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TABLE OF CONTENT

STEINHARDT’S HORROR GUIDE .........................................................................4

HOW TO CREATE HORROR 6
GOTHIC HORROR 12
LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR 26
STEINHARDT’S MECHANICS 37
STEINHARDT’S VILLAIN GUIDE ...................................................................... 42
VILLAINS 44
CREATING THE VILLAIN’S PLAN 48
HOW TO INTRODUCE A VILLAIN 51
MAKING STEINHARDT VILLAINS 53
STEINHARDT’S COMBAT GUIDE ...................................................................... 57
MAKING COMBAT FASTER 58
REST CHANGES FOR DARK FANTASY (A.K.A MAKING 5E HARDER) 61
WEAVING HORROR INSIDE OF 5E COMBAT 64
HORDE COMBAT 68

FOREWORD
Heroes and villains always have the same backstory—pain. The difference is what they choose to do
about it. A villain says, “the world hurt me, I'll hurt it back.” A hero says, “the world hurt me, I'm not
gonna let it hurt anyone else.”

This cheatbook is an aid for GMs. It contains everything you need to infuse horror into your games, create
compelling villains, and run exciting combats. This book is divided into three parts:

Steinhardt’s Horror Guide:

First, we'll cover reliable ways to generate horror in your sessions. From the nuances of pacing to madness
mechanics, you'll gain insight into this type of storytelling. Then we'll delve deep into running Lovecraftian
and gothic horror—the core genres of the Steinhardt's Guide setting. You'll learn how to master ominous
mysteries, develop morally complex plots, and capture the essence of cosmic and psychological horror.

Steinhardt’s Villain Guide

After that, we'll journey into villain design. You’ll learn how to create complex antagonists with strong
motivations who react to players and propel the story forward. You can establish these villains as
compelling threats to create tension, meaningful choices, and a world that feels alive for your players.

Steinhardt’s Combat Guide

Finally, we'll optimize 5E combat for horror with faster encounters, unrestful rests, and the integration of
ambushes, traps, fear effects, and more to unnerve your players. An easy horde ruleset allows epic battles
against endless legions. 2
 Steinhardt’s
Horror Guide

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 Introduction
There is a place where the shadows stretch a little longer, where the wind howls with the whispers of the
damned, and where the very fabric of reality threatens to unravel, revealing the incomprehensible horrors
that lurk just beyond our understanding.

Welcome to the enthralling domain of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt.

Gothic horror, with its tragic tales, haunted mansions, and cursed bloodlines, taps into our deepest fears
about our past and the inescapable legacies we might leave behind. Eldritch horror, on the other hand,
challenges our understanding of the universe, presenting cosmic entities and phenomena so beyond our
comprehension that mere exposure to them can drive a person to madness.

But why introduce these elements into a campaign? The answer lies in the atmosphere and tension they
create. While traditional adventures offer excitement, challenges, and epic tales of heroism, adding layers
of horror can transform a campaign into a deeply immersive and emotionally charged experience. It's not
just about battling monsters; it's about battling one's own fears, confronting the unknown, and facing the
darker aspects of the world and oneself.

This book aims to guide Game Masters on a journey into the heart of darkness, providing tools, techniques,
and insights to craft a memorable horror-infused campaign. Drawing inspiration from classic literature,
iconic horror films, and the lore of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, we'll delve deep into the
mechanics of fear, the nuances of narrative tension, and the art of creating a truly haunting atmosphere.

So, gather your courage, light a candle, and prepare to step into a world where every corner holds a
mystery, every shadow might conceal a threat, and every decision can mean the difference between
sanity and madness.

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 1. How to Create Horror
If you want to create horror in your tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPG), of all the chapters in the book,
make sure to read this one.

Horror, as a genre, has captivated audiences for centuries, from ancient tales whispered around campfires
to modern cinematic masterpieces. At the heart of this understanding are the Four Fears. (There was an
entire booklet written by Ash Law about this topic called the “Trajectory of Fear”, but let me make a brief
summary here.)

THE FOUR FEARS

We can break down fear in TTRPGs into *drumroll* four pillars of horror.

0. Normality

Our baseline—the world is a normal place with nothing scary in it. You walk down the streets, people are
talking, birds are chirping, and everything is as it should be. This is not a pillar, this is a typical non-
combat day in a roleplaying game.

1. Unease

The first pillar of horror and the subtlest of the fears, unease is the nagging feeling that something isn't
quite right. Though subtle, it is perhaps the most important fear on this list. Movies can get away with
cheap jumpscares to get a fight-or-flight response out of their audience, but we can’t.

Unease is the whisper of the wind through a broken window, the distant howl of a wolf, or the fleeting
glimpse of a figure in the periphery of your vision. In Steinhardt’s Guide, this could manifest as a street
that's just a bit too quiet or an NPC who avoids direct eye contact for no discernible reason. It's the initial
seed of doubt that makes players question their surroundings.

Example: The party enters a tavern where the local drunkards are friendly, but there's an odd tradition
they all adhere to—all lights must be extinguished after dark, and no one will say why.

2. Dread

Building on unease, dread is a more focused and immediate fear. It's the realization that the source of
your unease is close and might pose a threat. In the context of 5e, dread could be the feeling players get
when they notice that the same corpse seems to appear wherever they go, or when they find an
abandoned campsite with signs of a struggle but no bodies.

Dread can turn out to be nothing, a mere coincidence, and defused back into unease.

Example: As night falls in the aforementioned tavern, the party hears distant, mournful wailing.
Searching for its source, they find an old well adjacent to the tavern, but the wailing stops as they
approach, replaced by an oppressive silence.

3. Terror

Terror is the anticipation of horror. It's the most potent type of fear because of its immediacy. It's the
pounding of your heart when you hear footsteps behind you in a dark alley, or the chill that runs down
your spine when you realize you're not alone in a supposedly empty house.
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 Important Note: As H.P Lovecraft once said, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is
fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Simply put, if you want to
keep your players heart rate up, keep the description vague. The players’ imaginations do a better
job of scaring them than any description or illustration ever could.

Example: The party decides to investigate the well in daylight. As they lower a lantern into its depths,
they see fleeting glimpses of pale, ghostly faces rushing up towards them, but they vanish just before
reaching the surface.

4. Horror

The culmination of the previous fears, horror is the confrontation with the source of your fear. It's the
monster lunging from the shadows or the revelation of the killer's identity. However, it's also the weakest
of the fears in terms of lasting impact, especially in a TTRPG format. Once the threat is revealed, the
tension is released. This might be the climactic battle with the undead rising from the well or the
confrontation with a treacherous NPC.

Example: The party returns to the tavern at night. Despite the warnings, they create light, and the wailing
begins again as the spirits of those who were thrown into the well rise, seeking vengeance on the living.

HOW TO ESCALATE FEAR

Fear, much like a finely tuned instrument, requires a delicate balance. If mishandled or overemphasized,
the atmosphere can quickly shift from genuinely terrifying to unintentionally comedic or grotesque. This
balance is best understood by examining the potential pitfalls of overindulging in each type of fear.

Overdoing Unease: If everything in your game setting feels out of place or odd, the result can
resemble the quirky and comedic atmosphere of The Addams Family. While entertaining, it doesn't evoke
genuine dread. The world becomes too predictably unpredictable, and players quickly adapt to the
constant oddities.

Overdoing Dread: If every session introduces a new ominous threat without resolution or escalation,
the campaign can devolve into a repetitive "monster hunter" format. The sense of impending doom loses
its potency when it becomes the norm.

Overdoing Terror: Constantly bombarding players with imminent threats without giving them a
chance to process or react can turn the game into a joke. The tension becomes unsustainable, and the fear
dissipates in the face of relentless, over-the-top threats.

Overdoing Horror: If the game focuses too heavily on graphic and gruesome revelations, it risks
becoming a gratuitous gore-fest. The shock value of horror diminishes with overuse, and players can
become desensitized. (As a side-note: I’ve had entire sessions of the game taking place in an absolute gore-
fest, and it can be very fun. Just make sure not to have the entire campaign take place in a lake of blood
and guts if you want to inspire horror).

To effectively harness the power of fear in a TTRPG campaign, it's crucial to maintain a rhythmic balance.

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This trajectory should involve slow build-ups, with cycles between normality, unease, and dread. This
dance of anticipation keeps players engaged, allowing them to savor the unsettling atmosphere and
become deeply invested in the narrative. After multiple cycles, when players have been sufficiently toyed
with, and their anticipation is at its peak, it's time to unleash the full force of terror, followed by the
climactic revelation of horror.

By understanding and respecting this cycle, Game Masters can craft a horror experience that is both
thrilling and emotionally resonant, ensuring that players remain on the edge of their seats.

The Cycle of Fear

HORROR 4

TERROR 3

DREAD 2

UNEASE 1

NORMALITY 0

Note: Horror and Power

Horror thrives on highlighting our deepest fears, especially our vulnerability and mortality. In
cinema, protagonists are often portrayed as fragile beings, with their lives hanging by a thread,
amplifying our dread of death. In contrast, 5e is rooted in high-fantasy, with heroes confronting
formidable adversaries.

They are not the helpless stranger in the street being chased by a lunatic with a knife—they are
the lunatics with the knife.

To effectively evoke horror in 5e games, it's essential to make these powerful characters feel
insignificant. It's not about stripping them of their abilities, but rather introducing a horror
element so overwhelming that, in its presence, even the mightiest heroes feel powerless.

If you’re struggling with establishing horrors, two methods that can help you are:

1. Do not reveal whatever is haunting them until the very last moment. Remember, fear of the
unknown is the strongest type of fear.
2. Have the characters watch the haunting entity effortlessly slaughter foes that had
previously pushed the party to their limits.

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EXAMPLE HORROR SET-UP: THE GALA OF SHADOWS
Here is an example of a scenario you can use for Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt that showcases
the four pillars of fear in action.

Arrival (Normality):
The party arrives at the grand mansion, greeted by the sight of elegantly dressed guests mingling in the
gardens. Soft music plays in the background, and the setting sun casts a golden hue over the scene. It's a
picture of opulence and sophistication.

The Invitation (Unease):

Upon presenting their invitations, the party notices the peculiar metallic scent of the ink. The date of the
gala, "the third night when the moon hides behind clouds," seems oddly specific. The doorman, while
polite, has a distant, almost vacant look in his eyes.

The Mingling (Normality):

Inside, the characters are swept up in the festivities. They're introduced to local nobles, merchants, and
other adventurers. The music is lively, the food is delicious, and for a moment, the earlier unease is
forgotten.

The Missing Children (Dread):

As the evening progresses, a party member realizes that there are no children present, despite hearing
their faint laughter from somewhere in the mansion. When this is inquired about, guests either avoid the
question or seem genuinely puzzled, as if they hadn't noticed the absence.

The Dance (Normality):

A grand waltz begins, and the characters are invited to dance. The music is enchanting, and the dance
floor is a swirl of colors and movement. It's a moment of joy and celebration, and the earlier sense of
dread is momentarily pushed aside.

The Locked Rooms (Unease):

Curious about the source of the children's laughter, a party member tries to explore the mansion. They
find certain rooms locked, with guards posted outside who politely but firmly deny entry. The laughter
seems to come from behind these locked doors, but it's distant and echoey, as if from far below.

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The Toast (Normality):
The host, still unseen, sends out a message thanking everyone for attending and promises a night to
remember. A toast is proposed, and everyone drinks to good health and prosperity.

The Odd Performers (Dread):

A performance begins in the mansion's central hall. Acrobats and jesters entertain the crowd, but their
costumes are unsettling, resembling spiders and webs. Their performance tells a story of a creature from
the depths that rises every decade to join the world above, but the ending is left ominously open.

The Midnight Announcement (Unease):

As midnight approaches, an announcement is made about a special performance by the host. The guests
are abuzz with anticipation, but there's an underlying tension. Whispers circulate about the last gala, a
decade ago, and guests who were never seen again.

The Crawling Chaos (Terror):

The grand ballroom's ambiance shifts dramatically. The once lavish room seems to decay in real-time,
with walls peeling and chandeliers rusting. The silvery light turns a sickly green, casting grotesque
shadows. From the grand staircase, a cacophony of skittering sounds emerges, growing louder and more
frantic. The sound is everywhere; it erupts from the walls and the floor. The sound is in front of you,
around you… it is behind you.

The reveal (Horror):

Then, in a horrifying reveal, the host emerges: not a singular entity, but a writhing mass of spider-like
limbs, each ending in the face of a child, their expressions frozen in eternal screams. The central body,
where all these limbs converge, is a grotesque fusion of human and arachnid, with multiple gleaming eyes
and a gaping maw dripping with a thick, dark ichor. The room's temperature doesn't just drop; it feels like
the very life is being sucked out of it.

The creature speaks, but not with one voice. The children's faces, still alive and aware, cry out in a
haunting chorus, their voices filled with pain and despair, "Welcome to our eternal gala. You will join us.
You will become one with us." The realization hits the party: the host doesn't just devour children; it
absorbs them, adding them to its horrifying form and trapping their souls in a state of perpetual torment.

Note: As you can see by reading the example, the moment where the tensions are the highest are
right before the reveal of the monster. Though a gruesome being, the moment before the host’s
description is far more terrifying. Now it has an AC and Hit Points, and hopefully for your players,
they have steel and gunpowder at the ready.

Aftermath (Unease):
The party emerges forever changed. Though they were victorious, the cost weighs heavy. The opulent
mansion is now cold and empty, with no signs of the gala remaining. Only the memories persist: sacrifice,
courage, carnage, and the scars on their psyche. A brighter future awaits, for today a true horror was slain.
Either that or they all died.

By oscillating between moments of normality, unease, and dread, the tension is built up gradually. The
party is kept on their toes, never quite sure what to expect next, creating an atmosphere of anticipation
and suspense, before the sudden escalation into dread and terror.

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10
 2. Gothic Horror
In this chapter, I’ll give you the tools necessary to dive into the heart of gothic horror, examining its
foundational pillars and illustrating how to weave them seamlessly into your campaign—everything from
the atmosphere to the themes, the characters, and the mysteries.

By the chapter's end, you'll be ready to craft a gothic horror campaign that lingers in your players'
memories, long after the dice have stopped rolling. But first things first, let’s define gothic horror; it’s
hard to create something if we don’t know what we are creating.

The Essence of Gothic Horror

Gothic horror is a genre that intertwines the elements of fear, death, and romance into a seamless
tapestry. It is characterized by its eerie settings, such as decaying castles or monasteries, and a mood that
often hinges on melancholy, mystery, and the supernatural. Sounds familiar? It probably does if you’ve
read Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt.

