening
near them without the need to fully activate the ability.
Every character gets one point of Reaper Sight for free. It can
be given in the beginning of the game or later when the GM
decides so.
48
CHARACTER CREATION
When using Reaper sight, you can:
▪ See spirits.
▪ Tell whether a person is a supernatural being (Costs 1 point).
▪ Determine what type of supernatural Beings someone is (Costs
2 points).
▪ Tell whether the subject is healthy or determine if the subject is
under the influence of a spirit or other supernatural being
(Costs 2 points).
▪ Read the memories of a soul you are carrying. The memories
appear as a “film roll” on the surface of the soul in your hand
and play out like a slightly distorted movie. The more you want
to look back, the more points it costs (Costs 1-3 points per read-
ing).
DANGERS OF SEEING THE SUPERNATURAL
While Reaper Sight is a powerful ability and can be used to

uncover much information that would normally be unattain-
able, there is also risk involved in using it. Every time a player
character uses points of Reaper Sight to see supernatural crea-
tures and events they risk losing Stability. Depending on the
severity of the supernatural event witnessed, the GM can call
for a Stability test after using this ability.
In normal cases using this ability to see regular spirits will not
incur a Stability test. That is something the investigators are
used to.
49
STEP THREE: ASSIGN GENERAL ABILITIES
Each player gets 40 points to spend on General Abilities, re-
gardless of group size.
General Abilities use different rules than investigative ones,

which allow for possible failure. They help you survive while
you are investigating. When choosing General Abilities, you’ll
want to concentrate your points among a few abilities, giving
your comparatively higher ratings than what you want in the
investigative category.
You start the game with 1 free point in Health, Stability and
Soul Reaping. Every Role also receives for free 8 points to
General Abilities as outlined in their description. On top of
these free points you can spend 40 points in any way you
wish.
Although there is no set cap on abilities, the second highest

rating must be at least half that of the highest rating.
FREE GENERAL ABILITY POINTS
• Health: 1 point
• Stability: 1 point
• Soul Reaping: 1 point
• Role abilities: 8 points based on chosen role
50
CHARACTER CREATION
GENERAL ABILITY GROUP

Athletics General
Driving General
Filch General
Gambling General
Guts General
Health General
Infiltration General
Intimidation General
Medic General
Performance Arts General
Persuasion General
Scuffling General
Sense Trouble General
Shooting General
Shrink General
Stability General
Surveillance General
Wealth General
Soul Reaping Supernatural
Induce Fear Supernatural, Hell
Hell’s Veins Supernatural, Hell
Hellfire Supernatural, Hell
Reveal Corruption Supernatural, Hell
Whisper of the Dead Supernatural, Hell
Heavenly Light Supernatural, Heaven
Guardian Angel Supernatural, Heaven
Endless Conversation Supernatural, Heaven
Heal Supernatural, Heaven
Stable Mind Supernatural, Heaven
51
WHAT GOOD ARE GENERAL RATINGS?
General Abilities use a different set of rules and are measured
on a different scale than Investigative Abilities. The two abil-
ity sets are handled in different way because they fulfill dis-
tinct narrative functions. The rules governing General
Abilities introduce the possibility of failure into the game,
creating suspense and uncertainty. Uncertain outcomes make
scenes of physical action more exciting, but can end a mys-
tery storyline if applied to the collection of information. This
division may seem aesthetically weird when you first en-
counter it, but as you become accustomed to the GUMSHOE
system you’ll see that it works.
GUMSHOE focuses not on your character’s innate traits, but

on what they can actually do in the course of a storyline. Why
they can do it is up to each player. Your characters are as
strong, fast and good-looking as you want them to be.
GENERAL ABILITY BENCHMARKS

A rating of 1-3 indicates that the ability is a sideline. 4-7 is
solid, but not off the charts. 8 or more suggests a dedicated
bad-assery that will be immediately apparent to observers
when they see you in action.
0-RATED GENERAL ABILITIES

You can always make a test with any regular General Ability
even if your Rating is 0. Your character can always try their
luck at any task.
Supernatural General Abilities, Gifts, work differently. If your

rating is 0 you do not possess the Gift, and it cannot be used.
52
CHARACTER CREATION
GENERAL ABILITIES
ATHLETICS
Athletics allows you to perform general acts of physical der-

ring-do, from jumping to dodging oncoming objects. Any
physical action not covered by another ability probably falls
under the rubric of Athletics. You can:
▪ Run away from danger.

▪ Jump from rooftop to rooftop.
▪ Perform acrobatic stunts.
DRIVING
You’re a skilled defensive driver, capable of wringing high

performance from even the most recalcitrant automobile,
pick-up truck or van. You can:
▪ Evade or conduct pursuit.

▪ Avoid collisions or minimize damage from collisions.
▪ Spot tampering with a vehicle.
▪ Conduct emergency repairs.
FILCH
Your nimble fingers allow you to unobtrusively manipulate

small objects. You can hide things from view and conceal
them from search. Your methods might include camouflage,
holding items out on your person, sneaking things into draw-
ers unobserved, building secret compartments or even alter-
ing an object’s visual signature with paint or plaster.
53
This ability also allows you to discover things intentionally
concealed. You can:
▪ Conceal items on your person.

▪ Plant items on other persons or places.
▪ Pilfer clues from a crime scene under the very noses of unsus-
pecting authorities.
▪ Pick pockets.
▪ Plant objects on unsuspecting subjects.
GAMBLING
You are conversant with the rules and etiquette of all forms
of gambling, from Texas Hold ‘em and roulette to horse rac-
ing and numbers rackets. To win (or strategically lose) at a
game of chance requires a Gambling test, or a contest if
played against an NPC with the Gambling ability. In addition
to playing by the rules and winning, you can:
▪ Spot cheating, either by the house or by another player.

▪ Stack a deck, rig a horse race, load dice, or otherwise cheat.
Palming cards, tiles, or dice is allowed as a Gambling test;

anything else requires Filch.
Gambling doubles as an Investigative Ability when used to:
▪ Calculate the odds of events ruled by probabilities.

▪ Interact with gamblers and blend in at casinos.
GUTS
You can resist physical and mental trials (e.g. hunger, torture,
effects of alcohol, extreme stress). You can:
▪ Stay awake longer than normally possible.
54
CHARACTER CREATION
▪ Stay operational under severe hunger, thirst, and the effects of

alcohol and drugs.
▪ Resist revealing information when tortured or intimidated.
▪ Ignore the negative effects of low Health or Stability for one
scene. Test against Difficulty of 4.
HEALTH
Health measures your ability to sustain injuries, resist infec-

tion, and survive the effects of toxins. When you get hit in the
course of a fight, your Health pool is diminished. A higher
Health pool allows you to stay in a fight longer before suc-
cumbing to your injuries.
When your Health pool is depleted, you may be dazed,

wounded, or pushing up the daisies.
▪ Points in your Health ability directly translate to your Health

pool. For more on this, see “Exhaustion, Injury and Death.”
▪ You get Health 1 for free.
INFILTRATION
You’re good at placing yourself inside places you have no

right to be. Despite its name, Infiltration is as useful for get-
ting out of places undetected as it is for getting into them. You
can:
▪ Pick locks.
▪ Deactivate or evade security systems.
▪ Move silently.
▪ Find suitable places for forced entry, and use them.
Infiltration doubles as an Investigative Ability when used to:
▪ Open locks that are hiding clues inside.
55
INTIMIDATION
Either through words or physical actions you are able to in-

timidate people. You are good at finding out what people are
afraid of and using that against them to get what you want.
You can:
▪ Appear a bigger threat than you actually are.

▪ Make a person afraid of something or someone.
▪ Twist a concept into a negative thing by making it sound like a
threat.
MEDIC
You can perform first aid on sick or injured individuals. For

more on the use of this ability, see “Exhaustion, Injury, and
Death.” You can:
▪ Use one point to grant two points of health to another character

who is hurt.
▪ Use one point to grant one point of health to yourself if you are
hurt.
▪ Use two points to stabilize a character that is seriously wounded.
PERFORMANCE ARTS
Whether it be singing, playing an instrument, juggling or

telling stories, it all comes down to skills in performing and
keeping the audience's focus on you. Useful for influencing
people around you. Great for distraction. You can:
▪ Play instruments and create pieces of art.

▪ Hold a speech to move or captivate and audience.
▪ Pretend to be another person.
56
CHARACTER CREATION
PERSUASION
You can persuade, manipulate and bluff. You know how to

talk to people to make them do what you want and what kind
of body language to use to avoid suspicion. You can:
▪ Persuade people to do what you want.

▪ Convince people that something is in their interest.
SCUFFLING
You can hold your own in a hand-to-hand fight, whether you

wish to kill, knock out, restrain, or evade your opponent.
▪ See Rules section “Fighting” for more rules about fighting.
SENSE TROUBLE
Keen perceptions allow you to spot signs of potential danger

to yourself and others. Information gained from this ability
might save your skin, but doesn’t directly advance the central
mystery. You can:
▪ Hear someone sneak up on you.

▪ See an obscured or hidden figure.
▪ Smell a gas leak.
▪ Have a bad feeling about this.
DIFFICULTY NUMBERS FOR SENSE TROUBLE
Players never know the Difficulty Numbers for Sense

Trouble before deciding how many points to spend. Play-
ers must blindly choose how much to spend. When more
than one player is able to make a Sense Trouble test, the
group decides which of them makes the attempt.
57
SHOOTING
You are adept with firearms. You can use both small and large
firearms and know how to take care of them. You have had
practice and will hit your target with more certainty. You can:
▪ See Rules section Fighting for more rules about fighting.
SHRINK
You can provide comfort, perspective and solace to the men-

tally troubled. You may be a therapist or counselor, a priest or
pastor, or just an empathetic and intuitive individual. You can
restore panicked characters to a state of calm, and treat any
long-term mental illnesses they accrue in the course of their
investigations. You can:
▪ Use one point to grant two points of stability to another charac-

ter. You cannot do this to yourself.
▪ Use two points to stabilize a character that is suffering from a
mental illness. You cannot do this to yourself.
STABILITY
Jarring or stressful events can exert a damaging long-lasting

psychological toll. Your Stability rating indicates your resis-
tance to mental trauma.
▪ Points in your Stability ability directly translate to your Stability

pool. For more on this, see “Stability tests and Losing it.”
▪ You get Stability 1 for free.
58
CHARACTER CREATION
SURVEILLANCE
You’re good at following suspects without revealing your

presence. You can:
▪ Guide a team to follow a suspect for short periods, handing off

to the next in sequence, so the subject doesn’t realize he’s being
trailed.
▪ Use telescopic viewing equipment to keep watch on a target
from a distance.
▪ Find undetectable vantage points.
▪ Hide in plain sight.
▪ Perceive (either with sight or other senses) potential hazards to
yourself or others.
▪ Disguise yourself.
WEALTH
You have and know how to use money to

solve problems. You know the appropri-
ate amounts for bribes as well as for in-
vestments. You can also afford more
expensive investments that might
be needed during the investiga-
tion. You can:
▪ Bribe people.
▪ Buy expensive, or hard to
get, equipment.
▪ Haggle and negotiate.
59
GIFTS - SUPERNATURAL GENERAL ABILITIES
Supernatural general abilities, or Gifts as they are known in
Grim Noir, are special powers that Reapers can gain during a
a game. Gifts allow Rapers to achieve effects that are beyond
normal abilities. With the exception of Soul Reaping, all Gifts
are bought from Agents of Heaven or Hell. A Reaper enters
into a contract with an Agent and gains the ability to channel
an aspect of Heaven or Hell.
Like all other things supernatural, the effects of Gifts are in-
visible to normal humans and Reaper Sight is required to see
them. This undeniably makes it safer for Reapers to use Gifts
among regular people as any visual cue goes unnoticed. The
end result, however, is plain and visible for everyone to see. A
regular person would not see the black flames of Hellfire, but
he would still see the effects of burning appear on the target
of the Gift.
Gifts are supernatural General Abilities. During character

creation it costs 5 build points to gain a rating of 1 in any Gift
and 1 build point for each additional rating point after 1. Usu-
ally gifts are bought from Agents with souls during game play
and this approach is highly recommended. Read more about
buying Gifts from “Selling souls”.
Using Gifts bought from Heaven or Hell works differently

from normal general abilities. For Gifts you don’t make a test
roll, but instead simply use one or more points from your re-
source pool. Activation of the effect is automatic. You will still
need to test Health or Stability or be disoriented afterwards.
If you have 0 points left in your pool, you cannot activate a
Gift.
Using Gifts takes its toll on your body and mind. After using
any Gift, you must make succeed in a Health or Stability test
or be disoriented for the next scene. The skill depends on if
the Gift was from Heaven or Hell.
60
CHARACTER CREATION
NEUTRAL GIFTS
Neutral Gifts are natural supernatural abilities that Reapers
acquire on their own. They require no deals and can develop
on their own. Possessing neutral Gifts do not affect the natu-
ral gray color of one’s soul.
SOUL REAPING
You can collect souls and store them inside your own body in
a container created from your own soul. This is referred to as
soul reaping, or just reaping for short.
To reap a soul the character must spend 3 points. The amount

of used points can be reduced by getting to know the deceases
person better. Every personal fact you can name about the
soul decreases the spend by one. The spend can even be low-
ered to 0, making the reaping free. Information can be al-
most anything as long as it is something personal about the
soul in question.
▪ Spend: 0-3 points.

▪ Reap a soul and carry it inside your own soul.
▪ After using this gift you must make a Health or Stability (you can
always choose either) skill test against 4. If you fail you will suffer
-1 to every test in the next scene.
▪ Investigators gain the first point of Soul Reaping for free in
character creation.
61
HELL’S GIFTS
As the name suggests, Hell’s Gifts come from Hell. They are
straightforward powers that take a part of their power from
the body of the user. Using Hell’s Gifts is felt strongly in the
body of the user as a feverish heat and without careful control
leave the user weak for a short while.
Hell’s Gifts color the owner’s soul with a tint of red. The more
Gifts from Hell one owns the redder the soul becomes.
INDUCE FEAR
You can make an NPC fear an object or a person. Affected

NPC cannot hurt, destroy or oppose the thing that they fear.
This can be useful in interrogation or to escape tricky situa-
tions. It can also be used creatively to disrupt the target NPC’s
life by making them fear something they normally trust.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Make an NPC fear an object or a person for one scene.
▪ After using this gift you must make a Health skill test against 4.
If you fail you will suffer -1 to every test in the next scene.
HELL’S VEINS
You gain demonic physical power. Your eyes and surface

blood veins turn black as your blood becomes a demonic
black substance that gives you strength.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Get +2 to all physical ability tests for one scene.
▪ Can ignore penalties from physical damage.
62
CHARACTER CREATION
HELLFIRE
The most iconic and feared Gift a Reaper can buy from Hell.
To wreak havoc as you please. Hellfire is dangerous beyond
measure. It burns everything to ashes quicker than napalm
and furthermore its flames cannot be seen without Reaper
Sight. When you use this gift black flames engulf your hand
and at the same moment the object of your choosing bursts
into the same black flames.
You can burn a target of roughly your own size within 30 me-
ters distance. The reason Hellfire is so feared is that it can hurt
and kill spirits and supernatural beings. If you use Hellfire to
kill a human his soul is also destroyed immediately. Hellfire
causes a flat 10 points of damage.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Cause 10 points of damage to the target.
REVEAL CORRUPTION
For one scene you can read people like an open book. All their
vulnerabilities are laid bare and you gain an uncanny ability
to use them to your advantage. For the duration Reveal Cor-
ruption is active you gain +2 to all social tests related to ma-
nipulating, deceiving and persuading everyone you
encounter. However, your advantage comes for attacking
people’s weaknesses and insecurities. They will remember
afterwards that you pushed them to a corner and hurt them
emotionally to get your way. While you usually get what you
want with Reveal Corruption, it hardly helps you to make
long lasting friends.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Get +2 to all social tests related to manipulation, deceiving or
persuasion for one scene.
If you fail you will suffer -1 to every tests in the next scene.
63
WHISPERS OF THE DEAD
Listen to the voices of the dead and you shall find the way.
Whispers of the Dead allow you to hear spirits in the sur-
rounding area and find them. As you tune your mind to listen
to the dead, all other sounds are lost to you and you become
practically deaf for a while. With this gift you are guaranteed
to quickly find a wandering soul from somewhere in the city,
but listening to the dead is not something you do lightly.
Poltergeists and Wraiths (see “Example souls”) cannot be

found with this Gift. They no longer whisper to themselves
incessantly and are able to hide themselves from this power.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Find a soul within a scene.
▪ Additionally every time you use this gift you risk losing Stability
and must make a Stability test against 4. If you fail you lose 3
points of Stability as the whispers are too much to listen to.
64
CHARACTER CREATION
HEAVEN’S GIFTS
Heaven’s Gifts are nuanced and less suited for direct con-
frontations. The side-effect of using Heaven’s Gifts is a light-
headedness that can make the user disoriented for a while.
Either the Gifts take a part of their energy from the mind of
the user or the user is exposed to the mysteries of Heaven.
Heaven’s Gifts color the owners soul with a tint of blue. The
more Gifts from Heaven one owns the bluer the soul be-
comes.
HEAVENLY LIGHT
You can shine heavenly light on a small area that reveals ev-
erything hidden within that area. All people, creatures and
spirits are revealed to everybody. It does not matter if they
were hidden by natural or supernatural means. Creatures re-
vealed by Heavenly Light can be seen also by normal people.
For example, normal people can see spirits revealed by the
light.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Reveal all hidden creatures.
▪ After using this gift you must make a Stability skill test against 4.
▪ All characters that witness a supernatural being are subjected to
a Stability test and risk losing Stability.
GUARDIAN ANGEL
You can negate any damage inflicted on you. It could be a

punch to the face, a bullet to the gut or falling from a rooftop.
You can use this Gift once per scene.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Negate all damage from a single source or incident.
65
ENDLESS CONVERSATION
Once you start a conversation with someone they cannot

break free from it on their own. Only you can decide to stop
even if there are unbelievably strange events happening
around. You can, for example, keep talking to a security guard
while a robber is stealing all the diamonds in the store and the
security guard will have to keep talking to you.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Engage in an endless conversation with one character.
HEAL
The power of healing is yours to use as you see fit. While most
Reapers require a deal with an Agent to heal diseases and in-
juries you can do it yourself. As you place your hands on an-
other person, a golden glow will light up and all injuries and
afflictions are healed. There is nothing short of death this gift
is unable to heal. The healing takes 30 minutes per Health
point healed.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Heal 1 point of Health per 30 minutes.
STABLE MIND
The Heaven’s Agent’s emotional stability is transferred to

you. Using Stable Mind completely suppresses all your emo-
tions. For one scene you are not susceptible to Stability tests
and cannot lose Stability.
▪ Spend: 1 point.
▪ Immune to Stability tests and Stability loss for the rest of the
scene.
66
CHARACTER CREATION
STEP FOUR: DRIVE AND FINAL TOUCHES

