TEXT: The GameMaster’s Apprentice 
  Adventure Guide: Horror 
   
  Author: Nathan Rockwood 
  Graphic Designer for Cards: Max Johnson 
  Artist: Amanda Asofsky 
   
   
   
  Special Thanks 
  This project was backed on Kickstarter by more than 360 supporters. Without their help, The 
  GameMaster’s Apprentice would never have been more than a pet project in my own home games. 
  Thanks so much! 
   
   
   
  Visit us online at www.LarcenousDesigns.co​m 
   
   
   
   
   
  The GameMaster’s Apprentice deck and documentation, copyright 2014, owned by Larcenous Designs, LLC. 
  Larcenous Designs, LLC, and associated marks are owned by Nathan Rockwood. Graphic design and 
  iconography by Max Johnson. 
   
   
   
  1 
  
  Table of Contents 
  INTRODUCTION
  3 
  What is an Adventure Guide?
  3 
  How to use this guide
  3 
  ADVENTURE FRAMEWORKS
  4 
  Framework Creation Summary
  4 
  Choose a Core
  5 
  Ask a Big Question (Optional)
  6 
  Choose a Doom
  7 
  Create Three Other Problems
  9 
  Ask 1­3 Little Questions (Optional)
  10 
  The Point: Scene Creation
  10 
  Example of a Complete Framework
  11 
  Blank Framework Sheet
  12 
  ADVENTURE PREMISES
  13 
  Fill in the Blanks
  13 
  The Questgiver
  14 
  The Task
  14 
  Reasons
  16 
  Horror Premise Tag Symbols
  17 
  CHARACTERS
  18 
  Professions
  18 
  Horror Character Tag Symbols
  19 
  ENCOUNTERS
  20 
  Premade Combos
  20 
  Horror Encounter Tag Symbols
  21 
  UNCERTAINTY
  22 
  Fearful Chaos
  22 
  Suspicion Tag Symbols
  23 
  Questionable Decisions
  24 
  2 
  
  INTRODUCTION 
  What is an Adventure Guide? 
  An Adventure Guide is a collection of tips for designing and/or running a role playing game, in a 
  given genre, and using The GameMaster’s Apprentice deck of cards. These guides should be helpful 
  whether you are using the base, genre-neutral deck or any of the genre-specific decks, and (up to a 
  point) can even be used without the deck of cards, though that defeats the true purpose of the guide: 
  to provide enough inspiration and enough examples that, once you’ve exhausted the possibilities 
  presented here, you’ll have an easy time creating your own story seeds using just the cards.  
   
  How to use this guide 
  After this introduction, you’ll find a section dedicated to advice on constructing an open-ended 
  story framework. That framework can serve as structure you fill in, giving you a more complete 
  adventure, or you can use it to help run a more free-flowing story. While this is 100% useable without 
  the cards, this style of adventure prep is also ideal for games where the cards will be used heavily 
  (either as GM support, or as the GM itself), as it provides options to use the cards to choose from, and 
  suggests characters and dangers the cards might be referencing in their random events or story seeds. 
  Next, the guide goes over advice on generating quest seeds. This consists primarily of tables 
  that work both by themselves and with the deck, and which are aimed at the conventions of the horror 
  genre. 
  Wrapping it up after that are two sections meant to help tweak the use of the deck to generate 
  horror-appropriate characters and random events, and then a section on ways of creating 
  genre-appropriate levels of uncertainty and suspicion! 
  These tools can be used independently or in concert, during prep or during play; I recommend 
  reviewing them all briefly before you start, and then you can decide how you will get the most benefit 
  out of them! 
   
   
   
   
   
  3 
  
  ADVENTURE FRAMEWORKS 
  The guidelines here are essentially a set of advice on preparing the framework of an adventure, 
  quickly and efficiently. It might seem overly simplistic, but we’re targeting a framework instead of a full 
  adventure because it provides you as a GM with two essential ingredients. First, it ensures you have 
  enough information to always answer the quintessential question, “What happens next?” Second, it 
  gives you the freedom to let the story evolve naturally. 
  One of the biggest problems with a traditional pre-printed adventure is its limited scope of 
  choices and possible outcomes; that’s a large part of what inspired The GameMaster’s Apprentice in 
  the first place. However, even though I love using random content to enhance my games, I do like to 
  be able to keep things consistent--and planning ahead in broad strokes can make that much easier, and 
  makes the stories that result feel more real and engaging. 
  These frameworks are partially inspired by my work on Missions for the Demon Hunters: A 
  Comedy of Terrors Role Playing Game, which was in turn inspired by many other games, some based 
  on the Fate and Apocalypse World systems. If you think the frameworks here work well for your 
  games, you might want to check out those books for more ideas! 
   
  Framework Creation Summary 
  So, to make an adventure framework, follow these steps--a more detailed explanation of each 
  will follow this brief checklist: 
   
  ● Choose a Core 
  ● Ask a Big Question which the game will revolve around (optional) 
  ● Choose a Doom 
  ○ Describe the Doom’s Goal 
  ○ Outline the Doom’s Plan to achieve this goal, in 2-3 stages 
  ○ Create the Cast for the Doom, describing 1-3 characters or features 
  ● Create 3 other Problems 
  ○ Choose a different Type for each Problem (recommended) 
  ○ Give each a Goal 
  ○ Outline the Plan each has, in 2-3 stages 
  ○ Create a Cast for each Problem, including 1-3 characters or features 
  ● Ask 1-3 Little Questions that provide interesting hooks (optional) 
   
   
   
   
  4 
  
  Choose a Core 
  A Core is a central principle of the genre; naturally, a given game will be likely to touch on more 
  than one genre convention, but selecting a single Core when planning out a framework is meant to 
  help you focus on choosing other elements that will work well together. The theory here is that stating 
  your target up front will make it easier to achieve. If you find the Cores to be too broad for your tastes, 
  select the most relevant and refine it; reword it or replace it with a more specific version. 
  Here are three Cores that cover a significant majority of Horror stories; you can add to the list 
  or modify what you see here, as need be: 
   