In the context of TTRPGs, gothic horror challenges the players not just with physical threats but with
psychological ones—testing their resolve, sanity, and moral compass.

Why should you run a gothic horror campaign in 5e?

The reasons are manifold. Gothic horror invites a deeper emotional engagement, allowing players and
their characters to confront not just external foes, but internal demons, be they guilt, obsession, or
forbidden desires. This genre pushes the boundaries, forcing characters and players alike to grapple with
moral complexities and personal dilemmas.

Let’s be honest; these themes make for one hell of a story. You probably wouldn’t want to play that with
5-year-old kids, but if you like more mature themes, which I assume you do since you are reading this
book, you’ll feel right at home.

I. ATMOSPHERE AND SETTING

The gothic horror genre thrives on settings that are as much characters as they are backdrops. Whether
it's a sprawling mansion, a dilapidated cathedral, or an ancient library, these structures are imbued with
histories, secrets, and often, haunting monsters.

Creating an Eerie Environment

The first tool in establishing a gothic horror setting is the effective use of descriptive language to engage
the players’ senses. As a GM, your words should paint a vivid picture: the chill of a ghostly breeze, the
oppressive gloom of an ancient crypt, or the unsettling silence of a forsaken village. Use descriptions to
create an atmosphere that not only sets the visual scene, but also touches upon smell, sound, and even
the emotional ambiance of a location.

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Tips for Descriptive Engagement

• Invoke the senses: Detail not just what the players see but what they hear, smell, and feel. The
rustle of dry leaves, the scent of mold in the air, or the cold dampness of stone walls can all be used to
create a fuller sensory experience.

• Elaborate: Rather than simply informing the players that a place is frightening, describe elements
that naturally evoke fear or unease, such as the flickering shadows cast by a dying candle or the unsettling
creaks and groans of an old house. Instead of just saying a room is "cold," describe how a chill seems to
seep into the bones, making the characters' breath visible.

• Foreshadowing: Use the environment to hint at future events or the history of the setting, like
claw marks on the walls or an inexplicably locked door, to build anticipation and suspense.

Gothic Locations

The quintessential gothic horror setting is one that is both beautiful and haunting—a reflection of the
duality found within the genre itself.

A Guide to Iconic Gothic Settings:

If you play using Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, most locations have an associated mystery or
tragedy. A haunted castle might have been the site of a brutal betrayal. An abandoned asylum could
whisper secrets of inhumane treatments, and patients may still linger as restless spirits. Thoroughly
reading the lore of each location in the first part of the book should supply you with ideas that you can
use for your own brand of gothic horror.

In case you wish to add your own, here’s a list of some of the most common locations you can use for
gothic horror. I used this list myself when writing Steinhardt’s Guide.

• Crumbling Castles: Imposing structures with dark histories and hidden secrets.
• Abandoned Asylums: Institutions filled with the remnants of past horrors and madness.
• Ancient Crypts and Cemeteries: Resting places for the dead, often disturbed or haunted.
• Fog-laden Forests: Dense woods where the line between the natural and supernatural blurs.
• Decadent Mansions: Opulent homes that house tragic pasts and spectral inhabitants.
• Forsaken Villages: Isolated communities with superstitious and mysterious traditions.
• Gloomy Moors: Expanses of untamed land, often the sites of eerie phenomena or monstrous creatures.
• Ruined Monasteries: Religious sites defiled by pagan rituals or unholy presences.
• Gothic Cathedrals: Grand religious edifices that hide ancient secrets and forbidden knowledge.
• Derelict Factories: Abandoned industrial sites, often the scene of tragic accidents and hauntings.
• Desolate Lighthouses: Solitary structures plagued by tales of shipwrecks and drowned sailors.
• Victorian Townhouses: Urban dwellings that conceal sinister events behind a veneer of respectability.
• Clifftop Castles: Perilous locations battered by winds and waves, harboring legends of old.
• The Old Library: Repositories of forbidden books and knowledge that should not be sought.
• The Opera House: A place of high culture shadowed by dramatic tragedies and ghostly performers.
• The Walled Garden: Overgrown and forgotten, hiding its own brand of natural malice or tragedy.
• Sunken Ships: Underwater wrecks that are the domain of drowned souls and lost treasures.
• The Crossroads: Places outside the boundaries of normal society, where deals with dark forces are struck.
• Subterranean Tunnels: Networks beneath the earth that hold ancient secrets and perilous creatures.
• Haunted Inns: Rest stops that offer no rest, with each room holding its own tale of horror.

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Weather and Time

The manipulation of weather and the time of day is a powerful method to enhance the mood of your setting.

• Weather: A sudden fog can disorient the players and hide lurking dangers. A storm can trap the
players in a haunted location, and the thunder mirrors the tension within. A blizzard can serve as the
backdrop upon which streaks of werewolf blood will be drawn.

Most importantly, weather must add to the unease by muddling the senses—most often sight. A monster
will be far more terrifying if its form is partially hidden in the fog, rather than if it is seen in broad
daylight.

• Time of Day: The setting of the sun and the rise of the moon can change the nature of a location.
The benign town square by day could become a hunting ground for beasts by night. Twilight can serve as
a time when the veil between the living and the dead grows thin. This genre is about change and the
horrors it can bring; changes from light to dark can mirror that feeling in your games.

II. THE THEMES

The essence of gothic horror is not just in its setting, but in the themes that run like a chilling draft
through the narratives. Below is a list of the themes that make gothic horror what it is. You don’t have to
use all of them, they are merely here to be snagged for your own use.

• Mysteries of the Past: One of the most common gothic horror tropes. Allow the characters to
uncover ancient secrets and confront the sins of the past. Whether it's a curse afflicting a bloodline or
the discovery of an ancestral crime, these elements create a compelling backstory that haunts the world
your players find themselves in.

• Emotions: Encourage your players to dive into their characters' emotions. Gothic horror thrives on
feelings of terror, passion, and suspense. Craft situations that elicit strong emotional responses and
challenge the characters' psychological limits. Examples of such situations include: being confronted by
someone a character wronged in the past, witnessing horrors happening to innocents (children and
puppies are my go to), or situations where a character must choose between their own well-being or the
lives of others.

• Romance: Dark, forbidden, or doomed romance is a cornerstone of gothic horror. These narratives
can be a powerful motivator and a source of dramatic tension, driving the characters to make risky
decisions. These romances can occur between NPCs or, for maximum impact, affect the players directly.

• The Duality of Human Nature: Present moral quandaries that explore the characters' inner
conflicts and the dual nature of man. Characters should face their own shadows—NPCs that mirror their
hidden selves, emphasizing the theme of the duality within us all. Present characters with options that
let them feel justified in their rage, and then pull the rug from under them when the NPC that once
followed them now refuses to talk to them, as they’ve become no different than a beast.

• Nature as a Force: The natural world is often depicted as a powerful force that can mirror or
enhance the tumultuous emotions and events of the narrative. Nature is no helpless maiden, but rather a
destructive force that brings about plagues and floods. The Circle of Symbiosis in Steinhardt’s Guide can
be used to reflect the destructive element of the natural world.

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 • The Struggle Against Fate: Pose the question of predestination versus free will. Create prophecies
and omens that the characters can either submit to or resist, weaving a narrative thread where the
struggle against a seemingly inescapable fate is central. If you want inspiration for this, the entire
“Berserk” manga explores this theme.

• The Specter of Death: Make mortality a clear and present danger. The ever-looming presence of
death should be a pervasive element, whether through a character’s illness, the threat of a malevolent
creature, or the decay of the world around them. Don’t be afraid to put characters on a clock that will
spell their doom if not acted upon quickly.

• The Decay of Morality: Illustrate the corruption of the human soul through NPCs and scenarios
that showcase the decline into depravity. Present the characters with temptations that test their moral
compass. Perhaps a hunter who indulges too much in bloodshed or a noble who sinks to the bottom of
the sins of the flesh.

• The Supernatural: Ghosts, vampires, monsters, and other supernatural beings are staples of gothic
horror, often serving as metaphors for the unknown or the human psyche. You can open up the bestiary
of Steinhardt’s Guide and pick any monster that doesn’t look eldritch, and you’ll have yourself a plot
device for your gothic needs.

• Science and Transgression: Characters in gothic horror often grapple with the consequences of
overreaching knowledge or playing God, particularly in the realm of science, and much like the myth of
Icarus, flying this close to the sun isn’t without its consequences. The Scions are the perfect example of
that.

• The Isolation of the Individual: Most gothic horror stories, such as the classic ‘Dracula’ by Bram
Stoker, take place in isolated locations. Don’t be afraid to put the characters in your campaign in isolation,
whether physically separated from society in a desolate manor or emotionally distanced due to their
experiences. This isolation can lead to a greater sense of vulnerability, and in turn greater stories.

• The Grotesque: Characters or settings that are bizarre, malformed, or unsettling are used to evoke
fear and challenge conventional standards. It can range from mechanical beings that act almost as
humans to complete freaks, like the one portrayed in Frankenstein.

• Religion and Morality: Gothic horror often critiques or explores religious themes, with characters
confronting moral dilemmas in the context of their religious beliefs. If you have players who play religious
characters, don’t hesitate to put their beliefs to the test, and inversely, if you have atheist characters,
create scenarios that test the depth of their lack of faith.

• The Erosion of Reality: Introduce surreal elements that blur the line between what's real and
what's imagined. Dreams, hallucinations, and eerie coincidences can undermine the characters' sense of
reality, leading them to question everything they perceive. We will delve into this more in the Lovecraftian
horror section of this book.

By integrating some or all of these themes, your narrative will breathe with the oppressive atmosphere
we are looking for.

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Plot and Subplot Ideas

When you're spinning a web of gothic horror in your campaign, the main plot and subplots are the silk
threads that ensnare your players. Here's some common gothic threads you can use to weave a tapestry
of terror and intrigue. Encourage your players to engage with these ideas, and they'll find themselves in a
story full of dread, discovery, and the darkness that dwells in the human heart.

These are pulled from Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, but they should give a solid framework,
should you choose to make your own. You’ll notice that each of these plots uses one or more of the
themes mentioned above.

Main Plot Ideas:

• The Curse of the Silver Bloodline: The characters are embroiled in a tale where an ancestral royal
curse plagues the land. They must uncover the origins of the curse and find a way to break it before they
become the next victims.

• The Haunting: A malignant headless horseman haunts the Ruby District, and the characters must
uncover the ghost’s tragic history of corruption within the Circle of Symbiosis to put it to rest. This could
involve a mixture of investigation, diplomacy with restless spirits, and the cleansing of corrupted forests.

• The Madness that Spreads: A mysterious affliction called the Scourge drives inhabitants of the
secluded city-state of Luyarnha to madness, turning them into beasts. The characters must find the
source of this insanity, whether it's a malevolent force, a contagious malady, or the influence of a dark
deity.

• The Forbidden Knowledge: The characters come into possession of a book that holds forbidden
knowledge of Osteomancy. They must choose between safeguarding this power or using it, all while
evading those who seek to claim it for their nefarious purposes.

• The Unholy Pact: A powerful figure of the Church has made a deal with a dark entity, and the
repercussions are beginning to surface. The characters must navigate a web of political intrigue and
supernatural horror to expose or thwart the pact.

Subplot Ideas:

• The Lost Traveler: The characters encounter a traveler who is searching for a lost loved one,
leading the party into the depths of a cursed forest or the abandoned wing of a castle, revealing a smaller,
more personal tragedy within the larger narrative.

• The Eerie Portent: Characters witness omens that foretell a lunar apocalypse. Investigating these
portents can lead them to hidden cults, ancient prophecies, or unexpected alliances with characters who
have their own secret agendas.

• The Relic Hunt: In their travels, the characters learn of relics that are said to ward off evil or break
curses, such as the one plaguing the youngest of the royal Silverblood family. Retrieving these items can
involve braving haunted crypts, bargaining with eccentric collectors, or performing forbidden rituals.

• The Doppelganger: A character's exact double appears, sowing chaos and mistrust. This subplot
can lead to an exploration of identity, illusion, and the supernatural, forcing the characters to question
their own perceptions and allegiances.

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 • The Disgraced Noble: A noble has been ousted from society due to a scandal or accusation of
crime. The characters can help to restore the noble's honor, or perhaps discover that the noble is the
linchpin in a larger, darker plot that threatens the city.

By mixing and matching these plot ideas, you can create a complex narrative that allows for both the
grand scale of gothic horror and the intimate, personal horror that can be just as unsettling.

Mystery and Investigation

In gothic horror, mystery is not just an element of the story; it is the shroud that envelops everything and
the urge compelling the players to peer closer into the darkness. It’s the protagonist slowly unravelling
the nature of Count Dracula or the maiden discovering her family’s curse. Below are the main
cornerstones to building good mystery and investigation arcs in your campaign.

• The Art of the Unseen: Begin by presenting the unknown. Perhaps it's a series of unexplained
disappearances, a cryptic prophecy, or a forbidden ritual that's only hinted at in hushed tones. The less
the players know upfront, the more enticing the mystery. Create questions that demand answers, but
don't make those answers easy to find.

• Layered Clues: Develop a trail of clues that lead players deeper into the gothic atmosphere. A
bloodstained letter, a broken family crest, or a series of archaic symbols scratched into a cell’s wall can all
serve as breadcrumbs. Each clue should feel like a discovery, pulling back a curtain to reveal a new layer of
intrigue.

• Red Herrings and False Leads: A good mystery should have its share of dead ends and
misdirections. A character who seems suspicious might simply be a red herring, while the true
antagonist’s machinations remain hidden. This not only adds complexity to the narrative but also
heightens the sense of uncertainty and paranoia that is quintessential to gothic horror.

• Atmospheric Revelations: When a clue is uncovered or a secret is revealed, add emphasis to make
it memorable. The discovery of a hidden passage should come with a cold gust of wind and the distant
sound of a child's lullaby. Finding a long-lost tome should be accompanied by the musty scent of decay
and the feeling of unseen eyes watching. These atmospheric touches ensure that the gothic tone
permeates every revelation.

• Interwoven Histories: The mysteries in gothic horror often have roots in the past. A haunted
location might have a history of tragedy that reflects its current state. A cursed object might be tied to an
ancient betrayal. Weave the backstory of your world (and of the player characters) into the mysteries the
party is trying to solve to give them a sense of the larger narrative at play.