Each PC follows a drive, a personal motivation giving him,
her or it good reason to act heroically and curiously. By fol-
lowing your drive, you keep the story moving and ensure that
your behavior is in keeping with the Noir genre.
You can come up with your own drive or choose a classic Noir
drive from the list below.
SAMPLE DRIVES
Choose one of the drives below or create your own.
STUBBORN
You just won’t let go of the case no matter what happens. Even
if things get dangerous you will keep pushing to solve the
mystery. Even if your friends die and your family leaves you.
For you there is no backing out of anything you have started.
DISCOVERY
You’ve always known that there are strange things happening

in The City and you aim to figure out exactly what. You are
ever curious and always sticking your nose to where it does
not belong.
PROTECTOR
It’s dangerous out there for people who are not ready and
prepared. Your plan is to be prepared and protect the people
that matter the most to you. It’s your job to make sure no one
gets hurt.
GREED
For you the risks never seem to outweigh the rewards. You
never stop playing while you are still winning. You will always
want more than you or anyone else has.
67
JEALOUSY
You are always afraid of losing something of yours to another

and seek to prevent that from happening. What in the world
could help you keep everything to yourself?
GUILT
The past is never done with you or you with it. What ever it is
you did still haunts your dreams and waking hours. You des-
perately hope to either bury your guilt or somehow get rid of
it.
FINAL TOUCHES
Now the only thing that is left is to finish up, review and make
sure the GM approves your character. And there you have it.
Your character is ready to start solving the mysteries of The
City.
68
CHARACTER CREATION
RULES
This section describes the basic GUMSHOE rules system and
is addressed to players and the GM alike. The rules are
adapted for Grim Noir.
SOLVING MYSTERIES
The main focus of every game of Grim Noir is to solve a mys-
tery. The story should always revolve around a mystery that
the characters are a part of and feel compelled to solve. The
GUMSHOE rule system that this game uses is designed for a
style of gameplay where characters are investigating some-
thing. The mystery can be almost anything, but it’s advisable
that it be something personal to the characters. It can either
involve their personal life and friends or be part of their jobs.
Something that really creates a feeling for the players that
they want to get involved with the mystery in the first place.
70
RULES
Characters approach the mystery by gathering clues using

their Investigative Abilities. The clues they gather lead them
forward in the story towards the solution of the mystery. At
the same time the more clues they gather the deeper into the
figurative maze they move. The closer they get to the final so-
lution the more dangerous the situation will grow for the
characters. A single clue can be anything that moves the story
forward. It could be evidence found from a crime scene that
leads the characters to their next suspect. Or it could be a se-
cret door in a house that leads to a mysterious chamber filled
with strange objects. What is important is that finding a clue
provides the players a new objective to pursue.
The GM has a big responsibility in designing the mystery and

clues so that there are enough clues for the characters to col-
lect. There should be several clues to be found and analyzed
before the final solution can be found. It’s also good to have
clues that require the use of different investigative skills so
that the use of skills is balanced. This also ensures that all
players get a chance to find clues. Depending on the length
and complexity of the story there can be anything between 5
to 20 core clues to be found in a normal game.
MYSTERY STRUCTURE
Every investigative scenario begins with a crime, conspiracy,
or other act of disorder committed by a group of antagonists.
The player characters must figure out who did it and put a
stop to their activities.
Your GM designs each scenario by creating an investigation

trigger, a sinister conspiracy, and a trail of clues.
The investigation trigger. This is the event that attracts the

attention of the investigators. For example:
▪ The discovery of a murder victim, obviously slain during a ritu-

alistic killing.
▪ The discovery of a corpse slain by supernatural means, perhaps
by a strange creature.
▪ Sightings of supernatural creatures or phenomena.
71
The sinister conspiracy. This establishes who the antagonists
are, what they’ve done so far, what they’re trying to do, and
how the investigation trigger fits into the overall scheme. The
GM also determines what has to happen to prevent the plot
from going forward. This, unknown to the players, is their
victory condition — what they have to do to thwart the bad
guys and bring the story to a positive conclusion.
Once the GM has the logic of the story worked out from the
villain’s point of view, he can start to design a trail of clues
that was left behind. This trail of clues will start from the in-
vestigation trigger and leads to an understanding of the sinis-
ter conspiracy and its players.
Optionally, the GM may also plan a series of antagonist reac-

tions. These lay out what the antagonists do when they find
out that they’re being investigated. The GM determines what
conditions trigger them, and what the antagonists attempt to
do. These may include further crimes, giving the team more
to investigate. They may try to destroy evidence, hinder the
investigation by planting false leads, or to intimidate or dis-
pose of potential witnesses, including accomplices they no
longer trust. They may even attack the investigators. Foolish,
overconfident or risk-taking antagonists may take them on
directly. Clever antagonists will strike from a distance, taking
great pains to cover their tracks.
Ordinary crime dramas may call for a simpler structure. The

bad guys could still be furthering a sinister plot, or they may
be doing nothing after committing the triggering crime other
than hoping that the investigators don’t catch up with them.
In this case there is no ongoing conspiracy to disrupt. To
achieve victory and bring the scenario to a successful conclu-
sion, the investigators need merely prove their case against
the criminals. The climactic scene might involve wringing a
confession from the wrongdoer, or provoking him into re-
vealing the crucial bit of evidence which will ensure his con-
viction.
72
RULES
FROM STRUCTURE TO STORY

The GM’s structure notes are not a story. The story occurs as
you, the team of players, bring the structure to life through
the actions of your characters. The story proceeds from scene
to scene, where you determine the pace, discovering clues
and putting them together. Your characters interact with lo-
cations, gathering physical evidence, and encounter support-
ing characters run by the GM, gathering expert and
eyewitness testimony.
The first scene presents the mystery you have to solve. You
then perform legwork, collecting more information about
the case. Each scene contains information pointing to a new
scene. Certain scenes may put a new twist on the investiga-
tion, as the initial mystery turns out to be just one aspect of a
much bigger story. As clues accumulate, a picture of the case
emerges, until your characters arrive at a climactic scene,
where all is revealed and the bad guys confronted. A wrap-up
scene accounts for loose ends and shows the consequences of
your success—or, in rare instances, failure. (Why is failure
possible at all? Its possibility creates urgency and suspense.)
To move from scene to scene, and to solve the overall mys-

tery, you must gather clues. They fuel your forward momen-
tum.
TIP FOR PLAYERS: CONTAINING SPECULATION
Investigative scenarios often bog down into speculative de-

bate between players about what could be happening. Many
things can be happening, but only one thing is. If more than
one possible explanation ties together the clues you have so
far, you need more clues.
If you get stuck, get out there and gather more information.
73
GATHERING CLUES
Gathering clues is simple. All you have to do is:
1. Get yourself into a scene where relevant information can be

gathered and
2. Have the right ability to discover the clue and
3. Tell the GM that you’re using it.
As long as you do these three things, you will never fail to gain
a piece of necessary information. It is never dependent on a
die roll. If you ask for it, you will get it.
▪ You can specify exactly what you intend to achieve: “I use Psy-
chology to determine if the murder was a crime of passion or a
calculated act.”
▪ Or you can engage in a more general informational fishing ex-
pedition: “I use Evidence Collection to search the crime scene.”
▪ If your suggested action corresponds to a clue in the scenario
notes, the GM provides you the information arising from the
clue.
CORE CLUES
For each scene, the GM designates a core clue. This is the clue
you absolutely must have in order to move to the next scene,
and thus to complete the entire investigation. The GM should
avoid making core clues available only with the use of ob-
scure Investigative Abilities. (For that matter, the character
creation system is set up so that the group as a whole will have
access to all, or nearly all, of these abilities.) The ability the
GM designates is just one possibility, not a straight jacket - if
players come up with another plausible method, the GM
should give out the information.
Some clues would be obvious to a trained investigator imme-

diately upon entering a scene. These passive clues are pro-
74
RULES
vided by the GM without prompting. Scenarios suggest

which clues are passive and which are active, but your GM
will adjust these in play depending on how much guidance
you seem to need. On a night when you’re cooking with gas,
the GM will sit back and let you prompt her for passive clues.
When you’re bogging down, he may volunteer what would
normally be active clues.
SPECIAL BENEFITS
Certain clues allow you to gain special benefits by spending
points from the relevant Investigative Ability pool. During
your first few scenarios, your GM will offer you the opportu-
nity to spend additional points as you uncover these clues.
After that it’s also up to you to ask if it there’s anything to be
gained by spending extra time or effort on a given clue. You
can even propose specific ways to improve your already good
result; if your suggestion is persuasive or entertaining, the
GM may award you a special benefit not mentioned in his
scenario notes.
Each benefit costs either 1 or 2 points from the relevant pool,

depending on the difficulty of the additional action and the
scope of the reward. When asking you if you want to pur-
chase the benefit, the GM always tells you how much it will
cost. Additional information gained provides flavor, but is
never required to solve the case or move on to a new scene.
Often it makes the character seem clever, powerful, or heroic.
It may grant you benefits that are useful later in the scenario,
frequently by making a favorable impression on supporting
characters. It may allow you to leap forward into the story by
gaining a clue that would otherwise only become apparent in
a later scene. On occasion, the additional information adds
an emotional dimension to the story or ties into the charac-
ter’s past history or civilian life.
INVESTIGATIVE ABIL-
SPECIAL BENEFITS
ITY SPEND
Simple, usually one piece of
1
extra information
Obscure piece of information 2
Multiple pieces of information
2
from the same clue
75
The act of spending points for benefits is called a spend. The
GM’s scenario notes may specify that you get Benefit X for a
1-point spend, or Benefit Y for a 2-point spend. Sometimes
minor non-core information is available at no cost.
GMs of great mental agility who feel comfortable granting

their players influence over the details of the narrative may
allow them to specify the details of a special benefit.
If you wish to make a spend in a situation where the GM has

no special benefit to offer you, and cannot think of one that
pertains at all to the investigation, you do not lose the points
you wish to spend.
INCONSPICUOUS CLUES
Sometimes the characters instinctively notice something
without actively looking for it. Often this situation occurs in
places they’re moving through casually and don’t regard as
scenes in need of intensive searching. The team might pass
by a concealed door, spot a droplet of blood on the marble of
an immaculate hotel lobby, or approach a vehicle with a
bomb planted beneath it. Interpersonal abilities can also be
used to find inconspicuous clues. The classic example is of a
character whose demeanor or behavioral tics establish them
as suspicious.
It’s unreasonable to expect players to ask to use their various

abilities in what appears to be an innocuous transitional
scene. Otherwise they’d have to spend minutes of game time
with every change of scene, running down their abilities in
obsessive checklist fashion. That way madness lies.
Instead the GM asks which character has the highest current

pool in the ability in question. (When in doubt for what abil-
ity to use for a basic search, the GM defaults to Evidence Col-
lection.)
If two or more pools are equal, it goes to the one with the
highest rating. If ratings are also equal, their characters find
the clue at the same time.
76
RULES
SIMPLE SEARCHES
Many clues can be found without any ability whatsoever. If an
ordinary person could credibly find a clue simply by looking
in a specified place, the clue discovery occurs automatically.
You, the reader, wouldn’t need to be a trained investigator to
find a bloody footprint on the carpet in your living room, or
notice a manila envelope taped to the underside of a table at
the local pub. By that same logic, the Investigators don’t re-
quire specific abilities to find them, either. When players
specify that they’re searching an area for clues, they’re per-
forming what we call a simple search.
Vary the way you run simple searches according to pacing

needs and the preferences of your group. Some players like
to feel that their characters are interacting with the imaginary
environment. To suit them, use a call-and-response format,
describing the scene in a way that suggests places to look. The
player prompts back by zeroing in on a detail, at which point
you reveal the clue:
GM: Beside the window stands a roll-top desk.
Player: I look inside!
GM: You find an album full of old photographs.
At other times, or for players less interested in these small

moments of discovery, you might cut straight to the chase:
GM: You find an album full of old photographs in the roll-top desk.
77
In the first case, the player who first voices interest in the de-
tail finds the clue. In the second, it goes to, at your discretion:
▪ The character to whom the clue seems most thematically suited

(for example, if you’ve established as a running motif that Jenk-
ins always stumbles on the disgusting clues, and this clue is dis-
gusting, tell his player that he’s once again stepped in it)
▪ A player who hasn’t had a win or spotlight time for a while.
▪ The character with the highest Evidence Collection rating.
78
RULES
Solving challenges
DIE ROLLS
All die rolls in GUMSHOE use a single ordinary (six-sided)
die.
TESTS
A test occurs when the outcome of an ability use is in doubt.
Tests apply to general skills only. Unlike information gather-
ing attempts, tests carry a fairly high chance of failure. They
may portend dire consequences if you lose, provide advan-
tages if you win, or both. The GM sets a difficulty for a test and
a player rolls a single die against the difficulty rating. If the die
roll result is equal or higher than the difficulty rating the it is
considered a success. To make their chances of success higher
a player can spend points from their skill pool which will be
added to the die roll result.
A standard difficulty for a test is 4, which gives a player a

50/50 chance to succeed. These odds can be very easily im-
proved by spending one or two points from a suitable general
ability pool.
Even in the case of general skills, the GM should call for tests
only at dramatically important points in the story, and for
tasks of exceptional difficulty. Most General Ability uses
should allow automatic successes, with possible bonuses on
point spends, just like Investigative Abilities.
EXAMPLE OF A TEST
Nick Sullivan is trying to jump from a rooftop to another. The

GM decides this is an Athletics test with a difficulty 4. The
player does not want to risk his character falling down from
the roof and decides to spend 2 points from his Athletics pool.
He then rolls a die and gets the result 3. Alone that would not
be enough to win the challenge, but the 2 points he spent are
added and the final result is 3+2=5, enough to succeed.
79
SIMPLE TESTS
A simple test occurs when the character attempts an action

without active resistance from another person or entity. Ex-
amples include driving a treacherous road, jumping a gorge,
sneaking into an unguarded building, binding a wound,
shooting a target, or remaining sane in the face of creeping
supernatural horror.
In the game world, expenditure of pool points in this way

represents special effort and concentration by the character,
the kind you can muster only so many times during the
course of an investigation.
The GM does not reveal Difficulty Numbers beforehand. This

rule is meant to force players to decide how much they want
to commit to the situation, with the gnawing emotional dis-
sonance that comes from the possibility of making the wrong
move.
The test represents the character’s best chance to succeed.

Once you fail, you’ve shot your wad and cannot retry unless
you take some other supporting action that would credibly
increase your odds of success. If allowed to do this, you must
spend more pool points than you did on the previous at-
tempt. If you can’t afford it, you can’t retry.
Action DIFFICULTY
Normal action in a nor-
4
mal situation
Difficult 5
Very difficult 6
Continuous challenge 7+
Opposed challenge 4
Actor has advantage -1 or -2
Actor has disadvantage +1 or +2
Target has advantage +1 or +2
Target has disadvantage -1 or -2
80
RULES
DIFFICULTY NUMBERS AND STORY PACING

Just as the GUMSHOE system keeps the story moving by
making all crucial clues accessible to the characters, GMs
must ensure that tests and contests essential to forward nar-
rative momentum can be easily overcome. Assign relatively
low Difficulty Numbers of 4 or less to these crucial plot
points.
Reserve especially hard Difficulty Numbers for obstacles

which provide interesting, but non-essential benefits.
For example, if the characters have to sneak into the Agent’s

office in order to stage the final confrontation, assign the rel-
atively low Difficulty Number of 4 to the task. If it seems to
the characters that they ought to have a tougher time of it,
insert a detail justifying their ease of success. The security
guard assigned to patrol duty might be found passed out at
his post, say.
Where it is essential to overcome a general obstacle in order

to reach a core scene, allow success whatever the result, but
give a negative consequence other than failure for the test.
For example, the PC climbs a fence, but receives an injury.
This rule never protects characters from Health or Stability
loss.
COOPERATION
When two characters cooperate toward a single goal, they
agree which one of them is undertaking the task directly, and
which one is assisting. The leader may spend any number of
points from her pool, adding them to the die roll. The assis-
tant may pay any number of points from his pool. All but one
of these is applied to the die roll.
CONTINUING CHALLENGES
For tasks where drama or suspense call for a feeling of re-
peated effort, assign the obstacle a pool representing the base
81
Difficulty of doing it all at once unaided: this will generally be
8 or higher, often much higher. The tests per se use the stan-
dard Difficulty of 4.
The players may take turns, cooperate on each action, or use

any other means at their disposal in a series of tests: Athletics
to batter down a door, or administering first aid to a gunshot
victim. The points they roll and spend accumulate; when
they have enough points to overcome the initial Difficulty,
the task is done. No points or rolls spent on a failed test add
to the total. Characters can’t render an impossible task possi-
ble just by applying the continuing challenge rules.
MAKING GENERAL TESTS WITHOUT ABILITIES

You can always make a test of any General Ability even if your
Rating is 0. Your character can always try their luck at any
task. Read more on the penalties of using Scuffling and
Shooting with a 0 rating in Rules/Contests/Fighting/Fight-
ing Without Abilities.
CONTESTS
Contests occur when two characters, often a player character
and a supporting character controlled by the GM, actively at-
tempt to thwart one another. Contests usually resolve various
physical match-ups.
▪ In a contest, each character acts in turn. The first to fail a roll of

the contested ability loses. The GM decides who acts first.
▪ In a chase, the character who bolts from the scene acts first.
Where the characters seem to be acting at the same time, the
one with the lowest rating in the relevant ability acts first. In the
event of a tie, supporting characters act before player charac-
ters. In the event of a tie between player characters, the player
who arrived last for the current session goes first in the contest.
The first character to act makes a test of the ability in ques-

tion. If he fails, he loses the contest. If he succeeds, the second
82
RULES
character then makes a test. This continues until one charac-

ter loses, at which point the other one wins.
Typically each character attempts to beat a Difficulty Num-

ber of 4.
Where the odds of success are skewed in favor of one contes-

tant, the GM may assign different Difficulties to each. A char-
acter with a significant advantage gets a lower Difficulty
Number. A character facing a major handicap faces a higher
Difficulty Number. When in doubt, the GM assigns the lower
number to the advantaged participant.
Throughout the contest, the GM and players should collabo-

rate to add flavor to each result, explaining what the charac-
ters did to remain in the contest. That way, instead of
dropping out of the narration to engage in an arithmetical
recitation, you keep the fictional world verbally alive.
FIGHTING
Fights are slightly more complicated contests involving any

of the following abilities:
▪ Scuffling vs. Scuffling: the characters are fighting in close quar-

ters.
▪ Shooting vs. Shooting: the characters are apart from one an-
other and trying to hit each other with guns or other missile
weapons
Initiative: Determine whether the character who attempts to

strike the first blow seizes the initiative and therefore gets the
first opportunity to strike his opponent, or if his intended tar-
get anticipates his attack and beats him to the punch—or
shot, as the case may be.
▪ In a Scuffling contest, the PC gets to go first if his Scuffling rating

equals or exceeds that of his target.
▪ In a Shooting contest, he gets to go first if his Shooting rating
exceeds that of his target.
▪ Otherwise, the opponent goes first.
83
In the rare instance where two PCs fight one another (when
one of them is possessed, say), the PC with the higher appli-
cable rating (Scuffling or Shooting) goes first. If their ratings
tie, but their pools do not, the one with the higher pool goes
first. If both are tied, roll a die, with one player going first on
an odd result and the other on even.
A contest proceeds between the two abilities. When combat-

ants using the Scuffling or Shooting abilities roll well, they get
the opportunity to deal damage to their opponents.
Hit Thresholds: Each character has a base Hit Threshold 3.

