TEXT: Player’s GUIDE
  BY JEREMY FORBING
  
  Player’s GUIDE
  
  Credits
  Lead Designer: Jeremy Forbing
  Producer: Anthony Joyce
  Editor: R P Davis
  Additional Design: BJ Hensley
  Additional Material and Inspiration: M.T. Black
  Graphic Design and Layout: Gordon McAlpin
  Illustrations: Joyce Maureira, Gordon McAlpin
  The majority of illustrations in this book are from public 
  domain sources, most notably Harry Clarke’s illustrated 
  editions of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust and Edgar 
  Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination (via the Internet 
  Archive); illustrations by Sidney Paget, A. Pearse, and others 
  from The Strand Magazine (via the Internet Archive); the 
  British Library’s collection of public domain images on Flickr; 
  and the Old Book Illustrations website. Some have been 
  modified for use in this book. All of them are, to the best of 
  our knowledge, public domain everywhere in the world.
  Playtesters (Dungeon Masters are marked, followed 
  by their players where possible): David Solon Phillips, 
  Jonathan Forbing, Paul Myers, Timothy Schuchard, 
  Michael Todd, Jim Mason, Robert Prichard, Timothy 
  Hanson, Tom Hicks, Hal Kim, Jeff Hay (DM), Cindy 
  Richard, Andrew Collins, Derek E. Dions, Margaret 
  Kamphorst, Connor Rittner, Ryan Rushtan, David 
  Bowlin (DM), Dr. Jade Simmons, Sydney Leigh Simmons, 
  Candeda Gilmore, Rebecca Patton, Jessie Patton, 
  Travis Legge (DM), Sarah Scharnweber, Ryan Davis, 
  Sheridan McGuire, Aaron Lynde, Zach Lynde, Thomas 
  Vaultonburg, Gabe Banks, Peter Brennan (DM), Bengt 
  Olav Olsen (DM), Karita Kristiansen, André Szajnfeld, 
  Gunnar Olai Dahle Sivertsen, Ulrik Bøe, Jon Jarrett 
  Nygren, Eirik Støylen, Barbro Westlund-Storm, DM Dean 
  (DM, with players Isaac, Beth, Aaron, Candice, JP, and 
  Nick), Francisco Giménez (DM), Román Gorojovsky, 
  Guadalupe L. Reyes, Matt Nocivelli (DM), Marcin 
  Roszkowski (DM), and M.T. Black (DM & Playtest 
  Coordinator). Extra thanks go out to James Sharkey 
  (DM), Jeff Ibach, Chris Lubrecht, Caitlin Sharkey, Scott 
  Thomas, Joe Bakter, and Katie Benson, as well as the many 
  playtesters whose names were not provided.
  Dedication: To Celine Massuger, Jeremy’s beloved wife, 
  and to their beautiful children, Owen and Isaac Forbing.
  Special Thanks* to all the devious minds who, across 
  decades of books, articles, and adventures, have abetted 
  the creation and evolution of Gothic Earth, including:
  • The creators of TSR’s original Masque of the Red 
  Death and Other Tales boxed set for second edition 
  D&D (1994): William W. Connors with Anne K. Brown, 
  Andria Hayday, Colin McComb, Shane Hensley, D.J. 
  Heinrich, Sarah Feggestad, Peggy Cooper, Tim Coumbe, 
  Angelika Lokotz, Paul Hanchette, Richard Pike-Brown, 
  Jonatha Ariadne Caspian, Karen Boomgarden, David 
  C. Sutherland III, Robh Ruppel, Ned Dameron, and 
  Stephen Fabian;
  • The D20 System Masque of the Red Death (2004) 
  Hardcover Team: Jackie Cassada & Nicky Rea, with Claire 
  Hoffman, Carla Hollar, Harold Johnson, Rucht Lilavivat, 
  Andrew Scott, Peter Woodworth, Dale Donovan, 
  Andrew Bates, Richard Thomas, and Ron Thompson;
  • The original Ravenloft Campaign Setting designers: 
  Andria Hayday and Bruce Nesmith, based the original 
  adventure I6: Ravenloft by Tracy and Laura Hickman;
  • And other contributors from previous editions of D&D: 
  Claire Hoffman, Keith Hoffman, James Wyatt, Peter 
  Parker, Jeff Richards, Victor Long, Mike Davis, Steve 
  Winter, Andrew Cermak, John W. Mangrum, Ryan 
  Naylor, Chris Nichols, Stuart Turner, Andrew Wyatt, John 
  D. Rateliff, Richard Baker III, David “Zeb” Cook, Jennell 
  Jaquays, Jon Pickens, Andrew Hauptmann, and various 
  adventure authors for the Living Death Organized 
  Play campaign.
  • Per the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon 
  Masters Guild, this book also includes Community Content 
  adapted from the works of many other DMs Guild authors, 
  including: Catherine Evans, the Adventurers League 
  admin team (Amy Lynn Dzura, Claire Hoffman, Greg 
  Marks, Alan Patrick, Lysa Penrose, and Travis Woodall, 
  with Robert Adducci and Bill Benham), Igor Moreno, 
  Oliver Clegg, and Mark Gellis.
   *  Mention of creators in these Special Thanks does not imply 
  their endorsement of this book or active participation in 
  its creation.
  Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and 
  all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and 
  other countries.
  This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission 
  under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
  All other original material in this work is copyright 2019 by Jeremy Forbing and published under the Community Content 
  Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild.
  
  3
  Foreword
  F
  irst off: this is not a setting book! While 
  setting material is included to support the info 
  herein, the present volume is primarily a rules 
  resource. It provides complete Dungeons & 
  Dragons fifth edition rules for Gothic Earth, a classic 
  campaign world. The various setting guides and 
  adventures already published for it remain the best 
  sources for its deeper secrets.
  25 years ago, William W. Connors and his editorial 
  accomplice Anne K. Brown unveiled the Masque 
  of the Red Death and Other Tales boxed set 
  (now available on the DMs Guild in both print and digital 
  editions). It transposed the dark flavor of the Ravenloft 
  Campaign Setting into a twisted 19th-century analog 
  of the world you and I call home. Existing Ravenloft 
  mechanics for games of Gothic Horror (such as fear 
  checks, horror checks, altered spells, and dark powers 
  tempting those who commit acts of evil) combined with 
  variant character classes and other new rules to fit this 
  shadowy reflection of Earth.
  For one young man already obsessed with tabletop 
  RPGs, it was a literal game-changer. Teenaged me had 
  detoured away from fantasy RPGs to games of horror set 
  in a version of our own world, so the prospect of such a 
  setting for D&D was the perfect thing to lure me back. 
  Yet it wasn’t until I got home and read the actual books—
  with their haunting descriptions and beautifully sinister 
  black-and-white artwork—that I realized this new way of 
  playing D&D would be taking over my gaming life for a 
  while. Soon, my friends knew this was my setting (we all 
  claimed our own little fictional fiefdoms back then), and 
  I’d be the one DMing it.
  Ten years later, we’d all switched to the third edition of 
  Dungeons & Dragons, and Masque of the Red Death 
  was licensed to White Wolf Publishing, who published a 
  new campaign setting book. I fell in love all over again, 
  and once again my gaming friends understood: Gothic 
  Earth was my jam, and if anyone in our group ran a 
  campaign, it would be me.
  Of course, now I want the opposite—I hope everyone 
  will run it! Ideally, this product will inspire more DMs to 
  run Masque of the Red Death adventures, and existing 
  fans will heed the invitation to walk its dark streets 
  once more. Other DMs Guild creators have already 
  released Gothic Earth supplements and adventures 
  (such as Jolene—or, The Beauty From Beyond the Stars 
  by Catherine Evans). Perhaps through our combined 
  efforts, new generations of players will hear the call to 
  clandestine battle, raging against the Red Death’s plans 
  to crush the human spirit forever…
  In any case, I’m very grateful that the DMs Guild 
  allows me to write this love-letter to the setting that 
  captured the imagination of that awkward kid, and to 
  give back to a game that equipped him to overcome social 
  challenges, survive his mental health difficulties, and 
  change his life forever.-Jeremy Forbing
  JEREMY FORBING worked as a theatre artist in San 
  Francisco before he moved to Los Angeles to quit acting 
  and get married. Today, he and his wife Celine have 
  two sons, Isaac and Owen. He is a Mithral-bestselling 
  author on the DMs Guild, where his creations range 
  from the Ravenloft Archetypes series of player options 
  (which Critical Role creator Matt Mercer praised as “Well 
  thought out, well presented, and a fantastic supplement 
  to any campaign”) to the Adventurers League module 
  CCC-YLRA01-01 Her Dying Wish.
  
  4
  Table of Contents
  Foreword  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
  Introduction: Welcome to Gothic Earth  . . . . . 5
  Handling History and Horror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Tools & Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
  Chapter 1: Adventures on Gothic Earth  . . . . . 7
  Damage, Healing, and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  Changes to Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
  Character Advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
  New Skill: Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  New Conditions: Detached and Stressed . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Special Saving Throws: Fear Saves, Horror Saves, 
  and Dark Powers Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
  Devastating Injuries  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
  New Combat Options  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
  Spellcasting  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
  Changes to Spells  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
  Chapter 2: Classes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
  Scion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
  Shepherd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
  Sleuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
  Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
  Stalwart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
  Chapter 3: Archetypes  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
  Adept  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
  Artifact Hunter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
  Charlatan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
  Criminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
  Expert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
  Gunslinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
  Laborer  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
  Medium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
  Mystic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
  Outrider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
  Parson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
  Pugilist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
  Socialite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
  Slayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
  Spy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
  Tactician  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
  Chapter 4: Backgrounds  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Backgrounds and Society  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Choosing Your Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
  Lifestyle Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
  Chapter 5: Wealth, Equipment, 
  and Weapons  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Wealth and Currency  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Equipping Your Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
  Weapons  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
  Explosives  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
  Gear & Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
  Chapter 6: Qabals  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
  Lost Qabals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
  Chapter 7: A Primer for 
  Dungeon Masters  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
  Horror and Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
  Dark Powers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
  Sinkholes of Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
  Rewarding Roleplaying Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
  Social Combat  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
  Detective’s Competence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
  Magic Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  Optional Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
  Appendix A: A Guide to Gothic London  . . . . . . 111
  Appendix B: Characters from 
  Past Editions  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
  Appendix C: Player New Rules Summary  . . . . 117
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | INTRODUCTION: WELCOME TO GOTHIC EARTH
  5
   Introduction 
   
  Welcome to Gothic Earth
  The “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence 
  had ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and 
  its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. 
  — Edgar Allan Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”
  W
  elcome to the Masque of the Red Death, 
  a radically different style of Dungeons & 
  Dragons campaign, set in the world known 
  as Gothic Earth. Though it bears a mysterious 
  connection to the Domains of Dread known as Ravenloft, 
  this macabre realm is far larger, an entire world 
  of its own. 
  The fading empires of Europe enjoy a brief respite 
  from war with one another, yet they still compete 
  to colonize and exploit vulnerable peoples on other 
  continents. However, resistance to this imperialist 
  encroachment is stronger than it has ever been. In Asia, 
  Africa, Australia, and the Americas, nations new and old 
  are rising to greater power, even as they wrestle with 
  emerging rivalries, internal conflict, and other growing 
  pains that will define the coming century. Intrepid 
  explorers attempt to map the North and South Poles. 
  Scientific knowledge and technology are growing by leaps 
  and bounds, as railroads bridge the ends of continents, 
  firearms and other weapons of war are more deadly than 
  ever, and gas street lamps are slowly being replaced by 
  electric lights.
  Yet Gothic Earth diverged from our Earth long ago. 
  It is a world where magic is practiced only in secret, 
  yet remains a real and potent force—and also a path to 
  madness and damnation. In ancient Egypt almost 5,000 
  years ago, in the shadow of the first pyramid, an alien 
  darkness entered the world, and it has manipulated 
  humanity’s destiny from the shadows ever since. 
  Known as the Red Death, it tainted magic itself, 
  twisting the minds of those who dare to use it. Thanks to 
  this being’s influence, terrifying monsters still lurk on the 
  edges of civilization, creatures of frightening power and 
  horror. Nameless corruptions haunt old forests, chthonic 
  abominations arise on lonely moors, and accursed 
  monstrosities emerge from unknown seas.
  Only a select group of people know of the existence 
  of magic or the supernatural. Even fewer know of the 
  Red Death as a mysterious and malevolent entity that 
  imposes its own dark will upon the world. By the 1890s, 
  its influence is stronger than ever, and no corner of the 
  globe is left untouched by its sinister hand. Yet at various 
  times and places in history—the Library of Alexandria at 
  the height of Roman power, Arthurian Britain, the dawn 
  of the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment—heroes 
  have arisen to oppose the worst of the Red Death’s 
  schemes and avert disaster.
  Recently, in Victorian London, Sherlock Holmes and 
  his great friend Dr. Watson became famous for stalking 
  nefarious criminals across the foggy streets. Yet this 
  celebrated duo also waged another, secret war, opposing 
  the Red Death’s supernatural horrors. They allied with 
  others, heroes forged in the struggle against such threats 
  as the vampire Count Dracula or the blasphemous 
  experiments of Jekyll, Moreau, and Frankenstein.
  You, too, are counted among these hidden defenders 
  of humanity. You and your comrades are few, but you 
  come from diverse backgrounds: false charlatans and 
  true mystics, new immigrants and returning veterans of 
  war, researchers of antiquity and inventors of modern 
  wonders. What unites you are glimpses of the terrible 
  reality behind the veil of civilization, and the will to strike 
  back against the terror in the shadows.
  Perhaps you learned the truth in some antediluvian 
  book of arcana. Perhaps secrets were whispered to you 
  at an accursed altar beneath a gibbous moon. Or perhaps 
  you confronted some nameless depravity yourself, barely 
  surviving to share the tale with the handful of stalwarts 
  willing to believe.
  However you came to know it, the truth compels you to 
  join this battle, waged in secret for millennia, to prevent 
  the tides of darkness from sweeping over the world… 
  
  6
  Handling History and Horror
  Gothic Earth is a world of fantasy horror. 
  Though it parallels our own world in the 1890s, it is an 
  alternate version, focused on fictional nightmares like 
  Dracula, Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein’s monster, Professor 
  Moriarty, etc. If you plan to add any of the all-too-real 
  human horrors of the era to your game (such as racism, 
  colonialism, patriarchal oppression, etc.) that choice 
  must be carefully considered. Never include such subject 
  matter just because you think it might be “historical.”
  For many players, in-game events connected to real-
  world trauma or injustice are not part of the experience 
  they agree to when playing a tabletop RPG. While there 
  are groups for whom defeating real-world evils in-game 
  can be cathartic, all participants need to discuss these 
  matters and decide unanimously on what specific content 
  can be included before play begins. Consent to encounter 
  certain story elements in the game must be given, not 
  assumed, and withholding it is not something anyone 
  needs to explain or defend; any player (including the DM) 
  should feel comfortable changing their mind or reopening 
  the relevant discussion at any time.
  CONTENT WARNING
  In these pages, the authors endeavor to emphasize the 
  fantasy horror adventure elements of the setting, rather 
  than the kinds of real-world issues discussed above. 
  However, other elements of the text depict subjects that 
  may be sensitive for some readers, including traumatic 
  injuries, poverty, gun violence, certain traditions related 
  to organized religion, and certain (fictionalized) mental 
  health conditions. Effort has been made to handle these 
  areas with care and respect for our audience. In most 
  cases, the amount of attention these subjects receive here 
  is equivalent to their treatment in the D&D fifth edition 
  Player’s Handbook and Dungeon Master’s Guide.
  Tools & Resources
  Some recommendations are described here for dealing 
  with sensitive subjects and situations. The TTRPG 
  Safety Toolkit is a resource created by Kienna Shaw 
  and Lauren Bryant-Monk. The TTRPG Safety Toolkit is 
  a compilation of safety tools that have been designed by 
  members of the tabletop roleplaying games community 
  for use by players and GMs at the table. You can find it at 
  bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit.
  Not all tools will be right for every group. In seeking 
  what works for you, other potential resources to consider 
  include The Luxton Technique by P.H. Lee, The X-Card 
  by John Stavropoulos, Lines and Veils by Ron Edwards, 
  Script Change by Brie Sheldon, and Consent in Gaming 
  by Monte Cook Games, all searchable online in 
  various editions.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 1: ADVENTURES ON GOTHIC EARTH
  7
   Chapter 1 
   
  Adventures on Gothic Earth
  C
  ivilization’s greatest weapons against the 
  evil of the Red Death are strength of will and 
  the stubborn determination to do what is moral 
  and just, even in the face of overwhelming evil. 
  No physical force can threaten the Red Death, but it 
  is vulnerable to the power of those spirits it cannot 
  corrupt. Unfortunately, the great Evil knows this, and its 
  insidious agents work constantly to undermine the defiant 
  compassion within the human heart.
  As a result, adventures on Gothic Earth present 
  different kinds of challenges than most D&D campaigns. 
  These variations are supported by specific new rules, 
  some of which are adjustments chosen from those 
  listed as options in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, while 
  others are custom mechanics to better simulate this 
  unique setting.
  You may note some references to the detached and 
  stressed conditions, new conditions described later in 
  this chapter. Also frequently mentioned is the Red Death 
  Madness Effects table from chapter 7, “A Primer for 
  Dungeon Masters.”
  Character creation, character advancement, 
  spellcasting, and certain other rules also have new details 
  described later in this section.
  Damage, Healing, 
  and Equipment
  All D&D games involve danger, but the rules often make 
  it very hard for characters to die. Gothic Earth, however, 
  offers the constant threat of a final death. Resurrection 
  is seldom available, and injuries are traumatic. The 
  characters are mere mortals, and the threats they face 
  are evil and supernatural. Worse, the world is very much 
  on the monsters’ side.
  Thus, Masque of the Red Death uses special 
  rules related to inflicting and recovering 
  from harm. Many of these rules are 
  described later in this chapter, but a 
  brief summary follows:
  New Combat Options. Advances 
  in the art of warfare allow 
  characters to make use of new 
  actions, reactions, and bonus 
  actions in combat.
  Devastating Injuries. The 
  taint of the Red Death has 
  made Gothic Earth a very 
  dangerous place. Whenever 
  a creature is reduced 
  to 0 hit points, it 
  may suffer a greater 
  injury that impacts 
  its overall effectiveness. Such injuries often have long-
  term effects.
  Firearms and Explosives. These potent items are 
  features of the 1890s setting, available for purchase. 
  Rules on these kinds of gear are described in chapter 5, 
  “Wealth, Equipment, and Weapons.”
  Healer’s Kit Dependency. A Masque of the Red 
  Death character can’t spend any Hit Dice after finishing 
  a short rest until someone expends one use of a healer’s 
  kit to bandage and treat the character’s wounds. On 
  Gothic Earth, a healer’s kit often takes the form of a 
  first aid kit or physician’s bag.
  Slow Natural Healing. Gothic Earth characters 
  don’t regain hit points at the end of a long rest. Instead, 
  a character can spend Hit Dice to heal at the end of 
  a long rest, just as they can at the end of a short rest. 
  (Characters who finish a long rest still regain a number 
  of Hit Dice equal to half of the character’s total number 
  of them, with a minimum of one die.)
  Changes to 
  Character Creation
  The process of creating characters for Masque of the 
  Red Death is slightly different than it is for other kinds 
  of Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Most steps of the 
  character creation procedure presented in the Player’s 
  Handbook are the same, but a couple have changed:
  1. Choose Your Race
  Unless you have special approval from the DM, your 
  character’s race is Human. Humans dominate the Gothic 
  Earth world, and player characters in a Masque of the 
  Red Death campaign should almost always be human.
  In the world of Gothic Earth, most people consider 
  dwarves, elves and other nonhuman races as figures 
  of myth and fairy tales. Many of 
  the benefits associated with the 
  nonhuman races of D&D would also 
  have less impact in this setting. A 
  mountain dwarf’s proficiency with 
  medium armor or his advantages 
  with stonework have less value 
  in a world where bullets have 
  made armor nearly obsolete and 
  steel skyscrapers replace stone 
  buildings.
  Choose a real-world 
  nationality for your character, 
  based on the geopolitics 
  of the late 1800s. This 
  was a time of increasing 
  nationalism, exploration, 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 1: ADVENTURES ON GOTHIC EARTH
  8
  international travel, immigration, and continuing 
  colonization. Your average person was more likely to 
  meet representatives of other cultures now than at any 
  previous point in history.
  A character’s cultural background affects how 
  others view and react to them. In the late 19th Century, 
  stereotypes abound, even among people with great 
  physical and cultural similarities.
  The humans of Gothic Earth are basically the same 
  as those described in the normal D&D rules. (If your 
  campaign uses the optional rules for Feats, the variant 
  human option provided in the Player’s Handbook should 
  also be available).
  Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and only 
  rarely live to see a whole century. In this period of human 
  history, the average lifespan is rising. By the mid-19th 
  century, life expectancy was around 40 years for males 
  and 42 years for females. For children who will be born 
  in 1901, those figures will be 45 and 50, respectively.
  Replace the normal human languages trait with the 
  following:
  Languages. You can speak, read, and write English 
  as well as a second language of your choice. At the 
  DM’s option, you may replace the second language with 
  proficiency in your choice of one type of artisan’s tools.
  2. Choose Your Class
  New classes, described individually in chapter 2, 
  “Classes,” are for Masque of the Red Death characters 
  native to Gothic Earth, and replace the regular D&D 
  classes. In most instances, a new class can be found in 
  these rules which corresponds to an existing one. For 
  example, the soldier class is in many ways similar to the 
  fighter, and most spellcasting classes can be simulated 
  with some version of the scion class.
  You will also choose an archetype for your character 
  during creation. This choice can be as important as your 
  choice of class, and you make it as part of taking your first 
  class level. Archetypes are detailed in their own section.
  When choosing your proficiencies, note that there are 
  some new tools and weapons with which you can become 
  proficient (as described in chapter 5, “Wealth, Equipment, 
  and Weapons”), as well as a new skill: Science.
  3–6. Describe Your Character, 
  Choose Equipment, and Come Together
  These steps are essentially unchanged, except as follows:
  • 
  All backgrounds have been replaced. New 
  backgrounds are described in chapter 4. Backgrounds 
  gain increased importance in some ways, entirely 
  determining your starting money, granting a special 
  benefit, and providing additional income over time.
  • 
  New equipment appears in chapter 5.
  Character Advancement
  Characters advance in levels normally, but certain 
  features are always gained as you advance, regardless 
  of your class or classes.
  The Masque of the Red Death rules require the 
  optional Multiclassing rule described in the Player’s 
  Handbook, giving you the option of gaining a level in 
  a new class whenever you advance in level, instead of 
  gaining a level in your current class. 
  Your levels in all your classes are added together 
  to determine your character level. Unlike those in 
  the Player’s Handbook, Masque of the Red Death 
  classes do not require prerequisite ability scores when 
  multiclassing.
  Your proficiency bonus is always based on your total 
  character level, as shown in the Character Advancement 
  table below. Other features you gain based on your total 
  character level, rather than your class level, are described 
  as follows.
  The most important one of these features is each 
  character’s pool of resolve points.
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
  TOTAL
  CHARACTER 
  LEVEL
  PROFICIENCY
  BONUS
  RESOLVE
  POINTS
  CHARACTER FEATURES GAINED
  (in Addition to Class/Archetype Features)
  1st
  +2
  3
  Resolve Points, Ritualist
  2nd
  +2
  4
  Sustaining Bonds
  3rd
  +2
  5
  —
  4th
  +2
  6
  Ability Score Improvement
  5th
  +3
  8
  Resolute Attack
  6th
  +3
  9
  —
  7th
  +3
  10
  Ability Score Improvement
  8th
  +3
  11
  —
  9th
  +4
  13
  —
  10th
  +4
  14
  Ability Score Improvement
  
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  Resolve Points
  At 1st level, you gain a pool of resolve points, representing 
  your tenacity of purpose and sense of self, which fuel 
  certain class and archetype features. You gain a number 
  of resolve points equal to your total character level + your 
  proficiency bonus, causing this number to increase as you 
  gain levels. 
  Maximum Resolve. Your resolve point maximum 
  is equal to your total character level + your proficiency 
  bonus, and you regain spent resolve points equal to half 
  your maximum whenever you finish a long rest.
  The number of resolve points you have can’t go 
  below 0, and cannot exceed an amount equal to your 
  total character level + your proficiency bonus. If you 
  have Inspiration, you can expend it to regain 1 spent 
  resolve point.
  Spending Resolve. The maximum number of 
  resolve points you can spend at once on a single use of 
  any feature (including those described here, as well as 
  any provided by a class or archetype), is equal to your 
  proficiency bonus.
  Uses of Resolve. Your resolve points fuel some class 
  and archetype features, and you can also spend them to 
  use the following benefits:
  • 
  Overcoming Wounds. You can spend 1 resolve point 
  as a bonus action to regain 1d4 hit points. If you wish, 
  you can spend additional resolve points on a use of this 
  feature, regaining an additional 1d4 hit points for each 
  additional resolve point spent.
  • 
  Overcoming Fear and Horror. Whenever you fail 
  a fear or horror save (as described in the following 
  section), you can choose to spend 1 resolve point to 
  avoid the effects of the failed save. If you do so, you 
  instead take 1 level of stress.
  • 
  Resolute Focus. Whenever you make an attack roll, 
  saving throw, or ability check, you can spend 1 resolve 
  point to gain advantage on that roll.
  • 
  Unarmored Resolve. As long as you have at least 
  1 resolve point and you are not wearing armor or 
  wielding a shield, your AC cannot be less than 11 + 
  your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus.
  Ritualist
  Unlike in the normal D&D rules, all intelligent 
  creatures—including player characters—can cast spells as 
  rituals. If you have some kind of written record of a spell 
  (such as a spellbook or scroll), and that spell has the ritual 
  tag, you can cast the spell as a ritual, using the normal 
  components. Masque of the Red Death uses special 
  rules for casting rituals, explained later in this chapter. 
  Like all spellcasting, a successful casting of a ritual 
  requires a Dark Powers check.
  Sustaining Bonds
  At 2nd level, all characters gain a special feature: If one or 
  more of your Bonds is either to a non-adventuring NPC or 
  to a secure place free of the taint of evil, interacting with 
  these people or places can allow you to regain resolve 
  points and Hit Dice more quickly.
  Whenever you finish a long rest within 50 feet of a 
  place in which you feel a sense of real (if temporary) 
  peace and to which you have a Bond, you regain all spent 
  resolve points and Hit Dice at the end of that long rest, 
  instead of half your maximum for each.
  Similarly, if you spend a meaningful length of time 
  having a calm, undisturbed interaction with an NPC to 
  which you have a Bond, the next time you finish a long 
  rest, you regain all spent resolve points and Hit Dice at 
  the end of that long rest, instead of half your maximum 
  for each. This only works if that NPC is not involved in 
  your struggle against supernatural threats, and does not 
  accompany you on adventures.
  Like other Bonds, your Sustaining Bonds are yours to 
  define (with your DM’s assistance and approval). You can 
  either create such characters and places, or choose them 
  from those which have already appeared in the campaign.
  If you have several Bonds that could qualify for 
  this feature, you must choose three of them as the 
  Sustaining Bonds which grant the described benefits. 
  You can change which Bonds are your Sustaining Bonds 
  whenever you gain a level. 
  Ability Score Improvement
  All characters gain the Ability Score Improvement feature 
  when they reach 4th level, 7th, and 10th levels, based 
  on their total character level, rather than their levels in 
  individual classes. When you gain this feature, you can 
  increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or increase 
  two ability scores of your choice by 1. 
  Resolute Attack
  At 5th level, player characters learn to focus themselves 
  in battle when threatened by the inhuman minions of 
  the Red Death. You can activate this feature by spending 
  ADVANCEMENT 
  BEYOND 10TH LEVEL
  No character class in Masque of the Red Death includes 
  more than 10 levels. Most who choose to oppose the Red 
  Death won’t live nearly so long. Also, it is extremely rare 
  for any human being on Gothic Earth to attain the kind of 
  superhuman prowess which characters of 11th level and 
  higher possess.
  Should characters survive a Masque of the Red 
  Death campaign long enough to become so formidable, 
  they become secret heroes among those who battle 
  the Red Death, equivalent to a Sherlock Holmes or 
  Abraham van Helsing, and may be used as NPCs in 
  future campaigns by your DM.
  If you wish to use this style of play for a more broadly 
  heroic and less gritty phase of your campaign, an optional 
  rule for continuing to play higher-level characters is 
  described in chapter 7, “A Primer for Dungeon Masters.”
  
