Ecology of Vampires in Sunnydale (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game)

I was looking in all the wrong books for more information on vampires in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game (Buffy) because my copy of Monster Smackdown (MS) was out of place on the bookshelf. It contains some really great, in-depth information on vampires’ behavior in Chapter Two (Die Young, Live Forever, pp. 14-33) that I used to write the following Ecology of Vampires in Sunnydale. 

I am also using the Angel Roleplaying Game (Angel) and Ghosts of Albion (Ghosts) as corebooks. My take on vampires differs slightly from the one presented in Monster Smackdown and the Buffyverse canon.

Bear in mind that I disallow Charmed One, Slayer, and Promised One (Army of Darkness, p. 39), et.al., because I do not allow “Central Character” Qualities. Unless everyone in the group takes the Quality, at least one PC will be favored over the others, and that does not make for a fair, balanced, or fun game for everyone at the table. If everyone agrees to take the Quality, then I might allow it, but that’s a theoretical. I do allow Slayer-in-Training (Slayer’s Handbook, p. 32). Either way, my campaign fits the “Vampire Hunters” definition given in Monster Smackdown (pp. 32-33) - which is what I am going for. Angel Investigations does exist, but is in Los Angeles.

I am using Influence from the Abomination Codex, p. 25. The Influence Skill (Buffy, p. 55) has been renamed Charm. I have previously published a skill tree of specializations (1-pt. - Military Monster Squad Initiative Handbook PDF, p. 25), which you can find on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game Page in the sidebar. I also use both Brawling (WitchCraft PDF, p. 96) and Magic Bolt (Abomination Codex, p. 27), in addition to Kung-Fu and Sports (Throw). 

Finally, I eliminated the Perception stat, as having both it and Notice is redundant. Notice+INT is your Perception (PCN) score. Vampires get Perception bonuses to several senses, so this may be important (although I don’t believe it is directly applicable to the following). This does not change the points totals for Character Types (Angel, p. 22).

Overview

While the existence of bite dens (MS, pp. 23-24) remains something everyone wishes to keep under wraps, the existence of vampires is known to be more than mere rumor - at least by 80% of the Sunnydale populace. Some people refer to this as “Sunnydale’s Open Secret.” This percentage decreases by 5% for every 100 miles away from the Hellmouth one gets. The knowledge of the existence of Slayers, and even other demons, is nowhere near as high. 

Only 1 in 10 people know of Slayers, the Watchers, or anything associated with either; only 2 in 10 know of the existence of other (non-vampire) demons; and only 2 in 10 know of the existence of other Supernatural types, such as Witches, Ghosts, and Werewolves.

This does not mean that people who are far from the Hellmouth are unfamiliar with the concepts of these Supernatural critters, nor even that they do not believe in them. Were they to definitively learn of these creatures’ existence, they might not be surprised, but they are less likely to know that they exist than someone from Sunnydale. Few people are familiar with Slayers or Watchers, or their Lore, even in Sunnydale.

Part of the reason that so few people know about the existence of other demons is that vampires are prolific throughout the region, and other demons are not. One has to go farther toward Los Angeles to encounter a more diverse roster of demons regularly; Sunnydale is primarily a vampire’s playground, and is given a wide berth by many of the other demonic races due to that. Vampires are antisocial by nature, so they don’t get along with much of anyone from any race - not just humans. They barely tolerate one another.

Sunnydale’s large vampire population attracts vampire groupies, wannabes, and bite junkies, who then attract more vampires in a circular ecology the Vampire Lords encourage and exploit. The Hellmouth also (rarely these days) produces even more vampires (and other demons), adding to the Vampire Lords’ recruitment pools.

 

The Vampire Lords

These Vampire Lords (Ghosts, p. 191) have combined their Influence (Abomination Codex PDF, p. 25) into an organization known as The High Council of Vampires, aka the Vampire Covenant, as it known by vampires. They employ their Minions (Angel, p. 191) and the occasional Vampire Mercenary (BtVS Director’s Screen, p. 52) to enforce their edicts across the vampiric arm of the Supernatural Underworld. But the Vampire Lords know their place; their Influence does not extend far into other demonic domains.

The Vampire Lords’ armies are tended to by their Lieutenants (Angel, p. 192), who also provide vital information and act as counsel. At least one representative from a non-vampiric demon race sits on the High Council for Vampires, and a few more have honorary positions. The Council is said to have brokered deals with local police and clergy that have eased living conditions for the Sunnydale Undead, but this might just be a rumor.

The Council has mandated that there be no Siring unless permission is explicitly sought and given. Also, that Sires are responsible for their sirelings and their actions for the first decade of the sirelings’ unlife (-1 Obligation). Although they vie for a more peaceful environment with so many Hunters and Slayers patrolling the region, they do not wish to limit the more savage vampires’ hunting practices - something the Council remains split over how to handle - so there is no edict in place regarding any sort of masquerade like one finds in Vampire: The Masquerade. Opponents of such a thing argue that vampires are already masquerading by hiding their Game Face and not openly slaughtering humans on the street.

The Vampire Council also wants to secure and enforce their territory, including Sunnydale’s cemeteries (Welcome to Sunnydale, p. 39), the docks, and the bus depot. In particular, they are seeking more support for the protection of Supernaturals who frequent these areas from the “rogue” (the Council’s term) Hunters, Untrained Slayers (Tea & Crossbows, pp. 33-34), and Slayers-in-Training that are flooding the region. But the vampires who disagree with the Council’s objectives feel oppressed by their enforcement, and so prefer to take their chances.

One of the reasons for this recent push toward organization is the fallout from the 1990s, when vampires ran roughshod over the town but for the intervention of the Slayer and her allies. As the populace of Sunnydale became more aware of the threat they faced, they began taking stronger precautions. Garlic strands across porches and doors started appearing as a quirky decorating trend, its real purpose obscured. Large silver crosses on necklaces and inset in rings became a popular fashion trend that persists to this day (MS, p. 21; Angel, p. 189). And, after the Slayer disappeared, Vampire Hunters became common.

The Council is an attempt to mitigate the damage, and build a better life for both vampires and humans in Sunnydale. But, whether this is a clever ploy or an earnest attempt is unknown. What the Covenant discusses is not known to the general rabble of Supernaturals or even vampires, specifically - many of whom do not support the Council. The majority only hear about the edicts and mandates as they are handed down. Even the identities of the Vampire Lords that sit on the Council are lost on many, though they may know their names in another context, as most of the existing Vampire Lords are well-known throughout the Supernatural Underworld.

Although the Covenant cares nothing for working with organizations like the Watchers’ Council, the High Council of Witches is another matter - just for one example. And, as the rumors suggest, they remain open to working with local police, clergy, and emergency workers to ensure everyone’s protection and safe passage on the streets of Sunnydale. How they go about doing this is likely to be less than professional, but the Council guarantees that it will be done out of sight.