The Hit Threshold is the Difficulty Number the character’s
opponent must match or beat in order to harm him. Less
competent supporting characters may have lower Hit
Thresholds. Creatures and more competent supporting char-
acters may have Hit Thresholds of 4 or higher.
Player characters normally have a Hit Threshold of 3. In

cover Hit Threshold is 4.
Nick Sullivan is fighting a mobster. Nick has a revolver while the

mobster has a tommy gun. Nick’s Shooting rating is higher so he gets
to go first. The GM has set the mobster’s Hit Threshold to 3. That
means that is the difficulty for Nick to hit his target. Nick’s player de-
cides not to spend points and will solely rely on his roll. He rolls a d6
and gets a 5, enough for a success. Nick hits the mobster.
Now Nick’s player makes a damage roll. He rolls 1d6, since that is the
damage for a revolver, and gets a 2. Unfortunately for Nick the mob-
ster has a Health of 3 and still has 1 point of Health left. Next it’s the
mobsters turn to shoot with her tommy gun.
ATTACK DIFFICULTY HIT THRESHOLD

Opponent is incompetent 2
Normal / PC 3
Opponent is evasive / PC
4
has cover
Opponent is extremely
5
evasive
Opponent is supernatu-
6
rally evasive.
84
RULES
Dealing Damage: When you roll on or over your opponent’s

Hit Threshold, you may deal damage to him. To do so, you
make a damage roll, rolling a d6 which is then modified ac-
cording to the relative lethality of your weapon.
Weapon type Damage

Fist, kick 1d6 -2
Small improvised weapon, police ba-
1d6 -1
ton, knife
Machete, heavy club, light firearm 1d6
Sword, heavy firearm 1d6 +1
▪ For firearms, add an additional +2 when fired at point blank

range.
▪ Supernatural creatures often exhibit alarmingly high damage
modifiers.
▪ Characters may never spend points from their combat pools to
increase their damage rolls.
▪ The final damage result is then subtracted from your oppo-
nent’s Health pool. When a combatant’s Health pool drops to 0
or less, that combatant begins to suffer ill effects, ranging from
slight impairment to helplessness to death.
▪ Unlike other contests, participants do not lose when they fail
their test rolls. Instead, they’re forced out of the fight when they
lose consciousness or become seriously wounded.
85
EXHAUSTION, INJURY AND DEATH
Rating in the General Ability Health directly determines your

maximum, and starting, health. Health pool in turn deter-
mines your current health. Unlike most abilities, your Health
pool can drop below 0.
When it does this, and every time you get more damage while
below 0, you must make a Consciousness roll to see if the
character falls unconscious. Roll a die against Difficulty
Number of 4. You may deliberately strain yourself to remain
conscious, voluntarily reducing your Health pool by an
amount of your choice. For each point you reduce it, add 1 to
your die result.
Nick Sullivan is shot with a tommy gun and receives 4 points of dam-
age. A nasty hit. Nick had 3 points left in his Health pool and the dam-
age reduces it to -1, just barely below 0. As the character is now Hurt,
Nick’s player must roll a Consciousness roll. Nick’s player does not
want Nick to fall unconscious so he spends 1 point of Health to boost
his roll, lowering his health further to -2. He rolls a d6 and gets a 3.
Luckily he spent a point that pushes the result to 4 (3+1=4), a success!
Nick stays awake and is able to continue the fight.
For the rest of the fight, Nick has to be very careful. Every time he gets
more damage, while his Health is under 0, he must make a new Con-
sciousness roll.
86
RULES
LOSING HEALTH
If your health is between 0 to -5, you are HURT.
▪ You must make a Consciousness roll.

▪ You have suffered no permanent injury, beyond a few superfi-
cial cuts and bruises.
▪ However the pain of your injuries increases the Difficulty Num-
bers of all tests and contests, including opponents’ Hit Thresh-
olds, by 1.
▪ A character with the Medic ability can improve your condition
by spending Medic points. For every Medic point spent, you re-
gain 2 Health points. He must be in a position to devote all of his
attention to directly tending to your wounds.
If your health is between -6 and -11, you are WOUNDED.
▪ You must make a Consciousness roll.

▪ Whether or not you maintain consciousness, you are no longer
able to fight. Until you receive first aid, you will lose an addi-
tional Health point every half hour. A character with the Medic
ability can stabilize your condition by spending 2 Medic points.
However, he can’t restore your Health points.
▪ Even after you receive first aid, you must convalesce in a hospi-
tal or similar setting for a period of days. Your period of forced
inactivity is a number of days equal to the lowest value your
Health pool was reduced to. (So if you were reduced to -8
Health, you are hospitalized for 8 days.) On the day of your dis-
charge, your Health pool increases to half its maximum value.
On the next day, it refreshes fully.
When your health reaches -12 or less, you are DEAD.
▪ Time to create a replacement character.

▪ Before you die you get one final monologue or action that you
can use to convey final words to your fellow investigators.
87
SURPRISE
Player characters are surprised when they find themselves

suddenly in a dangerous situation. Avoid being surprised with
a successful Surveillance test. The basic Difficulty is 4, ad-
justed by the opponent’s Stealth Modifier.
Player characters surprise supporting characters by sneaking

up on them with a successful Infiltration or Surveillance test.
The basic Difficulty is 4, adjusted by the opponent’s Stealth
modifier.
Surprised characters suffer a +2 increase to all General Ability

Difficulties for any immediately subsequent action. In a fight,
the penalty pertains to the first round of combat.
ARMOR
Armor may reduce the damage from certain weapon types.

If you’re wearing a form of armor effective against the
weapon being used against you, you subtract a number of
points from each instance of damage dealt to you before ap-
plying it to your Health pool.
▪ Light body armor, as worn by police officers, reduces each in-

stance of damage from bullets by 2 points and from cutting and
stabbing weapons (knives, swords, machetes) by 1 point.
▪ Military-grade body armor reduces all damage by 3 points.
ARMOR PROTECTION
Light armor vs. stabbing
1
weapons
Light armor vs. firearms 2
Heavy armor 3
Supernatural protection 1-4
88
RULES
Light body armor is heavy, hot, and marks you out as some-
one looking for trouble. All of these drawbacks apply doubly
to military-grade body armor. Investigators can’t expect to
walk around openly wearing armor without attracting the at-
tention of the local police. Armor and heavy weapons may
prove useful in discrete missions conducted away from pry-
ing eyes.
Creatures often have high armor ratings. They may possess

hard, bony hides or monstrous anatomies that can take
greater punishment than ordinary organisms. Most super-
natural creatures are more resistant to bullets and other mis-
sile weapons than they are to blunt force trauma, slashes, and
stab wounds.
FIGHTING WITHOUT ABILITIES
A character with a Shooting rating of 0 can still use guns. Any-

one can pick up a revolver and empty it in the general direc-
tion of the foe. Likewise, a character with no Scuffling ability
is not going to just ignore the fire axe sitting on the wall when
a ghoul bursts through a partition wall. However, characters
with rating of 0 will use their weapons ineffectively and hesi-
tantly. Using a weapon (including fists or feet) without ability
has the following drawbacks:
▪ You automatically do -2 damage

▪ You must declare your action at the beginning of each round
and cannot change it if the tactical situation alters.
▪ You automatically go last in each round.
▪ If you are using a firearm, a roll of 1 means you have accidentally
shot yourself or one of your allies, as selected (or rolled ran-
domly) by the GM. Do damage as normal (including your auto-
matic -2 damage penalty).
89
STABILITY TESTS
Mental stresses can take you out of commission, temporarily
or permanently, as easily as physical injury.
▪ When an incident challenges your fragile sanity, make a Stabil-

ity test against a Difficulty Number of 4.
▪ If you fail, you lose a number of Stability points. The severity of
the loss depends on the situation. As with any other test of a
General Ability, you are always permitted to spend Stability
points to provide a bonus to your roll. However, it’s never a
good bet to spend more points than you stand to lose if you fail.
Your Stability loss from failed tests is capped at the worst in-
cident in that scene. Points spent on providing bonuses are
still lost. GMs should feel free to assess Stability Losses for
other incidents, using the examples provided as a bench-
mark. Some especially overwhelming creatures may impose
higher than normal Stability losses when seen from a dis-
tance, seen up close, or ripping your lungs out. Characters
make a single roll per incident, based on its highest potential
Stability loss.
incident Stability loss

You see something that should be impossible 2
You are in a car or other vehicle accident serious
2
enough to pose a risk of injury
You experience something that should be impos-
3
sible
You see a supernatural creature from a distance 3
You see a supernatural creature up close 4
You see a particularly grisly murder or accident
4
scene
You learn that a friend or loved one has been vio-
4
lently killed
You discover the corpse of a friend or loved one 5
You are attacked by a supernatural creature 5
You see a friend or loved one killed 6
You see a friend or loved one killed in a particularly
7
gruesome manner
90
RULES
LOSING STABILITY
Like Health, your Stability pool can drop below 0.
If your Stability is between 0 to -5, you are SHAKEN.
▪ Your mental stress is starting to take its toll but you are not yet
permanently traumatized.
▪ Difficulty Numbers of all tests and contests, including oppo-
nents’ Hit Thresholds, is increased by 1.
▪ A character with the Shrink ability can spend points from that
pool to help another character regain spent Stability points. For
every Shrink point spent, the recipient gains 2 Stability points.
If your Stability is between -6 to -11, you are SHOCKED.
▪ Difficulty Numbers of all tests and contests, including oppo-

nents’ Hit Thresholds, is further increased by 1.
▪ Furthermore, you permanently lose 1 point from your Stability
rating. The only way to get it back it to purchase it again with
build points.
When your Stability reaches -12 or less, you are INCURABLY

INSANE.
▪ You may commit one last crazy act, which must either be self-
destructively heroic or just destructive. Or you may choose
merely to gibber and drool. Assuming you survive your perma-
nent journey to the shores of madness, your character is quietly
shipped off to a secure psych facility, never to be seen again.
Time to create a new character.
91
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRIAGE
A character with the Shrink ability can spend points from that
pool to help another character regain spent Stability points.
For every Shrink point spent, the recipient gains 2 Stability
points.
If a character is acting in an erratic manner due to mental ill-

ness, another character can spend 2 points of Shrink to snap
him into a state of temporary lucidity. He will then act ratio-
nally for the remainder of the current scene.
92
RULES
REGAINING POOL POINTS

All investigative and general abilities refresh between cases.
REGAINING INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY POINTS

Investigative Ability pools are restored only at the end of each
case, without regard to the amount of time that passes in the
game world. Players seeking to marshal their resources may
ask you how long cases typically run, in real time. Most
groups finish cases over 2-3 sessions. Players may revise their
sense of how carefully to manage point spending as they see
how quickly their group typically disposes of its cases. GMs
running extremely long, multi-part investigations may desig-
nate certain story events as breakpoints where all investiga-
tive pools are refreshed.
REGAINING GENERAL ABILITY POINTS

Pools for general abilities refresh at the end of each case, like
Investigative Abilities. It is possible for players to earn extra
points during the case if they can realistically achieve it
through their actions. For example if a character gets their
hands on expensive jewels he could sell them and gain 1 or 2
points of Wealth. The GM should however be careful in
awarding extra points too easily. For example a police officer
who uses all his Shooting points cannot just walk back to the
police station and request a refill of ammunition. His
monthly quota and chances of getting ammunition is already
considered to be part of his Shooting rating. Same for other
general abilities. All extra points should represent just that;
something out of the ordinary, something extra.
REGAINING STABILITY POINTS

Full refreshment occurs between cases. It is possible only
when the character is able to spend calm, undisturbed quality
time with friends and loved ones uninvolved in the shadowy
world of the Reaper community. In Grim Noir the characters
must balance the everyday pressures of ordinary life against
93
the pressure of dealing with the supernatural. As part of the
character creation process, players must detail their network
of friends and loved ones and 1 Core Relationships in a para-
graph or two of background text, which is then submitted to
the GM for approval.
During a case Stability can be regained by engaging in normal

activities separated from the supernatural Reaper commu-
nity. Use of the Shrink ability permits limited recovery of
Stability points in the course of a case. Every PC also regains
1 point of Stability at the beginning of each game session.
Event DURING GAME Stability gain

At the beginning of every game session 1
Visit home 1
Meet friends and family (Core Relationship) 1
Visit workplace and get some normal work done 1
Drink whisky after a shocking incident 1
Act according to your Role 2
Have a meaningful conversation with a familiar
2
NPC
Protect your Core Relationships from harm 3
Prevent a death 3
Between cases Full
REGAINING HEALTH POINTS

The Health pool refreshes over time, at a rate of 2 points per
day of restful activity. (Wounded characters heal at a different
rate, over a period of hospitalization.) Use of the Medic ability
can restore a limited number of Health points in the course
of a session.
94
RULES
WHAT DO POOL POINTS REPRESENT?
Pool points are a literary abstraction, representing the way

that each character gets his or her own time in the spotlight in
the course of an ensemble drama. When you do something
remarkable, you expend a little bit of your spotlight time.
More active players will spend their points sooner than less
demonstrative ones, unless they carefully pick and choose
their moments to shine.
Pool points do not represent a resource, tangible or otherwise,

in the game world. Players are aware of them, but characters
are not. The team members’ ignorance of them is analogous
to TV characters’ obliviousness to commercial breaks, the un-
written rules of scene construction, and the tendency of
events to heat up during sweeps.
We represent this most purely in the case of investigative

skills, which are the core of the game. Their refreshment is
tied to a purely fictional construct, the length of the episode.
However, where a pool could be seen to correspond to a re-

source perceptible to the characters, we handle refreshment
in a somewhat more realistic, if also abstract, manner. Charac-
ters’ ebbing Health scores are perceptible to the characters in
the form of welts, cuts, pain, and general fatigue. Stability is
less tangible, but can be subjectively measured in the charac-
ters’ moods and reactions. Physical abilities, also tied to fa-
tigue and sharpness of reflexes, are also handled with a nod to
the demands of realism.
95
OPPONENT STATISTICS
You usually only need game statistics for characters that the
investigators in some way have to overcome through General
Abilities. Most witnesses, suspects and non-combatants re-
quire only a text description, indicating for example which
interpersonal abilities they’re most likely to respond to.
Opponents use the same Hit Threshold and Weapon Dam-

age rules as player characters.
When choosing Health ratings for dramatically unimportant

foes, don’t worry about simulating their relative robustness in
comparison to the general population. Focus on how many
hits they ought to be able to take before dropping, according
to dramatic logic. If you want a thug who falls to a single burst
of automatic fire, give him a Health of 1 or 2.
Armor is subtracted from each instance of damage the oppo-

nent takes. Where a weapon or weapons is listed in brackets
after the number, the Armor reduces damage only from
those weapons. Some Armor may protect against all Scuffling
attacks, but not Shooting attacks, or vice versa.
SAMPLE OPPONENT STAT BLOCK: GANGSTER
Abilities: Athletics 4, Health 3, Scuffling 4, Shooting 6.
Weapons/Damage: Tommy Gun +1
Hit Threshold: 3
Armor: 1
Alertness Modifier: Flashlight +1 / 0
Stealth Modifier: -1
96
RULES
An opponent’s Alertness Modifier represents its ability to

sense your activities, whether through standard senses like
sight and hearing, or exotic ones like echolocation,
pheromone recognition, or reaper sight. When you try to
sneak past it, the Alertness Modifier is applied to your base
Infiltration Difficulty, which is usually 4. It also applies to Sur-
veillance tests when you’re trying to observe the opponent
without being observed in turn. The Alertness Modifier re-
flects all of the individual’s sensing capabilities, both natural
and technological. A second number appearing after a slash
represents the opponent’s Alertness if its gear is somehow
neutralized or taken away.
An opponent with a Stealth Modifier is either significantly

harder or easier to spot with Surveillance. It alters the diffi-
culty number for that or similar tests. When in doubt use the
base Difficulty 4 to spot a stealthy opponent and adjust the
difficulty according to the Stealth Modifier.
TESTS AND SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Game statistics in GUMSHOE are, whenever possible, player-
facing. When you as the GM have the choice between making
a determination based on a player test, or on a test made by
you on behalf of a supporting character, always choose the
player. For example, you may want to specify that there’s a
chance a harried relative of a kidnapping victim might even-
tually lose her patience with the investigators and participate
in a damaging press conference. Rather than having her
make a Stability test to see when and if this happens, set it up
so that a player makes a Persuasion spend to forestall her.
Likewise, if you want to have a supporting character steal

something in a situation where the PCs are in no position to
affect the outcome, simply decree that it happens. Don’t
bother testing the character’s Filch ability. To do otherwise is
to engage in false branching: you are creating unpredictabil-
ity for yourself in a way that remains invisible to the players.
They don’t get a chance to alter the outcome, and thus gain
no benefit from the uncertainty you’ve introduced.
97
IMPROVING YOUR CHARACTER
At the end of a session, each player gets 21 build points for
participating. Players may also get build points if they bring
out their characters Life Event or play their character accord-
ing to film noir tropes.
These build points can be spent to increase either investiga-

tive or General Abilities. You may acquire new abilities or bol-
ster existing ones. If necessary to preserve credibility,
rationalize new abilities as areas of expertise you’ve had all
along, but are only revealing later in the series.
GET BUILD POINTS IF HOW MANY

After every session 1
Played character Life
1
Event
Film noir roleplay 1
IMPROVEMENT AND FILM NOIR
Keep in mind that while characters will get build points and
technically grow stronger their lives might still continue to
spiral out of control. In the spirit of film noir the personal lives
of characters often get significantly worse as time goes by.
Friends and family get alienated and less and less work gets
done as the mystery pulls the characters deeper into its
clutches.
Players should not be afraid of this development. It’s part of

the game and part of the fun.
98
RULES
SPECIAL RULES AND GAMEPLAY
Special rules have been designed specifically for Grim Noir.
Special rules deal with the unique aspects of gameplay in
Grim Noir like monologue, flashback and soul trading.
Monologues are used to obtain narrative points that are in

turn spent to create flashbacks.
Flashbacks allow players to reveal surprising history about

their character or reveal preparations done in the past.
Soul trading is the process of selling souls to Agents of

Heaven or Hell in return of wealth and favors.
100
MONOLOGUES
Monologues are the signature style narration in film noir that
voices the characters’ feelings and thoughts. Monologues also
earn characters Narrative Points that are used for flashbacks.
Whenever there is a good opportunity in the game to reflect
on the story or other characters, players can ask for a small
pause and present their monologue. The GM can also hint
when an opportunity is coming (e.g. a crucial turning point).
The key to a gripping monologue is simplicity, metaphors,

and being black and white. Use simple words and sentences
that are easy to understand. A monologue should not be pre-
tentious. Creative metaphors make an ok monologue fantas-
tic. Black and white statements are a great way for leaving a
strong impression and driving your point home. You can try
the following tips when creating your monologue:
▪ Reflect on what just happened and how you are feeling.

