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DARKNESS
A B OOK OF M ONSTERS
C H A P T E R 0
I NTRODUCTION
This is a supplement about monsters.
As a game of modern fantasy, ternal Legends focuses on presenting the trappings and feel of the fantasy
genre in the modern day. That said, the monsters of folklorevampires and werewolves, zombies and
ghostsshow up in enough fantasy stories that they can make good foils for Legends. A circle receives word
of a vampire lord who rules a near-forgotten Pocket Kingdom with an iron fist and an army of the undead. A
group of new Legends must deal with the werewolf pack picking off their community.
ternal Legends is the roleplaying game of fantasy heroics in the modern world. You can get it as a print
book from Lulu, as a Print + PDF bundle from Indie Press Revolution, or in PDF from RPGNow.
C H A P T E R I
V AMPIRES
Tales of vampires go back into the mists of history. These creatures need the blood of the living in order to
feed, but in return they do not age and cannot be killedoutside of specific circumstances.
Elder Vampire
This vampire is a classic of his kind, risen to prominence in an Eastern-European country over hundreds of
years, with hundreds of people under his command through a combination of nobility and mind-bending illu-
sions. Though hes probably swapped the opera cloak for a designer suit, his bearing and very nature exudes au-
thority.
i - VAMPIRES 4
Body/Health: 4/8 (-Daylight)
Mind/Wits: 3/7 (+Cunning, -Daylight)
Presence/Will: 5/9 (+Charming)
Ethos: 2 (Beliefs: I was made to control, Blood is Life)
Magic: 6
Aptitudes: Vampire 3, Lived For Many Centuries 2, Magecraft: Illusion 3, High-Born 4+Skill: Silver Tongue
Initiative: 9
Conflict: Sword-cane (5, wound), Grapple 4, Bite (7, wound, must grapple first), Debate (11)
Expertise: The Right to Rule (Presence + High-Born)
An elder vampire can change into a bat or wolf at the cost of 1 Magic. Either transformation replaces the
Vampire Aptitude with the appropriate animal aptitude. A bats Body is 1, but it can fly. A wolf can bite using
Body + Wolf, its teeth are 1 Force (wound) weapons.
If an elder vampire is killed, he will return to life when someone spills blood over his remains.
The mind-control effects alluded to in folklore come from use of Illusion spells.
C H A P T E R I I
W EREWOLVES
Werewolves speak to the untamed wilds, the areas where people should not walk if they want to remain safe.
The threat posed by werewolves range from an established pack living far from humanity who guard their terri-
tory closely, to a lone marauder wandering far and wide in search of territory of his own.
Pack Hunters
Many werewolves have a pack instinct, grouping together with their own kind to rule a territory. Though its a
psychological compulsion, its nearly impossible to break even if the individual werewolves hate one another.
The packs typically two or three werewolves under the control of an alpha wolf.
ii - WEREWOLVES 9
Alpha Wolf
Body/Health: 3/7
Mind/Wits: 3/7 (+Cunning)
Presence/Will: 2/6 (-Insular)
Ethos: 2 (Beliefs: Being alone is worse than death, My territory means my rules)
Magic: 6
Aptitudes: Werewolf 4, Hunter 2+Skill: Tracking, Mechanic 2
Initiative: 6
Conflict: Hunting Knife (7, wound), Compound Bow (8, wound), Tracking (7)
Expertise: Hunt You Down (Mind + Hunter)
Werewolves
All Attributes 2 (+Cunning, -Insular)
All Traits 6
Aptitudes: Werewolf 3
Pack hunters can transform into wolves or a hybrid form that mixes both man and wolf in a terrifying knot of
muscle and fur. For the three nights surrounding the full moon, they cannot take human form unless the sun is
up.
In wolf form, Werewolf becomes the Wolf animal aptitude, applicable to tracking, hunting, biting, and
generally being a wolf. Bites deal 0 Force (wound) damage.
In hybrid form, increase Body and Health by 3, and gain the Strong Edge on Body and the Incoherent Flaw on
Presence. In this form, claws deal 0 Force (Wound), and bites 2 Force (Wound).
ii - WEREWOLVES 10
The Werewolf Aptitude
The Werewolf aptitude is a combat aptitude that covers the use of a werewolfs natural weapons (bite and claw)
in any nonhuman form, using animal senses, and hunting people.
