SPENCER CAMPBELL

WRITING AND GAME DESIGN: Spencer Campbell | GILARPGS.COM

ART, DESIGN, AND LAYOUT: Mike Rieman | WIZBOTGAMES.COM

EDITOR: Will Jobst | WILLJOBST.CARRD.CO

SLAYERS LOGO: Jordan Devenport | ROCKETHOUSEGAMES.COM

PLAYTESTERS: Adira Slattery, Andy Jarosz,

Colin Iwanski, Jordan Devenport, Mike Rieman,
Mike Sater, Nevyn Holmes, Pat Cushen,
Scott Hinze, Zach Melton.

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

Kate, my ever-supportive partner.
The Brain Trust.
Brain emoji. Handshake emoji.
And of course, you.

INSPIRATIONS:
Blades in the Dark, Bloodborne, Castlevania, Destiny,
Dishonored, Tombstone, The Liminanas.

CREATED AND PUBLISHED BY GILA RPGS If you are interested in making your
GILARPGS.COM own content for Slayers, see the
GILARPGS.ITCH.IO CREATOR KIT AT GILARPGS.ITCH.IO
@GILARPGS

Slayers RPG by Spencer Campbell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
 C R E AT E D BY

SPENCER CAMPBELL
 TAB L E OF CONT E N TS

03 WHAT IS SLAYERS?

07 RULE OF 4+

10 COMBAT

16 CHARACTER CREATION

18 BLADE

20 GUNSLINGER

22 ARCANIST

26 TACTICIAN

28 THE CITY

37 THE DISTRICTS

38 SLAYERS ROW

40 WYCH WOOD

42 LIBRARIUM

44 UNDERGROUND

46 CHOMATIC BAZAAR

48 AGORA

50 THE WHARF

52 MONSTERS

56 GM SECTION

59 THE HUNT

62 LORD OF THE (UN)DEAD

66 CULT OF THE DISJOINTED HAND

70 REPUTATION

74 BESTIARY

90 CHARCTER SHEETS

94 RULES REFERENCE

02
WHAT IS SLAYERS?

Slayers is a tabletop
roleplaying game (RPG) of
monster hunters for hire.
Slayers wander a haunted
city, cursed long ago to
expand towards the horizon
forever, with
neighborhoods appearing
and dissolving overnight.
Slayers clean out the
monsters that infest the
alleyways and shadows, and
those that the city seems to
be manifesting on its own.
The world of Slayers is just
on the cusp of an industrial
revolution, with new
technology clashing with
the arcane ways of old.

It's slay
or be slain.
Better get to work.

03
 Slayers is a rules-lite system for fast action and exciting
combat. In order to do this, the classes have been designed
with asymmetry front and center. At its core, this game uses
a resolution mechanic called the Rule of 4+ for everything,
but how each class approaches this mechanic in combat is
quite different.

ASYMMETRY?

What do I mean by asymmetrical? Asymmetry in an RPG to

me means that each class feels distinct from the others. They
approach the game with a different method, and the
mechanics should then represent that difference. Look at the
“most popular RPG in the world” right now. A wizard and a
fighter both want to kill a monster, one changes reality with
their magic and the other wields a deadly weapon. And what
do they do to reflect those actions? They both roll a d20 and
add a modifier. That simply won’t do.

How’s it done in Slayers? The Blade (page 18) is designed to

simulate stylish and fast sword fighting, and so they use
exploding dice to create huge combos of attacks. The
Gunslinger (page 20) has to manage a pool of 6 bullets
during combat, deciding how many to spend on a given
attack, and when to reload. These two different approaches
help you feel like your character. The best part? Both are
resolved using the Rule of 4+, so combat moves quickly
despite everyone playing their own version of the game.

04 WHAT IS SLAYERS?
THE SETTING

Slayers takes place in The City, a cursed urban sprawl that

takes that idea very literally. The City spreads on forever,
with no borders. Districts and neighborhoods emerge as if
The City willed them into existence. As such, The City is a
cosmopolitan place, filled with people of all backgrounds and
creeds. Unfortunately, The City also has a monster problem.
Whether these creatures existed beyond the walls and were
absorbed in, were always here, or made manifest by the
arcane foundation of The City is unknown. What is clear,
though, is the Slayers have their work cut out for them.

WHAT IS SLAYERS? 05
 WHAT DO YOU NEED?

To play Slayers, you’re going to need:

At least two people to play. One person to be the Game
Master (GM), and everyone else are Slayers.

Someone will need to have read this book so they know the
core rules. There is a rules reference sheet that will be
helpful for everyone to have handy (page 92).

Each player will need a set of polyhedral dice (d4, d6, d8, d10,
d12), and a character sheet of the class they’ve chosen. You
can find the character sheets and reference sheet online at
gilarpgs.itch.io/slayers.

CYCLE OF PLAY
Slayers takes place in cycles called Hunts. At the beginning of
a Hunt, the GM introduces the Slayers to what they’re hired
to kill and where in The City the Hunt will take place. The
Slayers do some investigatory work to figure out the details
of what is going on, and how to best take down their target.
Then, the hunt begins. After hunting their target, the Slayers
reflect, take advancements, and prepare for their next job.

A Note From Spencer

An important goal for me with Slayers was to make it easy to
learn and play the game. I also wanted to design something
that inspired others to create and design on their own. If you
want to make Slayers stuff, please do! Check out the Creator
Kit at gilarpgs.itch.io/slayers-creator-kit. In it you’ll find
guidelines and templates for making your own classes,
monsters, districts, and more, as well as a bunch of advice for
GMs beyond what you’ll find in this book. I hope you’ll join me
in creating and designing fun things for us to find in The City!

06 WHAT IS SLAYERS?
 Rule of 4+
There is one rule that applies to any and all dice rolls: a 4+ is
a Hit. This rule applies for any roll, in or out of combat.
Conversely, any result that’s less than 4 is a Miss.

Slayers takes place between two different modes: combat and

narrative. While in narrative, Slayers and the GM resolve
most actions and conflict through roleplaying. The dice are
only picked up once a Slayer is attempting an action where
there is a chance for failure, and the consequences of that
failure have weight to them. Whenever a Slayer attempts
such an action, they roll.

FAILURE WITH WEIGHT

Failure with weight means that something in the fiction will

happen if an action fails. When an action fails, move the story
forward with the consequence, and provide a new
opportunity for the Slayers to address. Just saying “It doesn’t
happen” isn’t very fun or interesting!

RULE OF 4+ 07
 SKILLS

If the Slayers aren’t attacking something, they’re probably

making a skill roll. Determine what skill is appropriate for
the action, and then roll the skill’s assigned die. Slayers can
assist one another when appropriate, adding a die equal to
the helping ally’s skill die size. The helping ally will suffer
any consequences of the roll, if there are any. Whenever a
Slayer rolls more than one dice for a skill roll, use the highest
roll. A 4+ is a Hit, and the action succeeds. Anything else is a
Miss; the intended action fails, and the GM introduces a
complication or consequence.

Spencer and Kate’s characters are trying to track down a

cultist who went scrambling down an alleyway, and so a
Hunt skill roll is called for by the GM. Spencer’s character
isn’t particularly adept at Hunting, and only has a d6 for
Hunt. However, Kate is skilled in hunting, and has a d10.
They roll the two together as their characters are assisting
one another, taking the higher roll to determine the result.
They get an 8, which is a Hit! They spot a piece of torn cloth
from the cultists robe on a windowsill and follow after.

Skills are also used during combat, and are resolved the
same way as described above when used during a fight (page
10). NPCs never make skill rolls. Instead, their actions and
reactions outside of combat are determined by the fiction,
and the results of a Slayer’s rolls.

08 RULE OF 4+
SKILL LIST

Below is the list of skills each Slayer has, along with some
examples of their use. If there is ever a question of what skill
is being used, discuss it as a group. All Slayers have access to
every skill; they are just better at some than others. This is
reflected in the size of the die they have in that skill.

AGILE Dodging, leaping, acrobatics.

BRAWN Physical work, powering through,

intimidating.

DECIEVE Lying, tricking, distracting.

HUNT Hunting, tracking, monster knowledge.

MEND Warding off death, stabilizing wounds,

medical training.

NEGOTIATE Persuading, diplomacy, compelling.

STEALTH Blending in, keeping quiet, sleight of hand.

STREETS Social circles, navigating the city,

purchasing power.

STUDY Perception, reading a situation or person,

doing research.

TACTICS Strategizing, preparing for battle,

split-second decisions.

RULE OF 4+ 09
 Combat
THEATER OF THE MIND
Combat in Slayers uses the theater of the mind, meaning
many decisions in combat are made based on what makes
sense in terms of the fiction, rather than mechanically
tracking things like movement speed. You don’t need a map,
but feel free to use one if you find it helpful for tracking
where everyone is during a fight.

RELATIVE DISTANCE
Distance is determined abstractly. The terms distance and
range are used interchangeably in this rulebook.

Engaged—Within melee range, a couple steps away.

Near—A short sprint away, across the room or street.
Far—Anything beyond Near.

If there is ever a question of how far two things are from

one another, ask the GM.

START OF COMBAT
Before the combat begins, every Slayer has a Ready action
that they take to get prepared for the fight. Each class has a
unique Ready action. Once every Slayer has resolved their
Ready action, we establish the turn order.

10 COMBAT
TURN ORDER

When combat begins, all combatants must determine their

place in the turn order. Each Slayer rolls their class’s Speed
die. Monsters have set Speed scores, they don’t roll. If a
Slayer is tied with a monster, the Slayer acts first. If two
Slayers are tied, they decide who will go first. Combat in
Slayers is made of rounds and turns.

ROUND VS. TURN

A round begins with the character with the highest Speed,

and ends after the character with the lowest Speed completes
their turn. Slayers keep their Speed score between rounds.
Sometimes, an action by a Slayer or monster changes that
Speed score. A turn is when a character acts during the
round, using combat actions.

COMBAT ACTIONS & MOVEMENT

Players can take up to two combat actions and a move during

their turn.

Combat actions include Attack, Quick, and Skill. Players may

make any combination of these actions, in any order, but
may not do an action twice. Some abilities or advances might
allow players to repeat actions.

Players can Move once during their turns. When a Slayer

Moves, they go from one relative distance from a target or
location to another. This can mean moving closer (e.g. Near
to Engaged) or further away (e.g. Near to Far).

COMBAT 11
 ATTACK
To attack, Slayers use their class’s unique attack action.
When attacking, regardless of the class, any dice that roll a 4+
are Hits for each class. For everything about Attack actions,
see the classes on page 16.

Example: The Blade Attack action rolls 1d6. If they Hit, they
roll another d6, and continue doing until they roll a Miss.

QUICK

Quick actions are opportunities for the Slayers to adapt to

the ongoing fight. Each class has a quick action that is
designed specifically for them.

Example: The Gunslinger Quick action lets them reload two

of the precious bullets they’ve spent during the fight.

SKILL

Skills represent a Slayer’s talents, training, and experience. A

Slayer may use a skill to help change their position in the
fight, or to gain insight or an advantage.

To use a skill, declare what you want and what skill you’re
using to the GM. If they say it’s feasible, roll the skill’s
assigned die, with any result of a 4+ being a Hit.

In some instances, this may afford them a bonus on a future

roll based on the success of the skill roll. In others, they have
positioned themselves to accomplish something they
weren’t able to before.

12 COMBAT
 Here are some examples of skill rolls being used in combat:

Using Brawn to push away a monster that is holding

onto you or an ally.
Tactics to gain insight in how the monster works,
perhaps learning its HP or what some of its actions are.
After Stealthily moving into shadows before launching
an attack, the GM decides the Slayer should attack with
Advantage.
Compel may convince a desperate foe to back down,
but it might also fall on deaf ears.

ATTACKING, ADVANTAGE, AND DISADVANTAGE

If a character has positioned themselves so that they have the

edge on an enemy, they may roll with Advantage. Whenever a
character has Advantage, roll all dice twice, keeping the higher
result. If a character is in a really bad position, they roll with
Disadvantage. When a character has Disadvantage, roll all dice
twice, keeping the lower result. If someone has both Advantage
and Disadvantage at the same time, the effects are canceled.

You cannot have multiple instances of Advantage, or

Disadvantage at once (e.g. you can’t have “double Advantage”).
Players and GMs should work together to decide when a
character has Advantage or Disadvantage. Here are some
examples of when you might have either:

ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
Ambushing someone Being ambushed
Target is distracted Immobilized, slowed,
Using Brawl to knock or distracted
them down first Attacking from a great
distance

COMBAT 13
 DAMAGE, HEALING, AND DEATH
Most attack actions deal damage depending on the number
of Hits. If an effect or ability gives a character +/- X damage,
it is to their damage per Hit. Damage is subtracted from Hit
Points (HP). When not in combat, a Slayer can rest for a day
to heal back to full HP. Slayer’s can also be healed using
spells, gear, or negotiating healing services from someone.