  To drive back the dark​: This Core is at the heart of stories where the protagonists are taking an 
  active role in their encounters with the horrific; they may be adventurers, investigators, ghost hunters, 
  or even just normal people taking some initiative, but the point is this: they choose to fight, at least at 
  first, and there is a chance (perhaps a small one, but a chance nonetheless) that they can defeat their 
  foes. The characters in stories like this are likely (but not required) to be presented as the heroes in a 
  fairly clear fashion, and moral ambiguity is likely to be low. 
  To survive the night​: This Core covers many different types of horror story: slashers, haunted 
  houses, cabins in the woods, creepy hotels, zombie apocalypses, ghost hunts gone wrong, investigators 
  who are doomed, etc. The common element is that the characters are in over their heads and/or 
  surprised with the situation, and are thus likely to be unprepared and failing to work as a team, at least 
  at first. The tension this brings often (not always, but often) leads to intra-party conflict, or works well 
  when there are potentially traitors in the midst of the characters, be they PCs or NPCs. If the players 
  desire such conflict, that can easily be incorporated; the same goes for high levels of moral ambiguity, 
  as the characters’ values are tested by their difficulties.  
  To gaze into the abyss​: This Core is typical of stories focused on the confrontation of darkness 
  for personal gain, power, revenge, or similar; the protagonists may be more anti-hero (or straight-up 
  bad person) than hero. Characters in urban fantasy and modern supernatural horror, who might 
  themselves be vampires, werewolves, ghouls, and so on, often fit into these games well: they and their 
  world are horrific, and they know it. These tales may actually provoke fewer scares than other kinds of 
  horror, since they present many terrible things as humdrum and commonplace, but they also have the 
  potential to be much, much darker and more disturbing, given the sharper extremes that non-human 
  or otherwise terrible characters might experience. These stories are practically guaranteed to force the 
  characters into tough moral dilemmas.  
   
   
   
   
  5 
  
  Ask a Big Question (Optional) 
  This isn’t a required step, but something I bring in to my games because I firmly believe that a 
  game can be as much a piece of literature as a novel or a play--and one of the things that defines 
  ‘literature’ for me is the exploration of a grand question.  
  When it comes to a novel, the answers (or possible answers) to these questions are often 
  discussed as ‘themes’ of the text, but those are actually secondary; the important part, honestly, is the 
  question itself. While the best example I’ve ever seen of a game asking a big question is the classic 
  computer-based RPG from Bioware, ​Planescape: Torment​, I’ve also seen the tactic work well in games I 
  and others have GMed. 
  If you want to give it a shot, after you’ve selected a Core, consider these examples of Big 
  Questions that fit easily into the horror genre: 
   
  How far will we go to survive? 
  How much can a person endure? 
  What is the worst pain one can feel? 
  Who can you trust? 
   
  There is a nearly infinite variety of questions that could be asked here; think through your 
  favorite books, movies, TV shows, and games if you need more inspiration! 
  Once you have a question, what do you do? Keep it in the back of your mind when planning and 
  making decisions for your NPCs. ​How far will we go to survive?​ would provoke the most thought in a 
  game where the characters are constantly threatened in a physical way, such as an apocalyptic 
  scenario or a madman’s playhouse that requires them to do terrible things. ​How much can a person 
  endure?​ may sound similar, but to me the difference is that this implies a constant pressure that ramps 
  up until a person snaps or dies--rather than the sudden life-and-death, highly-physical choices of the 
  first question. ​What is the worst pain one can feel?​ may work well in a setting that plays closely to the 
  real world in many ways, but which may subject characters to the deaths of loved ones, personal 
  injury, loss of faith, and so on. ​Who can you trust?​ might require a game where each character has 
  many pre-created connections: dependents, friends, spouses, mentors, and so on; as a GM, you would 
  need to give them motives and desires that might leave them at odds with their PC. 
  But whatever you do, ​you must NOT answer the question​ yourself! Let the players explore 
  possible answers as the story unfolds. The best games will develop their answers naturally, if at all, and 
  will still leave you thinking at the end. 
   
   
   
  6 
  
  Choose a Doom 
  A Doom is the thing that looms on the horizon. It doesn’t have to be the primary focus of the 
  story as it starts, but it squats in the darkness just beyond the firelight and ​waits​. This is something that 
  will change the world for the worse unless the characters act. In most games, the Doom is meant to be 
  a campaign-level problem, not likely to be addressed in a story that only lasts one or two sessions, but I 
  recommend coming up with one even for horror stories, which sometimes lend themselves to shorter 
  games; there are two ways to approach that.  
  One method is to use the looming threat of the Doom to instill a sense of greater things beyond 
  the scope of the characters’ ken (they may be out to hunt down a cult leader, but even in defeat he 
  keeps talking about the Ancient Ones rising up….); in games arranged this way, the characters are 
  going to be dealing mostly with the Problems (see below), and the Doom is more or less for 
  atmosphere.  
  The second method is to remember that the scale of these things is entirely up to you; while a 
  Doom like ​The Mask-Wearing Serial Killer​ might seem like a threat so far below ​The Ancient Ones​ that 
  they can’t even compare, that doesn’t matter here. If the serial killer wins, people die. If you want to 
  scale things down so that the Doom’s Goal will be ​Killing all the college kids at the lake house and 
  escaping into the darkness​, then do it! 
  The biggest challenge in picking an appropriate Doom is realizing that it doesn’t have to be 
  physical, concrete foe. ​The Master Vampire​ is a possibility, of course, but ​The Dreams of the Old One​ or 
  Rampant Paranoia ​could work, too.  
  Really, any major threat that could vastly change the world if left unchecked could be a good 
  choice for the framework’s Doom. If you’re not sure about an idea, think through these questions: 
   
  Can the ​characters ​(as opposed to the players) potentially see the Doom coming, given 
  warning or reason to be suspicious? 
  Once identified, could the Doom possibly be stopped by the characters? 
  Will the Doom change something significant about the world if it isn’t stopped? 
   