Shapeshifting: A werewolf can change shape. If the Aptitude is 2 or below, the werewolf shifts involuntarily
into a monstrous form on the three nights surrounding the full moon. Shes unaware of what transpires in this
form. +4 Body (+Strong), +1 Mind (+Cunning, -Obsessive), 1 Presence (-Incoherent), Claws (0 Force,
wound), Bite (2 Force, Wound), Thick Hide (2 points armour).
If the Aptitude is 3 or above, she can change shape at will, but cannot return to human form in the three nights
surrounding the full moon. The werewolfs hybrid form is weaker, but shes able to remain in control. +3 Body
(+Strong), +0 Presence (-Incoherent), Claws (0 Force, wound), Bite (2 Force, wound).
Werewolves can also transform into wolves, if their Aptitude is 3 or above. The characters Attributes and Traits
dont change. The Werewolf Aptitude becomes a Wolf aptitude, covering tracking, hunting, and generally doing
what wolves do. In this form, bites do 0 Force (wound) damage.
Regeneration: A werewolf removes the full track of his rightmost Stun injury every turn. She also reduces her
rightmost Wound or Mortal injury (whichevers worse) by her Werewolf Aptitude each turn. If her Aptitude is
greater than the amount of damage dealt, she doesnt heal part of the next injury. Assume that the werewolf
heals all outstanding damage at the end of each scene.
Extra Health: Werewolves have a lot of health in hybrid form. Wounds remain in the same tracks as before,
but if shes got a free track to the left of her earliest injury, new injuries have to fill in that space first. This ap-
plies even if the werewolfs already blown through from Wound to Mortal.
Examp le: Kiras a werewolf, with Health 6. Shes taken a pounding: shes got two Stun injuries, one for three points and one
for five, and one Wound for four points. Her human-form health track looks like this (ignoring the Mortal track):
ii - WEREWOLVES 11
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One she takes three more Wound injuries, shell have filled up her spare and will start marking injuries to the right of her exist-
ing ones as normal.
When a werewolf shifts back to human form, injuries in the spare health tracks dont affect her, even if one
has blown through to a mortal wound. These injuries have no real effect, but heal as normal for a werewolf.
The Curse: A normal human or Aware who is bitten by a werewolf, taking at least 1 point of damage from a
bite attack, will turn into a werewolf at the next full moon. The victim should record 1 point in the Werewolf
Aptitude, but can only use this at the next full moon, at which point she transforms (and becomes Aware, if not
ii - WEREWOLVES 12
already). If the werewolf who cursed her is killed before then, everyone she has bitten will recover. Legends
cannot be turned into werewolves in this way.
Silver: Any weapon made from silver ignores the werewolfs natural armour (if any), and wounds caused by it
do not heal without medical attention, nor do those to the left of the silver injury. A silver-plated weapon is on-
ly useful for one attack, whether it does damage or not. A silver weapon (including silver bullets) subtracts 1
from its Force. Silver thats less than 90% pure has no effect.
13
C H A P T E R I I I
Z OMBIES
Shambling horrors from beyond the grave, zombies are mindless creatures who hunger for warm flesh. Leg-
ends mostly face zombies when powerful Darksiders unleash necromantic magic to raise the dead, through
some Interstices refuse to let the dead lie, and strange artifacts and viruses can also raise those thought dead.
Zombies do not have agency. Once someones a zombie, theyre already dead, with no way back. One zombie is
often not a problem, but a hundred or a thousand are bad news.
Zombies
Body/Health: 3/7 (+Unflinching)
Mind/Wits: 1/5 (-Feral)
Presence/Will: 0/0
Aptitudes: BRAAAAINS!! 4
Conflict: Grapple (7), Bite (7, wound, must be grappled first), Unarmed (7, stun), Scavenged club (8, stun)
Zombies do not take any defensive actions, and have a Mind score simply because theyre able to perceive
sources of food (creatures giving off heat and making noise) and head towards them. They only use Wits to buy
actions: either attacking and attempting to grapple, or grappling and attempting to bite.
iii - ZOMBIES 14
Zombies do not suffer any penalties or unconsciousness due to injury, and just keep going until a Mortal injury
fills its whole column, at which point the body is destroyed. Anyone who takes damage from a zombies bite at-
tack will return as a zombie when she dies (though Legends are immune).
The Lich-King
Some demented sorcerers study the lore of death, seeking immortality and a command over the energies of the
damned. The Lich-King is a Darksider who has done just that, binding his spirit to his body, so that sickness,
old age, and the blade of a Legend cannot shuffle him off this mortal coil. He first founded his temple beneath
the city streets two hundred years ago in order to continue his studies, and hes finally taking apprentices. Hes
quickly coming up to Dark Lord status, making him a good foil for a long-term ternal Legends game.