If a monster’s HP is reduced to 0, they are dead or defeated.

When a Slayer’s HP reaches 0, they are downed. A downed
Slayer can no longer take actions or move on their turn. They
can be revived by an ally using a Mend roll. On a Mend roll
Hit, the Slayer returns to the fight with half of their HP, on a
miss they remain downed. Any spell or gear that would
restore HP can be used to stabilize as well.

Downed Slayers that are not revived during combat are

revived with 1 HP once the fight is finished.

If a Slayer takes any damage while they are downed, they die.

14 COMBAT
GEAR AND CURRENCY

Slayers don’t keep a detailed inventory of everything they

have on them. Slayers have their weapons with them, and
enough currency to last a day for food and shelter. Anything
they want beyond that, they’ll need to negotiate for. If there is
a question on whether a Slayer can afford something, they
roll Streets. There is no shopping for better equipment either.
A Slayer is bound to their weapon, and would only get
another if they lost it. As such, you won’t find an extensive
shopping table in this book.

Here are some items that Slayers may bargain for, or try to
acquire to help them with their job:

Healing salves, ointments, and tinctures

Climbing gear

A spell from a local hedgemage

Clothing that is fire-resistant

Food or bait for a monster

Service from a local, such as a courier, spy, or healer

GEAR & CURRENCY 15

 Character Creation
Ready to hunt some monsters? Let’s make a Slayer.

Choose your class.

Determine skill scores: Every skill has a size of dice

associated with it. Set one skill as a d10, two skills as d8, and
all others as d6.

Select two Basic Advances to start with.

Record your starting stats based on your class and advances

you have taken.

Write down your name on your character sheet, and a brief

description of your appearance in style. Why did you become
a Slayer? Where were you trained, if you were trained at all?
How long have you been doing this? Will it ever end?

BASICS OF A SLAYERS CLASS

While every class in Slayers is designed to play differently

than one another in combat, there are some commonalities
they share. Every class comes with HP to represent how much
damage they can take in a fight, and a Speed die to determine
their place in the turn order.

Slayers also all have a Ready, Attack, and Quick action,

though how those actions work mechanically differs between
each class. Lastly, all Slayers have a collection of Basic and
Expert Advances, allowing them to become even deadlier
when out on the hunt.

16 CHARACTER CREATION
ADVANCING YOUR SLAYER

After a successful Hunt, your Slayer improves. Before that

however, reflect on the experience and answer at least one of
the following questions:

What did you learn about yourself from this Hunt?

What did you learn about an ally during this Hunt?

Would you have done things differently?

What about this Hunt will stick with you for quite some time?

Once at least one of the questions has been answered, it’s

time to increase health, a skill score, and choose an advance.
To increase HP, roll 1d4 and increase your HP by the result.
Next, increase one skill from d6 to d8. If all of your skills are
already at least d8, you increase one skill to d10. Finally,
choose an advance. Basic Advances may be taken at any time,
and Expert Advances may only be taken after you have 5 Basic
Advances.

CHARACTER CREATION 17
 Blade
The Blade is an expert fighter
who carves their way across
the battlefield with graceful
lethality. Moving at a near
supernatural speed, Blades are
able to hit their foes again and
again, tearing them to shreds
before they even have a chance to
react. Blades change their fighting
stances on the fly to adapt to the
ever-shifting fight.

STARTING STATS
HP: 10
SPEED: D8
WEAPON DICE: 1D6
DAMAGE PER HIT: 2

READY ACTION - TAKE A STANCE

Choose one of your stances (Flow, Parry, or Slay) to be in at
the start of combat.

ATTACK ACTION - COMBO

A Blade does not just strike once, but hits their foe with a
thousand cuts before they have a moment to react. Choose a
monster at Engaged range and roll your Weapon Dice. Any
Hits trigger a combo, and you roll another die. You continue
to combo until you no longer Hits. Deal damage for the total
number of Hits.

18 BLADE
QUICK ACTION - STANCE
Blades use fighting stances during a fight, allowing them to
always keep an edge in the fight. Change your fighting
stance. Effects work until you use another Quick Action to
change your stance.
Flow: After you kill a monster, you may take a free Move action.
Parry: Monsters need a 5+ to Hit you instead of 4+.
Slay: +1 damage per Hit, but monsters deal +1 damage per Hit.

BASIC ADVANCES
SHREWD: The first roll of your attack is always has Advantage.

FOOTING: Reroll the first 1 rolled during an attack.

DEFENDER: Parry applies to allies within Engaged range of you.

KILLER: Increase both effects of Slay by +1.

MERCURY: Increase Speed to d10 and always roll it with Advantage.

HEARTY: Always increase total HP by 4 when advancing, instead

of rolling 1d4 as usual.
SCORN: If a monster attacks you, your next attack against them is
made with Advantage.

EXPERT ADVANCES
HACK, MEET SLASH: Increase Weapon Dice to 2d6.

DEADLY QUICKSILVER: If you kill a monster while using Flow,

you may make a free attack action against a monster you move to.
HONED BLADE: You Hit on 3+ when attacking instead of 4+.

FINISH THEM: When a monster has half HP or less, your attacks

against them are made with Advantage.
EFFICIENT SLAYER: When you roll an attack with Advantage,
Hits deal +1 damage

BLADE 19
 Gunslinger
While most wield knives or flintlock firearms
into battle, the Gunslinger has access to an
incredibly rare weapon: the six-shooter
revolver. These weapons are specially
crafted, and each Gunslinger has a
special connection with their
six-shooter as they carve runes
into it to their liking. A
Gunslinger can spray lead and
bring down the worst The City
has to offer. These dangerous
weapons mean most avoid
interacting with Gunslingers,
and many ‘Slingers lead lives
as drifters and Slayers.

STARTING STATS
HP: 8
SPEED: D6
DAMAGE PER HIT: 2

READY ACTION - LOAD UP

At the start of combat, place 6d6 in front of you, representing
the bullets in your gun.

ATTACK ACTION - SPRAY LEAD

Gunslingers unload devastating firepower on anyone
unlucky enough to be their target. When you Spray Lead,
choose a Near or Far monster and pick up as many bullets as
you would like to fire. You may use bullets from any chamber
that you have loaded. Each bullet that Hits deals your
Damage. Bullets that have been rolled are spent, and are not
available until you use a Quick Action to reload.

20 GUNSLINGER
 QUICK ACTION - RELOAD
A trained ‘Slinger knows just the right moment to lay down
their guard and prepare their weapon. You may reload up to
two bullets into any empty chambers.

BASIC ADVANCES
TRICKY: Use two Skills when using the Skill action instead of one.

FORGE: Carve a rune into your gun. [Can be taken 3 times]

DRAW: Increase Speed to d8.

QUICK DRAW: (requires Draw). Increase Speed to d10 and

always roll it with Advantage.
PREPARED: Bullets fired from a fully loaded gun are rolled
with Advantage.
DESPERATE: Last bullet in the gun deals 5 damage per Hit.

EXPERT ADVANCES
LIGHT ‘EM UP: You can choose more than one target when you
Spray Lead. Choose how many dice for each before rolling.
GUN WHISPERER: Carve a rune into your gun. [Can be taken 3 times]

RUNES
Arcane magic that only the Gunslinger understands, it imbues their gun with
great power. When you carve a rune into your gun, choose a rune from the
following list and write it on a chamber that doesn’t yet have a rune. Any bullet
fired from that chamber has the additional effect of the rune. A chamber can
only hold one rune, and once a chamber has a rune, it cannot be undone.

HOLLOWPOINT: Deals +2 damage on Hit.

BLAST: Deals damage as normal, and target is pushed back from Near to Far.
TAR: Deals 1 damage instead. Target takes 1 fewer action on their next turn.
SNARE: Deals 1 damage instead. Target makes their next action
with disadvantage.
BLEED: Deals 1 damage instead. Target loses 1 HP at the start of each of
its turns until dead.
SEEKER: Hits on a 3+ instead of a 4+
GUNSLINGER 21
 Arcanist
The Arcanist is a
spellcaster, whose power
comes from a source that
is slowly destroying them.
The Arcanist’s mind and
body are taxed as the
corruption from their
power source drains them,
though that power can be
tapped to boost their spells
into terrifying displays. Use their spells
too much though, and the corruption will
create chaos in everyone’s plans.

STARTING STATS
HP: 6
SPEED: D6
KNOWN SPELLS: CHOOSE 4

READY ACTION - FAVORED SPELL

Choose a Known Spell to favor. When using a favored spell,
don’t mark corruption when using it, unless it’s boosted.

ATTACK ACTION - CAST SPELL

Calling upon dangerous power, an Arcanist weaves many
spells. To cast a spell, choose a Known Spell, mark 1 point of
corruption, and roll 1d6. On a Hit (4+), resolve the spell’s
effect. On a Miss, the spell fails and does not work.

Spells can be boosted before you roll. To boost a spell, add a

d6 to the roll and increase the corruption by 1. Both dice can
Hit for spells that have a “per Hit” effect.

22 ARCANIST
 After casting a spell, compare the highest rolled die to your
current corruption score. If your corruption score is higher
than your highest rolled dice, roll on the Bane table (see
below) and reset your corruption to 0.
At the end of combat, reset corruption to 0.
QUICK ACTION - PURGE CORRUPTION
Arcane buildup must be cast from the body, or else it will
destroy you. Roll 1d8. On a Hit, remove 1 point of corruption,
on a Miss remove none.

BASIC ADVANCES
LEARN: Add a spell to your Known Spells. [Can be taken 2 times]

EXCEL: Enhance a spell, permanently gaining the Enhance

effect whenever it is cast. [Can be taken 2 times]
BARGAIN: When rolling on the Bane table, roll two dice instead
of one. Choose which result to keep.
CONDUIT: You have the option to lose 1 HP instead of taking a
point of Corruption.
BOON: When you boost a spell, add a d8 to the roll instead of a d6.

EXPERT ADVANCES
HIT THE BOOKS: Add a spell to your Known Spells.
[Can be taken 2 times]
EVEN BETTER: Enhance a spell, permanently gaining the
Enhance effect whenever it is cast. [Can be taken 2 times]
MY FINAL FORM: Roll 1d8 when you Cast a Spell instead of 1d6.

Bane Table
1 — -1 on next Skill roll
2 — Next Cast Spell is with Disadvantage
3 — Can’t use Move action next turn
4 — Can’t use Quick action next turn
5 — Can only take 1 action next turn
6 — Take damage equal to corruption
ARCANIST 23
 Arcanist Spells
CORRUPTING TOUCH
The corruption inside you leaps from your hands to those you touch.
Base Effect: Target is infected by your corruption. Every time you
cast a spell after this, the infected target takes 1 damage. Effect lasts
until the target or you are Downed.
Range: Engaged.
Boost: Every time you cast a spell, the infected target takes damage
equal to your Corruption score.
Enhance: When the target dies, immediately choose another target
within Near range to gain Corrupting Touch’s effect.

CORRUPTING WAVE
The corruption inside you erupts out, lashing out at all around you.
Base Effect: Everyone within Engaged and Near range, including
allies, takes damage equal to your current Corruption score.
Range: Engaged and Near.
Boost: Damage is doubled.
Enhance: Allies only take 1 damage from the effect.

ENERGY BOLT
Cast a bolt of raw energy, crackling with power.
Base Effect: Fire a bolt of energy at a target, dealing 2 damage per Hit.
Range: Near and Far.
Boost: +1 to damage per Hit.
Enhance: Base effect damage is now 3 damage per Hit.

FEAR CLOUD
Plant the worst fears into the minds of your foes and watch them panic.
Base Effect: Target and anyone at Engaged with them always make a
Move action away from you until the start of your next turn.
Range: Near.
Boost: Those affected are paralyzed and take 1 fewer Action on their
next turn instead of fleeing.
Enhance: Fear Cloud now works at any range.

24 ARCANIST
HEX
You always have just the right trick to weaken your foes and make them
vulnerable.
Base Effect: Choose 1 effect. Effect lasts until the end of the target’s
next turn.
Haze: Target must roll 5+ to Hit
Lock Up: Target cannot Move
Betray: Target attacks nearest fellow enemy
Range: Any.
Boost: Effects last 2 turns.
Enhance: Choose 2 effects instead.

MEND
Though corrupting, your power can mend those you care about, for a cost.
Base Effect: Target heals for 1d6 HP per Hit. This can also revive a
downed character.
Range: Any.
Boost: 2d6 HP per Hit.
Enhance: If you heal a character for at least 4 HP, you may also
remove one corruption from yourself.