▪ Use a creative of strange metaphor.
▪ Reflect on how bad things are, or are about to be.
▪ Deliver black and white statement about what you have to do
next.
EXAMPLE MONOLOGUE
When I found the note where my Jeanie says she is taking the kids and
moving to her mother’s place for a while, I could barely breathe. I had
seen all the signs: her red eyes, the discussion she always wanted to
have and finally the silence. I had been too busy balancing work and
all that goddamn Reaper shit to give time to my own family. And this
is where it had led. I knew I could still fix this if I took the next train
out of here. Out of The City. Still, I knew I wouldn’t do that. There
was work to be done. I just hoped whisky would help me sleep tonight.
-Nick Sullivan
101
INTERNAL MONOLOGUES
It’s important to remember that monologues are internal,

silent monologues inside the game. It’s only the other players,
not the characters, that hear them. There is no need to worry
about NPCs overhearing a monologue.
In order to earn narrative points, a monologue needs to in-

clude something significant. It cannot just be about hating the
bad weather. The player should reveal something new and in-
sightful about his character to other players. Monologues are
a great way to let other players know about things that you
normally would not share, like how insecure your character
really is, or even how little you actually trust other characters.
When a monologue brings something new to the game, the
GM can reward the player with one narrative point.
Alternate ways to get narrative points

The GM can also reward players narrative points for other
dramatic actions that fit the film noir genre and enhance the
narrative, that is makes the story more fun. For example:
▪ Reveal something interesting about a character.

▪ Make a scene more dramatic and fun for everyone by acting and
making decisions like you are in a film noir movie.
▪ Put yourself in harms way to further the plot.
102
FLASHBACKS
A flashback, like monologues, is a type of narration that is
special to Grim Noir and is a powerful way for players to con-
tribute to the story. Flashbacks show events that happened
before the present and are a great way to reveal surprising
facts about a character’s past or preparations done in secret.
The great thing about flashbacks is that you don’t have to

know beforehand what you want to do in a flashback until the
moment you use one. A flashback can be used to change the
past so that the characters can get an edge in a difficult situa-
tion in the present, although those changes do have limita-
tions. Flashbacks use narrative points that can be earned with
monologues. Two types of flashbacks can be used: Descrip-
tive Flashbacks and Narrative Flashbacks.
Descriptive Flashbacks are quick flashbacks that are in-

tended to "fill in the blanks" of the story. The function of the
Descriptive Flashbacks is to help the story to move on, not
create conflict. The rule of a thumb for Descriptive Flash-
backs is "if it can be done without a conflict, it's a Descriptive
Flashback". Descriptive flashbacks do not cost narrative
points.
Descriptive flashbacks can also be used to narrate a scene in

the past in order to increase the intensity of the story. It is a
powerful tool for both the GM and players. If the characters
have for example known each other for a long time a child-
hood scene that strengthened their relationship can create
bonds in the present of the story. Even if the player has a lot
of narrative rights on these Descriptive Flashbacks, in the end
it is the GM’s responsibility to rule if something is possible or
not.
103
EXAMPLE DESCRIPTIVE FLASHBACK
Player characters have come to The End Time Harvest Apos-

tolic Church in pursuit of clues. There they wish to speak to
Father Matthew. One of the players thinks that it would be fit-
ting that her character, Janice, would already know Father
Matthew from before because Janice is a devout believer. With
the GM’s approval Janice’s player describes a brief flashback
about how Father Matthew helped Janice in a time of need and
after that they have had frequent talks about faith.
As PCs approach the priest, Janice takes the lead and the scene
takes on a more personal feel because the characters already
have some history together.
Narrative flashbacks are used to change something in the

past to give a positive effect to a current situation. A player
can choose to spend narrative point to influence the past and
then describe it in a flashback. The player that wants to use a
Narrative flashback quickly describes what they wants to
change and the GM decides how many narrative points are
required based on the magnitude of change (see "Using Nar-
rative Points").
EXAMPLE NARRATIVE FLASHBACK
Nick Sullivan is confronted by his wife about spending too

much time at work. He has no credible excuse to present to his
wife and decides to use a Narrative Flashback to save his mar-
riage. He tells the GM that earlier this morning Nick realized
that he has to do something to save his marriage and wrote a
love letter to his wife confessing his undying love and devo-
tion to get through this crisis. The GM decides that it is just a
small change and that the cost is one narrative point. In front
of his wife's furious face Nick pulls out the envelope filled with
the letter and rose petals and hands it to her.
104
USING NARRATIVE POINTS

Using narrative points can help players survive even the most
foolhardy plans without the need to make elaborate contin-
gency plans. This ensures that players rarely, if ever, truly
need to plan ahead. It’s ok to move on even if you are not sure
what is going to happen. A character can have up to three nar-
rative points at a time.
The characters have planned for every eventuality.
1: Small change. Place a small item on the scene. Influence

the attitude of a character significantly. An advantage that
might require a few hours of preparation.
▪ Stash a weapon on your person or to a secure hiding place.

▪ Secure leverage-worthy information.
▪ Call in favor from an old friend.
2: Medium change. Place a big item on the scene. Bring a

character to the scene. Completely change the attitude of a
character towards your own character. An advantage that
might require a few days of preparation.
▪ Arrange an escape vehicle.

▪ Secure blackmail material.
▪ Arrange back up in case things go south.
3: Big change. Bring many characters to the scene. Change

the attitude of several characters. An advantage that might re-
quire a few weeks of preparation.
▪ Rally a group of friends to back you up.

▪ Convince several people to back up your version of the story.
▪ Plant an intricate web of false evidence and leads.
105
GATHERING SOULS
Souls, also called ‘spirits,’ don’t usually understand their own
situation very well. The first few days, they are not even aware
that they have died. Spirits often relive their final moments
in a constant loop, trying to understand what has happened.
Slowly, spirits begin to become aware of their own situation
and depending on the personality either become vengeful
ghosts or benevolent spirits. The longer souls remain on
Earth, the more powerful they become as they learn to affect
their surroundings. In about 2 weeks souls, are able to move
small objects and affect emotions of sensitive humans. Over
months and years, souls can become very powerful
poltergeists.
For Reapers, the best window of opportunity to gather souls

is right after death, when the souls are still confused. Every
day that passes makes it more difficult to reap a soul. This is
because in order to to reap a soul, the Reaper has to under-
stand the soul well enough to convince it to not resist too
much. It’s necessary for a successful reaping that the Reaper
truly understands the soul and can connect emotionally.
Souls who know about Reapers are suspicious and careful
SOULS IN THE CITY
Even though hundreds of people die daily in big cities there

are still surprisingly few souls walking around the city.
Reapers often discuss the possible reasons for the apparent
lack of souls, but more often than not it’s wild speculation.
Perhaps some flee from the city or wander the sewers. Perhaps
stronger souls like wraiths devour other souls. On a normal
day PCs will most likely not run into souls unless they are ac-
tively spending time looking for them. It can be assumed that
a normal soul may be found after a day’s work.
106
about not revealing too much of themselves. In a way, finding

out what makes a particular soul tick is very similar to solving
the main mystery of the story. Enough small pieces of infor-
mation need to be collected in order to piece together a com-
plete picture and make sense of it.
The best way is to engage in conversation with the deceased

and find out what truly matters to them. Just being able to
find out 1 to 3 personal things about the person makes it pos-
sible to understand them enough to reap them. Another way
is to search their house or talk to their family to find clues on
what kind of persons they really were. This method con-
sumes more time, so the Reaper risks losing the soul to an-
other. However, this is the only way to reap suspicious souls,
as they will know not to share any personal information di-
rectly.
REAPING A SOUL
To reap a soul the character must spend 3 points from their
Soul Reaping ability pool. The amount of used points can be
reduced by getting to know the deceases person better. Every
personal fact you can name about the soul decreases the
spend by one. The spend can even be lowered to 0, making
the reaping free. Information can be almost anything as long
as it is something personal about the soul in question.
PERSONAL FACTS KNOWN

ABILITY SPEND
ON SOUL
0 3
1 2
2 1
3 0
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EXAMPLE SOULS
Bob had no idea what was going on. He felt disoriented and could
barely remember his own name. What was it that had happened? A
car crash? He didn’t feel pain so he was probably not hurt. For some
reason the only thing he could bring himself to do was to repeatedly
walk to the middle of the street and stop to tie his shoelaces. Again and
again and again and again.
For Reapers souls exist to be caught and sold. For most that is
enough and they refuse to think about the morality of what
they are doing. Many have personally seen a Reaper succumb
to despair through overthinking the morality of their actions.
As such souls become currency that has value mostly to

Agents, but not all souls are equal in value. The older a soul is
the more value it has and there are also special individuals
that might be more valuable to an agent due to their position
in life, the information they possess, or some significant per-
sonal quality.
SPIRIT - SEVERAL HOURS AFTER DEATH
Souls that have just died are very disoriented and confused.
They often have not yet realized that they are dead and con-
tinue to attempt to talk to people near them. They tend to
repeat their last actions compulsively as if to try and figure
out what happened to them
▪ Worth 1 soul
SPIRIT - THREE DAYS AFTER DEATH
Some days after death, souls usually figure out their demise
and begin to wander The City in search of someone to talk to.
If they happen to find someone to talk to they are more than
happy to do that. Being invisible to people often drives souls
to despair.
▪ Worth 1 soul
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GHOST - TWO WEEKS AFTER DEATH
Several weeks after death, some souls begin to learn to move

small objects and make weak sounds. These souls have turned
into ghosts. They often try to either help or hinder the lives
of those close to them, but their efforts mostly go unnoticed.
▪ Worth 1 soul
POLTERGEIST - FOUR MONTHS AFTER DEATH
In rare cases, souls survive for months without being cap-

tured by Reapers, and become poltergeists. This happens
mostly on remote locations with little or no neighbours.
These can affect the physical world considerably, including
moving heavy objects and making smaller ones fly. Most
poltergeists have learned not to trust Reapers and avoid giv-
ing them any advantage to catch them. However, they are
more valuable to Agents, so many Reapers will attempt to
reap a poltergeist should they learn of one.
▪ Worth 5 souls
WRAITH - TEN YEARS AFTER DEATH
Mostly only whispered legends among Reapers, Wraiths have

mastered their undead state. They are the most dangerous
type of soul. Wraiths are impressively strong and clever. They
have learned to create illusions which makes them very diffi-
cult to capture or destroy. Wraiths are immensely valuable,
but so dangerous that it’s considered suicidal to engage one.
▪ Worth 10 souls
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CARRYING SOULS
It’s not easy to gather souls. Carrying a soul inside one’s body
affects the Reaper in various ways. First of all the soul can
communicate with the carrier. This is usually experienced as
continuous whispering no one else can hear. Most of the time
it’s just too silent to make sense, but still loud enough to hear.
Maybe the soul pleads to be set free or suggests horrible acts.
On rare occasions they can even slightly influence the emo-
tions of the carrier. The effect is increased with every soul
that is carried simultaneously. As can be imagined carrying
more than 3 souls at a time can further tax a Reaper’s already
strained sanity.
Carrying souls also has an effect on how other people react to

you. Even though normal people cannot see the supernatu-
ral, they can sometimes sense its presence, particularly when
a Reaper is carrying a soul. Reapers act as a bridge between
the worlds, making it more palpable.
Whenever a Reaper is carrying a soul he

will notice that everyone around him will
react to him more negatively. Especially
family and friends who immediately
notice that something is
slightly off. The Reaper gives
other people a slight sense of
dread and paranoia. They
see their friend, but feel like
he is a stranger. This effect
compounds based on the
number of souls being car-
ried. In the long run al-
most all Reapers are
alienated by their family
and friends who cannot
bear to spend time with
someone who just does
not seem like the person
they used to know.
110
BURDEN OF SOULS
Carrying a soul for one day incurs a 1 point Stability Loss. Ev-
ery extra soul adds 1 more point per day. Carrying three souls
at the same time for one day incurs a 3 point Stability Loss.
SELLING SOULS
The Agents of Heaven and Hell pay premium for souls, and
only Reapers can provide them. Offerings include money,
items, connections, favors, and even some supernatural ben-
efits. A Reaper never has to work a regular job after getting
into soul trading, and will easily be better off than the average
person.
Making deals with Agents is, in theory, fairly simple. Find

one. Bring them a soul. Agree on a price. Shake the Agent’s
hand and release the soul. Get your reward. In practice it’s a
bit more complicated than that.
Most Reapers tend to choose a side; either they sell to Heaven

or they sell to Hell. People who play both sides of the game
are generally not well liked, especially by the Agents. Deals
happen, but the terms are subpar. Many Reapers also tend to
form cliques with others from their side and have less busi-
ness with people from the other. Reapers in the middle might
find themselves outcasts from both sides, unless they manage
to play their cards extremely well.
The deal with an Agent is done first through discussion and

haggling on the price. This is best done in game without
rolling of dice. Once the character and the Agent agree on the
price of the soul the deal is sealed with a handshake. The soul
transfers as the parties shake hands. After that the Reaper re-
ceives payment. See Benefits of Soul Trading for concrete
examples of prices.
111
What happens to souls?
Fate of sold souls is a mystery that permeates the Reaper so-
ciety. It’s one of the most frequently asked questions for new
Reapers, but unfortunately there are no easy answers. Agents
are awfully quiet about the topic and refuse to give informa-
tion on what they actually do to the souls they receive. Due to
a lack of any real information rumors are rampant on the
topic and every Reaper worth their salt has their own opin-
ion.
Attitudes towards selling souls depend heavily on what each

Reaper’s own view on the fate of souls is. Some believe the
souls get exactly where they belong, in heaven or hell.
Reapers are just part of the solution and try not to think too
deeply about it. Others believe that souls are destroyed at the
moment of transfer, perhaps transformed into something
else.
In the end it is up to the Game Master to decide what actually

happens to souls and up to the players to decide how their
characters think about it. Whatever is decided, one thing is
clear. Selling sentient souls of the dead is, for sure, on some
level morally questionable. Just like most things in Grim
Noir.
112
BENEFITS OF SOUL TRADING

Souls are valuable to Agents and they compensate Reapers
very well for them.
Money
The classic reward is cold, hard cash that keeps Reapers in
good standing quite easily. Just a few souls a week gives a
Reaper enough money to cover most life expenses.
▪ 1 soul: 5 points of General Ability: Wealth.
Favors
Money does not solve all problems and sometimes characters
may get into a pinch that just can’t be solved with bribes or
force. In those situations favors from Agents can be invalu-
able. As Agents tend to amass power and connections they
can often arrange certain things to happen. This could be an
invitation to a political fund raising or a key to a rival com-
pany warehouse. It could even be something as simple as a
good word spoken to the right person.
▪ 1 soul: Invitation to mayor’s cocktail party.

▪ 1 soul: Opportunity to buy unique or contraband item.
▪ 2 souls: Get out of jail.
▪ 2 souls: Implicate someone of a crime. Plant evidence.
Miracles
There are situations where influence over The City is not
enough. Situations that require a more supernatural compo-
nent. Perhaps a new identity, complete with personality traits
that come naturally. Or maybe a cure to an illness that is
113
about to kill your wife. There are even rumours of Reapers
that have been able to extend their natural lifespan. These fa-
vors are called miracles and can be very powerful and ex-
tremely expensive. Cost of miracles is up to the GM, but they
can cost anything between 1-10 souls.
▪ 1 soul: Heal. Restore 5 points to Health Pool.

▪ 2 souls: Last chance. Bring back a dead character for 24 hours. A
final chance to set things right. You need to have his soul and
body for this to work.
▪ 3 souls: Devil’s luck. Character is luckier for the next 24 hours.
Add +1 to every dice roll. This includes damage rolls.
▪ 4 souls: New start. Change your face and get an ID to match it. A
clean slate if you ever needed one.
▪ 5 souls: Absolute hideout. An agent will place you into a dimen-
sional pocket for a week, or a month, or a year where nothing
can find you. It’s not good for your sanity, but at least you’ll be
alive.
▪ 6 souls: Enchanted item. A wallet that always enough bills to
cover most expenses. A living painting made with the soul of
your wife. A revolver capable of injuring ghosts and poltergeists.
Resources
One of the main ways of getting back valuable skill points is
to trade souls for them. The character gains more of the re-
source the skill point represents. If a character wishes to gain
an extra point to his Investigation skill he can trade a soul to
gain one point in it. In the game there should always be a
story element that justifies the increase in the skill. For exam-
ple gaining one point in Law could mean that the character
gains some dirt on a lawyer that can be used to blackmail the
lawyer to step in and help with anything that requires specific
knowledge of law.
▪ 1 soul: 1 point of Investigative Ability.

▪ 1 soul: 3 points of General Ability.
114
Gifts
Gifts are perhaps the single most powerful thing Agents can
offer to Reapers. As such they are also more expensive than
regular General Abilities. First of all Agents don’t just sell Gifts
to anyone. Usually they require some sort of guarantee that
the Reaper will be a useful resource going forward and won’t
easily use purchased powers against the Agent. The various
conditions an Agent may impose on a Reaper before selling
Gifts are completely up to the GM and could for example be
a part of the overarching story that is played. The prices can
also vary depending on the situation, but generally speaking
an Agent may ask for anything between 3-6 souls for a single
Gift.
▪ 3-6 souls: Gain first point of a Supernatural General Ability, that

is, a Gift.
▪ 1 soul: Gain 1 point of Supernatural General Ability, that is, a
Gift that you already own.
Information
Agents know many things. And they know that information is
valuable. It is said that almost any secret in The City can be
bought from the correct Agent. If players feel that they are
getting stuck in the story they can go see an Agent and trade
souls for story clues. This should never be a way to solve the
main mystery. An Agent will never know the final piece of the
puzzle. Some things are simply clouded in mystery.
▪ 1 soul: 1 Minor Clue related to current mystery.

