Wicked Words 3 PDF

WICKED
WORDS
A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER
ISSUE #3
Play Dirty:
Other Side of the Screen
Playing Romans with Shane
Hensley
Page 3
One Last Drink

before I go
A Special Request Short Story
from the World of Secret!
Page 7
Unnamable
A New Little
cthulhu mythos Game!
Page 11
MARCH 31, 2014
John wick Presents

Magazine
Welcome Aboard!
Hello and welcome to the
third issue of Wicked Words
Magazine! Our goal (and by
our, I mean, my) is to
provide players and game
masters tools that enhance
your gaming experience. This
issue has four articles for your
perusal.
The first is our standard
Play Dirty column, providing
you with unorthodox GM
advice. This time, Im getting on
the other side of the table! I
had the opportunity to play
with Shane Hensley (of Savage
Worlds and Deadlands fame)
and I had a blast. You can read
more about the experience on
page 3.
Next, over on page 7 is a
special request short story from
one of our subscribers. Yes, I
take requests. It comes to us
from the world of Secret
(remember last issue?) and tells
a tale of betrayal within the
Circle.
And then on page 11 we
have Unnamable, a Call of
Cthulhu heartbreaker. Cute
little game if you like
bloodshed and sanity loss.
And then! on page 15, we
another short story. This one is
called The Lovecraft Game. You
can guess the subject matter
AND THEN! on page 23,
have the third part of a threepart series for Houses of the
Blooded fans. Its the third
chapter of the Slumming
Sourcebook. Here, we take a

look at how to rule the City! If
you dont own a copy of HotB,
dont worry, you can get it from
this link.
http://
rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/
61061/Houses-of-the-Blooded
Ive set it up as a Pay What
You Want product, so
download it for free if you like,
then if you enjoy it, drop us a
few pennies for our effort, eh?
AND THEN!!! Ive shared
with you may April 1st RPG for
2014. Crack a beer or open a
bottle of whiskey and enjoy.
And now, a quick word
about Return to Orkworld. I
wanted it to be in this issue. I
really did. I just ran out of
time. So, Im going to send it all
out to you when its ready. No
charge. Just consider it Issue
3.5. Im nearly finished, but
not quite. So, wait for it
Finally, have another short
story Finally, I want to hear
from you!
Let me know how the issue
works out for you. The best
part of modern technology is I
can hear directly from my
subscribers and make changes
to the magazine based on what
they want to see. So, if you
have any suggestions for future
articles, please let me know.
Hope you enjoy the issue.
Please let me know!
Wicked Words
Magazine Issue #3,
Volume #1
Wicked Words Magazine is
published by John Wick
Presents, LLC and is and
2014 by John Wick. Logo by
Jessica Kauspedas. You can find
out more at
www.johnwickpresents.com.
This Magazine is made
possible by pledges made by
contributors via
www.patreon.com.
As always, we want to thank
all those who helped us reach
our goals and hope that if you
find this magazine useful, youll
spread the word. Thank you, and
lets get on with the show!
CONTACT US!
Email: johnjwick@gmail.com
Website:
johnwickpresents.com
Facebook: facebook.com/
johnwickpresents
Twitter: @wickedthought
THIS ISSUE!
3: Play Dirty: The Other Side of
the Screen
7: One Last Drink Before I Go
11: Unnamable
15: The Lovecraft Game
23: Houses of the Blooded:
Slumming (Chapter 3)
PAGE 2
MARCH 31, 2014
Play Dirty:
Other Side of the Screen
I got the chance to play Weird Wars Rome at the home of Shane Hensley. It was a fantastic night
full of fun, drinks, snacks and werewolves.
Heres the story.
We were somewhere near Chandler, on the

edge of the desert, when the caffeine began to take
hold. I remembered saying something like, This
one is empty. Wheres the cooler? And suddenly,
on the edge of the road, hulking shadows with red
eyes riding huge beasts seemed to be pacing us,
just out of sight. I was driving The Yrf, a trusty
2001 Saturn SL with over 150,000 miles behind
him. Most men associate cars with women, but
this is an error. Motor vehicles, like their human
counterparts, have many genders. The Yrf was
definitely male. A work
horse that was never
taught the word,
quit.
But even The Yrf
could see there was
danger around us.
The shadows bayed
and snarled like
ancient beasts that
no human word
could contain. I
depressed the gas
and The Yrf obeyed.
We were moving over
100 mph now, but it
didnt seem to
matter. The Things
that stalked us had
The Incomparable
no intention of letting
us go.
Why are we going so fast? my compatriot in
the passenger seat said.
Oh, now you notice, I thought. Just wait till
you notice the goddamn Things chasing us.
Let me drive, he said. I took one look at him.
He had the seat jacked all the way back and his tshirt was hefted up above his wide belly. The shirt
said Memetic Weapon. I knew on the back, it
had more words: I am in your base, killing your
memes. I had an empty Coke can in my hand,
but he was already going for the hard stuff: Jolt

mixed with Monster energy drink. His fingers were
thick with Cheetos cheese flavored powder. He
was too far gone to let near the wheel.
We cant stop here, I told him. I looked out
the window for the Things pacing us, but they
were gone, just as quickly as they appeared.
I pushed harder on the gas, ignoring my
companions protests. We couldnt stop now. I just
thought of the assignment and kept us moving
along this desert road. It would be completely
dark soon. This was
no place to be after
dark.
We were to meet with
a man named
Hensley in Chandler,
Arizona for an
evening of dice and
debauchery. He
promised beer,
something my mouth
and stomach cant
stand, but I had my
own plans. The trunk
was filled with a
whole calliope of
drinks: Mountain
Dew, Squirtthe
Shane Hensley
Urine of the Gods,
The Good Doctor,
and of course LifeGiving Coke. None of the treacherous Pepsi. That
foul substance was for men lesser than us, men
with no true meaning or sense in their lives. We
also had a virtual library of gaming tomes, d10s,
d20s, d4s and a menagerie of d6s and d10s. But
we only had a single d12. That was the hard stuff,
and we would not be touching that vile thing until
we needed it.
I was trying to make sense of my Google Maps
when my compatriot shouted, Were here! I
PAGE 3
MARCH 31, 2014
slammed on the breaks and spun about,

hammering The Yrfs rear tire into the street
corner.
Are you sure? I asked.
He took a crumpled piece of paperstained
with pepperoni and cheesefrom his pocket and
looked at the words and numbers. Says so here,
he said.
I knew better than to trust him, but better to
trust a man with no sense than a computer. I
shoved my iPhone back into my pocket and said,
Well, the story wont write itself.
It looked like the right place. I peeked through
the window and saw family portraits. The people
looked familiar enough so I pushed the doorbell. It
made that awful sound that doorbells make,
signaling of salesmen, Mormons and other
unwanted company. But the right man answered
and gave me permission to enter his home.
Fool! I thought. You have no idea.
Then I wondered if I had said that out loud. I
scanned my host for a hint, but could not make
anything out of his cool demeanor. Southern men
always fool me. Its their charm. Much like women
in general.
I introduced myself to the company who had
already arrived: a man named Tom Brown who
dove into the darkest parts of the galaxy and
returned pulling a Dying Sun behind him. As an
operating caffeine addict, I did my best to be as
charming as possible. I believed I fooled him. Men
from the midwest are easier to fool than those
from below the Mason Dixon line. We already
fooled them once, never again.
Others arrived as well. I turned to introduce
my companion, but he had slipped away
somewhere into the house. Probably looking for
an aquarium
***
suspicious glare, Exactly what kind of RPG are

we playing?
He laughed. The game I run is usually a lot
different than the games I publish.
And thats something I hear a lot from game
designers. In fact, I remember saying it all the
time before I met Jared Sorensen. I told him the
same thing about running my games differently
the way I write them and so I gave Shane the
same answer Jared gave me.
Why?
Shane looked surprised for a moment:
probably the same look I had on my face when
Jared asked me the question. We talked about it
for a little while, about public perception of what
RPGs are supposed to be, about the general public
and what they expect. Those kinds of things.
But in the end, I hear it all the time. Designers
saying, The game at my table is really different
than the game I publish.
And how do they run their games differently?
you may ask. Shanes answer was about the same
as everyone elses.
A lot simpler.
Its a secret among those of us who write and
run games. We throw a lot of rules in we just
never use. We think the gaming public needs them
because they run much more complicated games
than we run ourselves.
(Quick aside: Gillian Fraser [the co-author of
Wicked Fantasy] runs a game her players call As
the Pathfinder Turns, or The Game Jill Says is
Pathfinder. Its a streamlined, simplified version of
the aforementioned game.)
There were a bunch of wonderful guys at the
table. I could see immediately why Shane wanted
to play with this group. They were lively, friendly,
loud and eager to play. I could tell it was going to
be a wonderful night.
</hunter thompson>
(Another side note. One of the guys who played
I lived for a while in the South and one of the
with us was Tim Brown, one of the minds
things I appreciated while I was there was the
responsible for the old Dark Sun D&D setting. He
notion of hospitality. I fell in love with the
was also a lot of fun to talk to. Hopefully, well be
concept of Southern gentlemen and ladies and the able to do more of that.)
graciousness they showed.
So, we sat down to play Weird Wars: Rome.
Shane Hensley is such a man. He invited me
Shane had a ton of details about where we were,
to his house to play a few hours of Weird Wars:
what Legion we belonged to all of the stuff that
Rome with a few friends of his. He and his lovely
makes the game feel authentic. He used
wife, Michelle Yates Hensley, had hamburgers and terminology in a friendly way, putting alien terms
drinks ready when I arrived. He shook my hand
in familiar context, so we began to use the words
and showed me back to the garage-converted-toourselves. Also, he pulled a trick I liked a lot.
gaming-room. There, sitting in the middle of table
He had two versions of the PCs wed be
was a roll of measuring tape. I asked Shane with a playing: an honorable version and a Dirty
Dozen version. Same characters, just through a
PAGE 4

different mirror. He suggested we pick which
version we wanted to play. Of course, we picked
the dirty dozen version. Then, we picked
characters. I wanted to pick the thief, but nobody
else wanted to play leader, and Shane insisted we
needed one, so I fell on the sword, so to speak.
Shane also had us pick out our miniatures.
Now, I usually dont use minis at all, but I love
em. Im an old school grognard that way. We each
took our time picking our own mini, which
reminded me of how much fun it was to pick out a
miniature as your character, to paint him,
customize him or pay someone else to do the
work cause you cant do any of that worth a
damn, which is what I usually do. It reminded me
of just how cool miniatures are. Something I had
forgotten. Shane helped me remember that. Thank
you, Shane.
He had a map of the region our story took
place. We were part of a Roman fort in the middle
of the blasted north (around Austria), far away
from Rome. All around us were four villageseach
full of pagan barbarians. One village in particular
had fallen under the sway of a witch. Or, at least,
thats what we heard.
The regular patrol had gone missing and we
were under orders to go looking for them. So, I
went to the supply depot, got as much food and
weaponry as I could get away with considering my
rank, and informed the men of what we were
supposed to do. We all grumbled about it, then got
on our horses and set off.
Shane set up the adventure as an
environment: we could choose whatever direction
we wanted, visit each town in any order we
wanted. Smart man. He knows that no GM plan
ever survives contact with the players.
We decided to visit the village closest to us.
They villagers were quiet and subdued. They
didnt make eye contact. They were subjugated.
We asked questions and they gave us answers.
They said the witch lived in the next village and
she always spoke of revolt against the Romans,
promising she would use her magic to kick us out.
They also said the previous patrol always beat
them, took their food and had their way with their
women.
We saw an opportunity here. We told them,
We hate those guys, too. This instantly won us
favor. Were under orders, we told them. We
have to find them because were taking them back
to get punished.
The villagers were glad to hear that and their
attitude started to change. They became more
welcoming. When we were done, we decided to
move on to the next village and see what was
MARCH 31, 2014
going on with this witch. When we arrived, the

villagers were more than cold: they were
confrontational. It was at this time I asked the
question out loud, Okay, just how Roman do I
want to get here?
See, I have friends who do Roman
reenactment in Los Angeles (Legion Six, who you
can find through this link: http://legionsix.org/)
and let me tell you something, watching HBOs
Rome with them is a pain in the keister. But,
theyre really great to talk to when you want to
understand the typical Roman soldiers
psychology. Which I did. So, I did. And now, Im
sitting at the table wondering, Just how Roman
do I want to get here?
We few we unhappy few...