SIPHON
Drain the life force directly from your foes, and make it your own.
Base Effect: Target loses 2 HP and you heal 2 HP.
Range: Engaged.
Boost: Heal all of your lost HP and inflict that amount in damage
to target.
Enhance: Base effects increased +1.

TEMPORAL SHIFT
Breaking time is dangerous, but you know how to give it a little nudge.
Base Effect: Choose 1 effect.
Slow: Target takes 1 fewer action during their next turn.
Haste: Target takes 1 more action during their next turn.
Range: Near and Far.
Boost: Affects 2 actions normally instead of 1.
Enhance: Slayers may do the same action twice when affected by
Temporal Shift.
ARCANIST 25
 Tactician
Tacticians read a battlefield like a
scholar reads a book. They use
their expertise in tactics and
leadership to coordinate the
efforts of Slayers. Without
them, Slayers are just chaotic
killers, or so the Tacticians
believe. While their fighting
days may be behind them (or
never really began), the
Tactician ensures that their
allies move strategically
while their enemies falter.

STARTING STATS
HP: 8
SPEED: D4

READY ACTION - READY FORCES

Gather and roll a number of dice equal to the number of faces
on your Tactics skill die (a pool size of 6 for d6, a pool size of 8
for d8, and so on.) This is your Strategy Pool.

TACTICIAN SPECIAL - EXECUTE PLAN

During combat, you can replace any single result rolled by
either an ally or an enemy with any result within your Strategy
during their turn. Once that result has been used, it is discarded
for the remainder of combat. Execute Plan does not count as an
action. Instead, this is done during other character's turns.

ATTACK ACTION - SLASH OR SHOOT

Roll 1d6 to attack an Engaged or Near target. On Hit,
deal 1 damage.

26 TACTICIAN
QUICK ACTION - ISSUE ORDERS
Choose another Slayer within Near range. That Slayer may
immediately make a Move or Quick action for free.

BASIC ADVANCES
PREP: Add 1d6 to your Strategy Pool. [Can be taken 3 times]

WEAKEN: You may roll d4s in place of any number of d6s in

your Strategy Pool.
EMPOWER: You may roll d8s in place of any number of d6s in
your Strategy Pool.
SHIFT: You may add or subtract a Strategy Pool dice for a roll,
instead of replacing a die.
RALLY: When a monster is killed, roll 1d6 and add it to the Pool.

AMBUSH: You and your allies all roll Speed with Advantage.

EXPERT ADVANCES
NO QUARTER: When using Issue Command, ally Slayers may
make an Attack action.
DEAD LEAD: Ally Gunslingers reload 3 bullets instead of 2.

SHIFTING SANDS: Ally Blades make their next attack after

changing their stance with Advantage.
KEEP YOUR MIND: Ally Arcanists Hit on a 3+ when using
Purge Corruption.

TACTICIAN 27
 The City
This place lost its name a long time ago. But that’s okay, the
name’s nothing compared to what’s happening here.

The City keeps getting bigger.

28
At some point in its history, The City was cursed to sprawl,
never ending. The walls and borders are ever-shifting. New
districts in The City pop up overnight, suddenly made
manifest and already inhabited. Conversely, some districts
disappear, mourned at first, though memory of their
existence is quick to fade. There are a number of theories
about what is happening in The City:

The City absorbs towns from beyond its walls as it

expands, forming into new districts. It would certainly
explain the common dialects and customs you find
within a district, only to see them quickly take a new
shape as you walk to the next.

The City creates the districts. Why does it do this? It

wants to, is driven to, or maybe it can’t help itself. If this
is true, we’re just rats in The City’s maze.

The City wasn’t cursed, but instead has always been

like this. Someone or some group is pulling the strings
in its expansion.

The City represents just one of a theoretically infinite

number of Cities. There are parallel Cities alongside
yours, each spreading out forever, each a little
different. What would happen when two Cities expand
so far that they meet?

All of these are probably true to some extent, but as The City
grew and new inhabitants started walking its streets, the name
and history became less and less important, then becoming
impossible to track. So today, we just call it The City.

THE CITY 29
 TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE

The City sits on the brink of industrial revolution. While the

concept of machinery isn’t new, the automation of said
machinery is an idea that straddles the line between science
and the arcane arts. Magictech is a burgeoning industry, and
one that shares a tense peace between those who prefer the
arcane ways of old, and those seeking to step forward into the
future with science.

Most buildings in The City are made of stone and wood,

though they take wildly different forms depending on which
district you are in. Blades are still the weapon of choice,
though wealthier individuals may own a flintlock pistol or
rifle.

Only Gunslingers have revolvers, and they won’t tell you

where they got it.

It is difficult to describe the culture of The City because each

district is different. Some have more advanced technology,
such as machines that run on steam, coal, or even crystals.
Others have simple machines, and seem quite content with
that. Slayers entering an unfamiliar district should get a lay
of the land before they begin their Hunt, to ensure they don’t
commit any social faux pas, or step on the toes of any of the
major factions.

30 THE CITY
FACTIONS OF THE CITY

Every district is different, and with a sprawl this big it is sure

to attract groups of like-minded individuals together.
Districts are usually divided up by influential factions that
dictate the inner workings of the neighborhood. Very rarely
will Slayers find factions that span across multiple districts,
though there are exceptions such as the Church of the Cycle
or the Wanderers guild.

FAITH

Faith is a funny thing in a place that manifests new ideas and

people literally overnight. Hard to hold onto something
when your world keeps changing, right? And what happens
to those people whose district falls off the face of the world?

The biggest following in The City belongs to the Church of

the Cycle. The Cycle, as it is known, is broken into five
subsets, each representing an aspect of the life cycle: Birth,
Growth, Stability, Decay, and Death. There is one more
branch, though they are seen as more of a cult given their
“heretical” beliefs: Rebirth.

There are plenty of other faiths: those that are brought in by

new districts, others that worship The City itself, and even
some that revere the monsters the Slayers are paid to hunt.
The reality is that most of these organizations would be
considered a cult or secret order by any of the others. In fact,
it's common practice for churches to go into a sort of
faith-based sabotage of one another, and some are even
willing to pay Slayers to hunt the “beasts” that worship in the
building down the block.

THE CITY 31
 TRAVEL & NEWS

The Wanderers are one of the oldest guilds in The City, and
that is apparent in the fact that you can find them in literally
every district. Even in the new districts, the Wanderers are
the first to welcome the newcomers to The City, and to set up
one of their famous taverns.

Wanderer taverns serve food, sure, and will house some

guests, but their main purpose is as transportation hubs in
the infinite sprawl. They know The City better than anyone,
and are always hauling goods and people from one end to the
other (though there aren’t really ends when you think about
it). Given the diverse nature of the districts, the Wanderers
have built up a fleet of vehicles that are capable of traveling
through most terrain. The elevator system in the Wych
Woods was built by them, and they run the chain ferries
across The Deep, just to name a few.

Given the fact that they travel everywhere, the Wanderers

other responsibility is in spreading the news of the day
across The City. While the Inkers are responsible for writing
and printing the news, the Wanderers help it spread.
Unfortunately, given the size of The City, those districts that
are a distance from an Inker plant tend to get the news at a
very delayed rate, especially if they want it by paper.
Wanderers typically spread the news to the more remote
districts by calling out the latest events from the comfort of
their taverns. It's two birds with one stone. They get
customers in their bar, and they get to tell the news the way
they see it.

32 THE CITY
ORDER

Most districts worry about protecting themselves. A

City-wide guard would be difficult to coordinate, so local
militias are the preferred practice. There is however, one
organization that has grown in size, to the point that its
presence can be felt in many districts: The Inquisitors.

The Inquisitors are a group that hunt the “occult” threats to

The City, what are known as wyches. While they have no
official jurisdiction, when an instance of cult worship,
demonic incursion, psyker attack, or anything that goes
beyond the beasts Slayers typically hunt, the Inquisitors will
run their own investigation. Inquisitors usually work in
pairs, and don’t hide their presence. They work off of fear,
and it has allowed them to create a formidable presence in
many districts across The City.

Lastly is the concept of government. There is no centralized

government, it's just not practical given how The City
expands. Instead, district leaders are selected, elected, or
chosen depending on the traditions of the district. Leaders
work to coordinate the efforts of their district with their
neighbors, ensuring that they are looking out for one
another rather than worrying about The City as a whole.

THE CITY 33
 Building The City

Creating your own version of The City is as much a part of

playing Slayers as hunting the monsters. As you build your
City, consider Districts, Factions, and Mapping.

DISTRICTS
The City is ever-expanding, and there doesn’t seem to be any
sign of it stopping any time soon. A district is an abstract unit
of space, meant to describe an area of The City which shares
a number of features. Think of the neighborhoods that make
up where you live, and you’ve got an idea of what districts
are. Each district is made up of the following parts:

DESCRIPTION:
Including appearance, it’s role in The City, what is typically
found there, and other important cultural touchstones.
Districts can be very different from one another, so don’t
worry if the tone of one district doesn’t match its neighbor.

KEY LOCATIONS:
Three or more locations that are important to the district.
These don’t have to be locations that the Slayers might visit,
but they help keep the theme of the district clear and present.

RUMORS:
These are the opportunities that the Slayers can follow up
on in the district. Typically each rumor is the start of its
own Hunt, though you may string rumors together to show
a more sizable issue.

34 THE CITY
 These three are needed for every district, but you should also
consider what makes the district unique. What kind of food is
served, what do houses look like, what’s in fashion? Cultural
norms shifting between districts adds to the unique nature of
The City, and these are questions the group should answer
together, rather than the GM deciding all of this ahead of time.
Another big aspect of what makes a district is the people.
Who’s inside it? Let’s consider factions.

CREATING FACTIONS
While we’ve seen some of the factions of The City, there are an
innumerable amount of them. Designing a faction of The City
is a group activity, though the GM may want to create a few
factions on their own if they intend to use them
antagonistically or as a surprise. What goes into a faction?

PURPOSE:
Why does this faction exist? Is the purpose overt, or is it
hidden behind another message or action?

PEOPLE:
Who makes up the faction? Who is attracted to its purpose,
and who is repulsed? How do the people of the district feel
about them?

ACTIONS:
When Slayers, or the general public see the faction out and
about, what should they expect to see? Some factions want
a strong presence, and take action to the streets. Others
prefer that you don’t know they’ve done anything at all
until it’s too late.

SIZE AND SCALE:

How big and influential is the faction? This is especially
important given that The City spreads, and most Hunts
take place in a single district. Is the faction unique to the
district, or is their influence felt across multiple districts,
possibly even the entire City?

THE CITY 35
 Now that we have a sense of the places and people inside
them, what happens when we step back and try to see
everything as a whole?

MAPPING

There is no official map of The City. So how do you keep

track of an unending urban sprawl? There are a few options
to consider as your table begins to build The City. First, you
may use a blank grid, like a hexmap, and fill in the tiles as
your group explores the setting. Start somewhere in the
middle of the map, and decide which empty hex to use the
next time the Slayers go to a new district. Afterward, you
have an actual map that you can rely on, and use if you want
to try and keep an accurate sense of distance, travel, and
neighborhood relationships.

You may also choose to use a more abstract map. Given the
fact that The City shifts so much, you may adopt that into
your map such that no district is ever in a set place. Write the
names of districts on cards or pieces of paper, shuffle them
before play, and lay them out to show what The City looks
like at that moment. This certainly leans into the weirdness
of The City, but isn’t always the best approach if your players
prefer having a more concrete setting. Work together as a
table to decide what method of mapping works best for your
campaign!

36 THE CITY
 THE
DISTRICTS

37
 The district of Slayer’s Row is aptly named because it is where
most Slayers end up between jobs. Rest and relaxation can be
found, as well as leads for your next hunt. The streets are
cobbled and crowded, and most of the buildings are
mismatched when compared side by side. But this is part of
the charm of the Row. You’ll see little presence of most
factions, as the Slayers hold sway over the district, even if it is
in an unofficial capacity. Slayers are typically willing to help
keep the peace in return for having a district to call home.

38 SLAYER’S ROW
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
SLAY A WHILE: Popular inn for Slayers. This is the go-to location for
finding legitimate and illegitimate work. A bounty board up front
holds jobs that are above board, the private rooms in back hold the
more lucrative, but less legal jobs.

FLESHMARKET: Traders of literal flesh of all kinds, including

monsters. The Corpsers refine bodies down to their essential parts.
They can work wonders with what you bring them, meaning a Slayer
that doesn’t absolutely butcher a monster they hunt has a chance of
getting a bonus if they can salvage some parts for the market.