• Interactive Investigation: Encourage your players to interact with the world as part of their
investigation by creating puzzles or other tangible activities. Let them perform seances to speak with the
dead, decode cryptic journals for clues, or experiment with alchemical concoctions to reveal hidden
messages—but don’t make the players drink weird potions! This active participation makes the mystery-
solving process more engaging.

• The Payoff: Finally, ensure there's a payoff that's worth the buildup. The resolution of the mystery
should bring a mix of horror and satisfaction. Whether it's a tragic tale of lost love leading to a ghost’s
unrest, or the unveiling of a villain whose malevolence is as grand as it is ghastly, the conclusion should
feel earned and impactful.

Each investigation becomes a thread in the overarching narrative tapestry, one that feels both personal
and epic, with the power to chill them to their core.

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III. CHARACTERS AND ARCHETYPES
NPC Creation: Designing Non-Player Characters with Gothic Flair

The denizens of your gothic horror narrative are as crucial as the shadow-draped settings they inhabit. A
well-crafted NPC can be an unforgettable highlight of your campaign.

The guiding principle for such NPCs is simple. Pick one of the themes of gothic horror described above
and embody it into your NPC. This will help tremendously when you determine their motivations, fears,
and desires.

What drives the mad scientist to such lengths? What tragedy befell the tortured noble? As you flesh out
these details, consider how they speak, how they move, and how they react to the players. Perhaps the
doomed lover only whispers, or the vengeful ghost has a chilling wail that precedes its appearances.

You don’t need to go into such depth for each NPC you create, but extra thought should be given for
main villains or NPCs central to your campaign. Let’s dive into some examples:

• The Tortured Noble: A noble, seemingly bathed in wealth and privilege, but cursed with a hidden
affliction. This could be a literal curse or a metaphorical one, such as a dark family secret. Their demeanor
should oscillate between haughty arrogance and profound despair, and their manor should be a reflection
of their psyche—grandiose yet decaying.

• The Mad Scientist: This archetype, driven by insatiable curiosity, tramples over ethical boundaries.
When designing this character, focus on their obsession—whether it's reanimating the dead, unlocking the
secrets of the human mind, or transcending nature itself. Their laboratory is a treasure trove of narrative
hooks: morally dubious experiments, strange creatures in jars, and dangerous inventions gone awry.

• The Doomed Lover: Gothic horror is ripe with tales of love that defy the bounds of mortality. The
doomed lover is trapped in a cycle of loss and yearning, perhaps pining for a ghost or seeking to resurrect
a deceased paramour. Their sorrow is a heavy cloak, and it might lead them to seek the aid of the players
or, in desperation, turn to darker powers.
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 • The Vengeful Ghost: Not all NPCs need be of the flesh. A specter, bound by vengeance, can
provide a wealth of story possibilities. Was their death a tragic accident or a nefarious murder? Their
interactions with the party might be cryptic and fraught with sorrow, their appearances sudden and
terrifying. Their existence may be the result of our above-mentioned doomed lover’s action.

• The Mysterious Wanderer: Cloaked in enigma, this character flits on the periphery of the party's
journey. Perhaps they are an immortal being, or a traveler with knowledge of the arcane. Their motives
are obscure, and their guidance is a double-edged sword—useful yet potentially misleading.

Player Characters: Guidance for Creating Protagonists in a Gothic Horror Campaign

In the mist-shrouded realm of gothic horror, the player characters are the beating hearts within the body
of the narrative. Here’s how to guide your players in crafting protagonists that resonate with the gothic
horror aesthetic.

Embracing the Gothic Ethos

• Touched by Darkness: Encourage players to consider how the dark themes of gothic horror have
touched their characters' pasts. Perhaps they have a mysterious lineage, a haunting guilt, or a tragic loss
that drives their quest. This element of darkness should be a well from which they draw strength and
motivation, not just a source of endless sorrow.

• Complex Morality: Encourage players to think beyond the dichotomy of good and evil. Gothic
protagonists often walk the line of moral ambiguity and are driven by complex motivations. A character
might be pushed to do questionable things in the name of love, revenge, or survival. If one player wants
to play a purely good or entirely evil character, they will serve as a stark moral contrast against the rest of
the party.

• Burning Passions: Gothic horror is steeped in the intense emotions of Romanticism. Encourage
players to imbue their characters with a sense of passion—be it for a person, an ideal, or a quest for
knowledge. This passion should be a driving force in their story, pushing them into dramatic and
dangerous situations, and sometimes pushing their moral compass to the wayside.

Guiding Character Creation

• Backgrounds with Depth: Assist players in developing backgrounds that provide a springboard for
future storylines. A character might have an ancestral home that is now haunted, or they may be seeking
redemption for a past misdeed. These backgrounds should open doors to further exploration within the
campaign. Feel free to plunder the ones listed in Steinhardt’s Guide and tie them to other events in the
lore of your campaign.

• Flaws and Fears: Gothic heroes are often flawed, and their fears can be as compelling as their
strengths. Some players have the tendency of wanting to play an infallible character, but flaws are what
give depth to the character. I’m not going to tell you to force your players to choose flaws, but I’m
certainly not going to punish you if you do. These flaws should come into play in meaningful ways, such as
a fear of darkness in a campaign filled with shadows, or a propensity to fall in love with the wrong person,
creating a web of personal conflict.

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 • Skills and Abilities: While character skills should be useful, they also need to fit within the gothic
theme. Work with your players to decide what minor abilities their combination of skills and background
would grant them. A bard might specialize in mournful dirges that summon spirits via religion checks, or
a wizard could be an expert at deciphering ancient family curses via investigation checks. Encourage
creativity in how abilities are themed and described.

Note - Collaborative Storytelling: Remind your players that they are co-authors in the
campaign's unfolding story. Their characters' actions, decisions, and growth will contribute to the
story you're collectively weaving. Before your first session, encourage them to think about how
their personal tales might intersect with the larger narrative, with the stories of their fellow
adventurers, and with the goals they would like their character to achieve.

Antagonists and Monsters: Crafting Foes Worthy of Gothic Horror

Antagonists and monsters are not merely obstacles to be overcome; they are integral to the tapestry of
terror and tragedy we are trying to reach. They should embody the themes of the genre, often serving as
dark reflections of the protagonists or as manifestations of the world’s corrupting influence.

Later in the book, I detail how to create great villains, taking you step by step. Here I’ll focus on the
seasoning—the flavor needed for things to feel right at home in your gothic setting.

A gothic antagonist is rarely evil for evil's sake. They are characters with histories, motives, and perhaps a
shred of sympathy. Often they are villains that have fallen from grace or are driven by a warped sense of
love, vengeance, or desire for knowledge. Their complexity should challenge players' preconceptions and
elicit a mix of dread and empathy.

Gothic monsters often symbolize deeper themes, such as the fear of the unknown or the consequences
of playing God. When designing creatures, consider the themes of gothic horror we mentioned above. A
vampire might embody the perils of eternal life, while a ghost could represent unresolved guilt. Let’s dive
into some examples:

• Cursed Beings: Some antagonists may be victims of a curse or a dark pact that has twisted them
into monstrous forms. These characters can be tragic figures that struggle with their loss of humanity,
serving as a cautionary tale and adding depth to the narrative.

• Madness and Obsession: Many gothic horrors feature a protagonist turned antagonist through
madness or obsession. Create NPCs who have been consumed by their quest for forbidden knowledge,
unrequited love, or revenge. Bonus points if the quest that brought them to madness is the same as the
one a player character is currently afflicted by. This descent into madness will be a terrifying mirror for
the character, warning them of the dangers of the paths they tread.

• Eliciting Fear and Wonder: Gothic horror is about eliciting a sense of fear punctuated by
moments of wonder. Design creatures that are not only frightening in appearance but also in the
implications of their existence. An encounter with a monster should be an encounter with the uncanny,
something that shakes the players' understanding of the world. Encountering a lycan in an orphanage is
not only terrifying because of the lycan, but it now means that the curse—or a fate far worse—has also
spread to innocent children.

• Unearthly Origins: Gothic creatures are often not just natural beasts but have origins steeped in
the supernatural or the blasphemous. They might be the result of a dark ritual gone awry, the spawn of a
deity's wrath, or remnants of a long-forgotten civilization. Their otherworldliness should add an aura of
mystery and danger to their presence.
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Integrating Characters and Monsters

The best gothic villains and monsters are woven into the narrative in ways that elevate the entire
campaign. They should have personal ties to the locations the characters visit, the stories they uncover,
and even to the characters themselves. Perhaps the lycan that slaughters innocents in the city streets is
related to one of the player characters, or the mad scientist was once a mentor to one of them.

Creating memorable gothic horror antagonists and monsters is about blending the grotesque with the
tragic, the horrific with the human. Your creatures and villains should not only challenge the players in
combat but also in their hearts and minds, leaving them with moral quandaries and emotional scars.

IV. ADDITIONAL GOTHIC HORROR MECHANICS

Fear

Gothic horror evokes constant feelings of dread and foreboding. As Game Master, you can reinforce this by
requiring periodic saves against the frightened condition whenever characters encounter terrifying sights
or enemies.

The frightened condition is all fun and games, but what if you could intensify it? Consider this optional
rule to add some more tension to your games.

When a character succeeds or fails on a saving throw against an effect that causes or ends the frightened
condition, instead of gaining or ending the frightened condition, they gain or lose 1 fear level. This fear
level ranges from 0 to 4, and each level is cumulative with the previous one.

Fear Level 0: No effect

Fear Level 1: Frightened
Fear Level 2: Speed halved
Fear Level 3: Disadvantage on all attack rolls and saving throws
Fear Level 4: Absolute terror—the character becomes incapacitated

Characters with a fear level of 1 or more can make a fear save at the end of each of their turns, reducing
their fear level by 1 on a successful save. Certain spells and class abilities may also allow a character to
reduce their fear level.

Gothic Traps and Puzzles

Traps and puzzles are classic gothic horror devices for building suspense and a sense of peril. When
designing them, focus more on imagination and atmosphere over mechanical complexity. Save the intricate
gears and levers for your standard dungeon; gothic horror is best served by visceral, unsettling obstacles.

For example, a shadowy hallway filled with disturbing noises can transition into a trap where the
passageway fills with blood, rising rapidly to choke and drown the party if they don't find a way out
quickly. A spacious crypt might have stone walls that slowly squeeze together to crush any still inside—
the party must hurry to solve an ominous riddle or find the mechanism to stop it.

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 Floors or stairs that collapse into chasms filled with grasping corpses are excellent "gotcha" traps,
particularly if they have scattered bones nearby as foreshadowing. You can also trap the party in a room
where phantasmal killers seem to emerge from the very walls themselves. Provide clues for how to escape,
but make it tense with apparitions only some characters can see.

For puzzles, focus on mysteries and moral dilemmas instead of intricate mechanical challenges.
Characters might need to reconstruct an unholy ritual to open a door, but doing so has a corrupting
effect. Placing an ancient mummified hand in the wrong statue could crumble the floor, forcing the party
to risk a dangerous jump.

With some creepy descriptions and imagery, even simple traps and puzzles can become chilling and
memorable in a gothic horror adventure. Disturb your players' imaginations rather than relying solely on
mechanical challenges. However, avoid making the puzzles or traps too complex to figure out. Players can
be very smart, but in my personal experience, when it comes to puzzles, they leave their brain at the door.

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V. GOTHIC HORROR TABLES
Here are some example gothic horror event tables for the districts of Luyarnha. You can use these as plot
hooks or for inspiration to design locations in your own campaign.

Grand Cathedral District

A banshee's wail echoes through the cavernous nave, preceding a tragic death.
The beast-repelling incense becomes tainted, allowing monsters to infiltrate the cathedral
under the cover of night.
Screams are heard from the abandoned asylum below, along with rattling chains and strange
machinery.
A deceased loved one's voice pleads from beyond the grave to meet them in the chamber atop
the Pillar of Blood.
The enormous bell towers are suddenly overrun by ravens cawing ominously as they circle
overhead.

New Bridge District

Heavy rainfall causes bodies to float up in the canals from the remains of a previous Hunt.
Some seem not entirely dead...
Strange skittering and screeches are heard from within boarded up buildings.
Severed body parts are found arranged ritualistically near the lightning rods
of the Scion's fortress.
Ghostly figures are glimpsed wandering the ruins of buildings destroyed in the First War.
The generators in the Scion's fortress suddenly shutdown,
plunging the district into darkness.

Shrouded District

A miner goes mad, convinced the lumps of coal he digs up are fossilized hearts of the dead.
Mysterious symbols and runes are found painted in blood throughout an abandoned warehouse.
Echoing cries are heard from a mine shaft that collapsed years ago, killing all workers inside.
The smog takes on a sinister face and whispers dark secrets to lone wanderers.
A masked plague doctor stalks victims under the cover of the smog,
though their murders resemble anything but medical research.

Paterna Iter District

Fresh blood drips down the vines of the sealed black parish church.
Strange chanting is heard from the ruins late at night, along with flickering torchlight.
Partially eaten corpses missing various organs are found across many homes.
Plants in the vertical farms become animated and lash out at workers tending to them.
Guests at a garden party turn on each other in a frenzy, as if possessed by an evil spirit.

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Waterfront District

Bloated corpses wash up on the shores missing their faces.

The Tidewatcher lighthouse stops rotating at night and blood begins to seep from it.
Sinister shadows flit beneath the surface of the water under the bridges.
Ghostly visages are seen pleading from barred windows at the Abyssal Keep.
A ship is found drifting, its entire crew slaughtered and crucified to the mast.

Ruby District

Beastly howls and snarls echo from the depths of the sewers at night.
A mansion long thought abandoned is lit up and music is heard,
but it goes silent when investigated.
Strange worms adorning human faces are discovered burrowing into corpses in the
communal cemeteries.
Severed body parts are arranged in a grotesque sculpture in the town square.
A little girl's creepy singing voice foretells victims before they are slain by beasts.

Sanctified District

Wax replicas of nobles are found staring from windows, preceding their disappearance.
Mysterious scratching and movement is heard from portraits on the walls.
Guests at a masquerade ball are slowly poisoned, leading to bloody coughing fits.
Unearthly screams are heard from the catacombs beneath the castles.
Plants in the gardens wither and die overnight, replaced with disturbing bone sculptures.

Outside the Walls

Strange rituals are glimpsed at night in the ruins of the cosmic seminary.
Half-eaten corpses are found hanging from trees by their guts in the forest surrounding the city.
Glowing eyes are seen peering from the gloom in the acidic ruins of Jägerweiler.
Mournful sobbing is heard from fresh grave sites in the Cemetery of Ash.
Dark riders are seen passing on trails leading to the forest of the Circle of Symbiosis.