Before I could answer that question, one of my
fellow Romans found a cache of weapons in a
nearby hay bail. That was bad enough, but then,
the villagers really answered my question for me.
We got ambushed by a bunch of villagers all with
iron farming tools. That cleared it up for me.
We all jumped into formation and took out the
villagers, one-by-one. There were a couple of
problems, but we solved them quickly and without
too much injury to ourselves: a few bruises here
and there.
When we were done, we pulled the witch
from her village hut. She started screaming about
how the trees would rise up and kick us back to
Rome. The trees, this. The trees, that. The trees,
the trees, the trees. The boys wanted to kill her,
but I wasnt about to make her a martyr. So,
instead, I decided to attack her where her strength
lay.
I ordered the men to start burning down trees.
PAGE 5

The look on Shanes face was priceless. This
is why I run games, he said, laughing. Because
players never do what you expect.
It was at this point one of us said, Thats how
we Rome.
That stopped the game for about five minutes.
We burned down the trees around the village
while the witch watched and cried.
That was when I decided to go full Roman. I
told the witch, Well bring you with us. You will
serve us as we wish. You will leave your people as
a priestess and return as a serving wench.
She threw herself on someones sword after I
said that. One of the other players said something
along the lines of, Dude, never go full Roman.
Everyone knows that.
Another five minutes was lost, breaking the
tension of my rather dark decision.
It was around this time that I started to realize
that each of the villages reflected a general
attitude about the Roman occupation. The first
village was subjugated. The second village was
rebellious. I wondered what the next two villages
would be like and credited Shane with a clever
way of showing us the effects of Roman
occupation rather than just telling us about them.
We moved on to the next village. But before we
get there, I should say something about Shanes
layout of our first encounter. This was not easy.
There was no clear-cut answer. No correct way
of dealing with the situation. We were the
conquering Romans and they were the conquered
Gauls. They had every right to resent us, even
hate us. We had no right to treat them as poorly
as we did. But we were Romans. And thats the
key to Shanes strategy here.
By making us Romans, it paints us into a
corner of choices. Sure, we could be sympathetic.
We could even be empathetic. But we are Romans.
Whats worse, we chose the Dirty Dozen batch of
Romans, not the goodie two shoes guys. Thats
two strikes against us already.
Romans only knew one response to the kind of
disrespect the villagers showed us: violence. They
were plotting a revolt against the fort, they were
calling on alien gods to overthrow us and they
attacked us. Three strikes, youre out. The only
proper response is to put down the revolt. But the
decision to humiliate and degrade the priestess
(rather than make her a martyr) made our
response Roman.
Smart man, that Shane Hensley. Now, on to
the next village.
MARCH 31, 2014
We found a body in the woods as we traveled,

a body completely ripped apart. It wasnt a
Roman, but a barbarian. A mystery we put in our
pockets to solve for later.
When we got to the third village, we found
ourselves in a bit of a quandary. These folks were
not angry at usat least, not up frontnor were
they subdued.
They were resigned.
They spoke to us about a great evil in the
woods. An ancient evil. But they wouldnt say
anything more. We didnt exactly want to go
Roman over these guys because they already
looked and sounded so defeated.
A few very successful negotiation rolls later,
they agreed to lead us out to a cave: they told us
this was the source of the evil. We wandered out
into the night with our barbarian guides until we
came across the cave. All the while, we asked
questions. We got the same cryptic answers. The
inner Roman in me was beginning to rage.
Inside the cave we found the remains of the
missing patrol. They were torn to pieces. Some of
us thought the barbarians did this, but a few
others pointed out these were animal wounds, not
wounds made by weapons.
Thats when we heard the howling
We have fought them off for centuries, the
elder of the village told us. But your fellow
Romans have been stealing our weapons and
melting them down. Now, we cannot fight them
anymore. And doom has come to the world.
What kind of cave is this? we asked Shane.
He smiled. Its a silver mine.
The howling got louder
Okay, thats Part 1. Ill continue with my
experience at Shanes gaming table (as well as
thoughts on the Savage Worlds system) in Part 2,
next month. See you then!
Play Dirty
Play Dirty was the most controversial
column in Pyramid Magazine history and
remains a keystone of GM Advice. You can get
your own copy of the collected columns (and
bonus stuff) at DrivethruRPG:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/85816/
Play-Dirty
PAGE 6
MARCH 31, 2014
One Last Drink Before I Go

(Suggested By John Curtis)
Over on the Weird Tales Facebook Page, they offered a challenge. Write a novel title and plot for
this picture. John Curtis made a suggestion for a story involving me, the drink, the woman and
poison. I liked the idea, so I wrote this short story for Mr. Curtis.
Yes, I take requests from subscribers. Keep that in mind for future issues.
It was the worst wine I ever tasted. I should
have spit it out, but her eyes and smile distracted
me. When I swallowed, I knew it was all over.
She smiled behind the curling veil of smoke
rising from her cigarette. Congratulations, she
said. Youre mine.
Shes real, I told him. Not a legend.

He picked up a goblet and drank from it.
What else?
I stepped toward a bookshelf, my right hand
trembling. Its true, I said. What they say about
her blood.
Action threw down his
Action
glass and it smashed
I stood in the rain,
on the floor. Curse it
knocking on the door,
all, Strange! he
waiting for an answer.
shouted at me. I knew
The drive took most of
it was a mistake to
the night, the roads
send you!
pitch black. Still no
He charged me,
electricity out here in
slammed into my belly
the middle of Ireland.
and chest with the
Couldnt expect it
force of a bull,
there were still parts of
knocking me to the
the States waiting for
floor. I felt my back hit
it. Edison couldnt
the wood and I heard
work fast enough. So, I
something crack. Pain
stood outside, in the
shot through my whole
dark, in the rain.
body, but I had the
Waiting.
wherewithal to think, I
The man who
hope that sound was
opened it stood taller
the wood.
than me, the top of my
I felt a fist pound into
head reaching his
my chin. Then another.
shoulders. He wore a
The acidic taste of
thick, red beard and
blood in my mouth.
his eyes were bright
blue. Come in, he said, his Dublin accent
Damn you, Strange! he shouted at me. But
making the vowels swallow the consonants. I did
his words were like listening to a radio stuck
as he said.
between channels. Fading in and out.
Im in the library, he told me. He lead and I
I felt him lift me from the ground. You failed
followed.
us! Again! I hit the floor a again. This time, I
knew the cracking sound wasnt the wood. A red
The walls of books reached up to the ceiling,
nearly all of them untouched. He was Lord Action, hot pain shot up my left arm. This was too much,
too soon. I still had Fate and DArque.
after all.
Just finish it, Danny, I whispered through
What did you find out? he asked me,
my broken lips. Finish it now.
standing by the window. Outside, rain splattered
against the glass, dark clouds covering the sky.
PAGE 7

He looked down at me, pausing for a moment.
Then, he lifted me and took me to the window, the
storm punctuating the violence.
My shoes scraped across the wood panel floor.
I looked up to see a few of the candles fell since
my beating started. Wax spilled across the floor,
mingled with some of my blood. I see a book
sitting on a table, the flames of the candle tasting
the pages.
Danny opens the window and the rain
splashes all over my face. Its pitch black out here
except for the lightning. I cant see a thing.
The ring will find its way to another, he says.
Someone better than you!
Lightning flashed, casting shadows across his
face. He begins to lift me and I squeeze the trigger.
The gun fired three times. The third time, I fall
to the stone balcony. On the wrong arm. I scream
and Danny looked down at me with blank eyes.
He holds his chest. Then, he fell forward,
plummeting over the side of the balcony, over to
the cliffs below.
I lay there, the smoking gun in my hand,
trying to catch my breath. Lightning struck above
me and I sat still.
I looked up and saw the balconys glass doors.
The Countess was there in the glass, looking
down at me.
Satisfied? I asked her.
She smiled, but didnt say a word.
***
I was on my hands and knees, trying to
breathe. I heard the command, Suffocate, and
there was nothing I could do. Her blood was in me.
I was hers.
She knelt down beside me, touching my cheek
with her fingertips. I could kill you now, Edward,
she told me. Then, she laughed, low and quiet.
Lord Strange. She caressed my lips. But I want
you to do something for me first.
My head spun. My lungs gasped for air.
Kill the rest of the Circle, she told me. All of
them. Fate, Action and DArque. Kill them for me
and I will set you free.
I couldnt hold myself up any longer. I fell to the
floor, hoping for the command.
Breathe, she told me.
I sucked the air in gasps. Lying there, helpless
on the floor.
I will be watching you, she said, standing
back up, sitting down at the table. My blood is
inside you. I see all that you see.
MARCH 31, 2014
After I caught my breath, I looked up at her,

sitting in the chair. She drank the wine and
laughed.
DArque
Another shot, but this one hit the stone wall I

stood behind, nicking a bit of it against my cheek.
I felt the warm blood ooze down my skin and
across my lips. I held my fathers revolver in my
hand and waited for a sound, knowing I would
hear nothing.
Ive already warned Fate, I heard a deep
English voice say, but I could not locate it. It
seemed to be everywhere, in every shadow. Shes
waiting for you. He chuckled. Not if I kill you
first, though.
I had to move quickly. Just as Actions ring
made him incredibly strong, DArques ring had its
own gifts. This dim dungeon was the best place for
him to pick our showdown.
DArques needle gun fired again, making
almost no sound, slipping by my nose A slight wff
was all the warning I had. I couldnt let one of his
designer poisons into my blood. There was already
enough poison in there.
Fate and Strange, always together, he said,
his voice echoing all around me. She loves you.
You know that dont you?
I didnt answer. It didnt matter. He knew
where I was. I just had to find him...
But before you, it was me that she loved, he
said. Before you came along with your bloody
American charm.
There was no light. Nothing to aim at. Nothing
to see. I may as well have been alone in the wine
cellar, damned to listen to his voice for all eternity.
I could hear his grin in his voice. But all that
is over now, isnt it? All I needed was an excuse
and you brought it to me on a silver platter.
Keep it up, I thought, my right hand under my
jacket. Just give me the cue
You never could keep yourself from the
dangerous ladies, could you, Strange? Lady
Fates affections were never good enough for you.
I stopped moving. Tried to peer through the
darkness.
And now, this is where your carnal desires
have brought you
That was it. I took my hand out from under
my jacket and hit the button.
Light flooded out in front of me. And there,
standing as stunned as if I had struck him on the
head, was Lord DArque.
PAGE 8