BLADE ACADEMY: Largest independent training hall of sword

fighters in the entire City. Most Blades have trained there to some
degree. Those that don’t flunk out tend to work as security for some of
the big magitech organizations, noble families, or other wealthy elite
of The City. The others go into Slaying.

BLYTHE’S BOUTIQUE: A small shop nestled between two massive

pubs, the owner, Blythe, changes their wares every day. For some, this
can be frustrating, but Slayers always seem to find exactly what they
need whenever they visit. The only problem is Blythe likes to trade in
deals and favors, rather than coin, and so expect to have to do a little
footwork if you walk through their doors.

RuMoRs
Slayers have been appearing dead in the streets and alleys. Slayers
die all the time given their line of work, but this is unusual because
it’s happening in Slayer’s Row. When found, the bodies always
have a grinning smile on their now dead face.

Some Slayers have been flashing more coin than usual, most after
leaving the Fleshmarket. The type of coin is unlike anything you’ve
seen in the Row. Something to worry about, or to cash in on?

There have been multiple reports of businesses in the Row being

disrupted: deliveries never arriving, patrons no longer shopping. Who
or what is trying to mess with the district? Who hates the Slayers?
SLAYER’S ROW 39
 The unofficial district of many wyches (arcanists, psykers,
occultists, etc.) in The City, and certainly the highest
population of them in a single place. Many people believe
that the district gets its name from the trees that can be
found within. Really it's because the homes of the locals are
made of wood, and stack upon one another, branching out
like trees. The Wych Wood is one of the more vertical
districts in the city, and it's important you watch your step,
because it is a terribly long fall to the bottom. If the fall
doesn’t kill you, the beasts below will...

40 WHYCH WOOD
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
WYCH WALK: A maze-like forest in the center of the district. Walks
through it tend to feel longer than they actually are. There is no better
place to understand the Wych Woods, because locals say the forest of
the Walk reflects the current mood and stability of the district, as if the
trees can sense it.

WEIRD WAY: Back-alley string of shops with some of the strangest

goods a Slayer could need. They like Slayers, since Slayers have unique
needs and their own unique items to sell. You’ll find the Wyching Hour
here, a particularly popular bar amongst the locals.

LUNAR BRIDGE: Largest bridge in the district, though its shape and
size varies with the lunar cycle. At full moon, there is no better way to
travel across the district. But as the moon wanes in the sky, your
options become more limited, and more dangerous.

STARRY NIGHT: A popular wych club. The ceiling is enchanted to

create the illusion of an open star-filled sky. Celestial auguries can be
bought if you know the right person. Drugs too, even if you’re a stranger.

CELESTE MANOR: Home of the Celeste family. A small private forest

surrounds the estate. Though they are usually a reclusive bunch, they
throw some really out of this world parties, if you’re into wych stuff.

RuMoRs
The Lunar Bridge hasn’t been matching up with the cycle of the
moon lately. It’s become random, and a bridge that randomly
changes its shape is rather dangerous.

Locals have reported the sensation of being watched while doing

their daily stroll through the Walk. It didn’t seem like a big deal
until a local man came out of the woods with three slashes across
his chest and his skin had gone as pale as the moon.

The Celeste family is throwing a huge party to celebrate their

youngest’s 10th birthday. Everyone is going to be there. One
Inquisitor in particular has been waiting for the wyches of the
woods to gather in one location...
WYCH WOOD 41
 Cramped and labyrinthine streets connect ancient libraries,
bookstores, and repositories of knowledge. The Librarium is
one of the oldest districts in The City, and may be the one
place that holds its true origins. Slayers use the Librarium as
a place for research, preparing for threats found beyond the
district’s streets. It would be unwise to assume this is a place
of peace, though. Factions fight for knowledge, and dangerous
things lurk between the increasingly crowded shelves.

42 LIBRARIUM
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
THE OMPHALOS: The dead center of the district, almost impossible to
reach through mundane means.

THE FIFTH: The only Tome that has never been seen. Whispers of The
Fifth are increasing, the only Tome that can truly get you to The
Omphalos without becoming lost in the stacks forever

THE GRAND HALL OF THE SOCIETE BIBLIOPOLIST: An ornate yet

cramped mansion on the edge of the district, it's slowly being
enveloped by books as the collection grows.

THE BIBLIOPOLIST SOCIETY: Booksellers and merchants who are

directly opposed to those who would see the books of the Librarium
kept from the world. Led by Agrav Dean.

THE TOMES: These elder librarians know the best ways through the
stacks. Only five exist, but if you find one they may be able to take you to
the Omphalos.

AGRAV DEAN: Head of the Bibliopolist Society, young and charming,

they know more than they're letting on about what the Omphalos contains.

THE SPINE OF ST. GALLEN: The primary location of the Children of St.
Gallen, a holy order that cares for the district's many tomes and scrolls.

RuMoRs
A caretaker swears something climbed out of a book and ate their
companion, but the book is gone and the companion is missing.
There may be clues left in the companion’s recovered journal.

It is said Agrav Dean cares not for The Omphalos, but desires the
Tome that leads there. Maybe there are ancient scraps that can
lead you to it.

A new faction has left its mark on the Librarium, stealing the
pages of books and leaving behind an inky stain in the shape of a
wolf. The pages seemed random at first, but some believe a
pattern is emerging.
LIBRARIUM 43
 UNDERGROUND

Not all districts welcome visitors. Some don’t even want you
to know they exist. The Underground exists below the
cobblestone streets of The City. Down there, old technology
buried deep clashes with the new tech from the surface.
Small houses that serve as both domiciles and back alley
shops dot the surface. It is dark, rusted, old, but some of the
most lucrative illegal markets can be found there. If you can
find your way in, and the local criminal organizations allow
it, you might find yourself in a world of shady opportunities.

44 UNDERGROUND
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
ROSIE’S INN: Will house almost anyone who walks through the
doors. They have a “special” deal for folks who are interested in
getting fitted with magitech during their stay.
GUFFIN HOUSE OF TRADE: Not only a shop, but the go-to black
market auction house. A local mob runs the place, and they have no
problem ripping off rich tourists and locals alike.
THE ZOO: One of the few places in The City that actively tries to tame
monsters. Not for any righteous reason, but because they sell for a
steep price. Who doesn’t want a pet werewolf, or a troll bodyguard?
GRACE EVERSTEN: A local teen who has a habit of spying on all
sorts of conversations. She knows more than most around here.
POLLY AND ANDI: Run a shop that specializes in the sale and repair
of rare tech. Great for repairs, but also in trouble with the local
gangs that are sabotaging their wares.
KALAVEEN CRIRI: Old and snarky, but owns three market stalls
selling whatever she can get her hands on. You don’t get that kind of
real estate without a connection, Guffin House connection.
TOMOUS NIK: Tradesman of information rather than goods.
Tomous can help you get a lay of the land, or know what is really
going on. But be careful, he’s loyal to coin over anything else.

RuMoRs
The Zoo has become more popular topside, and now people are
trying to bring back more “tamed” monsters. What does that mean
for a Slayer?
Monsters native to the Underground have been attacking every other
night. They are being systematic, and are trying to target something.
One of the mobs is using monsters to kidnap rich people from the
topside. Screams can be heard from under Rosie’s floors at night.
Some think the monsters just have rich taste, others think they make
good lab rats for new magitech.
Someone with a vendetta let the Zoo loose and now everyone is
running for cover. Grace might know something about it, since she
spends lots of time there.
UNDERGROUND 45
 The Chromatic Bazaar is a dizzying and colorful district
where you can buy all things alchemical. Merchants,
alchemists, artists, and more wander the tents looking for
valuable components and ingredients, whatever will allow
them to unravel their next great discovery. The Bazaar is cut
up by a series of canals, whose colorful waters allow for quick
and easy movement around the district, so long as you keep
on the Skippers’ good side. Enjoy the Bazaar, you’re sure to
find the unexpected!

46 CHROMATIC BAZAAR
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
FORTUNA FOUNTAIN: A fountain with four statues, each pouring
out different colored liquids into a pool below. The liquids change
to match what is currently being brewed in the bazaar that week.
COLOR WHEEL: Local watering hole that sells everything other
than water. A custom among Skippers is to “spin the wheel”, and try
to consume every drink on the menu in one evening.
THE FACET: A shop that sells goods focused on the art of
transforming states of matter. Their expertise is a slow drip process
that changes innocuous inks into valuable gems.
SKIPPERS: They travel, maintain, and keep record of the changes to
the canals. It is said they know all the hidden waterways and that for
a price they can get you anywhere, as long as there is water.
CARNIVAL: A group of performers and miscreants. Some say they
are the deadly Harlequins, using the performances as a cover for the
various crimes they commit.
PHILOSOPHERS: The only way to join this alchemist guild is by
invitation. In order to get their attention, you need to not only be
creative, but dangerous. The last person to get an invite turned lead
into gold, or so they say.
RED ROGER: Red Roger looks different every time you meet them,
but you know them from their trademark red eyes.
ABBAS: One of the leading Philosophers, and rumors swirl about
his supposed immortality. He categorizes things as useful, and
useless. Pray he finds you useful.

RuMoRs
Red Roger is a collective, and one that trades in deals rather than
coin. Recently someone made a bad trade with Red Roger and
needs help getting out of the debt.
Something is growing in the canals. The most worrying rumors are
of creatures made of the chemical waters of the canals.
The Facet is a place of miracles. It's said you can enter one way and
come out a truer version of yourself. A local alchemist wants you to
go in their place to see what their secret is, and is willing to pay for it.
CHROMATIC BAZAAR 47
 Agora is one of the oldest districts in The City. Structures like
the Colosseum and Amphitheater hint to what life in The
City was like long ago. Today, they stand strong, and as a
central part of a district filled with beautiful gardens, houses
made of expertly carved stone, and a populace that
understands the importance of enjoying life. Many in The
City will go to Agora at least once in their lives, to catch a
show or watch the spectacular games of strength and skill.

48 AGORA
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
COLOSSEUM: Built ages ago, but incredibly well maintained.
Regularly hosts competitions of skill. You’ll find locals and Slayers
alike taking part, hoping to win glory, fame, and of course, coin.
THREE-HEADED HYDRA: The go-to tavern for celebration and
revelry after the games at the Colosseum. Gets its name from the triplets
that run the place. Make sure to wear your team’s colors when you visit!

BATHHOUSES OF AGORA: Using natural hot spring waters unique to

the district, these bathhouses are a glimpse to an earlier time.
Considered a luxury location by visitors, you’ll find Slayers and locals
rubbing shoulders and relaxing after a long day. Also a great place to
negotiate a deal in comfort.

THE AMPHITHEATER: A large open-air theater in which locals

perform music, plays, and other forms of entertainment for all to enjoy.
There is a designated time when the stage can be used by anyone who
wishes to. Opaline up-and-comers make their way to the Amphitheater,
knowing what a storied history it has in the world of entertainment.

THE MUSES: A popular performance group. The Amphitheater is

packed to capacity when they perform one of their legendary plays.
Many of the plays are prophetic, and more often than not they come true.

THE TITAN: A local legend, and repeat winner of the games at the
Colosseum. They have never lost a match, ever. They especially like to
challenge Slayers when they visit the Agora.

RuMoRs
The Colosseum is running a special event, for only Slayers to compete
in. Fame, adoration, and a huge pile of coin are just a few games away.
Rumors swirl and dramas on the Amphitheater stage tell of the
haunted gardens of the district, and caution anyone thinking to visit
them at night. Most think these are entertaining ghost stories, but you
suspect they are founded on some truth.
Witnesses have reported that the Titan always visits the Bathhouses
before entering the games. Pre-game ritual, or is there something
going on here?
AGORA 49
 Hundreds of platforms, tied together with rope bridges, rise
and fall with the dark waters below them. The Wharf is a sea
in the middle of The City, but the water has been blanketed
by industrious sailors, traders, and more who have made a
home for themselves. The smell of sea water is mixed with
the sound of shanties being sung. A rising tide lifts all ships
in the Wharf, and that means opportunity for you if you can
get your sea legs under you.