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  10
  3 resolve points during your turn. When you do so, for 
  1 minute afterwards, you can attack twice, instead of 
  once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. 
  Using this feature requires your concentration, just as if 
  you were concentrating on a spell. If your concentration 
  ends early, so does your use of this feature.
  New Skill: Science
  Like other skills, the Science skill is used when you make 
  a related ability check. The default ability score for checks 
  using this skill is Intelligence.
  Science. Your Intelligence (Science) check lets you 
  recall scientific facts and theories. It measures your 
  knowledge of physical sciences such as astronomy, 
  chemistry, and physics, representing a general knowledge 
  of the principles behind new technologies. Practical 
  applications are often covered by a different skill or tool 
  proficiency, but this proficiency allows you to understand 
  the basic theories behind those applications. 
  New Conditions: 
  Detached and Stressed
  The detached and stressed conditions work like the other 
  conditions described in the Player’s Handbook. The 
  stressed condition is expressed in levels, just like the 
  exhausted condition. Detached characters do not actively 
  resist attempts to influence their mind or actions.
  Detached
  • 
  A creature suffering the detached condition has 
  disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma 
  saving throws and ability checks.
  • 
  All Charisma checks against a detached creature 
  have advantage.
  • 
  When a successful Charisma check suggests a course 
  of action to the creature, the creature pursues it as if 
  it were under the effects of a suggestion spell, even if 
  it is immune to being charmed. This is not a magical 
  effect. Depending on the course of action, it may 
  choose to stop pursuing it as soon as it is no longer 
  detached. When suggested courses of action conflict, 
  the creature chooses which to pursue.
  Stressed
  A variety of effects, from horrifying sights to attempts 
  at influence, can inflict the stress condition. Stress is 
  measured in seven levels. An effect can give a creature 
  one or more levels of stress, as specified in the effect’s 
  description.
  If an already stressed creature suffers another effect 
  that causes stress, its current level of stress increases 
  by the amount specified in that effect’s description, but 
  inflicting more stress levels does not increase a creature’s 
  stress beyond the seventh level.
  A creature suffers only the effects of its current level 
  of stress, not those of any lower or higher ones.
  Recovering from Stress. All stress effects end if a 
  creature’s stress level is reduced below 1. A creature’s 
  stress level is reduced by 1 for every 10 minutes it 
  has gone without receiving a stress level, provided it 
  has not had any interaction during that time with any 
  of the sources of its stress. Finishing a short or long 
  rest reduces a creature’s current stress level by half 
  (rounded down), in addition to any other reduction from 
  time passing.
  Special Saving Throws: 
  Fear Saves, Horror Saves, 
  and Dark Powers Checks
  Beneath the genteel surface of human civilization, fear, 
  horror, and supernatural evil are pervasive in the world of 
  Gothic Earth. Unlike the godlike heroes in much of myth 
  and high fantasy, player characters in Masque of the 
  Red Death are not heedless of the danger they face.
  The brave few who oppose the Red Death may 
  confront slavering monsters that can kill with a touch, 
  become haunted by memories of horrendous and macabre 
  cruelties, or witness alien phenomena the very existence 
  of which scars their sanity. In some cases, they may not 
  find such phenomena merely terrifying or horrific, but 
  also supernaturally tempting…
  Even non-human creatures, more accustomed to 
  the unnatural, may know fear or horror in the face of 
  real threats: when the vampire is confronted with the 
  possibility of exposure to the sun, when the ghost realizes 
  the ritual is an exorcism, when the werewolf faces a hail 
  of silver bullets.
  STRESS CONDITION EFFECTS
  STRESS 
  LEVEL
  EFFECT
  1
  −1 penalty on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws 
  2
  −2 penalty on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws
  3
  −3 penalty on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws
  4
  Disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, 
  and Charisma saving throws, and on 
  Intelligence checks
  5
  Disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws, and on Intelligence 
  and Charisma checks
  6
  Disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws, and on Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, and Charisma checks.
  7
  Detached condition
  
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  11
  Such psychological consequences are represented by 
  special kinds of saving throws described here: fear saving 
  throws, horror saving throws, and Dark Powers checks. 
  (This section expands upon the optional rules for Fear 
  and Horror saving throws described in chapter 9 of the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide.)
  DMs running adventures on Gothic Earth should 
  find ways to create in their players a sense of the near-
  constant dread found beyond every darkened doorway. 
  Fear and horror saves provide a concrete method to 
  help players visualize, feel and understand the terror 
  that overshadows the mind and heart of a gothic hero. 
  The DM decides when such saving throws are called for, 
  using the causes and criteria described below as a guide.
  RESOLVE AGAINST HORROR
  If these rules seem likely to keep player characters from 
  risking ventures against the Red Death’s minions at all, 
  keep in mind the rules for the resolve points possessed by 
  all player characters in Masque of the Red Death.
  Specifically, if a character with resolve points available 
  fails a fear or horror saving throw, they can immediately 
  spend 1 resolve point. If they spend the resolve point, 
  they take 1 level of stress instead of suffering the normal 
  effects of a failed save. However, per the description of 
  the stressed condition, these accumulated levels have 
  worsening effects, likely making fear and horror harder to 
  resist later…
  Fear Saves (Morale)
  Type of Roll: Wisdom saving throw, usually DC 15
  All characters in Masque of the Red Death have 
  fears, and only by mastering these fears can they prevail. 
  Any creature—player character or otherwise—might have 
  fear overtake them whenever they face overwhelming 
  odds or dire physical danger.
  The DM decides when a fear saving throw is called for. 
  Examples of events that could cause a creature to make a 
  fear save include:
  • 
  When it and at least half of its allies present are 
  surprised.
  • 
  The first time takes damage when at least half of 
  its allies present have fled or been removed from 
  the battle.
  • 
  At the end of any of its turns after its first turn in battle 
  when no attempt by the creature or its allies to harm 
  the opposing side has succeeded.
  • 
  When it is helpless and threatened by imminent death 
  (such as a human trapped underwater).
  • 
  When it takes damage from a single source that 
  reduces it from its hit point maximum to 3 or fewer hit 
  points all at once.
  • 
  When it confronts a supernatural threat of a type it has 
  not previously encountered.
  Rolling the Saving Throw. Since fear can erode a 
  character’s willpower in the face of obstacles, a fear 
  saving throw is a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw (the DM 
  can adjust this DC based on the severity of the situation). 
  On a failure, the creature must either spend 1 resolve 
  point (if it can) or become frightened of the relevant 
  source of fear for 1 minute. If frightened, it can repeat the 
  saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the 
  effect on itself on a success. If the creature spends the 
  resolve point, it instead suffers 1 level of stress.
  DETERMINING THE DC
  While early sessions of Masque of the Red Death 
  campaigns are meant to be terrifying, for lower-level play 
  (4th level or lower), some DMs may wish to lower the 
  default DC of Fear and Horror saving throws from 15 to 
  13, on par with most saving throws characters make at 
  that level. Of course, since this is merely a default DC, 
  the DM can also make the determination differently each 
  time such a save is rolled.
  Horror Saves (Sanity)
  Type of Roll: Charisma saving throw, usually DC 15
  Real horror is far beyond mere fear. It entails 
  revulsion and anguish. Often it arises when someone 
  sees something completely contrary to the common 
  
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  12
  understanding of what can or should occur in the world, 
  or upon the realization of a dreadful truth.
  Whether it is the shock of realizing that certain 
  merciless atrocities are possible or the stunning 
  realization of one’s own monstrous nature, horror 
  permanently colors a character’s view of the world. When 
  a mortal creature witnesses scenes of terrible cruelty or 
  beholds events that simply should not be, the DM should 
  call for a horror saving throw. Examples of events that 
  could cause a creature to roll a horror save include:
  • 
  When it sees a particularly gruesome or cruel death
  • 
  When it discovers a corpse in a putrid or unnatural 
  state of decay
  • 
  When it finds evidence of the death or agony of a close 
  friend or loved one
  • 
  When it witnesses terrible pain or violation (such as 
  torture or an involuntary transformation)
  • 
  When it confronts a scene of intense suffering 
  (examples: examining beggars ravaged by disease; 
  watching a surgeon amputate a limb)
  • 
  When it encounters demented or macabre cruelty 
  (example: finding dismembered bodies that have been 
  turned into marionettes)
  • 
  When it deciphers a piece of text written in a language 
  so alien that it threatens to break a character’s mind
  • 
  When it makes direct contact with the mind of an 
  alien creature
  • 
  When it realizes an element of its surroundings is 
  drastically wrong and has been for quite some time 
  without it knowing (examples: discovering that the 
  seemingly normal ground on which it stands is 
  actually part of massive creature; discerning that 
  it and its allies the only people in a remote village 
  who are not evil shapeshifters; deducing that the 
  plague victims surrounding them in an infirmary 
  are all victims of a vampire who still has them in its 
  mental thrall)
  If a character succeeds on a horror saving throw caused 
  by a particular source of horror, that source should not 
  compel further horror saves until significant time has 
  passed (likely a day or so) or until a change of context 
  makes it horrifying in a new way.
  Rolling the Saving Throw. The maddening effects of 
  horror can alter a character’s personality or threaten their 
  sense of self. Therefore, a horror saving throw is a DC 15 
  Charisma saving throw (the DM can adjust this DC based 
  on the severity of the situation). On a failure, the creature 
  must either spend 1 resolve point (if it can) or roll on the 
  Red Death Madness Effects table. If the creature spends 
  the resolve point, it instead suffers 1 level of stress.
  FEAR VS. HORROR 
  The distinction between the need for a fear save or 
  a horror save can sometimes seem a bit blurry. One 
  important difference between the two is that characters 
  making fear saves are almost always exposed to some 
  physical threat. Further, a fear saving throw is typically 
  called for when you are immediately frightened by 
  something, but the fear would wear off after you have 
  a chance to assess, escape, or conquer the object of 
  that fear. 
  A horror saving throw, on the other hand, is made 
  when you stumble upon something human eyes were 
  never meant to see, or that is so terrible as to cause 
  physical sickness or a psychotic break. A horror saving 
  throw is indicated if having more opportunity to 
  understand the object of your horror would make you 
  more horrified, rather than less.
  For example, while exploring a vampire’s lair, you 
  might make a fear saving throw if the vampire suddenly 
  sprang up before you. If you stumble upon a hospital 
  wing full of living victims being gradually drained of blood 
  to satisfy the monster’s hunger, a horror saving throw 
  would be in order. If the vampire jumped out right when 
  you found the hospital wing, you might need to make 
  both checks. 
  SPECIAL SAVING THROWS SUMMARY
  EFFECT
  SAVING 
  THROW TYPE
  DC
  SPECIAL
  Fear Save
  Wisdom
  15/varies
  A creature who fails the save must spend 1 resolve point or become 
  frightened for 1 minute. The creature can repeat the save at the end 
  of each of his or her turns, ending the effect on itself with a successful 
  save. If it spends the resolve, it is instead suffers 1 level of stress.
  Horror Save
  Charisma
  15/varies
  A creature who fails the save must spend 1 resolve point or roll on the 
  Red Death Madness Effects table. If it spends the resolve, it is instead 
  suffers 1 level of stress.
  Dark Powers 
  Check
  d20 roll 
  (no related 
  ability score)
  The creature’s 
  proficiency bonus
  A creature who fails the save gains a Dark Power, an unholy gift that is 
  usually accompanied by an alteration to their appearance or nature. 
  The DM has rules for how Dark Powers are gained. If a 1 is rolled on 
  the d20 for a Dark Powers check, the saving throw always fails.
  
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  Dark Powers Checks
  Type of Roll: Roll a d20. If the roll is lower than the proficiency 
  bonus of the creature making the Dark Powers check, it fails.
  Whenever a mortal performs an evil act on Gothic Earth, 
  there is a chance that the Red Death itself responds, both 
  rewarding and punishing the transgressor in a single 
  stroke. These gifts sometimes serve to frighten those who 
  gain them back into righteousness, but the goal of the 
  Red Death is to inflame mortals’ sins, teasing the morally 
  weak into infinite spirals of doom.
  Because the Red Death has tainted magic itself, any 
  successful casting of any spell of 1st level or higher also 
  requires a Dark Powers check.
  The DM can force any intelligent mortal creature—
  player character or otherwise—to roll a Dark Powers 
  check when it commits an act of true evil. The DM 
  judges what constitutes such an act, using the following 
  examples as a guide:
  • 
  When it murders an innocent person.
  • 
  When it tortures a sentient creature (including brutal 
  beatings, even when performed to extract information 
  in service of the cause of good).
  • 
  When it betrays a sacred vow.
  • 
  When it creates undead.
  • 
  When it uses necrotic damage to kill a creature.
  • 
  When it uses poison damage to kill a creature that is 
  not a major agent of evil.
  • 
  When it defiles or desecrates a sacred place or object 
  (such as fouling holy water, performing human 
  sacrifice upon an altar sacred to the faith of good 
  people, or violating the grave of a blessed saint).
  Rolling the Check. A Dark Powers check is a simple, 
  unmodified roll of a d20 (much like a death saving throw). 
  When you roll a Dark Powers check, a result of 1 on the 
  d20 is always a failure.
  Since more powerful creatures are more likely to 
  attract the Red Death’s notice, the DC of a Dark Powers 
  check is equal to the creature’s proficiency bonus.
  When the Dark Powers check is prompted by casting 
  a spell, if the spellcaster’s intent is not evil, the DM can 
  choose to make the DC equal to the spell’s level or the 
  caster’s proficiency bonus, whichever is lower. Certain 
  spells attract more attention, especially spells that are 
  extremely destructive, spells which could inspire hope 
  and faith via miraculous healing, or spells that call on the 
  energies of death itself. Any Dark Powers check made 
  for casting an evocation or necromancy spell is made at 
  disadvantage.
  A creature who fails such a check has attracted the 
  notice of the Red Death, which changes them forever. It 
  grants the creature a Dark Power, an unholy gift that is 
  usually accompanied by an alteration to their appearance 
  or nature. The DM has rules for how Dark Powers are 
  gained. While this may seem like a boon, such gifts 
  corrupt, and there is always a price.
  QABALS
  When the Red Death arrived in ancient Egypt, around 
  2700 BC, it began to taint magic. Over centuries, this 
  corruption spread, until no spell could be used without 
  attracting the attention of the great Evil. Once, this had 
  been a world of vibrant wonders, which could have 
  evolved into a realm of magical abundance similar to 
  the Forgotten Realms or Eberron. Instead, it became 
  a place where most magical creatures died out, where 
  spellcasting was forbidden and eventually forgotten. 
  Only a few small groups gathered secretly to preserve 
  knowledge of the sorcerous arts.
  In the Western occult tradition, these groups have 
  become known as qabals. Some merely sought to hoard 
  lore for themselves and pursued no larger purpose. Many 
  fell to the Red Death’s influence over time, becoming 
  servants of evil. Yet a few qabals decided to fight against 
  the darkening of magic, and for this heroism they are still 
  remembered today. 
  The first qabal known to have organized around 
  opposition to the Red Death was a secretive order 
  known as Provocatio, or “the Defiance,” based out 
  of the lost great Library of Alexandria. Though it was 
  destroyed on the eve of what would have been their 
  boldest strike against the great Evil, many of its members 
  escaped and went on to create new qabals. Thus their 
  traditions live on.
  In the 1890s, qabals remain an important part of 
  humanity’s resistance against the Red Death. More 
  detailed descriptions of some of these groups appear in 
  chapter 6, “Qabals.”
  Devastating Injuries
  Whenever a creature takes 10 or more points of damage 
  at once from a single source, if that damage reduces the 
  creature to 0 hit points, it must roll a Constitution saving 
  throw if it is not killed outright. The DC equals 15 or half 
  the damage taken, whichever number is higher.
  With a successful roll, the creature suffers 1 level of 
  stress. On a failure, it must roll on the Devastating Injury 
  Effects table.
  Magical healing of 6th level or higher (such as heal or 
  regenerate) removes any injury gained from this table.
  • 
  Eye Injury. The creature has disadvantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on ranged 
  attack rolls. Unless it receives medical treatment for 
  trauma within the next hour, it loses the eye and these 
  effects are permanent. A creature that has no eyes 
  after suffering this injury is blinded. 
  
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  • 
  Arm or Hand Injury. The creature can no longer hold 
  anything with two hands, and it can hold only a single 
  object at a time. Unless it receives medical treatment 
  for trauma within the next hour, it loses the arm or 
  hand and these effects are permanent.
  • 
  Foot or Leg Injury. The creature’s speed on foot is 
  halved, and it must use a crutch or cane to move. Any 
  time the creature uses the Dash action, it falls prone 
  at the end of that movement. It also has disadvantage 
  on Dexterity checks related to balance. Unless it 
  receives medical treatment for trauma within the next 
  hour, it loses the arm or hand and these effects are 
  permanent. If the creature receives a peg leg or other 
  prosthesis, it can move without a crutch or cane.
  • 
  Horrible Scar. The creature is disfigured by an 
  unconcealable wound. It has disadvantage on 
  Charisma (Persuasion) checks and advantage on 
  Charisma (Intimidation) checks. Unless it receives 
  medical treatment for trauma within the next hour, the 
  scar is permanent.
  • 
  Limp. The creature’s speed on foot is reduced by 
  5 feet. Any time the creature uses the Dash action, 
  at the end of that movement it must succeed on a 
  DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. Unless 
  the creature receives magical healing or medical 
  treatment for trauma within the next hour, the limp 
  is permanent.
  • 
  Severe Bleeding. The creature’s hit point maximum 
  is reduced by 1 for every hour the wound persists. If its 
  hit point maximum is reduced to 0, it dies. This injury 
  only permanently heals when the creature receives 
  magical healing or medical treatment for trauma.
  • 
  Internal Injury. Whenever the creature attempts 
  to take an action in combat, it must make a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it loses its 
  action and is stunned until the end of its next turn. On 
  a success, it is does not need to roll any saving throws 
  for this injury for 1 minute. This injury only heals 
  when the creature receives magical healing or medical 
  treatment for trauma.
  • 
  Blow to the Head. Whenever the creature attempts 
  to take an action in combat, it must make a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it can’t take 
  reactions and has disadvantage on ability checks until 
  the end of its next turn. This injury heals when the 
  creature is returned to its hit point maximum.
  • 
  Gruesome. The creature must roll a horror 
  saving throw.
  Medical Treatment for Trauma
  1890s medical techniques may help those with 
  permanent injuries. A DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check 
  can be made to perform surgery with the proper tools. On 
  a success, the character recovers, but only if they spend 
  the 10 days following the check doing nothing but resting. 
  If the character is restored to its hit point maximum after 
  receiving magical healing, it can end this rest early while 
  still gaining its benefits.
  New Combat Options 
  Due to the advent of extremely precise weapons and 
  training techniques, Masque of the Red Death 
  characters can target specific points on or around their 
  enemy to achieve a special effect. At the same time, the 
  well-known deadliness of 19th century arms makes many 
  foes more open to options like negotiation or surrender.
  This grants four new options: Fanning, Exerting 
  Influence, Taking Aim, and Targeted Strikes. You can 
  use one or more of these options on each of your turns. 
  Unless otherwise stated, these options can be used with 
  any attack, not just those made with firearms.
  New Action: Fanning
  When wielding a ranged weapon with which you are 
  proficient that has the reload property, you can use your 
  action to attempt to strike multiple targets. Choose a 
  10-foot square within that weapon’s normal range. Each 
  target in the area must roll a Dexterity saving throw 
  (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity 
  modifier). On a failure, a target takes damage equal to 
  1 + your proficiency bonus.
  The damage is of the same type as the damage the 
  weapon would inflict on a normal attack. After you use 
  this action, the weapon must be reloaded (as described 
  under the Reload weapon property in chapter 5) before 
  you can attack with it again.
  New Action: Exerting Influence
  When you take the Exerting Influence action, rather than 
  attack someone physically, you try to defeat them in a 
  battle of wills. As an action, you roll a Charisma check 
  (modified by any appropriate skill proficiency) to inflict 
  levels of stress on a creature that can see or hear you. 
  The target must make a Wisdom saving throw against 
  a DC equal to the result of your Charisma check. On a 
  failure, it takes 1 level of stress. If it fails the saving throw 
  by 5 or more, it instead takes 2 levels of stress. If it fails 
  by 10 or more, it takes 3 levels of stress.
  DEVASTATING INJURY EFFECTS
  d100
  EFFECT
  1–5
  Eye injury
  6–10
  Arm or hand injury
  11–15 
  Foot or leg injury
  16–20 
  Horrible scar
  21–30
  Limp
  31–70
  Severe bleeding
  71–80
  Internal injury
  81–90
  Blow to the head
  91–100
  Gruesome
  
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  New Reaction: Taking Aim
  You spend a round concentrating on your next intended 
  attack. Taking Aim is a reaction, triggered by the end of 
  your turn, provided you did not move more than 5 feet 
  during that turn.
  When you take this reaction, choose a target within 
  range of your weapon and begin concentrating, as if on 
  a spell. While you are still concentrating on Taking Aim, 
  you have advantage on your first weapon attack roll each 
  turn against the chosen target.
  You stop concentrating at the end of your next turn 
  unless you use your reaction on Taking Aim again. 
  Your concentration also ends early if you do anything 
  that would normally end concentration on a spell (such 
  as casting a new concentration spell or failing the 
  Constitution saving throw from taking damage), if you 
  move more than 5 feet during a turn, or if you make an 
  attack that that does not target the chosen target at which 
  you aimed.
  New Bonus Action: Targeted Strike
  Once during your turn, immediately before making a 
  weapon attack as part of the Attack action, you can use 
  your bonus action to modify that attack, making it a 
  Targeted Strike. You cannot make a Targeted Strike if 
  the weapon attack it would modify uses a weapon with 
  which you are not proficient or if you have disadvantage 
  on that attack.
  When you make a Targeted Strike, choose one of 
  the options listed below and modify your weapon attack 
  accordingly. For all required saving throws against 
  this feature, the DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your 
  Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier (your choice).
  • 
  Advancing Strike. The damage from the modified 
  attack is reduced by half, but if the attack hits, you 
  choose a friendly creature besides yourself who can 
  see or hear you. That creature can use its reaction 
  to move up to half its speed without provoking 
  opportunity attacks from the target of your attack. The 
  target of this attack also has disadvantage on the next 
  attack roll it makes against the chosen creature before 
  the end of its next turn.
  • 
  Knockback Strike. If the modified attack hits, 
  the target must roll a Strength saving throw. On 
  a failure, if the target is Large or smaller, you can 
  choose to either knock it prone or push it up to 10 feet 
  away from you.
  • 
  Marking Strike. If the modified attack hits, the target 
  must roll a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, you mark 
  the creature until the end of your next turn. This effect 
  ends early if you are incapacitated or you die, or if 
  someone else marks the creature. While it is within 
  5 feet of you, if a creature marked by you makes an 
  attack roll that doesn’t target you, it has disadvantage 
  on the attack roll.
  • 
  Strike to Kill. On a hit, the modified attack inflicts 
  additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus if it 
  hits a creature within 5 feet of you. If the attack roll is 
  made at advantage, it also scores a critical hit on a roll 
  of 19 or 20. However, if the damage from the modified 
  attack reduces a creature to 0 hit points, you cannot 
  choose to knock the creature out instead of killing it, 
  even if the attack was a melee attack.
  • 
  Strike to Wound. If the modified attack hits a living 
  creature, that creature must roll a Constitution saving 
  throw. On a failure, it must roll on the Devastating 
  Injury table. In addition, if the damage from this attack 
  reduces a creature to 0 hit points, the creature is not 
  killed. Instead it falls unconscious and is stable.
  Spellcasting
  The main change to spellcasting in the Masque of 
  the Red Death setting is the corruption of magic 
  itself. This means that any creature casting a spell 
  of 1st level or higher that is not a ritual must make a 
  Dark Powers check, risking exposure to the seductive 
  powers of the Red Death. However, other metaphysical 
  constraints impose further changes on certain spells and 
  magical effects.
  Casting Spells
  Magic is wrong on Gothic Earth. Dreadfully wrong. In the 
  ancient past, in unknown circumstances, something evil 
  slipped through the cracks in reality and began to poison 
  the ley lines of magic that flow across the Earth. 
  Unopposed for long years, the Red Death squats like 
  a hideous spider over the web of magic, and taints every 
  spell cast on Gothic Earth. It hungers for the souls of 
  magic users, seeking to corrupt them and steal their 
  delicious life essence for itself. Any spellcasting or use of 
  other occult manifestations may send the caster down a 
  road to darkness and damnation.
  When a creature that is not already a servant of the 
  Red Death casts a spell of 1st level or higher, it must 
  make a Dark Powers check. The spell is still cast whether 
  or not this check succeeds. If the spellcaster’s intent is 
  not evil, the DM can choose to modify the DC of the Dark 
  Powers check, making it equal to the spell’s level or the 
  caster’s proficiency bonus, whichever is lower.
  SPELL NOTATION
  Asterisks are used to denote the sources of various spells 
  in the text. A single asterisk (“*”) indicates a new spell 
  introduced in this book. Double asterisks (“**”) indicate 
  a spell from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. Other spells 
  are from the Player’s Handbook.
  Ritual Casting
  The Red Death has tainted all magic on Gothic Earth, 
  and one of the most insidious manifestations of this taint 
  is the empowerment of ritual magic for the use of those 
  who do not understand it. As a result, any intelligent 
  creature capable of providing the required components 
  can cast any spell with the ritual tag. 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 1: ADVENTURES ON GOTHIC EARTH
  16
  To do so, the ritual caster must also have a physical 
  record of the spell itself, such as an occult tome (including 
  the Book of Shadows bestowed by the fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore sharing the same name), a rubbing from 
  eldritch hieroglyphics, an ancient scroll, or an artifact 
  carved with descriptions of the spell’s components.
  The ritual version of a spell takes 10 minutes longer 
  to cast than its normal casting time, and is always cast at 
  the spell’s normal level. At the end of the casting time, the 
  caster makes an Intelligence (Arcana) check. The DC is 
  equal to 12 + the level of the spell.
  On a success, the spell is cast normally. If the spell is 
  cast successfully, the caster must make a Dark Powers 
  check as normal for any spell of 1st-level or higher. The 
  DM has rules for gaining Dark Powers.
  On a failure of the Intelligence check to cast a ritual, 
  the spell is not cast. Simple failure on this check means 
  that the spell fails outright, with no other positive or 
  negative result, as the unknowable magical energies of 
  Gothic Earth simply do not heed the character’s desires.
  A spell cast in this way does not use any kind of spell 
  slot and requires no preparation other than a previous 
  reading of the spell and the ability to provide the 
  necessary components.
  One or more intelligent creatures can assist in the 
  casting of a ritual by participating for the entirety of 
  the casting time. They cannot use the Help action on 
  this check, however. Instead, each creature assisting in 
  this way grants a cumulative +1 bonus on the caster’s 
  Intelligence check. If the caster fails the Dark Powers 
  check for performing the ritual successfully, the 
  unspeakable horror of the Dark Power manifesting itself 
  on the caster forces every creature assisting to roll on the 
  Red Death Madness Effects table in the DM’s Horror and 
  Madness rules.
  When a creature uses a ritual to cast a spell that it 
  could normally cast using resolve points (such as by 
  using a class feature), the creature doesn’t need to roll the 
  Intelligence check—it automatically succeeds.
  Ritual Spell List
  For convenience, here is a complete list of all the spells 
  appearing in the Player’s Handbook and Xanathar’s 
  Guide to Everything that can be cast as rituals (meaning 
  they bear the ritual tag in their spell description): 
  alarm
  animal messenger
  augury
  beast sense
  ceremony**
  commune
  commune with nature
  comprehend languages
  contact other plane
  detect magic
  detect poison and disease
  divination
  Drawmij’s instant summons
  feign death
  find familiar
  forbiddance
  gentle repose
  identify
  illusory script
  Leomund’s tiny hut
  locate animals or plants
  magic mouth
  meld into stone
  phantom steed
  purify food and drink
  Rary’s telepathic bond
  silence
  skywrite**
  speak with animals
  Tenser’s floating disk
  unseen servant
  water breathing
  water walk
  
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  17
  Slow Casting
  If there is a spell which you are already able to cast using 
  your resolve points (as granted by certain options for the 
  Forbidden Lore feature of a scion), occasionally you may 
  be able want to cast it without spending resolve points, 
  using slow casting to do so.
  When you use slow casting, you cast a spell you 
  already know as a ritual, even if it doesn’t have the ritual 
  tag. The psychic cost of using this magic is paid with the 
  extra time and effort a ritual requires, rather than your 
  personal resolve.
  However, when you use this special form of ritual 
  casting, you must always roll the Intelligence (Arcana) 
  check normally required when casting rituals in Gothic 
  Earth, as described under the Ritual Casting rules, even 
  though you already know the spell. If the check fails, the 
  spell is not cast.
  When you slow cast a spell you know, if the spell has 
  a casting time of 10 minutes or less, the casting time is 
  increased by 10 minutes. If the normal casting time is 
  greater than 10 minutes, that casting time is doubled.
  Once you have used slow casting twice, you are 
  incapable of slow casting until you finish a short or 
  long rest.
  Changes to Spells
  Gothic Earth resides in its own demiplane, isolated 
  from all others. Even the Domains of Dread known as 
  Ravenloft, to which this world has some mysterious tie, 
  remain locked away. Travelers from Faerûn or Sigil, City 
  of Doors, do not find their way here, nor are the natives 
  capable of leaving their plane. That was not always the 
  case, however. 
  Once the world known as Gothic Earth was rich in 
  magical energies. In many ways, it was not unlike the 
  world that evolved into the Forgotten Realms. This was 
  long before the advent of the written word, the wheel, cold 
  steel, or many of the other features that mark the typical 
  D&D game. Then, however, the Red Death arrived. 
  Somehow, this event sealed off the borders of the 
  world, rendering it inaccessible for other planar travelers, 
  whether native to Gothic Earth or outsiders, such as 
  the Red Death itself. (There are a few exceptions to this 
  barrier, but those will be spoken of in their proper time 
  and place.) Perhaps this invading entity closed off the 
  ability for other beings from its home realm to follow it, 
  whether out of greed or fear. Or perhaps some larger 
  multiversal force sees the great Evil that has infected 
  this world for what it is, and quarantined this plane to 
  contain it.
  Whatever the reason, no spell—not even wish—allows 
  one to escape from Gothic Earth. Astral projection, 
  teleport, plane shift, and similar spells cast for the 
  purpose of leaving this world simply fail, as do effects 
  that banish a creature to another plane of existence. 
  These restrictions apply to magic items and artifacts that 
  have properties that transport or banish creatures to 
  other planes.
  Magic that allows transit to the Border Ethereal, such 
  as the etherealness spell and the Etherealness feature 
  of incorporeal undead, is the exception to this rule. A 
  creature that enters the Border Ethereal from Gothic 
  Earth is pulled back upon leaving that plane.
  For the purpose of spells whose effects change 
  across or are blocked by planar boundaries (such as 
  sending), Gothic Earth is considered its own plane. Magic 
  that summons creatures or objects from other planes 
  functions normally here, as does magic that involves 
  an extradimensional space. Any spells cast within such 
  an extradimensional space (such as that created by 
  Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion) are subject to the 
  same restrictions as magic cast on Gothic Earth.
  Spells that allow contact with beings from other 
  planes function normally, with one proviso: the Red 
  Death can sense the casting of such a spell, and if the 
  caster fails the accompanying Dark Powers check, the 
  Red Death can choose to make itself or one of its leading 
  servants the spell’s recipient, so that it becomes the one 
  who is contacted.
  Characters from other worlds may find their way 
  into Gothic Earth. They are subject to these rules as 
  well, meaning they are unlikely to ever leave. However, 
  characters from other planes who receive spells from 
  deities or otherworldly patrons continue to do so on 
  Gothic Earth.
  The sensory effects of spells are suppressed whenever 
  possible, as spells have evolved over the millennia to 
  draw less attention to their casters. This especially true 
  for cosmetic effects that might be perceived by onlookers 
  unaffected by the spell itself. For example, the effects 
  of the color spray spell are visible only to the caster and 
  to the affected targets, and the projectiles conjured by 
  magic missile are perceptible only by their effects on their 
  target. A recipient of barkskin feels fortified by primal 
  energies, yet their skin’s appreance barely changes, while 
  the shield spell shows no visible sign of the protection 
  it invokes.
  In other cases, at the DM’s discretion, the cosmetic 
  attributes of certain spells may also change to suit Gothic 
  Earth’s atmosphere of inevitable horror. Changes such 
  as those described in the Cosmetic Spell Modifications 
  section in chapter 2 of Curse of Strahd are entirely 
  appropriate.
  Resurrection of the Dead
  Some say one’s demise is the only true escape from 
  Gothic Earth and the Red Death’s influence, but not all 
  are allowed to pass on to their final rest. When a mortal 
  who has been dead for at least 24 hours returns to life, 
  either by way of a spell or some supernatural means, it 
  is no longer sane. Unless they are returned to life by a 
  true resurrection spell (which no character is likely to 
  ever have access to), such a character rolls on the Red 
  Death Madness Effects table the moment they regain 
  consciousness.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 1: ADVENTURES ON GOTHIC EARTH
  18
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  19
   Chapter 2 
   