Wwhat?
Its called a flashlight, I told him. You can
thank Mr. Edison.
My left hand slipped and the light fell. I pulled
the trigger of my fathers revolver. I heard the
sound of metal hitting flesh. Then, a body
slumping to the ground. I scrambled for the light,
found it, and clicked the button again.
There he was, a bloody mess, crumpled
against the wall. His thin frame, pale skin and
white hair. His needle gun had fallen just out of
his grasp.
I sighed and whispered Im sorry. I hoped he
could hear me.
***
She wrote the invitation on vellum. I felt the ink
under my fingers. She was little more than legend,
but I had to know. We had to know. Her husband
was done in only a few decades ago, and she was
the last of the Three. The deadliest.
My grandfather was with the others when her
husband, the Count, was put down. They killed
two of his brides, but the third escaped. And here
she was, inviting me to dinner.
I had to go. Thats what I told myself.
Of course, thats always the easiest person to
fool, isnt it?
Fate
She sat at a table, tarot cards spread out.

There was also a small bottle, an empty glass and
a note.
There was a little sick on the edge of her
mouth. Her eyes were open and her arms lay at
her sides.
I spared you the trouble, the note read.
I smelled the bottle. Almonds.
I thought of kneeling down beside her, but
no.
I put the gun back in my shoulder holster. My
left arm throbbed. The opium was fading. Just
enough to kill the pain, but not enough to
summon the visions. She taught me that. She
taught me a lot of things.
I wanted to cry, but I couldnt. Instead, I
laughed.
Im done, I said out loud.
Then, come back to me, she said in my mind.
I nodded and turned away from the table,
remembering the center card was the Magician,
crossed by Death.
MARCH 31, 2014
***
When you are done, come back and I will give
you what you seek.
What is that? I asked her.
A night of pleasure, she said, smiling. Your
last night.
In your bed? I asked.
She nodded. Yes.
All right, I said. Then, I left her behind.
The Countess
I followed her voice to the place where she

was. I never would have found it myself.
The winter hotel was notorious for its
exclusive parties. The Hellfire Club threw its last
shindig here, but if you listen to rumor, was
cordially uninvited from ever renting the place
again.
I had to drive for six hours to get there, my
arm screaming at me the first three hours. Then,
the pain began to soften.
Her blood.
I pulled my car up to the door. A man in a
tuxedo welcomed me and told me I was expected.
He gave me a key with a room number on it. I took
it and gave him my car key.
The elevator boy called me, Sir. I tipped him.
We rode up slowly, saying nothing. I guess all the
blood on my face and on my clothes shut him up.
He looked rather chatty otherwise.
On the sixteenth floor, he opened the door for
me. Fifth room on the left, he said.
I turned and asked him, Anyone else here?
He shook his head. No, sir. Only the
Countess.
I tipped him again. Thanks kid, I told him.
He gave me a nervous smile and closed the
door in front of him, sending the elevator back
down.
I looked at the key in my hand and I waited. I
was buying time. With her blood inside me, I was
little more than a victim. I needed allies.
When enough time passed, I stepped up to the
room. I used the key and unlocked the door,
letting it open in front of me. Light from the
corridor spilled into the room and I saw a large
four poster bed, carpet, mirrors and other
trappings.
Im here, I said, still standing in the door.
PAGE 9

I know, she said. She stepped forward from
the darkness, her black dress showing me all her
curves.
I heard the stairway door open on the far side
of the corridor. The trap was sprung.
Only Lord Strange left, she said. Then, she
gave me a soft, dark giggle. And by tomorrow,
there will be none of you at all.
I nodded. It looks that way.
Come in, Strange, she said, raising her
arms. Come in and embrace me. Embrace
pleasure and death.
I could not refuse her. I stepped inside, barely
hearing the footsteps approaching us from down
the corridor.
I walked into her embrace and she wrapped
her arms around me. They were warm. She kissed
my lips, and they were like a sweet, hot wine. I
looked to the side of the room and saw a busboy,
dead on the floor.
Oh, she said, noticing my glance. I ordered
you some dinner. She smiled. Me, too.
I nodded. I see.
I want you to kiss me, Edward, she said.
Kiss me like you kissed her.
I hesitated. She looked confused.
I told you to kiss me, she said, her eyes
growing angry.
Another voice spoke up then. A womans voice.
He cant do that, she said. You gave him a
command he cannot fulfill.
The Countess looked up, her eyes filled with
rage.
Who dares? she said, her fingertips now
digging into my skin.
I could not turn, so I did not see the source of
the voice, but I knew it well enough.
Hello, Lady Fate said. I believe you are
holding something that belongs to me.
The Countess threw me away. What
treachery? she said.
Another voice, this one shrouded in darkness,
answered her. The best kind, DArque answered.
He lifted me by my shoulders up to my feet, then
put his thin, pale finger to his lips. I nodded.
The Countess spun about the room, cursing.
Then, she saw a massive frame enter the room.
You! she shouted. It cant be you! It cant
be!
MARCH 31, 2014
Lord Action nodded. It is, he said, one hand

popping the knuckles in his other. It sure as Hell
is.
The Countess pointed at Fate. You were
poisoned!
Lady Fate shrugged. Did you see me take the
poison?
The Countess spun about. And DArque! I
saw!
His voice surrounded her like an army of
whispers. Exactly what did you see? he asked.
But then she pointed at Action. You! she
said. I saw you thrown over the cliffs! I saw it! I
saw it!
Action smiled. Im Lord Action, he said. Ive
survived worse.
She spun and glared at me. Strange! she
shouted. Edward! You betrayed me!
I took out my fathers revolver. Yep, I said.
We knew we had to find your coffin. Couldnt just
kill you. And you brought me right to it.
No! she screamed. Not like this! I wont I
wont
Action shut the door behind him. Between the
four of us, the rest didnt take very long.
PAGE 10
Unnamable
A Little Lovecraft Game
A lot of folks have asked me, When are you going to do a Lovecraft game? I always answered,
Call of Cthulhu does it just fine. (The same answer can be given for a King Arthur game and
Pendragon.)
But then, I woke from a terrible dream and well, you can read the rest.
In Unnamable, you take the roles of
investigators looking into the horror of the
Cthulhu Mythos, discovering the terrible truths of
the universe. To do that, you need a character.
Lets get started there.
Your Character
First, make copies of the character sheet on
the next page. Go ahead, I give you permission.
Next, ask the GM what kind of game youre
playing. Is it in the 1920s? 1940s? 1890s?
2000s? Find that out.
Then, pick a Profession for your character. You
know the drill here. Are you a college professor,
journalist, archeologist, surgeon, student, artist,
etc. This is what your character does.
After that, assign 10 points to your characters
Personality Traits. You can only assign up to 3
points per Trait. Pick from the list nearby or make
up your own, using the list as a guide. This is
how your character does things.
After that, write a three physical Descriptions
of your character. This is what your character
looks like.
Finally, write a big fat 20 in the Sanity box.
And, once youre done with that, youre done!
But wait, John! I hear you say. What about
the other side of my character sheet? Gentle
Reader you arent ready to see that yet. But
soon. Very, very soon.
Your Dice
This game uses d6s for determining the

outcome of risks. Heres the list of how many dice
you can roll for each risk.
If your Profession is appropriate to the risk,
add 3d6 to your roll.
If a Personality Trait is appropriate to the
risk, add 2d6 to your roll. (Only one.)
If a Description is appropriate to the risk, add
1d6 to the roll.
If a Goal is appropriate to the risk, add 1d6 to
the roll.
Target Numbers
When the GM calls for a risk, he assigns a

Target Number. You roll your dice and try to roll
equal to or greater than the TN.
Every TN starts at 5. Then, as the GM sees fit,
he raises the TN by increments of 5 based on how
difficult he considers the risk. A good gauge to
measure by is How many complications are
getting in the way? For each complication,
increase the TN by 5.
For example, if fighting a cultist, consider the
complications. Does the cultist have a weapon? If
yes, that makes things more difficult, and the GM
should add 5 to the TN. Is the fight in the dark
and difficult for the character to see? Add another
5 to the TN.
If defusing a bombbecause cultists love
bombsconsider the skill of the cultist. Does he
have Bomber as a profession? Id add a few
points to the TN for that. Is the timer below 2
When investigating the Mythos, your character minutes? Yeah, Id throw a 5 on the top of that.
may take risks that are mentally and/or
If you need a quick TN for things like bombs,
physically challenging. When your character
lockpicking,
solving puzzles, etc., add up a
enters such a risk, he rolls dice.
number of dice equal to the person the character
opposes. For example, the person who made the
bomb, the lock, the puzzle, etc. Then, multiply
The Game
Personality Traits
active
adventurous
affectionate
alert
ambitious
angry
annoyed
anxious
apologetic
arrogant
attentive
bold
bored
bossy
brainy
brave
bright
brilliant
busy
calm
careless
cautious
charming
cheerful
childish
clever
clumsy
coarse
concerned
confident
confused
considerate
cooperative
courageous
cowardly
cross
cruel
curious
dangerous
daring
dark
decisive
demanding
dependable
depressed
determined
discouraged
dishonest
disrespectful
doubtful
dull
dutiful
eager
easygoing
efficient
embarrassed
encouraging
energetic
evil
excited
expert
fair
faithful
fearless
fierce
foolish
foul
fresh
friendly
frustrated
funny
gentle
giving
glamorous
gloomy
graceful
grateful
greedy
grouchy
grumpy
guilty
happy
harsh
hateful
healthy
helpful
honest
hopeful
hopeless
humorous
ignorant
imaginative
impatient
impolite
inconsiderate
independent
industrious
innocent
intelligent
jealous
kindly
lazy
leader
lively
lonely
loving
loyal
mature
mean
messy
miserable
mysterious
naughty
nervous
nice
noisy
obedient
obnoxious
peaceful
picky
pleasant
polite
popular
positive
precise
proper
proud
quiet
rational
reliable
religious
responsible
restless
rough
rowdy
rude
sad
safe
satisfied
secretive
selfish
serious
sharp
shy
silly
skillful
sly
smart
sneaky
spoiled
stingy
strange
strict
stubborn
sweet
talented
thankful
thoughtful
thoughtless
tired
tolerant
touchy
trusting
trustworthy
unfriendly
unhappy
upset
useful
warm
weak
wise
worried
those dice by 5. That should give you a good idea