50 THE WHARF
 KeY LoCaTiOnS, FaCtIoNs, AnD NpCs
THE DIVE: Closely guarded locations where brave souls swim into the
abyss below the floating platforms, in search for long lost treasures.
MOLESKINE’S CABARET: There’s always a performance happening
at the cabaret. Retired sailors put on their finest clothes and take in a
show, while back room deals exchange treasure, secrets, and more.
LIEUTENANT’S LIGHTHOUSE: A towering structure in the middle of
the district. It stands obsolete now that the sea has been covered in
floating platforms. Even still, the light has never gone out.
THE RISING TIDE: A “mansion”, made up of a number of platforms
bound and stacked on top of one another. Few people are allowed in
or even around the place. It is said to house the former pirate lords
who once ruled the sea below your feet.
BROKEN SAILS: A group of former sailors, long since retired from that
line of work generations ago. They’ve managed to repurpose those
talents into becoming the premier smuggling operation in The City.
CAPTAIN “STERLING”: Leads the Broken Sails. Puts forward the
image of a legitimate member of the district. People who piss off the
Captain tend to get found at the bottom of a Dive.
DOCKMASTER: One of a handful of people who can find you an actual
functioning ship among all the debris that makes up the Wharf.
THE TRIGGER: A gun maker of the highest caliber. While they
haven’t figured out how to make a Gunslinger revolver, some of their
weapons are getting dangerously close.

RuMoRs
The Lighthouse light went out last night, for the first time anyone
alive can remember happening. In the dark, the monsters of the deep
have returned to the surface.

During a recent dive through the debris, the Dockmaster found a

ship of legend. The only problem is that it is very, very haunted.

The last five people to go on a Dive haven’t come back. It’s dangerous
work, sure, but it’s never been this bad. Something is down there, and
the people of the Wharf want Slayers to deal with it.
THE WHARF 51
 Monsters
Monsters is a catchall
term for anyone that the
Slayers decide to fight.
Usually these are beasts and
creatures, but humans can be
pretty monstrous too. Here
is an example monster:

CREEP HP: 5 SPEED: 3

A rapidly growing plant in human shape, which erodes stone and
strangles anyone it gets its “hands” on. Many people believe it is a
symptom of a sickness infecting The City.

PASSIVE:
Feed Me: Once a Creep has dealt damage to a Slayer, it makes all of its
attacks against that Slayer with Advantage.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Wrap: 1d8. Near. Target Slayer takes 1 fewer action their next turn.
Venom: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit. The Slayer loses 1 HP whenever
they miss an attack action the rest of combat.

REACTION:
Strangle: If an Engaged Slayer is hit by Wrap, make a Venom attack
against them.

52 MONSTERS
HP
The amount of damage a monster can take. When a monster
reaches 0 HP, they are dead.

SPEED
Unlike Slayers, monsters do not roll to determine their place in
the turn order. Instead, they each have a set Speed value.

ACTIONS
Monsters may make a number of actions per turn equal to the
number in the parentheses listed next to Actions. They may
also make one move action, which does not count towards their
number of allowed actions.

Each monster has unique actions. Some actions don’t require a

roll. If they do, the dice used will be the first thing listed, and
the Rule of 4+ always applies: rolls of 4+ as a Hit. Required
distance for actions is also included if needed.

Example: Snare: 1d6. Near. Slayer becomes entangled. Their

next attack action is made with Disadvantage.

PASSIVES
Some monsters have ongoing effects, called Passives. These
don’t need to be activated, but instead are always present, or
present when certain conditions are met.
Example: Spring: Can make two Move actions each turn
instead of one.

REACTIONS
A monster may also have one or more Reactions available to
them. These are actions that they can take outside of their turn,
though a monster may only use one reaction during a round.

Example: Scorn: When Flame Hand takes damage from a

Slayer within Engaged range, that Slayer takes 1 damage.

MONSTERS 53
 SKILLS
Monsters don’t have skills, and don’t normally roll them. But
on the rare chance that it feels appropriate for a monster to
make a skill action, they use a d6.

CREATING MONSTERS
You’ll find a number of monsters to use in the Bestiary at the
back of this book (starting on page 74). But you’ll probably
want to start making your own Monsters too! Consider the
following when making a monster.

HP and Speed help set the stage of whether this monster is a

grunt, or something with more power. The average Slayer is
going to have a Speed of about 4, so decide where you want
this monster to go in the turn order. Most simple monsters
will have low HP (2-4) and Speed (2-3), and will only do one
action on their turn. More dangerous monsters have more
HP (7-9), faster Speed (5-7), and can take multiple actions.

Avoid giving monsters absurdly high HP (e.g. more than 20).

When that happens, the Slayers are just going to have to keep
taking the same attack action again and again until they
eventually kill it. Instead, make the fight more dangerous by
including multiple monsters at once, to keep the Slayers
distracted and unable to attack the “boss” monster all at once.
A 12 HP monster with a lot of minions is much more
interesting to fight than a single monster with 50 HP.

54 MONSTERS
Regardless of how many actions they can take, most
monsters have around three actions they are able to choose
from, including ongoing effects and reactions. Any more
than that and combat starts to slow down as the GM
considers all their options.

If you’re making a big showcase monster, then it is

appropriate to add a few more specialty actions. The bosses
of the Hunts in this book use examples of special actions.
Ongoing effects can be particularly powerful, even on
simpler monsters because they don’t require the monster to
use an action. This has a big impact on the action economy of
a fight. Use them sparingly, and in ways that fit the theme or
purpose of the monster, rather than as a way of buffing them
and making things harder for the Slayers.

Reactions are a useful tool for making a monster feel more

dangerous for two reasons. First, it allows them to act outside
of their turn, giving the monster more influence during the
fight. Second, it introduces an unexpected action from the
monster to the fight, and will push the Slayers to change up
their tactics

MONSTERS 55
 GM Section
THE CITY
The City, the setting of Slayers, is cursed to expand forever. The
walls and borders shift with time as districts pop up with new
ways of life, and new opportunities for Slayers. Because of that,
it’s impossible for me to tell you what The City looks like. Even
if I gave you a list of all the districts, how they are oriented at
one table would and should differ from another table.

How does the architecture of one district differ from its

neighbor, and what function does that difference serve? How
are Slayers perceived? What kinds of monsters haunt its
streets? Answer these questions together, because those
answers will be infinitely more meaningful than any list I
could come up with. As the GM, lean into these answers.
Make each district feel alive.

RULE OF 4+
The intent behind the 4+ Hit system is to move the rolling
part of roleplaying along quickly and easily. Whenever
anyone needs to roll, they just need to count the number of
Hits to determine if they were successful, or how much
damage they deal.

The other purpose is to have 1 Hit be enough to succeed on

most tasks outside of combat. Success is likely for a number
of actions, especially if the Slayers are using the skills they
are especially good at and working together. This is good!
You aren’t looking for them to fail. Their lives are in enough
danger fighting monsters. But when they do fail, use Misses
as opportunities to complicate their lives in meaningful and
interesting ways.

56 GM SECTION
ASYMMETRY
The inspiration behind Slayers is to allow players to truly
feel different from one another when they choose their class.
Each class approaches combat differently, but they are all
united by the Rule of 4+. Regardless of if a Slayer is using
exploding dice (as the Blade), resource management (as the
Gunslinger or Tactician), or push your luck (as the Arcanist),
they all ultimately want to roll 4+.

It’s important however, that the players are aware of the

rules of their class, and how it works. It’s possible that every
player at your table uses different combat mechanics based
on their class. To help keep the game running smoothly,
remember the Rule of 4+, and impress upon the players that
they need to know how their character works. You as the GM
have enough to worry about making the world feel alive and
frightening, let the players worry about the rules.

BALANCE
There is no combat balancing in Slayers. There are no magic
numbers that tell you what a fair fight is, and what is going to
be a bloodbath. That’s because these are monster hunters
doing very dangerous work. The monsters aren’t going to
fight fair, they’re monsters. The Slayers will ultimately
become quite powerful themselves, but there are big beasts
out in the world that can crush them, and that’s okay. Don’t
kill them to prove a point, but if you signal to them the
dangers of situations so they can make informed decisions,
you’ll have more interesting monster hunts, rather than
recklessly running into situations that end in death.

GM SECTION 57
 RULES-LITE
You’ll notice that Slayers has more structure in some parts
than others. This is to intentionally provide room for
interpretation in the game. Money, gear, and healing have
guidelines for you to work with, but not much more than
that. That’s because those aren’t what make Slayers the game
that it is. Slayers is about hunting monsters, and highlighting
what makes each class feel “cool.” Shopping for +1 armor is
not cool. You know what is cool? Watching a Blade combo 5
attack dice in a row and cutting down the Clockwork Killer in
a single turn. Or begging the Arcanist to hold back from
boosting another spell, because surely they can’t take that
much more corruption. Play to get to those situations, and
don’t worry so much about paying for room and board.

58 GM SECTION
 The
Hunt
It doesn’t take long for Slayers to
find out that any district they
visit has a monster problem.
Sometimes the locals gather
together resources to hire
Slayers, other times the rumors
and legends of a neighborhood
are too good to pass up. Either
way, when the Slayers agree to
deal with a monster problem,
they go on a Hunt.

THE HUNT 59
 DESIGNING A HUNT
Slayers is played in cycles called Hunts, in which the
Slayers enter a district of the City and are tasked to find a
monster by a local NPC or faction. Sometimes a Hunt is
more than simply monster-killing. Slayers may find
themselves at the center of even greater trouble, such as
faction wars, arcane rituals, and more.

MONSTERS
Consider which district the Hunt will take place in when
choosing your monsters. How would they fit into the
environment? Make changes to the monsters to fit the
Hunt! Whatever the Slayers are hunting, you’ll want to put
some other monsters in their way. Intelligent monsters
usually have some underlings protecting them. Even
primitive beasts will keep the company of others, either as
protection, companions, or food.

LOCATIONS
While a Hunt takes place in a district, that can be a pretty
large area to cover. A list of locations that the Slayers may
visit in order to either find, or learn about the monster
keeps the Hunt focused. You’ll need at least the location or
lair of the target, and then consider other locations that are
along the way to the lair. Hunts involve a good deal of
investigation. Make locations where the Slayers can learn
about the monster, it’s actions, intents, and maybe even its
weaknesses.

FACTIONS
There are always some factions that are interested or
involved in the Slayers’ work. Consider the attitudes and
purpose of each of the factions in the district when
deciding who would hire the Slayers, and who might want
to see them stopped. Monsters are fun to hunt, but they
become interesting to fight when your players realize
there is something bigger happening in the background.

60 THE HUNT
NON-COMBAT
While Slayers is a game about monster fighting, the entire
session does not have to be filled with one combat encounter
after another. In fact, the Slayers should probably do some
investigating of the district and monster before they charge
in to fight it. Making the monster difficult to find, or resistant
to their tactics unless they prepare is one way to emphasize
non-combat play. You can also play NPCs and factions
against each other, each wanting the Slayers to do something
different about the monster “problem”.

NUMBERS
Slayers is not designed with combat balance in mind. The
more monsters you throw at the Slayers, the more likely they
are to die. You’ll learn the limits of the Slayers through play,
and that’s why it is important to include multiple encounters
at multiple locations. Start with some easy fights in the
beginning to gauge the Slayer's power, then start to crank it
up as the Hunt goes on.

EXAMPLE HUNTS
On the following pages you’ll find three example Hunts.
These Hunts are designed with a three act structure so that
you can comfortably pace your session and keep things going
forward. You aren’t required to follow this structure when
playing them, or when designing your own Hunts. Instead,
use these examples as opportunities to see how different
types of Hunts might play out.

THE HUNT 61
 Lord of the (Un)dead
The Barrows is a district of the City that has been cordoned off,
isolated from the city. Whoever made the order hasn’t said
anything, but there are good people who still live inside those walls.
Interesting thing about this quarantine is that nobody seems to be
trying to get out, but some people are trying to break in. Those who
do, don’t come back out. You’ve been hired to investigate the
Barrows, figure out what is going on, and deal with it if possible.

Premise: A powerful arcanist, Drauzhal, has gotten his hands on a

crown, now fused to his skull. This Rotting Crown contains great
power, and now Drauzhal can control the undead. The Barrows is
known for its graveyards, and Drauzhal has begun to raise its dead.
But he can’t control them all, and now there are hordes of undead
wandering the district. Drauzhal is sending out some of his most
loyal wights to capture individuals with psychic abilities, to funnel
their power into the Rotting Crown in order to give him wider
ranging control.

Stop the wights, destroy the Crown, and kill Drauzhal—anything to

stop him before he smashes those walls down.

ACT 1: OUTSIDE THE BARROWS

The Slayers need to investigate before jumping the gates into the
Barrows. Few know what’s really going on, but the Slayers can figure
out the following with some investigation:
The Barrows are a beautiful place and revered by many.
Inquisitors are in charge of the quarantine, which means the
threat isn’t mundane.
People who are getting grabbed come from all walks of life.
Enough questioning will reveal the psychic theme.

Conflict: An intelligent wight stalks outside the Barrows and the

Slayers find it dragging back an unconscious psyker into the Barrows.