  CLASSES
  Character classes in Masque of the Red Death differ 
  greatly from those in the base D&D game. By the 19th 
  century, Gothic Earth has seen a huge proliferation of 
  professions, trades, crafts, arts, and academic specialties, 
  while magic has become corrupt and so uncommon most 
  do not believe in it. New classes represent the heroes 
  of this era.
  Most inhabitants of Gothic Earth do not seek 
  adventure, but your character is no ordinary person. 
  At some point, an encounter with the influence of 
  the Red Death changes them. Their eyes open to a 
  stranger, darker world, compelling them to challenge the 
  preternatural forces that threaten all humanity.
  Classes in Masque of the Red Death represent 
  differing approaches to this larger cause, rather than 
  specific vocations or professions, which are better 
  represented by the archetype you choose for your class. 
  When choosing a class, think about how your character 
  confronts challenges.
  A member of the soldier class, for example, specializes 
  in physical confrontation, while the sleuth seeks 
  information and understanding. The scion leverages a 
  connection to supernatural, while a shepherd relies on 
  connections with other people, and stalwarts simply seek 
  to outlast their opposition.
  The classes are described here using the same format 
  as the Player’s Handbook and D&D Basic Rules. Your 
  class gives you a variety of special features, such as a 
  soldier’s facility for armed combat, or a sleuth’s talent for 
  detailed observation.
  Combined with the archetype you choose for your 
  class when you gain your first level, a class grants you 
  only a few features at first, but as you advance in level, you 
  gain more, while existing features improve.
  Advancing in more than one class may be rare in some 
  D&D games, but Masque of the Red Death embraces 
  the multiclassing rules by default. A soldier who discovers 
  a talent for information gathering may become a sleuth, 
  for example. Whenever a character gains a level, they 
  can choose between the classes listed here without 
  restriction.
  The classes are described in alphabetical order. 
  CALCULATING ARMOR CLASS
  Remember that when the game gives you more than one 
  way to calculate your Armor Class, you choose only one 
  of them to use. For example, if you have at least 1 resolve 
  point and are not wearing armor, your AC equals 11 + 
  your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus. The 
  Forceful Prowess feature of the Stalwart class says your 
  AC can’t be less than 12 + your Dexterity modifier + your 
  Constitution modifier. If you are a Stalwart, you don’t mix 
  these options together. Instead, you choose which one 
  determines your AC.
  Also, note that none of these classes grant any armor 
  proficiencies. Due to the penetrating power of firearms, 
  armor is generally not useful on Gothic Earth. 
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH CHARACTER CLASSES
  CLASS
  DESCRIPTION
  HIT 
  DICE
  PRIMARY 
  ABILITY
  SAVING THROW 
  PROFICIENCIES
  WEAPONS 
  PROFICIENCIES
  Scion
  The bearer of an 
  ancient legacy of 
  occult power
  d6
  Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, 
  or Charisma
  Wisdom, 
  Intelligence
  Simple weapons
  Shepherd
  An influential leader 
  and inspiring comrade
  d8
  Wisdom or 
  Charisma
  Wisdom, 
  Charisma
  Simple weapons, plus your choice of 
  either handguns or one martial weapon
  Sleuth
  An astute observer 
  skilled at uncovering 
  what is hidden
  d8
  Intelligence and 
  Wisdom
  Dexterity, 
  Intelligence
  Simple weapons, plus your choice of 
  either handguns or one martial weapon
  Soldier
  A master of combat 
  with specialized 
  weapons training
  d10
  Strength or 
  Dexterity
  Strength, 
  Dexterity
  Simple weapons, handguns, longarms, 
  and three other martial weapons of 
  your choice
  Stalwart
  A resilient and 
  athletic survivor
  d12
  Strength and 
  Constitution
  Strength, 
  Constitution
  Simple weapons, handguns, and your 
  choice of either longarms or two other 
  martial weapons of your choice
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  20
  Scion
  You are the inheritor of supernatural might, of a kind 
  wielded in ancient epochs of wonder before recorded 
  memory. While many frauds might claim knowledge of 
  the arcane arts, adepts with true powers such as yours 
  are few and far between.
  Perhaps you made a disciplined study of the lore of 
  the ancient masters, or you pursued a spiritual path of 
  wisdom. You may even be descended from some kind of 
  inhuman creature, and the taint of your eldritch heritage 
  imbues you with strange powers.
  However you gained your occult gifts, they are 
  both awesome and terrible. Using your inner, psychic 
  strength, you can assert your will upon the world. Scions 
  of the past could read minds, fade into invisibility, and 
  transform their bodies into living iron. They used their 
  powers to seize control of the physical world and bend it 
  to their will; how will you use yours?
  Class Features
  As a scion, you gain the following class features.
  Hit Points
  Hit Dice: 1d6 per Scion level
  Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your 
  Constitution modifier per level after 1st
  Proficiencies
  Armor: None
  Weapons: Simple weapons
  Tools: Choose any one (which can include gaming sets, 
  musical instruments, or vehicle types).
  Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom
  Skills: Choose two skills from Arcana, Deception, 
  History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, 
  Perception, Religion, and Science.
  SCION MULTICLASSING
  If you gain your first level of the Scion class by 
  multiclassing, instead of gaining all the proficiencies 
  described above, you gain proficiency with one of the 
  following skills of your choice: Arcana, Deception, 
  History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, 
  Perception, Religion, or Science.
  Equipment
  As a 1st level character, you start with a simple weapon 
  of your choice, and any one spellcasting focus or set of 
  artisan’s tools of your choice. You can purchase additional 
  equipment using the starting money granted by your 
  background.
  THE SCION
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Forbidden Lore, Scion Archetype
  2nd
  Eldritch Awareness
  3rd
  Archetype Features
  4th
  Additional Forbidden Lore
  5th
  Scion Resurgence
  6th
  Archetype Features
  7th
  Additional Forbidden Lore
  8th
  Occult Strike +1d8
  9th
  Archetype Features
  10th
  Consumptive Power, 
  Additional Forbidden Lore
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  21
  Forbidden Lore
  Your legacy as a scion grants you access to secret magical 
  techniques known as Forbidden Lore. Some require 
  intense research and study, whereas others may be 
  acquired as instinctive psychic gifts. Many allow you to 
  cast spells by expending personal energies or channeling 
  the power of the spiritual world. When you cast a spell 
  by spending resolve points, you create and expend the 
  necessary spell slot (if any) as part of the casting.
  When you gain your first level in this class, you learn 
  three fragments of Forbidden Lore from those listed 
  at the end of this class description. You must fulfill 
  all prerequisites for any fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  you choose.
  You learn an additional fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  when you reach 4th level in this class, and again at 7th 
  level and 10th level.
  Spellcasting Focus. You can use a crystal, orb, or 
  wand as a spellcasting focus for any spells you cast, 
  whether you learn those spells from this class or from 
  an archetype. Certain fragments of Forbidden Lore 
  may grant the use of other foci as well. See chapter 5, 
  “Equipment,” in the Player’s Handbook for spellcasting 
  focus options.
  Trained Ritualist. Whenever you make an Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check to cast a spell as a ritual, you have 
  advantage on that roll. If you already know the spell by 
  other means, allowing you to cast it without using a ritual, 
  you automatically succeed on the check and don’t need to 
  roll at all.
  New Lore. Whenever you gain a level in your Scion 
  class, you can choose one fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  you already know and replace it with another Forbidden 
  Lore that you could learn at that level. You must meet all 
  prerequisites for the new fragment.
  Ancient Languages. You learn two additional 
  languages of your choice. 
  Scion Archetype
  Choose an archetype for your Scion class from those 
  listed in chapter 3, “Archetypes.” Your choice grants you 
  skill proficiencies and other features when you choose 
  it at 1st level. It also grants you additional archetype 
  features at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
  Eldritch Awareness
  At 2nd level, you gain a preternatural intuition that 
  allows you to sense the hopes and fears of those in your 
  immediate presence, and to potentially influence them, 
  granting you the following benefits:
  Overwhelming Presence. You can spend 1 resolve 
  point as an action to force each creature of your choice 
  in a 10-foot cube originating from you to make a Wisdom 
  saving throw against the spellcasting DC for your 
  Forbidden Lore. The creatures that fail their saving throw 
  are all either charmed or frightened by you (your choice) 
  until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, the 
  target is unaffected, and it automatically succeeds on 
  further saving throws against your use of this effect until 
  you finish a long rest. Whether the saving throw succeeds 
  or fails, the target does not realize you targeted it with 
  this effect.
  Protective Empathy. You sense the hostile intentions 
  of those around you before they strike. In response 
  to an attack hitting you, you can use your reaction to 
  impose disadvantage on that attack roll, possibly causing 
  it to miss. You cannot use this ability if you have 0 
  resolve points.
  Scion Resurgence
  At 5th level, your occult studies allow you to draw vigor 
  from your own focused mental energies. Immediately 
  after you spend resolve points during your turn, you 
  can use a bonus action to regain hit points equal to the 
  number of resolve points you spent.
  Occult Strike
  At 8th level, you can enhance your combat prowess with 
  occult energies. Once on each of your turns, when you 
  make a damage roll, you can inflict an extra 1d8 psychic 
  damage against one target of that damage roll.
  Consumptive Power
  At 10th level, you gain the ability to sacrifice your physical 
  durability in exchange for inner strength. Whenever you 
  would spend resolve points, you can pay this cost with 
  your hit points instead. Your current hit points and hit 
  point maximum are both reduced by the number of hit 
  points you spend. This reduction can’t be lessened in any 
  way, and the reduction to your hit point maximum lasts 
  until you finish a long rest.
  Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until 
  you finish a long rest.
  Forbidden Lore
  Scions and certain other characters can learn secret 
  Forbidden Lore, allowing access to supernatural power. 
  The uses of Forbidden Lore are divided into ancient 
  techniques known as fragments.
  If a fragment of Forbidden Lore has prerequisites, you 
  must meet them to learn it. You can learn the fragment at 
  the same time that you meet its prerequisites. Any level 
  prerequisite listed refers to your total character level.
  You cannot learn the same fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  more than once, unless its description specifies that you 
  can. Many of these uncanny powers work like spells or 
  require a target to make a saving throw. In these cases, 
  you use the spellcasting ability score you chose for your 
  Forbidden Lore, as described below. Other Scion class 
  features requiring a saving throw use the same DC as 
  your spells.
  Spellcasting Ability. The first time you learn a 
  fragment of Forbidden Lore, choose Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, or Charisma as your spellcasting ability score. 
  
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  You use the modifier for the chosen ability score when 
  setting the saving throw DC for any spell you cast, or any 
  Forbidden Lore. You also use it when you cast a spell that 
  requires an attack roll.
  Spellcasting save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + 
  your spellcasting ability score modifier
  Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + 
  your spellcasting ability score modifier
  Dark Powers Checks. As always, any creature casting 
  a spell of 1st level or higher must make a Dark Powers 
  check, risking exposure to the seductive powers of the 
  Red Death. Due to the metaphysical barriers surrounding 
  Gothic Earth, certain spells—specifically those directly 
  relating to other planes—may have limitations, or simply 
  fail. The DM should warn you about a spell that is not 
  usable in the setting when you select it. Other spells may 
  still function, but have unexpected effects unique to this 
  setting—in such cases, the DM may not warn you at all.
  Certain spells attract more attention. Any Dark 
  Powers check made for casting an evocation or 
  necromancy spell is made at disadvantage.
  Adept Spellcasting
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Arcana skill
  Choose one of the following classes: sorcerer, warlock, 
  or wizard. You learn one cantrip of your choice from that 
  class’s spell list. You also choose one spell of 1st level or 
  higher from the same spell list, which you have written 
  on a scroll, grimoire, or other physical record. If you have 
  had the chance to study this written record since the last 
  time you finished a long rest, you can cast this spell at 
  its lowest level by spending a number of resolve points 
  equal to the level of that spell (cantrips do not require any 
  resolve points). 
  No cantrip or other spell chosen for this fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore can be an evocation spell, nor can it be of 
  a level higher than your proficiency bonus.
  In addition, you can use any arcane focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore more 
  than once; each time you choose it, you learn a different 
  cantrip and a different spell of 1st-level or higher, both 
  chosen from the same spell list you chose when you first 
  gained this fragment of Forbidden Lore.
  Akashic Theosophy
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the History skill
  You can tap into an otherworldly well of ancient spiritual 
  knowledge. As an action, you can choose one skill or tool. 
  For 10 minutes, you have proficiency with the chosen skill 
  or tool. This effect ends early if you use this feature again. 
  When you use this feature, if you have already used it one 
  or more times since the last time you finished a short or 
  long rest, you must make a horror save.
  Blatant Evocation
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Arcana or 
  Religion skill
  Choose one evocation spell of 1st level or higher from 
  any class’s spell list. You have this spell written on a 
  scroll, grimoire, or other physical record (if you have the 
  fragment of Forbidden Lore called Book of Shadows, that 
  grimoire can serve as your record). If you have had the 
  chance to study this written record since the last time you 
  finished a long rest, you can cast the chosen spell at its 
  lowest level by spending a number of resolve points equal 
  to 1 + the level of that spell (2 resolve points for a 1st-level 
  spell, 3 resolve points for a 2nd-level spell, etc.).
  The level of any spell chosen for this fragment 
  of Forbidden Lore must be lower than your 
  proficiency bonus.
  In addition, you can use any arcane focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell gained from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore more 
  than once, learning a different evocation spell of 1st level 
  or higher each time you choose it.
  Note that any Dark Powers check you make when 
  you cast an evocation or necromancy spell is rolled with 
  disadvantage, so you should take extra care when casting 
  spells you gain from this Forbidden Lore.
  Book of Shadows
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Arcana skill
  You possess a magically-crafted grimoire called a Book 
  of Shadows, which grants you the following benefits: 
  • 
  Ritual Grimoire. You can inscribe magical rituals in 
  your Book of Shadows. Choose two 1st-level spells that 
  have the ritual tag from any class’s spell list (the two 
  needn’t be from the same list), which are recorded in 
  your Book of Shadows. You can cast the chosen spells 
  as rituals as long as you have your Book of Shadows in 
  hand. You can’t cast the spells except as rituals, unless 
  you’ve learned them by some other means.
  • 
  Researching New Rituals. On your adventures, you 
  can add other ritual spells to your Book of Shadows. 
  When you find a spell with the ritual tag, you can add 
  it to the book if the spell’s level is equal to or less than 
  your proficiency bonus and if you can spare the time 
  to transcribe the spell. For each level of the spell, the 
  transcription process takes 2 hours and costs $50.00 
  (or the equivalent in local currency) for the rare inks 
  and other materials needed to inscribe it.
  • 
  Replacing the Book of Shadows. If you lose your 
  Book of Shadows, you can perform an 8-hour 
  ceremony to create a new one. This ceremony can 
  be performed during a long rest, and it destroys the 
  previous book. The new Book of Shadows has all 
  the same spells as the previous one. Your Book of 
  Shadows turns to ash when you die.
  
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  Cloak of the Mentalist
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Deception skill
  As an action, you force a creature within 60 feet of you to 
  roll an Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, it takes 1d4 
  psychic damage, and you can choose to either become 
  invisible to that target until the end of your next turn or 
  give it disadvantage on Wisdom (Insight) and Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks against a creature of your choice 
  until the end of its next turn. Whether the saving throw 
  succeeds or fails, the target does not realize you targeted 
  it with this effect.
  If you are 5th level or higher, this damage is increased 
  to 2d4, and when a creature succeeds on its Intelligence 
  saving throw, it still takes half the normal damage, but 
  suffers no additional effect. 
  Ectoplasmic Projection 
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Arcana or Deception skill
  You learn the minor illusion cantrip. When you cast minor 
  illusion, you can create both a sound and an image with 
  a single casting of the spell. If you are 3rd level or higher, 
  this fragment also allows you to spend 1 resolve point 
  to cast the silent image spell as an action. If you are 5th 
  level or higher, you can spend 2 resolve points to cast 
  phantasmal force as an action. 
  Eldritch Invocation 
  Prerequisite: 3rd level or higher
  You have obtained power via brief mental 
  communications with some kind of inhuman entity. 
  You gain one of the eldritch invocations available via the 
  warlock class feature of the same name. You must meet 
  all listed prerequisites for any eldritch invocation you 
  learn, treating level prerequisites as referring to your 
  total character level.
  If an eldritch invocation requires a warlock spell slot 
  for a certain use (such as casting a spell), you can create 
  the required spell slot at the moment you need it by 
  spending a number of resolve points equal to that spell 
  slot’s level. 
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore more 
  than once, learning a new eldritch invocation each time 
  you choose it.
  (If you have the fragment of Forbidden Lore called 
  Book of Shadows, you are considered to already have the 
  Pact of the Tome warlock feature and the Book of Ancient 
  Secrets eldritch invocation for purposes of fulfilling 
  prerequisites for eldritch invocations.)
  Exacting Spiritualism
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; ability to cast at least one spell 
  of 1st-level or higher using resolve points
  You apply a rigorous precision to your spellcasting, 
  allowing you to enhance your spells when you take time 
  to cast them perfectly. Whenever you cast a spell using 
  slow casting, you gain special benefits. When you gain 
  this fragment of Forbidden Lore, choose two metamagic 
  options from those listed under the Metamagic feature 
  of the sorcerer class. When you cast a spell using slow 
  casting, you can apply your choice of either one of the 
  chosen metamagic options to the spell. You can use only 
  one metamagic option on a spell when you cast it, unless 
  otherwise noted. If the metamagic option has a sorcery 
  point cost of 1, you do not need to pay that cost. If it has 
  a sorcery point cost of 2 or higher, you must spend a 
  number of resolve points equal to the normal sorcery 
  point cost −1.
  In addition, whenever you cast a spell using slow 
  casting, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal 
  to the spell’s level + your proficiency bonus.
  Faith Healing 
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Religion skill
  As an action, you touch a living creature that has 0 hit 
  points. The creature becomes stable. If you continue 
  touching it for 1 minute while taking no other actions or 
  reactions, the creature can spend 1 Hit Die, regaining hit 
  points normally, as if at the end of a short or long rest. 
  A creature healed in this way cannot spend a Hit Die 
  again until the next time they finish a short or long rest.
  Goetic Witchcraft 
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Arcana skill
  You can use an occult sigil to bind a daemonic spirit into 
  a metal object, imbuing it with magical properties. At the 
  end of a long rest, you can spend 1 resolve point to touch 
  one nonmagical metal object that is a piece of jewelry 
  (such as a ring or amulet) or a melee weapon. 
  Until the end of your next long rest or until you die, 
  the object becomes a magic item, granting a +1 bonus 
  to AC to a creature who wears it if it is jewelry or a +1 
  bonus to attack and damage rolls if it is a weapon. You 
  can only enchant one item at a time using this fragment 
  of Forbidden Lore.
  In addition, you can use any arcane focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from your other 
  Forbidden Lore.
  
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  Hermetic Formulae
  Prerequisites: Proficiency in the Arcana skill; 
  Intelligence 13 or higher
  Choose two 1st-level spells from the wizard spell list. 
  You have these spells written in a spellbook, or on 
  scrolls or another form of physical record (if you have the 
  fragment of Forbidden Lore called Book of Shadows, that 
  grimoire can serve as your record). If you have had the 
  chance to study this written record since the last time you 
  finished a long rest, you can cast either spell as a 1st-level 
  spell by spending 1 resolve point.
  In addition, you can use any arcane focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  No cantrip or other spell chosen for this fragment 
  of Forbidden Lore can be an evocation spell.
  Metaphysical Theory
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Arcana skill; 
  Intelligence or Charisma 13 or higher
  You gain two metamagic options of your choice from 
  those listed under the Metamagic feature of the sorcerer 
  class. You can use only one Metamagic option on a spell 
  when you cast it, unless otherwise noted. You must pay 
  any required sorcery point cost by spending the same 
  number of resolve points.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore more 
  than once, learning two new Metamagic options each 
  time you choose it.
  Miraculous Display 
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Religion 
  skill; Wisdom 13 or higher
  You learn one cantrip from the cleric spell list, and can 
  cast the ceremony** spell as a ritual. You also choose one 
  spell of 1st level or higher from the cleric spell list, which 
  you can cast at its lowest level by spending a number of 
  resolve points equal to the level of that spell (cantrips 
  do not require any resolve points). 
  No cantrip or other spell chosen for this fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore can be an evocation spell, nor can it be of 
  a level higher than your proficiency bonus.
  In addition, you can use a holy symbol as a spellcasting 
  focus for any spell you gain from this or any other 
  Forbidden Lore.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  more than once, learning a different cleric cantrip and a 
  different cleric spell of 1st level or higher each time you 
  choose it.
  CEREMONY 
  1st-level abjuration (ritual)
  Casting Time: 1 hour
  Range: Touch
  Components: V, S, M (25 gp of powdered 
  silver; consumed)
  Duration: Instantaneous
  When you cast the spell, choose one of the following 
  rites. The target of which must be within 10 feet of you 
  throughout the casting.
  Atonement. You touch one willing creature whose 
  alignment has changed, and you make a DC 20 Insight 
  check. On a success, you restore the target to its original 
  alignment.
  Bless Water. You touch one vial of water and cause 
  it to become holy water.
  Coming of Age. You touch one young adult 
  humanoid. For the next 24 hours, whenever the target 
  makes an ability check, it can roll a d4 and add the 
  number rolled to the ability check. A creature can benefit 
  from this rite only once.
  Dedication. You touch one humanoid who wishes to 
  be dedicated to your god’s service. For the next 24 hours, 
  whenever the target makes a saving throw, it can roll a d4 
  and add the number rolled to the save. A creature can 
  benefit from this rite only once.
  Funeral Rite. You touch one corpse, and for the next 
  7 days, the target can’t become undead by any means 
  short of a wish spell.
  Wedding. You touch adult humanoids willing to be 
  bonded together in marriage. For the next 7 days, each 
  target gains a +2 bonus to AC while they are within 30 
  feet of each other. A creature can benefit from this rite 
  again only if widowed.
  Odic Alchemy
  Prerequisite: Proficiency with alchemist’s supplies
  You can temporarily alter the physical properties of one 
  nonmagical object, changing it from one substance into 
  another. You perform a special alchemical procedure 
  on one object composed entirely of wood, stone (but not 
  a gemstone), iron, copper, or silver, transforming it into 
  a different one of those materials. For each 10 minutes 
  you spend performing the procedure, you can transform 
  up to 1 cubic foot of material. After 1 hour passes or you 
  lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a 
  spell), the material reverts to its original substance.
  In addition, you can use any arcane focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from your other 
  Forbidden Lore.
  
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  Qabalistic Initiation
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; must be a member of a qabal
  You have joined a qabal, one of the hidden orders that 
  keeps the secrets of magic alive despite the taint of the 
  Red Death. Your qabal has taught you to cast certain 
  spells, and you learn more as you gain levels.
  Each qabal has its own special spell list, consisting of 
  two spells 1st level spells, two 2nd level spells, and two 
  3rd level spells. You can spend 1 resolve point to cast any 
  one of the 1st level spells listed for your qabal. If you are 
  5th level or higher, you can also spend 2 resolve points to 
  cast any one of the 2nd level spells listed for your qabal. If 
  you are 9th level or higher, you can spend 3 resolve points 
  to cast any one of the 3rd level spells from your qabal list.
  In addition, your qabal teaches you how to employ a 
  particular kind of spellcasting focus, usable when casting 
  any spell you gain from this or any other fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore. Whatever the nature of that focus (which 
  may take a unique or unusual form), it must be the only 
  object held in that particular hand, otherwise it cannot be 
  used to cast spells at all.
  SAMPLE QABALS
  Lists of the spells (and spellcasting foci) taught by 
  certain powerful qabals are provided in chapter 6. 
  The information included makes each qabal description 
  particularly useful with the Qabalistic Initiation fragment 
  of Forbidden Lore. If you become a member of a qabal 
  for which this information is not provided, your DM will 
  assist you in determining the benefits you receive for 
  Qabalistic Initiation.
  Parlor Tricks 
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Arcana or Deception skill
  When you gain this fragment of Forbidden Lore, you 
  learn the prestidigitation cantrip, as well as your choice of 
  one of the following cantrips: friends, mending, produce 
  flame, resistance, shillelagh, or vicious mockery.
  In addition, you can use any arcane focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  Psychic Assault
  As an action, you force a creature within 60 feet of you to 
  roll a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, it takes 1d8 
  psychic damage, and cannot take reactions until the end 
  of its next turn.
  If you are 5th level or higher, this damage increases 
  to 2d8, and when a creature succeeds on its Charisma 
  saving throw, it still takes half the normal damage, but 
  suffers no additional effect. 
  Psychokinetic Strike
  As an action, you force a creature within 30 feet of you 
  to roll a Strength saving throw. On a failure, it takes 1d6 
  force damage, its speed is reduced by 10 feet for 1 minute 
  (to a minimum of 5 feet) and you push it up to 10 feet away 
  from you if it is Large or smaller and within 15 feet of 
  you. If it hits a creature or object in its path while being 
  pushed, it falls prone.
  If you are 5th level or higher, this damage increases to 
  2d6, and when a creature succeeds on its Strength saving 
  throw, it still takes half the normal damage, but suffers no 
  additional effect. 
  Rosicrucian Theurgy 
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Arcana and 
  Religion skills
  You can perform an esoteric religious ceremony that 
  heals wounds. When you choose this Forbidden Lore, you 
  gain a pool of d12s that you spend to fuel your healing. 
  The number of dice in the pool equals 1 + your proficiency 
  bonus. By performing a ceremony which takes 1 minute, 
  you can touch a humanoid or beast and heal it, spending 
  dice from the pool. The maximum number of dice you can 
  spend at once equals your proficiency bonus. Roll the dice 
  you spend, add them together, and restore a number of hit 
  points to the target creature equal to that total. You regain 
  all expended healing dice when you finish a long rest. 
  Saint Cuthbert’s Cudgel
  Prerequisite: Proficiency in the Religion skill
  You can use a bonus action to imbue a melee weapon 
  that inflicts bludgeoning damage with holy might. Until 
  the end of your next turn, you can use your spellcasting 
  ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls 
  of melee attacks using that weapon. In addition, the next 
  time you hit with a melee attack using that weapon before 
  the end of your next turn, you inflict additional psychic 
  damage on that creature equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting 
  ability modifier (minimum 1). 
  When you inflict this extra damage, the target 
  suffers the attack’s normal effects, and you bellow out 
  a magical challenge that your opponent finds difficult 
  to ignore. While it is within 5 feet of you, the target has 
  disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes that doesn’t 
  target you before the end of its next turn. 
  If you are 5th level or higher, the psychic damage 
  is equal to 2d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier, 
  instead of 1d4.
  Secrets of the Scholomance
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Arcana 
  or Medicine skill
  Choose one necromancy spell of 1st level or higher 
  from any class’s spell list. You have this spell written 
  on a scroll, grimoire, or other physical record (if you have 
  the fragment of Forbidden Lore called Book of Shadows, 
  that grimoire can serve as your record). If you have had 
  the chance to study this written record since the last time 
  you finished a long rest, you can cast the chosen spell at 
  
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  its lowest level by spending a number of resolve points 
  equal to the level of that spell.
  The level of any spell chosen for this fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore must be equal to or lower than your 
  proficiency bonus.
  In addition, you can use a melee weapon that you are 
  proficient with and that lacks the two-handed property as 
  a spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore more 
  than once, learning two additional necromancy spells of 
  1st level or higher each time you choose it.
  Note that any Dark Powers check you make for a 
  necromancy spell you cast is rolled at disadvantage, so 
  you should take extra care when casting spells you gain 
  from this Forbidden Lore.
  Spontaneous Combustion
  As an action, you create a bonfire on ground that you can 
  see within 60 feet. The magic bonfire fills a 5-foot cube 
  for 1 minute, but ends early if you take damage or fall 
  unconscious. A creature in the bonfire’s space when you 
  cast the spell must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw 
  or take 1d12 fire damage.
  A creature must also make the saving throw when it 
  moves into the bonfire’s space for the first time on a turn 
  or ends its turn there. The bonfire ignites flammable 
  objects in its area that aren’t being worn or carried. 
  If you are 5th level or higher, this damage increases 
  to 2d12, and when a creature succeeds on its Dexterity 
  saving throw, it still takes half the normal damage.
  Supernatural Performance
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Deception, 
  Performance, or Sleight of Hand skill; Charisma 13 or higher
  You learn one cantrip of your choice from the bard spell 
  list. You also choose one spell of 1st level or higher from 
  the bard spell list, which you can cast at its lowest level by 
  spending a number of resolve points equal to the level of 
  that spell (cantrips do not require any resolve points). 
  No cantrip or other spell chosen for this fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore can be an evocation spell, nor can it be of 
  a level higher than your proficiency bonus.
  In addition, you can use a musical instrument as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  more than once, learning a different bard cantrip and a 
  different bard spell of 1st level or higher each time you 
  choose it.
  Telekinetic Legerdemain 
  You learn the mage hand cantrip. Whenever you cast 
  mage hand, the hand is invisible, and you can use a bonus 
  action to control it instead of your action. You can use the 
  hand to stow one object it is holding in a container worn 
  or carried by another creature, or to retrieve an object in 
  a container worn or carried by another creature.
  If you are proficient with a tool light enough to be used 
  by the hand, you can use the hand to perform precise 
  work with the tool at range (such as picking a lock with 
  thieves’ tools). You can perform a task with the hand 
  without being noticed by a creature if you succeed on 
  a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by the 
  creature’s Wisdom (Perception) check.
  Telepathic Contact
  You can telepathically speak to any creature you can see 
  within 120 feet of you. You don’t need to share a language 
  with the creature for it to understand your telepathic 
  messages, but the creature must be able to understand 
  at least one language or be telepathic itself. You can 
  choose to concentrate on this feature as an action, as if 
  it were a spell, gaining the ability to use this feature with 
  up to six creatures at once, as long as you maintain your 
  concentration.
  This fragment also allows you to spend 1 resolve point 
  to cast any one of the following spells as an action: beast 
  bond,** detect evil and good, or detect magic. If you are 
  3rd level or higher, you can spend 2 resolve points as an 
  action to cast either detect thoughts or locate animals 
  or plants.
  Thelemic Will 
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher, proficiency in the Arcana and 
  Deception skills
  Aligning your true nature with your desired destiny, 
  you can enthrall a creature by sheer will. As an action, 
  spend 1 resolve point and choose one creature that 
  you can see within 5 feet of you. If the target can see or 
  hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or 
  be charmed by you until the end of your next turn. The 
  charmed creature’s speed drops to 0, and the creature 
  is incapacitated and visibly dazed. On subsequent turns, 
  you can use your action to maintain this effect, extending 
  its duration until the end of your next turn. However, the 
  effect ends if you move more than 5 feet away from the 
  creature, if the creature can neither see nor hear you, or if 
  the creature takes damage. Once the effect ends, or if the 
  creature succeeds on its initial saving throw against this 
  effect, you can’t use this feature on that creature again 
  until you finish a long rest.
  If you are 5th level or higher, when you charm a 
  creature with this ability, instead of reducing its speed to 
  zero and causing it to be incapacitated, you can spend 1 
  additional resolve point to choose the target’s movement 
  and action on its next turn.
  Turn Horrors
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher, proficiency in the Religion skill
  You have unwavering faith in a higher power, which can 
  inspire pain, terror, or even self-loathing in the unnatural 
  creatures of the Red Death. As an action, you present a 
  
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  holy symbol or sacred text and speak a prayer censuring 
  the creatures of darkness. Each aberration, fiend, or 
  undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you 
  must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature 
  fails its saving throw, it is turned for 1 minute or until it 
  takes damage.
  A turned creature must spend its turns trying to 
  move as far away from you as it can, and it can’t willingly 
  move to a space within 30 feet of you. It also can’t take 
  reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or 
  try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. 
  If there’s nowhere to move, the creature can use the 
  Dodge action.
  Once you use this fragment of Forbidden Lore, you 
  can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
  Uriel’s Blade
  Prerequisites: Proficiency in the Religion skill
  You can use a bonus action to imbue a melee weapon that 
  inflicts piercing or slashing damage with holy flame. Until 
  the end of your next turn, you can use your spellcasting 
  ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage 
  rolls of melee attacks using that weapon. In addition, the 
  next time you hit with a melee attack using that weapon 
  before the end of your next turn, you inflict additional fire 
  damage on that creature equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting 
  ability modifier (minimum 1). 
  When you inflict this extra damage, the fire leaps to a 
  different creature you can see within 5 feet of the original 
  target, which also takes the same amount of fire damage.
  If you are 5th level or higher, the fire damage is equal 
  to 2d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier, instead of 1d4.
  Ways of the Shaman
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher; proficiency in the Nature skill; 
  Wisdom 13 or higher
  You learn one cantrip from the druid spell list. You also 
  choose one spell of 1st level or higher from the druid spell 
  list, which you can cast at its lowest level by spending a 
  number of resolve points equal to the level of that spell 
  (cantrips do not require any resolve points). 
  No cantrip or other spell chosen for this fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore can be an evocation spell, nor can it be of 
  a level higher than your proficiency bonus.
  In addition, you can use a druidic focus as a 
  spellcasting focus for any spell you gain from this or any 
  other Forbidden Lore.
  You can choose this fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  more than once, learning a different druid cantrip and a 
  different druid spell of 1st level or higher each time you 
  choose it.
  Whispers of Baphomet
  Prerequisites: 5th level or higher, proficiency in the Religion skill
  You learn the spells hellish rebuke and summon lesser 
  demons.** You can cast either one by spending a number 
  of resolve points equal to the spell’s level. In addition, 
  you can cast summon lesser demons** as a ritual, as if 
  it had the ritual tag. When you cast a spell gained from 
  this Forbidden Lore, you have disadvantage on the Dark 
  Powers check for casting that spell. Finally, while you are 
  within any kind of maze or tunnel, you can’t become lost 
  except by magical means.
  SUMMON LESSER DEMONS
  3rd-level conjuration
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: 60 feet
  Components: V, S, M (a vial of blood from a humanoid 
  killed within the past 24 hours) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
  You utter foul words, summoning demons from the 
  chaos of the Abyss. Roll on the following table to 
  determine what appears.
   