  If the answers to all three are ​Yes​, then you probably have an acceptable Doom.  
  While designing your Doom, keep in mind the Core (and possibly Big Question) you already 
  selected. Whatever it is, the Doom should fit in with a game focused on those elements.  
  If you can’t come up with something that feels worthy of the title, take a look at the Problems 
  section below; the suggested categories of Problems could all apply to Dooms, and might inspire you to 
  pick a Doom you wouldn’t otherwise have thought of. 
  Once you have a Doom, it’s time to fill out some details about them. 
   
   
   
  7 
  
  Describe the Doom’s Goal 
  The Goal of a Doom is their endgame; here, you should specify at least one target they have, 
  one thing that will drastically change the world if they can achieve it. Why do this? Because if you know 
  what it wants, you’ll always know how it would adapt to deal with a changing situation. 
  Write a sentence that describes what will happen if the players choose to let the Doom act 
  unchecked. The Doom ​The Master Vampire​ might have the Goal ​Spread the Curse across the globe. ​The 
  Dreams of the Old One​, on the other hand, might be out to ​Drive humanity’s greatest minds to 
  madness​, and ​Rampant Paranoia​ may be the driving force behind the ​Launch of a present-day 
  inquisition. 
   
  Outline the Doom’s Plan 
  With the Doom’s Goal already known, create two or three intermediary steps for it to achieve 
  on the road to that Goal. These things will happen (or be replaced by other things mid-game, since 
  plans do sometimes change) before the Goal is reached, acting as a literal countdown to doomsday, 
  even if the players don’t know how much time is left on the clock, and as a source of plotlines. 
  Write a sentence for each step of the Plan, describing both ​what​ the Doom is going to 
  accomplish, and ​how​ it will do so. ​The Master Vampire​ will need to first ​Recruit powerful lieutenants 
  through the local nightlife​ and then ​Charm enough followers through his lieutenants to protect 
  traveling vampires​ before he can ​Spread the Curse across the globe​ by sea and air. The ​Dreams of the 
  Old One​ will first have to ​Inspire works of genius through strange, recurring dreams​ and then ​Urge the 
  dreamers to come together, via the word of an apostle​, who will then ​Arrange a midnight ritual of 
  Awakening​. The increasingly dangerous ​Rampant Paranoia​ will start small, by causing ​Preaching and 
  Editorials about the evils of magic​, followed by ​Mobs lynching magic users.  
   
  Create the Cast for the Doom 
  The Cast is exactly what it sounds like: one to three NPCs who either represent or are involved 
  with the Doom in some way. They could be the Doom itself, or a henchman, victim, bystander, witness, 
  catalyst, the questgiver for the characters…. anyone involved. Of course, more characters will likely be 
  involved later, but this way you’ll have something to draw on.  
  Also, keep in mind that the ‘cast’ for a Doom might include more than sapient characters; 
  critical locations or events might also serve as sources of knowledge or interaction. 
  At this stage, description is more important than mechanics; write a sentence for each 
  character, naming them and pinning down a few important facts. If you feel like adding stats, go for it. 
  The Master Vampire​ will of course be a character, but he will need a few servants, and there could be 
  The Old Hunter ​who has tracked him for years. The ​Dreams of the Old One​ will need an avatar or 
  apostle to start their cult, and it might be handy to name a few artists or leaders who will have the 
  dreams. ​Rampant Paranoia​ might find its start in the words of ​David Belsan, Editor of the National 
  Herald​, and then be spread in a local community by ​Regina Dukakis, PTA Chairperson​, but it might also 
  instill in the game an ​Unreasoning fear​ that will plague many characters--as a feature, aspect, trait, etc. 
  8 
  
  Create Three Other Problems 
  Since the Doom is the big, long-range issue, Problems are the shorter-term… problems. Most 
  settings worthy of adventure will have more than one thing going on at a time, and these Problems will 
  serve as the driving force behind most of the early game, before the Doom starts ramping up its Plan. 
  Problems can be many things, just as the Dooms can; the key difference is scale. Problems are 
  still bad, and they still have Goals that they want to achieve via their own Plans, but those Goals won’t 
  shatter the world as you know it (or, at least, not all of it). If the Doom is ​The Master Vampire​ trying to 
  Spread the Curse across the globe​, a Problem might be ​Alistair Avery​, a charlatan out to ​Deceive the 
  townsfolk into buying his ‘good luck’ charms​.  
  To encourage the creation of three extremely different Problems, I advise that you make each 
  Problem of a different Type. Below are descriptions of Types appropriate to a horror game, but you can 
  always add to this list if you want. 
   
  Swarm: ​Bugs, rats, demonic children, bandits, zombies; they generally present little danger 
  individually, but become a more serious issue in large groups or when ignored and left to enact their 
  schemes. Their Goals usually revolve around destruction motivated by their own survival. 
  Graveyard:​ Prisons, caverns, ancient ruins, lost temples, dungeons, tiny pocket dimensions; 
  these Problems are actually places, which may pose a danger in many ways. They might disgorge 
  monsters into a town, or they could contain something that would be terrible and dangerous if it fell 
  into the wrong hands.  
  Beast:​ A masterful vampire, an abusive spouse, a dreadful poltergeist; just because they aren’t 
  actually the Doom, that doesn’t mean they are going to sit on the sidelines. A big baddie with a Goal 
  that is less serious than “world domination” is still a Problem that needs dealing with; killing off the 
  villagers or driving a family from their home can be enough. 
  Corruption:​ A dark curse, a terrible plague, rampant distrust, murmurs of rebellion; sometimes 
  a Problem is diffuse or abstract in the extreme. These may not be capable of intentional planning, but 
  they still have a Goal, usually one that involves spreading their darkness and causing further chaos.  
   