62 LORD OF THE UNDEAD

 WIGHT HP:
HP: 10 SPEED: 5
Highly intelligent undead. They have a sentience of their own, and
typically work for those who will help them with their plans.

PASSIVE:
Adapt: After reaching half HP, increase all damage dealt by the Wight by +1.

ACTIONS: 2
Slash: 2d8. 1 damage per Hit.
Poison Knives: 1d6. Slayers take 1 damage at the start of their turn until
a successful Mend action is taken.

ACT 2: EXPLORING THE BARROWS

The streets of the Barrows are poorly lit. The lamp system hasn’t been
well-maintained since the quarantine started. Most streets are dark,
though a number of homes still have light behind drawn curtains and
shuttered windows. Nobody is likely to help the Slayers, or even talk
with them. There are roaming bands of undead, attacking anyone in
sight. The Slayers need to figure out what Drauzhal is doing, and
where to find him to get to Act 3.

Conflicts: Slayers will run into a number of undead hordes, some more
dangerous than others. Who they choose to fight is up to them. They
need leads to find Drauzhal one way or another. Use the Corpse Giant,
Ghouls, Psykers and Skeletons stats below to create the undead hordes.

CORPSE GIANT HP: 12 SPEED: 2

An abomination of corpses stitched together. Who would have made
such a thing?

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Smash: 1d10. Engaged. 3 damage per Hit.

Devour: Engaged. Consume anyone, ally or enemy, with 2 HP or less.
Heal that much HP.

REACTION:
Explode: When Corpse Giant dies, it explodes, dealing 2 damage to
anyone at Engaged or Near range.

LORD OF THE UNDEAD 63

 GHOUL HP: 7 SPEED: 6
Craven beasts that devour dead flesh, and whose poison can slow the
quickest Slayer.

PASSIVE:
Chew: Heal 1 HP whenever this Ghoul damages a Slayer.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Putrid Claw: 1d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit and Slayer’s next attack
action is made with Disadvantage.
Leap: Jump onto a Slayer at Near range. Slayer makes an Agile roll,
taking 2 damage on a Miss, and 0 damage on a Hit.

PSYKER HP: 5 SPEED: 5

Use their innate powers to create an army of thralls that follow their
every command. Most consider psykers a threat to The City, and the
Inquisitors are always not far behind.

PASSIVE:
Maintain: Whenever a Psyker takes damage, roll 1d6. On a Miss, the next ally
in the order will go feral, attacking the nearest character, allies included.
ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Provoke: Choose a Near ally to make a free action.
Accelerate: All Near allies have +1 to their Speed. Lasts until Psyker’s
next turn.
Regain: Regain control over all Near feral allies.

SKELETON HP: 3 SPEED: 2

Appearing in hordes, skeletons are weak on their own but work together
to swarm their foes.

PASSIVES:
Swarm: When there are 3 or more Skeletons Engaged with a Slayer, the
Skeletons each have Advantage.
Horde: As long as there are 4 or more Skeletons in play, damage of Claw
is increased by +1.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Claw: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.

64 LORD OF THE UNDEAD

ACT 3: CONFRONT DRAUZHAL
Drauzhal can be found in his home, a rather nice place in the
center of the Barrows. Towering above most nearby houses,
Drauzhal’s abode can best be described as “sharp.” He is currently
feeding the energy of Psykers into the Rotting Crown. The Slayers
can kill Drauzhal, but what will they do with the Crown?
Conflicts: The final fight in Drauzhal’s estate will require a fight on
many fronts:
The undead hordes attacking them
Dealing with the Psykers
Killing Drauzhal
At the start of combat, Drauzhal’s forces include the following:
10 Psykers to be sacrificed. 1 HP each, no actions during
combat and any attack on them automatically succeeds.
4 Skeletons (see Act 2)

At the start of each round after the first, the following occurs:
1 Skeleton enters the fight
1 Psyker is sacrificed, increasing Drauzhal’s Power Level by +1

Drauzhal HP: 18 SPEED: 6

Power Level (PL): As Drauzhal sacrifices more Psykers, his PL increases.
This directly affects his spells, and allows him to take more actions.

ACTIONS: 1, + 1 FOR EVERY 2 PL

Energy Bolt: 2d8. 1 damage per Hit.
Age: Target’s turn order score decreases -1, then they age 1 year per PL.
Ensorcel: Slayer must roll Tactics. On a Miss, skip their next turn
Sap: Deal 1d3 damage to a number of targets within Near range, equal to
current PL. Heal HP equal to damage inflicted. .

REACTION:
Reincarnate: Requires 5 PL. When a Slayer dies, bring them back to life,
under Drauzhal’s control.

With Drauzhal destroyed, the Rotting Crown remains a threat.

What will the Slayers do with an artifact of such incredible power?
LORD OF THE UNDEAD 65
 CuLt Of ThE DiSjOiNtEd HaNd
The Revulsion District is cramped, dark, and caked in mist and
fog. A stacked place of strange people and stranger horrors.
Unlike other districts, Revulsion houses non-humans and
monsters of all varieties. Not every horror is hostile, and neither
is every human a friend.

Premise: Sybil Willmarker of The Bureau of Interdimensional

Logistics is hiring the Slayers to investigate and stop a ritual
being conducted by The Cult of the Disjointed Hand. The Cult is
attempting to summon their god-beast to the district. While their
end-game is to gain more influence in The City as a whole, their
current goal is to spark the feud they have with The Sigil of
Valiance and start an open war in the district.

ACT 1: THE BUREAU’S HEADQUARTERS

Located in the Central Circle, the Bureau’s HQ is very clinical and
lit by white magitech lights. There is a wanted board covered in
resident faces, alleged crimes, and rewards. Sybil Willmarker
gives the Slayers their mission and relates the following
information, all of which she believes to be true:
The Cult plans to perform their ritual in 3 days. (Although
true, the Cult will shorten their timeline if they feel
someone is onto them.)
The Sigil opposes The Cult, and may be willing to help. (True)
The Cult is planning to use this to start a revolution. (False,
Professor Wadge Morgan will be the only living member
of the cult if the ritual succeeds, and there won’t be
anyone left to stop him)
66 CULT OF THE DISJOINTED HAND
 The Slayers should explore the district and investigate.
There are some things they can learn by doing small favors
for various residents:
There have been acts of random vandalism in relation to
the factions, but one recurring thing has been occult
symbols burned into the doors of some churches.
There’s been a growing sense of unrest for the last
month, and many residents feel like they’re in a
powder-keg.
There was recently a loud, almost-violent demonstration
by members of The Cult.

The Slayers may visit the Sigil of Valiance. If they do, they are
greeted with open arms by the third-in-command, Lord
captain Cilia Auburn. Cilia is very confident and boastful,
laughing at anything rude the players may say. She tells the
Slayers that she’s had eyes on an abandoned amphitheater at
the edge of the district. She’s seen shady people there, and
the sigil that’s been burned on church doors can be found
scratched into the aisles of the seats.

Conflicts: As the players investigate, they are accosted by

bandits. They find a strange symbol scrawled on parchment
in each of their pockets along with the word “Soon”.

BANDIT HP: 3 SPEED: 3

Wearing little more than rags and carrying small blades, they are
dangerous in large numbers.

ACTIONS: (1) + MOVE

Slice: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit, +1 if they attack from behind.
Fight Dirty: 1d6. Engaged. Attacks against Slayer are with Advantage
until the end of the target's next turn.

REACTION:

Desperation: If brought to 1 HP, immediately Slice a Slayer that is at

Engaged range.

CULT OF THE DISJOINTED HAND 67

 ACT 2: THE BURNED CHURCHES
Not every church on the edges of Revulsion is being targeted
by arson. Some have replaced or repaired their doors only to
have them burned again within a day, while others have
never been touched. In speaking with those targeted, the
Slayers will learn that they house texts about something
called “The god-beast Yur-Galthoth”.

The text provides this information

The god-beast can only be summoned by mass sacrifice.
It has a second name, “The Disjointed Hand”.
It’s weak to fire and light.
It’s a god of slaughter and war—rumors say it’s powered
by violence.

Conflicts: The Slayers catch a glimpse of a cloaked figure with

glowing eyes. The figure throws an Elder-Bolt spell at them
and then flees down a shrouded path. The figure is a
Wight-Mage, and it leads the players to a misty graveyard to
fight. The Wight-Mage has a piece of parchment identical to
that of the bandits from Act 1, a letter with instructions to

WIGHT-MAGE HP: 10 SPEED: 3

ACTIONS: 2
Stab: 1d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit.
Elder Bolt: 1d10. Near and Far. 3 damage per Hit.

REACTION:

Confusion: 1d6. Near. Slayer must attack the nearest character on their
next turn.

68 CULT OF THE DISJOINTED HAND

ACT 3: THE AMPHITHEATER OF DEATH
When the Slayers arrive the amphitheater is absolutely
packed. The leader of The Cult, Wadge Morgan, is on-stage
preaching. If the Slayers are quick and quiet enough, they can
get to Wadge and stop the ritual - but if any alarm is raised he
will rush it and summon an Agent of The God-Beast. If they
stop the ritual, they’ll need to escape with Wadge and return
him to The Sigil.

Agent of the God-Beast HP: 20 SPEED: 5

The Fuel of Yur: For every 5 damage dealt to the Agent, it deals more
damage and gains an additional action.

ACTIONS: 1, AND + 1 FOR EVERY 5 DAMAGE TAKEN

Cleave: 2d6. Engaged and Near. 2 Damage per hit, and +1 damage for
every 5 damage taken. Targets up to two Slayers.

Yur’s Ferality: Until the end of the Agent’s next turn, the damage it takes
and deals are increased by +2.

Crush: 1d8. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit. In addition, the Agent holds the
Slayer. The Slayer is unable to move or attack until they escape, and the
Agent can use an action to deal 2 damage to the held Slayer. To escape,
the Slayer must Hit on an Agile or Brawn roll.

CULT OF THE DISJOINTED HAND 69

 Reputation
Opaline is the tinsel of The City, where citizens swarm for a bit of
glory. The sunny beaches and sparkling waters glisten against
the glass buildings that house the residents. At night, the sky is
painted in a forever sunset. The culture is centered around
becoming a celebrity, or spending the rest of your aching nights
tending bar at a dying tavern. It’s a district where performers
sing and dance on the sidewalk for pennies and your ear. Those
who have made it have sacrificed more than just their time to get
there. The famous have their names painted on signs that loom
over the rest of the common folk. They sign deals, they act and
collect paychecks from their crystal mansions. For everyone
else, they work several shifts, rushing from one audition to
another, until they get that big call.

Premise: Several people have been going missing after meeting

with a talent agency. They have been taken away by a cult of
Doctors who work within the agency itself, collecting the living
for their organs and flesh, saving them for their next ritual—to
build a great god, Devastation. This god is secretly the object of
worship by many of the district’s residents, especially those who
have acquired stardom and fame by donating nobodies to the
cult’s chopping block. It’s up to the Slayers to defeat the god,
before they demolish the district.
70 REPUTATION
ACT 1: EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
It’s a gloomy day, indicative of rainfall—the kind that lasts for
hours as a pestering light drizzle. Whatever district the Slayers
currently find themselves in, they are handed a newspaper
from a child, yelling about the daily headlines. As they skim
through the text, they find a few things:
People are disappearing in the nearby district of Opaline,
a gorgeous sunny district lined with palm trees, where
citizens go in hopes of finding fame and fortune.
A concerned sibling is willing to pay handsomely for
information on their missing brother, who was last
seen at a talent agency.
There is a brand new celebrity in town, famous for their
latest performance in “Love in a Time of Trouble.”
They also discover an ad for a large talent agency,
Illusion, that’s seeking fresh new faces.

Conflict: Someone overhears the Slayers discussing their next

plans and creeps out of the shadows. Bandits confront the
Slayers, in an attempt to scare them from going to Opaline.
Upon their defeat, the Slayers learn that they were hired by an
unknown employer who discourages anyone from looking
into the disappearance of the missing Opaline residents.

BANDIT HP: 3 SPEED: 3

Wearing little more than rags and carrying small blades, they are
dangerous in large numbers.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Slice: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit, +1 if they attack from behind.
Fight Dirty: 1d6. Engaged. Attacks against Slayer are with Advantage
until the end of the target's next turn.

REACTION:

Desperation: If brought to 1 HP, immediately Slice a Slayer that is at

Engaged range.

REPUTATION 71
 ACT 2: TINSELTOWN TOUR
Right as the Slayers enter Opaline, the sun beats down on them,
greeting them with warm rays. The people are smiling, waving at the
newcomers as they wander down the boardwalk. Performers busk,
playing instruments, dancing and singing, waiting for their big break.
A large image of the celebrity seen earlier in the article is plastered on
a billboard towering over the district. Her name, Autumn Moonstar, is
drawn in big bold letters underneath her face.