how high the TN should be.
Results
If the player rolls greater than the TN, it

means the character succeeds. The GM narrates
the characters success.
If the player rolls less than the TN, it means
the character causes a complication. This means
the character is successful in his task, but has
caused an additional problem down the road (or
perhaps, immediately).
Sanity/Madness
Each character begins the game with 20
Sanity Points. Whenever a character faces the
horrible truth of the universe (confronts an entity
or reads a book, etc.), he makes a Sanity Check.
Roll 1d20 (thats for Jill; she loves d20s) and
compare your roll with your current Sanity. If the
roll is lower than your current Sanity (not equal),
deduct 1 Sanity Point from your total.
After that, add one Madness Point to the other
side of your character sheet.
Losing Sanity
When you lose a Sanity Point, you must put a

point into the Madness box. But when you do, you
get to also put a point into one of the Traits on the
right-side of the sheet.
Each Madness Trait can have up to 3 points.
Complete Madness
When a character has no more Sanity to lose,

he goes completely insane. Complete madness.
His only goal is serving the Dark Gods and the
utter destruction of mankind.
Those with enough Insinuate can cause a lot
of damage before theyre put down.
Fighting
When characters fight, both roll dice. Whoever
rolls higher wins the round and the loser takes an
Injury Tag.
An Injury Tag is a description of how the
character was hurt. A broken wrist, a torn off ear,
a bruised eye or liver these are Injury Tags.
When an Injury Tag is appropriate to a risk,
the character loses one die from the risk. Injury
Tags can stack, so a broken wrist and a sprained
ankle can deduct two dice from a risk.
When a character takes his fifth Injury Tag,
he dies.
Melee And Ranged Weapons
Anything used as a melee weapon gives the

player a bonus die for fighting. Ranged weapons
gain two bonus dice.
The End Is Only The

Beginning...
And thats really all you need to run

Unnamable. I mean, there are plenty of other
Madness Traits
Cthulhu Mythos games out there if you want an
Hysterical Strength adds dice to any physical encyclopedia of monsters, spells, gods and other
beasties. And, you probably own them already.
risk equal to its rank.
If you need anything else just ask me! Ill
Insinuate allows the character to disappear in
put your questions in future issues.
a crowd, to seem a bland face in a crowd. To
appear completely normal.
Intuition gives the character knowledge about
the Cthulhu Mythosits creatures, tomes, secret
histories, etc.
A character may use Summon to bring forth
the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos. The TN for
Summoning things is usually 10 for smaller
beasties but increases for larger ones. 10 for a
Deep One, for example, but 30 for Great Cthulhu
himself. And yes, Summoning something this
awful usually costs 1 Sanity Point.
Violence adds its rank in dice to any risk
involving injuring another character.
(For those of you who are curious, you may
add Hysterical Strength and Violence.)
Unnamable
Name
Hysterical Strength
Profession
Insinuate
Personality Traits
Intuition
summon
Violence
Description
Description
Sanity
Madness
Injury Tags
The Lovecraft Game

A Short Story
I ran this as an adventure many years ago, then wrote it as a movie script, then wrote it as a short
story. Its my take on the true horror of the Lovecraft vision of horror: just how small and insignificant
we are. In the 20s, that would have been terrifying, but now we look up and know just how big and
empty the universe really is. So, how is that scary? Well...
He needed a cigarette.
Two months now. Jesus, what he wouldnt
give for a smoke. Feeling the little, round thing
between his lips, sucking that awful junk into his
mouth and lungs. He visualized what his lungs
must look like. He remembered his last trip to the
dentist and the tooth he lost. The bleeding gums
from brushing in the morning. The way his kids
looked at him when he lit up. Hypocrite, their eyes
said. Weak, their eyes said. His own children.
But none of this helped. None of the shame or
guilt took the edge off his need. He reached into
his desk, opened another pack of gum and threw
the stick into his mouth. He felt the flavor pop on
his tongue. It was just a matter of replacing the
need with something else. He turned in his office
chair, opened the little refrigerator he brought in
two weeks ago to pull out a Coke.
He had two left. He was going through a sixpack a day.
Great, he said. Im switching cancer for
diabetes.
He grabbed the Coke, popped the top off the
can and drank almost the entire thing in six
swallows.
A knock on the door. Come in, he said.
It was Casey Green, the adorable little nurse
on watch today. While the nurses uniforms were
supposed to de-emphasize the fact that they were
women, even a hair shirt would look good on
Casey Green.
Doctor Houellebecq, its time for your noon
appointment, she told him.
He nodded. Right there, he said. He grabbed
the last Coke from the fridge and the gum off his
desk, stuffing the later into his pocket. He walked
to the door and she handed him a folder.
Admitted last night, she said.
He looked at the file and tried to ignore her

breasts.
Murder, he said.
She nodded. Brought over from county. They
want an evaluation.
Houellebecq looked over the file as they
walked.
Jason Sinclair. Age 20. Student at the
University. Found in a locked room with another
student, Bill Coyer. Coyer was tied to a chair with
a gunshot to the face. The gun was in Sinclairs
hand. Police found both of them after neighbors
called in strange sounds.
Houellebecq made a small sound in the back
of his throat.
Its bad, Casey Green said.
Yes, it is.
They reached the room. Houellebecq looked
through the one-way window.
The boy seated in the room was facing away
from the door. He was locked to the wall, a
straightjacket tying his arms behind him.
Houellebecq turned to Casey. Youll be in the
observation room?
She nodded. That excited him.
All right, he said, handing her the empty
Coke can. Once more into the breach.
She smiled and stepped toward the next door
down the hallway. She unlocked it with a key from
her ring and stepped inside. Houellebecq unlocked
the door in front of him and did the same.
Houellebecq felt the cool air of the room on his
skin. It gave him goose bumps. Always did. The
Asylum kept the rooms cooler because it calmed
the patients. After five years, he was still unused
to it.
Jason? he asked, standing at the other end

of the room.
The young man turned, still locked by a short
cord to the opposite wall. His face was young and
smooth. No stubble. His hair was matted.
Houellebecq saw the boys eyes. They were as
calm as still waters.
Are you a doctor? the boy asked.
He nodded. Im Doctor Houellebecq.
Jason Sinclair sat up with his back against
the wall. Youre here to evaluate me?
Houellebecq pulled up the little chair beside
him and sat down. Thats right, he said. You
understand what that means, do you?
Jason nodded. I do, he said. Im a Psych
student.
Houellebecq tilted his head. Really? Did you
intern here or at St. Rose?
St. Rose, he said. I wanted to intern here,
but the list was long. I was waiting.
Houellebecq nodded and opened the folder.
You dont need to look in there, Jason said.
I can tell you whats wrong. Paranoid
schizophrenia. Completely delusional.
Houellebecq shook his head. As a Psychology
student, you should know the dangers of selfdiagnosis.
Jason smiled. Auditory hallucinations,
delusions, anxiety, anger, emotional distance. He
paused. Something changed in his eyes.
Violence.
Houellebecq didnt say anything. The boy was
smart. Even a little charming. It was always this
way. A mind self-destructing was always sad. In
someone like this, someone with promise, it was
tragic.
The boy continued. It says in there that I
killed my friend.
Houellebecq nodded. Yes, it does.
I didnt kill him, Jason said.
That was a surprise. According to the file, the
boy did not resist arrest. He never denied the
charge.
Who killed him, Jason?
The boy shrugged. Nobody did.
Houellebecq looked back at the file. It says
here you were found in a locked room with the
gun in your hand. Three bullets fired. One of them
was in your friends head.
Yes, Jason said. I pulled the trigger, but I
didnt kill him.
That caught Houellebecq by surprise. It

sounded familiar. He had heard that before
somewhere.
Youve heard that before, Jason said.
Houellebecq nodded. I have.
The boy smiled. Its from a short story by H.P.
Lovecraft. The Thing on the Doorstep. My favorite
Lovecraft story.
Houellebecq thought back, trying to
remember. Was that it?
It is true that I have sent six bullets through
the head of my best friend, the boy said, and yet
I hope to shew by this statement that I am not his
murderer. Jason smiled. I memorized the first
line.
Houellebecq was confused. There was
something tingling in the back of his head. He had
heard the line before, but he did not recognize the
author.
All right, he said. Lets talk about
I didnt kill him, Jason said.
Houellebecq nodded. All right. All right. But
you did shoot him?
I did. The boy said it was if he was talking
about brushing his teeth. Houellebecq
remembered the dentist talking about gum
disease and the blood when he spit after
brushing.
All right, Houellebecq said. Why did you
shoot him?
The Necronomicon, the boy told him.
Again, something triggered in the back of
Houellebecqs mind. The word sounded familiar.
The what?
Ne-cro-nom-i-con. Jason said the word
slowly, parsing each syllable. Its a book. A secret
book. It tells all about the history of the universe.
The real history of the universe. Like The DaVinci
Code, except without the stupid Templar bullshit
and the Mary Sue main character.
Houellebecq took a stick of gum from his
pocket and put it in his mouth. Okay, he said.
What does the book have to do with your
friends murder?
We found it, Jason told him. Thats why he
had to die.
But you didnt kill him?
Jason shook his head. No, he said.
Houellebecq looked back down at the file.
Schizophrenic cases were always difficult for him.
The dream-time logic never made sense. It was too
difficult to follow.
What did kill him? Houellebecq asked.