▪ 2 souls: 1 Core Clue related to current mystery.
INFORMATION AS A LAST RESORT
This option is best used only as a last resort as it can derail the
campaign into pure soul hunting to gain clues.
115
DEALING WITH HEAVEN
“Here. Dry your tears on this handkerchief. Everything is going to be

alright. I can wash away your sins. I can make it so that no one re-
members what you did, not even you. There is, of course, the small
matter of proper payment. Three souls ought to cover it all.”
- Heaven’s Agent
Agents of Heaven are just as ma-

nipulative and deceptive as Agents
of Hell–usually even more so. The
trademark of Heaven is fooling
Reapers into thinking they are
making their own decisions and
choices when in fact it’s all just
effectively misdirection and sub-
terfuge. Any Agent of Heaven is a
master of deception and can ap-
pear as the most benevolent and
nice person on Earth, but inside
they have just as much emotion as
a sociopath.
They reside in Domains of

Heaven, places of calculated
serenity and peace. Often, Agents
create a nice mix of calming and
relaxing atmosphere that helps them to lure unknown
Reapers into a false sense of trust. Their domains usually ap-
pear clean, organized, white and empty to emphasize their
connection to Heaven.
To keep Reapers coming back, Agents offer solutions to per-

sonal problems like heartbreak and depression. Removing
emotions for a time is easy for an Agent. To discourage deal-
ing with other Agents, Reapers may be punished with heav-
enly visions or temporary blindness.
116
DEALING WITH HELL
“It’s just business, but hey, those guys whom I told about your mistress.
I happen to know one of them has a sickly grandmother who is about
to die. Care to be there in time to reap her soul?”
- Hell’s Agent
If there is one good thing to be said about Agents of Hell, it’s

that they are brutally honest. They believe in a direct ap-
proach when dealing with Reapers and often speak plainly
and clearly about their business and intentions. It's not un-
common for a Reaper to find out that their local Agent sold
their secrets. For them it's just business, and they do not try
to hide it. Agents are always happy to strike a deal for the right
product.
The Domain of Hell is often characterized by a very carnal

and ‘human’ touch. They are often filled with trophies and
items of power that strongly convey the benefits that can be
gained by dealing with the
Agent. The Agent purpose-
fully creates an atmos-
phere of physical power
that makes those entering
feel strong. The feeling is
very close to post-workout
adrenaline.
Extra cash or small favors

keep are offered to Reapers
who solely deal with Hell.
On the other hand, regu-
lars who suddenly make
deals with Heaven may find
themselves harassed by
hired muscle.
117
GOING AGAINST AGENTS
Agents are the most powerful beings a detective is likely to en-

counter in a Grim Noir story. Many players will undoubtedly
at one point or another consider harming or even killing an
agent. As a rule of of thumb that should not be possible. For
all intents and purposes agents are almost all-powerful beings
within their domains. And they never leave from it.
Defeating or even harming an agent is not be possible without

some sort of great supernatural help or deeply story related
reasons. And even then it should be difficult and most likely at
the end of a longer campaign with a significant setup.
If the player characters do attempt to harm an agent in a reg-

ular situation they will often simply fail; their attack negated
by the agent with seemingly little effort. The agents rarely kill
humans as they are not truly in danger from most of their at-
tacks. Truly audacious attempts may incur a penalty from the
agent like physical damage or a refusal to deal with the perpe-
trator for a time. Other times the attempts are regarded as
childish tantrums from humans who do not know better.
The game master can use the following as examples of what

might happen when a PC attacks an agent:
• The gun jams or simply does not go off.
• The PC finds himself suddenly standing outside in the

rain.
• The punch hits, but the agent does not budge even a mil-
limeter. There is no effect at all.
• The weapon in the PC’s hand bursts into flames and

melts away. The PC suffers minor damage to his hand.
• The PC suddenly becomes heavier and unable to move,

instead collapsing on the floor until he apologizes.
118
THE CITY
“The City. Even though it had a real name, that is what everybody
calls it. This is the place of forgotten hopes and dreams. I never heard
of anyone who did not have some misfortune in their lives here. It’s
like all the brightness of even the most glamorous clubs is dimmed
from time to time by some sort of scandal or accident.
There is no shortage of bad things happening, but here you learn to

live with it. Learn to bear with it and bury it deep inside where it eats
you up slowly. And when you finally think it’s going to be alright, your
best friend meets an untimely demise. That’s the kind of place The
City is.”
- Nick Sullivan, Reaper & Advertising Agent
120
THE CITY
Everything in Grim Noir takes place in the City. It is a film

noir themed setting that is composed of narratively signifi-
cant establishments and people. You can think of The City as
a faceless, maze-like entity where one can always get lost and
end up in unknown places and get into real trouble. The only
sanctuaries are familiar places that are relevant to the story.
Only these places have some sort of character in them that
separates them from the obscure streets of The City.
The following setting can be used as it is, or only necessary

parts of it can be included into play.
121
THE CITY
DISTRICTS, PLACES AND PEOPLE
The City is divided into distinct districts that all have their
own personality and feeling.
Downtown - Cold, calculating and all business. Towering

skyscrapers, unfettered greed and corruption underneath.
Steel, glass, concrete, suits and money. Exclusive cigar clubs
and luxurious nightclubs.
Sprawl - Seemingly quiet suburban neighbourhood housing

the city’s bland middle class.
Heights - Old money mansions, gated properties and de-

tached aristocratic life of the city elites. Outward restraint
and class is only a facade for the debauchery and unbridled
hedonism that takes place behind closed doors.
The Bloat - A home for the poor, destitute and homeless as

well as a safe haven for the criminal elements of the city.
Riverside - The old financial artery of the city turned into its
artistic heart.
Smokestacks - The big machine. Industrial zone of the city.

Smoke, noise and fumes. Hard working and honest people.
Piers - Rowdy bars, dock workers and mob owned ware-

houses. In contrast, also the Gold Pier filled with rich kids and
their parents’ yachts.
Each of them provide locations for gameplay and characters

with unique opportunities. A single story can hop from area
to another or completely focus on one district. District sizes
can vary and change during gameplay depending on charac-
ters’ actions.
124
THE CITY
DOWNTOWN
DOWNTOWN
The heart of The City; or at least its business. Clean streets,
tall buildings and lots of reflecting glass. It is the coldest of the
districts, The City itself imitating the cold hearts of the politi-
cians and businessmen that make the city center their playing
field.
POLICE STATION
Safest place, for innocents, in The City - and one that sadly
cannot offer much for Reapers. Their problems are usually
not the kind that the police can solve. In fact it's better for the
police to not even know. Still the station is where The City's
finest work on their cases and where criminals are put to jail
if caught. If there is someone you can count on keeping order
in The City it's the police. Unfortunately a police station is
always one block too far and the police are always two min-
utes too late.
LUIS KENSINGTON - THE DETECTIVE
Luis is, rarely enough, a good and honest cop. He does his job
with impeccable accuracy and diligence. He’s good. Maybe
even too good for his own benefit. And the most irritating
thing about him is that you can’t bribe him. He might over-
look some misbehaviour of his own creed, but he’s a real pain
the ass for criminals and corrupt politicians. Luis is the guy if
you need some good police work done.
125
How to use this character: For player characters on the other
side of the law Kensington is a constant pain in the ass. He
shows up regularly to harass and taunt player characters. He
might not have enough proof to lock anybody up, but he is
keen on putting a proper case together.
Characteristics: Wide smile, but tired eyes. Always with a

coffee cup in hand.
CLYDE FICHER - POLICE CHIEF
Mr. Fisher runs the nearest police station dishing out tasks for
detectives and police officers alike. As much as he would like
to run everything by the book he is pressured from above by
politicians to handle things ‘delicately’. That means Mr.
Ficher usually wants to keep strange cases from ending up in
the newspapers. There is always a political campaign ongoing
and things need to look good. The citizens need to be assured
that they are safe.
How to use this character: If the PCs are police officers or oth-
erwise connected to the officials Mr. Ficher is a good way to
push them into finding more evidence if what they have is not
enough for a proper conviction.
Characteristics: Grey hair and moustache. Wears a vest and a

gun holster on top of it.
SULLIVAN & HEATLEY MARKETING OFFICE - AGENT OF HEAVEN'S

DOMAIN
On the top floor of a marketing firm there is a room that
shouldn't fit in that space. Accompanied by a feeling of seren-
ity and peace the room’s door opens into a wide white space
where neither ceiling nor walls can be seen. There among the
marble pillars stands a small fountain and the agent of
heaven, ready for a deal. Reapers are guided through the for-
est of pillars by a spirit butler who was unfortunate enough to
sign a contract that doesn't end with death.
126
THE CITY
NICK SULLIVAN - BUSINESSMAN
This huge, bear-like businessman is the one of two partners

of The City’s #1 marketing office. His temper as well as his
hair color comes from his Irish heritage. This also means that
he is one the headsmen of the Irish population of The City.
They keep good care of each other so favors flow freely in
both directions.
He is a Reaper and has very close connections to the Heaven’s

agent since he resides in the upper floor of their office. Mr.
Sullivan knows the name of the game and has made his bet
with the forces of Heaven. He’s smart enough not to trust the
bastards, but they get along for the time being.
How to use this character: Nick Sullivan is an example of how

well a reaper can do for himself. People often talk about him
whenever dealing with the Agent of Heaven is discussed and
almost universally he is respected as a reaper who truly “made
it”. His ascend to his current position from almost nothing is
legendary. As the story goes Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Heatley
quickly rose the ranks of the marketing company and secured
its ownership in a grand scheme that ended with the death of
the previous Agent of Heaven.
Characteristics: Confident. Irish accent.
127
MR. HEATLEY - AGENT OF HEAVEN
A former Reaper, marketer and co-owner of Sullivan and

Heatley Marketing office. After a series of strange events Mr.
Heatley was offered a deal he could not resist: to take over the
position of an Agent. A truly rare breed of an Agent who nor-
mally are denizens of Heaven. Mr. Heatley still retains a small
spark of humanity even though most of him was stripped
away by the powers of Heaven. Don’t be fooled though; his
past gives him an unprecedented capability to understand
and play humans. Strangely, Mr. Sullivan can bring out a
somewhat human response from Mr. Heatley.
How to use this character: Mr. Heatley is one of the two

Agents that PCs can meet in the City. Use him to provide PCs
access to supernatural deals and services. As an Agent he is
able to provide even the most obscure things for the right
price. Visiting Mr. Heatley is usually a strange and other-
worldly experience that should leave the PCs wondering what
kind of secrets they still do not know about the supernatural.
He is also less intimidating than Timothy Fall, the Agent of
Hell.
Characteristics: Unthreatening. Soft and calm voice.
FRANKLIN & SONS LAW FIRM - AGENT OF HELL’S DOMAIN

The smell of sulphur and heat is the first thing that is just
wrong with this place. In the back room of the law firm acces-
sible from the backyard, the agent of hell sits behind a huge
table meant to make Reapers feel small. The room is filled
with strange objects of power and value that are all for sale for
the right price. Everything in the room looks either expen-
sive or dangerous. “But that's not what you came for”, says the
agent and smiles viciously.
TIMOTHY FALL - AGENT OF HELL
The epitome of a soulless businessman. Timothy Fall is al-

ways dressed sharply and bolsters an impressively large col-
128
THE CITY
lection of expensive suits. He wields a wicked sense of humor

like a sword and is known for being brutally direct with his
words. Dealing with him is tough, but rewarding. He appreci-
ates a good haggle, but is willing to admit loss to a superior
offer. To him business negotiations are 100% of the fun even
if the end result is sometimes not that profitable.
How to use this character: Timothy Fall is one of the two

Agents that PCs can meet in the City. Use him to provide PCs
access to supernatural deals and services. As an Agent he is
able to provide even the most obscure things for the right
price. Timothy Fall provides a more down to earth experience
for Soul Trading with less mind games, but more chances to
run into dangerous people in the neighbourhood.
Characteristics: Very outspoken. Well dressed.
129
SPRAWL
SPRAWL
The Sprawl is filled with apartment buildings and family
houses. It is the quintessential middle class heaven where ev-
erybody’s life is perfect and kids run around without a care
in the world. Beneath the surface it’s a masquerade of happi-
ness betrayed by late night arguments behind locked doors
and envious looks towards neighbours’ cars.
SAINT HOPE’S HOSPITAL

The smell of antiseptic and death hangs heavy around Saint
Hope’s Hospital. Reportedly horrible death rates and apa-
thetic staff has created a bad reputation for the hospital. Many
are afraid of being admitted in for fear of never leaving the
place. What makes matters worse are sightings of strange
people walking around the area asking strangely personal
questions about the recently deceased.
MARCIA HOLLER - DOCTOR
A Reaper with a particularly unique position, Marcia is a doc-

tor in Saint Hope’s Hospital and she uses her position to her
advantage as best she can. While nothing has ever been
proven, an alarming number of patients have been dying
since she began her tenure. When not at the hospital she fre-
quently visits Sullivan & Heatley’s Marketing agency to deal
with the Agent of Heaven. She is also a regular at the Sulfur
Stream VIP section. She is known to provide a ‘no questions
asked’ treatment for Reapers as a courtesy. Might be worth it
to buy her a drink or two.
130
THE CITY
How to use this character: Doctor Holler and her office can act
as one of the rare safe zones of the City. A place of security and
hope, where healing is possible, if only of physical variety.
Meeting Doctor Holler in the Sulfur Stream is a great chance
to get to know her personally to create a more impactful side
character of her.
Characteristics: Grey hair. Dry sense of humor.
JOHN DOE
This patient has been in a coma for 30 years now and no one
knows who he is. There are no records of him being admitted
and no one remembers the day he was brought in. No one
visits him and his file has passed from one doctor to another
more times than a ball in a soccer game. Despite that he is
being taken care of as if there was an unspoken rule to check
up on him and make sure he is ok. Funny thing is, he’s been
in that room for 30 years and hasn’t aged a bit. Samuel at
Jonah’s Diner might know a thing or two about what is going
on with this poor fellow.
Story idea: John Doe is the only reaper to make a deal for im-
mortality. If only there was a way to wake him up from his
coma, he might be able to tell the secrets of immortality.
Samuel at Jonah’s Diner knew John Doe before he fell to coma
and has some knowledge that could help wake him up. He will
require payment, or perhaps, a favor.
Characteristics: Strange tattoo. Unresponsive.
131
THE END TIME HARVEST APOSTOLIC CHURCH
A sacred place of the Christian Church and the center of reli-
gious activity in The City. Hundreds gather in this magnifi-
cent Gothic place of worship every Sunday to hear the mass.
The massive cemetery behind the church is also often visited
by loved ones. If you are looking for a purpose in life just visit
here on Sunday and you’ll be given one.
FATHER MATTHEW
Leader of the flock and preacher of gospel. Father Matthew

has a powerful charisma to him that makes him loved by ev-
eryone in his congregation. He is a masterful speaker and
able to sway the emotions of hundreds if not thousands of
people with his sermons. He is a true believer who has been
granted protection by the Agent of Heaven. It’s believed that
Matthew himself does not know about this and is not himself
a Reaper. Makes one won-
der why an Agent would act
in such seemingly altruistic
way. There must be some-
thing very special about Fa-
ther Matthew.
Story idea: Father Matthew

knew the Agent of Heaven,
Mr. Heatley, when he was
still human. If one got to
talking with Father
Matthew one could learn a
thing or two about Mr.
Heatley, his relationship to
Mr. Sullivan and what ex-
actly they want. This infor-
mation could help gain
some leverage against the
Agent of Heaven, or it
could help establish a bet-
ter working relationship
with him.
132
THE CITY
Story idea: Father Matthew has a very unique soul that would
be extremely valuable to the Agent of Hell. To prevent Father
Matthew from falling into the Agent of Hell’s hands the Agent
of Heaven has placed him under divine protection. The Agent
of Hell approaches the player characters with a dangerous
mission to capture Father Matthew’s soul.
Characteristics: Charismatic. Holy aura.
KENNETH FULLER
Two weeks ago he took a wrong turn in the Red Lights Dis-
trict and ended up face to face with a revolver. He took a bul-
let to the chest and next thing he remembers is waking up in
a coffin. Kenneth painfully dug himself out of his grave only
to notice his heart wasn’t beating anymore. What happened
to him was very strange and very rare. His body died, but his
soul remained attached to it. He had become a ghoul. Father
Matthew found the weeping man next to the empty grave
and took him under his care. Matthew gave Kenneth a job as
a caretaker of the cemetery and there he has been until now.
The face of the man that shot him still haunts his mind and
his slowly rotting body is making him anxious.
How to use this character: Use Kenneth to bring a slice of hor-

ror and supernatural into the game. His slightly rotten ap-
pearance is something that brings inner ugliness onto the
surface. His situation and rapidly degenerating body reflects
the overall theme of the game and foreshadows the main
story.
Story idea: Start the story with Kenneth as a guy who needs
help, but slowly it is revealed that he might have deserved
what was coming to him. What kind of things did he do to de-
serve getting shot at a dark alley?
Characteristics: Smells of rotten flesh. Hides his face.
133
HEIGHTS
HEIGHTS
Located far above the rest of the city, the hillside mansions of
the Heights house The City’s richest and most powerful peo-
ple. Most citizens never set foot in here as it’s purposefully
separated from the main city on top of a high hill. The luxu-
rious mansions and large private yards are the envy of even
those who have never set eyes on them. Behind closed doors,
unknown to the rest of the city, the rich are just as vile and
jaded as everybody else. They just have the luxury of being
able to hide it.
GLASS CEILING - GLAMOROUS CLUB

Glamorous and expensive, the Glass Ceiling is a place for
those with money and class. Most of The City's backroom
scheming is conducted here behind silk curtains. The club it-
self is owned by an associate of the mafia and acts as neutral
ground where any sort of business deals can be made dis-
creetly. That is, if you can get inside.
SLICKY JOE - INFORMANT
Slicky Joe sells information and does not care who is buying.
Because many of his customers are enemies Joe is always
threading the needle with his deals. Somehow he manages to
remain friends with everyone he knows while simultaneously
backstabbing every single one of them. For Slicky Joe there is
always a great deal to be made to save him from ten bad ones
he made last week.
134
THE CITY
How to use this character: Slicky Joe is one of the characters

that can be used to gain intel on people that matter.
Story idea: Somewhere Slicky Joe has a massive collection of

folders, often thick with incriminating pictures, about most of
the rich and powerful people in the City. This means that he
has a lot of enemies, too, and some of them are be willing to
pay quite a lot to have some of the files disappear.
Characteristics: Overly friendly. Bad posture.
ARLENE
A property magnate who likes to keep her own face away

from the limelight, and newspapers. She has a well trained
eye for reading people and their inner desires and she uses
her skills mercilessly to further her business goals. For
decades now Arlene has been amassing her wealth and con-
nections that cement her position as one of the top players of
the City’s elite. Glass Ceiling is among her numerous invest-
ments and she enjoys a permanent VIP pass that allows her to
conduct business there on her own terms.
How to use this character: Arlene works well as a point of con-

tact to the high society and elite of the City. With her help it’s
possible to make contact and meet almost any important
character. She might of course ask for a counter favor.
Characteristics: Immaculately dressed. Piercing gaze.
135
END OF THE RAINBOW - CASINO
This place gathers the new rich, the hot shots and the desper-
ate. It’s a sea of glimmer and light where people come to
make their fortunes or, as it is more often, lose them. The
never ending music, gambling, drinking and top-notch
shows hides it’s true, unscrupulous face as the security quietly
remove those who can’t pay and leave them neck deep in debt
- the kind one has to pay.
MICKY - THE EYE
Micky knows the casino inside and outside. Nothing escapes

his vigorous gaze as he moves around the casino. He knows
all the customers or at least everyone who’s worth knowing.
He takes care that no one gets away cheating or causing a
ruckus. If you need any info about the clientele of the casino,
gambling or money laundering he is your guy - for a price of
course.
Characteristics: Moves deliberately. Smokes cigars.
HERBERT - THE GAMBLING REAPER
Herbert is the luckiest person in the City. The staff at the

casino have been trying to uncover what kind of cheats Her-
bert uses to win big sums of money, but so far they have not
been able to. And most likely never will because despite the
odds being strongly against him Herbert never cheats at
games of chance. And yet he always wins more than he loses.
How to use this character: Should the characters want to ex-

plore the prospect of purchasing luck they have to first get
Herbert to give up his secrets. You see, nobody knows who he
goes to deal with and attempts to trade souls for luck with Mr.
Heatley, Agent of Heaven, never work. Herbert is, of course,
very keen to keeping his source a secret.
Characteristics: Wild hair. Lucky.
136
THE CITY
THE BLOAT
THE BLOAT
The gut of the city that slowly melts away all who become
trapped here. The underclass has taken residence in this part
of the city devastated by the depression and is slowly being
reclaimed, usually by force, tenement by tenement by real es-
tate developers. The Bloat is the forgotten district that hides
secrets on every corner. Unsurprisingly it is also the favorite
district for Reapers to live and practice their trade as there is
less chance of standing out.
SULPHUR STREAM - REAPER BAR