The Council has also promised to curb the practice of bite dens. They understand the community’s concerns over disease and associated criminal activity, and have their own concerns about unwanted deaths and sirings. They will not end the practice entirely, even if they say they will, but they will follow-through on promises of reform and enforcement. They claim that this will require the cooperation of the police, and possibly local leaders.

Vampire Lords are not encountered randomly, nor on the street. In addition to the security The Council provides them, they also have their own private forces comprising Minions, Lieutenants, and Mercenaries. Vampire Lords include The Master (MS, p. 119-123; Lawyers, Gods, & Money, p. 126) and Dracula (LG&M, pp. 126-127; MS, pp. 90-92). Darla may also be a Vampire Lord, though she operates out of Los Angeles (Buffy, p. 172).

 

The Rabble

The majority of the vampires in and around Sunnydale are not associated with the Council, or anyone else. Sires abandon their sirelings shortly after Turning them. Even those that abide by the Council’s edicts tend to disassociate from their sireling after the first few years of mandatory Siring. Familial-type units may emerge - such as with Drusilla, Angelus, and Spike - but they are uncommon. Tribal clans are equally rare, due to vampires’ Antisocial Impulses and the high value placed on individualism. In many ways, the vampire of the Buffyverse is the ultimate symbol of ever-youthful rebellion, which makes organizing difficult for them. This is one of the reasons so many cooperative attempts to take down the Slayer fail, and so few are launched.

To be sure, vampires like to congregate. They also cooperate to achieve short-term goals. They do not tend to form long-lasting organizations, with a few exceptions (such as those noted in Monster Smackdown). Small hunting parties, and gangs of d10 vampires (as Granite Gang Members - BtVS Director’s Screen, pg. 19), are about the most organized units an Investigator should expect to encounter. These gangs may include one or more Demon Gangstas (Angel, p. 80) in addition to vampires, but this is even rarer (3 in 10 chance).

Welcome to Sunnydale provides a good list of Lairs around the area (pg. 39), but they are not vampire-specific. Directors are encouraged to develop more, as well as place a few bite dens on the map (in run-down areas), featuring vampire NPCs of their own creation or those found in the books. Bear in mind that most Buffyverse vampires prefer to hunt and live alone, or perhaps in pairs. Hunting parties, while uncommon in general, are more common amongst newly-awakened vampires but their members do not necessarily nest together. Vampires of the Buffyverse are largely solitary critters that prefer to congregate, then separate.

All vampires have the abilities detailed in the Buffy and Angel corebooks (Buffy pp. 167-169; Angel, pp. 48, 186-190), and many have Supernatural abilities as detailed in Angel, pp. 49-60 and other books (notably, Ghosts of Albion). Some, like Dracula, also possess Sorcery (Buffy, p. 49, Magic Box) or Innate Magic (Ghosts, p. 48), and have access to spells. These spells should be determined before play begins, although a few spell slots can be left blank to be filled-in later.

Vampires lead lives of extravagance whenever possible but, just like humans, they are limited by their Resources and opportunities, as well as their skills sets and natural ability. Vampires' enhanced Perception is responsible for their heightened emotional states, such as their perpetual bloodlust, as well as their heightened sensations. This compels vampires to seek out ever-increasing levels of physical gratification which results in extreme and reckless behavior. Unfortunately, drugs have no effect on vamps, so they tend to eat their feelings.

Vampires receive at least as much pleasure from feeding as the vessel being fed upon, and likely more. For this reason, all vampires have a -5 Addiction to Blood (Angel, p. 29). They must feed at least once per day (1 full CON point, or about 2-3 LP) or suffer a -1 to WILL. This becomes an additional -1 CON after one week without fresh, human blood (Ghosts, p. 189). This fresh blood cannot be from animals, but may come from certain other races (such as Demons or maybe Trolls).

Most vampires are extremely vain. Although they do what they can, signs of death belie their attempts to disguise their state of unlife. Many bear the stench of death, attract clouds of flies, have a pallor of death, or worse. Vamps spend a lot of time and effort trying to hide these problems, though few go as far as those who learn Semblance of Life (WitchCraft PDF, p. 280). Most affect parfums, lotions, and even smoking habits to combat the odor, and wigs and make-up to fight the appearance of death. See also, Beautician (WitchCraft PDF, p. 95-96) - aka, Wildcard: Fashion (Buffy, p. 94).

Vampires do not receive a ST against beheadings; the Vampire Death Chart on Ghosts of Albion, p.190, is incorrect in that regard.

Random Encounter
1-5 Brand New Vamp (Buffy, p. 169)
6-8 Vampire Minion (Angel, p. 191)
9-0 Vampire Veteran (Angel, p. 191)

Again, Vampire Lords are never randomly encountered. They are incredibly powerful, and hidden behind several layers of security. 

 

Vampires in History

Rumor, superstition, and a warped view of history are common amongst street-level vampires. While vampires as a whole have their own version of events that tends to outstrip what humans know of history, many vampires live a cloistered unlife. Their personal experiences and knowledge of these events often overshadow the reality of how those events unfolded, and their egos do the rest.

For example, it is said among vampires that it was a vamp who killed Duke Ferdinand and set-off World War I, and that the assassination story was a cover-up. It doesn’t really matter if it’s true or not, as it has spread far and wide among vampires over the decades. But, even if there is truth to it, the larger historical events of WWI are more important than the details of vampires somehow being involved. Furthermore, few members of any other race have ever heard this version of events; it is only known to vampires, so its influence and recognition by others is extremely limited.

However, this presumed historical importance is a source of great pride to many vampires. To some, it proves that they shepherd humans in a healthy, symbiotic relationship; to others, it proves vampires’ superiority and mastery over the herd called Mankind. Either way, many hold to this often twisted and myopic view of history, with vampires at the forefront of it all yet never credited for their contributions.

This insertion of vampires into important historical events may be emblematic of a greater need for recognition or belonging, but the fact that vampires have played a far greater role in our history a lot more often, and for a lot longer, than humans realize is inarguable. It is said that vampires predate Mankind, though what they fed upon is unknown. Perhaps history is as the vampires say... but looking for one who would know it is not suggested.

Vampires are also often used as a metaphor for counterculture, so all of this makes perfect sense from any perspective. Their own culture and history is intertwined with that of Mankind’s, which sometimes makes the prouder of the species act-out in defiance. Combine this with a serious bloodlust and you have some truly dangerous vampire “activists” on the streets of Sunnydale, demanding respect and literally thirsting for blood. Among these may be the next Vampire Lord, but most are just street-level demagogues often acting in bad faith.