   
  Give each Problem a Goal 
  Once you’ve selected three different Problems with three different Types, give each of them a 
  distinct Goal. Just like the Doom’s Goal, the Problems’ Goals are their grand plans. Write a sentence for 
  each that explains what will happen if the characters choose not to get involved. 
  If you want to be extra tricky, the Goals of the Problems could be used as steps in the Doom’s 
  Plan (possibly meaning you have to go back and edit that), tying them all together into a coherent(-ish) 
  whole. 
   
   
  9 
  
  Outline a Plan for each Problem 
  Harken back to the Plan you made for the Doom and repeat the process here. What are the 
  steps involved in the Problem reaching its Goal? Think up two to three steps per Problem, and write a 
  sentence for each step. 
   
  Create a Cast for each Problem 
  Next, create one to three important characters or features (locations, major events, strange 
  effects, etc) for each Problem. While it’s entirely possible that some characters might be involved in 
  more than one Problem (a vampire spreading their curse who also foments fear of the supernatural in 
  the populace), try come up with at least one unique individual per Problem; remember that these are 
  just inspiration, and you will probably add to these lists during play. 
   
  Ask 1-3 Little Questions (Optional) 
  As you wrap up, you’ve hopefully created a number of possible starting points. Once you know 
  who the characters are and where they begin the game, it should be fairly easy to decide which 
  Problem presents itself first.  
  But if you have a real, living setting, there is going to be more going on in the world than the 
  various disasters that strike. 
  Do any of the characters (player or not) have a particular fate they either seek or avoid? Are 
  there any links between characters that might be worth exploring? What is at stake if the Problems or 
  the Doom manage to achieve their Goals--or even just a step of their Plan? Who stands to suffer? 
  Ask some specific questions about situations, characters, or events; questions that can’t be 
  answered until play progresses. These are entirely optional, but force you to consider who or what 
  stands to be lost or changed, depending on the outcomes of the story. Of course, the questions might 
  be voided or necessarily altered before they are answered, but that’s fine--these are just to keep you 
  thinking, and to ensure that you have material to draw on if at any point you can’t think of what the 
  next scene should be. 
   
  The Point: Scene Creation 
  Your newly-created framework is a reference sheet for where the story ​might​ go, without 
  interfering with its natural evolution; it lets you play without either railroading the players down a 
  certain path or letting the game grind to a halt for lack of content.  
  Introducing one of the Problems? That can be a scene. Advancing the Plan of a Problem or the 
  Doom? Scene. One of the Cast needs to be given some screen time? Another scene. If a Problem 
  achieves their Goal, that’s one or more scenes right there, and if the Doom reaches its Goal you’ve 
  probably got one or more whole ​sessions ​just dealing with that. And, for things with a smaller scope, 
  the Little Questions can be dealt with, or the Big Question danced around.  
  10 
  
  Example of a Complete Framework 
   
  GMA Framework Sheet 
  Core: ​To Survive the Night (In a town with a dark cult controlling it from the shadows) 
  Big Question:​ ​Who can you trust? 
  Doom: ​Dark Master 
  Plan:​ 1) Identify and eliminate the last holdouts in the town who resist 
  the cult; 2) Capture ‘an innocent’ to sacrifice; 3) Perform the sacrifice 
  in the temple at Midnight on the solstice 
  Goal: ​The Master will arise 
  and empower the cultists 
  Cast: ​The High Priest; Ben and Tina, teenagers who want OUT. 
  Problem 1: ​Cultists ​(Swarm) 
  Plan: ​1) Have the sheriff ‘question’ any outsiders; 2) Accidents 
  happen to ‘prisoners’ in the lockup 
  Goal: ​Seek and destroy 
  outsiders (PCs) 
  Cast: ​Sheriff Woodward (corrupt cult member) 
  Problem 2: ​Temple ​(Graveyard) 
  Plan: ​1) Show the weakest-willed outsider (PC) visions of what they 
  want; 2) Cause them to hallucinate and become paranoid about a 
  friend; 3) Push them to kill a friend or loved one 
  Goal: ​Corrupt the mind of a 
  visitor 
  Cast: ​Old Walter, the town drunk, who rambles madly... 
  Problem 3: ​Fear (Corruption) 
  Plan: ​1) Keep suspicions high, so all think everyone else is a 
  cultist; 2) Push the townies to report each other/PCs to cult 
  Goal: ​Cause the townsfolk to 
  rely on the Cultists for aid 
  Cast: ​Mr. & Mrs. Denway, who just want to protect their family... 
  Little Questions: ​Will Ben and Tina survive and escape the cult? Will the PCs convince Old Walter to 
  help them fight back? Will a PC accidentally injure or kill another PC or an innocent? 
   
   
   
  11 
  
  Blank Framework Sheet 
   
  GMA Framework Sheet 
  Core: 
  Big Question: 
  Doom: 
  Plan: 
   
   
   
  Goal: 
  Cast: 
   
  Problem 1: 
  Plan: 
   
   
  Goal: 
  Cast: 
   
  Problem 2: 
  Plan: 
   
   
  Goal: 
  Cast: 
   
  Problem 3: 
  Plan: 
   
   
  Goal: 
  Cast: 
   
  Little Questions: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  12 
  
  ADVENTURE PREMISES
  The premise of a story is the back cover of the module, the elevator pitch for the game, or the 
  message you send a friend to try and hook them into making a character. It doesn't tell you everything 
  about the entire story, but it gives you a place to start.  
  Following these tips, you’ll be creating fill-in-the-blank style adventure premises that will 
  hopefully inspire further ideas. If you are going to make any firm decisions about the specific style and 
  tone of game you want, you should make them before you start rolling; after that, if you wind up with 
  an option that doesn't feel like it fits your concept, choose again! 
  To use these randomizer lists the way I do, follow these steps. 
  Fill in the Blanks 
  Start with this sentence, treating the underlined portions as blanks to fill in: 
  The Questgiver​ asks you to ​complete this task​ because ​reasons​. 
  If any parts of that sentence are already decided for you (or by you), fill them in first, and then 
  skip the associated steps below; if you know the Questgiver is going to be the character’s boss, there 
  isn’t a reason to randomize it. Also, before you start rolling, review these tables and replace the 
  options you don’t like with ones that fit your style. 
  Also, if any non-randomized part of that sentence doesn’t fit (for example, in a game about 
  surviving a haunted house, you may be ​forced​ rather than ​asked​ to survive, etc), change or reinterpret 
  it as you see fit. 
  13 
  
  The Questgiver  
  Who is sending you on this quest? For a more down-to-earth game, use the Difficulty Selector 
  to randomize; for a game more likely to involve the strange and powerful, just use a d10. (Note! If 
  there are several ideas listed in square brackets ([a secret society/a religion/a company]), then pick or 
  randomize from that sub-list.) 
   