  d6 
  DEMONS SUMMONED
   
  1–2 
  Two demons of challenge rating 1 or lower
   3–4 
  Four demons of challenge rating ½ or lower
   5–6  
  Eight demons of challenge rating ¼ or lower
  The DM chooses the demons, such as manes or 
  dretches, and you choose the unoccupied spaces you can 
  see within range where they appear. A summoned demon 
  disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or the spell ends.
  The demons are hostile to all creatures, including 
  you. Roll initiative for the summoned demons as a group, 
  which has its own turns. The demons pursue and attack 
  the nearest non-demons to the best of their ability.
  As part of casting the spell, you can form a circle on 
  the ground with the blood used as a material component. 
  The circle is large enough to encompass your space. 
  While the spell lasts, the summoned demons can’t 
  cross the circle or harm it, and they can’t target anyone 
  within it. Using the material component in this manner 
  consumes it when the spell ends.
  At higher level. When you cast this spell using a 
  spell slot of 6th or 7th level, you summon twice as many 
  demons. If you cast it using a spell slot of 8th or 9th level, 
  you summon three times as many demons.
  Zealous Vow 
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher, proficiency in the Religion skill
  Your intense personal beliefs drive you to strike down 
  minions of evil. As a bonus action, you can utter an oath 
  of enmity against a creature you can see within 10 feet 
  of you. You gain advantage on attack rolls against the 
  creature for 1 minute or until it drops to 0 hit points or 
  falls unconscious. This effect ends early if you use it again 
  on another creature. 
  Once you use this fragment of Forbidden Lore, you 
  can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
  
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  Shepherd
  You have great personal and social influence over those 
  around you. Some members of this class invest deeply in 
  their relationships to inspire others to greatness. Others 
  merely seek to manipulate, con, or deceive for their own 
  benefit. Either way, you thrive when working as part of 
  a group, and you’re at your best when you have the full 
  attention of your audience.
  You may be a military officer, an influential artist, 
  a political agitator, a crusading lawyer, a dishonest 
  gambler, a powerful aristocrat, or simply the captain of 
  the neighborhood baseball team. In most situations, you 
  tend to function as the “face” of your group, taking the 
  lead during interpersonal interactions and convincing 
  others to support your group’s goals.
  Class Features
  As a shepherd, you gain the following class features.
  Hit Points
  Hit Dice: 1d8 per shepherd level
  Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your 
  Constitution modifier per level after 1st
  Proficiencies
  Weapons: Simple weapons, plus your choice of either 
  handguns or one martial weapon
  Tools: Choose any two (which can include gaming sets, 
  musical instruments, or vehicle types). If you wish, you 
  can replace one of these proficiencies with knowledge 
  of an additional language.
  Saving Throws: Wisdom, Charisma
  Skills: Choose three skills from Animal Handling, 
  Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, 
  Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, and 
  Science.
  SHEPHERD MULTICLASSING
  If you gain your first level of the Shepherd class by 
  multiclassing, instead of gaining all the proficiencies 
  described above, you gain proficiency in your choice of 
  one of the following skills: Animal Handling, Deception, 
  History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, 
  Performance, Persuasion, Religion, or Science.
  Equipment
  As a 1st level character, you start with any one simple 
  weapon of your choice, and any one musical instrument 
  or set of artisan’s tools of your choice. You can purchase 
  additional equipment using the starting money granted 
  by your background.
  Harrowing Condemnation
  Your powerful words and personal insights allow you 
  to destroy an enemy’s morale. As an action, choose 
  one creature within 30 feet with whom you share a 
  language that can hear you and make a Wisdom (Insight), 
  Intelligence (Investigation), or Charisma (Deception, 
  Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion) check. 
  The creature must then roll a Wisdom saving throw 
  against a DC equal to your ability check result. 
  On a failure, the creature takes 1d8 psychic damage 
  and can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
  THE SHEPHERD
  LEVEL
  1st
  Harrowing Condemnation, Intuitive 
  Inspiration, Shepherd Archetype
  2nd
  Bolster Allies, Savoir-Faire
  3rd
  Archetype Features
  4th
  Inspiring Leadership
  5th
  Resolute Shepherd
  6th
  Archetype Features
  7th
  —
  8th
  Defensive Teamwork
  9th
  Archetype Features
  10th
  Compelling Oratory
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  29
  When you reach 5th level in your Shepherd class, you 
  roll 2d8 for the psychic damage from this feature, instead 
  of 1d8. At 10th level, this increases to 3d8.
  Frightful Harrowing. When you use this feature, you 
  can choose to spend 1 resolve point, but you must do so 
  before the target rolls its saving throw. If you do so, on a 
  failed save you add your proficiency bonus to the psychic 
  damage you inflict, and the target also suffers the effects 
  of failing a fear saving throw.
  Intuitive Inspiration
  You can inspire others to excellence by sharing your own 
  perspective or insight with them, whether through simple 
  explanation, stirring oratory, dramatic action, or artistic 
  performance. As a bonus action, choose one creature 
  other than yourself within 60 feet of you who can hear 
  you. The creature chosen gains a d6 Intuitive Inspiration 
  die. If it is below its hit point maximum, it also gains 
  temporary hit points equal to 1 + your proficiency bonus.
  Once within the next 10 minutes, a creature with 
  an Intuitive Inspiration die can roll the die and add the 
  number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving 
  throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls 
  the d20 before deciding to use the Intuitive Inspiration 
  die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll 
  succeeds or fails.
  Witnessing the use of your Intuitive Inspiration 
  grants you increased confidence and fighting spirit. 
  When a creature you can hear or see within 60 feet of 
  you rolls an Intuitive Inspiration die from you, you gain 
  temporary hit points equal to the number rolled on the 
  Intuitive Inspiration die. (As detailed in the Player’s 
  Handbook, when you already have temporary hit points 
  and gain more of them, you choose which temporary 
  hit points to keep.)
  Once the Intuitive Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. 
  A creature can have only one Intuitive Inspiration die at 
  a time. Your Intuitive Inspiration die changes as you gain 
  levels in your Shepherd class. The die becomes a d8 at 
  4th level, and a d10 at 10th level.
  You can use this ability a number of times equal to 1 + 
  your proficiency bonus, regaining expended uses when 
  you finish a long rest. 
  Shepherd Archetype
  Choose an archetype for your Shepherd class from those 
  listed in chapter 3, “Archetypes.” Your choice grants you 
  skill proficiencies and other features when you choose 
  it at 1st level. It also grants you additional archetype 
  features at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
  Bolster Allies
  At 2nd level, you inspire comrades to greater valor when 
  they fight and recover alongside you.
  As an action, you can choose a willing creature within 
  30 feet who can see or hear you, and who is able to make 
  a reaction. That creature can immediately use its reaction 
  to make one weapon attack. If the attack hits a hostile 
  creature within 5 feet of you, it inflicts additional damage 
  equal to your Charisma or Wisdom bonus (your choice), 
  and you add your proficiency bonus to your Armor Class 
  until the start of your next turn.
  In addition, if you or any friendly creatures who can 
  hear you regain hit points by spending Hit Dice at the end 
  of a short or long rest, each of those creatures regains 
  extra hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.
  Savoir-Faire
  Starting at 2nd level, you rely on a quick wit and the 
  knowledge you pick up from other people to get you out 
  of tight corners. You can add half your proficiency bonus, 
  rounded down, to any Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma 
  check you make that doesn’t already include your 
  proficiency bonus.
  Inspiring Leadership
  Beginning at 4th level, whenever you grant a creature 
  temporary hit points (such as with your Intuitive 
  Inspiration feature), it can immediately use its 
  reaction to move up to its speed, without provoking 
  opportunity attacks.
  Resolute Shepherd
  At 5th level, when a creature rolls the highest possible 
  number on an Intuitive Inspiration die from you, or rolls 
  a 20 on the d20 for an attack roll which you granted 
  it with your Bolster Allies feature, you regain 1 spent 
  resolve point.
  In addition, if you have no uses of your Intuitive 
  Inspiration feature remaining when you finish a short 
  rest, you regain your expended uses of that feature, as 
  if you had finished a long rest.
  Defensive Teamwork
  At 8th level, when an attack which you granted with your 
  Bolster Allies feature or which you aided with the Help 
  action hits, you can expend one use of your Intuitive 
  Inspiration to cause the attack to deal extra damage. 
  The extra damage equals the number rolled on your 
  Intuitive Inspiration die + your proficiency bonus.
  If the target of the attack was within 5 feet of you, you 
  can also push the target up to 5 feet away from you.
  Compelling Oratory
  At 10th level, the intense force of your personality can 
  traumatize those you condemn or bolster the spirits of 
  those you aid. Once per turn, when you inflict psychic 
  damage on a creature or grant a creature temporary hit 
  points (such as when it spends an Intuitive Inspiration 
  die from you), you can add your Wisdom or Charisma 
  modifier (your choice) to the amount of psychic damage 
  inflicted or temporary hit points gained. You can only use 
  this feature on one creature per turn. 
  
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  30
  Sleuth
  Your expertise relates 
  to things hidden and 
  unknown, and how they 
  may be revealed. In this era 
  of progress and invention, 
  such know-how is valuable 
  in any number of pursuits. 
  Scientists seem to announce 
  new innovations every week, 
  scholars decipher ancient 
  writings, and doctors develop 
  miraculous cures, while 
  journalists make all these 
  events public knowledge. 
  Meanwhile, less public 
  forms of discovery are also 
  taking place in the shadows. 
  Criminals discern new 
  ways to claim what others 
  would keep from them and 
  detectives expand the new 
  science of forensics to track 
  those criminals down—all 
  while spies serving rival 
  powers play their own game 
  of stolen secrets for the 
  highest of stakes. 
  Class Features
  As a sleuth, you gain the following class features.
  Hit Points
  Hit Dice: 1d8 per sleuth level
  Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 
  (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per level after 1st
  Proficiencies
  Weapons: Simple weapons, plus your choice of either 
  handguns or one martial weapon
  Tools: Choose any two (which can include gaming sets, 
  musical instruments, or vehicle types). If you wish, you 
  can replace one of these proficiencies with knowledge 
  of an additional language.
  Saving Throws: Dexterity, Intelligence
  Skills: Choose any three
  THE SLEUTH
  LEVEL
  PRECISION 
  DAMAGE
  FEATURES
  1st
  +1d6
  Astute Expertise, Precision 
  Damage, Sleuth Archetype
  2nd
  +1d6
  Attentive Action, 
  Penetrating Insight
  3rd
  +1d6
  Archetype Features, 
  Specialist Techniques (2)
  4th
  +1d6
  Calculated Ambush
  5th
  +2d6
  Resolute Insight
  6th
  +2d6
  Archetype Features
  7th
  +3d6
  Additional 
  Specialist Technique
  8th
  +3d6
  Know Thy Enemy
  9th
  +4d6
  Archetype Features, 
  Reliable Expertise
  10th
  +4d6
  Voice of Reason
  
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  31
  SLEUTH MULTICLASSING
  If you gain your first level of the Sleuth class by 
  multiclassing, instead of gaining all the proficiencies 
  described above, you gain proficiency with one skill of 
  your choice and one type of tool of your choice.
  Equipment
  As a 1st level character, you start with one simple weapon 
  of your choice, and one set of artisan’s tools of your 
  choice. You can purchase additional equipment using 
  the starting money granted by your background.
  Astute Expertise
  Choose two of your skill proficiencies, or one of your skill 
  proficiencies and your proficiency with one type of tool. 
  You gain expertise with those proficiencies, which means 
  your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you 
  make that uses them.
  Precision Damage
  You can leverage your powers of observation to land 
  precise strikes. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 
  1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you 
  have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a 
  finesse or ranged weapon.
  If you have succeeded on a Wisdom (Insight) check 
  against a creature within the last minute. you can inflict 
  your precision damage on that creature, even if you do not 
  have advantage on the attack roll. However, you can never 
  inflict precision damage if you have disadvantage on the 
  attack roll.
  When you reach 5th level or higher as a sleuth, your 
  precision damage increases to 2d6. It increases to 3d6 
  when you reach 7th level in this class, and to 4d6 when 
  you reach 9th level.
  Sleuth Archetype
  Choose an archetype for your Sleuth class from those 
  listed in chapter 3, “Archetypes.” Your choice grants you 
  skill proficiencies and other features when you choose 
  it at 1st level. It also grants you additional archetype 
  features at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
  Attentive Action
  At 2nd level, your quick thinking and attention to your 
  surroundings allow you to act with startling speed. You 
  can use a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, 
  or Use an Object action, or to make an ability check 
  using any one of the skill or tool proficiencies for which 
  you have expertise, as long as that ability check could 
  normally be made with one action. 
  Penetrating Insight
  At 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to make 
  a Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature you can 
  see that is not incapacitated, contested by the target’s 
  Charisma (Deception) check. If you succeed, you gain 
  advantage on the next attack roll you make against that 
  creature before the end of your next turn. Also, for 1 
  minute (or until you target a different creature with this 
  feature), you have advantage on Intelligence or Wisdom 
  checks to discern information about the target and on 
  Charisma checks to influence it. 
  Specialist Techniques
  At 3rd level, you learn two Specialist Techniques from the 
  options listed at the end of this class description, gaining 
  the listed benefits of both options you choose.
  You learn one additional Specialist Technique when 
  you reach 7th level in this class.
  Calculated Ambush
  Starting at 4th level, you have advantage on attack 
  rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in 
  the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against 
  a creature that is surprised is a critical hit.
  Resolute Insight
  At 5th level, when you use your action to make an 
  Intelligence or Wisdom check to discern or recall 
  information, if the check fails, you can spend 1 resolve 
  point to reroll that check with advantage.
  In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, you 
  regain 1 spent resolve point if one or more times since 
  the last time you finished a short or long rest you have 
  personally uncovered an important clue, hiding creature, 
  or concealed object that was previously unknown to you 
  or any of your allies.
  Know Thine Enemy
  At 8th level, whenever you succeed on a contested 
  Wisdom (Insight) check against a creature, you also 
  discern some additional facts about them. The DM tells 
  you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior 
  regarding two of the following characteristics of 
  your choice:
  • 
  An ability score of your choice
  • 
  Armor Class
  • 
  Current hit points
  • 
  Total class levels (if any)
  • 
  Levels in a particular class (if any)
  At the DM’s option, you might also deduce a fact about the 
  creature’s history or one of its personality traits.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  32
  Reliable Expertise
  At 9th level in this class, whenever you make an ability 
  check for which you have expertise, you can treat a roll 
  of 8 or lower as a 9.
  Voice of Reason
  At 10th level, you have advantage on saving throws 
  against becoming charmed or frightened. In addition, 
  when one or more allies within 30 feet of you make a 
  saving throw against becoming charmed or frightened, 
  you can use your reaction to grant one or two of those 
  allies who can hear you advantage.
  Specialist Techniques
  Options for the Specialist Techniques feature are listed 
  here in alphabetical order. You can never take the same 
  Specialist Technique option more than once, no matter 
  how many times you get to select one, even if that 
  Specialist Technique offers different choices.
  Academician
  You gain a +2 bonus to all Intelligence checks, and while 
  you are in a good library or well-equipped laboratory, you 
  have advantage on Intelligence and Wisdom checks that 
  include your proficiency bonus.
  Alienist
  You gain proficiency in your choice of one of the following 
  skills: Arcana, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, 
  Persuasion, Religion, or Science. In addition, you 
  automatically succeed on ability checks to counsel a 
  character afflicted with madness. When a character who 
  can hear you makes a Wisdom, Intelligence, or Charisma 
  saving throw, you can spend 1 resolve point as a reaction 
  to give them advantage on the roll.
  Culinary Artist
  You gain proficiency with cook’s utensils, and have 
  advantage on ability checks to detect poison in food or 
  drink. During a long rest, you can prepare and serve 
  a meal that helps you and your allies recover from the 
  rigors of adventuring, provided you have suitable food, 
  cook’s utensils, and other supplies on hand. The meal 
  serves up to seven people, and each person who eats 
  it regains two additional Hit Dice (up to their normal 
  maximum) at the end of the long rest. In addition, for 
  the next 24 hours, when those who partake of the meal 
  roll a 1 on a Hit Die, they can reroll the die and must use 
  the new roll.
  Detective
  You gain proficiency with your choice of one of the 
  following skills: Insight, Investigation, Perception, 
  or Science. If you wish, you can gain proficiency with 
  photographer’s sets instead of one of the listed skills.
  If you spend 10 minutes talking to a stranger, you 
  uncover hidden information about them by studying their 
  mannerisms, tiny scuffs on their clothing, and so forth. 
  At the DM’s discretion, you deduce one of the following 
  pieces of information about them: a recent location 
  they’ve visited, an object they’ve handled, or a person 
  they’ve spoken with.
  If you are 5th level or higher, using this feature only 
  takes 1 minute instead of 10. If you are 8th level or higher, 
  you can discern this information as an action by making 
  a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by the stranger’s 
  Charisma (Deception) roll.
  Diplomat
  You gain proficiency in your choice of one of the following 
  skills: Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Performance, 
  or Persuasion. When you make an ability check 
  with the chosen skill to influence a creature that is 
  indifferent or hostile towards you, you add double your 
  proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal 
  proficiency bonus.
  
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  33
  Explorer
  You gain your choice of either the Mounted Benefits or 
  Travel Benefits listed under the Outrider’s Seasoned 
  Traveler feature. You gain no other benefits of that feature 
  except those described under the category you select.
  Focused Expertise
  Choose one skill with which you are proficient and one 
  tool with which you are proficient. You gain expertise 
  with both the selected proficiencies, which means your 
  proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you 
  make that uses them.
  Journalist
  You gain proficiency with your choice of either 
  photographer’s sets or typewriters. In addition, whenever 
  you fail a Charisma check to gain information (such as 
  convincing someone to reveal a secret to you, asking 
  around for the best person to talk to about rumors and 
  gossip, or blending into crowds to get the sense of key 
  topics of conversation), you can spend 1 resolve point 
  to roll 1d8 and add the die to your ability check total, 
  possibly causing it succeed.
  When you gain this Specialist Technique, choose one 
  particular village, town, city, or other settlement to be 
  your hometown. In your hometown, when you use this 
  feature to add a die to your failed Charisma check, you 
  roll 1d12 instead of 1d8. 
  Mechanic
  You gain proficiency with one tool of your choice, and 
  you can grant temporary hit points to crafted objects. By 
  spending 10 minutes using appropriate tools to work on 
  an object or structure you can touch, you can make a DC 
  10 ability check with those tools. On a success, you grant 
  that object (or a section of it equivalent to a 5-foot cube if 
  it is larger than that) temporary hit points equal to your 
  proficiency bonus + your level.
  Metaphysician
  You gain one fragment of Forbidden Lore of your choice 
  from those listed under the Scion class, for which you 
  must meet all prerequisites normally. You also gain 
  proficiency in your choice of one of the following skills: 
  Arcana, Religion, or Science.
  Mountaineer
  You gain proficiency in your choice of one of the following 
  skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Nature, or Survival. You 
  gain advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks related 
  to climbing or riding and Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks 
  related to keeping your balance. Also, you are acclimated 
  to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
  Performer
  You gain proficiency in your choice of either the 
  Performance skill or one musical instrument, and if 
  you perform for at least 1 minute, you can attempt to 
  enthrall your audience. After 1 minute of performing, 
  you can spend 2 resolve points to choose any number 
  of humanoids within 60 feet of you who watched 
  and listened for that entire minute. Each target must 
  succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC equals 8 + 
  your proficiency bonus + your Charisma bonus) or be 
  charmed by you. While charmed in this way, the target 
  has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  made to perceive any creature other than you until your 
  performance ends or until the target can no longer hear 
  you. You can choose to end the performance at any time, 
  otherwise it can last up to 1 hour, though it ends early if 
  you are incapacitated or can no longer speak. It also ends 
  early for an individual target if it takes any damage, you 
  attack it, or it witnesses you attacking or damaging any of 
  its allies.
  Whether the target fails or succeeds on its saving 
  throw, it has no hint that you tried to charm it.
  Physician
  You gain proficiency in your choice of alchemist’s 
  supplies, microscopes, or one of the following skills: 
  Insight, Medicine, or Science. As a bonus action, you can 
  expend one use of a healer’s kit to cause a creature you 
  can touch to regain 1 hit point. If you continue tending 
  to the creature’s wounds for 10 minutes while taking no 
  other actions, you can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) 
  check to allow the creature to spend Hit Dice to regain 
  hit points, as if at the end of a short rest. The maximum 
  number of Hit Dice a creature can spend in this way is 
  equal to your proficiency bonus. 
  Student of Warfare
  You gain your choice of one option from the Martial 
  Discipline feature of the Soldier class. You ignore 
  prerequisites when choosing Martial Disciplines with 
  this feature, but you can never take the same Martial 
  Discipline option more than once, no matter how many 
  times you get to choose one. 
  You also gain proficiency with your choice of either 
  longarms or any one martial weapon.
  Toxicologist
  You are well educated in the science of poisons: their 
  creation, their effects, and their handling. You are 
  proficient with poisoner’s kits, and have advantage on 
  ability checks you make to identify particular types of 
  poison. When you would make a saving throw against 
  poison or take poison damage, you can use your reaction 
  to roll 2d4. You add the total to your saving throw result 
  or, if you would take poison damage, you reduce the 
  damage by that total.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
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  Soldier
  Whether or not you’ve ever had any actual 
  military training, your experience and 
  instincts combine to give you the mettle of 
  a warrior. 
  Warfare itself is quickly evolving in 
  this period. Over the years between the 
  Renaissance and the 1890s, the fighter of 
  past eras has evolved into more of a specialist. 
  Soldiers enlisted in a military force usually 
  excel at a few weapons rather than acquiring 
  proficiency with many.
  While horseback cavalry units remain a 
  crucial part of military planning, the ever-
  growing deadliness of longarms and artillery 
  makes the tactics of the Napoleonic Era 
  obsolete. Marshaling an infantry formation on 
  an open field is increasingly an invitation for 
  slaughter. At sea, steam-powered metal has 
  completely replaced wood and sails. During 
  the American Civil War, the dug-in trench 
  warfare of the Petersburg–Richmond theatre 
  of operations provided a glimpse of horrific 
  conflicts to come. As the century closes, the 
  Boer Wars are teaching the British Army hard 
  lessons in guerilla warfare and commando tactics.
  Class Features
  As a soldier, you gain the following class features.
  Hit Points
  Hit Dice: 1d10 per soldier level
  Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your 
  Constitution modifier per level after 1st
  Proficiencies
  Weapons: Simple weapons, handguns, longarms, and 
  three other martial weapons of your choice.
  Tools: Choose any two (which can include gaming sets, 
  musical instruments, or vehicle types). If you wish, you 
  can replace one of these proficiencies with knowledge 
  of an additional language.
  Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
  Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal 
  Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, 
  Perception, Stealth, and Survival
  SOLDIER MULTICLASSING
  If you gain your first level of the Soldier class by 
  multiclassing, instead of gaining all the proficiencies 
  described above, you gain proficiency with simple 
  weapons, handguns, longarms, and two other martial 
  weapons of your choice.
  Equipment
  As a 1st level character, you start with any two simple 
  or martial weapons of your choice. You can purchase 
  additional equipment using the starting money granted by 
  your background.
  Martial Discipline
  You have mastered one or more specialized military 
  techniques. Choose one of the Martial Discipline options 
  listed at the end of this class description, gaining the 
  listed benefits of the option you chose.
  THE SOLDIER
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Martial Discipline, Soldier Archetype
  2nd
  Weapon Specialization
  3rd
  Additional Martial Discipline, Archetype 
  Features, Swift Combatant
  4th
  Calculated Ambush, Protective Mark
  5th
  Resolute Soldier, Weaponmaster’s Smite
  6th
  Archetype Features
  7th
  Additional Martial Discipline
  8th
  Know Thy Enemy
  9th
  Archetype Features
  10th
  Grizzled Veteran, Additional Martial 
  Discipline
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  35
  You can choose one additional Martial Discipline 
  option at 3rd level, and then again at 7th level and 
  10th level. 
  You can never take the same Martial Discipline option 
  more than once, no matter how many times you get to 
  choose one.
  Soldier Archetype
  Choose an archetype for your Soldier class from those 
  listed in chapter 3, “Archetypes.” Your choice grants you 
  skill proficiencies and other features when you choose 
  it at 1st level. It also grants you additional archetype 
  features at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
  Weapon Specialization
  Starting at 2nd level, your focused training in the use of 
  certain weapons allows you to strike more precisely with 
  them. When you hit with an attack roll using any weapon 
  with which you are proficient, you deal an extra 1d4 
  damage on a hit. 
  If the target is within 5 feet of you, the extra damage 
  increases to 1d6 instead of 1d4.
  The extra damage is the same type as the weapon’s 
  damage. However, attacks made as part of a bonus 
  action only inflict this extra damage if they are melee 
  attacks. Attacks using the lower damage value specified 
  by the scattershot weapon property never inflict this 
  extra damage.
  Swift Combatant
  At 3rd level, when you use the Attack action, if you have 
  at least 1 resolve point, you can immediately use a bonus 
  action to make an extra weapon attack with a weapon you 
  are holding that does not have the heavy or two-handed 
  properties. Once you make this bonus attack, you cannot 
  do so again until after the end of your next turn. 
  In addition, if a handgun or longarm is fouled (as 
  described under the handgun and longarm properties), 
  you can spend 1 resolve point to attempt to temporarily 
  clear it as an action, rolling a DC 10 Intelligence 
  (gunsmith’s kits) check. If you succeed, the weapon 
  temporarily stops being fouled. 1 minute after you 
  use this effect, the weapon resumes being fouled as it 
  was before.
  Calculated Ambush
  Starting at 4th level, you have advantage on attack 
  rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in 
  the combat yet. In addition, any hit you score against a 
  creature that is surprised is a critical hit.
  Protective Mark
  Starting at 4th level, if you mark a creature with the 
  Marking Strike option of a Targeted Strike, while you are 
  within 5 feet of the marked creature, you can use your 
  reaction to make a weapon attack against it whenever it 
  makes an attack roll that doesn’t target you.
  Resolute Soldier
  Starting at 5th level, when you score one or more critical 
  hits that inflict damage on one or more creatures during 
  your turn, at the end of that turn you regain 1 spent 
  resolve point. If you also reduced at least one creature to 
  0 hit points during that turn, you regain 2 spent resolve 
  points instead.
  Weaponmaster’s Smite
  Starting at 5th level, when the stakes are high you can be 
  even more effective with your favored weapons. When you 
  inflict the extra damage from your Weapon Specialization 
  feature, you can spend 1 or more resolve points to 
  augment the damage.
  You increase the extra damage to 2d4 for 1 resolve 
  point, and if you spend more than 1 resolve point, you 
  increase the extra damage by another 1d4 for each 
  additional resolve point spent (making it 3d4 for 2 
  resolve points, 4d4 for 3 resolve points, and 5d4 for 
  4 resolve points).
  The maximum number of resolve points you can spend 
  on a single use of this feature, or on any other class or 
  archetype feature, is equal to your proficiency bonus.
  If the target on which you inflict this damage is within 
  5 feet of you, the dice of extra damage you roll for this 
  feature are d6’s instead of d4’s.
  Improved Critical
  Starting at 8th level, your weapon attacks and unarmed 
  strikes score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
  Grizzled Veteran
  At 10th level, whenever you make a Charisma 
  (Intimidation) check against humanoids or beasts, you 
  are considered proficient in the Intimidation skill and add 
  double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of 
  your normal proficiency bonus.
  In addition, when you make an attack roll that includes 
  your proficiency bonus, you can spend 2 resolve points 
  to add double your proficiency bonus to the roll, instead 
  of your normal proficiency bonus. If applying this bonus 
  to an attack roll increases the total to 20 or higher, if the 
  attack hits, you can spend 1 additional resolve point to 
  turn the attack into a critical hit if it isn’t one already.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  36
  Martial Disciplines
  Soldiers and certain other characters can master 
  specialized military techniques known as Martial 
  Disciplines. Options for this feature are listed 
  alphabetically below.
  If a Martial Discipline has prerequisites, you must 
  meet them to learn it. You can learn the Martial Discipline 
  at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. Any level 
  prerequisite listed refers to your soldier level.
  You can never take the same Martial Discipline option 
  more than once, no matter how many times you get to 
  choose one.
  Archaic
  You are proficient with all martial weapons, and you 
  gain a +1 bonus to melee attack rolls while you are not 
  wielding a firearm with either hand. 
  Battlefield Defense
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher
  As long as you are not wearing armor or using a shield, 
  your base AC equals 12 + your Dexterity modifier + your 
  Wisdom modifier. In addition, when you have cover 
  against an attack, if it still hits, you have resistance 
  against that attack’s damage.
  Boxer
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher
  You gain a +1 to attack rolls when making unarmed 
  strikes. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike 
  or an improvised weapon attack, you can roll a d4 in place 
  of the normal damage, and the creature has disadvantage 
  the next time it makes an attack roll, Strength check, or 
  Dexterity check before the end of its next turn.
  Cavalry
  While you are mounted, unmounted creatures you hit 
  with weapon attacks can’t make opportunity attacks 
  against you or your mount for the rest of the turn if 
  they are smaller than your mount, and you can re-roll 
  any weapon damage die that rolls a 1. You must use 
  the new roll.
  Demolitions Expert
  You are proficient with demolitions kits, and whenever 
  one or more creatures you can see must roll Dexterity 
  saving throws against an area effect you created, you can 
  choose a number of them equal to 1 + your proficiency 
  bonus to gain advantage on that saving throw. If they 
  succeed, they have resistance against any damage they 
  still take from the area effect. 
  Great Weapon Fighting
  When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you 
  make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with 
  two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new 
  roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile 
  property for you to gain this benefit.
  Harrying
  When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike or a 
  melee attack using a weapon that doesn’t have the heavy, 
  two-handed, or versatile property, the target’s speed is 
  reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
  Naval Skirmisher
  As long as you are not wearing armor or using a shield, 
  you have a climbing speed equal to your normal speed, 
  and you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
  Point Blank Shot
  Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t impose 
  disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls with one-handed 
  weapons, and your ranged attacks ignore half cover and 
  three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you.
  Shootist
  You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls you make with 
  ranged weapons.
  Sniper Training
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher
  Whenever you have advantage on a ranged weapon attack 
  roll and hit a target 30 or more feet away, you deal an 
  extra 1d10 piercing damage if the lower of the two d20 
  rolls would also hit the target. In addition, when you are 
  hidden from a creature and miss it with a ranged weapon 
  attack, making the attack doesn’t reveal your position 
  unless the creature was less than 30 feet away from you.
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add 
  your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. 
  Weapon Focus
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher
  Choose one of the following groups of weapons: finesse 
  weapons, heavy weapons, light weapons, simple weapons, 
  or versatile weapons. You gain a +1 bonus to melee attack 
  rolls you make with weapons from the chosen group.
  