If there is one place in The City where Reapers can talk
openly about the supernatural it's Sulphur Stream, owned by
a Reaper called Brandon. This bar has two floors. While the
street level appears completely normal with its down-to-
earth decor and customers from the lower end of the social
strata, upstairs is strictly VIP, Reapers only. Even though the
name might suggest otherwise, all Reapers are welcome to
have a drink here.
BRANDON - THE BARTENDER
Brandon owns and runs Sulphur Stream. Usually he stands

behind the bar counter in the upstairs VIP section and at-
tempts to get to know all Reapers in town. As long as you
don’t get on his wrong side he can be a very nice guy and
more than willing to whip up an excellent drink for you. They
say his Old Fashioned is the best in town. Brandon is one of
137
the more established reapers Reapers in the City and has be-
come a cornerstone of the Reaper community.
How to use this character: Brandon is a great character to

push the story forward should it slow down too much. He can
always point player characters into the right direction. He can
also offer small jobs that ultimately help the main plot to ad-
vance. This makes Sulphur Stream a good place to visit fre-
quently.
Characteristics: Stiff body language. Always knows what’s up.
JONAH - OLD DRUNKARD
Jonah is an ancient Reaper

and he does look like it.
Mostly he’s just an ancient
drunk full of odd rambling. If
you listen to him long
enough you might distill
some important information
or fill your head with bullshit
stories. Either way Jonah is
actually pretty fun company,
always buying a drink for
anybody who’d care to listen.
As far as Reapers go Jonah is as harmless as they come. He’s

seen too much bad stuff and nowadays simply wishes to have
a nice chat and to stay alive.To this end he spends most of his
time at Sulphur Stream drinking his worries away.
How to use this character: Jonah can serve as a wellspring of

information about the Reaper community and its history. He
is a friendly face that never has to be feared. Should the PCs
want to hear more about how things really got started in this
town they only need to talk to Jonah and buy him a drink. And
if PCs pay attention they might just learn something crucial
that can help them later on.
Characteristics: Often drunk. Friendly.
138
THE CITY
RIVERSIDE
RIVERSIDE
The oldest district in the city, Riverside houses old last cen-
tury buildings left in the city from old times. It used to be the
center of business, but has since turned into a full blown artis-
tic settlement. It is populated by a diverse mixture of artists,
ideological collectives, street performers, fortune tellers and
con artists. The best cafes, art galleries and even a few movie
theaters can also be found here. Some have found traces of
old magic in the depths of Riverside and it’s a popular living
area within the Reaper community.
YE OLDE COFFEE SHOPPE

Two reaper brothers recently opened a coffee shop in one of
the oldest buildings in Riverside. The house had been aban-
doned for a long time due to its bad shape and rumours of it
being haunted. Many reapers had witnessed the haunting
personally and some even have the scars to prove it. It seems
though that the Seele brothers were able to settle down and
fully renovate the place. For most Reapers that is a tell tale
sign of extremely competent occultists. They also make ex-
cellent coffee.
DANIEL AND NOAH SEELE
German brothers who run Ye Olde Coffee Shoppe. They are

newcomers to the City and still retain a distinct German ac-
cent which makes them easy to recognize. The brothers have
not visited Sulphur Stream or introduced themselves to the
139
Reaper community, but it seems rather clear that they are
Reapers as well.
Story idea: The old house always attracted souls, but after a
poltergeist settled in no one has come to collect them. Now
that the poltergeist has been removed many Reapers have
come to visit. It seems that stray spirits walk in and enter the
locked basement of the coffee shop. What could brothers
Seele have in the basement that is able to attract souls like
that?
Characteristics: German accent. Platinum blonde hair.
140
THE CITY
SMOKESTACKS
SMOKESTACKS
This part of The City is an industrial mega complex. It seems
like the numerous factories and warehouses meld together
forming one big entity that breathes and pulsates like the big
machine that it is. Steam fills the streets and the sky and the
smell of soot and sweat is everywhere. The most honest and
hardworking people will toil here until they die.
JONAH'S DINER
A place to rest for a while and enjoy coffee and a piece of blue-
berry pie on the side. Both the customers and employees are
always tired here. Customers might be here after a long shift
at work or maybe they just popped in to get some lunch. Em-
ployees work an endless shift that just doesn't seem to let
them go. Still it's one of the places in The City where the neon
lights on the ceiling create a strangely relaxing atmosphere.
Maybe one more cup of coffee is good before going out again.
BECKY - THE WAITRESS
Becky is young, attractive and still oddly enough usually full

of hope. She’s one of the reasons why people come to Jonah’s
Diner. Her warmth gives a welcoming atmosphere to the
whole place. Lately she’s been under some stress for reasons
unknown and you can see it in her eyes and feel it in the at-
mosphere. Maybe something’s amiss?
141
Story idea: Becky comes to work bruised, with blood on her
lip. Trying to hide her tears. It’s apparent her ex-husband paid
a drunken visit to her again. Someone should teach that man
a lesson.
Characteristics: Warm smile. Shaky hands.
SAMUEL - THE ARCHAEOLOGIST
Samuel works at the building next to the diner and comes in

three times a day to eat. He looks haggard, like he hasn’t slept
properly in months, but in his eyes there is a gleam of knowl-
edge and dedication. People say that Samuel is the foremost
expert in the secrets of the City for he has studied its history.
He also, probably, knows quite a bit about the occult and the
supernatural.
Story idea: Samuel has a problem. He owes a favor or two to

Slicky Joe, the owner of Glass Ceiling, and recently Slicky Joe
came to collect. Unfortunately Slicky Joe asked for a favor that
requires more bravery than Samuel has to offer. If he could
just find someone to take care of those favours he could reveal
some very interesting information about the John Doe coma
patient in Saint Hope’s hospital.
Characteristics: Dust on his hat. Wears multiple old rings.
ABANDONED FACTORY
Against the dark sky the high chimneys of this abandoned
factory look intimidating. This was once a fully working fac-
tory, but after a series of unresolved deaths the place was fi-
nally shut down. Now the whole massive complex is
abandoned and empty. Or is it? Rumors say that the factory
is cursed and all the people who went missing here during the
last 10 years speaks volumes. They say that the underground
levels of the complex are inhabited by something terrible and
dangerous.
142
THE CITY
THE MANAGER - GHOST
The manager haunts the old factory. He died as a result of

one disgruntled worker hit him with a wrench. 82 times to be
precise. His violent passing left his soul in turmoil and he be-
came an immensely vicious spirit bent on vengeance. Some
Reapers have tried to hunt him down, but he is very powerful
and crafty. One might say that he reaped the Reapers. A pol-
tergeist and probably a very valuable soul.
How to use this character: Hunting down and successfully

reaping The Manager is dangerous, but very profitable. He
should provide a big challenge with a real chance of death. On
the other hand the reward should also be big. The Manager is
worth 4 normal souls.
Characteristics: Transparent. Monstrous.
ANATOL - THE CHEMIST
At the outer warehouses of the compound lies Anatol’s lab.

He has a small time operation creating all kinds of chemicals,
drugs and substances. He has a network of immigrants who
deal out his wares on the streets. His merchandise has great
reputation so he takes ill on the people who try to dilute or
mess with his products. One has to take care of one’s brand
after all. Usually he doesn’t meet people face-to-face, but if
you need something to kick start your night you know who’s
products to seek.
Story idea: Lately Anatol’s drugs have made an impression in

the Reaper community. It seems that the newest product al-
lows people to see spirits amidst their hallucinations. One
such user happens to witness the player characters reap a soul.
Witnesses are rarely a problem for reapers, but now there is a
possibility that anyone could identify a reaper. Something has
to be done to stop the new drug from being distributed.
Characteristics: Russian accent. Bad nails.
143
PIERS
PIERS
Almost the whole west side of the City is covered with piers
for ships. Unlike the distant Sunset Beach the piers are no
place for having a peaceful trips to sandy shores. The shore-
line is broken by piers and loading docks that create an unset-
tling saw like pattern.
NORTH PIER
Passenger ships, private boats and fishermen part their boats
here. The long wooden piers look ages old and creak with the
tides. The piers are noticeably empty and house less boats ev-
ery passing year.
GOLD PIER
Close to Ivory Island and Downtown Gold Pier houses the
luxury yachts of the wealthy. Sometimes you see the yachts
gliding along the river, but rarely do they travel to the open
sea. The pier itself is packed with celebrities, the rich, and
their families. A casual stroll around the pier during day is
sure to make almost anyone envious.
BARTON - YACHT CLUB MEMBER
Barton spends most of his time on his luxurious yacht,

docked on the Downtown Gold Pier. He can usually be found
on the deck of his boat, casually sipping wine and dressed in
a summery attire. Mr. Barton seems to enjoy his wealth
144
THE CITY
openly and has chosen to casually spend his family’s fortune

on expensive wine.
How to use this character: Barton is another possible gateway

to the life of the rich and powerful. Although Barton himself
has little actual power his family has pull and he does know a
plethora of other powerful people.
Characteristics: Carefree. Lazy. Stylish.
SOUTH PIER
Big stacks of cargo containers are littered around the docks
giving the South Pier a distinctly blocky look and tall cranes
hang over them like skeletal arms. Trucks haul goods between
the long red brick warehouses and factories in Smokestacks.
What’s more if one were to dive to the bottom of the shore at
South Pier they would find numerous victims of the Mafia
with cement shoes.
MR. GREY - BODY DISPOSER
Mr. Grey is an expert in making bodies disappear. His fa-

vorite method is dumping his victims in to the water with ce-
ment shoes. Alive if Mr. Grey can have a say in the matter. He
so enjoys seeing air bubbles trickle up from the bottom of the
pier.
How to use this character: If the detectives have any contacts

with the Mafia they can also request the services of Mr. Grey
in order to get rid off bodies.
Characteristics: Pale skin and dusty jacket due to cement dust.
145
FACTIONS
The City operates at the mercy of different factions who all
have their own goals. Some factions do not interact or clash
together much while others may constantly be each others
throats. This means that should the PCs belong to one or
more factions they should be aware of the which other fac-
tions might be hostile towards them and which ones not. And
as certain factions control certain areas in the City it might be
more dangerous for members of opposing factions to visit
those areas.
Player Characters do not have to pick a faction for their char-

acter, but they are free to do so at the Game Masters discre-
tion. There is also no rule against having two players choose
opposing factions for their characters, but it is good to discuss
how that might affect the game.
REAPERS
Reapers are the de facto faction to which all PCs belong
whether they want to or not. Reapers are a loose network of
people who can see and deal with souls and is comprised of
smaller groups who gravitate around charismatic leaders.
While there is no one clear leader for the whole community

there are a few individuals who stand out more than others
and command a modicum of respect from all Reapers. Bran-
don, the owner of the bar Sulphur Stream, is one of those in-
dividuals. Simply the fact that he managed to establish a
neutral location where all reapers are welcome to take a break
and enjoy a pint of beer or a glass of whisky is a feat that has
gained Brandon the respect of almost every Reaper in the
City.
Goals: Keep Reapers a secret.
Areas of influence: Riverside and Bloat.
146
THE CITY
REAPERS OF HEAVEN
Reapers of Heaven are a smaller group of Reapers that have
openly decided to affiliate themselves with the agent of
Heaven. In practice this means that they only make deals with
the Agent of Heaven and refuse to make deals with the Agent
of Hell.
These Reapers believe that by making enough deals with

Heaven they can ultimately make a deal for their own soul
and for a better afterlife.
Goals: Increase Agent of Heaven’s influence.
Opposes: Reapers of Hell.
Areas of influence: Downtown.
REAPERS OF HELL
Reapers of Hell are a smaller group of Reapers that have
openly decided to affiliate themselves with the agent of Hell.
In practice this means that they only make deals with the
Agent of Hell and refuse to make deals with the Agent of
Heaven.
Reapers of Hell are focused on creating the best possible life

for themselves while they are still alive. They do not believe
there is any real way to affect their afterlife.
Goals: Increase Agent of Hell’s and personal influence.
Opposes: Reapers of Heaven.
Areas of influence: Downtown.
147
POLICE FORCE
The City’s police force keeps the City safe from criminals.
They patrol the streets and investigate crimes all over the
City. Simply put they strive to keep citizens safe from harm.
The police officially works in all districts, but in practice there
are areas where they cannot enforce the law because another
faction has tighter control. Like the Smokestacks and South
Pier where the Mafia is in control.
The force is however unfortunately partly corrupted and

many officers are on the payroll of Reapers or the Mafia. Be-
cause of this there are always crimes that do not get solved
and plenty of evidence that end up missing.
Goals: Catch criminals and reduce crime. Take control of

South Pier and Smokestacks.
Opposes: Mafia.
Areas of influence: Downtown, Heights, Sprawl, Riveride,

North Pier.
MAFIA
The single biggest criminal organization that works in the
City. While they do not control all criminal activity they do
influence a lion’s share of it. The Mafia controls the South
Pier and Smokestacks which is how they bring in most of
their merchandise. Boats unload crates full of narcotics,
weapons and other contraband that is then distributed with
industrial trucks all over the city.
Goals: Increase profits. Take control of the Bloat.
Opposes: Police forces.
Areas of influence: South Pier, Smokestacks.
148
THE CITY
CHURCH
The City has an uncharacteristically strong community of
believers that flock to their churches all around the City.
Strong faith and a feeling of belonging to a community keeps
many of the less fortunate citizens on their feet. The church
helps people according to it’s best abilities and offers sanctu-
ary, food help and spiritual relief to anyone who might need
it.
On the other hand the Agent of Heaven has some control

over the church and uses his influence to manipulate the
crowds towards his own goals.
Goals: Help the poor and the faithless.
Opposes: Nonbelievers.
Areas of influence: Sprawl, The Bloat, Smokestacks.
AGENT OF HEAVEN
Separate of the church and reapers of Heaven the Agent of
Heaven has his own agenda. Due his supernatural nature and
ability to make deals the agent has had an excellent opportu-
nity to create a network of employees, confidantes and infor-
mants. Using this network the agent can officially provide
services as a part of any deals he makes with Reapers in order
to advance whatever agenda Heaven has.
Unofficially the Agent has his own plans in motion attempt-

ing to provoke the Agent of Hell into breaking the Pact, the
truce between Heaven and Hell. That would give the Agent of
Heaven a perfect excuse to further solidify his own status and
power in the City.
Goals: Provoke the Agent of Hell into breaking the Pact.
Opposes: Agent of Hell, Reapers of Hell.
Areas of influence: Downtown, Heights, Sprawl, Riverside.
149
AGENT OF HELL
Much like his counterpart on the Heaven’s side, the Agent of
Hell also wishes to widen his own influence further. The
difference is that the Agent of Hell is more interested in shap-
ing the City and it’s factions to suit his own needs and desires.
His biggest tool is the Mafia that he attempts to guide and
control behind the scenes. He does not yet have full control,
but is able to manipulate certain decisions and the flow of in-
formation inside the organization.
Taking control of the Mafia is only the first step. After that
comes the police and all the neutral Reapers that have not yet
chosen a clear side. His ultimate goal is to get all of these fac-
tions to fight with each other and profit on the side.
Goals: Maneuver other factions to fight each other.
Opposes: Agent of Heaven, the police.
Areas of influence: Downtown, Smokestacks, Bloat, Piers.
150
THE CITY
STORIES
Grim Noir is in many ways played like a traditional roleplay-
ing game, but there are some special considerations to keep
in mind. Like it was already mentioned in the introduction
this is a film noir genre game. This means simply that the
ideal way to play is to simulate the drama and plot develop-
ment of film noir movies. This section will give you a deeper
understanding of film noir. In addition to that there are in-
structions on how to create a story that fits this game. In the
end an example story is provided as a starting point for play-
ing.
It is important to realize that in Grim Noir the outcome of a

story is not always tied to ‘victory’ or ‘success’. In fact, a great
story could very well end even with the death of the charac-
ters. The best ending is always the one that packs the most
punch, not the one that is good for the characters.
152
stories
CREATING A FILM NOIR ATMOSPHERE

Some themes are more present in Grim Noir than others. Es-
pecially the following themes should be incorporated into
the game by the GM. They are in the very essence of Grim
Noir.
▪ Corruption, crime and violence

▪ Vulnerabilities of all characters
▪ The City as a prison and maze
▪ The ethics of soul trading
▪ Spiraling down to doom
▪ Conflict between mundane and supernatural
The playing style of Grim Noir is very much roleplaying-ori-

ented. This means simply that the whole idea is to explore
your character and to try and create a great story for him.
This can be achieved by purposefully putting the character
into situations where he has to struggle and think about his
own, as well as other characters’, values and actions. Here are
a few tips on what to keep in mind when playing.
▪ Character development
▪ Purposefully harming characters
▪ Seeking dramatic solutions (e.g. Flashbacks)
▪ Revealing the character’s weaknesses (e.g. Monologues)
▪ Relationships between player characters
▪ Struggling and trying to overcome weaknesses
153
FILM NOIR STORY STRUCTURE
Not all stories in Grim Noir need to follow the traditional
structure of film noir, but it is helpful to know it in order to
use parts of it effectively. The storyline in film noir follows
roughly a structure where the hero, or in this case heroes, be-
gin their quest and descend into The City, into the trap that
will hold them thereafter. In the game this could be the char-
acters discovering their gifts and the supernatural. Once this
has happened there is no turning back, no returning to the
mundane and the ordinary. They have slipped into the night
and there they must persist or fall victim to forces infinitely
larger than them.
In film noir the agent luring them to the labyrinth is usually

a woman, as the heroes of the genre are often men, but in
Grim Noir it can be anyone or anything. The agent can be
either a perfect, almost ethereal being bringing the deep flaws
of the hero into contrast, or a devious succubus, luring the
heroes into their doom with her allure. In the game this can
be any kind of non-player character that can be used to give
the characters the initial nudge into the dark in which the
story takes place.
The heroes are constantly tempted and coaxed into serving

someone else’s agenda, mislead and cheated, and at every
turn they face corruption, coercion and vice. In the game the
major forces trying to exploit the characters are often Heaven
and Hell, but all powerful actors in the story will try to benefit
from the characters. The only ones possibly helping the play-
ers without significant compensation are the powerless, the
forgotten and the lost, trapped in the same labyrinth as the
characters, but with less means to combat the odds. This usu-
ally only hastens the inevitable and they end up dead as a re-
sult of their futile attempts. In the game they could be anyone
from the generally scoffed ghouls to the outcasts of the
Reaper community.
As the story progresses the heroes’ flaws come to focus more

clearly and any acts of altruism are discouraged and even
punished by fate. The heroes cannot afford to be any better
than the forces they face and as a result are destroyed even if
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they manage to survive the bottom of the pit that is the end
and climax of the story. At the end, any ”good” or idealistic
parts of the heroes are gone (if there ever was any to begin
with) and any noble or ”good” non-player characters are sure
to have perished one way or the other.
The actor that lured the heroes into the labyrinth is either
abandoned or destroyed in the end, perhaps sacrificing her-
self for the heroes. If the hero or heroes survive, they are al-
ways less than when they begun the journey. If they gained
something, they also lost something more important and are
most likely broken or hollow after their experience.
155
STORY SPIRAL
All good stories have a starting point that captivates the audi-
ence and a memorable ending that makes people talk about
it for days. The stories of Grim Noir are all about the endings,
and the stories usually end in a very grim way.
CAMPAIGNS AND SESSIONS