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24
 3. Lovecraftian Horror
Brief Overview of What Lovecraftian Horror Is

Lovecraftian horror, often referred to as cosmic horror, is a subgenre of horror fiction that emphasizes the
cosmic horror of the unknown more than gore or other elements of shock. It is named after American
author H.P. Lovecraft, whose work has inspired a vast body of literature and an entire subgenre of horror,
emphasizing themes of cosmic dread, forbidden knowledge, the limits of human understanding, and the
insignificance of humanity within the vastness of the cosmos.

In Lovecraftian horror, the "monsters" aren't just creatures that go bump in the night; they are often
indescribable, incomprehensible cosmic entities. These beings embody terrifying truths—that our
knowledge and morals mean nothing on a cosmic scale. The horror comes less from physical danger and
more from the existential crisis that comes from confronting these entities and the unsettling truths
they represent.

Why It's a Compelling Choice for TTRPG Campaigns

• Depth and Complexity: Lovecraftian horror adds layers of depth and complexity to your
campaign. It goes beyond the straightforward good versus evil dichotomy, plunging your players into
ethical and existential dilemmas.

• Psychological Engagement: This genre engages players on a psychological level, offering a different
kind of tension and suspense. It's not just about surviving physical threats, but also about grappling with
unsettling revelations and the characters' own sanity, offering emotional depth and character
development opportunities.

• Narrative Flexibility: Lovecraftian elements can be woven into just about any setting and story
type, from high fantasy to steampunk, making it a versatile choice for Game Masters.

• High Stakes: The stakes in Lovecraftian horror are often cosmic in scale, adding a sense of
urgency and grandeur to your campaign. This can be a refreshing change from more localized, less
apocalyptic threats.

• Player Agency: While Lovecraftian horror often emphasizes the insignificance of humanity, it also
offers unique opportunities for heroism. The choices players make in the face of incomprehensible
cosmic entities can have far-reaching consequences, adding weight and significance to their actions.

• Unique Gameplay Mechanics: Lovecraftian horror offered thematic guidance for new mechanics
in Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, like the revamped madness system or the Eldritch Moons,
which offer new gameplay mechanics that keep players on their toes.

• Enhanced World-Building: The genre allows for the creation of unique, otherworldly settings and
creatures that can make your campaign stand out and be memorable, such as the Nightmare Realms in
Steinhardt’s Guide.

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KEY ELEMENTS OF LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR
Incorporating Lovecraftian horror into your campaign requires a nuanced understanding of its key
elements. These are the building blocks that will help you create an atmosphere of existential dread and
cosmic horror. Below are the essential components to focus on:

Cosmic Indifference

A core theme of Lovecraftian horror is the indifference of the cosmos towards human life and their
concerns. Lovecraftian entities and forces represent this indifference. They operate according to their
own alien drives and motivations, uncaring and unaware of humanity's existence. Leaning into this theme
creates an unsettling atmosphere as characters confront these truths. They may do everything right and
still get punished because the universe just doesn’t care.

Personal Insignificance

No matter their worldly status or personal achievements, a single individual is inconsequential compared
to the vastness of the cosmos. Protagonists struggle in vain against forces far beyond their comprehension,
let alone their influence. As they come to understand their insignificance, characters can feel despair and
madness, and might make reckless attempts to make an impact before their inevitable end.

Incomprehensible Threats

Central to cosmic horror is the presence of threats that are inconceivable. Lovecraftian entities, cults,
magic, and other phenomena offer glimpses and fragments that hint at a greater inscrutable horror.
Pushing characters and players to confront something fundamentally unintelligible provides an unsettling
gameplay experience. The greatest threats are those that defy easy categorization and explanation.

Failing Sanity

Witnessing unimaginable horrors and existential truths beyond understanding strains the fragile mortal
mind beyond its limits. Gradually, the psyche erodes, and the characters’ sanity becomes compromised.
Some may descend into madness and debility, rendering them even more vulnerable.

This looming threat of failing sanity adds pressure and urgency. Even the strongest will or faith offers little
protection against threats titanic enough to unravel one's very personality.

The Madness System in Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt can help you turn this concept into a
reality at your table.

Isolation and Helplessness

Characters frequently find themselves alone and helpless against the Lovecraftian threats they face.
Whether isolated in remote locations, abandoned by companions, or unable to get others to believe their
experience, protagonists often confront the horror singly or in small groups.

Allies may find their knowledge and skills useless against otherworldly forces. Weapons or magic may
prove ineffective. Protagonists struggle in vain as their understanding of the world provides little aid. The
isolation enhances the helpless feeling.

This sense of hopeless isolation in the face of the unfathomable enhances the existential dread. With no
help arriving or means of combating the threat, characters are forced to draw on inner mental reserves to
overcome the horror—often the only thing left once all other options are exhausted.
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LOVECRAFTIAN SETTING
The setting itself is a conduit for horror in Lovecraftian tales. Lean into locales that innately breed
unease—abandoned mansions, mist-shrouded villages, cyclopean ruins, and alien vistas. Describe such
places vividly through sensory details like fetid smells, bizarre architectural angles, and shadows that
move against the light.

Note: You’ll notice that a couple of these examples feel right at home in gothic horror too. This
is perfect for you as the GM, as you can pick the direction you want to focus or build one on top
of the other.

Use all five senses when describing locations. The smell of long-expired incense clinging to the interior of
an abandoned temple. A portrait whose eyes seem to stare back from the shadows. The skittering sounds
of unseen movement fading down a hallway. The taste of something foul upon the wind. The feeling of
sand so fine that it’s like silk beneath one's feet.

Here’s an example you can steal:

"As you approach the abandoned mansion, a cloying miasma of decay assaults your nostrils while mournful
echoes seem to emanate from within its broken walls. Shattered mirrors reflect your torchlight a
thousandfold, their fractured surfaces giving the illusion of being watched by an unseen presence in the
dust-choked hallways..."

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Non-Euclidean Geometry

Lovecraftian horror focuses on otherworldly experiences, such non-Euclidean angles, intricate carvings
depicting creatures beyond imagination, or pools of stagnant water spreading twisted reflections. These
things can be hard to describe to players, so here’s a quick list you can refer to for help.

Use Comparisons

Compare the shapes and angles to mundane objects the players are familiar with. "The walls seem to tilt
and bend at impossible angles, like looking through a twisted funhouse mirror."

Emphasize Disorientation

Focus on how the geometry makes the players feel. "The stairs spiral in dizzying configurations, warping
in a way that strains your perception and makes your head spin."

Use Movement and Senses

Describe how moving through the space, or how the senses are affected, reveals its impossible nature. "As
you walk down the corridor, its length seems to shift and contract erratically with each step you take."

Lean on Abstractions

Use vivid but abstract descriptions. "The ancient stone columns seem to splash open and melt into the
room itself like wax, their edges blurring into the walls and ceiling."

Redefine Familiar Terms

Take familiar architectural features like hallways, walls, and ceilings and describe them behaving in
contradictory ways. "The hallway slopes away from you as if at an angle, yet you feel level with the ground."

Emphasize the Inexplicable

Don't try to explain the geometry logically. Focus on its bizarre wrongness. "You find yourself somehow on
the ceiling of the tower with no stairs in sight, defying any rational explanation."

The key is to convey the alien, reality-defying nature of the space through visceral details and imaginative
language without getting bogged down in the mathematics and logic behind it—because there is none.
Lean on the players' disorientation and confusion to drive home the disturbing atmosphere.

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MORAL AMBIGUITY AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS
In Lovecraftian horror, morality is complex and choices are rarely easy. Players frequently face dilemmas
where there are no clear good outcomes, only less-bad ones.

Present Tough Choices

Design quests that lack obvious right solutions. For example, players may have to:

• Choose whether or not to seal a portal that will trap allies and enemies alike.
• Decide if they should free a dangerous entity to aid them against a greater threat.
• Betray an NPC to prevent a worse betrayal later on.

Have players debate options with ethical implications. Avoid signaling any choice as morally superior.

Unpredictable Consequences

After major decisions, introduce surprising consequences that follow logically but aren't expected.
For example:

• An NPC’s sacrifice causes unintended collateral damage.

• A freed monster later turns against the players.
• Helping a faction empowers them to commit evil acts.

Make cosmic entities react in thematically appropriate but unpredictable ways to reinforce indifference
to human morality. They do not think like us, therefore do not act like us.

Dilemmas Reveal Characters

Tie dilemmas to characters' backgrounds, beliefs, and ongoing stories for personal stakes. How they react
highlights who they are—their principles, motivations, and mental limits.

Maybe a paladin struggles with betraying oaths to prevent a greater evil. Or a warlock is tempted to sacrifice
innocents to gain power. The choices characters make in difficult situations showcase development.

Morally Complex NPCs

Populate the world with NPCs that challenge moral assumptions, like:

• Zealots willing to cause harm for a "righteous" cause (e.g., The Radiant Church).
• Villains who believe they are doing the right thing (see the Villains chapter of this book).
• Guides who offer shortcuts that require moral compromise.
• These NPCs can provide morally gray quests and showcase how values warp into evil.

By presenting earned quandaries, unpredictable fallout, dilemmas tied to characters, and clashing
perspectives via NPCs, you can explore the themes of moral relativism and ethical complexity that define
Lovecraftian cosmic horror.

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CREATING EXISTENTIAL FEAR
The core purpose of incorporating Lovecraftian themes is to evoke a sense of existential fear and dread in
players, not merely to provide monsters to defeat. The threats should challenge characters psychologically
and philosophically, not just physically.

Focus on pushing characters outside their comfort zones, confronting them with unsettling truths about
reality that induce desperation and paranoia. The goal is for players to feel unnerved as their
understanding of existence is called into question. Lean into elements like failing sanity, helplessness, and
moral ambiguity to generate fear.

Impossible to Defeat Entities

The greatest cosmic threats are meant to be impossible to definitively defeat or destroy for good.
Characters may disrupt a particular plan or banish them for a time, but the entities eventually
reconstitute or return in some form, indifferent and inexorable. Any victory against them is fleeting.

This reinforces the insignificance of humanity—these forces operate on power scales beyond any mortal
magic or weapon.

Indirect Manipulation

Rather than overtly controlling characters, which isn’t very fun in TTRPGs, subtly influence them
through dreams, compulsions, and seemingly meaningless coincidences that steer them towards
unnerving destinies. Make players paranoid they are being manipulated while keeping the true nature of
the forces ambiguous.

Sparingly Reveal Lore

Mythos lore should raise more questions than answers. If characters learn anything, it should be
fragments that hint at disturbing truths without clear meaning. Never conclusively explain cosmic
threats—keep them disturbing and mysterious.

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Avoid Clean Solutions

Investigation leads to more puzzles and complexity, not simple solutions. The mythos should resist
understanding or clean resolutions. Defeating cosmic threats must be temporary, ambiguous, and come
at a steep cost. Offer your players a resolution, otherwise it is unsatisfying, but make it obvious that it is
an incomplete one.

Drive Paranoia

Utilize manipulated coincidences, partial revelations, and maddening lore to make players suspicious of
unseen forces controlling destiny. But do not confirm concrete answers, and avoid clean resolutions—let
the possibility of being subtly maneuvered by the unfathomable gnaw at characters' sanity. The cosmic
mythos should feel fundamentally unknowable.

Character Change Over Universe Change

Protagonists in Lovecraftian tales often cannot substantially change or impact the cosmic horrors that
threaten reality. But through their struggles and experiences, they are inwardly changed themselves.

The change may be going mad, discovering some revelatory truth about existence, or finding power to
temporarily protect their realm against the entity. Since the universe remains indifferent, characters are
forced to go through profound personal arcs to overcome the horror.

By keeping threats perpetually looming, limiting decisive victories, and focusing on character growth, you
can craft Lovecraftian scenarios that evoke existential fear rather than thrill at monsters being slain—a
hallmark of cosmic horror done right.

GRADUALLY REVEAL THE HORROR

Much like in gothic horror, at first, present a superficially normal setting, then slowly unveil its unsettling
elements as players explore. Introduce odd clues like strange sigils, deteriorating log entries, or the
frightened ramblings of inhabitants. Lead players to uncover the darker secrets and history buried beneath
the surface. Build tension through pacing and revelation rather than immediate and overt horror.

NPCs Reflect the Horror

Populate your setting with NPCs that embody its mood. A nervous innkeeper, a cagey scholar of
forbidden lore, or eerily silent villagers communicate the disturbance bubbling under the genteel veneer.
Their peculiar behaviors, reactions to locations, and veiled dialogues provide interactive hints about the
environment's true nature.

Empower the Setting

The setting is an active character, not just a container for the action. Link events, reveals, and progress to
specific locations and environmental interactions. Make the unraveling mystery integral to the history and
identity of the setting itself. This transforms scene details from window dressing into storytelling tools
that organically unify setting and narrative.

By making an oppressive atmosphere intrinsic to the world itself, you can immerse players in an
unsettling environment that deepens horror through implication and inference rather than obvious
frights. You want the players to have a feeling of “We are so fucked” rather than one of screaming terror.

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Minions Hint at Greater Threats

Lesser monsters and minions can serve a key role: hinting at and foreshadowing the greater otherworldly
forces at play. Used creatively, these smaller threats set the stage for the reveal of more significant cosmic
horrors. Some examples include:

• Exploring an underground ruin, the party is hounded by wights bearing strange symbols of an alien
faith. Their magic implies a connection to something which defies the natural order. (See the ‘Echoes of
Madness’ adventure in Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt)

• Dwarven cultists fanatically serve an unknown god, committing violence and atrocities at the
behest of alien whispers in their minds. Where do these voices originate? (See Waterfront District in
Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt)

• Sinister nightgaunts menace in the shadows, acting with unusual coordination. What is mustering
them? (See Nightgaunts in Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt)

The common thread is using these minions to suggest something worse moving behind the scenes. Build
a sense of escalation and reveal. First introduce the lesser threats, then slowly drop hints about the more
unfathomable forces they serve—forbidden gods, alien intelligences, or cosmic forces.

TOTAL DESCENT INTO COSMIC HORROR

When the time is right to unleash outright Lovecraftian horror, radically transform the world through
apocalyptic events. This is something you’ll want to do towards the end of your campaign, or at least the
end of one of the arcs of your campaign, as it will be hard for your characters—and players—to come
back from such insanity. This will best be explained by some examples:

The Stars Align

A rare celestial event causes the Yellow Sign to devour the sun. Gazing upon this impossible cosmic body
drives people insane, sparking chaos and violence.