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  37
  Stalwart
  Whether you are an Olympic athlete, a nomad dwelling 
  in a harsh wilderness, a rugged Antarctic explorer, a 
  toughened street fighter, a sailor who’s seen it all, or 
  simply someone born stronger and sturdier, your talents 
  for physical achievement and survival set you apart. 
  Such fortitude grants distinct advantages, even 
  among those cultures which no longer value physical 
  prowess the way they once did. Despite the relative safety 
  enjoyed in many places, the world as a whole remains 
  a dangerous place, especially for those unsheltered by 
  wealth or social class. Even in the heart of civilization, 
  one does not need to wander far to find real physical 
  peril-- And many members of this class harbor a fierce 
  need to test the limits of their own capabilities.
  In combat, you are a fierce opponent, with or without 
  weapons. Even when you don’t strike your enemies with 
  the trained precision of a soldier, there are few opponents 
  you can’t outlast.
  Class Features
  As a stalwart, you gain the following class features.
  Hit Points
  Hit Dice: 1d12 per stalwart level
  Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + your Constitution modifier
  Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d12 (or 7) + your 
  Constitution modifier per level after 1st
  Proficiencies
  Weapons: Simple weapons, handguns, and your choice 
  of either longarms or two other martial weapons of your 
  choice
  Tools: Choose any two (which can include gaming sets, 
  musical instruments, or vehicle types). If you wish, you 
  can replace one of these proficiencies with knowledge 
  of an additional language.
  Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
  Skills: Choose three skills from Acrobatics, Animal 
  Handling, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, 
  Perception, Religion, Science, and Survival
  STALWART MULTICLASSING
  If you gain your first level of the Stalwart class by 
  multiclassing, instead of gaining all the proficiencies 
  described above, you gain proficiency with one type of 
  artisan’s tool or vehicle of your choice.
  Equipment
  As a 1st level character, you start with any one simple 
  weapon of your choice and any one martial weapon 
  of your choice. You can purchase additional equipment 
  using the starting money granted by your background.
  THE STALWART
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Forceful Prowess, Stalwart Archetype
  2nd
  Tenacious Strike +1d6
  3rd
  Archetype Feature, Steadfast Focus, 
  Swift Combatant
  4th
  Protective Mark, Stalwart Technique
  5th
  Hardened Survivor, Tenacious Strike +1d8
  6th
  Archetype Feature
  7th
  —
  8th
  Uncanny Durability
  9th
  Archetype Feature
  10th
  Iron Stamina, Tenacious Strike +1d10
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  38
  Forceful Prowess
  You’ve learned to rely on your own personal mettle and 
  endurance in moments of difficulty, granting you the 
  following benefits:
  • 
  Your AC can’t be less than 12 + your Dexterity modifier 
  + your Constitution modifier, regardless of what kind 
  of armor you may or may not be wearing.
  • 
  While you are not wearing medium or heavy armor, 
  your speed increases by a number of feet equal to 5 
  times your proficiency bonus.
  • 
  You add half your proficiency bonus (rounded up) to 
  any Strength or Constitution check you make that 
  doesn’t already include your proficiency bonus.
  • 
  You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of 
  your unarmed strike.
  Stalwart Archetype
  Choose an archetype for your Stalwart class from those 
  listed in chapter 3, “Archetypes.” Your choice grants you 
  skill proficiencies and other features when you choose 
  it at 1st level. It also grants you additional archetype 
  features at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
  Tenacious Strike
  Starting at 2nd level, you are able to outlast opponents 
  with your superior endurance and athleticism. When 
  you hit with a weapon attack, the target takes 1d6 extra 
  damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. If the target 
  is within 5 feet of you, you add half your Stalwart level to 
  this extra damage.
  This extra damage increases as you gain levels in your 
  Stalwart class, becoming 1d8 at 5th level and 1d10 at 
  9th level.
  Steadfast Focus
  Starting at 3rd level, maintaining your internal focus 
  allows you to shrug off injuries. While you have 1 or 
  more resolve points, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  damage that you take from non-magical weapons is 
  reduced by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.
  Swift Combatant
  At 3rd level, when you use the Attack action, if you have 
  at least 1 resolve point, you can immediately use a bonus 
  action to make an extra weapon attack with a weapon you 
  are holding that does not have the heavy or two-handed 
  properties. Once you make this bonus attack, you cannot 
  do so again until after the end of your next turn. 
  In addition, if a handgun or longarm is fouled (as 
  described under the handgun and longarm properties), 
  you can spend 1 resolve point to attempt to temporarily 
  clear it as an action, rolling a DC 10 Intelligence 
  (gunsmith’s kits) check. If you succeed, the weapon 
  temporarily stops being fouled. 1 minute after you 
  use this effect, the weapon resumes being fouled as it 
  was before.
  Protective Mark
  Starting at 4th level, if you mark a creature with the 
  Marking Strike option of a Targeted Strike, while you are 
  within 5 feet of the marked creature, you can use your 
  reaction to make a weapon against it whenever it makes 
  an attack roll that doesn’t target you.
  Stalwart Technique
  At 4th level, you choose one Specialist Technique from 
  the options listed under the Sleuth class and gain the 
  listed benefits.
  You can never take the same Specialist Technique 
  option more than once, no matter how many times you 
  get to choose one, even if that Specialist Technique offers 
  different choices.
  Hardened Survivor
  Starting at 5th level, when an attacker that you can see 
  hits you with an attack, you can spend 1 resolve point as 
  a reaction to gain resistance to all damage except psychic 
  and necrotic damage until the end of your next turn.
  In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, if you 
  have not been reduced to 0 hit points since the last time 
  you finished a short or long rest, but during that time 
  a creature you could see was reduced to 0 hit points 
  while it was within 10 feet of you, you regain 1 expended 
  resolve point.
  Uncanny Durability
  Starting at 8th level, you can endure assaults that would 
  devastate others. Whenever you fail a saving throw, you 
  can spend 1 resolve point to roll 1d8 and add the die to 
  your saving throw total. If applying this bonus to a death 
  saving throw increases the total to 20 or higher, you gain 
  the benefits of rolling a 20 on the d20.
  Iron Stamina
  At 10th level, when you are reduced to 0 hit points but not 
  killed outright, you can spend 3 resolve points to drop to 
  1 hit point instead. When you use this feature, once before 
  the end of your next turn, you can use a bonus action to 
  regain hit points equal to your Constitution modifier + 
  half your stalwart level.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 2: CLASSES
  39
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  40
   Chapter 3 
   
  ARCHETYPES
  I
  n the Masque of the Red Death rules, while 
  a class represents general aptitudes and a larger 
  approach to overcoming challenges, choosing a 
  class’s archetype defines your character’s calling. 
  It shapes your relationship to society, your allies, and the 
  world—as well as your means of combatting the insidious 
  evil behind the scenes.
  Whenever you gain your first level in a class, you 
  choose an archetype for that class. Unlike in the normal 
  D&D rules, archetypes are not subclasses that are 
  already connected to a certain class. Instead, they are 
  specific vocations that define how you use the capabilities 
  granted by your choice of class. You only gain a new 
  archetype when you gain levels in a new class, but when 
  you do, you can choose any archetype you wish.
  At 1st level, an archetype usually grants you some 
  proficiencies and one or two other capabilities linked 
  to exploration or social interaction. 
  An archetype is forever linked to the class for which 
  you choose it. At 1st level, for example, if you begin 
  with the Sleuth class and choose the Criminal as your 
  archetype for that class, you gain only gain further 
  Criminal archetype features by gaining levels in the 
  Sleuth class, as explained under that class’s features. 
  If you later multiclass and gain levels in the Soldier class, 
  those levels do not grant you any additional features 
  from the Criminal archetype, no matter how many 
  levels you gain—instead, you choose a new archetype for 
  your Soldier class, and gain features in that archetype 
  accordingly.
  You can never choose the same archetype more 
  than once, no matter how many new classes you 
  multiclass into.
  PLAYER CHARACTER ARCHETYPES
  ARCHETYPE
  DESCRIPTION
  Adept
  A secretive spellcaster and keeper 
  of ancient arcane lore
  Artifact Hunter
  An acquirer of rare antiquities
  Charlatan
  A con artist or stage magician who might 
  blunder into true magic
  Criminal
  A rogue with a talent for thriving outside 
  of the law
  Expert
  A scholar, tradesperson, or other 
  specialist with highly-valued skills
  Gunslinger
  A master of firearms, ranged combat, 
  and trick shots
  Laborer
  A steadfast worker able to tackle 
  challenges few others could endure
  Medium
  A seer who views the hidden world 
  beneath reality, whether they 
  like it or not
  Mystic
  A metaphysical visionary who opens 
  their mind to transcendent perceptions
  Outrider
  A scout or explorer accustomed to life 
  on the frontier
  Parson
  A cleric or layperson representing 
  a religious institution
  Pugilist
  A practitioner of advanced unarmed 
  combat techniques
  Slayer
  A relentless hunter devoted to 
  destroying monsters at all costs
  Socialite
  An influential sophisticate skilled 
  at leveraging social privilege
  Spy
  A covert agent of espionage with 
  specialized skills
  Tactician
  A master of the battlefield, adept at 
  gaining the upper-hand against enemies.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  41
  Adept
  True magic is all but unknown to the general 
  populace of Gothic Earth. You are one of a few 
  individuals who secretly preserve the ancient 
  knowledge of spellcasting and magical lore, 
  as it has been passed down by members of the 
  secret magical societies known as qabals. 
  As an adept, you are both an arcane 
  spellcaster and a collector of information about 
  qabals—those that currently exist as well as the 
  famous and infamous qabals of the past.
  Adepts conduct research in areas around 
  the globe for knowledge about the identities, 
  symbols, members, and history of these 
  secret societies. In the case of contemporary 
  qabals, it may be a matter of survival for you to 
  determine whether a qabal is a potential ally, 
  a neutral organization to be respected but left 
  alone, or a dangerous enemy to be destroyed.
  Master Ritualist
  At 1st level, you gain the Book of Shadows 
  option from the fragments of Forbidden Lore 
  listed under the Scion class.
  You also gain one additional fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore of your choice at 6th level, 
  and again at 9th level. You must fulfill all 
  prerequisites for any fragment of Forbidden 
  Lore you choose for this feature.
  In addition, when you cast a spell as a ritual, 
  if you are proficient with the Arcana skill, you 
  double your proficiency bonus when adding it to your 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check to cast the ritual spell.
  Adept Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with the Arcana skill. If 
  you are already proficient with the Arcana skill, you gain 
  proficiency with one of the following skills of your choice: 
  Deception, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, 
  Nature, Religion, or Stealth. You also gain proficiency in 
  your choice of one of the following: alchemist’s supplies, 
  calligrapher’s supplies, disguise kits, forgery kits, or 
  herbalism kits.
  In addition, you are known in the world of the secretive 
  qabals that preserve magical knowledge, granting you 
  access to a hidden network of supporters and operatives 
  who can provide assistance in eluding the minions of the 
  Red Death. You know a set of secret signs and passwords 
  you can use to identify such operatives, who can provide 
  you with access to a disguised safe house, free room 
  and board, or assistance in finding information. These 
  co-conspirators never endanger their lives for you or risk 
  revealing their true identities.
  THE ADEPT 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Master Ritualist, Adept Talents
  3rd
  Student of the Arcane, Augment Spells
  6th
  Studied Resolve, Additional Forbidden Lore
  9th
  Mental Sanctum, Additional Forbidden Lore
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  42
  Student of the Arcane
  At 3rd level, you gain one of the following fragments 
  of Forbidden Lore of your choice: Adept Spell, Blatant 
  Evocation, Hermetic Formulae, Qabalistic Initiation, 
  or Supernatural Performance. You must fulfill all 
  prerequisites for any fragment of Forbidden Lore you 
  choose for this feature.
  Augment Spells
  Starting at 3rd level, when you spend resolve points to 
  cast a spell, you can spend additional resolve points to 
  increase its level, provided that the spell has an enhanced 
  effect at a higher level. The spell’s level increases by 1 for 
  each additional resolve point you spend. The total number 
  of resolve points you spend on a use of this feature 
  (including the resolve point cost of the spell) cannot 
  exceed your proficiency bonus.
  Studied Resolve
  Starting at 6th level, when you finish a short rest, if you 
  have spent resolve points to cast one or more spells of 3rd 
  level or higher since the last time you finished a short or 
  long rest, you regain 2 resolve points.
  Mental Sanctum
  Staring at 9th level, your thoughts can’t be read by 
  telepathy or other means unless you allow it, and you 
  have advantage on saving throws against effects that 
  would cause you to be charmed or frightened, or which 
  would inflict psychic damage on you. If a creature inflicts 
  psychic damage on you, you can use your reaction to 
  inflict the same amount of psychic damage on them.
  Artifact Hunter
  You search for antiquities and mysteries of the past, 
  obtaining and studying the remains of bygone cultures—
  their bones, their ruins, their surviving masterworks, 
  and their tombs. You might describe yourself as an 
  archaeologist, antiquarian, or acquirer of rare antiquities, 
  but others often call you a tomb raider or grave robber. 
  Characters of the artifact hunter archetype range from 
  those who plunder for wealth or fame to others who 
  consider it their duty to illuminate the past or keep 
  the world’s greatest treasures from falling into the 
  wrong hands.
  Because of the great rivalries and frequent moments 
  of danger endemic to your vocation, you develop prowess 
  with a signature weapon, usually one with other uses 
  beyond battle. A long or extending staff useful for probing 
  potential traps is a good example, as is a light hammer 
  good for both pounding in pitons and bashing skulls. 
  Distinctive or archaic armaments such as blowguns, 
  nets, or whips are especially favored for this purpose, 
  the better to grow one’s personal reputation.
  Artifact Hunter Talents
  You learn two languages of your choice, and you gain 
  proficiency with handguns and one martial weapon of 
  your choice. If you are not proficient with the History skill, 
  you gain proficiency with that skill; otherwise you gain 
  proficiency in your choice of one of the following skills: 
  Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Investigation, Perception, 
  Religion, or Survival.
  You also gain expertise with the History skill, which 
  means your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability 
  check you make that uses it.
  In addition, when you enter a structure that is more 
  than 100 years old, you can correctly ascertain its 
  original purpose and determine its builders, whether they 
  were members of a particular historical nation you’ve 
  studied, or even members of some unknown species or 
  race, provided they have at least some tie to a human 
  culture. You also automatically succeed on checks to 
  determine the monetary value of art objects more than 
  a century old.
  THE ARTIFACT HUNTER 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Artifact Hunter Talents
  3rd
  Delver’s Prowess, Signature Weapon
  6th
  Historical Insight
  9th
  Signature Precision
  
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  Delver’s Prowess
  Beginning at 3rd level, you are adept 
  at navigating the dangers of lost tombs 
  and shadowy tunnels. If a secret door 
  or trap is within 30 feet of you, the DC 
  of ability checks to find or notice it is 5 
  lower for you. 
  Also, as long as you are not blinded, 
  deafened, or incapacitated, you have 
  advantage on Dexterity saving throws 
  against effects that you can see, such as 
  explosions or traps.
  Signature Weapon
  At 3rd level, choose one type of weapon 
  with which you are proficient that 
  does not have the handgun, heavy, 
  longarm, or two-handed properties. 
  This becomes your signature weapon. 
  Whenever you gain a level, you can 
  change your signature weapon to a 
  different weapon if you wish. You can 
  only have one weapon type as your 
  signature weapon.
  You gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls 
  with your signature weapon, and while 
  you are wielding it, you can use a bonus 
  action to do one of the following:
  • 
  Extended Reach. You take the Use 
  an Object action, targeting an object 
  within 10 feet of you, even if it would 
  normally be too far away for you to 
  interact with.
  • 
  Quick Disarm. You choose one 
  target within range of your signature 
  weapon. If the target does not 
  succeed on a Strength saving throw, 
  it drops one item of your choice that 
  it is holding. When you cause an item 
  to be dropped in this way, you can 
  choose to pull it up to 5 feet closer 
  to you before it falls to the ground, 
  or you can let it fall at the target’s 
  feet. If the target is using two or more hands to hold a 
  single item, or if it is larger than Medium size, it has 
  advantage on this saving throw.
  • 
  Swift Defense. You flourish your weapon protectively, 
  causing attack rolls against you to be made at 
  disadvantage until the end of your turn.
  The DC of any saving throws required by this 
  feature equals 8 + your proficiency + your Dexterity or 
  Intelligence modifier (your choice).
  In addition, when you gain this feature, choose one 
  kind of adventuring gear worth $10.00 or less that weighs 
  15 lbs. or less. Whether by clever engineering or some 
  special move you’ve mastered, you can always use your 
  signature weapon in place of that particular piece of gear, 
  with no penalty or loss of effectiveness. (For example, 
  you may be adept at lashing out with a whip to grasp an 
  object above you securely, as if it were a grappling hook; 
  you could have a secret compartment in a weapon’s 
  handle, allowing it to function as a map case; or you have 
  practiced quickly binding a foe’s hands with your lasso, 
  allowing you to use it in place of manacles.)
  Historical Insight
  Starting at 6th level, you can survive moments of danger 
  by recalling similar situations in history. When you fail a 
  saving throw, you can spend 1 resolve point as a reaction 
  to roll an Intelligence (History) check. You use your 
  Intelligence (History) check result in place of the result of 
  the saving throw, unless it is lower.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
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  In addition, whenever you roll a Charisma (Deception, 
  Intimidation, or Persuasion) check to influence any 
  creature (living, undead, or otherwise) that was born 
  more than a century ago, you are considered proficient 
  in the applicable skill and add double your proficiency 
  bonus to the Charisma check, instead of your normal 
  proficiency bonus.
  Scholarly Precision
  At 9th level, once on each of your turns when you miss 
  with a weapon attack using your signature weapon, you 
  can make another attack with the same weapon as part of 
  the same action.
  In addition, once per turn, when you fail an 
  Intelligence check or Wisdom check that included your 
  proficiency bonus, you can spend 1 resolve point to reroll 
  that check.
  Charlatan
  You are one of the many stage magicians, prestidigitators, 
  illusionists, cult leaders, or false mediums at work in 
  Gothic Earth as the 19th Century winds to a close.
  Common sense should steer people away from things 
  too good to be true, but common sense seems to be in 
  short supply when you’re around. You know what people 
  want and you deliver—or rather, you very convincingly 
  promise to deliver. 
  For the most part, the cunning grifters who claim 
  mystical powers know nothing of the Red Death or 
  the true art of magic. Every now and then, however, a 
  charlatan stumbles upon real occult insights or abilities. 
  When such unfortunate souls survive their discovery, 
  if their survival is to continue, they must quickly 
  learn to respect the supernatural forces they once 
  misrepresented. Some even master the hidden energies 
  they have tapped to attain greater magical powers of 
  their own.
  Saving Throw DCs. Some features of this archetype 
  force other creatures to make saving throws. The DC for 
  these saves is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma 
  modifier. If you gain spells from this archetype, Charisma 
  is also your spellcasting ability score, used for both saving 
  throws and spell attacks.
  Charlatan Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency in two of the following 
  skills of your choice: Arcana, Deception, Performance, or 
  Sleight of Hand. You also gain proficiency with disguise 
  kits and forgery kits if you don’t have them already.
  In addition, you can always find a place to conduct your 
  esoteric performances, whether at a theater, private party, 
  the home of a wealthy patron, or even at a circus. At such 
  a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest 
  or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of 
  the establishment), as long as you perform each night. 
  In addition, your performance makes you something 
  of a local figure. When strangers recognize you in a 
  town where you have performed, they typically take a 
  liking to you.
  THE CHARLATAN 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Charlatan Talents
  3rd
  Deceptive Performance, Ritual Practice
  6th
  Greater Ritual Practice
  9th
  Beguiling Defense
  
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  Deceptive Performance
  When you reach 3rd level, you can use your 
  skills and showmanship to try to distract 
  one creature you can see. The creature must 
  be able to see and hear you, and it must 
  understand your language. As an action, make 
  a Charisma (Deception or Performance) or 
  Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check contested by 
  the creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. If your 
  check succeeds, until the end of your next turn, 
  your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity 
  attacks from the target and your attack rolls 
  against it are made with advantage.
  If your check fails, the target can’t be 
  distracted by you in this way for 1 hour.
  In addition, if your check succeeds against 
  a creature you have already successfully used 
  this feature against within the last minute, 
  it also has disadvantage on Wisdom and 
  Intelligence checks for 1 minute.
  Ritual Practice
  At 3rd level, you have practiced conducting 
  special rituals infused with the trappings of the occult, 
  reflected in one of the options described here. If you 
  choose the Hidden Powers option, your deceptive 
  performances have unlocked true access to supernatural 
  powers; otherwise, your occult prowess is only a clever 
  deception. You gain your choice of one of two options for 
  this feature, either Hidden Powers or Marshal Belief, both 
  described below:
  Hidden Powers. You can choose two fragments of 
  Forbidden Lore from those listed under the Scion class. 
  Both fragments you choose must require proficiency in 
  the Deception skill as a prerequisite, and you must fulfill 
  all other prerequisites as well.
  Marshal Belief. You can perform a nonmagical ritual 
  that inspires others with an empowering belief in your 
  supernatural gifts. As an action, you start a performance 
  that lasts at least until the end of your next turn. When 
  you do so, you can choose a number of humanoids within 
  60 feet of you who can see and hear you, up to a number 
  equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). Until your 
  performance ends, when one of the chosen targets makes 
  a saving throw, or an ability check that is not a Wisdom 
  check, it can roll 1d4 and add the result to the roll.
  Each round, you can choose to use your action to 
  continue the performance, causing it to last until the end 
  of your next turn. If you extend this performance for at 
  least 1 minute, the chosen targets must each succeed on 
  a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you.
  While charmed in this way, the target idolizes you, 
  it speaks glowingly of you to anyone who talks to it, 
  and it hinders anyone who opposes you, although it 
  avoids violence unless it was already inclined to fight 
  on your behalf. This effect ends on a target after 1 hour, 
  if it takes any damage, if you attack it, or if it witnesses 
  you attacking or damaging any of its allies. If a target 
  succeeds on its saving throw, the target has no hint that 
  you tried to charm it. 
  Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until 
  you finish a short or long rest. 
  Greater Ritual Practice
  At 6th level, you gain your choice of one of two options 
  for this feature, either Counter Outside Influence or 
  Unleashed Power, both described below:
  Counter Outside Influence. As an action, you can 
  start a performance that lasts until the end of your next 
  turn. During that time, you and any creatures within 30 
  feet of you who are friendly to you have advantage on 
  saving throws against being frightened or charmed. A 
  creature must be able to hear you to gain this benefit. 
  The performance ends early if you are incapacitated or 
  silenced or if you voluntarily end it (no action required).
  Unleashed Power. You gain one fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore of your choice from those listed 
  under the Scion class, for which you must meet all 
  prerequisites normally. 
  Beguiling Defense
  Beginning at 9th level, you are immune to being charmed, 
  and when another creature attempts to charm you, you 
  can use your reaction to attempt to turn the charm back 
  on that creature. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom 
  saving throw or be charmed by you for 1 minute or until 
  the creature takes any damage.
  In addition, you gain one fragment of Forbidden Lore 
  of your choice from those listed under the Scion class, for 
  which you must meet all prerequisites normally. 
  
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  Criminal
  You have a knack for performing illegal activities, living 
  outside the law, and profiting at the expense of others. 
  You’re far closer than most people to the world of murder, 
  theft, and violence that pervades the underbelly of 
  civilization. Flouting the rules and regulations of society 
  is how you’ve survived this long.
  You may be driven to crime by a life of deprivation, the 
  need or desire for wealth, or just the thrill of getting away 
  with it. You likely see members of the law enforcement 
  community as the “enemy.” Yet there are greater threats.
  Criminals, too, come into contact with the evil 
  supernatural forces that taint the world. You may find 
  yourself lending your expertise to a group of adventurers 
  or heroes, or even to representatives of legal authorities, 
  in order to combat a threat that goes far beyond any crime 
  or punishment.
  Criminal Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with your choice of two 
  of the following: disguise kits, forgery kits, poisoner’s 
  kits, thieves’ tools, one gaming set of your choice, or 
  the Deception, Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth 
  skills. You are also proficient with handguns.
  In addition, you maintain a network of contacts who 
  look out for you. You can find a place to hide, rest, or 
  recuperate among these accomplices, unless you have 
  shown yourself to be a danger to them. They will shield 
  you from the law or anyone else searching for you, though 
  they will not risk their lives for you. 
  Evasive Footwork
  At 3rd level, you can take the Hide action as a bonus 
  action, and climbing no longer costs you extra movement. 
  When you make a running jump, the distance you 
  cover increases by a number of feet equal to your 
  Dexterity modifier.
  In addition, when you hit a creature with a melee 
  attack during your turn, that creature can’t make 
  opportunity attacks against you for the rest of your turn.
  Street Gang Tactics
  At 3rd level, you have advantage on an attack roll against 
  a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of 
  the creature and that ally isn’t incapacitated.
  In addition, once during your turn, if you have 
  advantage on an attack roll with a ranged or finesse 
  weapon and hit, you can cause the weapon to inflict an 
  extra 1d8 damage on the target.
  Redirect Attack
  Starting at 6th level, when a creature misses you with 
  a melee attack roll, you can spend 1 resolve point as a 
  reaction to cause that attack to hit one creature of your 
  choice, other than the attacker, that you can see within 5 
  feet of you.
  Seize Initiative
  Starting at 9th level, you are adept at seizing the 
  opportunity to strike decisively or flee before the battle 
  truly begins. During your first turn of each combat, your 
  walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the 
  end of that turn, and you can take one additional action on 
  top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.
  THE CRIMINAL 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Criminal Talents
  3rd
  Evasive Footwork, Street Gang Tactics
  6th
  Redirect Attack
  9th
  Seize Initiative
  
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  47
  Expert
  You have mastered special skills valued by civilized 
  society. Those of this archetype often learn their 
  profession or craft by serving an apprenticeship. Once 
  trained, some use their knowledge to provide services 
  that are in high demand, while others merely make a 
  decent living.
  This archetype is extremely flexible, as the various 
  fields of possible specialization suitable for the era 
  are many. Successful tradesmen, scholars, scientists, 
  physicians, artisans, inventors, journalists, and others 
  may be considered experts.
  Expert Talents
  At 1st level you gain proficiency with any two skills of 
  your choice and you can speak, read, and write one 
  additional language of your choice. If you wish, you can 
  instead replace one of these skill proficiencies or the extra 
  language with proficiency in one gaming set, musical 
  instrument, tool, vehicle type, or weapon of your choice.
  In addition, your specialized talents command a 
  certain amount of attention, and you can parley this 
  attention into access to people and places you might 
  not otherwise have, for you and your allies. Political 
  leaders, reclusive scholars, wealthy socialites, and crime 
  bosses, to name a few, might be interested in seeing 
  demonstrations of your skill or employing someone with 
  your uncommon abilities.
  Past Master
  At 3rd level, you choose one Specialist Technique 
  from the options listed under the Sleuth class and gain 
  the listed benefits. You learn an additional Specialist 
  Technique option when you reach 9th level in your class 
  for this archetype. 
  You can never take the same Specialist Technique 
  option more than once, no matter how many times you 
  get to choose one, even if that Specialist Technique offers 
  different choices.
  Refocused Effort
  Starting at 3rd level, when you fail an ability check to use 
  a tool, you can spend 1 resolve point to reroll that check 
  with advantage.
  Practiced Acuity
  Starting at 6th level, whenever you have advantage 
  on an ability check or attack roll that uses Dexterity, 
  Intelligence, or Wisdom, you can reroll one of the 
  dice once, provided the roll also lets you add your 
  proficiency bonus.
  Reliable Training
  Starting at 9th level, whenever you make an ability check 
  that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a 
  d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
  THE EXPERT 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Expert Talents
  3rd
  Past Master, Refocused Effort
  6th
  Practiced Acuity
  9th
  Reliable Training, Additional 
  Specialist Technique
  
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  Gunslinger
  You are an expert in the use of firearms or other ranged 
  weapons. Most “shootists” specialize in handguns, but 
  others prefer the greater range of longarms. Competition 
  shooting is popular in this era and is one of the first 
  sports included in the modern Olympic Games.
  The archetypal gunslinger of the American West, 
  once a common sight in frontier settlements, is a dying 
  breed by the 1890’s. A few legendary pistoleers like the 
  Sundance Kid and Wyatt Earp remain alive, but six-gun 
  duels on dusty boomtown streets are now largely confined 
  to history and popular fiction. 
  Gunslinger Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with gunsmith’s kits 
  and the Intimidation skill, as well as with handguns 
  and longarms.
  In addition, your skill with lethal weapons gives you a 
  fearsome reputation. No matter where you go, people tend 
  to be afraid of you. When you are in a civilized settlement, 
  you can get away with minor criminal offenses, such as 
  refusing to pay for drinks at a tavern or breaking down 
  doors at a local shop, since most people will not report 
  your activity to the authorities.
  Crack Shot
  At 3rd level, you gain your choice of one of the options 
  from the Soldier’s Martial Discipline class feature. You 
  ignore prerequisites when choosing Martial Disciplines 
  with this feature, but you can never take the same Martial 
  Discipline option more than once, no matter how many 
  times you get to choose one.
  In addition, if a handgun or longarm is fouled (as 
  described under the handgun and longarm properties), 
  you can spend 1 resolve point to attempt to temporarily 
  clear it as an action, rolling a DC 10 Intelligence 
  (gunsmith’s kits) check. If you succeed, the weapon 
  temporarily stops being fouled. After 1 minute, the 
  weapon resumes being fouled as it was before.
  Finally, when you make a one-handed attack with a 
  weapon that has the secondary property, if the weapon is 
  a handgun, having already made another weapon attack 
  that turn does not cause you to attack with disadvantage.
  Deadeye
  At 3rd level, whenever you hit with a Targeted Strike (as 
  described under the rules for New Combat Options in 
  chapter 1), if your chosen Targeted Strike option requires 
  one or more targets to make saving throws, you can 
  spend 1 resolve point to cause one target to make its 
  saving throw at disadvantage.
  If the Targeted Strike that triggers your use of the 
  Deadeye feature is also a critical hit, you can use this 
  feature without spending a resolve point.
  Veteran Shootist
  Starting at 6th level, you can draw or stow two one-
  handed weapons when you would normally be able 
  to draw or stow only one. In addition, when you use 
  a Targeted Strike, you add the following new options 
  to the list you can choose from when modifying your 
  weapon attack. 
  THE GUNSLINGER 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Gunslinger Talents
  3rd
  Crack Shot, Deadeye
  6th
  Veteran Shootist
  9th
  True Grit
  