Still, as noted in Monster Smackdown (p. 30), vampires have their own holidays, beliefs, and society. Vampires even recognize different astrological signs. Although their society intermingles with larger demon society, as well as that of humans’, it is separate from both and remains hidden from them. This bothers these civic-minded vampires.

 

Networking

As noted, vampires do not get along with one another, nor with other races; they are antisocial to a fault. They may form small nests with familial-like ties, but these do not last more than a few decades at most. Usually, the nest is run out of town or hunted to extinction, and the members lose touch while on the run. Larger clans like the kind you see in Vampire: The Masquerade are not possible due to the rebellious nature of vampires in the Buffyverse. The High Council of Vampires is as close to a Masquerade-type clan as any organization has ever come, and a good number of vamps do not support it - instead feeling oppressed by its decrees and enforcement.

Not every vampire knows every other vampire - even if they did, the turnover rate is pretty high in and around Sunnydale, even without a dedicated Slayer. Every vampire knows the Vampire Lords of the region, though; their Status and Renown precede them. The general vampire of Sunnydale is also aware of the High Council of Vampires, which they call the Vampire Covenant. Many do hang-out together, and vampires appear to be social creatures despite their individualistic tendencies. Dedicated vampire bars, separate from dedicated demon bars, dot the landscape (particularly in Los Angeles and Las Vegas), for example, and slave markets exist literally underground in the sewer tunnels and necropolises of wealthier cemeteries.

By and large, which vampires know one another is the same as it is for humans: It depends largely on geography and where they lair, as well as any personal relationships they have with one another (Angel, p. 32) - especially those they may have had in life. Vampires are often solitary or nest in couples; larger clans are rare, and families of five or more are basically non-existent. Anti-Covenant sentiment continues growing, which may culminate in a second or even third Council of Vampires that will butt heads with the original, but these competing Councils won’t last. How long the first Vampire Covenant lasts remains to be seen, and is likely to come down to how heavy-handed the enforcement is.

Supernatural (Vampire) Type characters can have Influence and Contacts like any other [N]PC, and may know the PCs, and/or other Supernatural Types, before play begins. They are technically just as likely to know another Supernatural Type as they are to know another vampire, especially Ghosts and Demons. These are the two Supernaturals vampires are most likely to encounter outside of their own kind.

Aside from the sympathizers, vampires do not hang around humans. Even those who believe the two can live in harmony keep their distance. Humans are thought to betray their masters, and be unpredictable. Vampires also tend to hate humans, and do not see them as equals. 

Those who do not hate them still stay away, as other vampires might see their association as weakness or discriminate against them for their beliefs. One could say that only those vampires with souls associate with humans - and those are rare, indeed.

Keep in mind that it’s silly-easy to become a vampire in Sunnydale and L.A., so take precautions.

 

Anti-Vamp Measures

“No normal untrained human is going to survive a fight with a vampire.” - MS, p. 33.

Some private police forces have Special Forces specifically trained and outfitted to handle vampire-related emergencies. Their team members are outfitted with crossbows, holy water flasks (5B dmg., AoE splash as grenade), Kevlar armor (10[5] AP), d10 stakes, and vampire detection goggles (Slayer’s Handbook, p. 39). Some of the pricier, and generally shadier, ones (1 in 10) have vehicles with mounted Portable Sun Lamps (SH, p. 38) and carry daylight grenades (Military Monster Squad Initiative Handbook, p. 47) instead of holy water flasks. 

These forces vary in size depending on the assumed threat of the situation, but most teams consist of five men (and women), flexing to a maximum of 12 members who occasionally train together. All members of the team have 1+ Tactics.

Team Composition
1-4 Initiative Commando Tough Guy (Buffy, p. 159)
5-6 Former Initiative Agent (Buffy, p. 62)
7-0 Former LAPD (Angel, p. 179)
  +1 Captain (MMSIH, p. 30)

So far, the public police (Buffy, p. 159) have no such anti-demon forces. They mock the private security companies’ Supernatural forces with monikers like "Monster Squad" and "The X-Files," but the majority would prefer to have something similar, if they could answer honestly. Several take precautions of their own, from wearing reinforced Kevlar scarves (keep in mind that Sunnydale is in California) and silver cross necklaces, to carrying water guns filled with holy water. At least they have tasers, although only 1 in 10 knows that they are effective on demons (including vampires).

All police forces are trained not to deal with nor answer questions related to vampires or demons, in general. They have become adept at avoiding the conversation and changing the subject. They do not sneer at those who inquire about the Supernatural, but they do not discuss official police investigations with the general public, either.

Private police forces offer security only; they do not employ detectives or private investigators, nor do they engage in investigations. If these are necessary, the security team usually instructs the victims to call the police. This is often where the PCs get involved.

 

The Initiative

Contrary to popular belief, The Initiative is still active throughout the area, albeit in a decentralized and unorganized fashion. The program, originally thought to be a disaster, was actually successful in seeding Sunnydale’s security forces with Former Initiative Agents (Buffy, pg. 62). Even more have pursued careers as freelance security and Hunters outside of the normal private sector structure. The military believes most would return to active duty if asked, because they maintain good contacts with these agents in the field.

They do not operate in the open as The Initiative, and most have left the military since serving as agents, but they all received the same training and most have experiences with the Supernatural, so many keep in touch with one another and may even operate as a unit for a private police force or hang-out at the same bar, etc. Homegrown, offshoot operations of The Initiative may have taken root, especially among members of the Military community (Angel, p. 32), and they may be training others to fight HSTs.

Like Slayers and vampires, the hatred between Supernaturals and Initiative Agents is palpable. Neither would willingly agree to work with the other for any reason, although situations like Riley’s being compromised (both by falling in love with Buffy then later becoming a bite junkie) can clearly happen. Similar situations include not knowing that the other is a former agent or Supernatural Type; being forced to transport, or being in pursuit of, the Supernatural Type without harming it; and the like. These situations can be played as comedies of errors or something darker - the TV show usually played them for both. Creative solutions can allow these sworn enemies to [be forced to] work together for at least one-shot adventures, if not longer.

Former Initiative Agents carry holy water flasks and prefer electrical weapons (5B damage - MMSIH, p. 40-41), in addition to any weapons they carry for their profession. Some carry high-powered water guns filled with holy water, wear garlic strands as necklaces, and carry silver crosses. All know that demons exist, particularly vampires, and most have hands-on experience with them (usually from their time in The Initiative).

A neighborhood needs to have at least Resources (Well-Off) to afford a private police force. Those with mounted weaponry and other extreme gadgets require the neighborhood to have Resources (Wealthy) or greater. Neighborhoods with fewer Resources are served by public police. 

 

Several of the private security forces with their own anti-demon special response teams are represented by Wolfram & Hart (LG&M - Ch. 3, Wolfram & Hart; Angel, p. 170, 207-211).