As the celestial event continues, the laws of physics become mutable. Unnatural weather, gravitational
fluctuations, and color-draining light bathe the world. This heralds the imminent awakening of an
eldritch horror beyond comprehension.

The Awakening God

In the depths of space, an ancient warring deity rejoins the pantheon of gods, awakening after eons of
slumber. Its dream-projected nightmares transform forests into zones of madness. Across the world,
cultists tremble in ecstasy as they prepare sacrifices for the Goat-Mother’s awakening.

As the deity stirs, stars blot out and the planet develops lesions oozing forth alien fauna. The god's
nascent thoughts alone unravel the fabric of reality as both mortal and divine minds quail before its
cosmic power; the human empire was wiped out by her previous dream, and so will Luyarnha.

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Opening Portals

Interdimensional portals split open the sky, revealing glimpses of strange nightmare realms beyond. Alien
flora and fauna spill forth, defying natural law. Hordes of eldritch abominations flood through, driven by
inscrutable hunger and malice.

Cults and osteomancers throughout the land further open these rifts, hoping to usher in their dark god and
malformed idols. The barriers between dimensions erode rapidly, as the laws of physics degrade and warp.

By this stage, the world is beset by overt supernatural chaos. You can unleash these apocalypses as a fail-
state for your campaign if the heroes don’t stop the villainous plot. Alien vistas, deranged cultists, and
entities beyond comprehension—these elevate cosmic horror from unsettling clues to outright
apocalyptic madness barely survivable by the remaining flicker of mortal minds.

LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR EXAMPLES

Here are some example Lovecraftian horror event tables for the districts of Luyarnha. You can use these
as plot hooks or for inspiration to design locations in your own campaign.

Grand Cathedral District

Strange geometries can be spotted in the architecture, hinting at cyclopean influences.

The beast-repelling incense summons rather than repels alien entities from beyond.
The enormous bell tolls 13 times, opening a portal to another dimension.
Eldritch runes are discovered etched into the old stonework, their meaning maddening.
A high priest transforms into an amorphous blob, babbling of sunken cities.

New Bridge District

Bizarre radio signals are picked up by Scion machinery, voices speaking in unknown tongues.
Gravity in an area fluctuates wildly, and floating organs are seen.
Explorers in mines dig too deep and break into a vast underground alien city.
Plantlife becomes covered in strange nodules pulsing with unnatural life.
Scion experiments inadvertently draw the attention of cosmic horrors from beyond.

Shrouded District

Miners go mad after unearthing the fossil of an ancient god-like being.

Demonic cultists perform rituals to awaken a Great Old One buried beneath the city.
A mine shaft breaks into a luminous underworld of fungal growths and strange creatures.
Spatial anomalies fold sections of the district in on itself into impossible geometry.
Residents develop occult powers after exposure to a strange color out of space.

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Paterna Iter District

The plants in vertical farms form a hive mind, driven to consume human flesh.
Inhuman piping is heard beneath the city streets, impossible flutes playing alien melodies.
Floating spheres of light are seen over the canal, vaporizing those they touch.
A merchant selling strange artifacts causes bizarre transformations in buyers.
A cryptid seen in the sewer transforms those who glimpse it into fish-like beings.

Waterfront District

Heavy rainfall causes bodies to float up in the canals from the remains of a previous Hunt.
Some seem not entirely dead...
Strange skittering and screeches are heard from within boarded up buildings.
Severed body parts are found arranged ritualistically near the lightning rods
of the Scion's fortress.
Ghostly figures are glimpsed wandering the ruins of buildings destroyed in the First War.
The generators in the Scion's fortress suddenly shutdown,
plunging the district into darkness.

Ruby District

A miner goes mad, convinced the lumps of coal he digs up are fossilized hearts of the dead.
Mysterious symbols and runes are found painted in blood throughout an abandoned warehouse.
Echoing cries are heard from a mine shaft that collapsed years ago, killing all workers inside.
The smog takes on a sinister face and whispers dark secrets to lone wanderers.
A masked plague doctor stalks victims under the cover of the smog,
though their murders resemble anything but medical research.

Sanctified District

Nobles begin exhibiting disturbing mutations after consuming a strange new vintage of wine.
Hideous shapes are seen writhing beneath the surface of the ornate ceilings.
The grand colosseum becomes the site of a ritual to an ancient chlorophyll god.
Echoing from the catacombs are sounds no human throat could produce.
An intricate clockwork device found under the castle drives the holder insane.

Outside the Walls

Scholars at the seminary unearth ancient tablets written in unknowable hieroglyphics.

A strange meteor lands beyond the walls, igniting bizarre mutations in nearby plant and
animal life.
Researchers discern the cemetery of ash is built over the buried ruins of an alien civilization.
The forest transforms those who wander too deep, body and mind contorting.
Investigations into the Circle of Symbiosis reveal cosmic revelations that break the sanity
of members.
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35
 4. Steinhardt’s Mechanics
Here are some tips for integrating the madness and eldritch moon mechanics from Steinhardt's Guide to
the Eldritch Hunt to enhance gothic and Lovecraftian horror in your 5e game:

MADNESS
Using Madness Sparingly

When you first introduce madness mechanics, use them sparingly to preserve their dramatic impact.
Reserve madness for significant story moments rather than routine failed ability checks or saving throws.
Don’t give indefinite madness for tripping in the streets—it’s unfair and will cheapen the experience.

Introduce lesser versions of madness before inflicting indefinite madness. Short-term effects teach
players the system before applying long-lasting impacts. Telegraph when a situation could induce more
severe madness to maintain player agency.

Meaningful Madness Triggers

Inflict madness when it aligns with events in the story and makes thematic sense. Exposure to horrific
rituals, forbidden knowledge, powerful aberrations, and harrowing experiences are fitting triggers.
Madness can also arise from reading dark tomes, attuning to sinister artifacts, or communing with Great
Old Ones. Make triggers relate to player actions rather than pure randomness.

Establish Madness Expectations

Provide players with clear guidance on actions that could induce madness. For example, witnessing a
gruesome ritual may cause short-term madness, repeatedly reading from a profane tome can lead to long-
term madness, while attuning to an eldritch artifact may inflict indefinite madness. Keep severity
consistent.

Vivid Madness Descriptions

Thoroughly describe a character's descent into madness using evocative flavor text. Play up escalating
physical and mental changes in unnerving detail. Here’s an example:

“Your throat burns painfully, reduced to a ragged rasp as you try to speak. You try again, but your voice
deteriorates into a choked wheeze, then finally fades altogether. You find you cannot make a sound no
matter how hard you try.

Your voice is gone, stolen by some unseen curse. Inside you might be screaming, but only isolating
silence remains.

Trapped in a wordless solitude, it crosses your mind that this loss of voice may be merely the first step in
a harrowing end. But what comes next, you cannot say... You are unraveling, strand by strand.”

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Impactful Madness Effects

The mechanical effects of madness alter capabilities beyond just penalties, such as imposing
compulsions, modifying personality, removing proficiencies, or causing physical changes. This makes
madness feel genuinely debilitating, so once a character gains the madness, make sure to create
situations where the affliction feels crippling to capitalize on it.

This spotlight on the madness isn’t malicious; it is destiny being indifferent to their plight (it just so
happens that you, the GM, are destiny, but that’s a minor detail). Once the gravity of the madness is
understood, dial back the focus. The point is to create pressure, not to discourage players.

Curing Madness

Madness can be cured, but for it to be impactful, such treatment shouldn’t come easily—or at all. Follow
the rules outlined in Steinhardt’s Guide, but remember that not all is curable.

Tracking Madness Occurrences

Carefully track how often and how frequently madness affects each character. Gaining multiple short-
term madnesses within a brief period can lead to worse forms. So keep a counter for the number of each
type of madness the PCs gain.

ELDRITCH MOONS
Here’s a short guide to seamlessly integrate the moons of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt into
your 5e world building and gameplay:

Foreshadowing the Cycles

When you introduce the moons, don’t overwhelm players all at once. Provide subtle hints initially and
slowly reveal more information as the game progresses. Mention offhand comments by NPCs about
dreading the approach of a certain moon or alluding to past events triggered by a lunar cycle. Let players
discover moon lore books detailing their effects. Start with rumor and superstition, then gradually
confirm which parts are true. Luyarnha is plagued with ignorances, and the characters shouldn’t always
have the correct information right away.

Scaling the Impact

As your players become more familiar with the moons, increase their impact and frequency. Keep usage
minimal at lower levels when characters are still vulnerable. You can use the Eldritch Beckoning method
to ensure that the progression is smooth and that player actions impact the world around them. Let
them figure out on their own that the osteomancy they’ve been using corrupts the fabric of the world.

As they gain experience and abilities, they will be better equipped to handle moon-related challenges.
Eventually, moons can be an anticipated occurrence that must be prepared for.

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Raising Tension and Threats

Use moons to introduce new threats and challenges tied to their themes. The glacial moon could awaken
a frozen god threatening the land with an eternal winter (e.g., the Deicide adventure of Steinhardt’s
Guide). The blood moon can empower a corrupt lord, enabling it to finally finish transforming into an
ancient dread form. Implement side quests to discover methods of counteracting or protecting against
moon effects.

Worldbuilding Integration

Incorporate moons into your world’s lore and history notes. In Steinhardt’s Guide, past events can be
attributed to certain moons, with the most notable among them being the Hunts tied to the Blood Moon
of Rebirth. Prophecies and myths can foretell what will occur when a moon cycle converges with a cosmic
alignment or milestone date. Moon effects can influence architecture, festivals, crops, magic, and more.
NPC behaviors will shift based on the present moon. The lore of Steinhardt’s Guide is fluid in that regard;
you can either stick to it entirely or alter details to make your own devilish concoction.

Encouraging Strategy

Eventually, you should share moon information with the players so they can strategize around cycles.
Preparedness, vigilance, and modified tactics may be key to surviving certain lunar events. Offer options
to mitigate disadvantages, like lanterns that shield an area from the Vacuous Moon’s darkness. Planning
journeys around cycles or staying indoors can be crucial. Knowledgeable NPCs can provide warnings,
advice, and moon-related services.

By gradually establishing moons as an integral part of your world through lore, descriptions, and
gameplay impact, they will feel like a seamless and immersive mechanic enhancing your gothic or
Lovecraftian horror campaign. Players will be invested in moon cycles, eagerly preparing for their favorites
while dreading those that endanger their survival.

Getting Players to Brave the Moonlight

While eldritch moons inject exciting challenges and variation into your TTRPG campaign, some players
may try to avoid this by keeping their characters sheltered indoors at night. As a GM, you can discourage
this in various ways.

• Plot Progression Outdoors: Schedule key story moments, battles, rituals, and other events
outdoors at night, compelling important progression under the moonlight.

• Escalating Threats: Moon-empowered monsters and villains grow progressively stronger and
bolder the longer they stay under the moon, eventually forcing confrontation.

• Incentives for Nighttime Exploration: Provide rewards like rare loot, treasures, and valuable
knowledge that can only be gained by braving the moonlit darkness. High risk brings higher rewards.

• Empowering Moons: Balance harmful moons with equipment that only povides boons and buffs
to characters while under the moonlight, making nighttime activity slightly less dangerous.

• Light Source Limitations: During certain moons, light sources are unreliable except for the
revealing moonlight itself. The darkness becomes its own threat.

• Inescapable Dangers: Have some moon effects, such as maddening auras, environmental
transformations, or insane NPC behavior, still impact characters even while indoors. Total safety should
not be guaranteed.
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 • Social Pressure: Have NPCs mock, shame, or express disappointment in characters hiding from
moons rather than confronting the challenges heroically.

• Consequences of Inaction: If players hide from the moons, let villainous plots advance
unopposed, showing the costly consequences. Guilt can motivate.

• Revealing Moonlight: The lunar light exposes hidden locations, mystical runes, or secret passages
that characters will want to discover.

By making moonlit adventures tempting, mechanically meaningful, and at times unavoidable, you can
ensure your players fully engage with this fun added dimension of your Steinhardt’s Guide game.

Gothic Examples

Below are some examples of using moons from Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt to enhance
gothic horror elements in a campaign:

Sanguine Eclipse

• The blood-red eclipse drives NPCs into a frenzied rage, forcing the PCs to confront formerly beloved
allies, now turned violent.
• As the eclipse peaks, a lord performs a profane ritual, granting it new terrifying powers that
threaten the city-state.
• Under the eclipse, cats are found slain, holy water turns to blood, and statues of saints weep tears
of blood—signs of an unfolding unholy plot.

Creeping Tarlight

• The vile tar seeps into the city, igniting a plague of paranoid hysteria. Accusations and hangings
abound. The PCs must find the source before it consumes everything.
• Ghostly figures are spotted trailing tar, their wails echoing. They are omens of calamity, haunting
rulers who brought famine upon the land.
• The tar ignites into hellish flames in certain residences of the city. The party must rescue who they
can while investigating clues to the fire's occult origins.

Shattered Moon

• Under the fractured moon, spirits escape from crypts and cemeteries, wailing through the streets.
They hold clues to unlocking a deeper evil.
• Pieces of the Shattered Moon crash down, revealing themselves as fragments of ancient seals now
broken. An old forgotten evil has awakened from its slumber.
• A cult performs profane rituals under the Shattered Moon, hoping to corrupt a priest. The PCs
must protect him or risk losing the city's spiritual leader.

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Lovecraftian Examples

Here are some examples of using moons from Steinhardt's Guide to enhance Lovecraftian horror elements:

Krakenlight

• The writhing tendrils in the sky call forth mind-rending visions of ancient cephalopod gods
slumbering beneath the depths. PCs must save against madness when they witness the vile display.
• Aquatic races begin to mutate under the Krakenlight, sprouting tentacles and taking on monstrous
aspects with each passing night as they regress closer to their origins.
• Occult rituals carried out under the Krakenlight's glow are said to allow one to glimpse the cosmic
truth of our universe's insignificance, at the cost of one's sanity.

Vacuous Moon

• Staring at the void pulls characters into an in-between realm where floating entities whisper
unknowable secrets in their minds—promises of forbidden knowledge should they embrace the
cosmic darkness.
• In the vacuum of the void, sealing rituals fail, allowing sinister interdimensional beings access to
small isolated villages, massacring all. The PCs must stop the creatures before the sun rises.
• Dwarven cultists etch the Vacuous Moon's image into the flesh of their victims, hoping to hasten
the coming of their eldritch overlord. The PCs stumble upon the gruesome scene.