He didnt die, Jason told him.
But he had to die?
Yes, Jason said.
Houellebecq was confused and it must have
shown because the boy smiled at him. You dont
get it. Thats okay. You dont understand whats
going on.
Explain it to me, Houellebecq told him.
It started with the game.
What game?
Putting the Necronomicon together.
Houellebecq asked, It was apart?
Yes, Jason told him. In pieces. Hidden from
view. But in plain sight.
And the book is?
Everything.
Houellebecq paused. I dont think were
getting anywhere, Jason.
Were proving that Im a paranoid
schizophrenic.
Houellebecq paused, thinking for a moment.
Then, he said, You are very smart, Jason. Very
smart. You want to know what I think happened?
Jason almost laughed. Go ahead.
Houellebecq closed the folder. I think you and
your friend were playing a game. A kind of suicide
game. And it went wrong. Now, youre trying to
cover it up with this stuff about a secret book.
Is thats whats going on? Jason asked.
Houellebecq nodded. Yes, he said. He stood
up and walked toward the door.
Phnglui.
Houellebecq stopped at the door. Something in
his stomach turned and went rotten. He looked at
Jason, sitting and smiling on the floor.
Ever heard that before, Doctor? he asked.
Houellebecq stood perfectly still. What did
you just say to me? he asked.
Do you know anything about memes,
Doctor?
Houellebecq had not moved. His hand was on
the keys in his pocket. He could feel his fingers
trembling.
Memes? Houellebecq asked.
Yeah. Memes. Idea theory.
Houellebecq nodded. I think so.
Memetics is the study of ideas. How they

move from person to person, culture to culture.
Like viruses. Once you catch it, its in your system
forever.
Houellebecq could feel his jaw quiver. Did you
do something, Jason?
The boy nodded. I gave you a meme, he said.
Tom gave it to Amy. Amy gave it to me. Now, Im
giving it to you.
Houellebecq pulled the keys out and unlocked
the door. He swung it open fast.
Jason shouted after him, Thats why I killed
him!
Houellebecq slammed the door shut behind
him.
He stood there, on the other side of the door,
feeling sweat drip down into his eyes and down
his back. He was trying to breathe, but there was
something caught in his throat.
Doctor?
He jumped at the sound. He looked to his right
and saw Casey Green standing there in her
asexual gown looking anything but asexual.
Doctor, are you all right?
Houellebecq shivered again. I need a
cigarette, he said. He looked at Green. Do you
have one? he asked.
She shook her head. I dont smoke, Doctor.
And theres no smoking in the building. You know
that.
He was still shivering. She reached out and
touched his hand. Her skin was warm and soft.
She withdrew it immediately.
You are ice cold, she said. Do you have a
fever?
He shook his head. No, he said. Im all right.
Im okay.
What happened? she asked.
Nothing, he said, the word blurting out
between his lips and teeth. Nothing. Then, he
looked at her. Why do you ask?
Because you just sat there the whole time,
she said. The two of you. You just looked at each
other.
He felt the thing in his throat grow thicker.
She blinked her blue eyes at him. You never
said a word.
***
Houellebecq couldnt sleep. It was two in the
morning and he could not sleep. He was sitting in
front of the computer, googling the things he

heard today.
Necronomicon.
Houellebecq took the folded page from his

pocket. I looked up your book, he said.
Did you? Jason seemed amused.
I did, Houellebecq told him. He read the first
line. Its made up. A fake.
TheNecronomiconis afictionalgrimoireappearing in the stories
Thats what we thought, too, Jason told him.
byhorrorwriterH. P. Lovecraftand his followers. It was first
Why did you really shoot Bill Coyer?
Jason looked at him with his clear blue eyes.
mentioned in Lovecraft's1924short story "The Hound",[1]written
Because at the time, I thought it was the right
in 1922, though its purported author, the "MadArab"Abdul
thing to do.
Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in Lovecraft's "The
So, you did kill him?
No. I shot him. I didnt kill him.
Nameless City".[2]Among other things, the work contains an
What the fuck does that mean? Houellebecq
account of theOld Ones, their history, and the means for
shouted at the boy.
summoning them.
Jason stood up. Because you cant kill
something
that isnt real!
Other authors such asAugust DerlethandClark Ashton
Houellebecq stood back. He hadnt lost his
Smithalso cited it in their works; Lovecraft approved, believing
temper like that since the divorce. He put his
hand through his hair and felt the cravings dig at
such common allusions built up "a background of
his guts.
evilverisimilitude." Many readers have believed it to be a real
You said something to me, Houellebecq said.
work, with booksellers and librarians receiving many requests for A word. I cant say it. I tried looking it up but I
dont know what it means.
it; pranksters have listed it in rare book catalogues, and a student
Jason was still standing. You know what it
means.
smuggled a card for it into theYale University Library'scard
Its in my head, Houellebecq said. I cant get
catalog.[3]
it out. But I cant say it.
Capitalizing on the notoriety of the fictional volume, realJason sat back down. You can say it.
lifepublishershave printed many books
That thing that was stuck in Houellebecqs
throat popped out onto his tongue.
entitledNecronomiconsince Lovecraft's death.
Phnglui, he said.
He printed out the page and lit up a
cigarette. He picked them up on the way back
from the Asylum. He inhaled the smoke and the
sick taste filled his mouth. He exhaled and
coughed. Then, he looked at the cigarette and
crushed it. No, thats not what he wanted.
He got dressed, got into his car and drove to
the Asylum. He had the page folded in his
pocket.
When he reached Jasons door, he paused.
He put the key in the lock, and he paused.
Then, he turned the key and opened the door.
Jason was there, awake.
Cant sleep? the boy asked.
Houellebecq shook his head. No.
You know youll dream, Jason told him. And
you dont want to do that.
AND A THOUSAND BLACK WINGS

RUSHED DOWN INTO THE ROOM.
BLACK WINGS OF SLIME AND DISEASE.
THE MUCK PULLED FROM A TUMOR.
THE KIND OF TUMOR GROWING IN HIS
LUNGS.
EATING
HIM ALIVE. BLACK WINGS
AND
A THOUSAND
RUSHED DOWN INTO THE ROOM.
BLACK
WINGS OF BLACK
SLIME
AND
DISEASE.
AND
AND
A ATHOUSAND
THOUSAND
BLACK
WINGS
WINGS
THE
MUCK
PULLED
FROM
A
TUMOR.
RUSHED
RUSHED
DOWN
DOWN
INTO
INTOTHE
THEROOM.
ROOM.
THE
KIND
OF
TUMOR
GROWING
IN HIS
BLACK
BLACK
WINGS
WINGS
OFOF
SLIME
SLIME
AND
AND
DISEASE.
DISEASE.
LUNGS.
EATING
HIM
ALIVE.
THE
THE
MUCK
MUCK
PULLED
PULLED
FROM
FROM
AA
TUMOR.
TUMOR.
THE
THE
KIND
KIND
OFOF
TUMOR
TUMOR
GROWING
GROWING
ININ
HIS
HIS
LUNGS.
LUNGS.
EATING
EATING
HIM
HIM
ALIVE.
ALIVE.
Houellebecq staggered against the wall, his

hand holding him up.
What did you do? he managed to say.
Its the game, Jason told him. Thats how it
started.
Houellebecq looked at the boy
She smiled. I will. She took his hand. His

heart jumped. You dont have a fever, she said.
Then, her smile broadened. You quit smoking,
didnt you? she asked.
He nodded. Yes.
No wonder youre the way you are, she told
him. Youll be okay. My boyfriend quit. I wouldnt
kiss him until he did. Took him a while, but he
got over it.
and he was sitting in his car.
The thought of kissing Casey Green made him
He looked around, panicked. Something
hard. He hoped his white coat hid that fact from
happened. He heard something fall in the back
her.
seat. He turned to look. Nothing there.
She pointed at the next door down the hall.
The windows were steamed. The car was
Ill be in there if you need anything, she said.
running. The GAS EMPTY light was flashing. The
She made it sound like an invitation to the
clock in the dashboard said 5:22.
champagne room.
Three hours?
Houellebecq took out his keys and unlocked
He smelled burned tobacco. He looked at the
the
door.
passengers seat and saw at least twenty
Jason
was asleep. As Houellebecq sat down,
cigarettes, all stubbed out on the chair.
he
woke.
He
sat up.
He rubbed the steam from the window. His car
I cant stretch, Jason said, nodding at the
was parked in front of a convenience store. The
straight jacket. Waking up isnt the same without
store where he bought the pack of cigarettes.
being able to stretch.
The folded piece of paper was still in his
Houellebecq didnt pause. Whats the game?
pocket. The Asylum keys were there, too.
Jason smiled. The Lovecraft Game, he said.
***
That isnt mentioned in the police report.
Chuck Tanner showed him the tape. Sorry,
Doc, he said, chewing on his cheese steak
Jason shook his head. No, he said. I havent
sandwich. You werent here last night.
told anyone about it yet.
Chuck was fifty, bald and fat. He was the
What is it?
clich of every security guard Houellebecq had
Jason shrugged himself against the wall. You
ever seen in a movie or on TV. He often wondered already know it, he said.
if the Asylum hired him just because of that
What is it? Houellebecq said again. His voice
reason alone.
was a touch more angry than he wanted.
Youre sure? Houellebecq asked.
Jason crossed his legs. I told you. We were
Chuck nodded. Checked the tapes. Checked
putting together the Necronomicon.
the sign in sheets. You were never here. Chuck
Why?
took another bite of his sandwich. You sure you
didnt just have a bad dream, Doc?
Rick Van Houton, Jason said. The Third.
Houellebecq shook his head. Didnt Jason say Rick, the Third. It was his idea.
something about dreams?
The name rang in Houellebecqs head. You
mean
the son of Richard Van Houton?
Thanks, Chuck, he said and left the room.
Jason nodded. That one. Business Major at
He walked back to his office. The taste of
cigarettes was still in his mouth. He tried washing the University.
it out with gum and a Coke, but the sick taste
Houellebecq asked, The one thats been
would not die.
missing?
A knock on the door. It was Casey Green.
Jason nodded again. He thought it would
Time for your noon appointment, she said, like it make money.
meant nothing at all.
Going missing?
He picked up the file and followed her down
No! Jason shouted. Putting together the
the corridor to Jasons door.
Necronomicon.
Youll be watching? he asked.
I dont understand.
Jason sat up. Listen. It was a game. We all

decided to do it. Rick heard us talking about it.
How so many people have printed fake
Necronomicons. I mean, Omni Magazine did it.
That asshole Simon put one together that was
complete bullshit. It didnt even have the couplet
in it.
What couplet?
Jasons face soured. You arent ready for that,
yet, he said.
Ready for what?
Ask me about the game again, Jason told
him.
No, I want to
It was in Toms basement. I mean, Toms
moms basement.
The Necronomicon? Houellebecq asked.
Eventually, yes. But not yet. We still hadnt
gotten the idea yet.
Wait a second, Houellebecq said. But, Jason
didnt stop.
We were gonna play Dungeons & Dragons
and Amy asked Tom why he had so many
different copies of the same book.
Who is Amy?
Ill tell you later, Jason said. Amy saw that
Tom had all these different versions of the
Necronomicon. He had the one Omni Magazine
made and the one Simon published and the one
de Camp made. I mean, he had all of them. And
she wanted to know why he had so many.
Houellebecq was writing as much of this as he
could down on his notepad. He didnt trust the
cameras anymore. Jason kept going.
So, Tom explains how every H.P. Lovecraft fan
has copies of it. As many as they can get ahold of.
I mean, Ive got a couple, but not as many as
Toms got. Hes got all of them. And Rick asks, So,
anyone can make a Necronomicon? and I tell him,
Yeah, anyone can. And Rick gets this look in his
eye. Its the money. His dads rich and wont give
him a nickel because he feels Rick has got to
make his own way, whatever that means, and so
he thinks we can put together our own version,
print it up through one of those print on demand
publishers and make a bunch of money. Well,
enough money that itll pay for books next
quarter, at least.
Houellebecq was dizzy. You mean, you and
your friends decided to make your own
Necronomicon?
Jason nodded. Yeah. And we had this great
idea to do it, too. The boy was getting excited.
We needed a code. Like the Da Vinci Code. Make

it like treasure hunters.
Houellebecq looked at Jason. He was
practically squirming in his straightjacket.
Tom had this great idea of turning Lovecrafts
tombstone into the key to the code. You know
what it says on Lovecrafts tombstone?
Houellebecq shook his head. No, I dont.
Jason smiled. It says, I AM PROVIDENCE.
Tom had this idea of turning that into the key to
the code.
There was a sound in the back of
Houellebecqs mind. A howling. Like a dog. He
ignored it. What kind of code?
Using the letters as numbers. Using the
numbers to identify phrases in his stories and
letters. And then using the phrases to build the
Necronomicon.
The sound was barking.
Tom went to work on it, Jason said. His lips
were wet. His eyes glowing. And that was the
plan. We all pitched in. Tom would put it together.
Amy would draw it. Id write for it. And Rick would
pay for it. It was perfect.
The dogs were louder now, almost drowning
out Jasons story.
What happened? Houellebecq asked.
Jason turned his head away. Tom
disappeared, he said.
Disappeared?
Gone. Vanished. And all his notes and
everything went with him. We looked for him. We
couldnt find him.
The sound of dogs faded. Houellebecq looked
around him. No, it was gone. Lack of sleep. That
was it. He hadnt slept at all last night. Being in
the same room as a murderer. And the stress of
the divorce. He shook his head.
Let it go. Just let it go.
And now, from Jasons story, another missing
kid. Some of this must have been true. But
through the filter of Jasons deranged mind, he
was trying to justify something dark. Something
horrible.
So, Tom was putting together the
Necronomicon, right? he asked.
Jason looked at him, sadly. Have you been
listening, Doctor?
I have. Its just a lot to take in.
Jason looked away again. Yeah. I
understand.
What happened next? Houellebecq asked.