Happy Halloween! 🎃

© The Weirding, 2025

Buffy the Vampire Slayer vs. Vampire the Masquerade

"Vampires are a sub-variety of demon... not angsty, tormented creatures. Anne Rice fans are bound to be disappointed." 
 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game, p.185

I sunk $25 into the Vampire: The Masquerade 5^th-Ed. Humble Bundle with the express intention of using it to beef-up my Buffy game. I already have a nice collection of VtM 1^st-Ed. books, but I always forget about them because I am no Anne Rice fan. I like the system, and I have nothing against the mechanics, but the lore is overwhelming and suffocates everything else. And the way it is written kills the whole, and I hate to use this word, vibe.

Shadowrun is like this, too. Both of them read like a bad website: Just endless hype, jargon, and buzzwords strung together into semi-coherent sentences. When you. Use broken sentences. To increase. The impact of the wording. Doing it a lot. Lessens. The impact! And? It's hard to read. Just stop doing it.

Anyone who's seen the TV show knows that Buffyspeak can be hard to parse, too. However, it is not as omnipresent in the Buffy RPG as it is in VtM. In fact, Eden did a good job of keeping the mechanics cleanly written and free of Buffyspeak, or any other conceit. What Buffyspeak there is is smoothly incorporated into the mechanics - such as with the Qualities, Jock and Nerd. VtM hails from an era when mechanics and lore were kept separate, and I can't fault it that. I still tend to prefer games that are like this.

You can see this design in many TTRPG from the era, including Call of Cthulhu. Games like Shadowrun and Cyberpunk broke that mold by incorporating their lore into their core mechanics, intertwining them in the writing, and other games followed suit. In most of these other instances, the system mechanics are presented upfront, and the campaign materials are deeper in the book. VtM set the standard for this when they started releasing their sourcebooks: The corebook contained the mechanics and the sourcebooks were the campaign materials that rarely contained any mechanics, and everybody was happy (especially White Wolf).

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game premiered in 2002, when VtM's first-run was still going pretty strong, but I'll always associate both Vampire and Shadowrun with the 1990s. More than anything, it's the "in-your-face" writing, but both of those games did premiere in or around 1990. I have a lot of criticisms of Buffy RPG - the most important one being that it's not really a game without the Angel RPG - but the writing is pretty good. The only problem I have with it is that it buries mechanics in the text, so finding rules can be challenging (though it has a really good index), but the overall competency and tone of the text is fine.

Vampire constantly interrupts itself with "testimonials" from NPCs you don't know and don't give a shit about. And I can say it like that, because VtM 5e is in love with curse words. That makes it very "adult" (using swear words tells children that you are Old Enough). On another note, using an NPC for lore dumps is twice as boring in print as it is at the table. But, at least they lost that Timothy Bradstreet projector art - that shit used to drive me up a wall! Between the two, and all the sentence fragments, Vampire 1e is so overwrought that it's literally laughable, and basically unintelligible in parts. 

But the real reason I forget that Vampire was ever a thing is because it's 100% fashion over function: All style. The reason I don't fault it the way I do Shadowrun is because Vampire does have some substance - like I say, I like the system. It was one of the first dice pool systems (along with the aforementioned), but their system actually works. Not a fan of dice pools, Vampire handles them about as well as I've ever seen. The system for 1e and 5e are the same if not very similar, at least from what I recall of 1e.

So, despite the fact that it was a good deal, I thought it a decent investment. I can't publish anything I come up with for Buffy, but I guess I could feasibly publish it under Vampire. I can publish my Buffy content here, but it doesn't do it justice because of the limitations of a blog. It screws-up tables, smushes charts, and completely destroys the formatting. But, more than anything, I feel that Buffy the Vampire Slayer's vampires are wan and hollow, and I'd love a little more detail and organization that VtM may provide, so it's an investment in my gaming if nothing else.

I plan on sharing at least some of what I come up with here, but my purpose is to develop the vampire population of Sunnydale into something more than a faceless mob. I don't want moody Goth vamps ennuiing up the place, and I realize that Buffy vamps don't get along well enough to organize and coordinate so they're unlikely to form clans, but they have to be more than just Act One cannon fodder. 

I also realize that Buffy, the TV show, was more Monster-of-the-Week than vampire slaying, and Cinematic UniSystem supports that to the hilt, but with more Fae and Spirit critters than horror beasts. Angel provides all the vampire building information you'll ever need for Cinematic UniSystem, but I'm not making a full-fledged vampire NPC for every encounter. And the books detail how vampires in the Buffyverse operate mechanically, just not much about how they behave. I want less YA angst and a lot more scares.

I mean, the name of the game is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I want my vamps to really have some teeth! So, I'm thinking that the majority of the vampires in and around the Hellmouth are analogous to the Anarchs, while the elders are more akin to the Camarilla - although neither is a 1:1 comparison. Both Anarch and Camarilla came with the Humble Bundle, so I have access to both.

I also answered the biggest question: Does the population know that vampires exist? Buffy was awarded a trophy by the school for saving them so many times, and the Scooby Gang openly discusses vampires as though they're just a feature of the landscape, but it's terribly inconsistent.

Anyway, I haven't gotten that far into the VtM 5e materials because they're difficult to read, but I think I can lift a few ideas from the materials I got from the Humble Bundle and make my Buffy vamps real, unliving entities in my campaign. It's still a WIP, but I'll publish more on vampires in Sunnydale later this month.

© The Weirding, 2025

Happy Halloween Season!

Well, I told you there would be more Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game along the way and it's coming this month, as I pulled out the books to adapt some Vampire: The Masquerade material to my chosen forever system for this sort of fare (Cinematic UniSystem). Don't hold me to it because I'm already swamped, so it might be a little late for Halloween proper, but it's coming this here Fall season for sure because I'm in the middle of designing it now.

I got the latest Humble Bundle featuring World of Darkness games, including Vampire, Hunter: The Reckoning, and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. I already have a lot of the 1^st-ed. Vampire and Werewolf books in print from the 1990s, but I constantly forget about them because I never played Masquerade all that much. I have some good memories of it, I've always liked the system, and I even got to playtest the LARP shortly before it went on sale back in the late '80s or early '90s at a local con in Memphis, TN, but my main groups played AD&D and Cyberpunk 2013-2020, and did not read Anne Rice books.

Buffy has a bad habit of being limited by the TV series, and that's across the boards. It really would have been a better game had they not had to deal with branding, and hewing so closely to the TV show. To these ends, the vampires (all of the Supernatural Types, actually) are either complex NPCs or faceless, thoughtless mobs for the Slayers to trounce - there's really no in-between. Either way, you have all these undead perpetually living and feeding in the same general area, but they have no organization or seemingly even knowledge of one another's existence. (At least most of the time; when it was convenient to the plot, this changed.)