  Roll 
  Questgiver 
  1 
  A tremendously powerful [political/religious/corporate] leader  
  2 
  The high council or board of directors of [a secret society/a religion/a company] 
  3 
  The [wealthy patron/mob boss/supernatural creature] that once did you a favor 
  4 
  The local [police chief/mayor/bartender/historical society nut] 
  5 
  The [employer/captain/master/leader/owner] you serve 
  6 
  A [family member/friend/old flame/business partner/traveler] 
  7 
  A young [medium/”Hunter”/scholar/priest] in over their head 
  8 
  A [shadowy figure/old wanderer/note sent over to you] at the bar 
  9 
  A world-famous [celebrity/journalist/paranormal researcher] 
  10 
  A major [celestial/demonic/fae/mythical] being 
   
  The Task  
  Here we have a more interesting table. The first column is aimed at games that center around 
  surviving a foe or situation, making staying alive the focus; the second is meant to supply stories of 
  investigation and discovery, seeking the truth at any cost; and the last is for games about protecting 
  something or someone (the mask or facade of normality most people believe; the innocent; the 
  characters’ home).​ ​These tables have no particular weight towards the middle, since they are already 
  broken down into three segments; just use a normal d10 after you’ve picked your preferred column. 
  However, a note on Horror, especially Survival, tasks; when building a premise with one of 
  these, you may need to consider that the Questgiver or Reasons may not literally ask the characters for 
  help, or be the reason they continue in the scenario. If ‘A world-famous celebrity’ asks the characters 
  to ‘escape a [prison/sadistic game/house],’ the celebrity may be the villain who has lured the PCs into a 
  trap for their own amusement…. likewise, perhaps ‘you were promised treasure’ as a reward for 
  coming to this celebrity dinner party at a creepy mansion, but that may not materialize in the end…. 
  14 
  
  Roll 
  Survival 
  Investigation 
  Protection 
  1 
  find [food and shelter/basic 
  medicine/a place of safety] 
  for your group 
  identify and hunt [a 
  monster/a person/a force] 
  terrorizing people 
  free a [spirit/ghost/ 
  creature/person] from a 
  curse or horrible fate 
  2 
  escape a [prison/sadistic 
  game/house] 
  investigate a [murder/theft 
  /break in/disappearance] 
  destroy a [dark artifact/ 
  source of evil/unholy place] 
  3 
  heal a sick or wounded 
  [friend/family 
  member/traveler] 
  discover the truth of your 
  [ancestry/birth/homeland] 
  seek the aid of a powerful or 
  legendary [being/person/ 
  force/organization] 
  4 
  survive a period of time at 
  [the island/the house/the 
  cabin/the ruins] 
  find the answer to a 
  seemingly impossible 
  [riddle/question/problem]  
  slay or destroy a 
  [madman/monster/force/ 
  organization] 
  5 
  identify the traitorous 
  [enemy agent/former 
  friend/person of power] in 
  your midst 
  find a retired [investigator/ 
  professor/researcher] 
  stop the rise of [an ancient 
  evil/a new dark force/a 
  fallen champion of light] 
  6 
  keep the group from 
  fighting over [resources/ 
  power/relationships] 
  prove someone innocent of 
  crimes that may have been 
  caused by a [madman/ 
  monster/force/organization​] 
  temporarily ally with evil 
  terrible to fight a worse 
  [madman/monster/force/ 
  organization] 
  7 
  help the group survive by 
  [fortifying/supplying/ 
  defending] their home  
  scout and learn about [an 
  unknown area/an 
  abandoned structure/a 
  ghost ship or town] 
  cover up the evidence of a 
  [supernatural 
  event/monster/madman] 
  8 
  pretend to align with the 
  [madman/monster/force/ 
  organization] 
  infiltrate and uncover the 
  truth of a mysterious or 
  eerie [person/town/group] 
  learn to use and control new 
  [supernatural/psychic/divine
  /demonic] powers 
  9 
  evade or hide from an 
  unstoppable [madman/ 
  monster/force/organization​] 
  discover the source of 
  inexplicable happenings in a 
  [home/hotel/town/ 
  wilderness] 
  train a new 
  [apprentice/hunter/ 
  investigator] 
  10 
  survive the trip between 
  two places despite [the 
  conditions/ the 
  location/being hunted]  
  identify the true villain 
  behind problems blamed 
  on a [madman/monster/ 
  force/organization] likely 
  innocent of them 
  create or reinforce a 
  believable cover story for 
  activities by [yourselves/a 
  friend/an ally] 
  15 
  
  Reasons  
  Why must you complete this task? What drives you? Unless some reason has already presented 
  itself (and it might well have, either because you knew it ahead of time or because the task you picked 
  suggests one to you--especially the Survival tasks), roll on this table to find out. Like the Questgiver 
  table, this one is weighted to have more ‘reasonable’ or ‘likely’ (given the genre) motivations grouped 
  in the middle, so use the Difficulty Selector if that appeals to you. 
   