Well, Tom went missing. And then Amy was
attacked.
Attacked?
They found her.
They?
Yeah, Jason said. They.
Houellebecq sat up in his chair. Jason, what
is Amys last name?
Schroeder, he said. Amy Schroeder. He
gave her address. Youll find her fathers body in
the closet upstairs.
Houellebecq stopped writing. His body?
Yeah. They were trying to find it.
Trying to find
The Necronomicon, of course. They wanted it
just as badly as we did.
Houellebecq scribbled down the words, Amys
last name on his note pad.
But you know whats sad about Lovecraft
today? Jason asked.
Houellebecq stopped writing. What did you
say?
I said, whats sad about Lovecrafts writing
today is that it isnt scary. I mean, what scared
people in the 1920s doesnt scare them today.
What does this have to do with Amys fathers
death?
Jason peered at him with a condescending
glare. It has everything to do with it.
All right, Houellebecq said. Tell me.
Jason paused for a moment. Then, he said,
Back when Lovecraft was writing, the theme he
was working with, the idea that the universe is big
and cold and doesnt care about us that was
terrifying. Now, its just a scientific fact.
You mean Lovecraft was an atheist.
Jason nodded. Yeah, he said. But thats not
what his stories are about. Thats not what makes
them what they are.
Jason paused and leaned forward. There was
a fire in his eyes.
What makes Lovecraft scary is the idea that
god really does exist.
Houellebecq was confused. I dont
God exists, Doctor Houellebecq, Jason said.
And it isnt human. And all of this, all of this pain
and suffering and madness around us? Jason
smiled. This is what god wants.
Houellebecq raised a hand. Now, wait a

minute
Jason whispered, ftagn.
AND THE DOGS CAME FROM THE

CORNERS OF THE WALLS. THEIR
EYES RED AS THE BLOOD HE
SPIT UP AND THEIR FUR AS
BLACK AS THE TAR IN HIS LUNGS.
AND THEIR TEETH WHITE WHITE
WHITE SHARP AND BARBED AND
LUNGING FOR HIS
You okay, Doctor?
He opened his eyes and saw Casey hovering
over him. She was holding a glass of water,
looking down at him. He had fallen. Across the
room, Jason sat there. Sleeping and still.
Doctor? she asked again.
His body wanted a cigarette. Begged him.
Made him dark promises. Any promise he wanted.
Just one cigarette. Please. Please.
Casey, he stuttered. What happened?
You came in the room and sat down. And
then you sat there. Its been an hour. You didnt
say anything. You didnt even wake him up.
He looked at her. Looked at the glass of water.
Im sick, he said. Im sick. I need he
thought of what to say. Call Doctor Hildebrandt.
Tell him I need to see him right away.
She nodded. Ill leave this here with you, she
said, putting the glass into his hand. He felt the
cool of the glass against his fingers. He was
sweating. She stood up and he looked and caught
a glimpse of her panties under her skirt. She
walked away and closed the door behind her.
You want her, a voice said from across the
room.
Houellebecq looked. It was Jason. Wide awake
and standing in the room with him. No
straightjacket. No cord linking him to the wall.
Take her, he said. Do it. She wants you,
too.
What are you doing to me? he asked, his
trembling hand spilling water over the lip of the
glass.
Im showing you the true history of the

world, Jason said. Im letting you hear it.
Hear it?
The language of the Old Ones. It isnt verbal.
We communicate it with sounds, but thats only
because our primitive minds cant understand it.
We only truly understand it in dreams. With a
language that transcends sounds and images.
Jason stepped across the room.
What I told you about god. Its true. He knelt
down beside Houellebecq. But think about this.
What if god exists and were all just a dream? A
sick, pathetic dream. The dream of an evil god.
Jason, please stop.
And when that god wakes up, Jason
snapped his fingers. The world is over.
No. Stop.
Youre hearing it now, Jason said. Youre
hearing the call.
Please
Tom heard it. Amy did too, eventually. Rick is
gone. He ran away. He was too frightened.
Houellebecq was weeping. His hand crushed
the glass and he felt pain in his palm and fingers.
Jason was beside him now. He kissed
Houellebecqs cheek.
Dont be afraid, he said. Let it in.
His hand was wet with blood. His lungs were
thick with disease. He felt warmth between his
legs. What do you want me to hear?
Jason smiled and opened his mouth. It was
full of teeth and stars.
***
He had his own room now. Locked to the wall,
his arms strapped behind him. Doctor
Hildebrandt came to see him every day. They put
him in the room after they found Caseys body.
When Doctor Hildebrandt asked him why he killed
her, he answered, I didnt. He wanted to tell the
Doctor, Because you cant murder a dream, but
Hildebrandt wasnt ready to hear that yet.
Doctor Hildebrandt wasnt ready for what
Houellebecq wanted to tell him. Wanted to show
him. It was still lurking deep beneath his
unconscious mind. Deep under the water. Waiting
to awaken and arise.
He wanted to tell him the true history of the
world. That the world we live ina world of
suffering and pain and despair and agony and
rape and murder and evilwas the dream of an
alien god. It was the world that pleased him.
And when the stars are right, it will rise from

under the waters of unconsciousness and the
world will end.
The door to his room opened. Doctor
Hildebrandt stepped inside.
Houellebecq smiled. He no longer needed a
cigarette.
ftagn
Houses of the Blooded:
Slumming
The second in the series, this section includes the second chapter of the Houses of the Blooded:
Slumming sourcebook.
If you dont have a copy of HotB, you can get the PDF (pay what you want) at this link:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/61061/Houses-of-the-Blooded
Season System from the main book. Youll get a

number of Actions to use that interact with the
City and your fellow players. But heres where
Just like Season Actions for country nobles,
things change. For example, City Actions arent
the city folk have their hands full with downtime
based on your Cunning; theyre based on where
actions as well.
you live. More on that later. First, lets look at how
The City System presented here is for players
the Phases work.
interested in the kind of city development a Fallen
Phase 1: Planning
Blooded or ambitious city dweller may undertake.
Phase 2: Gossip
In this chapter, well discuss a system that
represents the kinds of long-term goals and
Phase 3: Actions
actions ambitious characters take. Youll get a
Phase 4: Resolve
number of actions to use to build an empire out of
Lets look at each one in turn.
the squalid chaos of the lower city and how to
infiltrate the invisible game in the upper city. All
of these actions take the form of a mechanic
Phase 1: Planning
called Influence.
For the first Phase, you must decide what your
different Buildings and Barrios will be doing this
Season. Heres how you plan it out.
Sidebar: Country Vs. City
Folks familiar with the Season System from
Control over certain Buildings in the City
the HotB main book will recognize many of the
provides you with benefits and Influence Actions.
concepts in the City System. However, dont carry Not all Buildings provide Influence Actions, but
too many preconceptions with you; theres a lot
many do. Others provide more subtle bonuses.
thats different.
One very important Buildingyour Residence
Also, I designed the City System to be
provides you with your first Influence Action.
independent from the Season System. A City
Dont lose your Residence; you cant influence the
character and a Country character can use both,
City when youre homeless.
but you may find it easier to focus on just one at a
time. If you want to tackle both systems, more
power to you. Youre that kind of player. Thats the Phase 2: Gossip
During this Phase, you get to establish facts
reason these systems exist: so you can have fun
about
the City that occurred over the last Season.
with them. But I highly discourage Narrators from
Each
Rumor
you gain from various sources of
forcing both systems on a group of players unless
gossip provides you with a free wager to modify
they really want it. Then, give them shovels and
the City. Like other wagers, you cant say No, or
let them dig their own holes.
contradict an existing fact. Its also during this
time we determine the rowdiness of the peasant
The Phases
class. Yes, this is also where Trouble happens.
At the end of a number of Stories, you and
your fellow players will perform Influence Actions
for the City Phase. So far, this is just like the
The City
Phase 3: Actions
Its during this Phase that your character can

respond to Rumors and Trouble through the City.
Every Season, you get a number of Influence
Actions to put pressure on the Citys weak spots.
You can use your own Influence Actions for the
following tasks:
Clear a Barrio: get rid of the spectres, orks
and other problems in a part of the City still
unclaimed by the ven
Control a Building: use your Influence to gain
the benefits of a Building
Craft Goods: Make a valuable tool
Create Art: Make something sublime
Espionage: spy on your friends and enemies
Hire a Vassal: Bring on some new hands to
help you maintain your Barrios
Make a new Contact: Make more potential
backstabbers
Personal Training: make yourself a better
leader
Quell Trouble: set a Barrio straight on whos
boss
Trade Resources and Goods: Gain currency
from your labors
Vassal Training: Give your followers more
skills
Your Actions
Your character gets a free Influence Action

from his Residence. A rank 1 Residence generates
one Influence Action. A rank 2 Residence
generates two. Rank 3 Residence generates three.
If you have a Spouse Vassal, he adds one bonus
Influence Action to your Residence. If you have a
Spouse NPC, youd best get to building his own
Residence.
Only an NPC or a PC can have his own
Residence. Vassals cannot own a Residence.
Stories
During Phase 3, characters engage in stories

presented by the Narrator, representing the
passage of time.
Phase 4: Resolve
Finally, resolve all the Actions.
City Management
Managing a City is much like managing a

Domain. In fact, the systems are nearly identical.
Instead of a Province, you have a City. Instead of
Regions, you have Barrios. But because a City is

smaller than a Province, we tighten the focus.
How do you expand that power? Two ways.
First, through Influence. Second, through
Courage.
But before we can expand your power, we have
to establish your base. Lets build a City.
Sidebar Note
No ven should be in charge of more than one

