Samhain SlaughterA mysterious cult has been terrorizing the town for months, but on the eve of Halloween, they willunleash their most audacious curse yet—conjuring a supernatural entity under the pale light of theblue moon and sending it on a bloody rampage through town! The only thing standing against thisnefarious plan is a gang of plucky high-schoolers with paranormal abilities.

Monsters have always walked among us, but most humans are blissfully unaware of the truth, and it’sgenerally better for everyone if they stay that way. But someone has to be willing to fight back.

You were born with a special gift, which you’ve learned to keep secret from “normals.” Now it’s timeto use your powers to protect the town and teach those vile cultists a lesson!

Character CreationEach player creates a character as follows:1. Choose a trait: Agile (used for reflexes, dexterity,stealth, and ranged combat), brawny (covers strength,vitality, athletics, and melee combat), or crafty (coverssmarts, charm, alertness, and mental/social combat).2. Select a concept: Cheerleader, jock, nerd, goth,band geek, rebel, or class joker.3. Select a perk: Telepathic, telekinesis, elementalcontrol (specify type), medium, shapeshifter (pickone animal), psychoportation, or precognitive.4. Pick a quirk: Aggressive, emotional, cowardly,goofball, slacker, wears glasses, or impatient.5. Grab 3 karma tokens and 3 resolve tokens.6. Make up a name, and introduce yourself to thegroup (e.g., “I’m Jonathan Smith, a crafty nerd whois telepathic and wears glasses”).

Resolving ChallengesIf a player attempts something risky, they roll 1-3six-sided dice and must equal or beat a difficultyof 4-6 on at least one die. Succeed on multiple dicefor an exceptional success (narrate an additionalbenefit). Rolling “1” on all dice is a critical failure(introduce a complication to the scene).

The GM chooses a trait and difficulty for eachchallenge. Most are difficulty 5, but a particularlyeasy or hard task might be difficulty 4 or 6. Somechallenges (e.g., combat) require multiple rolls.

Players usually roll 2 dice, but roll 3 dice if thechallenge matches their trait. If a challenge fallscompletely outside the scope of their concept (e.g.,a nerd intimidating a cop), they lose 1 die.

Karma and ResolveEach player has 3 karma and 3 resolve. Spend 1karma after rolling to reduce the difficulty by 1, ifyou can justify how your perk helps you. Recover1 karma if you increase the difficulty by 1 beforerolling, narrating how your quirk hinders you.

If you use a quirk and succeed at the challenge,you may recover 1 resolve instead of 1 karma.

For dangerous actions (such as combat), failurecosts 1 resolve (or 2 on a critical failure). If a PCruns out of resolve, they are eliminated from thescene—but death is primarily a narrative conceit,and the PC usually returns later at full resolve.

authorRichard Woolcock

SystemTricube Tales <

BackgroundFigu Design

Story SymbolsDelapouite, Lorc, SkollGame-icons.net <

IllustrationsPublisher’s ChoiceQuality Stock Art© Rick Hershey /Fat Goblin Games <

Confronting the EvilRoll on the following tables to determine the typeof scenario (there are examples on the next page):

The kids must find and defeat...A An animated dollB An undead slasherC An alien entitiy

D A supernatural beastE An evil clownF A demon or spirit

Recently spotted...A On school campusB Walking the streetsC Near a local church

D At a private houseE In the public libraryF In a derelict building

While dealing with...A A psycho teacherB A nosy journalistC Suspicious cops

D Family troublesE Unnatural weatherF A zombie outbreak

Running the GameThe GM should describe the opening scene, reactto the players’ decisions, and assign the traits anddifficulties for challenges. Offer players karma inreturn for complications based on their quirks!

Playing the GameThe players should make all of the rolls, narratethe outcome of their actions, and drive the storyforward whenever possible. They can also spend1 karma to influence the story or discover a cluethrough their perk, at the GM’s discretion.

Manifestations of EvilDescribed here are example antagonists for theadventure generator (first table):

1. Wanna Play?The ghost of a serial killer has possessed a child’sdoll and gone on a brutal killing spree.

2. SicklemanA tall masked figure stalks his victims during thenight, carving them up with his long curved bladebefore fading back into the shadows.

3. Black-Eyed ChildrenThese creatures resemble children, but they havepale skin and black eyes. Mysterious events oftenoccur in their presence.

4. ChupacabraThis vampiric canine-like creature is the size of asmall bear. It is gaunt and hairless, with gray skin,red eyes, and a spiny back.

5. No Laughing MatterThere’s nothing funny about this hideous clown’sgrinning visage. But on Halloween, scary outfitsare commonplace, and it may prove challengingto identify the real monster.

6. DemogorgonThe cultists have summoned a terrifying demonprince, and it must be stopped now while it is stillweak, otherwise it will eventually bring about theend of the world.

Haunts and HangoutsDescribed here are examples of locations for theadventure generator (second table):

1. Halloween PartyThe school has organized a Halloween party, andall the students will be there. Food, dancing—anda bloody massacre, if the PCs don’t stop it!

2. Trick-or-treatGroups of costumed children wander from houseto house, knocking on people’s doors and askingfor candy. Is a monster hiding among them?

3. Holy GroundWhy is an evil creature interested in the largestchurch in town? Do they intend to attack it? Steala valuable relic? Or something else entirely?

4. New NeighbourA strange family recently moved next door to oneof the PCs. They keep to themselves, but there issomething very odd about their behavior.

5. Forbidden KnowledgeThe Central Library is rumored to have a secretsection filled with forbidden books. Who knowswhat mysteries might be hidden there? Perhapsthere are even a few arcane texts.

6. The Old AsylumThis long-abandoned asylum has a very dark andbloody history, and it is the source of many localghost stories and urban legends.

ComplicationsDescribed here are example complications for theadventure generator (third table):

1. Corporal PunishmentMr. Smith has taken a strong dislike to the anticsof one of his students. He’s decided to track themdown and teach them a harsh lesson.

2. Hack WriterAn aggressive freelance journalist is working on asensational story about a local urban legend andits negative influence on Halloween events.

3. The Long Arm of the LawA couple of cops believe that the PCs are up to nogood, and they are keeping a close eye on them.

4. Unruly SiblingThe younger brother or sister of one of the PCshas decided to sneak out. No doubt they’re goingto meet some friends for a Halloween party—buttonight is a dangerous night to be outdoors!

5. Thick FogThe entire town is shrouded in an impenetrablefog. Sounds are muffled and distorted, cell phonesignals are weak, and something unnatural seemsto be stalking the PCs.

6. Graveyard ShiftA small horde of zombies have risen in a nearbygraveyard, and they’re hungry for flesh. They willbe difficult to spot among the trick-or-treaters!

adding a twist to the storyFor further inspiration, roll two dice on the table below and use the symbol as an improvisational prompt (you don’t need to interpret it literally). For example,C A might indicate someone is watching the PCs, or that a killing was caught on camera, while rolling D D could mean the antagonist murders victims in theirdreams, and B B might represent the monster having a specific weakness that the PCs can discover through research.AA AB AC AD AE AF BA BB BC BD BE BF CA CB CC CD CE CF DA DB DC DD DE DF EA EB EC ED EE EF FA FB FC FD FE FF