Angel (the TV show) did a much better job of establishing, and playing with, the larger cast of demons and handling their relationships, both to and with one another. Oddly, Angel's demons were mostly from multiple dimensions and had no real connection to one another, while the overwhelming majority of Buffy's were vampires. So, it's just bad writing from the show that got carried over into the game.

My goal here is to establish some reason for vampires to exist other than to feed, which is about as deep as most of them go on the show; figure out what it is that they do other than feed; establish some sort of factional divisions amongst the throngs of vampires clogging the Hellmouth; and generally give vampires a little more character. For this, I am using Anarch and Camarilla from 5^th-Ed., as well as looking at all of the aforementioned WoD games. I don't plan on using this information wholesale, as I don't think it will fit like that - unless maybe I wanted to put together a PC party of vampires (Angel has build-your-own vampire rules), but I don't.

I'm not looking to expand minor vamps into full-fledged VtM characters, just get some ideas of what I can add to set them apart from one another so they at least come across as possibly frightening. When played as presented in Angel, vampires are terrifying and extremely capable, but Slayers as presented can still wipe the floor with them pretty quickly (especially Veteran Slayers). I don't just want to add some HP to them and call it a day; I want the vampires in my BtVS RPG to have some real teeth - and some real legs. As it stands, they're designed to either die right out of the grave, or are destined to be the next Big Bad.

Anyway, I'll try to get that up by Halloween.

© The Weirding, 2025

Champions Shadowrun Discussion

The world, so far, is too much like what I was going for in Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG, but this will not be the outcome; Buffy sticks more to vampires and demons vs. PCs, whereas this includes fantasy races, more fantastic magic, and different systems. It is far more fantasy-related than anything I was doing with Buffy (excepting the fantasy stuff in Pylea).

It also isn't really Shadowrun. This is cobbled together from (mainly) Dark Champions, CyberHERO, Urban Fantasy Hero, and Hero Horror. Due to circumstances and what is available in PDF these days, it also includes products from three editions (3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th). These products are still available on DTRPG, but I'll link to them throughout the upcoming posts, as Google claims I am working as a doorway to sites like DTRPG... which has everything to do with Google's attempt to stranglehold advertising and nothing to do with me. 

To be sure, this is a blog, not a doorway to anywhere nor anything else. However, part of covering these topics is including links to more information, and I'm sticking to that. Google AdSense changes its direction constantly and wreaks havoc on the Internet. I still want the money I'm owed, though - even if it was only $1.00.

But back to the topic at-hand: Because I can't include tables and charts, I won't be able to provide everything I'm coming up with for this Shadowrun under HERO project to you here, and I don't think I'll be able to secure whatever rights I need to be able to include it in a webzine like I'd planned, but I can definitely post some things like packages, important NPC statblocks, and the like.

And I'm not abandoning Buffy! I still have a ton of stuff I've yet to share, but a blog is not the appropriate place for sharing it due to publishing constraints. I may be able to rewrite and change some things around, but that takes more time than it's worth here; we don't get a lot of traffic, usually. However, I'll still be adding more to Buffy along the way, I'll just be focused on this particular project for the moment.

Anyway, that's what's happening. And posting this helped me clear my own thoughts while informing a largely non-existent audience of my intentions. Now go visit these other people and places for more RPG, comics, and pop-culture -related content in which you are likely to be interested.

© The Weirding, 2025

BtVS Fantasy Campaign Design Notes 4: Times and Places

Army of Darkness begins in modern times, recapping the end of Evil Dead II in which Ash is swept into a vortex and deposited into a Medieval-style fantasy realm with all manner of deadites, demons, and warrior skeletons. In the Angel TV show, Connor and Fred were held captive on a world very similar to this, albeit with more cultural details. Put these two concepts together and we have Pylea, the setting for our fantasy UniSystem campaign.

Army of Darkness RPG from Eden Studios (2008) focuses mostly on this era, so we already have the rules we need, and Pylea is detailed in supplemental materials for Angel RPG. Although this information is sparse, and Pylea is only the focus of the TV show for one or two episodes, I have enough to go on if I use another third-party source to flesh-out the rest (I simply do not have time to create another entire fantasy world from scratch). I also need a fantasy bestiary, which The Arcanum provides. This means I only need to change some things and not create everything from whole cloth.

I haven't gotten into the meat and potatoes of it yet, aside from what I have published, but making Pylea the center of my fantasy campaign keeps everything streamlined and organized in my campaign world. A Buffy/Angel future still exists on the Prime Material Plane, and interdimensional travel makes adventuring in Pylea a real option for modern day characters. Deadites are all but just another demon clan with which Slayers must contend, yet no less harrowing when they appear on our realm.

Humans, trolls, and the Deathwok and Gathwok Demon clans are the major races on Pylea, but I have added Fairies to better round-out the fantasy elements. These are found in Lawyers, Gods, and Money, which also contains Centaurs. Snake folk and Naga round-out the playable races.

I was wrong about all the portals back and forth between dimensions; Pylea and Earth are one thing, but even those portals are rare. Those to Quortoth are almost all one-way and there are few of them. However rare, such portals do exist and interdimensional travel between these dimensions is possible if not available.

© The Weirding, 2025

Blight for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Blight

4th-level necromancy

Power Level: 7
Casting Time: 1 action
Quick Cast: Yes vs. Sorcery
Prerequisite: Occultism 1+, Sorcery 1+
Range: 30'
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

Necromantic energy washes over a creature of your choice in your Line of Sight or LoS, draining moisture and vitality from it. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. The target takes full damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage is subtracted from the PC's CON score like a poison with STR equal to the spellcaster's WPR x 3 (max 7). Furthermore, it does 1 LP per SL.

This spell has no effect on undead, constructs, or Robots.

If you target a plant creature or a magical plant, the spell deals maximum damage even on a successful save. If you target a nonmagical plant that isn’t a creature, such as a tree or shrub, it doesn’t make a saving throw; it simply withers and dies. 

Participants 0 (1), Harm Major +3, Instant +2, Noticeable +1, 

© The Weirding, 2025

Black Tentacles for Buffy the Vampire Slayer Roleplaying Game

0. 

   Black Tentacles

   4th-­‐‑level conjuration

   Power Level: 6
   Casting Time: 2 ACTions
   Quick Cast: Yes
   Range: 90'
   Components: V,S,M (a piece of tentacle from a giant octopus or a giant squid)
   Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute per SL
   

   Squirming, ebony tentacles fill a 20' square on ground that you can see within range. For the duration, these tentacles turn the ground in the area into difficult terrain.