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  Disarm. The target must succeed on a Strength 
  saving throw or drop one item of your choice that it is 
  holding. If the target is using two or more hands to hold 
  a single item, or if it is larger than Medium size, it has 
  advantage on this saving throw. When you cause an item 
  to be dropped in this way, you can choose to push it up to 
  5 feet away from you before it falls to the ground, or you 
  can let it fall at the target’s feet. 
  Pin Down. The target must make a Dexterity saving 
  throw. If it fails, its speed is reduced by half until the 
  end of its next turn, and the next time it willingly moves 
  before the end of your next turn, you can use your 
  reaction to make a weapon attack against it.
  Terrify. The target must make a Wisdom saving 
  throw. If it fails, it suffers the effects of failing a fear 
  saving throw.
  True Grit
  Starting at 9th level, when you have a weapon in hand, 
  you can spend 3 resolve points as an action to force a 
  humanoid that can see you within 30 feet to make a 
  fear saving throw. The DC equals 8 + your proficiency 
  bonus + your Charisma modifier. If the creature fails, in 
  addition to being frightened, it is also restrained until 
  the frightened condition ends.
  Laborer
  Plenty of people work hard, but not like you. Whether you 
  coax crops from infertile lands, hammer iron into railroad 
  tracks, or build skyscrapers of steel, your body and will 
  have been forged by your profession. You take justifiable 
  pride in your striving and your craft, and it is difficult for 
  others to match your efforts.
  Far too often, hard work is overlooked, 
  undercompensated, and exploited, despite its obvious 
  importance to any community. Workers’ movements, 
  trade unions, and other groups seeking to address these 
  problems are rising to greater prominence in the 1890s. 
  Beyond seeking fair compensation for your labors, part 
  of you also craves the more personal satisfaction of 
  testing your mettle against great tasks and succeeding. 
  What challenge could be worthier than setting your will 
  against the unholy machinations of the Red Death?
  An Honest Day’s Work
  You can find the places where those who make their 
  livings by physical labor congregate to seek work or to 
  relax after a hard day, and you can also find enough work 
  to earn room and board in any settlement.
  As long as you are working at least 50 hours a week, 
  you can maintain a Working Class or Modest lifestyle, 
  even if you do not spend the required money to do so.
  Laborer Talents
  At 1st level you gain proficiency 
  with one of the following skills of 
  your choice: Animal Handling, 
  Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, 
  Nature, Perception, and Survival. 
  You also gain proficiency with 
  two tools of your choice. If you 
  wish, you can replace one of your 
  tool proficiencies with proficiency 
  in one vehicle type of your choice.
  In addition, if there is an 
  individual or organization 
  that hires day laborers in a 
  community, you can identify 
  THE LABORER 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  An Honest Day’s Work, Laborer Talents
  3rd
  Relentless Focus
  6th
  Practiced Fortitude, Skilled Laborer
  9th
  Demand Attention
  
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  50
  them quickly, as long as you speak the language. You 
  can recognize the trademarks and insignias of such 
  employers, and can recall information such as the 
  names and reputations of those in charge, or who they’ve 
  recently done business with.
  Relentless Focus
  At 3rd level, during your turn you can spend 2 resolve 
  points as a bonus action to gain the following benefits 
  for 1 minute:
  • 
  You gain resistance to all damage except for psychic 
  and necrotic damage.
  • 
  You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength 
  saving throws.
  • 
  When you inflict damage with a successful attack roll 
  for an unarmed strike or for a weapon attack using 
  Strength, you can spend 1 resolve point to reroll a 
  number of the damage dice up to your Constitution 
  modifier (minimum 1). You must use the new rolls.
  This effect ends early if you become unconscious, 
  charmed, or frightened, or if your turn ends and you 
  haven’t attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or 
  taken damage since then. You can also choose to end this 
  state as a bonus action. When your relentless focus ends, 
  you gain one level of exhaustion
  Practiced Fortitude
  At 6th level, your carrying capacity (including maximum 
  load and maximum lift) is doubled, and you have 
  advantage on Strength checks made to push, pull, lift, or 
  break objects or to escape grapples.
  In addition, when you would take 1 or more levels of 
  exhaustion, you can spend 1 resolve point to reduce the 
  total levels of exhaustion you take by 1. This may reduce 
  the number of exhaustion levels you take to zero.
  Skilled Laborer
  At 6th level, you choose one Specialist Technique from 
  the options listed under the Sleuth class and gain the 
  listed benefits.
  You can never take the same Specialist Technique 
  option more than once, no matter how many times you 
  get to choose one, even if that Specialist Technique offers 
  different choices.
  Demand Attention
  At 9th level, creatures within your reach provoke an 
  opportunity attack from you when they make an attack 
  roll that doesn’t include you, and if you hit a creature with 
  an opportunity attack, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 
  until the end of the current turn.
  Medium
  You are a tortured soul, for you have been blessed and 
  cursed to see the hidden reality behind the mundane 
  world—a reality twisted by the horrific influence of the 
  Red Death. 
  The burden of this power weighs upon you constantly. 
  Sometimes, you glimpse images of people you realize 
  are dead spirits, or dream of distant places and events. A 
  choice lies before you: accept your lot and use your gifts 
  in service of a greater cause, or live in fear of perceptions 
  and powers beyond your control. 
  Medium Talents
  When you choose this archetype, you gain proficiency 
  in two of the following skills of your choice: Arcana, 
  Deception, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, 
  or Religion.
  In addition, your supernatural senses have revealed 
  a unique and powerful secret to you. The exact nature 
  of this revelation may vary. It might be a great truth about 
  the cosmos, the deities, the powerful beings of the outer 
  planes, or the forces of nature. It could be the location 
  of a lost civilization or some relic of the past that could 
  rewrite history. You might have uncovered the true nature 
  of a supernatural agent of the Red Death who dwells 
  among unsuspecting mortals. Work with your DM to 
  determine the details of your discovery and its impact on 
  the campaign.
  Spirit Sense
  You can spend 1 resolve point as an action to instantly 
  detect the presence of aberrations, fey, fiends, and undead 
  within 30 feet. This does not determine a creature’s exact 
  location, only the general direction if they are within 30 
  feet. If your proficiency bonus is +3 or higher, aberrations, 
  fiends, and undead can always understand your spoken 
  words, and you can always understand theirs, and 
  you gain advantage on Charisma checks and Wisdom 
  (Insight) checks against them.
  Doors of Perception
  Starting at 3rd level, when you use your Spirit Sense 
  feature, until the end of your next turn you know the 
  location of any aberration, fey, fiend, or undead within 
  60 feet of you that is not behind total cover. You know 
  THE MEDIUM 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Medium Talents, Spirit Sense
  3rd
  Doors of Perception, Hidden Secrets
  6th
  Sight Beyond Sight
  9th
  Third Eye Open, Additional Forbidden Lore
  
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  51
  the type of any being whose presence you sense, but not 
  its identity. Within the same radius, you also detect the 
  presence of any place or object that has been consecrated 
  or desecrated. If you can see the sky when you use 
  this feature, you also know what the weather will be at 
  your location for the next 24 hours (clear skies, rain, 
  snow, etc.).
  Hidden Secrets
  At 3rd level, you gain two fragments of Forbidden Lore 
  of your choice from those listed under the scion class. 
  You must fulfill all prerequisites as for any fragment 
  you choose.
  You also gain one additional fragment of Forbidden 
  Lore at 9th level.
  Sight Beyond Sight
  At 6th level, you can spend 3 resolve points to cast either 
  clairvoyance or speak with dead, creating and expending 
  the necessary spell slot as you cast the spell. You don’t 
  need material components when casting either spell in 
  this way, and if you cast speak with dead, you can always 
  understand what the target of this casting says, and it 
  can understand your questions, even if you don’t share a 
  language or it is not intelligent enough to speak. You cast 
  these spells using the spellcasting ability you chose for 
  your Forbidden Lore.
  Third Eye Open
  Starting at 10th level, you can spend 2 resolve points 
  as an action to increase your powers of perception. 
  Whenever you do so, choose one of the following benefits, 
  which lasts until you are incapacitated or you take a 
  short or long rest. The benefit ends early if you use this 
  feature again.
  • 
  You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet.
  • 
  You can see into the Ethereal Plane within 
  60 feet of you.
  • 
  You can read all languages.
  • 
  You can see invisible creatures and objects within 
  10 feet of you that are within line of sight.
  • 
  You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to 
  find hidden creatures and objects within 30 feet of you.
  
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  Mystic
  You seek to transcend the physical world, hoping to attain 
  a state of being focused on spiritual matters rather than 
  material ones. You may pursue higher truths as part 
  of a religion or other form of established metaphysical 
  practice, or you could see yourself as a visionary, driving 
  your own explorations into new realms of human 
  experience such as spiritualism or theosophy.
  Members of religions without an established 
  ecclesiastical hierarchy, especially those revering nature 
  or otherworldly spirits, are often more suited to this 
  archetype than the Parson archetype. Yet representatives 
  of all belief systems may be mystics. 
  As part of your mystical practice, you learn to unlock 
  new mental faculties, allowing you to see the power of 
  realities beyond your own at work in the world around 
  you. This grants you increasingly accurate visions of 
  hidden places and future events normally hidden from 
  mortal perceptions.
  Mystic Talents
  When you choose this archetype at 1st level, you gain 
  proficiency with your choice of two of the following skills: 
  Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, History, Insight, 
  Intimidation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Religion, and 
  Survival. If you wish, you may substitute one of the skill 
  proficiencies with proficiency in your choice of any one 
  musical instrument or set of artisan’s tools.
  Those who look into your eyes can sense that there 
  is something special about you. Common people will 
  extend you every courtesy and do their utmost to help you. 
  Unless you have shown yourself to be a danger to them, 
  they will even take up arms to fight alongside you, should 
  you find yourself facing an enemy alone.
  Psychic Phenomena
  You gain one of the Forbidden Lore options listed under 
  the Scion class. You must fulfill all prerequisites for any 
  fragment of Forbidden Lore you choose for this feature.
  You also gain one additional fragment of Forbidden 
  Lore of your choice at 6th level, and again at 9th level. 
  Mystic Spellcasting
  When you gain this feature at 3rd level, you gain one 
  additional fragment of Forbidden Lore, chosen from 
  the following list: Miraculous Display, Supernatural 
  Performance, or Ways of the Shaman. You ignore 
  prerequisites when choosing your fragment of Forbidden 
  Lore for this particular feature.
  Foretelling Dreams
  When you gain this feature at 6th level, glimpses of the 
  future begin to press in on your awareness. When you 
  finish a long rest, you can choose to roll two d20s and 
  record the numbers rolled. You can replace any attack 
  roll, saving throw, or ability check made by you or a 
  creature that you can see with one of these foretelling 
  rolls. You must choose to do so before the roll, and you 
  can replace a roll in this way only once per turn. This 
  feature cannot be used to replace the roll for a Dark 
  Powers check. 
  Each foretelling roll can be used only once. When you 
  finish a long rest, you lose any unused foretelling rolls. 
  When you roll the two d20s to generate the foretelling 
  roll results, immediately afterwards you must also roll a 
  horror save; visions of the future are not always conducive 
  to sanity.
  Shared Precognition 
  Starting at 9th level, your prophetic gifts are truly 
  uncanny, and you can share your insights with others. 
  Whenever you roll a Dexterity check for initiative, you and 
  up to six creatures of your choice within 60 feet of you 
  have advantage on the roll. When a creature benefits from 
  this bonus, it can take the Dash or Disengage action as a 
  bonus action during its first turn in the combat.
  THE MYSTIC 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Mystic Talents, Psychic Phenomena
  3rd
  Mystic Spellcasting
  6th
  Foretelling Dreams, Additional 
  Forbidden Lore
  9th
  Shared Precognition, Additional 
  Forbidden Lore
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
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  Outrider
  You thrive in remote and dangerous places. Perhaps 
  you are a hunter living off the land, a cavalry scout, a 
  professional guide or trailblazer, an explorer mapping 
  uninhabited lands, or an officer on a vessel sailing 
  uncharted waters.
  You have practiced powers of observation and 
  facility for wilderness travel that allow you to scout 
  ahead of your comrades during expeditions, or 
  to engage in harassment tactics against more 
  powerful forces.
  Though Westerners of this era imagine 
  themselves to be masters of the world, there are 
  large sections of Australia, the Americas, Africa, 
  and even Eurasia which they have yet to visit. 
  Many seeking to survey such regions are only 
  agents of colonialism, “revealing” territories 
  already well-known to their native inhabitants. 
  Yet truly uncharted lands and waters remain in 
  the world, beyond the frontiers of humankind 
  and, perhaps, even beyond the reach of the 
  Red Death itself.
  Outrider Talents
  Choosing this archetype grants you proficiency with 
  one type of vehicle or tool of your choice, as well as your 
  choice of two of the following skills: Animal Handling, 
  Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, 
  Stealth, or Survival.
  You also have an excellent memory for maps and 
  geography, and you can always recall the general layout of 
  terrain, settlements, and other features around you.
  Seasoned Traveler
  You gain certain special benefits when mounted, and you 
  also gain certain other special benefits while traveling 
  long distances, as follows:
  Mounted Benefits. While mounted you have 
  advantage on saving throws to avoid falling off 
  your mount if you are not incapacitated. Mounting 
  or dismounting a creature costs you only 5 feet of 
  movement, rather than half your speed.
  Travel Benefits. You gain the following benefits when 
  traveling for an hour or more:
  • 
  Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
  • 
  Your group can’t become lost except by 
  supernatural means.
  • 
  Even when you are engaged in another activity while 
  traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), 
  you remain alert to danger.
  • 
  If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at 
  a normal pace.
  • 
  When you forage, you find twice as much food as you 
  normally would.
  • 
  While tracking other creatures, you also learn their 
  exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they 
  passed through the area.
  Accustomed to Danger
  Starting at 3rd level, you navigate dangerous places with 
  instinctive prowess. You ignore difficult terrain, and when 
  an enemy ends its turn within 5 feet of you, you can move 
  up to half your speed as a reaction without provoking 
  opportunity attacks. 
  In addition, you gain your choice of one option from 
  the Soldier’s Martial Discipline class feature. You ignore 
  prerequisites when choosing Martial Disciplines with 
  this feature, but you can never take the same Martial 
  Discipline option more than once, no matter how many 
  times you get to choose one. 
  Hunter’s Focus
  Starting at 6th level, you can spend 1 resolve point as a 
  bonus action to choose one creature you can see within 
  60 feet of you. You have advantage on any Wisdom check 
  THE OUTRIDER 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Outrider Talents, Seasoned Traveler
  3rd
  Accustomed to Danger
  6th
  Hunter’s Focus
  9th
  Evasive Maneuvers
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  54
  you make to find that creature or discern information 
  about it, and whenever you hit that creature with an 
  attack, you deal an extra 1d8 damage of the same damage 
  type as that attack (or 1d12 damage if it is a humanoid 
  or beast).
  These benefits last for 1 hour, but can only target one 
  creature at a time. If the creature drops to 0 hit points 
  before these benefits end, you can use a bonus action on 
  a subsequent turn of yours to focus on a new creature 
  within 60 feet that you can see.
  Evasive Maneuvers
  Beginning at 9th level, when you are subjected to an 
  effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw 
  to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if 
  you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage 
  if you fail.
  In addition, opportunity attacks against you are made 
  with disadvantage. 
  Parson
  You define your life in relationship to an organized 
  religion. Parsons may follow any belief system, and 
  this archetype can include any cleric or layperson 
  who represents religious institutions in other aspects 
  of society. 
  If you were raised in a European culture, you probably 
  practice one of the many denominations of Judaism or 
  Christianity. If you hail from lands further East, you are 
  more likely a Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, or Taoist. 
  The true depth of your belief (or lack thereof) is for you 
  to decide, as is how much loyalty you have towards any 
  established hierarchy.
  You are knowledgeable about religious teachings and 
  practices, and can act as a source of morale to comrades 
  battling the supernatural. In fact, the truly devout are 
  among the greatest enemies of the Red Death, for they 
  feel a deep conviction to rid the world of its dark and 
  sinister agents.
  Parsons range from soft-spoken, nurturing community 
  leaders to adamant believers gripped with missionary 
  fervor, or even violent zealots crusading against perceived 
  enemies of their faith.
  Saving Throw DCs. Some features of this archetype 
  force other creatures to make saving throws. The DC 
  for these saves is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your 
  Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (your choice).
  Parson Talents
  At 1st level, you learn two languages of your choice. You 
  also become proficient in the Religion skill and your 
  choice of one of the following skills: History, Insight, 
  Persuasion, or Nature. You have expertise with both skill 
  proficiencies you gain from this feature, which means 
  your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you 
  make that uses them.
  In addition, when you would make the Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check to cast a spell as a ritual, you can make an 
  Intelligence (Religion) check instead.
  THE PARSON 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Parson Talents, Ecclesiastical Support
  3rd
  Aspect of Faith 
  6th
  Greater Aspect of Faith 
  9th
  Disciplined Mind
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  55
  Ecclesiastical Support
  As a respected representative of your faith, you can rely 
  on certain benefits. Fellow members of your religion 
  will provide you with lodging and food as necessary, and 
  pay for your funeral if needed. You have special access 
  to temples, churches, or other places of worship for 
  your faith. 
  If you are accused of a crime, your faith’s leaders 
  will support you if a good case can be made for your 
  innocence or the crime is justifiable. You can leverage 
  your religion’s political power for access to people 
  and places you might not otherwise have, for you and 
  your traveling companions. Powerful political figures, 
  renowned scholars, and wealthy members of the upper 
  class, to name a few, might be willing to meet with you 
  based on your standing as a member of the clergy.
  Of course, part of your clerical duties involves securing 
  financial provision. You must ensure that the equivalent 
  of at least $5.00 per month in local currency, goods, 
  or services are donated to the coffers of your religious 
  organization. This can come from believers you inspire 
  to generosity, or from personal sources of income. If you 
  fall behind on this designated offering, you must make up 
  back dues to remain in your faith’s good graces.
  Aspect of Faith
  At 3rd level, your relationship with your religion 
  manifests in a specific extraordinary talent, which may be 
  supernatural in nature, or simply tied to the force of your 
  personality. You gain your choice of one of two options for 
  this feature, either Focused Belief or Words of Influence, 
  both described below:
  Focused Belief. You gain your choice of two fragments 
  of Forbidden Lore from those listed under the Scion 
  class. Each fragment you choose must require proficiency 
  in the Religion skill as a prerequisite, and you must fulfill 
  all other prerequisites as well.
  Words of Influence. You can infuse your words with 
  powerful conviction. When a creature within 30 feet of 
  you that can hear you makes an attack roll, you can spend 
  2 resolve points as a reaction to righteously admonish the 
  attacker, imposing disadvantage on the attack roll. If the 
  attack still hits, the target has resistance to damage from 
  that attack.
  In addition, if you speak to a humanoid alone for at 
  least 1 minute, you can attempt to seed its mind with 
  overwhelming passions. At the end of the conversation, 
  you spend 1 resolve point to force the target to make a 
  Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is charmed 
  by you or frightened (your choice) for the next hour, until 
  it is attacked or damaged, or until it witnesses its allies 
  being attacked or damaged. Even if the target succeeds 
  on its save, the target has no hint that you tried to 
  influence it.
  While under your influence, the target tries to avoid 
  the company of others, including its allies. If frightened, 
  the target seeks out what it considers the safest, most 
  secret place available to it and hides there. 
  Greater Aspect of Faith
  At 6th level, you gain your choice of one of three options 
  for this feature—Faithful Loyalty, Growing Influence,
  or Miraculous Orison. All three of the options you can 
  choose from are described below:
  Faithful Loyalty. Your demeanor of discipline and 
  faith inspires intense loyalty in those around you. 
  Friendly creatures besides you have advantage on attack 
  rolls while you are within the melee range of the target 
  of their attack. When an attack gains advantage from 
  this feature, or from your Help action, if the attack hits, 
  the attacker gains temporary hit points equal to your 
  proficiency bonus.
  Growing Influence. If you did not choose the Words 
  of Influence option for your Aspect of Faith feature at 3rd 
  level, you can choose it as your option for this feature.
  Miraculous Orison. You gain one fragment of 
  Forbidden Lore of your choice from those listed under 
  the Scion class, for which you must meet all prerequisites 
  normally. If you did not choose the Focused Belief option 
  for your Aspect of Faith feature at 3rd level, you can 
  choose two fragments of Forbidden Lore for this option 
  instead of one.
  Disciplined Mind
  At 9th level, your long walk of faith has brought you great 
  internal fortitude and practiced moral authority. You gain 
  proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have 
  this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in either 
  Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (choose one).
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  56
  Pugilist
  You are an expert in the fine art of fisticuffs, whether you 
  learned to fight at a gymnasium teaching the Queen’s 
  rules, in the back alleys of Chicago, or from a Shaolin 
  Master in China.
  A thousand paths could lead someone with your skills 
  to oppose the Red Death, and you’re not one to back 
  down from a fight. Places where unarmed combat arts 
  are practiced sometimes attract the brutal agents of the 
  Red Death. Sinister spies infiltrate ancient monasteries 
  seeking sinister secrets. Thugs with supernatural 
  advantages profit from unfair matches in underground 
  boxing bouts, often leaving opponents dead rather than 
  merely defeated.
  Over time, you can combine training and force of 
  will to cultivate preternatural power, allowing your 
  blows to harm all manner of unnatural foes—even 
  those who are already dead.
  Expert Brawler
  Beginning at 1st level, while you are not 
  wearing armor or wielding a shield, you gain the 
  following benefits:
  • 
  You can use Dexterity instead of Strength for the 
  attack and damage rolls of your unarmed strikes.
  • 
  You can roll a d4 in place of the normal damage of 
  your unarmed strike.
  • 
  When you use the Attack action on your turn, if you 
  attack with an unarmed strike or a light weapon, you 
  can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. For 
  example, if you take the Attack action and attack with 
  a dagger, you can also make an unarmed strike as a 
  bonus action, assuming you haven’t already taken a 
  bonus action this turn.
  Pugilist Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with one of the following 
  skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Intimidation, 
  Religion, or Stealth. You also gain proficiency with one 
  type of artisan’s tools or one musical instrument.
  You can always find a place to fight for others’ 
  entertainment, whether it’s a boxing gym, a secret pit 
  fighting club, or just the backroom of a shady pub. At such 
  a place, you receive free lodging and food of a modest 
  or comfortable standard (depending on the quality of 
  THE PUGILIST 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Expert Brawler, Pugilist Talents
  3rd
  Deadly Hands
  6th
  Empowered Strike, Stunning Strike
  9th
  Resurgent Tenacity
  the establishment), as long as you fight each night. In 
  addition, your reputation as a fighter grants you local 
  fame. When strangers recognize you in a town where you 
  have publicly fought, they typically take a liking to you.
  Deadly Hands
  At 3rd level, your walking speed increases by 10 feet 
  while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield, and 
  you gain two additional uses for your resolve points:
  • 
  Fists of Legend. Immediately after you take the 
  Attack action on your turn, you can spend 1 resolve 
  point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action. 
  If at least one of these attacks hits, you can spend 
  1 additional resolve point to choose one creature you 
  hit with at least one of these attacks. That creature 
  takes additional bludgeoning damage equal to your 
  proficiency bonus and can’t take reactions until the 
  end of your next turn.
  • 
  Sudden Maneuver. You can spend 1 resolve point to 
  take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action 
  on your turn. When you do so, your jump distance is 
  doubled for the turn.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  57
  Empowered Strike
  Starting at 6th level, while you have at least one resolve 
  point, your unarmed strikes count as magical for the 
  purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to 
  nonmagical attacks and damage.
  Stunning Strike
  Starting at 6th level, when you hit another creature with 
  a melee weapon attack, you can spend 2 resolve points 
  to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on 
  a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency 
  bonus + your Wisdom bonus) or be stunned until the end 
  of your next turn.
  Resurgent Tenacity
  Starting at 9th level, if you have no more than half of 
  your hit points left during your turn, you can take one 
  additional action on top of your regular action and a 
  possible bonus action. When you do so, you also gain 
  temporary hit points equal to twice your level. 
  Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again 
  until you finish a short or long rest.
  Socialite
  The upper crust of society has more than its share of 
  people who have little or no experience with everyday life 
  in the real world. Yet even among the less extravagantly 
  wealthy classes, it is possible for someone to become 
  spoiled or idle, or to contrive some means of living an 
  easy life. There are always folk who figure out how to 
  avoid physical labor or hardship, favoring the use of 
  money, personal charm, status, or even intimidation to 
  get their way. 
  You fall into this category, and yet your copious free 
  time often breeds a certain curiosity. This may drive 
  you to poke your easygoing nose into a life of crime, an 
  intellectual hobby, or even some kind of social crusade 
  to help those less fortunate. Each of these paths can 
  eventually lead to the struggle against the Red Death. 
  Even if you are not a full-fledged member of the upper 
  class, your past or present relationships with influential 
  persons who have seen you as a peer provide you with 
  a huge advantage.
  Dandy
  Beginning at 1st level, as long as you are sustaining 
  a Comfortable, Wealthy, or Aristocratic lifestyle (as 
  described in the Backgrounds section), you gain a bonus 
  to your Charisma (Persuasion) checks against creatures 
  who can both hear and see you. This bonus is equal to 
  half your level (rounded up).
  Also, thanks to your demeanor of upper class privilege, 
  people are inclined to think the best of you. You are 
  welcome in high society, and people assume you have 
  the right to be wherever you are. Those of lower status 
  make every effort to accommodate you and avoid your 
  displeasure, and you can secure an audience with a 
  local official or another member of your social class if 
  you need to.
  In certain situations, especially if you are in a place 
  where the local populace is disdainful towards members 
  of the upper class from your particular culture, the DM 
  may decide to impose disadvantage on your Charisma 
  checks. For example, if you are the pampered heir of a 
  wealthy New Yorker family, you may encounter some 
  disrespect among the residents of a frontier mining town 
  in the Arizona territory.
  THE SOCIALITE 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Dandy, Socialite Talents
  3rd
  Credit Rating, Motivate Ally
  6th
  Aid Negotiation
  9th
  Above Confrontation
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 3: ARCHETYPES
  58
  Socialite Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with the Persuasion 
  skill, and with your choice of one of the following skills: 
  Athletics, Deception, History, Intimidation, Insight, 
  Intimidation, Performance, or Religion. You also gain 
  proficiency with one type of gaming set or one musical 
  instrument, and you have advantage on rolls you make 
  to determine the monetary value of a luxury item.
  Credit Rating
  At 3rd level, when you make a Charisma check during 
  your turn, you can use a bonus action to make a Charisma 
  (Persuasion) check at the same time. You can choose to 
  substitute the result of this extra Charisma (Persuasion) 
  check for the result of the original Charisma check.
  If you have already used this feature at least once since 
  the last time you finished a short or long rest, you must 
  spend 1 resolve point to use it again.
  Motivate Ally
  At 3rd level, you can spend 1 resolve point as a bonus 
  action to motivate one of your companions to strike a 
  particular enemy. When you do so, choose a friendly 
  creature who can see or hear you. That creature can 
  immediately use its reaction to make one weapon attack 
  against a target of your choice. If the attack hits, it inflicts 
  1d8 extra damage.
  Aid Negotiation
  Starting at 6th level, when a friendly creature who can 
  see or hear you makes a Charisma check, you can use 
  your Social Standing feature as a reaction to make a 
  Charisma (Persuasion) check of your own. If the result 
  of this extra Charisma (Persuasion) check is higher than 
  the friendly creature’s Charisma check, you can substitute 
  your result for theirs.
  Above Confrontation
  Starting at 9th level, the aura of privileged detachment 
  you project causes others to either ignore you in battle 
  or fear the consequences of harming you. If a humanoid 
  creature targets you directly with an attack roll or 
  harmful spell, it must first make a Wisdom saving 
  throw. On a failed save, the creature must choose a 
  new target or forfeit targeting someone instead of you, 
  potentially wasting the attack or spell. On a successful 
  save, the creature is immune to this effect for 24 hours. 
  A creature is also immune to this effect for 24 hours if 
  you target it with an attack or a harmful spell. The saving 
  throw DC for this feature equals 8 + your Charisma 
  modifier + your proficiency bonus.
  Slayer
  A prior encounter with supernatural evil affected you 
  profoundly. Any other possible vocation you might have 
  pursued has been eclipsed by your all-consuming private 
  war against the hated minions of the Red Death. Despite 
  being a mortal, you combine patience, zeal, and relentless 
  training to hunt down supernatural threats by any means 
  necessary. Over time, you even develop supernatural 
  capabilities of your own, becoming an expert in 
  unearthing and defeating terrifying foes. 
  You may have seen one of your loved ones return from 
  death as a soulless zombie, watched a werewolf shred 
  a relative to bits with its claws and fangs, wandered 
  through a graveyard and encountered the restless spirits 
  of dead friends, or narrowly escaped being transformed 
  into a vampire. Whatever the motivation, your crusade 
  now commands absolute focus, and your innocence can 
  never be regained.
  You know safety lies in numbers, so you develop 
  special tactics to support and protect your companions, 
  and over time you build a network of supporters. Your 
  dedication inspires others, granting them courage to face 
  the same horrors you are drawn to destroy. You are adept 
  at keeping those horrors’ attentions focused firmly on 
  you instead of your comrades. One day you will go down 
  fighting, but you need not fight alone. 
  Slayer Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with one set of artisan’s 
  tools and with your choice of one of the following skills: 
  Arcana, Insight, Investigation, Intimidation, Nature, 
  Perception, Religion, Stealth, and Survival.
  You are in frequent contact with people in the segment 
  of society that your chosen quarries most often move 
  through or prey upon. These people might be associated 
  with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble 
  folk of the streets, or members of high society. This 
  connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you 
  visit, a person who provides information about the people 
  and places of the local area. 
  THE SLAYER 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Slayer Talents, Favored Foe
  3rd
  Hunter’s Sense, Smiting Mark
  6th
  Supernatural Vigilance
  9th
  Defiant Zeal
  
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  59
  Favored Foe
  Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience 
  studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a 
  certain type of supernatural enemy. Choose one type of 
  favored foe from the following: aberrations, constructs, 
  elementals, fey, fiends, monstrosities, oozes, or undead. 
  Alternatively, you can choose humanoid shapechangers 
  (such as lycanthropes and doppelgangers) as your 
  favored foe.
  You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks 
  to track your favored foes, as well as on Intelligence 
  checks to recall information about them. When you gain 
  this feature, you also learn one language of your choice, 
  typically one spoken by your favored foe or creatures 
  associated with it. However, you are free to pick any 
  language you wish to learn.
  Hunter’s Sense
  At 3rd level, you gain the ability to peer at a creature 
  and magically discern how best to hurt it. As an action, 
  choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. 
  That creature must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 
  = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier). 
  On a failed save, you immediately learn whether the 
  creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or 
  vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden 
  from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage 
  immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities. 
  You can use this feature a number of times equal to 
  your proficiency bonus. You regain all expended uses of 
  it when you finish a long rest.
  Smiting Mark
  At 3rd level, you can augment an attack with mystical 
  energies. When you make a Targeted Strike using the 
  Marking Strike option (as described under New Combat 
  Options in chapter 1: “Adventures on Gothic Earth”), on a 
  hit the target creature takes an extra 1d6 radiant damage. 
  When you reach 9th level, this extra radiant damage 
  increases to 2d6.
  If you inflict extra damage from this feature on a 
  creature that is your favored foe, you roll d8s for this 
  damage instead of d6s.
  Supernatural Vigilance
  At 6th level, you have developed a preternatural ability 
  to outwit your unholy prey. While in darkness, you are 
  invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see 
  you in that darkness. 
  Also, if a creature is your favored foe, or if it has taken 
  radiant damage from your Smiting Mark feature within 
  the past minute, whenever that creature forces you to 
  make a saving throw or targets you with an opportunity 
  attack, you can roll 1d6, adding the number rolled to 
  your saving throw or to your Armor Class against the 
  opportunity attack.
  Defiant Zeal
  At 9th level, you learn to inspire those around you to 
  rise up against the Red Death’s minions. As a bonus 
  action, you unleash a battle cry infused with supernatural 
  defiance. Up to ten other creatures of your choice within 
  60 feet of you that can hear you gain advantage on attack 
  rolls and saving throws until the start of your next turn. 
  Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until 
  you finish a long rest.
  