Yellow Crown

• Strange alien spores drifting down from the yellow moon implant surreal visions in the minds of
those who breathe them in—visions of titanic creatures slumbering beneath reality, waiting to awaken.
• The carved moon's protrusions resemble an abhorrent city, impossibly geometric and looming. To
gaze upon it is to know our existence is but a passing dream in the minds of forces beyond comprehension.
• People begin to glow under the light of the Yellow Crown, floating towards it at night, never to
return. The PCs desperately seek answers before the whole town vanishes.

40
 Steinhardt’s
Villain Guide

41
This section explains how to make remarkable villains who create unforgettable adventures for you and
your players.

Complex antagonists with strong motivations react to players and propel the story forward. Well-crafted
villains provide tension, meaningful choices, and a world that feels alive. Players feel invested when their
actions directly impact a villain's cunning plans. Adaptable villains survive setbacks with new schemes,
keeping stakes high. Memorable traits and dramatic introductions establish them as compelling threats.
So let’s dive in!

A Campaign Driven by Villains and Players

Villains are not static entities sitting atop a throne waiting for the characters to show up; their goals and
strategies continuously evolve. They're doing things. Their minions raid towers filled with ancient
weapons, research eldritch spells in gothic towers, and establish underground lairs. The characters can
see these actions and attempt to counter them. The villain evolves. They revise their plans. The story
keeps going. Some villains die, and new ones rise.

Three Villains

A campaign can feel flat with only one villain—just stop the Big Bad and you win. But add two or three
villains and things get messy in a good way.

With a couple different bad guys running around causing trouble, their plans start crashing into each
other. Maybe they team up to cause more chaos. Maybe they turn against each other. Or they each do
their thing in their corner, forcing the party into trade-offs when they pick one to pursue. Regardless, it
gives the players more to react to.

Having multiple types of villains each acting simultaneously also opens up more adventure possibilities;
an evil priest presents different quests than a corrupt king. Mixing up villain types keeps things exciting
for the players. And if the heroes beat one villain early, you've still got back-ups to drive the story. The
world keeps on turning without that one bad apple.

But before creating three villains, let’s see how the villain creation process goes for one.

It takes about 10 minutes to list out everything about a villain, but you only need to do this once, and it
will last you for an entire villain arc of your campaign, saving you hours down the line!

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 Villains
Or how to create villains that feel smart and not forced.

To create a villain, define its key traits and rank them in order of importance. This will help to shape the
villain’s goal and their actions toward it. You can also work backward, and instead choose a goal you want
to see a villain work toward, and then create traits for a villain with that ambition.

To determine the villain’s key traits, consider the following questions. You don’t need an answer for each,
but it’s helpful to decide objectives and methods using 3 to 5 traits.

Backstory & Motivation:

What past events shaped the villain's current worldview and goals?
What drives them to pursue their aims, whether it's revenge, ambition, love, or something else?

Personality:

How does the villain behave in various situations?

What are their dominant personality traits? Are they cunning, brash, meticulous, or charismatic?

Ethics & Morality:

Does the villain see themselves as evil, or do they believe they're doing the right thing?
What is their moral code, and where might they draw the line?

Emotional Depth:

What are the villain's fears, hopes, loves, and regrets?

Providing emotional depth can make a villain more relatable and memorable.

Appearance & Presence:

How does the villain present themselves to the world?

Consider their physical appearance, attire, and the aura or vibe they exude.

Environment & Lair:

Where does the villain spend most of their time?

Consider the design and defenses of their base or lair, as well as its location.

Symbolism & Themes:

What larger themes or symbols does the villain represent? Some examples include chaos, tyranny,
nature's wrath, or the dangers of unchecked ambition.

• Symbolism common in Victorian horror: Decay and Ruin, Forbidden Knowledge or Secrets,
Isolation, Duality of Human Nature, Madness, Cursed Existence, Romantic Tragedy, Nature's Revenge

• Symbolism found in Lovecraftian horror: Humanity’s Insignificance, Incomprehensible Entities,

Isolation and Hopelessness, Inevitable Doom, Forbidden Knowledge, Legacy and Ancestry, Madness and
Obsession, Inhumanity (The idea that humanity is not alone, and not even dominant, in the universe)
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Methods & Modus Operandi:

How does the villain typically operate?

Do they prefer deception, brute force, magic, or manipulation?

Goals

This aspect of your villain is crucial, and the reason it gets its own title. It is not an option, but a
requirement.

What is the villain's objective? Ambitions beyond that?

Are they seeking world domination, the destruction of a rival, or maybe redemption?

Example Villain: Malach, the Angel of Flesh

The first manikin given full sentience, he saw the atrocities his masters were committing towards his kin.
Fueled with rage, he made his escape, swearing to free his kin from the clutches of those who bear flesh
and rid the world of their existence.

Key traits:

• Hatred of Flesh
• Love for Manikins
• Cunning and Deceitful
This will help shape the actions of Malach when you roleplay him or think of his course of actions.

Goals:

“The Hour of Flesh is over. Now begins the Age of the Machines.”

Destroy all beings of flesh in Luyarnha, and turn it into a city of manikins.

ROLEPLAYING THE VILLAIN

Once you’ve determined and ordered the traits and goals for a villain, you can more easily decide what
choices they’ll make and how their plans will unfold.

For example, Malach’s hatred of flesh is stronger than his love for mankins, so in difficult situations, he
will not hesitate to sacrifice his kin if it means a greater number of beings of flesh will die. But because he
loves manikins, he is unlikely to exert a tyrannical rule over them, unless he becomes really desperate.
Finally because he is cunning, he will have multiple plans to achieve his goal. This should be true of all
villains, but this one should have additional backups for each step of his plans.

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45
CONSTRAINTS
What are the limitations of the villain? If the villain was omnipotent, they might win immediately, and it
would not make for a very fun campaign.

So, all villains have strengths, weaknesses, resources, and relationships. These can be from within the stat
block itself or in context with the lore. Use the following questions to help outline the limits of a villain.

Strengths & Resources:

What skills, powers, or resources does the villain possess?

This could be magical abilities, vast wealth, political influence, or a keen intellect.

Flaws & Vulnerabilities:

What are the villain's blind spots or Achilles' heels?

This could be a physical weakness, an emotional tie, overconfidence, or a moral code they won’t break.

Relationships & Allies:

Who are the villain's allies, minions, or friends? Enemies?

Consider the dynamics of these relationships. Are they based on fear, loyalty, mutual benefits, or love?

Example: Malach’s Constraints

Malach, the Flesh Angel has the following constraints:

Strengths:

• Can talk to any construct, and given enough time, convert them to his cause
• Unknown whereabouts
• High Intellect
• Immunity to diseases and poison

Flaws

• Frail (relative to other CR 15 creatures)

• Few allies that he can or is willing to collaborate with
• Limited resources (both information and materials)

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 Creating the Villain’s Plan
Now for the exciting part: how the villain will take over the world—or at least commit their villainous plan.

The nefarious scheme could be as simple as robbing a bakery, but heroes need exceptional villains with
challenging goals, otherwise it’s not worthwhile to go after them. Why try to arrest Nix the jaywalker,
when the party could be spending time trying to end the cult that wishes to summon Cthulhu and
destroy the universe? Priorities people!

The villain now has traits, strengths, flaws, and a goal. Using these, construct a plan the villain will use to
achieve their goal. Include four to six steps—a balance between complexity and opportunities for the
heroes to foil the plan before catastrophic failure.

Example: Malach’s Plan

When making Malach the villain, I started with his primary goal—getting rid of flesh creatures and
making a city of just manikins.

I knew Malach didn't have a lot of help or resources to start with, so I planned backwards from his end
goal. First he'd need to learn how to make more manikins to build an army. Once he could make manikins,
he'd need to sneakily get materials and set up workshops to start manufacturing the army without
anyone noticing.

With a robot army ready, he'd need a way to take down most of the population all at once. So, he'd work
on making a deadly poison and find a way to spread it widely. Finally, after the poison did its job, the
manikin army could finish off whoever was left.

By looking at what the villain wants and what he's got to work with, I could map out the steps he'd need
to accomplish his goal. Thinking it through logically like this can help GMs figure out plans that make
sense for their bad guys.

In bullet points, the plan looks like this:

• Learn how to create manikins

• Gather the materials necessary to create manikins and toxins
• Create manikins and toxic bombs
• Release the toxin in key locations
• Unleash army to reap the remainder of the survivors
• Bask in world free of creatures of flesh

EVOLVING AND RESILIENT PLOTS

Of course, during the game, the characters likely thwart some of these steps. What happens then? What
happens when the characters destroy the supply convoy with the necessary materials? What if the
characters eliminate the electric supply of the hangars where the manikins are being created? What if
they expose the infiltrated manikins before they can act?

Our villain's steps must evolve. The villain's plot needs to be resilient. One way to do so is to give each
step a backup step. And if they’re really smart, perhaps two backup steps. What can they do to keep their
plan progressing even when their steps are being obstructed?

47
Example: Steps Required for Malach’s Plan

• Learn how to create manikins

Only the Scions know how to create manikins. He can try to kidnap a high ranking member, or he could
sneak into their forbidden library pretending to be a manikin and steal the knowledge for himself. Seeing
as there are multiple people with the know-how, if the first kidnapping doesn’t work, the second or third
should do the trick.

• Gather the materials necessary to create manikins and toxins

If the characters blow up Malach’s convoy, he knows that the Scions have reserves. He can negotiate with
them, using a fake name if necessary. Finally, if that plan gets exposed, he can always sneak in and steal
what he needs—not ideal, but doable.

• Create manikins and toxic bombs

If the party manages to destroy all his manikins in the midst of their constructions, he will have to lay low
for a while until he can rebuild. A big set-back of course, but one he can recover from as long as he isn’t
caught in the midst of a battle.

He needs substances that rot flesh but not metal. If he needs an alternate source of toxins, Carmella’s
Greenhouse is the only other source. If he doesn’t manage to get his hands on it through purchasing, he
can always raid the house with his manikins and frame the Scions. And if that assault gets repelled, he’ll
have no choice but to not rely on the toxins.

If purchasing or stealing the toxins doesn’t succeed, he could attempt to make a larger army to defeat
both the Church and the Scions. Alternatively, he knows that the Scourge is rampant in the Ruby District,
and he would not hesitate to break the barriers that force the lockdown in order to spread the Scourge
further in the city to weaken it.

48
 • Release the toxin in key locations

In case the characters expose the infiltrated manikins, he has rigged each of them with poisonous
explosives that rot flesh but not steel. It would kill fewer people than ideal, but that might be enough for
the rest of his forces to sweep through the town.

• Unleash army to reap the remainder of the survivors

Ideally he’ll sit back and enjoy the destruction from afar. But if his army has been weakened prior, he’ll be
forced to join the battle—a resort he is loath to take, as it leaves him vulnerable.

• Bask in world free of creatures of flesh

Now Malach can sit back and enjoy a nice break after a hard-earned purge. Or perhaps he’ll set his sights
on the rest of the world.

UPDATE THE VILLAIN’S PLAN

While preparing each session, think, "what is my villain up to?" This helps you understand how the story
changes based on what the characters are doing. Remember, villains have their plans and steps to reach
their goals. Think of these steps as a timer, showing the players the villain's progress.

Villains drive the story of our games. Exciting villains create tension for the players, have compelling
motivations, and adapt their strategies to the actions of the characters.

STAY ADAPTABLE
The story won’t progress as you expect it to. Players will foil the villain’s plans, and the villain will need to
adapt. Instead of planning for all possible situations, it's better to be ready to change things in the moment.

To do so, immerse yourself in your villains' plan—internalize their backgrounds, motivations, behaviors,
and probable actions. This will help you adjust when players do the unexpected. When you plan your next
session, focus on what the villains are currently doing. It will make the world feel more alive.

FAILURE IS AN OPTION
Maybe Malach just loses. The backup plan fails. The heroes are successful. You have an entire cast of
villains you can create. When one villain gets thwarted, two others move their plans forward.

Now that Malach is out the way, the more nefarious elements of the Scions will have free reign across
both the Newbridge and Shrouded districts, and the drug dealers that were held in their place by the
terrifying manikins would be free to expand their trade more aggressively.

When a villain is cornered, they might make one last desperate plunge. Maybe they have an all-out attack
against the characters. Maybe they conduct a last desperate move. Or maybe they flee or are arrested.

49
DON'T FORCE THE PLOT
A compelling TTRPG’s plot creates an immersive experience for the players. The antagonist directly
challenges the characters' values in complex ways. NPCs have close ties to the conflict, raising the stakes.
Tension builds through escalating threats, with occasional triumphant moments. Mysterious clues
foreshadow big reveals. Surprising yet logical twists keep players engaged. Impactful themes encourage
discussion beyond the game. The GM paces the story well, tying up loose ends with a satisfying climax.
Players feel their choices carry weight.

Weak plots feel contrived, with villains artificially sticking around. Unexpected gotchas happen without
setup. The story drags past its natural conclusion. Avoid weak plots that you find yourself forcing forward,
even after it should have ended earlier.

Somehow Palpatine returned, again…

For example, if the players destroy the villain's secret factory, don't pull out a second one they didn't
know about. With no foreshadowing, it feels forced just to extend the plot. Let the victory feel earned.
Failures should have consequences too. When a plot reaches its organic end, wrap it up in a narratively
fulfilling way.

An immersive plot arises from player agency and impactful choices. Clever twists and strong pacing keep
them engaged. Thematic depth provides food for thought. If the villain loses, let the players savor their
victory; there are plenty of other villains out there.

How to Introduce a Villain

When introducing a villain in your campaign, you can broadly classify the methods into two categories:
Direct and Subtle.

DIRECT INTRODUCTION
This approach puts the villain front and center early on. Methods can include:

• Direct Confrontation: The party might face off against the villain or their minions in combat.
• Witnessing Evil: Players directly observe the villain's malicious actions or plans.
• The Apocalyptic Stack: My personal favorite. The stakes rapidly escalate into chaos. After taking a
few sessions to establish the setting and its characters, unleash the villain as a cataclysmic force, causing
successive disasters.

To make a direct introduction effective, it's essential to ensure the villain's actions have immediate and
tangible consequences. The more drastic and personal these consequences are to the party, the stronger
their motivation is to oppose the villain.