The Lich-Kings skin is Distinctive, in that its old, wrinkled, and worn, like ancient parchment.
Spells
Service Beyond Death
Cost 6, Threshold 3
Domains: Alteration of Death, Creation of Security, Destruction of Rest
To some wizards, the best guards are those who do not speak, dont think for themselves, and who dont
breathe. This spell raises a small number of zombies who act as guards within the wizards lair.
System: The wizard raises one zombie per point scored on the roll. The summoned zombies last for a year, or
until destroyed. The spellcaster can specify a list of people whom they wont attack, anyone else is fair game.
The spell binds the undead to a specific location that they cannot leave.
Breakdown: Significant effect (Cost 5/Threshold 3); Duration (+2); Limited Area (-1)
System: An army of the undead100 per point scored on the rollclimb from their graves to feast upon liv-
ing flesh, throughout an area the size of a small town. Once created, the spellcaster cant control the horde of
zombies, but she does leave enough of an imprint that the zombies wont attack her. When the sun next rises,
the zombies fall down dead once again; anyone bitten who has survived until that point will not rise as a zombie
if they die.
iii - ZOMBIES 16
Breakdown: Significant effect (Cost 5/Threshold 3); Affects area (+1); Creates horde (+2)
C H A P T E R I V
C URSED H EROES
The information on vampires and werewolves is all well and good for introducing them into the world of
ternal Legends as antagonists, but what about playable characters? Looking at them through the same sort
of lens that ternal Legends throws over other fantasy tropes shows some possibilities for making both
vampires and werewolves into Clades. After all, the basic urges that make these creatures into monsters play
well against the beliefs held by a lot of people about equality, or just plain not chowing down on people.
Like humans, vampires and werewolves get a full Clade write-up, but arent notably Bright or Dull. Thats up to
the individual to decide whether he wants to fight against the monster within, or to revel in what he has be-
come.
V AMPIRE
Overview
The legends speak true. Vampires live among humanity, deathless creatures who need the blood of the living to
survive. Some revel in their nature as parasites on the necks of the living, giving themselves over fully to their
vampiric nature. Some spend their nights in anguish, trying to deny the monster within.
Most dont think philosophising is going to help, and want to get on with their lives.
Vampires need blood to survive, but nobody said it had to be human bloodits tasty, not necessary. Where
vampires are a known part of an Aware community, they make deals with butchers and slaughterhouses to get
enough blood wholesale. Its like drinking decaf after a lifetime on espresso, but its better than the other op-
tion. Some vampire communities, and some loners, decide that they dont want to subsist on animal blood, and
cultivate groups of humans who willingly give up a pint or two each month to keep the vampires happy. Often,
these groups can exist without the authorities knowing, and even away from Aware society at large. Naturally,
that lack of contact leads to a lot of ill-feeling among those vampires who dont think they should hide.
Appearance
Vampires look a lot like humans, since they live among them so easily. Average height is a couple of inches tall-
er than for humans of the same gender, and its rare to find a vampire whos stocky, let alone overweightthey
dont metabolise blood in the same way that other Aware metabolise food. Dress-wise, many vampires gravitate
towards high fashion, often along with high-paying jobs. Others prefer torn denim and whatever work they can
get on the graveyard shift. Despite the fact that sunlight isnt fatal, its very rare to find a middle-class vampire.
iv CURSED HEROES 19
To Aware eyes, vampires stand out a little more. Their eyes are brilliant hues, many not found among hu-
manspurple and red are just as common as green and blue. Vampires ears come to a soft point, and though
the fangs extend to feed, they never fully retract.
Clade Characteristics
Vampires are smooth and hypnotic speakers who can get anyone to go along with them. This helps ease the way
among newly-Aware people who only have Hollywood and horror novels to go on. The sun remains their bane,
making it painful to do anything when in daylight.
All vampires have the Presence Edge: Persuasive and the Body Flaw: Daylight
A vampire gains a point of Hunger each day. Drinking one pint of fresh human blood removes one point of
Hunger. Drinking three pints of animal blood, or blood sourced from a transfusion service, will also remove a
point of Hunger if the vampire spends a point of Will. Once her Hunger hits 15, a vampire dies of starvation.
When her Hunger is higher than her Magic, a vampire can do nothing but try to get bloodusually by attacking
anyone close enough. The vampire first must grapple her victim, then bite with Body + Aptitude (dealing
wound damage). Each wound she deals removes one point of Hunger.