   
  Roll 
  Reasons 
  1 
  you must, in order to restore a loved one’s [sanity/power/life/soul]. 
  2 
  you were promised [treasure/a favor/power]. 
  3 
  you are compelled to by a [curse/debt/oath/duty]. 
  4 
  a [lover/friend/mentor/dependent] of yours will suffer a terrible fate otherwise. 
  5 
  your [sanity/soul/family/life] hangs in the balance. 
  6 
  you must, to prevent [the group from falling apart/the deaths of innocents/greater 
  losses]. 
  7 
  you must, as this is [a personal trial/a chance for redemption]. 
  8 
  you were promised [the truth at last/answers/knowledge]. 
  9 
  you are the only ones who can [complete this task/know about it/survive the challenge]. 
  10 
  you must, to prevent [unleashing terror/plague/famine/the end of the world]. 
   
   
   
   
   
  16 
  
  Horror Premise Tag Symbols 
  These can be used in the creation of any horror adventure, using the premise system or not; 
  consider this an example of how to create a tag symbol table for your own games. 
  After (or before) filling in the blanks in the premise, draw one card and look at the three tag 
  symbols that result; if at all possible, find a way to apply their meanings to your game. Only redraw if 
  you can’t fit two of the three into your concept; if one seems to be an outlier, just ignore that one.  
   
  Tower 
  A fortress, mansion, prison, temple, 
  ruin, isolated base, remote island, 
  cabin in the woods, or similar 
  location. Hard to get in and/or out. 
  Moon 
  Recent events leave loyalties confused 
  and uncertain. Who is ‘good’ and who 
  is ‘evil’ may be in question; suspicion 
  abounds, and betrayal may follow. 
  Crown 
  The rich and famous are involved; 
  someone with a lot of money or 
  power of another sort may be 
  implicated, or otherwise crucial to 
  the story.  
  Sword 
  Physical violence is a primary concern, 
  either immediately before or after the 
  story starts. Someone, PC or 
  otherwise, is attacked or injured. 
  Heart 
  Family, friendship, or romance are at 
  stake; if they were already involved, 
  then the situation becomes more 
  extreme. They could be in physical 
  or spiritual danger, or the 
  relationships to PCs might be 
  threatened. 
  Shield 
  The characters must protect someone 
  or something vulnerable; there is an 
  express danger to the subject. They 
  may have been threatened directly, or 
  might represent an obvious casualty if 
  the PCs fail. 
  Skull 
  Death is looming and/or has already 
  struck close to home; regardless of 
  the cause, someone close to the PCs 
  is dying or dead. If only dying or 
  threatened, they may be possible to 
  save. 
  Target 
  Mental violence is a primary concern; 
  sanity and the difference between 
  illusion and reality will be a focus. 
  Either immediately before or after the 
  start of the story, someone 
  experiences mental trauma.  
  Sun 
  A ray of hope in the darkness; 
  whether it proves true or not, 
  something suggests a positive 
  outcome may be possible. 
  Wand 
  Supernatural (or apparently so) events 
  are involved, whether or not the world 
  is meant to be explicitly supernatural. 
  A killer strikes and vanishes in 
  “impossible” ways, etc. 
   
   
   
  17 
  
  CHARACTERS 
  You can already randomize characters 
  with the deck, but to tweak them for a horror 
  game, here are two suggestions. 
   
  Professions 
  Before you draw for any other 
  components of the character, consider giving 
  them a random profession appropriate to the 
  current setting--that may give you some ideas 
  to start with. 
  This table is weighted with professions 
  more thematically common in a ​modern horror​ setting towards the middle, so draw for the Difficulty 
  Selector instead of rolling a d10 if you want the randomization to be more in line with those genre 
  tropes, or change it to fit your setting more closely! 
   
  Roll 
  Professions 
  1 
  Royalty or Political Leader 
  2 
  Celebutante (rich kid, minor star, pop singer, former child actor) 
  3 
  White-collar (doctor, teacher, accountant, lawyer)  
  4 
  Blue-collar (mechanic, engineer, electrician, mason, plumber) 
  5 
  Punk kid (high school student, frat boy, urban legend junkie)  
  6 
  Explorer (hiker, photographer, researcher, ‘urban explorer’) 
  7 
  Vehicle operator (pilot, sailor, driver)  
  8 
  Criminal (thief, con-man, quack doctor, sham psychic) 
  9 
  Occult specialist (medium, priest, professional skeptic) 
  10 
  Experienced monster hunter 
   
   
   
   
  18 
  
  Horror Character Tag Symbols 
  As with anything else, you can modify characters by drawing one card and applying the Tag 
  Symbols; here is an example table to get you started. When you draw, try to fit at least two of the 
  results into your NPC! 
   
  Tower 
  The NPC is taciturn, surly, and 
  generally unwilling to talk to anyone 
  without significant motivation. 
  Moon 
  The NPC is hiding a secret, either big 
  or small, that has at least a little 
  bearing on the story. Characters are 
  likely to spot this, but may not be able 
  to divine the secret. 
  Crown 
  Whether or not they have access to 
  it, the NPC has a family which is rich, 
  famous, and/or powerful. 
  Sword 
  The NPC has ability in physical conflict, 
  either through training or experience; 
  they may have scars (physical and/or 
  mental) as a result. 
  Heart 
  The NPC is highly empathic, and feels 
  strongly for others, or at least 
  appears this way; they connect with 
  people, forge strong bonds, and are 
  unlikely to leave anyone behind. 
  Shield 
  The NPC is suspicious, guarded, and 
  slow to trust. They are not necessarily 
  hiding anything, but are generally 
  cautious, perhaps to the point of 
  paranoia. 
  Skull 
  The NPC is sick, either physically or 
  mentally. They could be in danger of 
  dying, and they could also pose a 
  threat to the group--or it could be 
  nothing. 
  Target 
  The NPC has an agenda that they want 
  the characters’ help to fulfill… though 
  the characters may not be aware of it 
  at first, and it may or may not align 
  with their own goals in the end. 
  Sun 
  The NPC is innocent, open, 
  optimistic, or childlike in outlook 
  (though not necessarily in mental age 
  or ability). This can be equally 
  uplifting or dangerous. 
  Wand 
  The NPC has experience, real or 
  merely professed, in dealing with the 
  supernatural and/or mundanely 
  horrific.  
   