Example

Imagine a scenario where the players ally with local nobility. As they investigate a mysterious kidnapping,
they're drawn to a particular noble's mansion. However, they're caught, arrested by a militia under the
noble's command, and falsely accused of a crime. As they languish in prison, a beloved NPC tries to
rescue them but is executed in front of their eyes by the aristocrat. To add insult to injury, the noble
might even cut the hand of a party member—a punishment fitting for thieves. These successive, dire
events will make the party despise this cruel noble.
50
SUBTLE INTRODUCTION
This is a more indirect way of hinting at the villain's presence or influence in the world. Common
techniques include:

• Rumors: The party might overhear whispers of a menacing figure or dark deeds.
• Aftermaths: Discovering the results of the villain's actions, like a devastated village or a series of
sinister rituals.
• Slow Build-up: Gradually provide clues and incidents that hint at a larger threat. This approach
allows you to create a mounting sense of dread and gives players multiple reasons to confront the villain.

The key to a subtle introduction is patience. Layer the hints, and let the party's understanding of the
threat grow organically, increasing their motivation to act against the villain over time.

Example

Within the majestic walls of the Grand Cathedral, famed for its divine hymns, an unsettling silence begins
to permeate. As the party delves deeper into the cathedral's daily rituals, they gather whispered
accounts: an elf recounts a forbidden song said to be wielded by a banished choirmaster named Seraphel;
a concerned priest shares confessions of congregants haunted by nightmares of this very figure,
commanding an oppressive silence; and a local merchant hesitantly speaks of neighboring homes that
grew silent, with whispers blaming Seraphel's vengeful return. These disparate tales, coupled with the
unnerving absence of sacred songs, subtly point to the looming shadow of Seraphel, suggesting he's the
malevolent force now echoing through the silent halls of the Grand Cathedral.

51
 Making Steinhardt Villains
Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt is a mix of gothic and Lovecraftian horror. Because the
monsters are typically more Lovecraftian and don’t have a particular reason to be evil—their existence
alone is a threat—villains in this setting best fit the gothic theme. Regardless of the style, villains tend
to fit into three categories.

Below are each of the categories alongside some villain templates you can use.

1. MANIPULATORS OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND INFLUENCE

The Propagandist:

• Uses media and public opinion against the party

• Motivated by conflicting desires for the population
• Might resort to slander if opposed

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be a priest of the Radiant Church vying for power, or a
member of the Victorian Masonia.

The Bishop:

• Leader of a church or cult with strong influence over the populace

• Might declare excommunication against foes
• Dark secret behind their faith

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be a priest of the Radiant Church who fell to a dark power
from any of the Districts.

Prince Charming:

• Appears friendly but uses deceit for personal gain

• Seeks political power, possibly through marriage
• Has assets like court influence, wealth, and soldiers

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be queen Victoria Silverblood or Arvidt Silverblood.

The Corporate Shill:

• Represents a corporation exploiting locals

• Operates within legal boundaries but in immoral ways
• Potentially backed by vast resources and influence

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Any key leader of the Scions or the Warden of the Abyssal Keep.

52
2. THREATS THROUGH PHYSICAL OR MAGICAL MEANS
The Trapper:

• Designs dangerous traps, which they let loose on structures or people

• Leaves a mark or sigil on their creations
• Aims to protect something valuable with these traps, or wants to teach people a lesson (think
Riddler from ‘The Batman’)

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be a member of the Victorian Masonia or a demented Scion.

The Vigilante:

• Uses physical prowess enhanced by magical items or means

• Seeks recognition for deeds, not heritage
• Is convinced they are doing the right thing
• Might interfere with the party's plans due to their own justice agenda

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be the members of the Unseen Claw or the Forsaken.

The Pursuer:

• An unstoppable force constantly chasing the party

• Single-minded goal (e.g., revenge or artifact retrieval)
• Appears at the worst possible moments

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be a devouring belua or a crazed hunter.

3. MALEVOLENT ENTITIES AND UNEXPECTED THREATS

The Monkey’s Paw:

• Malevolent being that grants and twists wishes

• Misinterprets wishes to create chaos or trap players
• Players might need to defeat them to escape their realm

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be the Defiled Librarian or a Dreamer’s avatar.

The Unstable:

• Sudden magical powers lead to accidental havoc

• Unpredictable actions and consequences
• Represents a wildcard threat due to their lack of control

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be a Lightning Vessel or Earthbreaker barbarian, or
Abaddon, the failed sentinel.

53
The Mutant:

• Former ally now transformed into a threat

• Transformation is typically due to a curse (e.g., the Scourge)
• Dual nature: tries to hide the curse but might succumb to its evil

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be Vicar Priscilla or a Gerhard, though many other of the
fallen hunters fit this category.

Lovecraftian Entity:

• Ancient and incomprehensible being from beyond the known universe

• Its mere presence or awakening threatens reality itself
• Induces madness, despair, and existential dread in those who encounter it or its influences
• Operates on motives and plans beyond human understanding
• Might have cultists or followers trying to awaken or please it

In Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt: Could be any aberration tag of CR 10 or higher found in the
book—my personal favorites are the Goat-Mother or Orr.

54
55
Steinhardt’s
Combat Guide

56
 In this section, I'll share rules and tips that speed up combat, build tension, and bring horror elements
into your 5e combats. You'll also learn how to handle large horde fights without getting overwhelmed.
With these guidelines, you can orchestrate intense battles your players will love. Combat is a chance to
build drama and suspense, not just a time-filler.

I’ll also cover setting scenes, making resource management matter, using ambushes and traps, and
introducing moral dilemmas. For each of these, I’ll include examples showing how to apply the advice.

MAKING COMBAT FASTER

Gas gas gas, we need to step on the gas!

Why should combat be faster in 5e? When players have to wait too long for their turn, it can become
boring and break the game's flow. If combat is quicker, everyone stays involved, and the game feels more
energetic and exciting.

Below are various tips I use to make combat faster. I use all of them, but I find that the first two are the
ones that will save you the most time.

USE STATIC MONSTER DAMAGE

Not having to roll and calculate damage on every monster attack saves an incredible amount of time
during combat and makes no difference to the flow of the game. Multiple attacks, different attacks from
certain monsters, and attacks from multiple monsters will provide more than enough variation to the
amount of damage characters are taking.

Most 5th edition monsters, except the really old ones, are provided with the average of the monster’s
damage roll. Some think that this makes the monsters too predictable, but with the average round of
combat lasting 3 rounds and most monsters in the book having multiple attack types, your players won’t
have time to figure out you’re using the average damage before the monsters—or they—die. If you’re
really afraid of predictability, choose a number from 1 through 4 and add (or subtract) that number to
the damage as you see fit. This will save SO much time.

To put my money where my mouth is, I ran an example combat twice with two different parties. Each
fight was against 6 creatures—2 corvian dwellers and 4 scourge lycans—and I recorded the time it took
for me to complete my turn as a GM in each. In the first fight with each party I rolled for damage, and in
the second fight with each I took the average.

I saved 107% time per turn on average by taking the average compared to rolling and calculating
damage. That’s over twice as fast! If that doesn’t convince you to use average, I don’t know what will.

The bigger the scale of the combat the more I recommend doing this; if you have to calculate damage for
every single mob in the horde, it will take forever.

A note on spells: The only time where the average damage isn’t shown is on spellcasters. For
these creatures, calculate the average yourself and write them in your notes before your sessions.
You can determine the average damage quickly by multiplying the number of dice by the average
for each die. The average for each die is shown below (always round down):

D4: 2.5 D6: 3.5 D8: 4.5 D10: 5.5 D12: 6.5 D20: 10.5

57
DELEGATE INITIATIVE TRACKING AND OTHER TASKS
You have many things to handle during combat, especially in encounters featuring large numbers of
monsters. At the same time, the players are typically focused only on their single characters, with a fair bit
of downtime in between each character’s turn. As such, delegating some of your tasks to the players during
combat can make your life as a GM significantly easier and keep the players more engaged in the game.

Handling initiative is one of my go-tos. At the start of the session, or the combat, ask one of the players
to take on the job of writing down initiative rolls and keeping track of the order of combat. Then, when
battle begins, initiative becomes one less thing you need to worry about.

If the players enjoy taking on additional tasks, you might consider delegating other combat-focused
activities, such as tracking monster damage.

You’d be surprised how much time you can save by letting your players help you during the combat, and
it is really fun for players when they see the amount of damage they can rack up on your enemies. The
only exception I make to that rule is for enemies capable of regenerating health; keeping players in the
dark in regards to how much a monster has healed adds an element of uncertainty.

REVEAL THE MONSTER’S AC

Once the characters have attacked the monster a few times, reveal the AC of the creature so players can
figure out if they hit or miss without having to consult you. You can even write it down and show it to
them so they can reference it during the fight.

RULINGS
In 5e, rule disagreements can rise up, and they can bog down combat if everyone pulls out their phone
(or adds their two cents) to check which interpretation of the rules is correct. It kills the flow and slows
down combat, two things which we do not want to happen.

So what do you do in those situations?

I use the following guideline: the GM makes the final call, so for the duration of the combat, we will use
their ruling. At the same time, any players in disagreement can write down what they think is wrong on a
piece of paper or make a mental note.

Then, at the end of the session, you decide as a group what the correct ruling is and will know for
future sessions.

Note on the Rule of Cool: Most of the time it’s better to follow the written rules, but as the GM,
it’s your game. Feel free to ignore a ruling you think doesn’t fit or isn’t fun. Use what fits your
table best.

Sometimes as a GM you may choose to apply the rule of cool and let the players do something
awesome that the rules would otherwise not allow. If that’s the case, just let your players know,
hey this is ‘rule of cool’ and how I’m ruling for this particular moment in time. It might not affect
future events, but for now, this is what is happening.

I like to specify that it doesn’t affect future rulings, because later down the line you may realize
that what you allowed is game-breaking, and you might want to readjust. 58
RUN THEATER OF THE MIND
Battle maps can be fun for big crunchy battles with lots of different monsters and interesting terrain. For
quick skirmishes, you can run combat in the theater of the mind (a.k.a. your imagination) or use a quick
abstract battle map. Setting up PCs on a battle map and deciding how to move them around can drag on.
So for these occasions, theater of the mind can save valuable time. It works best when you don’t have a
map ready or when you’re too lazy to prepare one such map.

Most battles don't need to be big knock down, drag out slugfests. Keep theater of the mind combat in
your toolbox and use it for battles where positioning isn't nearly as important.

HAVE ALTERNATIVE OUTS

In a given fight, you should have alternate means for the combat to end beyond the default of “one side is
dead”, which doesn’t leave much room for nuance and can take unnecessary time.

To start, take a moment to put yourself in the situation and in the mind of the enemies your party is
fighting. Now make sure you know their goals:

Why are they fighting? What do they want to get out of it? Would they be open to negotiation? Is their heart
really in the fight, or is something else forcing the conflict? Are any of the bad guys in the fight in charge?

From there, you can develop alternatives to letting the fight continue to the bitter end. Some examples
that could result from the above questions:

• The Forsaken want an item from the party and will focus on the character with the item. If they can
steal it, they’ll run away from the fight with it.
• The enemies are a mercenary company. If too many of them are bloodied or killed, they’ll stage a
tactical retreat. Alternatively, they respond well to bribes.
• The Unseen Claw operate as a brave unified fighting force—until there’s only one of them left.
Then he or she pleads for their life.
• A crazed osteomancer has taken control of unwilling creatures to help him fight. They are bound to
his magic, so if he is killed, they will be freed.
• The Goat-Mother, fueled by the power of her nightmare realm, is destroying reality itself around the
PCs. They can’t fight her, they can only hope to escape through the portal… which is guarded by her spawns.
• Malach draws his power from multiple generators set up in his lair. By destroying them, much of his
power is cut off.
• The flight of screechwings is only interested in hit and run tactics. They will not stand and fight,
but instead engage, deal some damage, and then fly away.
• The manikins are all armed with self-destructing batteries, in case their master is killed.

As you can see, not only do you have a technique to shorten combats, you also have an effective
technique to build interesting encounters. Use of this method encourages skill checks and challenges,
dialogue, role playing, and creativity in combat.

Finally, if it becomes obvious that the party will absolutely crush the rest of the encounter, offer to end
the encounter early. They’ll take the damage from a round of combat randomly distributed, and the
fight will end.

59
 Rest Changes For Dark Fantasy
(a.k.a Making 5e Harder)
Or how one night’s sleep won’t mend ruptured flesh and mind.

In darker and grittier campaigns, it can be unrealistic for intense battles to be shrugged off with just one
night's sleep. Included below are revised rest rules to up the ante:

Why use these rules?

To set the tone of dark fantasy, it is important that the players feel that their character’s are on the edge
of a precipice, with one wrong decision potentially causing their doom. The way the 5th-edition rules
handle recovery after battle is very generous, and is fitting of high fantasy settings. It unfortunately isn’t
ideal for dark fantasy worlds like Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt.

An effective way to fix this is to alter the way long and short rests work. These are the changes I
implement in my games to make recovery harder—feel free to try them in your own games:

60
LONG REST MODIFICATION
Characters can only gain the full benefits of a long rest in designated safe areas (e.g., the Grand Cathedral
or a heavily guarded inn). The reasoning behind this is simple: you sleep much better at night knowing
that you don’t risk getting ambushed or murdered in your sleep. The mental anguish would cause your
sleep to be less restful.

A safe area is any location where the party can genuinely relax without fear of being attacked. As a GM, a
simple way to determine whether a location counts as a safe area or not is to ask: “Would the party need
to set up a watch for the night?”

If the answer is no, then you can count it a safe area. If the answer is yes, then it is not a safe area, and
they only get a partial long rest (see below).

Note: If your players argue that the area they are in is safe, and you are unsure, err on the side of
caution, and do not consider it a safe area. You can always throw fewer encounters their way the
following day if needed, but I find it better to leave them with fewer resources, as it often leads to
more interesting gameplay.

Rest Disruption

If a long rest is halted, be it by a combat, ambush, emergency meeting, or otherwise, players only gain the
benefits of a partial long rest (see below). If they do not return to complete the long rest immediately
after the interruption, they gain the benefits of a short rest only.

SHORT REST ADJUSTMENTS

Only the first two short rests after a long rest (not a partial long rest) recharge abilities, like a warlock's
Pact Magic or a monk’s ki points. Additional short rests before taking a long rest solely permit hit dice
rolls for hit point recovery.

Tip: You can reduce a short rest's time to 10 minutes.

PARTIAL LONG RESTS

Resting outside of safe zones, meaning anywhere where you’d have to set up watch, offers limited
recovery. At the end of a partial long rest, characters:

• Regain one-third of spent Hit Dice instead of one-half.