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  Spy
  You are an agent of espionage. You may be covertly 
  sanctioned by a government agency or other organization, 
  working undercover to collect information in service 
  of a personal agenda, or simply selling the secrets you 
  unearth to the highest bidder.
  Although your capabilities are not much different from 
  those of a burglar or smuggler, a criminal often thrives 
  on their reputation among others of their ilk, while spies 
  almost always prefer to avoid attention. You follow strict 
  protocols to keep your achievements unnoticed.
  Just as important as the rules of tradecraft you follow 
  is the need to keep personal emotions distinct from 
  professional attachments. Your business is betrayal, 
  after all. No one can earn your loyalty unless you become 
  certain that you are both on the same side. 
  Spies are rarely popular (except as fictional 
  characters), but as long as nation distrusts nation, there 
  will be work for those who can gather information 
  that others wish to keep hidden, and there is plenty 
  of international distrust in the 19th Century. Political 
  intrigue, war and rebellions are abundant, and spies work 
  for individuals as well as governments. The secret war 
  against the Red Death has engendered its spies as well, 
  covert agents hoping to unearth the secrets of humanity’s 
  undying adversary.
  Cover Identity
  You have created a second identity that includes 
  documentation, established acquaintances, and disguises 
  that allow you to assume that persona.
  You can also forge documents including official papers 
  and personal letters, as long as you have seen an example 
  of the kind of document or the handwriting you are 
  trying to copy.
  Spy Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with your choice of two 
  of the following: disguise kits, forgery kits, poisoner’s 
  kits, thieves’ tools, one gaming set of your choice, or 
  the Deception, Intimidation, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth 
  skills. You are also proficient with handguns.
  In addition, you have a reliable and trustworthy contact 
  who acts as your liaison to those you share information 
  with. You always know how to get messages to and from 
  your contact, even over great distances; specifically, you 
  know which locals can deliver messages for you.
  Assassin’s Quarry
  At 3rd level, you can devote all of your skills and powers 
  of observation to defeating a single target. As a bonus 
  action, you designate one creature you can see within 
  THE SPY 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Cover Identity, Spy Talents
  3rd
  Assassin’s Quarry, Clandestine Linguist
  6th
  Manipulative Charm, Relentless Tail
  9th
  Infiltration Expertise
  
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  30 feet of you as the target of this feature. You gain the 
  following benefits against that target: 
  • 
  You deal an additional 1d6 damage to the target when 
  you hit it with an attack (or an additional 1d8 damage 
  if you are 5th level or higher).
  • 
  Any attack roll you make against the target is a critical 
  hit on a roll of 19 or 20 on the d20.
  • 
  If you reduce the target to 0 hit points, you immediately 
  gain the benefit of having taken the Dodge action that 
  turn, and your walking speed increases by 10 feet until 
  the end of your next turn.
  • 
  You have advantage on Wisdom checks to find the 
  target or discern information about it.
  These benefits last until you finish a short or long 
  rest, or until you successfully use this feature against 
  a different target.
  Once you use this ability, you can’t use it again until 
  you finish a short or long rest.
  Clandestine Linguist
  At 3rd level, you learn two languages of your choice, and 
  you can unerringly mimic the speech patterns and accent 
  of a creature that you hear speak for at least 1 minute, 
  enabling you to pass yourself off as a native speaker of 
  their language, provided you can speak it.
  You can also ably create written ciphers. Others can’t 
  decipher a code you create unless you teach them, they 
  succeed on an Intelligence check (DC equal to your 
  Intelligence score + your proficiency bonus), or they use 
  magic to decipher it.
  Manipulative Charm
  At 6th level, when you converse with a creature with 
  whom you share a language for at least 1 minute, you can 
  spend 1 resolve point to force it to make a Wisdom saving 
  throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma 
  modifier). If you or your companions are fighting the 
  creature, the saving throw automatically succeeds. On a 
  failure, the creature is charmed by you for 1 hour or until 
  you or your allies do something harmful to it or one of its 
  allies. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly 
  acquaintance. 
  If the effect lasts for the full hour, at the end the 
  charmed creature makes a Wisdom (Insight) check 
  against the same DC as the Wisdom saving throw. On 
  a failure, it doesn’t realize you were manipulating it 
  unless confronted with compelling evidence, and it likely 
  remains friendly to you. On a success, it realizes you were 
  manipulating it, likely becoming indifferent or hostile.
  Relentless Tail
  At 6th level, your quarry finds it difficult to elude you, if 
  it even knows you exist. When a creature is the target of 
  your Assassin’s Quarry feature, you can try to hide from 
  that creature even when you are only lightly obscured 
  from the creature, and it has disadvantage on all Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks to notice you.
  If the target moves during its turn, at the end of its turn 
  you can use your reaction to move up to 30 feet, but must 
  end that movement closer to the creature than when you 
  began. If you are hidden when you move in this way, your 
  movement does not cause you to stop being hidden from 
  the target, provided you are obscured from the target in 
  some way when the movement ends.
  Infiltration Expertise
  Starting at 9th level, you can unfailingly create new false 
  identities for yourself. You must spend seven days and 
  $25.00 (or the equivalent in local currency) to establish 
  the history, profession, and affiliations for an identity. You 
  can’t use this feature to establish an identity that already 
  belongs to someone else (stealing another person’s 
  identity requires a bit more effort). For example, you 
  might acquire appropriate clothing, letters of introduction, 
  and official-looking certificates to establish yourself as 
  a member of a trading house from a remote city so you 
  can insinuate yourself into the company of other wealthy 
  merchants.
  Thereafter, if you adopt the new identity as a disguise, 
  other creatures believe you to be that person until given 
  an obvious reason not to. 
  
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  Tactician
  You feel at home and in control on the battlefield, and the 
  larger the forces involved in a conflict, the more at home 
  you are. Whether or not you have received formal military 
  training, you possess an intuitive understanding of the 
  geometry of combat.
  You may be an officer in one of the armies of the 
  great powers, a resistance leader seeking to protect your 
  home from conquest or colonialism, a street gang leader 
  adept at outthinking both your rivals and the police, a 
  mercenary captain, or simply someone who discovered a 
  gift for leadership in desperate times.
  As groups of would-be heroes organize themselves 
  in opposition to the malign influence of supernatural 
  horrors, tacticians such as yourself discover new and dire 
  applications for your skills. A war is being fought, secret 
  or not, and you are uniquely suited to marshal humanity’s 
  defenders against the Red Death.
  Tactician Talents
  At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons, 
  and with one of the following skills: Deception, 
  History, Insight, Intimidation, Medicine, Perception, or 
  Persuasion.
  In addition, you have an instinctive sense for the 
  dynamics of military organizations and bureaucracies. 
  Rank-and-file enlisted soldiers who ally with you 
  recognize your authority and influence, and in the 
  absence of official commands they defer to you as if you 
  were one of their own officers. When you are on friendly 
  terms with a military organization, you can successfully 
  requisition simple equipment for temporary use, as 
  well as one-way transportation. You can also usually 
  gain access to friendly military encampments and 
  installations.
  Martial Maneuvers
  At 3rd level, your deep understanding of combat allows 
  you to use special maneuvers. You learn three maneuvers 
  of your choice from among those available to the Battle 
  Master archetype of the fighter class in the Player’s 
  Handbook. If a maneuver you use requires your target to 
  make a saving throw to resist the maneuver’s effects, the 
  saving throw DC equals + your proficiency bonus + your 
  Strength or Dexterity modifier (your choice).
  To fuel these maneuvers, you have three superiority 
  dice, which are d8s. A superiority die is expended when 
  you use it. You regain your expended superiority dice 
  when you finish a short or long rest. In addition, when 
  you roll initiative, you can spend resolve points to regain 
  expended superiority dice, regaining one die for each 
  resolve point spent. The maximum number of resolve 
  points you can spend on a single use of this feature, or 
  on any other class or archetype feature, is equal to your 
  proficiency bonus.
  Master of Tactics
  Starting at 6th level, you can use the Help action as a 
  bonus action. Additionally, when you use the Help action 
  to aid an ally in attacking a creature, the target of that 
  attack can be within 30 feet of you, rather than 5 feet of 
  you, if the target can see or hear you.
  Seize Initiative
  Starting at 9th level, you are adept at seizing the 
  opportunity to strike decisively or flee before the battle 
  truly begins. During your first turn of each combat, your 
  walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the 
  end of that turn, and you can take one additional action 
  on top of your regular action and a possible bonus action.
  THE TACTICIAN 
  LEVEL
  FEATURES
  1st
  Tactician Talents
  3rd
  Martial Maneuvers
  6th
  Master of Tactics
  9th
  Seize Initiative
  
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  63
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 4: BACKGROUNDS
  64
   Chapter 4 
   
  BackgroundS
  I
  n Masque of the Red Death, much of the purpose 
  fulfilled by backgrounds in the default D&D rules 
  has been moved to archetypes, so these rules use 
  modified versions. These simplified backgrounds 
  correspond to the seven lifestyle categories presented 
  in the Player’s Handbook rules, but some of the names 
  have changed: the seven backgrounds are Penniless, 
  Impoverished, Working Class, Modest, Comfortable, 
  Wealthy, and Aristocratic. A version of the lifestyle 
  expense rules tied to these categories is woven into 
  each background. The Modest, Comfortable, Wealthy, 
  and Aristocratic lifestyles correspond directly to those 
  of the same names in the existing D&D rules, while 
  the other lifestyles are renamed but equivalent to the 
  Player’s Handbook lifestyles (Penniless is equivalent to 
  the lifestyle the PHB labels “Wretched,” Impoverished is 
  equivalent to “Squalid,” and Working Class is the same 
  as “Poor”). Starting background and lifestyles describe 
  where you come from before play, but can change 
  over time.
  On Gothic Earth, character backgrounds are primarily 
  an expression of three linked factors around which most 
  civilized cultures revolve in the 1890s: wealth, economic 
  class, and social norms. Since these backgrounds are 
  general descriptions of your social class rather than 
  specific histories, you should decide what led to your 
  character being at that particular level of society. Most 
  likely, you were born into it. 
  Who influenced you growing up? What was your 
  relationship with those who raised you? Is there anyone 
  in your social cohort who is of particular significance? 
  What is your reputation among others who share your 
  background?
  Backgrounds and Society
  While many in the late 19th Century speak of 
  egalitarianism as an ideal, barriers between social strata 
  remain rigid and difficult to escape. Even as the middle 
  class gains greater power and influence in Europe, the 
  aristocracy and their descendants still set fashions, 
  control nearly all the wealth, and dominate politics.
  Even in younger countries like the United States 
  (where a strong middle class has already formed), the rich 
  still enjoy extreme privileges. In many ways, they seek to 
  emulate the Old World nobility; building their own castles 
  or having ancient ruins brought over brick-by-brick, and 
  traveling to Europe almost constantly.
  The brutal class hierarchy of Gothic Earth’s most 
  powerful nations is held together by politeness, etiquette, 
  and other social norms. From the costermonger on the 
  street to the most influential land baron, and even for 
  those who seek to overthrow this system, doing things 
  “properly” can be crucial to everyday survival.
  While the Masque of the Red Death rules in this 
  book depart from strict historical accuracy in many 
  places, the abstract rules of each background do nod to 
  some of the complexities of social class. As presented in 
  this chapter, each character’s background is closely linked 
  to their place in society and their relationship with money.
  Choosing Your Background
  Foes of the Red Death come from every level of wealth, 
  refinement, or privilege. Among these secret heroes, 
  the most important qualifications are not the benefits 
  of rank, but a courageous heart and the ability to 
  withstand the supernatural evil that eternally conspires 
  to corrupt humanity.
  Still, a character’s economic background can be a 
  factor in the success or failure of investigations. DMs 
  are encouraged to express the effects of social class by 
  imposing advantage or disadvantage on certain rolls, 
  especially for those on the extreme ends of the economic 
  spectrum. This will most commonly apply to Charisma 
  checks, as money and upper-class connections open 
  many doors, while in less well-off places, the locals often 
  distrust those who have not shared their hardships. The 
  inhumane conditions of a Penniless lifestyle may impose 
  disadvantage on Constitution saving throws against 
  disease. Studies show that affluence and power can 
  diminish the capacity for empathy, especially towards 
  those unlike one’s self, which may cause Wealthy or 
  Aristocratic characters to suffer disadvantage on some 
  Wisdom (Insight) checks.
  Starting Spending Money. Regardless of their past, 
  characters in Masque of the Red Death all begin play 
  with some spending money at hand, as determined by 
  their background. This money is used to buy starting 
  equipment and to finance their beginning adventures. 
  This is cash on hand, rather than a precise accounting of 
  total wealth.
  Don’t feel like you require a huge amount of starting 
  money to buy all the gear you need. Most investigators 
  only need a few items on their person to succeed. Having 
  a diverse array of backgrounds is a smarter strategy than 
  everyone being rich, and if more equipment is required 
  later, funds can be pooled by the entire group.
  For characters who seem like they should have more 
  wealth at hand than their starting spending money 
  indicates, assume their other assets to be somehow tied 
  up—funding investments, waiting in trust funds, paying 
  for the needs of family members or dependents, etc. For 
  poorer characters, starting money can be explained as 
  some kind of sudden gift or temporary windfall.
  Lifestyles Costs/Lifestyle Income. Each background 
  gives you a default lifestyle, which includes necessities 
  like food, shelter, clothing, and the like. Sustaining any 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 4: BACKGROUNDS
  65
  non-Penniless lifestyle costs money, though it may be 
  offset by income. 
  By default, in these rules you determine your lifestyle 
  at the start of each month. You roll your daily income, 
  subtract your lifestyle cost, and multiply that total by 30 
  (for 30 days). On a positive result, you make money; on a 
  negative result, you must pay to sustain your lifestyle. 
  Rules for sustaining your lifestyle are described in 
  greater detail at the end of this section.
  Background Benefit. Each background grants you a 
  special benefit. Even if your fortunes or lifestyle change, 
  such starting features remain permanent, unless the 
  description specifies otherwise.
  POVERTY IS NOT A SUPER-POWER
  Each of the various backgrounds receives a tangible 
  benefit, and the lower the income, the more mechanically 
  useful the benefit. This is only a matter of game design, 
  not any kind of attempt at authentically simulating 19th 
  century social classes. If the benefits were not balanced 
  against the lifestyle, there would be little reason to ever 
  select one that provides less money. 
  While each such ability nods to a fictional justification, 
  neither the background income/cost numbers nor the 
  provided benefits should be considered to reflect (or 
  comment on) actual history. They are no more realistic 
  than the spellcasting of a scion or the vampiric powers 
  of Count Dracula. 
  Penniless
  You are accustomed to living in inhumane conditions. 
  With no safe place to call home, you must shelter 
  wherever you can. Where possible, you have relied on 
  charity to survive. True social safety nets do not exist in 
  this era, and there are few ways for those who fall into 
  this lifestyle to improve their circumstances.
  In the 1890s, despite the barriers between social 
  classes, it is entirely possible for even those with more 
  affluent backgrounds to fall into this kind of penniless 
  existence. Depressions and economic panics occur 
  throughout the decade, with banks failing and stocks 
  falling, and it is all too easy for the merciless tides of 
  fortune to drag people down.
  Sustaining a Penniless Lifestyle. While this remains 
  your lifestyle, you face abundant dangers. Violence, 
  disease, and hunger follow you wherever you go. You lack 
  any means of securing your belongings, and most of those 
  who don’t share your extreme deprivation find it easier to 
  pretend that people like you don’t exist.
  Starting Spending Money: 1d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: None
  Lifestyle Income: None
  Background Benefit: The dangers of living without 
  shelter have put you on the constant look-out for 
  threats. If this is your starting background at 1st level, 
  you add your proficiency bonus to all Dexterity checks 
  for initiative.
  Impoverished
  You come from a desperate and often violent environment 
  rife with disease, hunger, and misfortune. Despite these 
  terrible living conditions, you were fortunate enough 
  to retain some kind of rudimentary shelter from the 
  elements. Most people at this lifestyle level have suffered 
  some terrible setback. They remain beneath the notice 
  of most people in polite society, and have few legal 
  protections.
  Sustaining a Impoverished Lifestyle. While this 
  remains your lifestyle, you are barely scraping by, and 
  though you have shelter, it is only livable in the most basic 
  sense. Leaky stables, flimsy hovels, and vermin-infested 
  rooms in boarding houses are the types of places those at 
  this level of society call home. The food and drink you live 
  on is comparably unpleasant.
  Starting Spending Money: 2d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: .10 dollars per day
  Lifestyle Income: 1d20 × .01 dollars per day
  Background Benefit: You have deep inner reserves 
  of willpower. If this is your starting background at 
  1st level, whenever you finish a short rest, you regain 
  1 resolve point.
  Working Class
  Civilization offers many comforts, but you have had 
  little opportunity to enjoy them. You’ve had access to the 
  resources necessary to make your existence sustainable, 
  but there is likely much about your circumstances that 
  is unpleasant. You benefit from some legal protections, 
  but you still have to contend with violence, crime, 
  and disease.
  Little changes for the poor in the 1890s, though 
  civilization’s forward march makes things better in small 
  ways, Social reform—a burgeoning fad among the upper 
  classes—does provides some possibility of education, 
  health care, and improved working conditions in certain 
  hazardous jobs (such as work in factories or mines).
  Sustaining a Working Class Lifestyle. While this 
  remains your lifestyle, your accommodations might be 
  a room in a flophouse or a tiny tenement room in the 
  slums. You are accustomed to simple food and lodgings, 
  threadbare clothing, and unpredictable conditions.
  Starting Spending Money: 3d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: .20 dollars per day
  Lifestyle Income: 1d6 × .10 dollars per day
  Background Benefit: You can summon up great strength 
  of will in times of trouble. If this is your starting 
  background at 1st level, whenever you finish a short 
  rest, if you have fewer than half your resolve points 
  remaining, you regain 1 resolve point.
  Modest
  You’ve been able to sustain a secure existence without 
  falling into poverty or dwelling in dangerous slums. 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 4: BACKGROUNDS
  66
  You’ve enjoyed consistent access to shelter, sustenance, 
  and sanitation, and you can maintain and secure your 
  possessions with relative ease.
  You are able to maintain employment in a humble but 
  consistent profession, such as domestic work, assisting 
  a shopkeeper, or military service—room and board 
  may even be part of your compensation. Successful 
  entertainers can sometimes secure a modest lifestyle for 
  themselves as well.
  Sustaining a Modest Lifestyle. While this remains 
  your lifestyle, you don’t go hungry or thirsty, and your 
  living conditions are clean, if simple. You likely live in 
  either a rural area or an older neighborhood in a large 
  city, renting a room of decent size and quality, or perhaps 
  even owning your own very small home. 
  Starting Spending Money: 4d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: 1 dollar per day
  Lifestyle Income: 1d4 dollars per day
  Background Benefit: You have cultivated talents that 
  help keep you from poverty. If this is your starting 
  background at 1st level, you gain proficiency in one skill 
  of your choice, and gain proficiency with one type of tool, 
  vehicle, or musical instrument of your choice.
  Comfortable
  You’ve enjoyed the full benefits of the strong middle class 
  that has formed in many countries, such as the United 
  States. In this era, literacy is on the rise, and many of the 
  middle class are gaining privileges once available only 
  to the most aristocratic families, including international 
  travel, better living conditions, and decent salaries in 
  burgeoning industries.
  Prosperous shopkeepers and skilled tradespersons 
  tend to inhabit this rung on the economic ladder, as do 
  local religious leaders, military officers, and doctors or 
  lawyers who do not serve a particularly affluent clientele.
  Sustaining a Comfortable Lifestyle. While this 
  remains your lifestyle, you likely retain ownership of your 
  own mid-sized home or rent a fine private apartment 
  somewhere. Your possessions are secure and well-
  maintained, and you can afford nicer clothing. Middle-
  class neighborhoods host many families living at your 
  level of society, but you may also choose to dwell in the 
  less-impressive accommodations of an upper class area, 
  or to retain a more spacious residence in a less affluent 
  community. 
  Starting Spending Money: 5d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: 2 dollars per day
  Lifestyle Income: 2d4 dollars per day
  Background Benefit: You have been fortified by the 
  cleanliness and education of your upbringing. If this 
  is your starting background at 1st level, you have 
  advantage on saving throws against nonmagical 
  diseases that are common in your homeland, as well 
  as proficiency with one skill, tool, vehicle, or musical 
  instrument of your choice. 
  Wealthy
  You may not have been a full member of the ruling 
  aristocracy, but you still come from a life of luxury. 
  Members of this social class often come from so-
  called “new money,” having grasped new opportunities 
  presented by the growth of technology and industry to 
  accumulate affluence beyond that of their forbears. Others 
  are fallen or lower-ranking members of the ruling classes, 
  who have not adapted to thrive in a changing world.
  Sustaining a Wealthy Lifestyle. While this remains 
  your lifestyle, you always keep respectable lodgings, 
  usually a spacious home in a good part of town or a 
  comfortable suite at a fine hotel. You, your family, or your 
  business may have some employees, but you don’t have 
  a full staff at your direct disposal while adventuring. 
  However, you likely have at least one full-time assistant or 
  valet, who has a variety of duties in helping maintain the 
  standard of living to which you are accustomed. 
  Starting Spending Money: 6d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: 4 dollars per day
  Lifestyle Income: 4d4 dollars per day
  Background Benefit: You grew up amid cleanliness and 
  prosperity, granting you lifelong benefits. If this is your 
  starting background at 1st level, you have advantage 
  on saving throws against nonmagical diseases that 
  are common in your homeland. In addition, while you 
  sustain a Wealthy or Aristocratic lifestyle, you retain the 
  services of a loyal assistant (statistics as a noble). This 
  assistant can arrange your correspondence, manage 
  your calendar, keep your wardrobe and possessions, 
  and perform other mundane tasks. This person will 
  leave your service if frequently endangered or abused. 
  They will not fight for you or follow you into obviously 
  dangerous areas except on rare occasions (at the 
  DM’s discretion), and even then only after thorough 
  convincing and the offer of additional “hazard pay” 
  (which is at least as expensive as the services of a 
  skilled hireling, as described in the Player’s Handbook).
  Aristocratic
  In an age when class snobbery rules, you’ve stood at 
  the top of the hierarchy. You come from a life of plenty 
  and comfort, where you moved in circles populated 
  by society’s most powerful. You are accustomed to 
  the most excellent clothes, dining, and lodgings, with 
  servants attending to your every need. Many who enjoy 
  this prosperous lifestyle never spare a thought for those 
  without such extravagant wealth, yet philanthropy is also 
  a popular high society hobby.
  Sustaining an Aristocratic Lifestyle. While you 
  sustain this lifestyle, you don’t worry about mundane 
  concerns such as housing, sustenance, or clothing—all 
  these needs are fulfilled in extravagant ways. You may 
  arrange these luxuries yourself, or rely on servants and 
  staff to do so. You also receive invitations to the social 
  gatherings of the rich and powerful, and spend evenings 
  
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  in the company of politicians, celebrities, and successful 
  business leaders. Yet the more you mix with the ruling 
  class, the more you risk being drawn into political 
  intrigues, old grudges, and petty rivalries.
  Starting Spending Money: 7d4 × 10 dollars
  Lifestyle Cost: 10 dollars per day (at the DM’s discretion, 
  to remain at certain elite levels of society, the cost may 
  be even higher)
  Lifestyle Income: 4d8 dollars per day 
  Background Benefit: The privileges of your upbringing 
  insulate you from many common concerns. If this 
  is your starting background at 1st level, you have 
  advantage on saving throws against nonmagical 
  diseases that are common in your homeland. In 
  addition, while you sustain a Wealthy or Aristocratic 
  lifestyle, you retain the services of three servants. These 
  are personal attendants (statistics as commoners) who 
  run errands, manage your affairs and possessions, 
  and can carry messages for you. Thesy will perform 
  mundane tasks for you, but they do not fight for you, will 
  not follow you into obviously dangerous areas, and will 
  leave if they are frequently endangered or abused.
  Lifestyle Expenses
  Backgrounds determine your starting spending money 
  as well as the default lifestyle you live. While your secret 
  battle against the force of darkness may consume much 
  of your attention, you must also attend to basic necessities 
  like shelter, sustenance, and clothing—all of which cost 
  money. Lifestyles are an abstract system for determining 
  the costs and potential gains of your day-to-day existence 
  on Gothic Earth.
  Of course, for some, shelter means a small rented 
  room, while for others, anything less than a large home 
  with all the latest amenities is unacceptable. On Gothic 
  Earth, these concerns take on additional importance, 
  due to the inflexible stratification that separates different 
  economic classes. Each background not only provides 
  starting wealth, but also simple rules for a character’s 
  income over time. This explains how much money a 
  character can expect to gain (or spend) during their non-
  adventuring hours.
  Those who struggle against the Red Death may 
  occasionally receive stipends, rewards, or expense money 
  for their efforts, perhaps from leaders in the fight against 
  darkness. For the most part, however, the Masque of 
  the Red Death rules do not assume a character is 
  consistently acquiring wealth in their adventures as they 
  might in other D&D games.
  The rules here expand only slightly on the rules for 
  lifestyle expenses in the Player’s Handbook, by including 
  both costs and income. This version still accounts for cost 
  of living and other expenses, including mundane details 
  of your fight against the Red Death (such as cleaning of 
  weapons, resupplying ammunition, maintenance for your 
  means of transportation, etc.). 
  Each background is tied to the lifestyle of the same 
  name, but that represents only the past. You may seek a 
  different lifestyle, or even find yourself unable to maintain 
  the one you have.
  Sustaining Your Lifestyle
  At the start of each month, you must sustain your current 
  lifestyle or lose it. Each background has a listed lifestyle 
  cost per day, which is fixed, along with a daily income, 
  which is rolled. Both determine whether you lose or gain 
  money in the course of sustaining your lifestyle.
  At the start of the month, roll your daily income, 
  then subtract your lifestyle cost from the number rolled. 
  This may result in a negative number, indicating you 
  have suffered a financial loss. Whether this number is 
  positive or negative, just multiply it by the number of days 
  you need to pay for that month. Usually, it is simplest to 
  calculate the cost of your background’s lifestyle over a 30-
  day period, multiplying your result by 30.
  If the final result is positive, you gain that many 
  dollars, adding them to your personal spending money.
  If the final result is negative, you must spend that 
  amount in dollars to sustain your lifestyle. If you cannot 
  afford to spend this money, your lifestyle will worsen.
  Changing Your Lifestyle
  A lifestyle alteration is often involuntary. If you are unable 
  or unwilling to pay your lifestyle costs for the next 30 
  days, your current lifestyle decreases. Your new lifestyle 
  for that month depends on the amount of money you 
  pay, as multiplied by the number of days for which you 
  need to sustain yourself. However, you retain the income 
  of your old lifestyle until you’ve gone at least 2 months 
  without being able to sustain it. At that point, your income 
  decreases to that of the most recent lifestyle you paid for.
  Conversely, it is possible to attain a more affluent 
  lifestyle. This is generally due to good fortune, but can 
  also be aided by a conscious decision to change your 
  circumstances. To change your lifestyle for the next 
  month, you simply pay the increased cost in dollars per 
  day. However, daily income does not increase until you 
  have lived a new lifestyle for three months.
  LIFESTYLE EXPENSES AND INCOME
  LIFESTYLE
  COST/DAY INCOME/DAY
  Penniless
  —
  —
  Impoverished .10 dollars
  1d20 × .01 dollars
  Working Class .20 dollars
  1d6 × .10 dollars
  Modest
  1 dollar
  1d4 dollars
  Comfortable
  2 dollars
  2d4 dollars
  Wealthy
  4 dollars
  4d4 dollars
  Aristocratic
  10+ dollars
  4d8 dollars
  
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  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  69
   Chapter 5 
   
  WEALTH, Equipment, and WEAPONS
  T
  hough the gold coin is the usual method of 
  payment in the worlds of D&D, most societies in the 
  Masque of the Red Death setting have advanced 
  to a method of paper money, as described below.
  Wealth and Currency
  By default, all financial transactions on Gothic Earth are 
  assumed to be handled in dollars, or in the main unit of 
  currency in the nation where the campaign takes place. 
  The use of this unit of currency is strictly for the sake of 
  convenience.
  With these rules, DMs ignore conversion altogether 
  and value a gold piece at the same amount as the dollar 
  (as used in the United States, Australia, and some other 
  countries) or other currency. In the U.S., this makes 
  copper pieces equal to a penny, silver pieces around the 
  same value as a dime and platinum pieces on par with 
  ten dollars. This method makes pricing items easy, but 
  it in no way accurately reflects what the actual prices of 
  these items would be. It is an abstract rule to simplify 
  bookkeeping for players and DMs while making it easy to 
  convert items from other D&D sources. 
  This approach may not be realistic to some, and those 
  who feel compelled are free to do their own research if 
  they feel it suits their game. However, since this would 
  also involve complicated mathematics and hours of study, 
  the default system does not require such measures.
  Exchange Rates. In countries where wealth is 
  measured in neither gold pieces nor dollars, the base 
  unit of national currency is treated as also being roughly 
  as valuable as the D&D gold piece. So, 1 gold piece 
  = 1 dollar = 1 yen = 1 pound sterling = 1 peso, rupee, 
  drachma, dinar, franc, ruble, etc. 
  THE HISTORICAL (IN)ACCURACY 
  OF THE CURRENCY RULES 
  If you desire a logical explanation for the ahistorical prices 
  on Gothic-Earth, its alternate history (relative to our own 
  world) provides one. The Red Death and its servants have 
  increased their power over the world’s financial systems 
  by manipulating and simplifying international commerce. 
  These secret rulers of the world intervene to devalue 
  gold and set straightforward exchange rates, creating 
  a globalized economy they can more easily control.
  Starting Wealth and Equipment
  To determine how much money and gear a character 
  begins play with, as well as a character’s ongoing income, 
  refer to the character’s background.
  Equipping Your Character
  The style and technology of equipment available during 
  the 1890s on Gothic Earth differs greatly from those 
  used in other D&D settings, but many common items 
  in the Player’s Handbook are available and essentially 
  unchanged. Most basic equipment remains relatively the 
  same. Rope is still rope, and a crowbar is still a crowbar. 
  WORLD CURRENCY EXAMPLES
  COUNTRY
  CURRENCY USED
  Arabia
  riyal
  Austria
  florin
  Belgium
  franc
  Bulgaria
  lev
  Canada
  dollar
  China
  yuan
  Denmark
  krone
  Egypt
  pound
  England
  pound
  Finland
  markka
  France
  franc
  Germany
  mark
  Greece
  drachma
  Hungary
  korona
  India
  rupee
  Ireland
  pound
  Italy
  lira
  Japan
  yen
  Luxembourg
  franc
  Mexico
  peso
  Netherlands
  gulden
  Norway
  krone
  Persia
  dinar
  Portugal
  reis
  Rumania
  leu
  Russia
  ruble
  Spain
  peseta
  Sweden
  krona
  Switzerland
  franc
  