   
   
   
  19 
  
  ENCOUNTERS 
  Here are two tools to help keep things moving if you need a quick random encounter. They can 
  be used separately or together. 
  Premade Combos 
  If you draw for a random event, but get a combination of Noun + Verb you don’t think makes 
  any sense (or if you just want to start your game with some pre-made suggestions available), roll on 
  this table!  
  Because it only provides a Noun and Verb, you can also then draw an Adjective to further 
  modify the encounter, extending the table below from 10 results to 1200.  
   
  Roll 
  Verb, Noun, and Suggestions 
  1 
  Unearth/Team: What was thought to be the work of one person, in fact, more than one; a killer is 
  really killers, or the mysterious stranger is the front-man for the mysterious group. 
  2 
  Remember/Lies: A character remembers a past deception that seemed harmless at the time, but 
  now is much more sinister; or now discovers they have been lied to or deceived in the past. 
  3 
  Beguile/Death: Either death looms, but is escaped, or a dying character is saved in a similarly 
  narrow fashion--but death doesn’t like being cheated. Are they still in danger? 
  4 
  Violate/Deity: Something (un)holy is desecrated. A shrine is disturbed, a relic smashed, an altar 
  profaned. The deity itself, its supernatural guardians, or its mortal priests may take vengeance. 
  5 
  Observe/Dream: Eerie dreams; this could go several different ways. A character might have a 
  disturbing nightmare now, or could recognize things they previously dreamed happening around 
  them--or might even begin to notice dream-like qualities in the world around them. 
  6 
  Poison/Emotion: A relationship that was positive becomes a corrupt influence, though it may take 
  time to fester; or a highly negative emotion is raised, and it foments conflict.  
  7 
  Condemn/Magic: This makes me think of a witch-burning (or equivalent) mob forming; it could 
  more literally indicate someone acting or speaking against magic, the supernatural, or a religion.  
  8 
  Imitate/Sustenance: Fake food? The PCs discover they’ve eaten something tampered with or 
  disguised (what ​was​ that meat?), or the supplies they thought they had have spoiled or been 
  stolen.  
  9 
  Silence/Network: No bars! Your battery died! You forgot the wifi password! Or, depending on the 
  setting, the PCs are otherwise cut off from support and help. 
  10 
  Punish/Goodness: No good deed goes unpunished--literally, in this case. Either a previous good 
  deed, or the next one the PCs do, causes unexpected harm or backlash. The person they save 
  goes on to cause irreparable damage, or the like.  
  20 
  
  Horror Encounter Tag Symbols 
  This sample tag symbol table is geared towards modifying events and encounters. These can 
  modify any encounter (random or not) with suggestions appropriate for the genre. Try to find 
  applications for at least two of the results. 
   
   
  Tower 
  The encounter introduces a new 
  location; it could be a place to travel 
  to, or a new but local area (such as a 
  hidden room).  
  Moon 
  The encounter provides information 
  that contradicts something previously 
  known or discovered. Whether this 
  revelation can be trusted, or is simply 
  a red herring, is unclear. 
  Crown 
  The encounter has higher stakes than 
  previously expected--its importance 
  increases. This could mean a better 
  reward or a more brutal punishment. 
  Sword 
  Physical injury, due to a random act of 
  fate (broken floorboards), a sudden 
  surprise attack (I thought you finished 
  off all the zombies?!), or something 
  similar, is part of the encounter; if it 
  already was, the injury is more severe.  
  Heart 
  The encounter is personal for one or 
  more characters; emotions run high, 
  grudges boil over, hearts break. It 
  could have been intentionally brought 
  to this point, or it may have been an 
  accident, but either way, people 
  aren’t thinking clearly. 
  Shield 
  The encounter involves a defense or 
  protection on the part of the PCs, of 
  themselves or someone/something 
  else. They might have to hold off an 
  attack, find a place to hide a fugitive 
  ten seconds ahead of the law, or do 
  something else along those lines.  
  Skull 
  Death is here; either someone has 
  already died (perhaps the killer struck 
  again?), or death is a likely 
  consequences of this encounter. If it 
  already was, perhaps a mortal injury 
  and the struggle to survive are a 
  fitting addition. 
  Target 
  The encounter serves to isolate the 
  characters (or a character) in some 
  way--either physically or socially, or by 
  making them a literal target. 
  Sun 
  Something about the encounter (vital 
  information, necessary supplies, a 
  helping hand, time to rest, emotional 
  reconciliation) assists the characters 
  and instills hope, even if only for the 
  purpose of letting it be dashed in the 
  next scene.  
  Wand 
  Something seemingly inexplicable 
  happens (which could be VERY strange 
  if the universe is already blatantly 
  supernatural). It need not involve 
  magic, but strange forces appear to be 
  at work; mysterious strangers appear 
  to help, unseen assailants attack, 
  objects vanish from locked rooms. 
  21 
  
  UNCERTAINTY 
   
  One of the most critical components of a horror game is fear, which is more challenging to 
  instill in the players than it is to mandate for the characters. Fortunately, there are tricks that you can 
  use (solo or in standard play) to create at least a taste of the horror the characters are experiencing. 
  To a large degree, horror and fear are created by a lack of understanding and a sense that all is 
  not as it should be--if one thing is wrong, we think, what ​else​ might be lurking beneath the surface? If 
  we don’t know the rules, we have no way of knowing if the universe is stacked against us or not. Will 
  the gun I’m holding kill the beast charging at me down the hallway, or is it truly unstoppable? Tension 
  is high; this is the climactic moment, the end of the movie: I pull the trigger, shout, and we cut to black! 
  But is the next scene of triumph or gore? 
  Here are suggestions for building uncertainty in your games. 
   