When the Slayers arrive at the talent agency, Illusion, they are
introduced to one of the executives there. During the meeting, the
executive lists off all the great things the agency has done. Upon a
quick inspection, the Slayers may notice a few things:

A ravens’ mask and cloak peeking out from under the desk.
A book on a table nearby labeled “DEVASTATION.” Inside are the
instructions for building a god.
There are a few head shots of aspiring actors, including one of the
missing brother. If confronted, the executive will brush it off.

Conflicts: It’s sunset when the Slayers leave Illusion. Upon exiting the
front door, they will come face-to-face with a group of Doctors. They
attack, trying to drag the Slayers away into the sewers. After the battle,
the Slayers will find the Doctors escaping underground, through a
manhole cover.

“DOCTOR” HP: 8 SPEED: 6

The sound of flapping wings can always be heard before a Doctor
arrives in their cloaks and masks. They treat a disease they believe
everyone in The City has.

PASSIVE:
Fester: Every Slayer within Near range takes 1 damage at the start of
their turn.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Transfusion: 1d6. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit and gain that much HP.
Inject: Engaged. Target gets +1 to Speed. Any actions they take next turn
are with Advantage.

72 REPUTATION
ACT 3: MEETING WITH DEVASTATION
Down in the sewers the Slayers find several Doctors chanting
around a large ceremonial table, alongside the celebrity, Autumn
Moonstar. On the table lies several bodies, drained of life. Doctors
finish their chant, creating a portal for the god, Devastation to
pass through. Made of a patchwork of skin and teeth, it only
knows one thing: to feed.

Devastation HP: 18 SPEED: 6

A mass of flesh and bone, stitched together and fueled with the life
essence of those who have been sacrificed. A god, made whole by mortal
hands; no good can come of it.

PASSIVE:
Shape Flesh: At the start of Devastation’s turn, choose one Passive
action for the round.
Shell: -1 to all damage taken
Swift: Make 2 Move actions per turn instead of 1
Stretch: Treat Slayers at Near range as Engaged

ACTIONS: 2

Gnash: 1d8. Engaged and Near. Target Slayer can’t take an attack action
next turn.
Consume: Devours one of the 5 prepared corpses. Gains Speed +1 and
HP +3.
Tenderize: 2d10. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit. Can target two Slayers at
once.
Spasm: 2d8. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit to everyone at Engaged range.

REPUTATION 73
 Beastiary

ALLEY TROLL HP: 17 SPEED: 4

City trolls have skin like stones, and are the protectors of the web of
alleys that make up each district. Older trolls are bigger, meaner, and
charge more to walk their streets.

PASSIVES:
Toll: If a Slayer makes a Streets roll greater than the Troll’s current HP,
it will stop fighting and bargain with the Slayers instead.
Enrage: Whenever Alley Troll takes more than 3 damage at once, their
Speed is increased by 1.

ACTIONS: 3 + MOVE

Club: 2d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit.

Bellow: 1d6. All Slayers at Near range take 1 fewer action during their
next turn.
Gate: Create a 15 foot tall wall of stone between any two walls within sight.

74 BEASTIARY
BANDIT HP: 3 SPEED: 3
Wearing little more than rags and carrying small blades, they are
dangerous in large numbers.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Slice: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit, +1 if they attack from behind.
Fight Dirty: 1d6. Engaged. Attacks against Slayer are with Advantage
until the end of the target's next turn.

REACTION:

Desperation: If brought to 1 HP, immediately Slice a Slayer that is at

Engaged range.

BANDIT LEADER HP: 6 SPEED: 4

Brandishing a real sword and hardened leather, these leaders aren’t
above sacrificing their underlings.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Stab: 1d6. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit.
Rally: Until the end of the Leader’s next turn, +1 to attack rolls or damage
of all Bandits.

REACTION:

Order: When a Bandit dies, command a Bandit to Slice a Slayer at

Engaged range.

BLINK DOG HP: 7 SPEED: 6

Wreathed in billowing smoke, these demons can teleport themselves
and others they touch all across the battlefield.

PASSIVE:
Blink: Whenever Blink Demon takes damage they Move to their attacker
and Claw them.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Claw: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.
Pull: 1d6. Engaged. Blink Dog and Slayer teleport to a Near or Far location.

BEASTIARY 75
 BONE PRIEST HP: 9 SPEED: 5
After making a pact with the powers beyond, these “priests” speak for
their followers: the bones beneath our feet.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Summon: Raise a Skeleton (page 85) from the ground. It may act this
round at the end of the turn order.
Ache: Near. Target Slayer’s bones ache with pain. Any actions they take
during their next turn are with Disadvantage.
Shatter: Near. Target Skeleton explodes into pieces, dealing damage
equal to its current HP to anyone at Engaged range.

Clockwork Killer HP: 10 SPEED: 8

Automaton in the form of a human, though made of metal and whirring
motors. Typically they are used as hired assassins, working for whoever
built them.

PASSIVE:
Spring: Can make two Move actions each turn instead of one.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Wind Up: Next turn, take no actions, reactions, or moves. Each turn after
that, the Clockwork Killer may take 3 actions per turn for the rest of
combat.
Shrapnel: 2d6. Near. 2 damage per Hit to Slayer, and anyone at Engaged
range of the Slayer.
Cut Open: 1d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit, or 3 damage if Slayer is at
half HP or less.

REACTION:
Adapt: After Clockwork Killer takes damage, the next incoming attack is
made with Disadvantage.

76 BEASTIARY
CORPSE GIANT HP: 12 SPEED: 2
An abomination of corpses stitched together. Who would have made
such a thing?

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Smash: 1d10. Engaged. 3 damage per Hit.

Devour: Engaged. Consume anyone, ally or enemy, with 2 HP or less.
Heal that much HP.

REACTION:
Explode: When Corpse Giant dies, it explodes, dealing 2 damage to
anyone at Engaged or Near range.

CREEP HP: 5 SPEED: 3

A rapidly growing plant in human shape, which erodes stone and
strangles anyone it gets its “hands” on. Many people believe it is a
symptom of a sickness infecting The City.

PASSIVE:
Feed Me: Once a Creep has dealt damage to a Slayer, it makes all of its
attacks against that Slayer with Advantage.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Wrap: 1d8. Near. Target Slayer takes 1 fewer action their next turn.
Venom: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit. The Slayer loses 1 HP whenever
they miss an attack action the rest of combat.

REACTION:
Strangle: If an Engaged Slayer is hit by Wrap, make a Venom attack
against them.

BEASTIARY 77
 “DOCTOR” HP: 8 SPEED: 6
The sound of flapping wings can always be heard before a Doctor
arrives in their cloaks and masks. They treat a disease they believe
everyone in The City has.

PASSIVE:
Fester: Every Slayer within Near range takes 1 damage at the start of
their turn.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Transfusion: 1d6. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit and gain that much HP.
Inject: Engaged. Target gets +1 to Speed. Any actions they take next turn
are with Advantage.

DOOM PROPHET HP: 6 SPEED: 5

Draped in tattered robes, but with eyes bright as the sun. A clock ticks in
the prophet’s mind. When it goes off, it’s the end of the world.

PASSIVE:
Mad Predictions: All Slayers within Near range of the Doom Prophet
make their attack actions with Disadvantage

ACTIONS: NONE + MOVE

REACTION:
Come to Pass: When Doom Prophet has 3 or less HP, the end times
arrive. If they are alive at the start of their next turn, they explode and
deal 5 damage to everyone within Near range.

78 BEASTIARY
DRYAD HP: 3 SPEED: 3
At first glance they seem like any other person, until you step on their
turf and they show the monster hidden beneath. Highly territorial
creatures that will claim a part of a district as their turf, and defend it
with their lives.

PASSIVE:
Sanctuary: Dryads protect a chosen place within a district. As long as
they are in that place, they can’t take more than 1 damage per Hit.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
“Nature’s” Wrath: 1d6. Summon a manifestation of the nature of the
district. Choose an effect:
1 damage to everyone within Near orange f Dryad
Heal 1 HP to everyone within Near range of Dryad
Everyone within Near range of Dryad can’t move

REACTION:
Gather: When a Dryad dies, roll 1d4. On a Hit, another Dryad joins the
combat.

FLAME HAND HP: 9 SPEED: 4

Conjurers of arcane fire. They would see The City burn, and dance on
the ashes.

PASSIVES:
Light the Pyre: Anytime Flame Hand takes damage, they light the
ground beneath their attacker with fire.
By Fire Be Forged: As long as Flame Hand is standing in fire, they heal 1
HP at the start of their turn.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Gout of Flame: 1d6. 1 damage per Hit to every Slayer within Near range.
Engulf: 1d4. Engaged. On Hit, target is lit on fire and takes 2 damage at
the start their turn for the rest of combat. A successful Agile or Mend roll
ends this effect.

REACTION:
Scorn: When Flame Hand takes damage from a Slayer within Engaged
range, that Slayer takes 1 damage.

BEASTIARY 79
 Gargoyle HP: 10 SPEED: 4
Massive creatures made of stone, shaped as monsters and warriors. Said
to be the natural guardians of The City as it continues its expansion
across our world.
ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Swipe: 1d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit.

Repair: Heal 3 HP.

REACTIONS:
Smash: When a Slayer at Engaged range misses an attack, deal 1 damage.
Enrage: When at 5 HP or less, increase Speed by +2.

GHOST HP: 6 SPEED: 3

Wispy remnants of those with business left unfinished.

PASSIVE:
Incorporeal: Attacks from physical weapons only deal 1 damage per Hit.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Haunt: 1d6. Engaged and Near. Enter the body of a Slayer. That Slayer
takes 1 damage at the start of each turn until Ghost is ejected with a
Mend roll.
Chill: 1d8. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit and Slayer can’t move during their
next turn.

GHOUL HP: 7 SPEED: 6

Craven beasts that devour dead flesh, and whose poison can slow the
quickest Slayer.

PASSIVE:
Chew: Heal 1 HP whenever this Ghoul damages a Slayer.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Putrid Claw: 1d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit and Slayer’s next attack
action is made with Disadvantage.
Leap: Jump onto a Slayer at Near range. Slayer makes an Agile roll,
taking 2 damage on a Miss, and 0 damage on a Hit.

80 BEASTIARY
GIANT SPIDER HP: 10 SPEED: 4
Each spider has markings unique to the district they call home. They
spin their webs in the alleys and sewers of The City waiting to catch
dinner, or a Slayer.

PASSIVE:
Venomous: Any Slayer damaged by the Giant Spider takes 1 damage at
the end of their turn. Effect ends with a Mend roll.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Bite: 2d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.
Ensnare: All Slayers at Near range make an Agile roll. On a Miss, they
can’t move during their next turn. Effect ends with a Brawn roll.

REACTION:
Flee: If the Giant Spider takes more than 3 damage in one hit, reduce the
damage by 1 and take a free Move action.

GOBLIN HP: 3 SPEED: 4

Every district has goblins, and what they look like fits the district. Most
just try to cause mischief, but sometimes they take it too far and the
Slayers need to step in.

SPECIAL:
The goblins should have one unique action that is themed to the district.

PASSIVE:
Mischief: As long as there are more Goblins than Slayers, Goblins may
take their turn at any time during the turn order.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Prod: 1d4. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.
Snare: 1d6. Near. Slayer becomes entangled. Their next attack action is
made with Disadvantage.

BEASTIARY 81
 Harlequin HP: 4 SPEED: 7
These masked traveling performers tell stories of the many histories of
The City. It’s all a front to distract from the murdering and stealing they
do when they visit your district.

PASSIVE:
Troupe: If there is another Harlequin within Near range, this Harlequin
takes 1 extra Move.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Stage Fight: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.
Curtain Call: 1d4. Engaged. On a Hit, target Slayer with 2 HP or fewer is
dead.

REACTION:
Tumble: After taking damage, Harlequin immediately makes a Move
action.

Inquisitor HP: 6 SPEED: 4

The masked Inquisitors have claimed themselves to be the law when it
comes to hunting “wyches”.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Wych Shackles: 1d6. Engaged. Slayer can’t use any spells until
Inquisitor is killed.
Terrify: 1d6. Near. All Slayers must make a Move action away from the
Inquisitor on their next turn.
Shoot: 1d6. Near and Far. 1 damage per Hit.
Slice: 1d6. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit.

82 BEASTIARY
Plague Hound HP: 5 SPEED: 6
Laughing hounds, said to be agents of a plague god forgotten by The City.

PASSIVE:
Pack: Hounds can take two Move actions as long as they can see another
Hound.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Chomp: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit. Slayer makes their next action
with Disadvantage
Bile Bark: Near. Slayer and everyone at Engaged range with them make
an Agile roll. On a Miss, they take 1 damage and decrease Speed by 1.