   When a creature enters the affected area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, the creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take (2 x Spellcaster's WPR) bludgeoning damage and be restrained by the tentacles until the spell ends. The tentacles' STR is equal to the spellcaster's WPR x 2. A creature that starts its turn in the area and is already restrained by the tentacles takes double the spellcaster's WPR bludgeoning damage per Turn until freed.

   A creature restrained by the tentacles can use its action to make a Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself.

   Participants 0, Recitation +1/Quick Cast +2, Noticeable +1, Duration Medium 0, Unusual Ingredients -1, Harm Severe +2, Summoning Severe +2
   SUMMARY Severe +2

   This spell is often contained within tomes that also contain the spell, Curse of the Grave (Lawyers, Gods, & Money, p.357). This is considered a Dark Spell for all purposes and intent and, as such, often remains hidden from sight in dark tomes that Heros, Champions, and even Scoobies like your own characters fight to keep that way.

   Even if it is used for good purposes, casting this spell also casts a pall over the spellcaster that might affect future spellcasting or attempts.
   

© The Weirding, 2024

Bless for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Bless

1st‑level Gnostic/Theomantic enchantment for Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG

Power Level: 2
Casting Time: 1 action
Philosophy: Gnosticism, Theomancy
Quick Cast: Yes vs. Occultism
Prerequisite: Occultism 1+
Range: 30' (10 Hexes, or 10h - 6h in D&D)
Components: V, S, M (a sprinkling of holy water)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute per SL

You bless one creature or object of your choice within range. Whenever a Blessed target makes an attack roll or a ST (Survival or Saving Throw) before the spell ends, the target can add the number of Success Levels rolled to the next attack roll or ST. 

Participants 0/1+, Quick Cast +2, Scope Noticeable +1,  Duration Medium, Unusual Ingredient -1, Noticeable

Although Bless is still a low-level spell, not much else from its Dungeons & Dragons roots carries-over into Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG. It is, however, ubiquitous, being reprinted in nearly all copies of The Holy Book, which can be readily found at any place of worship, motel room, or bookstore. This is the Theomancy version which includes instructions on how to include participants; all other interpretations are Gnostic and leave out this information.

© The Weirding, 2025

Buffy Spell Conversions

Obviously, my version of Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG is different from Rules-As-Written, so I'm not concerned with warping some vision of the game with rather admittedly staid versions of spells from the 5.1 SRD_CC or any other source. The careful consideration and choice of spells you include makes all the difference in your world and especially your magic system, and that's what I am doing here. 

Many of the spells in the game were taken from the TV show, where they were usually just a convenient plot device. Thus, we get a lot of spells along the lines of "Tara's Spell for Finding Lost Items" instead of a simple "Locate" spell, which is way more important for our purposes than Tara's nifty little ditty that came in handy at just the right moment in that one episode in which it was featured.

I also need to know which spells are found in which books and where those books are usually located or can be found. Some will be relegated to libraries, others to more important repositories, and still others to the black market. Knowing where to find these spells is half the trouble of being able to use them. Angel/Buffy has a great Quality called Occult Library which really helps pare things down.

Of course, a lot of these more personal types of spells are to be found in college notebooks, Trapper Keepers, diaries, and similar places. They may be more specific, less utilitarian, spells but they are often harder to find, making the more generic ones... more generic. A single session or even campaign could hinge around finding and using one of these very specific spells that are included with a lot of the official reading material.

Just knowing that some of these spells exist in my BtVS world - which extends well into the Medieval Ages, and languishes on through the Victorian Age - is enough detail to influence certain decisions. While this works for me as GM, learning the different spells that exist in my world is useful to players, as well.

© The Weirding, 2025

On Angel, Season 4, Eps. 1-13

 Angel Season 4: Connor and Cordie, Angelus' Return

 

Connor and Cordie

The entire Connor storyline was superfluous and ran its course far sooner than they kept it going. Him sleeping with Cordelia was so cringey and unnecessary, and only served to continually dump more gasoline on the whole "he hates his father" plotline that should have already been done by then. Even the creators were at a loss for Connor's inclusion after they resolved his Daddy Issues earlier in the same season, but they kept him around.

Cordelia did not need a bigger part nor did she need more power. Her position as a clairvoyant secretary fit the DIY, LA neo-noir, bootstrap agency they were going for from the start. As Angel Investigations grew, her character's prominence should have to, but making her a living avatar was a bit much. And, despite the fact that everyone dug her on the show, Charisma Carpenter simply lacks the acting chops to pull-off the mother thing, or the serious girlfriend thing, and they should have kept her where she was.

They could have focused on the growing strength and accuracy of her visions, the visions' importance to solving their cases, Cordelia's growing accuracy and efficiency as an administrator, her importance as a founding member, and more, without making her an emissary for the Powers That Be—a move which completely overshot the mark and overrode the storyline for seasons three and four.

Speaking of which, the entire first part of season four retreads old ground. Back in first-run, Angel was a weekly TV series which had just returned from an extended break between seasons, so it's understandable as a limitation of the format, but it is also just another example of having little for Cordelia or Connor to do, yet still having them around as centerpieces for a story the show literally just told.

Angel had way too much focus on interpersonal relationships at this time in the series, no matter who was involved. And all of the relationships were rather faulty ones to begin with, ensuring future troubles. Because Angel liked to traverse dimensions, this focus on two-shot relationships may have come down to budgetary concerns, but it was still anticlimactic for a show that liked to traverse dimensions. They should have done less with the character development and everyone's character arc and focused on wrapping-up the plotlines quicker.

 

The Return of Angelus

The literal forced return of Angelus was another unnecessary distraction possibly meant to stretch a season already thin on plot and heavy on forced (in this case, literally forced) character development. With a cast as large as Angel had, that resulted in a lot of forced character development. And all the old characters returned, from Lila to Wesley, who all had their moment in the spotlight. Hell, even Faith made a return appearance and this is all just by episode 13!

There were so many callbacks this season that one has to wonder if the producers thought it was their last one. 

This covers the last few episodes of season three through the 13^th episode of season four.

© The Weirding, 2025

A Buffy Fan

I know I've told this story before, but I barely saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel on first-run because they were on UHF stations that did not pick-up at my house because we lived too far out. I'm going to cover both of them here as I rewatch them again, not just because they interest me but because I need my own coverage as reference for later use in the RPG.

Like I have also said before, I may never get to actually play the Angel RPG, but I can at least design material to share with other players in the meantime, and some of it comes directly from the shows themselves. These items and concepts either exist in the Buffyverse and were never covered by the official RPG material, or the shows inspire new ideas that work perfectly because the whole system was designed around concepts like them.

Even though I came to them late, you can call me a Buffy Fan. But that has grown over the years because I never even got the chance to get into them when they were still on TV. Even getting into the RPG was a happy accident made possible by a blind lot purchase from eBay years prior. I just had some time on my hands and decided to learn a new system that I never stopped to realize I'll probably never get to play, and now I'm stuck on it.