There are plenty of different approaches to planning and de-
signing stories and campaigns. The GMs can design the story
to span multiple sessions and set up a campaign structure for
the story, or alternatively plan for a shorter, more condensed
story that can be told in just a session or two. Thinking about
the way the story is split into game sessions helps both the
GMs in their planning as well as the players in their expecta-
tions about the story. It is also especially helpful when sched-
uling time to play together.
The stories in Grim Noir are usually short and self-contained,

but occasionally a GM might want to create a series of inter-
woven stories.
SPIRAL STRUCTURE
The spiral structure is a planning tool for the game masters
to design stories that escalate into the spiral that helps the
game attain a feeling of film noir movies. The spiral gives the
story a structure that is a mixture of emotional highs and
lows, helping to build a story where the stakes keep going
higher as the mystery starts to unravel.
Each spiral story consists of:
▪ a starting point
▪ a series of clues
▪ a gruesome ending
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STARTING POINT
The spiral starts with an event that sets the story in motion
and causes the characters to take action. The starting point
provides a mystery to be solved: The death of a close friend,
a crime that shocks the neighbourhood, or a supernatural
event that leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
SERIES OF CLUES
The clues give the players their first steps towards solving the
mystery, while also keeping the story going forward. A major
clue should give the players enough information to move on,
often even sending them to a new location. Each clue should
also lead to an meaningful event, like a minor conflict,
friendly encounter or a major discovery.
GRUESOME ENDING
As the story develops and the spiral spins tighter, the clues
will lead up to more and more riskier situations. Eventually
the characters will end up in a situation that requires them to
make difficult decisions: The case will be resolved, but with a
price. A spiraling story ends gruesomely with an unpre-
ventable tragedy or an impossible choice with two equally
bad results.
ATMOSPHERE AND THE STORY SPIRAL

Use the story spiral to manage the pace of the game and to
introduce a shift in atmosphere as the story progresses. Each
time the PCs find a core clue the game setting responds by
turning darker. This change does not reflect physical changes
in The City, but rather a psychological shift in the PCs. The
deeper they move in the spiral the more they start to realize
all the grievances around them. You could say that the ugly
truth is revealed to the PCs piece by piece.
Place the spiral on the table openly in front of the players. It’s
just as important for the players to observe the current phase
of the spiral as it is for the GM. At the beginning of the game
157
place a token on phase zero of the spiral. Whenever PCs find
a core clue move the token forward one phase. The GM de-
scribes the world according to the instructions on each phase.
The players adjust their character’s reactions accordingly to
match the thematic atmosphere in each phase.
LONGER CAMPAIGNS
If you plan to run a longer campaign with more core clues you
can adjust each section of the spiral by adding more clues one
by one to each section starting from the beginning.
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stories
PHASE ZERO - 0 CORE CLUES
The City appears normal. People go about their business as

usual. However there is a slight sense of dread as if something
strange is just about to happen.
PHASE ONE - 1 CORE CLUE
Arguments can be heard behind closed doors. Someone

might have a black eye. Small things seem out of place or
different from normal.
PHASE TWO - 2 CORE CLUES
The ugliness of the City can be seen occasionally. Fights and

heated arguments break out. Larger things in the environ-
ment seem alien or different from before. Shadows seem
darker than normally.
PHASE THREE - 3 CORE CLUES
The City feels oppressive like all hope is draining out. People
look tired and hopeless. Being outside feels dangerous as if
behind every corner there is a disaster waiting to happen.
PHASE FOUR - 4 CORE CLUES
Intense paranoia sets in. It seems like no one is able to trust

anyone. Families start to break and people might lose their
jobs. Violence, betrayal and backstabbing seem prevalent in
the whole City.
PHASE FIVE - 5 CORE CLUES
The City feels like it’s falling apart. All roads lead to doom and
disaster and there is no clear way out. There is no turning
back now, but the future does not look good either.
159
MYSTERY IDEAS
A couple of ideas to get you started with your Grim Noir
Game. You can use these ideas as the base or a part of your
main story. In case you would like to try a complete story you
can try the introductory story Vicious Spiral at the end of this
section. If you would like to try a longer pre-made example
story, check the end of the book for details on Dead-end
Murder
INTRODUCTION TO THE
SUPERNATURAL
Characters are journalists
who happen to witness a
Reaper taking a soul of a
car accident victim. As they
pursue the Reaper in hopes
of a story they awaken to
realize that they too are
Reapers. How will they re-
act to the new world that is
opened to them?
DETECTIVE STORY
Characters are a team of
detectives that are assigned
a murder case. Slowly
through the investigation
the supernatural is re-
vealed to them as they real-
ize that there is a Reaper
feud behind the murder.
The investigators enter the world of Reapers as they search
for the murderer.
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THE GHOST OF A MURDERER

The Casino, End of the Rainbow has suffered five deaths in
the last two weeks and no one has seen any suspects. A ghost
of a late employee is exacting revenge on the Casino that
treated her unfairly.
THE WHISKEY TRADERS

An underground whiskey trading has been flourishing lately
and the cops are not sure how the traders are avoiding them.
An intense investigation will get investigators mixed with
Reapers, agents and more.
DIRTY COPS
Some of the police officers are taking bribes and turning a
blind eye to some local ac-
tivities. Those activities
turn out to be more dan-
gerous than the investiga-
tors may have believed.
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL

Tension between Reapers
of Heaven and Hell is high
and they are preparing
themselves for the worst.
The cold war is at it’s peak
when suddenly a Reaper of
Heaven is killed under
shady circumstances. After
that the situation becomes
even more volatile and
both sides start recruiting
neutral Reapers to their
side with an ‘it’s either us or
them’ attitude. Which side
will the characters choose?
161
HELL IS WINNING THE WAR
Recently Hell has been gaining more and more influence in
The City and has started to enlarge its territory towards
Heaven’s side. It seems Heaven is indeed losing the cold war
and desperate measures are needed to somehow stop Hell
from gaining too much power. The characters are hired by
the agent of Heaven to help keep the balance.
WHERE IS FATHER MATTHEW

Father Matthew, the priest of the Church of end Time Har-
vest Apostolic Church has gone missing. The Agent of
Heaven is uncharacteristically worried and has offered an ex-
clusive deal to anyone who can find Father Matthew and
bring him back to the Church safely.
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stories
Example case - Vicious Spiral

When a good friend ends up dead in his own home, it is up
to his friends to find out what happened and seek revenge.
• Run time: 1-2 hours
• Player count: 3-4 players
Player Characters
For this example case the players can choose from four ready
characters.
• Pierre Delugo - a disgraced doctor working for the mafia.
• Frank Cohen - an ex cop turned reporter.
• Lisa Riley - a washed up socialite still living in the past.
• Arthur Wembley - a corrupt politician fresh out of jail.
Player characters are a group of close friends that have been

around the block for years. They have faced enough bad
times together to grow close together and trust each other.
And when they hear that their dear friend Oscar Kingsley
died they drop everything and race to investigate what hap-
pened.
If you want you can also create your own characters, but for
a quicker start the example characters are recommended.
163
Pierre Delugo - The Doctor
Just a few years ago your career was racing forward like a well
oiled car. Then a famous soccer player Roderick “Quickstep”
Johnson died on your operating table. That practically ended
your career, and now everyone seems to be making fun of
your medical skills. Pierre Delugo - The doctor who killed ev-
eryone’s favorite athlete. As no hospital would hire you again,
you had to look for patients from more shady places. At least
the Mafia pays well for your services.
Frank Cohen - The Reporter
For many years you were a normal cop among all the others.
You did your job well and took small bribes just like any other
cop in the force. That all ended when you let a drunk-driving
politician go with just a warning, only to find out later that he
had ran over your wife. Could the fates be more cruel to a
man? As soon as your wife’s body was laid six feet under, you
left the force and dedicated your life to exposing corrupt
politicians.
Lisa Riley - The Socialite
You own a ballet studio that used to be the most appreciated

dance school in the city. Back then you were among the elite
of the city, as all of the other elites’ children went to your
school. Well, no matter how hard you try, those times are long
gone and no one in this town remembers you or even the
name of your school anymore.
Arthur Wembley - The Politician
You just got out of prison after serving a half a year sentence
for embezzling your political campaigns funds. Of course
there were others involved as well, but somehow you are the
only one who got caught and ended up incarcerated. You still
have your politicians wits about you, but you are painfully
aware that all the cops in this town know your face and still
remember what you did.
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A Sad Sight
Late night. It’s raining. Player characters have arrived in front
of Oscar Kingsley’s house in the Sprawl. It’s an older two
storey wood house surrounded by yellow police tape. Earlier
tonight their friend was killed here. The report came in just a
few hours ago.
Oscar was a reporter and he prided himself on knowing bet-

ter than anyone what was going on in the City. How did he
not see this coming? It’s hard to believe this is just a random
accident. You have to get to the bottom of this.
GETTING INSIDE
A police officer is standing in front of the entrance, hiding

from the rain beneath a shelter. He has orders to not let any-
one inside. Characters need to persuade him to let them pass
or sneak inside. The PCs must get inside in order to investigate
so there is no reason to prevent that with a difficult test. Any
one of the following examples works.
Persuade
Use Investigative Ability: Cop talk to assure him that you have
every right to be here. No need to spend points.
Use General Ability: Persuasion (no test, spend 1 point) to

persuade him to look the other way.
Sneak inside
Use Investigative Ability: Locksmith to open the backdoor

and gain entry. No need to spend points.
Use General Ability: Infiltration (no test, spend 1 point) to

gain entry through a window.
165
The house is a mess. Items have been scattered on the floor
and furniture has been knocked over. On the floor at the bot-
tom of the stairs are white chalk lines that mark where Oscar
died. Blood splatters are still fresh on the floor.
This is clearly where Oscar died and it does not look like the
passed away peacefully.
STABILITY TEST
The gruesome realization that their friend is dead is shocking

to the PCs.
Test General Ability: Stability (difficulty 4) to see if the death

shocks the PCs.
If successful they are able to hold themselves together.
With a fail they are shocked and lose 4 points of Stability.

Their vision blurs and hands start to shake. It takes a few deep
breaths to calm down again.
Now it’s time to investigate what has happened. PCs should

look for clues about what went down in this house tonight.
They are looking to find the core clue that will lead them for-
ward in the case. They can also uncover extra clues and infor-
mation that will shed more light into the case.
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stories
INVESTIGATION
Use Investigative Ability: Evidence Collection to find a pho-

tograph among various research materials. A picture of Nick
Ehrmann entering an Italian restaurant called La Bussola.
• This is the core clue.
• Use 1 point of Streetwise to recognize the restaurant is

owned by the Mafia.
Use Investigative Ability: Locksmith to find Oscar’s hidden

diary in a locked safe. The diary details his recent investiga-
tion about Nick Ehrmann. A Politician currently running for
mayor. The diary notes that Mr. Ehrmann has been rising sus-
piciously quickly through political ranks. From a nobody to
running for mayor in just 6 months. Oscar suspects someone
has been helping him and notes that Mr. Ehrmann has visited
Franklin & Sons Law Firm several times in the past months.
That is where the Agent of Hell operates from. He might know
more about what is going on.
Use Investigative Ability: Psychology to understand that this

was no simple robbery. Robbers don’t throw things around
like this because it makes too much noise.
• Spend 1 Psychology point to also learn that nothing of

value has been taken. The murder seems to have been the
key focus. The robbery is just a smokescreen to throw off
the investigation. This was a hit.
Use Investigative Ability: Reaper Sight to see Oscar’s soul still

lingering in the house. As a soul he is delirious and cannot give
any insight into what happened to him. However there are two
ways to learn what happened to him. Both require that players
first reap the soul with a Soul Reaping test (difficulty 3).
• Take him to an agent and ask him to read what happened

to the Oscar at the time of his death. That will probably not
be free, nothing ever is with agents.
• Use 1 point of Reaper Sight to relive Oscar’s last mo-

ments yourself. This is taxing and will likely test the char-
acters’ sanity.
167
OSCAR’S DEATH
It’s late, but you are still up. Reading at your desk, in your
study. You hear a voice from the other room. Carefully you
move to see what it was. You take a candelabra from the table
and weigh it in your hands. It’s heavy. You move into the en-
trance hall, but cannot see anyone. Relieved you lower the
candelabra and that’s when you feel the pain in your side. A
knife. You stumble a few steps forward and look behind you.
A man with a beard and a scar on his face. He looks at you
without emotion as you fall. You can’t breathe and it gets dark.
There is nothing else to find out here. The PCs have learned
all they can and must push forward. Someone killed their
friend and they are not about to let that slide.
At this moment, right before they leave the house, there is a

chance for a monologue. If some players wish to perform a
small monologue about how all this makes their character
feel they are free to do so. As a reward they receive 1 narrative
point to use later in the case.
From here on the PCs may move directly to the Italian

restaurant La Bussola or they can gather more information
from the Agent of Hell.
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stories
Reaper business
The agent of Hell has his domain in the back room of
Franklin & Sons Law Firm, in Downtown. Inside the back
room temperature runs higher than normal and everyone
who enters feels their muscles tense as if they had just fin-
ished a tough workout.
The agent is more than willing to deal out information about

Mr. Ehrmann, but it will come with a price tag of one soul.
For now the only soul the PCs have is their friend Oscar. No
time to get other souls. If the PCs are particularly creative
there is a possibility to deal with the agent without giving him
Oscar’s soul, but it should be a creative solution. It’s also pos-
sible to use 1 point of the Investigative Ability: Occult Stud-
ies to realize that you could make a deal with the agent where
you promise to do him a favor instead of giving a soul.
DEAL
For the price of one soul the agent can give the following in-
formation:
• The man who killed Oscar was Bruno Carmena, a mafia

hitman.
• Oscar had learned too much information about Nick

Ehrmann and his unconventional campaign to become
the mayor. The final straw was finding out that Mr.
Ehrmann has ties to the mafia. Oscar was killed to silence him.
• Both Bruno Carmena and Nick Ehrmann sometimes

frequent the Italian restaurant La Bussola in the Sprawl.
• If the PCs did not yet witness the death of Oscar earlier
the agent offers the same vision as a bonus.
169
Italian flavor
The restaurant La Bussola in Sprawl is a traditional restaurant
that seems to be doing too well considering it’s remote loca-
tion. Now it’s no longer a mystery why, it’s probably a front
for the mafia and used for laundering money.
The merry atmosphere inside is a stark contrast to the bleak

outside weather. The smell of delicious food permeates the
entire restaurant. Bruno is nowhere to be seen, but as the PCs
look around they notice a few suspicious looking men in suits
enter the backroom. A small glimpse through the doorway
shows more goons playing cards around a table. It’s likely
Bruno is in the back room. This suspicion can be confirmed
using Investigative Ability: Streetwise and asking a few well
worded questions from the restaurant staff.
FINDING BRUNO
Bruno is in the backroom and to get in the PCs will have to

either convince goons to open the door from the inside or to
kick it open. Picking the lock in a crowded restaurant will be
too suspicious and there is no apparent other way in.
Any of the following actions will grant PCs a way inside.
Use General Ability: Athletics (difficulty 5) to kick the locked

door in.
Use General Ability: Wealth (difficulty 4) to buy your way into

the poker table.
Use General Ability: Intimidation (difficulty 5) to threaten

them to open the door.
Use General Ability: Persuasion (difficulty 4) to persuade your

way in.
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stories
Once inside the PCs will recognize Bruno as the man with a
beard and a scar on his face. Provided that they found out his
appearance earlier. If not they still need to somehow identify
Bruno among the poker players.
At this point whatever the PCs wish to do can happen. They

can for example:
• Get some more info on Mr. Ehrmann. They can discover

that Mr. Ehrman really did put the hit on Oscar and will
most likely continue doing shady things in order to guar-
antee a successful mayoral campaign.
• Try to threaten or humiliate Bruno.
• Pick a fight or even attempt to kill Bruno.
Should they start a fight Bruno will fight back with all he’s got.
BRUNO CARMENA
Abilities: Athletics 1, Health 3, Scuffling 2, Shooting 2
Weapons/Damage: Fists 1d6-2, Tommy Gun 1d6+1
Hit Threshold: 3
Alertness Modifier: +1 / 0
Most of the poker players won’t interfere with the fight and
will escape the room if they can. This will cause a commotion
in the restaurant, but likely there is no worry that anyone
would interfere with Mafia business.
Two of the mafia’s goons in the room will however join the
fight.
171
MAFIA GOON
Abilities: Health 1, Scuffling 1
Weapons/Damage: Knife 1d6
Hit Threshold: 3
Aftermath
Whatever the PCs decided to do to Bruno they have now
solved the case and know what happened to their late friend.
What happens next is up to the players. Will they pursue the
man behind the hit order or will they leave it at getting even
with Bruno? In either case their friend will still be dead and
the City is a sadder place because of it.
172
Pierre Delugo Ridiculed
Doctor
Save somebody’s life or help Wife and two

a patient get proper treatment daughters
Guilt
Frank Cohen Death in the family
Reporter
Reveal a secret that someone Brother whose support

really wants to keep hidden helped through wife’s
death
Discovery
Lisa Reiley Used to be famous
Gambler
Get a chance to enjoy a
Best friend, the only
gambling event or a big gamble.
person who still
thinks highly of you
Greed
Arthur Wembley Fall guy
Politician
Rally a group of people behind Old coworker. One

your idea of the few that did
not betray you.
Stubborn
stories
RUNNING SCENARIOS
The GUMSHOE Rules System covers much of what you need
to run Grim Noir; this section supplements that with addi-
tional GM-centric advice.
CLUES
If a piece of information is essential to move the story on, it’s
a core clue. It costs nothing. You can also offer minor tidbits
of information at 0 points, if the information not consequen-
tial enough to be worth a point spend.
If you have a piece of information that offers a fun sidelight

on the action, but is not essential to move through the story,
you can make this available with a 1- or 2-point spend.
Choose the cost of the spend according to the entertainment
value of the information, not the game-world difficulty of
completing the task. The whole point of the system is to make
178
Running scenarios
clues easy to acquire, so that players can get on with the fun
of figuring out how they fit together. Facilitate this by making
choices that get information into the hands of players. Habits
die hard, so make sure you’re not slipping back into the old
paradigm and making the clues hard to get.
If an action’s consequence of failure might be madness, death

or injury, by all means make it a test. If game world logic sug-
gests that a supporting character will actively oppose the PC,
make it a contest.
RECORDS ARE YOUR FRIEND
In addition to your adventure notes, there are two other doc-

uments you can use to run the game:
• When you are creating your adventure, make a note of

the Investigative Abilities you’ve used on a Investigative
Ability Checklist. It’s a good idea to add clues for as wide a
range of abilities as possible. You can also use the Checklist
during character creation to ensure all the abilities are cov-
ered, and that redundant abilities are left out.
• Secondly, during character creation, have your players

note their choices of Investigative Abilities on the GM’s In-
vestigator Roster. This enables you to pick out which char-
acters might notice obvious clues, and ensure spotlight
time is evenly spread.
When you prepare your next session, you can use the Investi-
gator Roster to see what interests your players. If someone has
a 3-point rating in Art History, you could add a some forged
artwork or a menacing sculpture to your notes. This is partic-
ularly useful in an improvised game.
179
GIVING OUT CLUES
To give out information, the PC needs to be in the right place,
with the right ability, and use that ability. This section deals
with each of these preconditions. In short though, whatever
you’ve done in other games, you should always err on the
side of giving out information, not holding it back.
HAVING THE RIGHT ABILITY