  Fearful Chaos 
  While the use of the random event generator is discussed in detail in the instructions for the 
  GameMaster’s Apprentice, consider these possibilities: 
  ● If you are using the deck as a game engine, use a system of Tension (page 22 of the instructions 
  document) that creates an appropriately high rate of random events. For example, for the 
  slasher-flick style of horror, you might use whichever system appeals to you, but also rule that 
  the appearance of a clue or piece of evidence in a scene automatically ramps the tension up by 
  1, and any scene where the killer is attacking (or the investigators are confronting the truth, 
  etc) gets set to 8 if it wasn’t already higher.  
  ● If you are running a more traditional game with a GM, consider using a similar system of 
  Tension and drawing against it whenever a character takes action directly opposing the villain in 
  a new way; for example, when attacking, hiding from, or attempting to defend against them. If 
  a random event is triggered, it must be interpreted as negatively (for the players) as possible: 
  the wind scatters the salt circle; the groundskeeper left the back door unlocked; it turns out 
  that stabbing the masked killer has no effect; you realize the mask is actually based on William 
  Shatner’s face and freeze in terror; and so on. 
  ● To reiterate a suggestion from the instructions, modify any scene that needs a bit more thrill by 
  using the sensory snippets: draw a card, read all four, and pick one or more that might evoke 
  nervousness or suspicion (obviously modifying and working them into the scene as necessary).  
   
   
   
   
   
  22 
  
  Suspicion Tag Symbols 
  Who can you trust? Consider making specific tag symbol tables for things like this in your game; 
  at critical moments, or when establishing or revealing new information that might change relationships 
  or expose unpleasant truths, draw a card. Perhaps, at the very least, mandate that a card will be drawn 
  at one or more specific points in the game, so that you just ​know​ someone or something can’t be 
  trusted...but you won’t know who or what until you get there. 
   
   
  Tower 
  Home, headquarters, or other 
  location may be compromised; was 
  someone here while you were away? 
  Is it bugged? Are they watching you? 
  Moon 
  A suspect or bad guy suddenly seems 
  less evil, or at least more helpful. Why 
  would they help you? Does it serve 
  their own ends, or were you wrong 
  the whole time? 
  Crown 
  A leader may have mislead you or 
  betrayed you. Are they being 
  framed? Is there a reasonable 
  explanation for their apparent 
  actions? 
  Sword 
  Your weapons don’t work--they may 
  have been sabotaged, or they seem 
  ineffective for some other reason. 
  How could this be? 
  Heart 
  A friend or loved one may have an 
  ulterior motive. Are they truly on 
  your side? Does this mean intra-party 
  conflict? 
  Shield 
  Armor, protective charms, or wards 
  fail or simply don’t do anything. Did 
  someone disable them, or were they 
  useless to begin with? 
  Skull 
  Someone thought dead might 
  actually be alive--or someone you 
  dealt with recently may have been 
  dead for much longer than that. 
  What is going on? 
  Target 
  Your goal is called into question--is it 
  still possible to achieve? Is it the right 
  goal to be seeking? Are you really the 
  villain? 
  Sun 
  A helpful acquaintance or assistant 
  may have their own agenda, or may 
  have sold you out. Can you trust 
  them? What did they really want? 
  Wand 
  Abilities, powers, or special knowledge 
  (arcane or mundane) suddenly appear 
  useless, incorrect, or corrupt. Can you 
  trust your own capabilities? 
   
   
   
   
   
  23 
  
  Questionable Decisions 
  How do you solve a mystery or investigation that was generated randomly? By tracking your 
  Questionable Decisions.  
  This is similar in purpose to the tag symbol tables for suspicion, above, in that the goal is to 
  ensure that you can’t necessarily trust your assumptions, but it produces results much more closely 
  tailored to your particular story. This version fits the most clearly in an investigative game--but that 
  doesn’t have to mean a ​detective​ game, necessarily. Any time when the nature of the villain, situation, 
  characters, or setting is potentially in question, this is one method of resolving those questions without 
  being completely arbitrary.  
   
  1) Starting at the beginning of a game, keep a blank chart handy, titled Questionable Decisions 
  and labeled 1-10. If you want the characters to have the potential to get the solution right on 
  their first try, fill in one space on the chart as “No Surprises;” pick either 1 or 10 (or both) for a 
  low chance of this occurring, or numbers closer to 5 and 6 for a high chance.  
  2) As the game progresses, keep track of decisions that might come back to haunt the PCs later, or 
  information that might not be trustworthy. Enter each piece into one of the lines on the table; 
  put the least trustworthy/most dangerous assumptions in the 5 or 6 spots, and the more 
  trustworthy/safer-bets closer to the 1 and 10 spots. 
  3) If information or a decision on the table is invalidated during gameplay, update the chart and 
  remove or alter those entries. 
  4) If you run out of space on the chart, either start a second or replace the most trustworthy 
  entries on the chart with your new potential problems. 
  5) During any moment when a plot twist might be revealed--such as confronting a suspected 
  villain, or even simply retrieving information that would confirm or deny your suspicions--draw 
  a card and use the Difficulty Selector to pick one of the entries (you can optionally roll 1d10 
  instead, but that produces flat odds, making each entry equally likely). 
  6) Whatever fact or character is rolled becomes something the PCs are wrong about, and now you 
  know it (though you don’t necessarily know the truth)! A blank line indicates that there were no 
  surprises. 
  7) Erase the selected block and work this new information into the story, keeping in mind that the 
  rest of the chart is still potentially uncertain. 
   
  This system can be used in non-horror games as well, but because it promotes uncertainty that 
  isn’t ​completely​ arbitrary (thus allowing your suspicions and thoughts to guide it), it works well for 
  horror. And, of course, in extremely complex games rife with deception and intrigue, you can make 
  multiple charts--for different organizations, people, plots and schemes, and so on.  
   
  24 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Solo/2. GM Emulators & Generic Solo Rules/Gamemaster's Apprentice/Horror Deck/GMA AG Horror.pdf