City. Thats too much to demand from any ven. If
he wants to control more than one City, have him
allocate his authority to others.
Structure
A City is divided into Barrios (a fancy name for

neighborhoods). As a starting character, you
have three Barrios under your shadow. Under
your donva.
Each Barrio contains five Buildings. The word
building is pretty abstract; dont take it too
literally. A Building is a cornerstone of power in
the City: something every ven wants to control.
Through these, the ven use influence to control
other parts of the City, creating a vast network of
power.
Your influence over Buildings can grow and
diminish. You can even burn them down, if you
wish. Or, burn down the Buildings controlled by
your enemies. Ven Cities are notorious for fires,
volunteer fire brigades everywhere, trying to keep
them under control. All controlled by invisible
hands.
Raising A City
Every City has its limits. As such, there are

only a set number of Barrios in a City. Ten to
fifteen Barrios. Thats an average City. Some have
more, some have less. A starting character
controls one Barrio.
When you sit down to play the game for the
first time, list out all your Barrios with the other
players. Youve begun to map your City, Barrio by
Barrio.
Now, most of the other Barrios are owned by
other nobles. These, youll have to exert influence
to conquer. But, there are a few that are
uninhabited, mostly because they are
uninhabitable. Like the Ruins out in the country,
Cites are filled with sections haunted by spectres
and orks. In order to claim these Barrios as your
own, youll need to clear them out.
Lets look at both those options, one at a time.
First, lets talk about Influence.
Each Barrio contains Buildings. You want to

take
over Buildings. A Building is independent if
The basic City has fifteen Barrios. You can
the building is under no vens shadow. Each
play with a City that has less or a City that has
Season, a ven may use Influence Actions to put
more, but thats the basic number. Fifteen.
his shadow over a Building. The ven who directs
the most Influence at a Building gains Control
over the Building.
The key to controlling a City is Influence.
In the case of a tie where neither noble has
Influence represents how far your power can
any advantage, no Control is gained.
reach through the Citys streets. The more Barrios
These two terms may be confusing, so let me
you control, the more your Influence can be felt.
make them very clear. Influence is the action you
You express Influence through Influence
take to gain Control over a Building. You spend
Actions. Much like Season Actions for a country
Influence to gain Control.
noble, a city noble maintains his domain through
Every point of Influence you spend also gives
Influence Actions.
you a point of Control. If you spend three
You have two sources of Influence. The first is Influence to gain Control over a Building, you now
your own Residence. The rank of your Residence
have three points of Control over that Building.
gives you a number of Influence Actions per
Example: Shara wants to gain Control over a
Season. Rank 1 Residence, one Action. Rank 2
Tea
House. She currently has no Control at all.
Residence, two Actions. Rank 3 Residence, three
She
has spent no Influence Actions to gain
Actions.
Control over the Building.
Every Season, a noble also has one Influence
Shara spends one Influence to gain control
Action per Barrio he Controls. Controlling a Barrio
over
the Building. Because no other noble is
means that you control all of the five Buildings in
spending
Influence to take Control, Shara is
the Barrio. Well talk about Control in just a
successful.
She now has Control over the
moment.
Building.
If you spend Influence during a later Season
Sidebar: Influence And Season
on a Building you already Control, add that
You should be familiar with Season Actions
Influence to the Control you have over that
from the main book by now. Well, Influence
Building.
Actions are pretty much the same. I called them
Example: Next Season, Shara wants to further
something different because Season Actions cant
her
Control over the Building. She spends another
be used for Influence Actions and Influence
Influence on the Tea House. She already had one
Actions cant be used for Season Actions. You
Influence and now shes spent another, adding
cant mix them up. Thats why theyre called
another rank of Control over the Building. She
something different.
now has two Control: one she spent in Spring and
the one she spent in Summer.
Sidebar: The Basic City
Influence
Control: Under The Shadow
The ven phrase under the Shadow is an

implication of power. If someone or something
holds you under its shadow, it has power over
you. The ven word for this is donva. Well be using
the word Control. If a Building is under your
shadow, it is because you have gained control
over that Building with Influence.
Influence And Control
Each Season, you have a number of Influence

Actions based on how many Barrios you control
(plus any bonus Actions you may earn). You use
these Actions to further your own goals and
strengthen your base of power. You do this by
extending your Influence through the City, taking
over significant individuals and organizations.
Multiple Control
If you read the rules carefully, youll notice

that more than one ven can have Control over a
Building. That means more than one ven can have
the advantages of the Building on his sheet.
Contesting Control
If a ven wants to gain Control over a Building

already under Control by another ven, he must
spend Influence to do so.
If two or more ven spend Influence to Control
a Building, the ven who spends the most Influence
gains one rank of Control and anyone else who
already has Control loses one rank. If two ven tie
for most Influence spent, the ven with the most
Control wins. (Its easier to hold on to something
once you have a grip on it.)
If no ven spends any Influence to gain Control

over a Building, the existing Control does not
change.
Example: Lets look at Sharas Tea House
again. She already has two Control. Roake wants
to gain Control in the Tea House as well.
Both Shara and Roake spend Influence to
further their Control over the Tea House. Shara
spends two and Roake spends three. Because
Roake spent more than Shara, he gains one
Control and Shara loses a rank of Control. Now,
she has 1 Control and Roake has 1 Control as
well.
Next Season, Roake and Shara fight over
Control of the Tea House again. This time, Shara
spends three Influence and Roake also spends
three. Because they both spent the same, its a tie,
and neither gains or loses any Control.
Finally, another Season passes. This time
Shara spends four Influence and Roake spends
three. Because Shara spent more Influence, she
gains one rank of Control and Roake loses one
rank. That puts Shara back up at 2 ranks and
Roake down to nothing.
There are no half points in this system.

Nothing rounds up. You must have at least one
full point to make an Influence bid.
Example: Shara wants to take over a Bordello.
She has a point of Vice Influence to do so.
Spending that one point of Vice Influence counts
as two points when matching against other
Influence bids.
On the other hand, if she tried to take over an
Art Gallery with her Vice Influence, she would
need to find another point of Vice to have it count
as one point.
Building Rank
Like Regions, Buildings have ranks. All

Buildings begin at rank 1. A character may
increase a Buildings rank by investing Influence
into it. Like increasing the rank of a Holding, he
must spend a number of Influence equal to the
rank he wants. If he wants to increase a Building
from rank 1 to rank 2, he must spend two
Influence Points. A character may not spend more
than one Influence on a single Building in this
way. In other words, he can use Influence to
increase the ranks of multiple Buildings, but only
one Influence per Building per Season.
Barrios & Buildings
Yes, this means increasing a Buildings rank
Cities are made up of Barrios. Each Barrio can
from 1 to 2 requires two Influence Actions spent
have five Buildings. The term Building is very
over the course of at least two Seasons.
abstract here. Dont take it too literally. Each
Building provides a kind of benefit, much like
No Building may be greater than rank 3.
Regions.
Influence Types
Influence comes in five flavors. Buildings

provide different kinds of Influence, some of which
are opposed to each other, some of which
complement each other.
The Influence types are:
Crime (opposed by Law)
Law (opposed by Crime)
Society (opposed by Vice)
Trade (no opposition)
Vice (opposed by Society)
When you use a type of Influence
complimentary to the appropriate Building, that
Influence counts as two Influence Points. In other
words, if you use Society Influence to take over a
Society Building, that one Society Influence
counts as two Influence.
On the other hand, if you use an opposed
Influence type to take over a Building, you must
spend at least two Influence Actions to get one
point of Influence in your bid.
Districts
If a Barrio has three Buildings of the same

Influence Type (three Crime, three Law, three
Temples), it is considered a District: a hub of
Influence. If you hold your shadow over all three
of these Buildings in a District (you have at least
seven Control over all three Buildings), the
District provides you one additional Influence
Action appropriate to the kind of district it is per
Season.
There is no Temple Influence in the game,
but if a Barrio contains three Shrines and/or
Temples, it is considered a Temple District. If you
hold sway over a Temple District, you gain one
free Influence Action.
Buildings
Here are the Buildings listed in alphabetical

order. See a nearby sidebar for a list by Influence
Type. Unless a Building specifically lists
Influence Action, it provides no Influence
Actions. Some Buildings have no Influence Type.
This means they give no bonus for taking control
over other Buildings and other Buildings have no

bonus for taking the No Type Building over.
Crime
Bellicose House
Rookery
Smugglers Haven
Thieves Den
Law
Mayors Office (all Cities have one Mayors

Office)
Blackhand Guild
Chapterhouse
Gatehouse
Records Building
Society
Academy
Art Gallery
Opera House
Temple
Theater
Trade
Guildhouse
Merchant
Port
Trading Square
Warehouse
Vice
Athenaeum
Bath House
Red Door Room
Tavern
Tea House
No Influence
Asylum
Bangery
Orphanage
Public Garden
Ruin
Shrine
Washing Well
Workhouse
Academy
Society /No Action
Academies provide training for young nobles.
If you have Control over an Academy, it allows you
to add one bonus Aspect or Maneuver to your
character sheet per Season.
Art Gallery
Society/No Action
Ven artists display their works in galleries
sponsored by nobles. (Some nobles discreetly and
anonymously sponsor their own Art.) If you have
Control over the Gallery, you may display Art
here. Any Art shown at a Gallery increases its
rank by one per rank of the Gallery.
Asylum
No Type/No Action
A place for madmen. Any ven who holds
Control over an Asylum gains one free wager per
rank of the Asylum to be used at any time. One
wager per Season.
Athenaeum
Vice/No Action
A place for the latest bodice-ripper and the
juiciest gossip, an Athenaeum provides all sorts of
diversions for womenmarried and otherwise. If
you have Control over the Athenaeum, you may
release a pillow book here. Any pillow book sold at
an Athenaeum increases its rank by one.
Bangery
No Type/1 Action
A bangery is a shop selling meat-filled
pastries (bangers), but it is better known for the
street gangs of boys hanging out on its doorsteps
looking for pittance to pay for food. Banger boys
are willing to do just about anything for a penny.
Any ven who holds Control over this Building
gains one free Gossip per rank of the Bangery.
Bath House
Vice/No Action
A place for the rich to sit, steam and have
private meetings.
If a ven has Control over a Bath House, it
provides one Gossip per rank of the Bath House
per Season.
Bellicose House
Crime/No Action
A place where illegal fights are usually held.
Boxing, knife fights, etc.
If a ven holds Control over this Building, he
gains one rank of Wealth per Season.
Blackhand Guild
Law/
A Blackhand Guild is a group of Fallen Blooded
who use their abilities and weapons to assist the
unblooded.
If a ven has Control of this Building, he gains a
rank 1 Blackhand Gang for the Season.
Bordello
Vice/1 Action
A Bordello provides particular services for
discerning customers.
A ven who has Control of this Building gains
one Vice Influence Action per Season.
Chapterhouse (Silver Coats)