Still, RPG aside, I'm going to cover both series as I watch and rewatch them somewhat as a ritual just so I can get inside the heads of the creators and see what they want from an RPG based on their TV shows. It's so freeing to not have a budget to contend with, after all; I can do more than the writers and creators ever could, especially at a table.

I'll talk about whatever else as I come across it. I saw that the Saturn Awards were live on Roku last night, but I didn't watch them because I have no idea who or what any of the people or projects are. I'm a little out of the loop.

© The Weirding, 2025

Campaign Design Notes 3: Pylean Trolls and Humans

I'm not sure that players should get to decide their heritage if they are humans coming from Pylea. Obviously, if they are not from Pylea, they are there as slaves. Perhaps a random chart would do good for character creation, and those who are slaves receive the Disadvantage(s) associated with that.

1 Slave
2-3 Rebel
4-6 Freeman

 

 

Pylean Human
4-pt. Quality

Natural Toughness (AV 4) +2
Nerves of Steel +3
Mild Cruelty -1
Humorless -1
Minority -1
Getting Medieval 2

Pylea is a beautiful world whose horror only becomes apparent when things like the Drokken (Encyclopedia Demonica, p.67) are near; otherwise, it is very much like Earth. There is a very good chance that I will use Talislanta for Pylea. I am definitely using The Arcanum for a lot of system conversion and mixing-and-matching (although I am also using the SRD5.1_CC).

I haven't made-up my mind on the other races and species available to PCs, but I'm thinking the Bast is a good one (WitchCraft). There is also an Archetype for a Troll Hunter in one of the main books and Trolls are a 6-pt. Quality detailed on pp.138-139 of Monster Smackdown. 

In fact, Trolls should closely mirror their society of that of the Gathwok and Deathwok Clans, using their Trollhounds the way the 'wok Clans use their Hellbeasts (Encyclopedia Demonica, p.13). Now that the Gathwok Clan has lost most of its power - make no mistake, they are still in charge for now - Trolls and their society will gradually shift and morph into whatever they make of it. Despite their obviously non-human appearance, they too have been enslaved for many years without having realized it, and may find more in common with other races than they ever had with the demon Gathwok Clan.

Catching and taming Trollhounds, to the extent that they can even be tamed, is a noble profession amongst Trolls and one of the most likely ins to a Trollkin character and Trollkin society. Even without the influence of the Gathwok Clan, this will remain a staple of Trollkin society for some time to come, as they cling to few "traditional values" to create a tapestry of culture from whole cloth.

Hopefully, eating humans is a tradition they can let go of quickly; they do not need to feast on human flesh to survive the way a vampire or some demons do, it is just a bad habit they picked-up (as a species) along the way. Few Trolls are born with the impulse to eat humans, although the somewhat justifiable rumors persist.

Trolls, as a rule, have little interest in reading although they do produce shamen (Witch Doctors). Their stunted Intellect, as a race, precludes serious high-level study, although it does not preclude a superhuman Intelligence; Troll magi and CEOs are rare. From a meta-perspective, Trolls work best as tanks and heavies, although nothing strictly limits them to these roles.

© The Weirding, 2025

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Content

I have shared a lot about my Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer campaign because I doubt I'll ever get the chance to actually play my Angel/BtVS campaign. I live too far out and, by the time the technology had caught-up to where playing online was a thing, I had lost touch with my old players and friends. Finding new ones is not easy—especially new players for unpopular and older games, such as Angel.

Because of the shows' popularity in their day, I assumed reruns had kept them alive over the last 20 years, but few younger people seem to be familiar with either property. I understand anyone's reticence to sign-up for a game without knowing what to expect, although I still plan to use Looking for Group options to try and actually play this game (once I'm done with current projects).

I can always refer would-be players to these posts for a taste of what to expect, but that's not why I wrote them. I wanted to share them. My campaign excites me, and I want to share that excitement - and my excitement for the game and the system - but attracting new players is a fine unintended side-effect.

However, they are not popular posts despite my own excitement. Even though I'm going to continue discussing the RPG and shows, I will relegate more to the webzine where you don't have to see them unless you really want to. I highly suggest them, and they're not the only thing you'll find in said webzine, but that's where they're going.

© The Weirding, 2025

Cthulhu Mythos in Buffy

Neither the Buffyverse nor the Evil Dead replaced Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, they merely renamed them. In Angel, the Powers That Be are clearly the Elder Gods, while Army of Darkness has... Ash. Either way, both draw heavily from the Mythos as a whole. There was even an Order of Dagon on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show and The Necronomicon is the book which summons the Evil Dead in the film. But all of these things are slightly, if not entirely, removed from their articles of inspiration.

Thanks to the Open Mythos and CthUniSystem, I have just placed the actual Lovecraftian Mythos in there! How cool is that? There is still a Powers That Be, and they might still be the Elder Gods... who's to say? There was already at least one Necronomicon, so now how many versions and copies are there? I'm not telling. Still, I wanted to share that because it is definitely going to come up on down the road.

© The Weirding, 2025

Campaign Design Notes 2: Pylea

By this time, I may be done with at least part of my reading - at least, that's the plan - but I had some other notes I wanted to jot down.

Pylea is the Medieval fantasy Hellworld on which Army of Darkness takes place. Humans are a minority and were used as chattel and referred to as cows, but that has since changed (even if only slightly and only in some areas). The realm is ruled by the demon Gathwok Clan whose fighters comprise the Deathwok Clan, along with the Deadites, and small settlements and kingdoms both human and non-human. Both Conner and Fred managed to survive in Pylea over many years, although both were in captivity.

The Monstrum Index has a good starting list of fantasy critters and Adversaries. Although this all seems disconnected from Angel/Buffy, everything ties together; S-Mart is the Wal-Mart of our setting, for example, and is where Ash worked before he was transported to Pylea by the Evil Dead. A lot of Angel and Angelus' early vampiric adventures take place throughout the Victorian Age, which is the period covered by Ghosts of Albion. They also tended to have taken place in London, which is amply covered by Ghosts of Albion, as well.

Humans can also be born in Pylea; they are not only taken from other dimensions - a practice which has, again, dramatically diminished in recent times. Fey Folk are another minority subjected to the whims of the Gathwok, though they too are finding newfound freedoms within the realm. Trolls are another minority that makes Pylea their home. And while demonkin are the primary threat to be found on Pylea, all manner of fantasy creatures and critters exist with all manner of disposition. These days, it is not unusual to go for many miles before encountering a demon, but it would be unusual to go far without encountering something.