In a Pocket Kingdom, vampires do not age, and do not need to eat, drink, or breathe as long as they have a
supply of blood.
Legends
Dead Flesh (Passive): After Manifesting, a vampires flesh becomes denser, and gives them more of an ap-
pearance of being a walking corpse. He grows paler, and cool to the touch, and his pulse (if he still has one) is
buried well enough that nobody can find it. A vampiric Legend treats any firearm attack as stun damage.
The Hunger (Active): The blood of the Aware carries some of their magic within. A vampiric legend can
drink it to gain their power. Each wound that she deals when drinking from an Aware victim gives her a point
iv CURSED HEROES 20
of Magic, in addition to removing Hunger. The vampire can also voluntarily take extra Hunger in place of
spending points of Magic, on a one-for-one basis.
Spheres
For simplicitys sake, vampires use the Sphere powers of other Clades, as follows.
Splendour: Elf (minor), Gnome (major)
Victory: Human (minor), Elf (major)
Beauty: Dwarf (minor), Elf (major)
Strength: Elf (minor), Human (major)
Mercy: Human (minor), Dwarf (major)
W EREWOLF
Overview
Werewolves may be beasts who live as men, or a people cursed to reveal their inner monster when the moon
shines full. Nobody among the Aware knows for sure, though some families of moon-touched share their own
legendslegends that are one part wishful thinking to two parts New Age hokum.
What people do know: Werewolves exist. Normally they look like anyone else on the street.. In the light of the
full moon, they change into wolves and prowl the streets, awaking when the sun rises with no memory of what
theyve done.
The very nature of a werewolfs existence causes problems for most. Not knowing what happens on those three
nights a monthwho shes hurt, who shes killedis a real pressure on the minds of most. Its for this reason
iv CURSED HEROES 21
that many werewolves, more than any other Clade, turn to religion. As part of an Unaware congregation, the
werewolf finds that she can put faith in something far above her, something that she can trust without ever
knowing. And if she can trust in that, just maybe she can trust that shes not killed anyone when shes changed.
A few others who cant share their fellows faith either live in denial, hoping that nothing bad happens when
shifted, or lock themselves in secure rooms far away from anyone they may hurt.
Appearance
Werewolves look like short, stocky humans. Average height is three or four inches shorter than that of humans
of the same gender, though werewolves have the same weight range. All werewolves have thick, shiny hair that
grows very quickly: two inches or more in a week. Men have thick stubble less than six hours after shaving.
Both genders have thick eyebrows, and thick, fuzzy hair on their arms and legs.
To Aware eyes, a werewolf has a more animalistic cast. Her brows overhang, and her muzzle sticks forwards,
highlighting a mouth full of long, sharp teeth. Almost her whole body is covered in a layer of thick hair.
Clade Characteristics
Werewolves retain a lot of their animal instincts throughout the month, and can turn that to more mundane
problems. However, they find it hard to overcome those same instincts if the immediate course of action goes
against their best interests.
All werewolves have the Mind Edge: Cunning and the Mind Flaw: Instinctive
For the three nights around the full moon, the werewolf transforms into a large wolf, with the same Attributes
and Traits as in her human form, and a the Aptitude: Wolf 3. A werewolf doesnt remember what happens dur-
ing those three nights. Her bite deals 0 Force (wound) damage.
In a Pocket Kingdom, werewolves can transform into their wolf form at will, and remember what happens.
Only on a full moon do they forget.
iv CURSED HEROES 22
Legends
Heightened Instincts (Passive): A werewolf who Manifests retains the animal synthesis between mind and
body in every form. Increase total Wits by 2
The Beast Within (Active): The werewolf can unleash the animal within, becoming a terrifying blend of teeth
and claws for a time. She must spend a point of Magic to take on this form. The werewolfs hybrid form has
+3 Body (+Strong), +0 Presence (-Incoherent), Claws (0 Force, wound), Bite (2 Force, wound). She has extra
Health as noted for the Werewolf Aptitude (p. 10), but must spend a point of Will to take any action that
doesnt involve hunting or killing something.
Spheres
For simplicitys sake, werewolves use the Sphere powers of other Clades, as follows.
Splendour: Gnome (minor), Dwarf (major)
Victory: Gnome (minor), Dwarf (major)
Beauty: Elf (minor), Gnome (major)
Strength: Human (minor), Dwarf (major)
Mercy: Gnome (minor), Human (major)