• Regain the use of abilities that recharge on short rests. However, long rest-specific abilities remain
depleted.
• Don’t lose levels of exhaustion, but they don’t gain any as a result of not taking a long rest.
• Spell Slot Recovery: Spellcasters regain spell slots with a combined level equal to half their class
level (rounded up). For instance, a 4th-level wizard could regain a 2nd-level slot or two 1st-level slots.
• Regain the option to take one short rest that recharges abilities before they must take a long rest. If
they were already able to do so, they can take one additional short rest that recharges abilities (to a
maximum of two).

61
OPTIONAL RULE: MENTAL STRAIN
After particularly traumatising events, such as witnessing a party member’s death, dying and coming
back, losing a limb, succumbing to a great number of madnesses, or other fun things that can happen
with Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, the GM can use the Mental Strain rule.

During what would be the first long rest (or partial long rest) that the party takes following the traumatic
event, you can ask each character to make a saving throw.

Depending on the severity of the event, the DC can range from 10 to 30. The saving throw can target any
one of the mental saving throws (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). On a failed saving throw, the
character only gets the benefits of a partial long rest if they would have finished a long rest, and only the
benefits of a short rest if they would have finished a partial long rest, and in either case, they also gain
one level of exhaustion.

Use the following guidelines to determine which saving throw to use:

Intelligence (INT):

Represents: Logical reasoning, memory, knowledge, and deduction.

Saving Throws: Typically against effects that assault or deceive the mind.
Examples: Certain illusion spells, effects that alter memories, or spells that sap mental capacity.

Gaining multiple madnesses in a day or witnessing mind-shattering illusions could require an Intelligence
saving throw for the mental strain.

Wisdom (WIS):

Represents: Intuition, perception, common sense, and willpower.

Saving Throws: Often against effects that try to cloud, dominate, or manipulate the mind.
Examples: Charm effects, compulsions, or things that attack the senses or one's sense of self.

Most effects, such as witnessing a horrifying death, losing a limb, and other similarly happy events,
require a Wisdom saving throw for the mental strain.

Charisma (CHA):

Represents: Force of personality, confidence, eloquence, and personal magnetism.

Saving Throws: Typically against effects that try to subdue or override a character's sense of self,
presence, or personal force.
Examples: Banishment effects, possession, or effects that might subsume your personality.

This can include dying and being brought back to life or having been banished to nightmare realms, and
would require a Charisma saving throw for the mental strain as you try to retain your sense of self.

62
 Weaving Horror
Inside of 5e Combat
While 5e is a versatile system capable of handling a variety of themes and tones, it's not inherently
designed for horror. The empowerment fantasy at the core of most 5e campaigns can sometimes clash
with the disempowerment typically associated with horror. However, there are ways to adjust your
approach to combat to better serve a horror-themed campaign. Here's how:

REBALANCING POWER DYNAMICS

Limit Resources

One of the quickest ways to instill fear is to make resources scarce. Whether it's ammunition, healing
potions, or spell slots, scarcity can make every decision in combat feel weighty and terrifying. See the Rest
Changes for Dark Fantasy section above for detailed advice to do just that.

Increase Vulnerability

Consider mechanics that weaken the players. This could be environmental factors, like darkness or fog, or
conditions imposed by enemies, like curses, poisons or madness.

As a rule of thumb, avoid using effects and abilities that remove player agency. Effects that remove
the player from the game, like being stunned, paralyzed, or banished, aren’t fun. Instead, make them
struggle with other effects, such as frequent disadvantage, harder checks, increase the damage dealt to
them, or lower their damage output via resistances and other means.

63
UNPREDICTABLE COMBAT
In a horror-themed 5e campaign, combat encounters should be more than just physical confrontations;
they should also serve as psychological battlegrounds. Let your players have their regular all-out brawls,
but don’t be afraid to mix and match some psychological elements in there too. Here are some of most
common ways you can unsettle your players in combat:

Ambushes and Traps: Use ambushes and traps to keep players on their toes. The sudden onset of
danger can serve as a psychological jolt, increasing tension.

Unpredictable Enemies: Employ creatures that can change form, become invisible, or use illusions. The
uncertainty of what the enemy will do next adds a psychological layer to the combat.

Madness: Introduce madness saves during combat when players witness something truly horrifying. A
failed check could impose disadvantages or—infrequently—temporary loss of control over actions
(activating friendly fire for example).

Fear: Use spells or monster abilities that induce fear. If a character is frightened, they become less
efficient in combat; if the entire party becomes frightened, fleeing becomes a tempting option.

Non-Combatants: Introduce innocent bystanders or hostages into the combat scenario. Players will have
to decide whether to focus solely on the enemy or try to save others, adding a moral dilemma to the
fight.

Friendly Fire: Use scenarios where the enemy is indistinguishable from allies or uses them as shields.
This forces players to think twice before attacking.

High Stakes: Make the consequences of using powerful spells or items clear. For example, using a
powerful artifact might draw the attention of an even more terrifying cosmic entity. Check out page 283
of Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt for more detailed information about this.

Taunts and Distractions: Have enemies use psychological tactics, like taunting or revealing unsettling
truths, to throw characters off balance.

False Information: Use illusions or deceptive tactics to make players question the reality of the combat
situation. Is that really the enemy, or is it an illusion?

EXAMPLE ENCOUNTER: THE SCOURGE LYCAN

Setting the Stage

The party finds themselves in the Waterfront District of Luyarnha, filled with gas lamps, cobblestone
streets, and a sense of foreboding. Rumors have been circulating about bestial attacks during the full
moon, and tonight, the moon is glaringly bright. The city streets are eerily empty, and the distant howls
and sound of gunshots are the only thing breaking the silence.

64
65
Preparing the Encounter

Limited Resources: The party has just come out of another encounter. They have few spells and healing
potions (or holy tonics) left.

Environmental Factors: The gas lamps on the streets flicker, casting unsettling shadows. Alleys are pitch
black, and the howls seem to be coming closer.

Madness: Prepare the Short-Term Madness table of Steinhardt’s Guide. The beast’s howls and presence
will trigger it.

Monsters: Three scourge lycans (Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt, page 317).

Building the Encounter

Initial Confrontation: The party hears footsteps and growling from multiple directions. They must
decide whether to stand their ground or seek refuge in a nearby abandoned house.

Ambush:

• If they stay in the streets, the lycans will attempt to ambush them by jumping down from the rooftops,
first throwing down the corpse of a child they just murdered to throw the party off (to set the tone).
• If they go into the house, they’ll realize their mistake. Another lycan has already broken in and is
feasting on the corpse of an unfortunate soul, while two humans holding each other are lurking in the
corner, terrified, and probably the next items on the menu. The party now finds themselves in between
the lycan in the building and the ones coming down from the roofs.

Moral Dilemma: Introduce the group of innocent civilians trapped in a nearby building. The party must
decide whether to help them or focus on their own survival. Defending them will prove tough, as the
lycans have an ability that allows them to regain hit points when they devour flesh, and the civilians are
far easier targets.

Running the Encounter

Thrown Corpse: If the players stay in the street, seeing the child’s maimed corpse falling from the roof is
enough to scar their mind. Force a Wisdom saving throw against madness on the whole party.

Fear: Use the lycans’ appetite to force Wisdom saving throws. If a character or NPC is devoured alive, you
can force a Wisdom saving throw against fear or madness. Fear could be more fun, as the character would
be unable to move, only to watch the lycan move on to their next prey.

Resource Management: Remind the players of their dwindling resources. Each spell cast or potion
consumed should feel like a significant choice. You can do so simply by saying “Are you sure?” after they
want to chug a potion. Watch them squirm and ponder their decision. Yes, I’m evil.

Consequences: Make it clear that failure has high stakes. If a lycan lands a bite, describe the rotten
substance that drips from their jaw, force a madness save, and describe how the affected player sees a
vision of them turning into a deformed monster, adding another layer of dread.

Narrative Elements: Throughout the combat, use descriptive language to heighten the horror. Describe
the lycans’ snarls, the foul glint of their fangs in the torchlight, and the inhumane force of their attacks.

This encounter isn’t scary on a surface level—it’s only 3 scourge lycans—but with some planning and
adjustments you can create a memorable and horrifying experience that leverages both the combat
mechanics of 5e and the thematic elements of horror. 66
 Horde Combat
Or how to throw 100 enemies at your players and make it fun.

I. DAMAGE TRACKING FOR THE HORDE

• Note down the number of monsters within the horde
• Note down the hit points of one typical monster within the horde (you can round to the nearest 5
or 10 for simpler calculations).
• Consolidate all damage received by the horde into a single hit point pool.
• When accumulated damage exceeds the hit points of one or multiple monsters, eliminate monsters
from the horde and reset the damage count. Any excess damage should be carried over.

Example

The party is engaging a horde of 20 skeletons. A skeleton has an average of 13 hit points, but we will
round it down to 10 to make things simple. There are 20 skeletons in your horde.

Your notes should look like this:

Number of creatures (Nb): 20 HP (out of 10): 10

The barbarian rushes in and lands a big critical hit for a total of 27 points of damage. With that damage,
2 skeletons go down, and the damage carries over. So now your notes should look like this:

Nb: 20 18 HP (out of 10): 10 3

And you keep going until the number of skeletons drops to 0 (or the number of party members does).

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II. HORDE ATTACKS AND DAMAGE DISTRIBUTION
Assign which horde monsters attack which character. Start by looking at the situation. Does the horde
have ranged attacks? Are any of the characters up front and likely to take more hits than everyone else?

Our base assumption should be that the monsters attack the characters equally.

If there are 50 skeletons and 5 characters, 10 skeletons will attack each character. If one character
manages to hide from the skeletons, the skeletons divide their attacks among the rest.

If a scenario evolves and the monsters can't attack, they deal no damage. For example, if there is a choke
point, and the skeletons don’t have ranged attacks, they can’t hit the players.

Note: An isolated character that is completely surrounded can be targeted by a maximum number
of 8 creatures in melee.

To save time in combat, if you are preparing to make your players take on a horde, use average damage to
not spend hours rolling damage dice (see page XX).

To determine if an attack hits for each creature, roll a d4 instead of a d20. Use the following attack
success rate guidelines:

• Base: A roll of 1-2 is a miss, and a roll of 3-4 is a hit.

• With Advantage: Only a 1 misses.
• With Disadvantage: Only a 4 hits.

If a creature has a very high AC, or gains a higher AC through casting the shield spell—something that
only a 15+ on the d20 used for their normal attack roll would hit—consider making only a 4 hit. Consider
asking your players for their AC before combat so you can adjust the attack rolls accordingly.

Example

If we take our skeletons as above, they have a +4 to hit. This means that any AC above 19 is considered
very high AC for this fight, and anything below is considered normal AC.

So our barbarian who charged into the fray is now surrounded by 8 skeletons. He only has 17 AC, which
means we use the base rolls. We roll 8 d4s. 3 of them show a 3 or 4, so that’s 3 hits. Using the average
damage, our barbarian takes 15 damage.

8 attacks and their damage is wrapped up in less than a minute—very nice!

III. HANDLING AREA OF EFFECT (AOE) ATTACKS

Determine Affected Monsters

Assess the area impacted and judge the number of creatures within. Favor densely packed scenarios for
dramatic effects.

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 Rough estimates for creatures affected by AoE size:
• Small AoE (e.g., flaming sphere): 4 creatures
• Medium AoE (e.g., burning hands): 8 creatures
• Large AoE (e.g., fireball): 16 creatures
• Huge AoE (e.g., circle of death): 32 creatures

Resolve Saving Throws and Damage:

Horde monsters are usually weaker grunts. Typically, only 1 in 4 monsters succeed on saving throws.
Adjust this based on context; if you use monsters with very high Dexterity scores, consider making 1 in 2
succeed against Dexterity saves instead.

In exceptional or heroic moments, consider having all monsters fail their saves.

If the AoE damage surpasses the hit points of an individual monster, remove those affected. Any
residual damage after exact kills should be added to the horde's damage tally, which might result in
further eliminations.

Manage Status Effects:

If an AoE confers a status effect, assume 1 in 4 of the affected creatures succeed and are afflicted. These
creatures may be narratively described or temporarily removed from combat to avoid meticulous tracking.

Example

It’s now the wizard’s turn, and she casts the shatter spell. Considered a medium AoE, it catches 8
creatures.

She rolls 3d8 for damage: 14 thunder damage!

Our horde skeletons have 10 hit points. Using the AoE rules above, 1 in 4 succeed. So, for 8 creatures, 2
succeed on the saving throw and 6 fail. These 6 skeletons instantly die.

So our note for the hordes would look like this:

Nb: 20 HP (out of 10): 10

Nb: 20 14 HP (out of 10): 10

The remaining 2 in the AoE take 7 damage each, but we count the horde as one entity, so our notes
would then look like this:

Nb: 20 14 HP (out of 10): 10

Damage taken: 7 + 7 = 14

Nb: 20 13 HP (out of 10): 10 6

So her spell killed 7 skeletons and damaged an 8th one.

I broke down the math to be as clear as possible, but there’s no need to write everything out in your
own notes.

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IV. ADDITIONAL HORDE MANAGEMENT TIPS
Narrative Focus:

Emphasize the story. Instead of detailing mechanics, paint a vivid picture of hordes charging, spells
detonating, and heroes standing resilient. This is an epic moment; don’t get bogged down by mechanics
too much.

Reflavoring Creatures:

Use one stat block for different monsters in the horde. Describe variations in appearance or behavior
without altering mechanics. You can say that the horde is composed of zombies and skeletons, but only
use one of these stat blocks for your entire horde.

Combine Horde with Single Entities:

Using a horde alongside distinct creatures (e.g., a zombie horde with a scourge lycan that gets its own
actual stat block) creates a more layered combat scenario.

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Author: Evan “MonkeyDM” Mascaro

Editing: Evan “MonkeyDM” Mascaro, Jessic Gombart

Formatting & Layout: Evan “MonkeyDM” Mascaro, Martin
Kirby-Jackson

Cover Illustrator: Marcelo Orsi Blanco

Interior Illustrators: Marcelo Orsi Blanco, Maximiliano
Moretto, Alan Marson “Dark Lord Studios”, Roman
Kuzmin, Carl Hassler, Ryan Bittner, Martin Kirby-
Jackson, Caio Santos.

ISBN: 978-1-962963-05-3
First Edition printed: 17/11/2023

Steinhardt’s Guide to the Eldritch Hunt GM Cheatbook

©2023, MonkeyDM Publishing SRL.
All rights reserved.

Reference to copyright material in no way constitutes a

challenge to the respective copyright holder of that
material. MonkeyDM, the MonkeyDM logo, Steinhardt’s
Guide to the Eldritch Hunt and its respective logo are
trademarks of MonkeyDM Publishing SRL.

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