The rules offer a number
of ways to call on abilities,
depending on the situa-
tion. Choosing the right
way to call on an ability is
crucial to the forward mo-
mentum of your inves-
tigative plot. Make this
choice according to the
consequences of failure.
If the consequence of fail-

ure is that a character fails
to get a piece of crucial in-
formation, success should
be automatic provided
that the character has the
ability in question, and
the player thinks to ask for
it. However, any credible
attempt to get information that would yield a given clue
yields that clue, whether or not this is the ability you’ve
specified in the scenario.
Even at that, you may need to improvise during play if no

player steps up to claim the needed clue, bending the details
of the scenario so that the same information can be garnered
with a different ability, possibly by another player.
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Running scenarios
USING THE RIGHT ABILITY

You can give out clues both actively and passively. By default,
though, GUMSHOE assumes that the use of interpersonal
abilities is active; the players have to correctly choose an ap-
propriate ability and describe how they’re using it to open a
contact up to questioning. When you see that players are hes-
itant, tell the player with the relevant ability that his experi-
enced character can sense that it will work here:
▪ “You get the feeling that this guy is a low level criminal.” (Street-
wise)
▪ “The squeal of a police scanner tells you you’ve got a wannabe
cop on your hands. “ (Cop Talk)
▪ “You sense a coldness in the room and suspect there might be a
spirit nearby.” (Reaper Sight)
BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE

GUMSHOE procedural series require their own conceits in
order to keep the story moving in an entertaining manner.
They require the audience’s complicity in looking the other
way. Here the GM and players handwave certain elements
that break the rules of realism in order to keep the game run-
ning smoothly, just as TV scriptwriters. For example, the con-
ceit of primacy in shows such as Law and Order ensure that
the lead characters get the juiciest cases and more action than
any cop is likely to experience in a lifetime. Just as the afore-
mentioned devices arise from the requirements of TV
drama, GUMSHOE’s conceits grapple with the limitations of
a roleplaying session.
The major device you’ll want to adopt, needed for all, but the
smallest groups, is the conceit of elastic participation. Use the
concept of elastic participation to ensure that there is al-
ways a PC in the right place. GUMSHOE works best when
you assume that everyone is kind-of sort-of along for every
scene—without squinting too hard at any resulting logic or
staging absurdities.
181
ROLLING FOR CLUES AND THE GUMSHOE STYLE
Just as in games where you roll for clues, players always have
to describe a logical course of action that might lead to their
getting information, directly or indirectly suggesting the abil-
ity you use to get it. In the traditional model, there’s a roll;
you supply the information on a success. In GUMSHOE, this
step is skipped—but it’s the only step skipped.
Traditional style:
Player: I examine the body looking for a cause of death .
GM: Make a Medicine test.
Player: I succeed.
GM: It’s blunt force trauma to the back of the skull. There
are traces of a slimy residue.
GUMSHOE style:
Player : I examine the body

looking for a cause of
death.
GM: [Checks worksheet to

see if the player’s character
has Medicine, which he
does.] It’s blunt force
trauma to the back of the
skull. There are traces of a
slimy residue.
182
Running scenarios
In neither style do you see players grabbing their character

sheets as soon as they enter a new scene and shouting out
“Medicine! Physics! Evidence Collection!” They don’t do this
because it would be weird and boring—and because in nei-
ther case does it fill all the requirements necessary to get in-
formation from a scene.
The only difference between GUMSHOE and those systems

is the lack of a die roll. You know your group. Give out infor-
mation in the same way you would usually give out informa-
tion, actively, passively: GUMSHOE doesn’t care. Your
players will solicit it, or you will give it out, just as you always
do. There will be a strong effect on your gaming, but from a
subtle change.
183
ENDING SCENES
In a novel or TV episode, writers can freely cut to the next
scene when their characters have acquired all of the clues
available in the current one. The characters might stick
around for hours tying up loose ends and pursuing fruitless
questions, but this doesn’t happen on screen. We, the audi-
ence, are not forced to sit through such sequences.
This kind of concise editing isn’t so easy in the roleplaying

medium. Players don’t know when they’ve got all the clues.
To make things easier the GM can tell players when they have
found all necessary clues and that there is not much else to
do in this scene.
Here’s another simple trick to gently steer them onwards,

without unduly breaking the illusion of fictional reality:
Before play, take an index card and write on it, in big block
letters, the word SCENE. As soon as the players have gleaned
the core clue and most or all of the secondary clues in a scene,
and the action begins to drag, hold up the card. When the
players see this, they know to move on. (Of course, you have
to explain the cue to them before play begins.) Easy, efficient,
yet somehow not nearly as disruptive or jarring as a verbal
instruction.
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Running scenarios
EXAMPLE CHARACTERS
Each story you create will no doubt have plenty of unique
characters that you have created to fit perfectly in to the nar-
rative you’ve built. While you should hand craft the most im-
portant characters in your story there are always times when
you need to suddenly bring up a new character that you did
not have time to flesh out. Or times when you just want to get
some inspiration or guidance for what kind of stats to use on
your characters.
For those occasions you can use the following compilation of

ready characters complete with General Attributes, weapons
and other important information needed for a character to
work for a game. You can use the characters as they are or
change them to suit your game as you like. When thinking of
the power level of NPCs you can consider their health to be a
rough indicator of their threat.
Threat level Health pool

Low: mugger, patrol cop, civilian. 1-2
Medium: mafia enforcer, zombie, soldier 3-6
Serious: reaper, ghoul 7-12
Very dangerous: wraith, hitman 13+
186
Example characters
REAPER ON HEAVEN’S SIDE
The first thing to understand about betting in this city is that the
game has been rigged from the start. Why even attempt to earn your
spot in Heaven through faith if you can make a deal to secure it for
good?
General Abilities: Gambling 2, Health 5, Persuasion 2,

Scuffling 2, Wealth 4
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2
Hit Threshold: 3
Alertness Modifier: 0
Stealth Modifier: +1
Gifts: Soul Reaping 3, Heavenly Light 1, Heal 2
REAPER ON HELL’S SIDE
The way I see it I would rather deal with the Devil I know than an
angel who is beyond my understanding. It’s a classic; searching for
lost keys under the spotlight because that’s where you can see. Well, I
hate living in the dark and at least Hell seems to provide some real
insight into what is going on.
Abilities: Athletics 3, Health 6, Scuffling 5, Shooting 3
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2, Revolver +0
Hit Threshold: 3
Alertness Modifier: +1
Stealth Modifier: 0
Gifts: Soul Reaping 3, Induce Fear 2, Reveal Corruption 1
187
REAPER, NEUTRAL
Picking sides just means you get pulled into their inane games. I for
sure will not become their marionette. I’ll make the least amount of
compromising deals as possible and stay the hell away from the lime-
light.
Abilities: Athletics 3, Health 3, Surveillance 5, Sense Trouble 3
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2, Knife -1
Hit Threshold: 3
Gifts: Soul Reaping 3, Whispers of the Dead 2, Stable Mind 3
POLICE OFFICER
I don’t have time to worry about anything else than my own family.
If keeping my wife and kids safe means occasionally looking away or
taking an envelope you can be goddamn sure I don’t think about it
twice.
Abilities: Athletics 1, Health 2, Driving 1, Shooting 2
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2, Revolver 0, Shotgun +1
Hit Threshold: 3
Armor: 1
Stealth Modifier: 0
188
Example characters
DETECTIVE
Another rainy night and another dame in need of help. Or at least

that was the kind of work I though I would be doing. Instead I keep
running into cases I cannot solve. How can one city have so many
strange cases?
Abilities: Guts 2, Health 2, Medic 1, Shooting 2
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2, Heavy revolver +1
Hit Threshold: 3
MUGGER
The Bloat is becoming crazier day by day. Is it not enough that I lost
my job? Even my apartment is taken over, and by rats of all things! I
just need to get enough lettuce to survive today. I swear it’s going to
be just this once. Just once.
Abilities: Filch 1, Health 1, Scuffling 1
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2, Knife -1
Hit Threshold: 2
Alertness Modifier: -1
Stealth Modifier: 0
189
MAFIA ENFORCER
I didn’t know a Tommy Gun heats up so much. It’s literally burning

my hands. Might as well to distract me from what just went down. Oh
god, I think I saw a kid somewhere in there.
Abilities: Driving 1, Guts 1, Health 3, Persuasion 1, Scuffling 1,

Shooting 2
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2, Tommy Gun +1
Hit Threshold: 3
Armor: 1
ZOMBIE
I’m sure I died, but here I am. Rotting away. The world makes no
sense anymore. Better to hide away somewhere. Might find a good
hiding spot in the Smokestacks. Not many people there at night.
Abilities: Health 4 (until incapacitated), Infiltration 1, Surveil-

lance 2
Weapons/Damage: Bony fists -1
Hit Threshold: 3
Special: Undead. Can only be killed with supernatural powers.

A zombie is born when a soul does not detach from a dead
body. The body continues to decompose, but the spirit re-
mains. Incurs Stability test (difficulty 4, lose 3-4 Stability).
190
Example characters
GHOUL
GRRRRLLLRRR...HUNGRY. ALWAYS HUNGRY!! MUSSST

EAAT. HHHNGGGHG! ANYTHING!
Abilities: Athletics 3, Health 6 (until incapacitated), Scuffling 1,

Surveillance 1
Weapons/Damage: Claws +1
Hit Threshold: 4
Stealth Modifier: 0
Special: Undead. Can only be killed with supernatural powers.

Ghouls are zombies that have realized they can sustain their
existence by devouring human flesh. However, eventually
their mental acuity deters and they become nothing but man-
eating monsters. When seen incurs Stability test (difficulty 4,
lose 3-4 Stability).
191
POLTERGEIST
They still haven’t found me those fools. Reapers they called them-
selves. Dealing death to those already dead. What a joke. They WILL
NOT take me. I will hide and I will run. No matter how many times
I have to.
Abilities: Health 2, Surveillance 3
Weapons/Damage: Throw objects +0
Hit Threshold: 4
Alertness Modifier: -1
Special: Spirit. Can only be hurt with supernatural powers.

When seen incurs Stability test (difficulty 4, lose 4 Stability).
WRAITH
I am death incarnate! Four Reapers have fallen to my illusions and

traps. I will feast on their souls and become ever stronger until there
is no one in this city who can threaten me.
Abilities: Filch 1, Guts 2, Health 12, Persuasion 4 (illusions),

Scuffling 3 (telekinesis), Sense Trouble 1
Weapons/Damage: Throw objects/humans +1,
Hit Threshold: 4
Special: Spirit. Can only be hurt with supernatural powers.

When seen incurs Stability test (difficulty 4, lose 7 Stability).
192
Example characters
AGENT OF HEAVEN
My domain is what confines me. How frustrating it is to not be able

to leave this single room as years go by. Perhaps if I manage to tip the
scales enough and make the other Agent make a mistake. Maybe I will
be given permission to leave.
Abilities: Performance Arts 2, Persuasion 2, Scuffling 2
Weapons/Damage: Divine power +5
Hit Threshold: 5
Special: Invulnerable within it’s domain.
AGENT OF HELL
Interesting deals are all I care about nowadays. Great war this and
important Pact that. I was told this was an important assignment,
but turns out I didn’t read the fine print. Well, at least here I can write
the fine print myself and write it I will.
Abilities: Intimidation 2, Persuasion 2, Scuffling 2
Weapons/Damage: Demonic power +5
Hit Threshold: 5
Special: Invulnerable within it’s domain.
193
THIRD PARTY AGENT
You are not supposed to have heard of me, but since you are here we
might as well discuss business. Oh put your souls away I have no need
of them. Instead... How about a favor for a favor?
Abilities: Gambling 1, Persuasion 2, Stealth 2
Weapons/Damage: Fists -2
Hit Threshold: 5
Special: Invulnerable within it’s domain. Can grant Gifts out-

side those of Heaven and Hell. Makes obscure deals that are
hard to interpret.
ASSASSIN
Another low level target? No there is something wrong here. This

woman has too much money and power to be working part-time on a
register. Someone is using me to get rid of important people.
Abilities: Athletics 1, Intimidation 1, Intimidation 1, Scuffling

2, Shooting 2, Surveillance 2
Weapons/Damage: Piano wire -1, Silenced pistol 0
Hit Threshold: 3
194
Example characters
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
On the following pages you’ll find useful tables collected to-
gether for easier access. In addition the character sheet is also
found here.
196
Action DIFFICULTY ATTACK DIFFICULTY HIT THRESHOLD
Normal action in a normal situation 4 Normal 3
Difficult 5 Opponent is evasive / PC has cover +1 = 4
Very difficult 6 Opponent is extremely evasive +2 = 5
Continuous challenge 7+ Opponent is supernaturally evasive. +3 = 6
Opposed challenge 4
Actor has advantage -1 or -2

Weapon type Damage modifier
Actor has disadvantage +1 or +2
Fist, kick -2
Target has advantage +1 or +2
Small improvised weapon, police baton,
-1
Target has disadvantage -1 or -2 knife
Machete, heavy club, light firearm 0
Sword, heavy firearm

PERSONAL FACTS KNOWN ON SOUL REAPING ABILITY +1
SOUL SPEND
0 3
ARMOR PROTECTION
1 2
Light armor 1
2 1
Heavy armor 3
3 0
Stability
Event DURING GAME Stability gain incident
loss
At the beginning of every game session 1 You see something that should be impossible 2
Visit home 1 You are in a car or other vehicle accident serious
2
enough to pose a risk of injury
Meet friends and family (Core Relationship) 1
You experience something that should be impos-
3
Visit workplace and get some normal work done 1 sible
Drink whisky after a shocking incident You see a supernatural creature from a distance 3
1
Act according to your Role You see a supernatural creature up close 4

2
You see a particularly grisly murder or accident
Have a meaningful conversation with a familiar 4
2 scene
NPC
You learn that a friend or loved one has been vio-
Protect your Core Relationships from harm 3 4
lently killed
Prevent a death 3 You discover the corpse of a friend or loved one 5
Between cases Full You are attacked by a supernatural creature 5
You see a friend or loved one killed 6
INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY You see a friend or loved one killed in a particu-

SPECIAL BENEFITS larly gruesome manner
7
SPEND
Simple, usually one piece of extra infor-
1
mation
Obscure piece of information 2
GET BUILD POINTS IF HOW MANY
After every session 1
Multiple pieces of information from the
2
same clue
Played character Life Event 1
Film noir roleplay 1
198
QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
INVESTIGATIVE ABILITY GROUP GENERAL ABILITY GROUP

Art and History Academic Athletics General
Law Academic Driving General
Occult Studies Academic Filch General
Psychology Academic Gambling General
Religion Academic Guts General
Research Academic Health General
Bureaucracy Interpersonal Infiltration General
Cop Talk Interpersonal Intimidation General
High Society Interpersonal Medic General
Interrogation Interpersonal Performance Arts General
Streetwise Interpersonal Persuasion General
Chemistry Technical Scuffling General
Craft Technical Sense Trouble General
Evidence Collection Technical Shooting General
Locksmith Technical Shrink General
Medicine Technical Stability General
Physics Technical Surveillance General
Reaper Sight Supernatural Wealth General
Soul Reaping Supernatural
Induce Fear Supernatural, Hell
Hell’s Veins Supernatural, Hell
Hellfire Supernatural, Hell
Reveal Corruption Supernatural, Hell
Whisper of the Dead Supernatural, Hell
Heavenly Light Supernatural, Heaven
Guardian Angel Supernatural, Heaven
Endless Conversation Supernatural, Heaven
Heal Supernatural, Heaven
Stable Mind Supernatural, Heaven
199
Dead-End Murder
Dead-End Murder
A Case File for Grim Noir RPG
A high profile business man is found murdered under
strange circumstances. The higher-ups want to bury the
case as a “straightforward, run-of-the-mill murder”, but
there are too many puzzle pieces that do not match.
There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that you'll let

this one go without getting to the bottom of it.
This is an example case for Grim Noir RPG and is designed

to introduce new players to the game and its world. This
booklet contains a self-contained adventure, example
characters and clues that will be collected during the
game. It works as a standalone story, or as a great start
for a longer campaign.
Available
in
2021
An occult mystery roleplaying game
powered by the GUMSHOE system
Grim Noir is a film noir RPG about occult mysteries, shady
deals in dark alleys and glamorous restaurants. In Grim Noir
you take on the role of a group of detectives that gather clues in
order to piece together a solution to the mystery your game
master has created. In Grim Noir, mysteries have a supernatu-
ral or an occult twist that makes them too dangerous for the
City’s regular police.
But not for you. You are are a Reaper.
Take on the role of Reapers, people who have a special ability

to see and take hold of souls. You can use this ability to gather
clues from the dead or to sell the souls you gather for money,
favors or supernatural abilities.
The renowned GUMSHOE system allows the players to focus

on the story, rather than worry about whether their characters
can find the clues to advance the plot.

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A GUMSHOE film noir RPG

Published in 2021 by Northern Realms Publishing.

Based on the world of Grim Harvest RPG created by Oskari Wäänänen.

ISBN 978-952-68021-4-5 (paperback)

SPECIAL RULES AND GAMEPLAY 100

THE CITY 120

RUNNING SCENARIOS 178

EXAMPLE CHARACTERS 186

QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE 196

Grim Noir is a roleplaying game in a film noir setting. In this

Many elements in this game contain something out of the or-

flict between the supernatural and the mundane as it is about

AIM OF THE GAME

The mystery is at the center of the game. It could be an un-

Players share part of

GUMSHOE RULE SYSTEM

GUMSHOE speeds and

Failure to gain information is rarely more interesting than

None of the characters are perfect. They wrestle with secrets

Each player takes the role of a character in a film noir story

Player characters can play different types of roles in the

Characters will fight against the odds in order to solve the

The presence of Divine Powers brings a definitive religious

As people die their souls do not continue their journey. In-

A major part of the game is to try to balance between what-

An armistice struck between Heaven and Hell a thousand

Create player characters by choosing your Character Con-

Investigative Abilities allow you to find the information your

General Abilities help you survive while you’re gathering in-

CHARACTER CREATION STEPS

Step one: concept:

• Choose at least one life event

• Describe your family and friends.

Step two: assign investigative abilities.

Step three: assign general abilities.

Step four: choose a Drive and let GM review.

The GUMSHOE rules define your character by what she or

Investigative Ability: skills to gather clues and information.

General Ability: skills to overcome challenges and obstacles.

Ability Rating: ability maximum value. Abilities refresh to

Ability Pool: current ability value. Decreases during gameplay

For each ability, your character has a pool of points which

EXAMPLE: Rating and Pool

Nick Sullivan has a rating 3 in Art and History, 2 in Law and 4

1. Choose a suitable role for your character.

Each role sets out minimum requirements in both Investiga-

WOMEN’S STATUS IN THE 1950’S

Although women’s social status was very different in the 50’s,

A character’s role represents his style in play, but it may also

Each role allows player characters to regain Stability during a

“I take what I want, crybaby.”

Criminal encompasses burglars, street urchins, bums and the

Investigative Abilities: Art and History 1, Locksmith 1,

General Abilities: Athletics 4, Filch 2, Scuffling 2

Regain Stability: Perform a favor for one of your criminal

“Dang. You say you lost your cat? Well.. huh.”

Investigative Abilities: Cop Talk 1, Interrogation 1 Psy-

General Abilities: Gambling 1, Guts 4, Shooting 1, Surveil-

Regain Stability: Make an arrest or confront someone

“Infected wounds, fractured limbs... It’s all routine, really.”

Equipped with fine tools and expensive education, Doctors

Investigative Abilities: Chemistry 1, Medicine 1, Research

General Abilities: Filch 2, Medic 4, Shrink 2