PSYKER HP: 5 SPEED: 5

Use their innate powers to create an army of thralls that follow their
every command. Most consider psykers a threat to The City, and the
Inquisitors are always not far behind.

PASSIVE:
Maintain: Whenever a Psyker takes damage, roll 1d6. On a Miss, the next ally
in the order will go feral, attacking the nearest character, allies included.
ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Provoke: Choose a Near ally to make a free action.
Accelerate: All Near allies have +1 to their Speed. Lasts until Psyker’s
next turn.
Regain: Regain control over all Near feral allies.

PUPPET HP: 2 SPEED: 0

They weren’t always like this, you know.
SPECIAL:
Puppets don’t have turns, and only act as reactions of the Puppeteer (pg.84).

ACTIONS: 0
Clobber: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.

REACTION:
Last Dance: When a Puppet dies, it explodes. All Near Slayers make an
Agile roll, taking 1 damage on a Miss.

BEASTIARY 83
 PUPPETEER HP: 9 SPEED: 5
Dolls rise to dance to the tune only the Puppeteer can hear. Oh you can’t
hear it? Here, hold this string for just a minute…
SPECIAL:
Puppeteer takes no actions. They may make one reaction per round for
each Puppet (pg.83) they have.

ACTIONS: NONE + MOVE

REACTION: CHOOSE ONE REACTION PER ROUND FOR EACH PUPPET

Choreo: When a Slayer takes a Move action, Move a Puppet.

Make Real: When a Slayer makes an attack action, all Engaged Puppets
Clobber that Slayer.
Bulwark: When Puppeteer takes damage, all Puppets immediately make
a Move towards the attacking Slayer.

RUNEBEAST HP: 16 SPEED: 3

Constructed by the runic engineers. Typically a beast of burden, they
can be used for more dangerous tasks as well.

PASSIVE:
Adapt: After the Runebeast takes damage, the next incoming attack is
made with Disadvantage.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Gore: 1d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit and Slayer is knocked back to
Near range.
Trample: Make a Move action. Anyone Engaged with Runebeast makes
an Agile roll. On a Hit, take 1 damage, on a Miss, take 3 damage.
Amplify: Runebeast remains still. All actions against it until its next
turn are with Advantage. On its next turn, Runebeast takes 4 actions and
can use the same action multiple times.

84 BEASTIARY
SKELETON HP: 3 SPEED: 2
Appearing in hordes, skeletons are weak on their own but work together
to swarm their foes.

PASSIVES:
Swarm: When there are 3 or more Skeletons Engaged with a Slayer, the
Skeletons each have Advantage.
Horde: As long as there are 4 or more Skeletons in play, damage of Claw
is increased by +1.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Claw: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.

STRAWMAN HP: 5 SPEED: 3

Made of the weakest material, but frustrating to fight. They flop about in a
fight, their ill-fitting clothing bursting with straw with each step they take.

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Peck: 1d6. Engaged. 1 damage per Hit.
Glare: 1d6. Near. Target makes all actions with Disadvantage as long as
Strawman can see them.

REACTION:
Scamper: After taking damage, Strawman may make a free Move.

Temporal Arcanist HP: 7 SPEED: 8

All arcanists make a bargain for their power. So, who dares bargain with
Time itself?

ACTIONS: 1 + MOVE
Rewind: 1d4. Decrease the Speed of all Near Slayers by 2.
Pause: 1d8. Near and Far. Target Slayer can only take 1 action during
their next turn.
Fast Forward: Near. Ally takes one additional action during their next
turn.
REACTION:
Paradox: The first time the Temporal Arcanist would die, they
immediately take 1 more turn with 2 actions, then die.

BEASTIARY 85
 VAMPIRE HP: 11 SPEED: 7
When a foul parasite burrows into someone’s mind, it changes them
into a monster. A blood sucking, murderous, monster.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Thrall: 1d4. Near and Far. On a Hit, Slayer makes a Negotiate skill roll. If
the Negotiate roll is a Miss, the Slayer’s next turn is made by the GM
instead of the player.
Drain: 1d8. Engaged. Damage target for 2 HP and Vampire heals 2 HP.
Bite & Tear: 2d8. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit.

REACTION:
Deathless: When a Vampire dies, they burst into mist or a flock of bats.
They will regain their form in their coffin in 1 day.

WIGHT HP: 10 SPEED: 5

Highly intelligent undead. They have a sentience of their own, and
typically work for those who will help them with their plans.

PASSIVE:
Adapt: After reaching half HP, increase all damage dealt by the Wight by +1.

ACTIONS: 2
Slash: 2d8. 1 damage per Hit.
Poison Knives: 1d6. Slayers take 1 damage at the start of their turn until
a successful Mend action is taken.

86 BEASTIARY
Wraith Mage HP: 12 SPEED: 3
Some mages refuse death, instead cursing spirits to inhabit a set of
armor, so that they may continue their arcane practices.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Bolt: 1d8. Near and Far. 1 damage per Hit.

Hex: 1d8. Near and Far. Choose 1 effect (lasting until the end of the
target’s next turn):
Must roll 5+ to Hit, regardless of Slayer’s advances or abilities.
Cannot Move.
Sap: Near. All skill rolls made by Slayers are with Disadvantage until the
end of Wraith Mage’s next turn.

REACTION:
Counter: 1d4. Near. Spell being cast by Slayer has no effect.

WYRM HP: 19 SPEED: 5

Ancient, scaled, dangerous. Some believe the arrival of a wyrm signals
the imminent removal of a district from The City.

PASSIVE:
Huge: Anyone at Near range is considered Engaged.

ACTIONS: 2 + MOVE

Coil: 2d10. Engaged. 2 damage per Hit. Can target two Slayers at once.
Acid: 1d8. Near. Slayer and anyone within Engaged range of them takes
1 damage, and 1 damage at the start of each of their turns until the end
of combat.
Destroy: Destroy the ground of an Engaged location. Everyone on it
must make an Agile roll or take 4 damage.

REACTION:
Devour: 1d6. If a Slayer reaches 3 HP or less and is Engaged with Wyrm,
it will eat and kill them.

BEASTIARY 87
 Blade IT’S SLAY OR BE SLAIN.

NAME

STYLE

HP - CURRENT/MAX SPEED WEAPON DICE DAMAGE

READY ACTION - TAKE A STANCE

Choose one of your stances (Flow, Parry, or Slay) to be in at the start
of combat.

AGILE ATTACK ACTION - COMBO

BRAWN
Choose a monster at Engaged range and roll
your Weapon Dice. Any Hits trigger a combo,
and you roll another die. You continue to
DECIEVE
combo until you no longer Hits. Deal damage
for the total number of Hits.
HUNT

MEND QUICK ACTION - STANCE

NEGOTIATE
You may change your fighting stance. Any
effects from your stance will remian until you
use another Quick Action to change your stance.
STEALTH
Flow: After you kill a monster, you may
STREETS take a free Move action.
Parry: Monsters need a 5+ to Hit you
STUDY instead of 4+.
Slay: +1 damage per Hit, but monsters
TACTICS deal +1 damage per Hit.

BASIC ADVANCES EXPERT ADVANCES

90
 GUNSLINGER IT’S SLAY OR BE SLAIN.

NAME

STYLE

HP - CURRENT/MAX SPEED DAMAGE

READY ACTION - LOAD UP

At the start of combat, place 6d6 in front of you, representing the
bullets in your gun.

1
AGILE ATTACK ACTION - 2
6
SPRAY LEAD
BRAWN 5 3
At the start of combat place 6d6 in 4
front of you, representing the
DECIEVE bullets in your gun. When you RUNES
Spray Lead, choose a Near or Far
HUNT monster and pick up as many 1
bullets as you would like to fire, up
2
MEND to your Trigger Limit. You may use
bullets from any chamber that you 3
NEGOTIATE have loaded. Each bullet that Hits
deals your Damage. Bullets that 4
have been rolled are spent and are
STEALTH 5
not available until you reload.
6
STREETS

STUDY QUICK ACTION - RELOAD

You may reload up to two bullets into any empty
TACTICS chambers.

BASIC ADVANCES EXPERT ADVANCES

91
 ARCANIST IT’S SLAY OR BE SLAIN.

NAME

STYLE

HP - CURRENT/MAX SPEED CORRUPTION

READY ACTION - FAVORED SPELL

Choose a Known Spell to favor. When using a favored spell, don’t mark
corruption when using it, unless it’s boosted.

AGILE ATTACK ACTION - CAST SPELL

Choose a Known Spell and roll 1d6 to cast it. On a Hit,
BRAWN resolve the spell’s effect. on a Miss, the spell fails. in
either case, mark 1 point of corruption after resolving
the roll. You can boost the spell, adding d6 to the roll,
DECIEVE but also increasing the corruption by 1. After
resolving a spell, compare the highest rolled die to
HUNT your current corruption. If you have more corruption,
roll on the Bane table and resset your corruption.
Corruption is always reset at the end of combat
MEND

NEGOTIATE KNOWN SPELLS d6 BANE

1 -1 for next Skill roll
2 Next spell is with Disadvantage
STEALTH
3 Can’t use Move action next turn
4 Can’t use Quick action next turn
STREETS 5 Only 1 action next turn
6 Take damage equal to corruption

STUDY QUICK ACTION - PURGE CORRUPTION

Roll 1 d8. On a Hit, remove 1 corruption, on a Miss
TACTICS remove none.

BASIC ADVANCES EXPERT ADVANCES

92
 TACTICIAN IT’S SLAY OR BE SLAIN.

NAME

STYLE

HP - CURRENT/MAX SPEED STRATEGY POOL

READY ACTION - READY FORCES

Gather and roll a number of dice equal to the number of faces on your
Tactics skill die (a pool size of 6 for d6, a pool size of 8 for d8, and so on.)
This is your Strategy Pool.

AGILE PASSIVE ACTION - STRATEGY POOL

BRAWN Before the turn order is determined, roll a number of d6

equal to your Tactics skill die size. These form your
Strategy Pool. During combat, you can replace a die
DECIEVE
rolled by either an ally or an enemy with any of your
Strategy Pool dice. Once that die has been used, it is
HUNT
discarded for the remainder of combat. This does not
count as an action and is done during other
MEND combatant's turns.

NEGOTIATE
ATTACK ACTION - SLASH/SHOOT
STEALTH Roll 1d6 against an Engaged or Near target.
On a Hit, deal 1 damage.
STREETS

QUICK ACTION - ISSUE ORDERS

STUDY
Choose another Slayer within Near. That Slayer may
TACTICS immediately make a Move or Quick action for free.

BASIC ADVANCES EXPERT ADVANCES

93
 Rules Reference
RULE OF 4:
For all rolls, every die that is 4+ is a Hit, anything else is a
Miss.

SKILLS:
Roll skill die, as well as the skill die of any assisting Slayer.
When rolling more than 1 die, keep the higher.

AGILE: Dodging, leaping, even cart rolling.

BRAWN: Physical work, powering through, intimidating.

DECEIVE: Lying, tricking, distracting.

HUNT: Hunting, tracking, monster knowledge.

MEND: Warding death, stabilizing wounds, medical training.

NEGOTIATE: Persuading, diplomacy, compelling.

STEALTH: Blending in, keeping quiet, sleight of hand.

STREETS: Social circles, navigating the city, purchasing power.

STUDY: Perception, reading a scene or person, doing research.

TACTICS: Strategic intel, preparing for a foe, reacting to a battle.

ADVANTAGE:
Roll each die twice and keep the higher result.

DISADVANTAGE:
Roll each die twice and keep the lower result.

Advantage & Disadvantage cancel each other out.

94 RULES REFERENCE
COMBAT
READY ACTION:
All Slayers have a Ready action they take before combat
begins.

TURN ORDER:
Each PC rolls their Speed die. Monsters use Speed scores.

ROUND:
Begins with the highest Speed and ends after the turn of the
lowest Speed.

TURN:
Slayers may take up to two actions during their turn, as well
as a free Move. They may make any combination of these
actions, in any order they like, but may not do an action
twice.

MOVE:
Go from one relative distance to the next (e.g. Near to Far,
Engaged to Near, etc.). Attack: Unique to class.

QUICK:
Unique to class.

SKILL:
Works as a normal skill roll. May provide a bonus effect.

DOWNED AND DEATH:

If a PC is brought to 0 HP, they are downed. Successful Mend
skill roll brings a downed Slayer back to half HP. Downed
Slayers who take additional damage are dead.

RULES REFERENCE 95
Monster HuntING in a Cursed City.
Better get to work.