Although primarily on a hybrid barter system throughout the realm, Pylea uses a gold standard. Most amenities and regular necessities will cost 1sp - from a meal to a night's stay at an inn. The latter of which may be hard to come by for minorities, including humans and Fey, who can take the Minority Disadvantage (-1 Angel, p.42). Slavery, though now frowned upon, is also still practiced and minorities are still at threat of being captured or Shanghaied by slavemasters, both demonic and otherwise.

Remarkably similar to our own world, one of the few tell-tale signs that you have crossed-over into Pylea is its two suns. It is a 4-point Quality to play a Gathwok (Encyclopedia Demonica, p.13) demon. PCs can be from Pylea, but must take two levels of Hard to Kill (H2K) and the Drawback, Humorless (-1) for a Total Cost of 1. I will cover Pylean Humans in an upcoming post.

© The Weirding, 2025

Investigation is the Combat

Sanity is to games like Buffy the Vampire Slayer what HP are to games like D&D; where you worry about your health in Dungeons & Dragons, you fear for your sanity in games like Angel RPG. This is not Shock nor is it Stress, as both of those are covered by Fright; this is pure, abject Fear that unravels your common senses and ability to deal with everyday situations - ergo, your mental health, or Sanity (SAN).

Likewise, Investigating and Researching is to these games what exploring and combat are to AD&D. "Only fools rush in" is a wise adage to keep in mind when playing TTRPG in which the Occult is at-play all around you, all the time. Often, these attempts can be handled just like Combat is in games like D&D, but with longer stretches of time taking place between rolls. Although ample opportunity for roleplay exists, the long stretches of time needed to Research and Investigate are usually better handled by Skill checks.

For instance, it can take a few weeks to properly Research a book, and it might turn out to be the wrong book to Research - something you cannot know without spending the time to find out. One missed swing after another would tell you that you're not ready for that monster standing in front of you in a more combat-heavy game, and that would happen in a matter of in-game seconds. However, you are warned not to rush these things, as the center of attention is shifted from Combat to Investigation in games like Chill.

Horror and Investigation games are about solving puzzles: Investigating strange crimes because you have a hunch that there's something more sinister afoot. But, is there really or have your experiences just made you a jaded, paranoid Investigator who now sees the threat of The Dark in everything? There's no way to know without going through the motions.

Horror and Investigative games are primarily "theater of the mind," although many can be very tactical, especially once Combat begins. However, technicalities aside, the monsters involved outweigh the PCs by a lot, and are likely to wipe the floor with them unless they come overly prepared. Just imagine thinking you are facing a Demon and showing up with a lot of silver daggers and zero wooden stakes, only to encounter a cunning vampire! The best you can hope for then is an early escape...

In a more Combat-focused game, your crew is likely to have a good balance of Combat-oriented envoys with a myriad of contingencies either on paper or put together by the group. Games like Call of Cthulhu usually feature brainier, untrained PCs that fight only because they have to, knowing full well that any fight could be their very last - and probably should be, given the monsters' panoply of powers.

I try to run these games as though the Tomes to be Researched and the Crimes to be Investigated are the dragons of the scenario: The Big Bads to be defeated along the way to the Ultimate Bosses (the actual monsters they're likely to have to fight). The big rolls are not going to be Combat-oriented, but Skills and Abilities associated with Research and Investigation. And actions like going undercover, infiltrating the Bad Guys, and learning more about what they believe, how they behave, and what makes them do the things they do, replace buying better weapons and stacking bonuses for quicker, better kills.

Even the structure of rising action stays the same, as one book leads to another, one clue leads to the next, and the bigger picture slowly comes into focus; not unlike clearing-out low-level trash mobs in a dungeon to clear the path toward the BBEG at the end.

Although the flow and structure remain, at the foundation, largely the same, these are two very different styles of games for which not everyone is suited. Players of dark fantasy and horror games tend to have more tolerance of the gruesome and dark aspects of adult fare - of which Horror definitely is. You need to be an adult and behave like an adult to play in one of my adult games (in which romance and sex are almost never mentioned, but a lot of death and violence loom perpetually large). 

The focus of the adventure might die before you can save her, or might already have died when the investigation started even if you don't learn that until the end. (Seemingly, at least) Supernatural complications arise all along the way as the Big Bads try their best to throw you off their trail, runaways and ne'er-do-wells make great victims because their disappearances rarely rouse suspicion except among their own kind, and having an affinity for Mystery and Horror entertainment tends to be a hallmark of the gamers who play these types of games.

Those who have only ever played D&D might not make the best fit for these types of games, as they often have trouble converting to the different style. So, I'm writing these as primers or guides to the games before you play, just so you can prepare for a different (although similar) experience.

And be aware that not everyone runs their games the way I do, so your mileage will definitely vary!

© The Weirding, 2025

Campaign Design Notes 1

Left to the books as written, Psionics is no different from other special powers (usually possessed by the opposition), but I like the idea of them being Uncontrollable Powers the PCs can only really "tap into." This makes it distinct from spells and Magick (spelled that way to distinguish it from prestidigitation, or stage magic) and Supernatural Powers more often possessed by demons.

If I stick with the base 8-pt. Quality cost from Chill, that makes Psionics cost only 3-pt. (with Uncontrollable Power -5) and I don't want a game awash in psychics... well, I would still play that. Either way, they still have to purchase each Psionic Power separately (not unlike cybernetic enhancements) so that should curb any such inclinations.

Magick should definitely be more prevalent than Psionics.

I am working on designing a psychic right now and may post the results, but it's a pregen for a game I may never get to run (in which case, I will definitely post at some point), so I don't know how things will turn out on that front just yet. There are some psychic Archetypes included in the books, but this is my own creation using Investigator as the base.

Welcome to Sunnydale abruptly ends at page 54. It's obvious there was an order to cut it down to a softcover like The Magic Box but it never made it to market, so we got what we got. There are some mediocre layout maps of show settings, but also The Bronze. Since I'm using my own setting, it isn't that important; I mostly wanted to see how they presented the material.

My first PC group is tank-heavy but, again, I'm working on making it a more tactical game. After all, in the absence of a Slayer, people are going to have to do what they have to do to survive. Still, I tried to balance it out with some nerdy Scooby-Doers (a P.I. and a witch) to help cover those pesky investigations.

I hope this all works after all of the work I've put into it!

It doesn't seem like I'll ever get it to the table, but I'm holding out hope. I'll try harder once I have more time on my hands. 

 Meanwhile, I changed the world's Magic Factor from 5 to 3. So, if you are playing with my vastly simplified rules for things like crystal depositories and ley lines, you get a -3 to PL when near one of these phenomena*. This will fade the farther from the source you are, at GM fiat. One day soon, I plan on working this into the crystals magic items so that you can use them either as foci or storage units, however I get that to work.

---
* NOTE: I need to go back through the blogs and change this; right now, old posts still have a world Magic Factor of 5.

© The Weirding, 2025