Law/Crime/1 Action
Silver Coat is the street slang name for the
Senates investigators. Charged with keeping the
peace, Silver Coats often cause more harm than
good.
Silver Coats are both Law and Crime for
considerations of Influence Types. That means
both Law and Crime get the bonus when trying to
gain Control.
If a ven has Control over a Silver Coats
Chapterhouse, they gain a number of Law or
Crime Influence Actions per rank of the
Chapterhouse per Season.
Mayors Office
Law/1 Action
Every City has one Mayors Office.
The ven with the highest Control over the
Mayors Office can see and cancel any Influence
Actions of one ven in the City. In other words, if
you have Control over the Mayor, during the
Influence Phase, you select one player or nonplayer ven. You get to see his Influence Actions.
You then choose one Action to cancel.
If no ven has the most Control over the Mayor,
no ven may take this action. This action is in
addition to the Mayors Law Influence Action.
Orphanage
No Type/No Action
Even orphans need a place to sleep between
those long hours you put them through. If you
have Control over an Orphanage, you can increase
the rank of a Street Gang by one per rank. The
rank disappears at the end of the Season.
Public Garden
No Type/No Action
Many Cities have public gardens available to
all. A Public Garden reduces the Trouble in a
Barrio by one die (minimum 1 die).
Gatehouse
Law/1 Action
Not as well trained as a Blackhand Gang, the
City Watch are responsible for maintaining peace
in the City.
If a ven has Control over this Building, he
gains a Law Influence Action per Phase.
Guildhouse
Trade/No Action
Tradehouses house Craftsmen. Craftsmen
create Goods. They do not sell them; thats the job
of the Merchant. If you have Control over a
Tradehouse, you gain a Craftsman Vassal at your
service at the rank of the Tradehouse.
Opera House
Rookery
Society
Crime/1 Action
The Opera House provides a place for the ven

to escape the drama and tragedy of their own lives
to watch the drama and tragedy of their ancestors
lives.
Control over an Opera House increases the
rank of any Opera performed there by the rank of
the Opera House.
Rookeries are areas of squalor and filth.

Bodies packed into small buildings without
security, comfort or real shelter. Slums teem with
Population and Crime, filling your City with
working poor.
If a ven has Control of this Building, he has
one Crime Influence Action per rank of the
Rookery.
Port
Trade/1 Action
Ports provide trade and communication with
the countryside, bringing valuable materials into
the City.
Every Season, a Port may trade use its
Influence Action to bring a Resource (Lumber,
Stone, Metals, etc.) into the City. The Port gets a
number of trades equal to its rank.
Merchant
Trade/No Action
Merchants buy and sell Goods, exchanging
them for things you need. If you have Influence
over a Merchant, you can use that Merchant to
exchange Goods for ranks of Wealth. Each rank of
Goods equals one rank of Wealth.
Records House
Law/No Action
All public contracts and agreements are kept
here.
If a Barrio has a Records House, it provides a
Gossip for the Gossip Phase.
Residence
1 Influence Action per rank
This is where the nobles and merchant barons
live. A grand estate with gardens and a lawn,
gates and guards. Every Blooded character starts
the game with a Residence. This is the base of
your power. Your Residence provides a number of
bonus Influence Actions equal to its rank per
Season.
Ruin
No Influence/No Action
A haunted reminder of days gone by. Ruins
are uninhabited parts of the City. Some say
uninhabitable. Rumors of spectres and orks.
City Ruins are exactly like their country cousins.
You can use a Season Action to explore the Ruin
(and the underside of the City) to discover
Artifacts and Sorcery. As you explore a Ruin, it
gains in rank. A rank 3 Ruin gains no further
ranks but changes into a Puzzle House. No Barrio
may have more than one Ruin.
Shrine
No Influence
A Shrine is a monument to a minor Suaven,
usually a City Suaven. Temples (listed below)
should not be confused with Shrines. If you have
Control over a Shrine, you may gain Blessings
from that Shrine.
Tavern
Vice/No Action
Taverns are meeting places for the common
people.
If a ven has Control of a Tavern, he gains one
Rumor for the Gossip Phase.
Tea House
Vice/No Actions
Often populated by the slumming rich, a tea
house is a polite term for a drug den.
Any ven with Control over a Tea House gains
one Narcotic per rank of the Tea House.
Temple
Workhouse
Society/1 Action
A Temple is a monument to a greater Suaven,

usually a City Suaven. If you have Influence over
a Temple, you may gain Blessings from that
Temple. Temples must start as Shrines. See the
main rules for how Shrines become Temples.
Packed to the roof with willing poor.

Any ven with Control over a Workhouse may
add one Influence Action (of the appropriate Type)
to any other Building in the Barrio.
Theater
Society/No Action
Theaters host Plays. A Theater adds its own
rank to the rank of any Play performed there.
A ven may host a Play at any Theater he has
Control over. The Theater adds a number of ranks
to a Play performed there equal to the rank of the
Theater.
Thieves Den
Crime/No Action
Black books tell us of the thieves of Shanri.
Organized, professional. Gentlemen rogues. Most
of them, at least.
If a ven has Control of this Building, he gains
one Canting Crew Gang for the Season.
Phase 1: Planning
At the beginning of each Season, the players

determine their Influence from the City and
determine how to spend it.
Gossip
The Gossip Phase provides players with two

sources of adventures and stories. First, theres
Trouble. Youll be familiar with this idea. Every
Barrio rolls for Trouble. Some Barrios roll more
Trouble than others, depending on the kind of
Buildings they have. Then, each player gets
Rumors. Rumors are free wagers the players can
use to say things are true about the City. Lets
take a look at each part of this Phase.
Phase 2: Trouble
Barrios check for Trouble like Regions do,

except just a little differently. Each Building
provides some kind of Influence and the Trouble
in the Barrio is based on that Influence. For each
Warehouse
Building, roll a number of dice equal to the Troule
Trade/No Action
generated by the Buildings Influence Type. If the
Building rolls a 5 or a 6, it is in Trouble. 0, 1 or 2
If you have one Control over this Building, you dice of Trouble, you roll two dice.
may store 3 Resources here over the Winter. If you
Crime
2 dice
have three Control, you can store 4. If you have
six Control, you may store 5. If you have Complete Law
0 dice
Control, this Building produces an extra Resource
Society
1 die
per Season. (Where did that come from?)
Washing Well
Trade
Vice
1 die
2 dice
A Washing Well provides a place for women to

Like a Region, if a Building is in Trouble, the
meet, gossip and occasionally wash clothes. Any
Building produces nothing. Well talk about how
ven with Control over the Washing Well gets an
to clear Trouble in the Actions Phase, below.
additional Gossip per rank of the Well during the
Gossip Phase. Also, one clothes Good gains one
rank for the Season. The Good loses that free rank Rumors
And now, the new thing. Some Buildings
at the end of the Season.
produce Rumors. A Rumor is a kind of wager that
allows you to say things about the City. City life is
busy and news travels fast.
At the beginning of the Phase, gather all your
Rumors from your various sources. Then, each
player rolls one die. The player

who rolled highest (roll again to
break ties) goes first with the
player sitting to his left going
next. Go clockwise around the
table until all the Rumors are
spent.
If any Rumor affects another
character, you must offer a Style
Point to the player of that
character as usual.
Phase 3: Actions
Its time to discuss what

kinds of Actions you can use to
become King of the City. Now,
there are two kinds of Actions
you can take here. Dont worry;
were not going to get hypercomplicated. Im giving you more
Actions to represent the tightknit nature of a City. That
country lord, hes all on his own
in the middle of nowhere,
fighting orks, writing poetry and
otherwise wasting his time. You,
youve got business to take care
of, and the more people you
know, the more business you
can do.
To represent that, Ive
included a special kind of
Season Action called the
Influence Action. Influence
Actions are like Season Actions,
but they are limited. People dont
have Influence Actions, but
Buildings do and you use those
Influence Actions to take over
other Buildings. You cant use
Influence for Actions like
Personal Training or
Researching Sorcery but you can
use them for gaining Control
over Buildings in the City.
As with your country cousin,
you have one free Season Action,
plus a number of Season Actions
equal to half your Cunning,
rounded up. Your Residence
determines your number of
Influence Actions. If you have a
rank 1 Residence, you get one
Influence Action, rank 2, you get
two Influence Actions, etc.
First, lets go through what

you can do with Season Actions,
then well talk about Influence.
Season Actions
Compose Opera
Craft Goods
Contact Training
Create Art
Explore a Ruin
Make a New Contact
Personal Training
Quell Trouble
Research Sorcery
These are covered in the core
book and we really dont have
any changes here. Cities have
Ruins, for exampleportions of
the City still unexplored by the
venand you can still Quell
Trouble in your Barrios. You can
still research sorcery, still
compose Opera but youll
notice theres no mention of
Vassals. Thats because
unblooded and Fallen Blooded
characters dont have Vassals:
they have Contacts.
Okay, with that out of the
way, lets look at how to use
Influence Actions.
Influence Actions
Influence Actions represent

your ability to move the power
structure of the City with an
invisible hand. Using the
Mayors Office and the City
Watch and an elite cadre of
Banger Boys, you extend your
reach through the Streets.
Wield
A Little Game about Powerful Artifacts
ER
T
R
A
T
S
!
L
K
I
C
R
P
KI
A
in
Type to enter text
Gillian Fraser
John Wick
featuring art by
Storn A. Cook

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WICKED

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

One Last Drink

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

John wick Presents

Sourcebook. Here, we take a

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

We were somewhere near Chandler, on the

but he was already going for the hard stuff: Jolt

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

slammed on the breaks and spun about,

suspicious glare, Exactly what kind of RPG are

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

going on with this witch. When we arrived, the

We few we unhappy few...

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

We found a body in the woods as we traveled,

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

One Last Drink Before I Go

Shes real, I told him. Not a legend.

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

After I caught my breath, I looked up at her,

Another shot, but this one hit the stone wall I

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

She sat at a table, tarot cards spread out.

MARCH 31, 2014

I followed her voice to the place where she

A MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCRIMINATING GAMER

MARCH 31, 2014

Lord Action nodded. It is, he said, one hand

This game uses d6s for determining the

When the GM calls for a risk, he assigns a

those dice by 5. That should give you a good idea

If the player rolls greater than the TN, it

When you lose a Sanity Point, you must put a

When a character has no more Sanity to lose,

Melee And Ranged Weapons

Anything used as a melee weapon gives the

The End Is Only The

And thats really all you need to run

The Lovecraft Game

He looked at the file and tried to ignore her

Jason? he asked, standing at the other end

That caught Houellebecq by surprise. It

What did kill him? Houellebecq asked.

Memetics is the study of ideas. How they

front of the computer, googling the things he

Houellebecq took the folded page from his

AND A THOUSAND BLACK WINGS

Houellebecq staggered against the wall, his

She smiled. I will. She took his hand. His

Jason sat up. Listen. It was a game. We all

We needed a code. Like the Da Vinci Code. Make

What happened next? Houellebecq asked.

Houellebecq raised a hand. Now, wait a

AND THE DOGS CAME FROM THE