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  70
  DMs should allow players to select standard 
  adventuring equipment from the Player’s Handbook. 
  Certain items available in the Masque of the Red 
  Death setting either differ significantly from their normal 
  D&D counterparts or are entirely new. These items are 
  detailed in this chapter. 
  The list of items here is kept fairly simple. The goal 
  is to keep the game focused on telling tales of suspense 
  and horror, rather than bogging things down with long 
  passages of historical trivia or exacting research. Much of 
  the descriptive text here is adapted from previous editions 
  of the Masque of the Red Death campaign setting.
  Weapons
  While the days of knights in shining armor are now 
  relegated to antiquity, most who confront the minions 
  of the Red Death still consider a weapon in hand far 
  superior to a bare fist.
  In civilized places, characters caught openly 
  brandishing weapons may find themselves treated as 
  criminals by the local law. Concealment and caution are 
  the best ways to avoid unnecessary entanglements with 
  the local law enforcement.
  Special Weapons
  New weapons with special rules are described here.
  Bola. A Large or smaller creature hit by a bola is 
  knocked prone. If you have advantage on an attack with 
  a bola and hit, if the lower of the two d20 rolls would hit, 
  you can cause the creature to become restrained until it is 
  freed as well as prone. 
  Until a creature knocked prone by the bola is freed, it 
  can only stand from prone by using its action to make a 
  DC 10 Strength check or Dexterity check. If the creature 
  rolls a 15 or higher on this check, it is freed as well. 
  Dealing 5 slashing damage to the bola (AC 10) also frees 
  the creature without harming it, ending the effect and 
  destroying the bola.
  When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction 
  to attack with a bola, you can make only one attack 
  with it, regardless of the number of attacks you can 
  normally make.
  Boomerang. After you make a thrown attack using 
  this weapon, it automatically returns to your hand at the 
  end of the turn as long as you have a hand free and are 
  proficient with it. Catching a boomerang weapon does 
  not require an action or reaction, but you cannot catch 
  it if you are currently unable to take reactions (such as if 
  you are incapacitated or have already used your reaction). 
  If you do not catch a boomerang you threw, it lands in 
  a random space within 5 feet of you.
  Cutlass. All creatures can make attack rolls with this 
  weapon underwater without being at disadvantage (for 
  most weapons, only creatures with swim speeds can 
  attack normally underwater).
  Lasso. A Large or smaller creature hit by a lasso 
  is restrained until it is freed. A lasso has no effect on 
  creatures that are formless, or creatures that are huge 
  or larger. A creature can use its action to make its choice 
  of a Strength check or Dexterity check contested by your 
  own Strength or Dexterity check (your choice). If you are 
  proficient with the lasso, you add your proficiency bonus 
  to your check. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the lasso 
  (AC equals 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency 
  bonus if proficient with the lasso) also frees the creature 
  without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the 
  lasso. The creature is also freed immediately if you are 
  not holding the lasso with two hands. 
  When you hit a creature with the lasso, you cannot 
  attack another creature with that lasso until after the end 
  of that turn. If you have a target restrained with your lasso 
  at the beginning of your turn, you can use your action 
  that turn to make an attack roll against the restrained 
  target, looping your lasso around it more and choking it. 
  The weapon’s damage die for this attack is a d10, and the 
  attack deals bludgeoning damage. Once a creature takes 
  this damage, it is suffocating until it is freed.
  Sabre, Cavalry. When you are mounted, you inflict 
  1d10 damage instead of 1d8 with this weapon against 
  creatures smaller than your mount.
  Weapon Enhancements
  The following items and services can be used to enhance 
  weapons in various ways.
  Basket Hilt. This enhancement creates an enclosing 
  structure that protects the wielder’s hand, giving the 
  weapon the protected grip property. It can be applied 
  to any melee weapon that inflicts piercing or slashing 
  damage and does not have one of the following 
  properties: heavy, light, two-handed, or versatile.
  Bayonet. This weapon consists of a long blade affixed 
  to the end of a long rifle barrel for use in close combat. 
  A bayonet can be affixed to a longarm (such as a rifle) or 
  removed from one as a bonus action. When you use a 
  longarm with an attached bayonet to make a melee attack, 
  you treat it as a spear. While the bayonet is attached, the 
  longarm can be still be fired as a ranged weapon, but at a 
  −1 penalty to attack rolls. A bayonet can also be used as a 
  dagger when it is not attached to a longarm.
  Sword Cane. Certain artisans can conceal a rapier 
  or other small blade within a gentleman’s walking cane. 
  The user can take a bonus action to unscrew the top and 
  draw out the weapon, often to an opponent’s surprise. 
  Any one-handed melee weapon with the finesse property 
  WEAPON ENHANCEMENTS
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Basket hilt
  +$5.00 to 
  weapon cost
  +.5 lbs. to 
  weapon weight
  Bayonet
  $0.75
  1 lb.
  Sword cane
  +$5.00 to 
  weapon cost
  +1 lb. to 
  weapon weight
  
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  71
  WEAPONS
  ITEM
  COST
  DAMAGE
  WEIGHT PROPERTIES
  Simple Melee Weapons
  Baton/Club
  $0.75
  1d4 bludgeoning
  2 lbs.
  Light
  Dagger/Hunting Knife
  $2.00
  1d4 piercing
  1 lb.
  Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)
  Handaxe/Hatchet
  $1.00
  1d6 slashing
  2 lbs.
  Light, thrown (range 20/60)
  Pocket knife
  $0.75
  1 piercing
  0.1 lb.
  Light, finesse
  Tomahawk
  $2.50 
  1d6 slashing
  2 lb.
  Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)
  Martial Melee Weapons
  Boomerang
  $5.00
  1d4 bludgeoning
  1 lb.
  Light, special, thrown (range 20/60)
  Bola
  $.10 
  1d4 bludgeoning
  2 lbs.
  Light, special, thrown (range 20/60)
  Cutlass
  $25.00 
  1d8 slashing
  3 lbs.
  Finesse, protected grip
  Knife, Bowie
  $7.00
  1d6 piercing
  2 lbs.
  Finesse, light, thrown (range 10/30)
  Lasso
  $3.50 
  —
  3 lbs.
  Finesse, reach, special
  Machete/Kukri
  $10.00
  1d6 slashing
  3 lbs.
  Finesse, light
  Rapier/Foil
  $25.00
  1d8 piercing
  2 lbs.
  Finesse
  Sabre
  $17.00 
  1d6 slashing
  3 lbs.
  Finesse, protected grip
  Sabre, cavalry
  $27.00
  1d8 slashing
  4 lbs.
  Special, protected grip
  Whip
  $2.00
  1d4 slashing
  3 lbs.
  Finesse, reach
  FIREARMS
  Simple Ranged Weapons (Firearms)
  Derringer
  $5.00 
  2d4 piercing
  1 lb.
  Ammunition (range 30/90), handgun, 
  loading, secondary
  Martial Ranged Weapons (Firearms)
  Carbine, breech loading
  $3.50 
  2d8 piercing
  7 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 60/180), longarm, loading, 
  two-handed
  Carbine, lever action
  $12.50 
  2d8 piercing
  7 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 60/180), longarm, reload 
  (5 shots), two-handed
  Pistol, army
  $3.50 
  2d6 piercing
  4 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 40/120), handgun, heavy, 
  reload (6 shots), secondary
  Pistol, navy
  $2.50 
  2d4 piercing
  3 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 40/120), handgun, reload 
  (6 shots), secondary
  Rifle, breech loading
  $5.00 
  3d6 piercing
  9 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 80/240), heavy, longarm, 
  loading, two-handed
  Rifle, lever action
  $15.00 
  3d6 piercing
  9 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 80/240), heavy, longarm, 
  reload (5 shots), two-handed
  Scattergun (sawed-
  off shotgun)
  $2.50 
  3d4 piercing
  7 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 20/60), heavy, longarm, 
  reload (2 shots), scattershot (2d4), 
  two-handed
  Shotgun
  $3.00 
  4d4 piercing
  8 lbs.
  Ammunition (range 30/90), heavy, long arm, 
  reload (2 shots), scattershot (1d6), two-handed
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  72
  that inflicts piercing damage can be built into a sword 
  cane. This option offers adventurers a chance to provide 
  themselves with arms without raising suspicion. 
  Wielding this weapon on the frontier, however, will most 
  likely get its owner branded as a “dandy.”
  New Weapon Properties
  The weapons introduced in this chapter may have one or 
  more of the following new properties.
  Fouled. Less of a property than a condition, this 
  indicates the weapon is on the verge of no longer being 
  usable. If you roll a 1 or 2 on an attack roll with a weapon 
  that is already fouled, it is no longer usable, and must 
  be either be repaired (for half the price of replacing it) 
  or replaced.
  Handgun. This firearm gives proficient wielders 
  advantage on attack rolls against targets wearing 
  nonmagical medium or heavy armor within normal range.
  A handgun’s action must remain clean and in good 
  working order to function safely. When you roll a 1 or 
  2 on an attack roll with this weapon, it gains the fouled 
  property (described above) until you spend 10 minutes 
  cleaning it with a gunsmith’s kit and make a successful 
  DC 10 Intelligence (gunsmith’s kit) check.
  Longarm. This firearm gives proficient wielders 
  advantage on attack rolls against targets wearing 
  nonmagical armor.
  A longarm’s action must remain clean and in good 
  working order to function safely. When you roll a 1 or 
  2 on an attack roll with this weapon, it gains the fouled 
  property (described above) until you spend 10 minutes 
  cleaning it with a gunsmith’s kit and make a successful 
  DC 10 Intelligence (gunsmith’s kit) check.
  A creature with a Strength of 7 or lower suffers 
  disadvantage on all attack rolls with longarms, since 
  the force of the internal explosion that propels the 
  ammunition causes the weapon to move when it is fired 
  unless it is securely braced.
  Protected Grip. This weapon has a basket hilt or 
  other protective structure over the wielder’s hand. It 
  grants advantage on saving throws to avoid dropping or 
  losing the weapon, and also allows you to use a bonus 
  action to punch with it as a melee attack. The weapon’s 
  damage die for this attack is a d4, and the attack deals 
  bludgeoning damage.
  Reload. A limited number of shots can be made with 
  a weapon that has the reload property. A character must 
  then reload the weapon using an action before they can 
  attack with it again. (Unlike the firearms with the reload 
  property described in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, 
  19th century guns can only be reloaded with an action.)
  Scattershot. This firearm disperses pellets rather 
  than firing a bullet. Targets within the maximum range 
  of this firearm but not within its normal range take the 
  reduced damage listed with this property.
  Instead of choosing to fire it normally at a single 
  target, you can choose a 10-foot cube area within the 
  normal range of the firearm and try to hit everyone in 
  it. You make a separate attack roll for each creature in 
  the area. Each creature hit takes the reduced amount 
  of damage listed with this property.
  Secondary. When you take the Attack action and 
  attack with a weapon that you’re holding in one hand, you 
  can use a bonus action to attack with a secondary weapon 
  that you’re holding in the other hand. Whenever you make 
  a one-handed attack with a secondary weapon, you have 
  disadvantage on the attack roll if you have already made 
  another weapon attack that turn.
  TYPES OF HANDGUNS
  Easier to conceal than long guns, handguns usually 
  carry six rounds at a time. These weapons are divided 
  into three categories: derringers, navy pistols and army 
  pistols, but a character acquires a general proficiency with 
  handguns, rather than with any individual type.
  A derringer is the smallest type of handgun, and it 
  holds only a single round. While not as deadly as large 
  firearms, the advantage of this gun is its light weight and 
  the ease of concealing such a small weapon. Derringers 
  are the preferred method of self-defense for the members 
  of the upper classes, who consider it less “barbaric” than 
  other guns. Derringers are considered simple weapons, 
  rather than martial.
  The navy pistol is a lightweight six-shooter that uses 
  .38 caliber ammunition. It lacks the stopping power of 
  the army pistol, but is more dangerous than the derringer. 
  Navy pistols are commonly found in urban areas as an 
  accepted firearm for the lower class. 
  Army pistols are the heaviest and deadliest category of 
  handguns. These six-shooters use .45 caliber bullets and 
  have a long barrel. These weapons are commonly used 
  by those seen as being outside of civilized society and are 
  better reserved for frontier settlers, rugged cowboys and 
  hardened explorers.
  
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  73
  Using Firearms
  In the era portrayed by the Masque of the Red Death 
  campaign setting, reasonably safe and accurate firearms 
  are readily available. The Industrial Revolution’s methods 
  of mass production grant the common man easy access to 
  handguns and rifles at prices that most can afford. 
  Literally hundreds of types of firearms are available 
  to characters. However, for ease of use, they have been 
  grouped together into basic types by their similarity. 
  DMs and players who want to add more detail to their 
  characters are free to reorganize these groupings and 
  even research the specifics of other models of firearms to 
  suit their purposes.
  Ammunition. Firearms all have the ammunition 
  property. The bullets or shells that serve as ammunition 
  for firearms are immediately mutilated upon use and 
  cannot be fired again even if recovered.
  AMMUNITION
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Derringer (box of 
  25 rounds)
  $0.20
  0.4 lb.
  Pistol, army (box of 
  25 rounds)
  $0.25
  0.5 lb.
  Pistol, navy (box of 
  25 rounds)
  $0.25
  0.5 lbs.
  Rifle/carbine (box of 
  25 rounds)
  $0.30
  0.5 lbs.
  Shotgun/scattergun 
  (box of 25 rounds)
  $0.35
  0.75 lbs.
  Optional Rule: Deadly & Deafening
  When a handgun or longarm is fired, it makes a 
  shockingly loud sound. DMs who wish to simulate the 
  effects of this in play can require any character who has 
  been close to this noise to make a Constitution saving 
  throw at the end of the turn. The DC = 15 − the number 
  of feet the character was away from the noise. The DC 
  can also be higher in close quarters, where the deafening 
  sound is likely to echo.
  A character who fails this save has disadvantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks related to hearing for 1 
  minute. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of 
  their turns, ending the effect on a success. A character 
  who fails the saving throw by 5 or more is deafened for 
  the same duration. 
  Explosives 
  Using an explosive effectively requires care and 
  preparation. It is seldom a matter of just tossing a bomb 
  over your shoulder as you run. Though characters may 
  attempt this action, the chances are greater for the 
  character (and perhaps some innocents) to get caught in 
  the resulting explosion as well. Explosives are volatile, 
  powerful creations of science that can only be controlled 
  with precision and planning.
  Explosive Properties 
  Explosives may have one or more of the following new 
  properties.
  Burst. Explosives inflict their damage in a sphere 
  centered on the point where they explode. The burst 
  property is followed by the radius of the sphere in feet, 
  and by the DC of the Dexterity saving throw anyone in 
  the radius of the burst must roll. Creatures rolling a 
  TYPES OF RIFLES
  Individuals who need a gun to provide both power and 
  range seek out longarms. These guns include rifles, 
  carbines, repeating rifles, repeating carbines, shotguns and 
  scatterguns, but a character acquires a general proficiency 
  with longarms, rather than with any individual type.
  Rifles are the standard longarms. Whether it is for 
  military use, game hunting, private target shooting, or 
  dangerous law enforcement situations, the rifle is a reliable 
  weapon. They are breech loading weapons that require 
  the shooter to manually load the shell into the base of the 
  barrel before each shot is taken. After each round is fired, 
  the shooter must reload before taking aim again. 
  Lever action rifles have the advantage of being able to 
  hold multiple rounds. A mechanical lever brings the next 
  round into the firing position within the weapon after 
  each shot is taken. These rifles are also sometimes called 
  repeating rifles. 
  Carbines are a much lighter version of traditional 
  rifles, but have a shorter range of fire and produce less 
  of an impact. Like the rifle, the carbine has a lever action 
  version. The carbine uses the same ammunition as the rifle.
  The lever action carbine is simply a carbine which 
  operates under the same basic mechanics as the lever 
  action rifle. 
  The shotgun is most often a two-barreled breech-
  loading weapon that has a very short effective range when 
  compared to the rifle; it can, however, inflict tremendous 
  damage if used properly. Instead of firing a single projectile 
  at a time like the rifle, the shotgun disperses a spray of 
  small pellets at its target. It is difficult to catch more than 
  one target at a time within the weapon’s range of fire at a 
  distance close enough to be effective.
  The scattergun is a variation of the shotgun. Its barrels 
  are shortened (leading to the weapon commonly being 
  called a “sawed-off shotgun”) and it is designed to spray 
  a barrage of pellets that can strike multiple targets. This 
  longarm is easier to conceal than most, fitting under a 
  large coat or even in a large carrying bag. It uses the same 
  ammunition as a shotgun.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  74
  successful Dexterity saving throw take half 
  damage. In addition, anyone within the burst 
  radius will be deafened for 2d20 rounds, 
  and anyone outside the burst but less than 
  20 feet away from the outer edge of its 
  radius must roll a Constitution saving throw 
  against the same DC or be deafened for the 
  same duration.
  Hand-toss. Hand-tossed explosives 
  can be lit or otherwise activated and then 
  thrown some distance away, as a thrown 
  weapon using the range increment listed 
  with this property. If you are merely trying 
  to hit a particular 5-foot space rather than 
  a specific creature or object target, you 
  roll against an AC of 10. If you hit, the 
  explosive immediately detonates at the point 
  you targeted.
  If you miss, look at the number rolled on 
  your 20. If it a 1, the explosive travels only 
  5 feet from you in the direction of the target 
  and then detonates. Otherwise, it travels half 
  the intended distance, and if the number rolled is odd, 
  it detonates. If the number is even, the explosive fails to 
  detonate. If this is the case, it can be detonated later by 
  appropriate means (such as a gunshot or someone picking 
  it up and throwing it again).
  Volatile. Explosives with this property may go 
  off if you take damage of certain types (listed with 
  the property), unless you are canny enough to take 
  appropriate action. If you take damage of one or more 
  of those types while such an explosive on your person, 
  you must make an Intelligence saving throw against 
  the DC listed with this property. If you have multiple 
  such explosives, you make one saving throw for all of 
  them, against the highest of all the DCs listed with this 
  property, but add +1 to the DC for each volatile explosive 
  beyond the first.
  If you fail, all volatile explosives is on your person 
  detonate immediately, each inflicting their normal 
  damage. You automatically fail any subsequent Dexterity 
  saving throws to avoid or reduce this damage (others 
  around you can make their saves normally).
  Explosive Accessories
  Explosives may be used with (or require) one of the 
  following accessories.
  Fuse. As mentioned, the preferred method for the 
  applied use of any explosive is to do so from a safe 
  distance at the precise time of the user’s choosing. 
  There are several methods of detonating explosives, 
  but the most common way is with a blasting cap 
  connected to a lighted fuse. The longer the fuse, the 
  longer the time a character has before the explosion 
  EXPLOSIVES
  ITEM
  COST
  DAMAGE
  WEIGHT PROPERTIES
  Bomb, improvised
  $1.50 
  3d6 piercing
  1 lb.
  Burst (5 ft., DC 12), hand-toss (range 20/60), 
  volatile (bludgeoning, force, fire; DC 10)
  Dynamite (stick)
  $1.50 
  3d6 bludgeoning
  0.5 lbs.
  Burst (5 ft., DC 12), hand-toss (range 20/60), 
  volatile (fire; DC 11)
  Extra dynamite (per stick)
  $1.50 
  +1d6 bludgeoning 
  per extra stick 
  (max 10d6)
  0.5 lbs.
  Burst (+5 ft. per extra stick, DC 12), hand-toss 
  (range 20/60), volatile (fire; DC 11)
  Gunpowder (hand 
  container)*
  $1.00 
  3d6 fire
  2 lbs.
  Burst (10 ft., DC 12), hand-toss (range 10/30), 
  volatile (fire; DC 12)
  Gunpowder (small keg)*
  $2.50 
  4d6 fire
  5 lbs. 
  Burst (10 ft., DC 12), stationary, volatile 
  (fire; DC 13)
  Gunpowder (large keg)*
  $8.00 
  7d6 fire
  20 lbs.
  Burst (10 ft., DC 12), stationary, volatile 
  (fire; DC 15)
  Nitroglycerine (vial)
  $2.00 
  5d6 fire
  0.1 lb.
  Burst (10 ft., DC 15), hand-toss (range 
  10/30), volatile (bludgeoning, force, fire, 
  thunder; DC 17)
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  75
  occurs. Those individuals who are skilled with 
  demolitions can cut a fuse to fit their needs; exact timing, 
  however, is not possible. Because some fuses burn at a 
  faster rate than others, an inexperienced person setting a 
  charge could be in for a nasty (and potentially fatal) shock 
  when the fuse burns much faster than expected. 
  The fuse itself is a length of flammable cord directly 
  wired to the blasting cap. When flame is applied to the 
  fuse, it begins to burn along its length until it reaches 
  the end, where the blasting cap is located. When the fire 
  reaches the blasting cap, the cap ignites, setting off the 
  explosion. The caps and fuses are safe to transport under 
  proper conditions. This is by far the most reliable method 
  and is preferred by professionals in the field.
  A fuse is set for a certain number of rounds, as 
  determined by the one who set it. When you set a fuse, 
  roll a DC 15 Intelligence (Demolitions Kits) check. If 
  you succeed, the fuse lasts for the number of rounds you 
  chose (usually 1 to 6). After the set number of rounds 
  goes by, the DM secretly rolls initiative for the explosive, 
  and the explosive detonates on that initiative the following 
  round. If you fail, the DM secretly rolls 1d4. If the number 
  rolled on the d4 is odd, that number is subtracted from 
  the number of rounds you chose to determine when the 
  explosive detonates; if the number rolled is even, the 
  number rolled is added to the number of rounds instead.
  Plunger and Wire. This method of detonating 
  explosives is the most precise when it comes to timing. 
  The demolitionist sets a charge on the explosive and then 
  runs a length of wire to the plunger device (hopefully 
  a safe distance from the blast). When the plunger is 
  depressed, an electrical charge travels along the wire 
  and immediately detonates the explosive. Barring any 
  difficulties, the demolitionist should achieve the desired 
  result every time. When using wire there is less than can 
  go wrong with the detonation process and the plunger 
  eliminates the need for a possibly unreliable count 
  down. The wire is typically purchased in coiled lengths 
  of 50 feet, but additional wire can be obtained to allow 
  detonation from greater distances.
  When you set a plunger and wire, you roll a DC 10 
  Intelligence check (adding your proficiency bonus if you 
  have proficiency with demolitions kits). If you succeed, 
  you know you have successfully connected the plunger, 
  wire, and explosive to each other, and the explosive will 
  detonate instantly whenever the plunger is depressed 
  (unless the wire is deliberately disconnected or cut 
  beforehand). If you fail, you are uncertain if you have 
  everything properly connected or not, and unless you 
  spend extra time double-checking everything, the DM 
  randomly determines whether or not the detonation fails 
  when the plunger is depressed.
  Gear & Services
  The prices below reflect the cost of items made of average 
  quality. Many products can be made easily and quickly 
  in the 1890s that only few years before would have been 
  time consuming and costly. Common household items 
  and clothing are among some of the things that, through 
  the use of improved technology, are now readily available 
  at affordable prices. 
  Some items are repeated here from the Player’s 
  Handbook, usually due to a change in price or description 
  in this era.
  The DM should feel free to increase price amounts if 
  an item would be considered uncommon or difficult to 
  find. In many places, some products are just not easy to 
  acquire. Also, some items can be purchased at a higher 
  cost to reflect more expensive materials used in their 
  construction, such as a gold-embossed button-hook or 
  engraved pocket watch. 
  TYPES OF EXPLOSIVES
  The rules in this chapter divide all explosives into the 
  following three types:
  Dynamite is commonly used in mining and is one of 
  the most stable explosives to utilize, thus making it the 
  preferred choices for adventurers seeking to use it against 
  the enemy. Dynamite generally comes in the form of 
  short sticks that can easily be concealed within a coat. 
  Dynamite sticks deliver a good deal of explosive power 
  and their fuses can either be lit with a flame or wired to 
  detonate. For a greater impact, several sticks of dynamite 
  can be secured together. A successful Intelligence 
  (demolitions kit) check can determine exactly how many 
  sticks it will take to do the job at hand.
  Used in large quantities for demolitions work, 
  gunpowder is usually cheaper to acquire than sticks of 
  dynamite. It usually comes in bulky wooden kegs, in 
  which case it is far more cumbersome than dynamite 
  while also being less efficient. Long fuses can be used to 
  ignite the powder or it can be wired to explode. As an 
  explosive, gunpowder is difficult to use in close combat. 
  As is the case with sticks of dynamite, it is common to 
  have several cases of gunpowder linked together for a 
  greater impact upon detonation. A successful Intelligence 
  (demolitions kit) check can determine exactly how much 
  gunpowder are needed.
  The magic item called smokepowder, as introduced 
  in the Forgotten Realms adventure Waterdeep: Dragon 
  Heist, is essentially a magical form of gunpowder. On 
  Gothic Earth, the two substances function identically 
  (though gunpowder does not work at all in the Forgotten 
  Realms due to divine intervention).
  The chemical mixture known as nitrocglycerine is not 
  at all easy to manufacture and is rarely seen outside of 
  a laboratory or a demolitions warehouse. While highly 
  effective when used as an explosive, it is also extremely 
  dangerous.
  EXPLOSIVES ACCESSORIES
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Plunger
  $10.00 
  10 lbs.
  Fuse (50 ft.)
  $5.00 
  5 lbs.
  Wire (50 ft.)
  $2.50 
  5 lbs.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  76
  Adventuring Gear
  This section describes items that have special rules or 
  require further explanation.
  Binoculars. These viewing aides are popular among 
  explorers, adventurers, and those wealthy enough to 
  travel often. The binoculars listed here allow an observer 
  to clearly view an object as if it were one-tenth the number 
  of feet away it actually is (for example, viewing an object 
  100 feet away as if it were only 10 feet away), but objects 
  closer than 10 feet are hard to focus on.
  Burner, Bunsen. This item is used as a heat source 
  for work in scientific laboratories. The Bunsen burner 
  produces high intensity flames that are not smoky 
  and do not flicker excessively. These items, however, 
  require a gas feed, usually from a city’s gas line. For 
  this reason, Bunsen burners are rarely seen outside the 
  halls of science or academia, although some serious 
  experimenters have adapted them for private use. 
  Cabinet Bag. This carrying bag resembles the 
  stereotypical “doctor’s bag.” Stiff leather sides hold 
  the shape of the bag while a hinged top of soft leather 
  provides easy access to the objects within. 
  Calling Cards. A required convention of etiquette 
  among the upper classes, a calling card usually bears 
  the name, title and address of its owner, although some 
  individuals choose to omit the address, title, or both. 
  GENERAL PRODUCTS
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Alcohol (fuel) 
  $0.10
  1 lb.
  Backpack
  $2.00
  2 lbs.
  Binoculars
  $10.00
  2 lbs.
  Book, cloth cover
  $1.00
  0.5 lbs.
  Book, leather cover
  $1.50
  0.5 lb.
  Book, paper cover
  $0.50
  0.25 lb.
  Burner, Bunsen
  $0.75
  1 lb.
  Cabinet bag
  $3.00
  2.5 lbs.
  Calling cards (50) 
  $0.10
  0.1 lb.
  Camera, box
  $3.00
  3 lbs.
  Camera, folding
  $8.00
  2 lbs.
  Clock, alarm
  $1.50
  1 lb.
  Club bag
  $3.00
  2 lbs.
  Compass, magnetic
  $1.00
  0.1 lb.
  First aid kit 
  $2.00
  2 lbs.
  Goggles (tinted or clear) 
  $0.75
  0.1 lb.
  Handbag
  $1.25
  1 lb.
  Handcuffs
  $3.50
  0.5 lbs.
  Handkerchief
  $0.05
  —
  Hourglass
  $1.00
  1 lb.
  House paint, gallon
  $1.00
  10 lbs.
  Ink, 1-ounce bottle
  $0.50
  0.1 lb.
  Inkstand
  $0.35
  1 lb.
  Lantern, harness
  $1.00
  1 lb.
  Lightbulb
  $0.30
  —
  Lunchbox
  $0.25
  1 lb.
  Magic lantern
  $4.00
  5 lbs.
  Magic lantern slides (10) 
  $1.00
  0.1 lb.
  Magnifying glass
  $1.75
  0.1 lb.
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Matches (25/box) 
  $0.05
  0.1 lb.
  Matchbox, silver
  $1.15
  0.1 lb.
  Measuring tape (5 feet) 
  $0.25
  0.1 lb.
  Monocle
  $1.25
  0.1 lb.
  Music Box
  $4.50
  1.5 lbs.
  Notebook, pocket
  $0.10
  0.1 lb.
  Notebook, tablet
  $0.25
  0.2 lb.
  Opera glasses
  $2.50
  1.25 lbs.
  Pen, writing
  $1.00
  0.1 lb.
  Pencil
  $0.01
  0.1 lb.
  Photographic plate
  $1.00
  1.5 lbs.
  Physician’s bag
  $12.50
  6 lbs.
  Pipe, meerschaum
  $5.00
  0.25 lbs.
  Pocketbook
  $0.75
  0.1 lb.
  Scissors
  $0.75
  0.5 lbs.
  Soap, bar
  $0.03
  0.25 lb.
  Spectacles
  $2.75
  —
  Spyglass
  $7.00
  1 lb.
  Stepladder, 5 ft.
  $1.00
  5 lbs.
  Stereoscope
  $0.50
  0.25 lb.
  Suitcase
  $2.00
  1 lb.
  Telescope
  $12.50
  2 lbs.
  Tripod, wooden
  $1.50
  5 lbs.
  Trunk
  $2.50
  5 lbs.
  Wallet
  $0.50
  0.1 lb.
  Watch, pocket
  $2.50
  0.1 lb.
  Watch, chain
  $6.00
  0.1 lb.
  Whistle, police
  $0.75
  0.1 lb.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  77
  The card is handed to a butler or secretary so that this 
  individual may properly announce the caller. If the 
  sought-after host is not at home, the card can be left 
  behind as a reminder of the call.
  Camera, Box. Perhaps the most commonly 
  used camera of the period for landscape and studio 
  photography, this item is bulky, cumbersome and 
  fragile. To take a picture, a photographic plate must be 
  inserted into the camera. Once exposed, the plate can be 
  developed using a photographer’s set. Taking high-quality 
  pictures also requires a photographer’s set (described in 
  the “Artisan’s Tools” section of this chapter).
  Camera, Folding. Very similar to the box camera in 
  operation, the folding camera has the advantage of easier 
  storage and transportation through a soft body frame 
  with accordion folds that can be collapsed and carried 
  or stored in a relatively small place. Taking high-quality 
  pictures requires a photographer’s set.
  Compass, Magnetic. This is a small, handheld device 
  used in navigation. Within its casing is a lodestone 
  that rotates a directional display. If properly steadied, 
  the arrow always rotates toward the north. A character 
  using a compass always knows which direction is north 
  (barring any kind of large magnetic interference), giving 
  them advantage on ability checks to avoid becoming lost 
  in wilderness environments.
  Club Bag. A cross between a duffle bag and a 
  briefcase, this item is commonly fashioned from canvas 
  and leather. More exotic varieties of club bags, made 
  from the hides of alligators and other exotic creatures 
  are also available for those who can afford them. The 
  growing middle class makes good use of these handy 
  carrying cases, while the upper class often makes a show 
  of owning the more exotically constructed varieties. The 
  club bag has soft sides and a metal frame, and closes with 
  a metal clasp. 
  First Aid Kit. This kit is a leather pouch or metal box 
  containing bandages, gauze, rubbing alcohol, smelling 
  salts, disposable gloves, and pain-relieving medicines. 
  Otherwise, it is identical to a healer’s kit, and has ten 
  uses. As an action, you can expend one use of the kit to 
  stabilize a creature that has 0 hit points, without needing 
  to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check.
  Handcuffs. The equivalent of manacles in this era, 
  steel handcuffs are used primarily by law enforcement 
  agents. Civilians may find them difficult to acquire. They 
  can bind a Small or Medium creature. Escaping these 
  handcuffs requires a successful DC 22 Dexterity check. 
  Breaking them requires a successful DC 22 Strength 
  check. They are made with double locks, which means 
  each cuff can be locked and unlocked independently of 
  the other. Each set of handcuffs comes with one key. 
  Without the key, a creature proficient with thieves’ 
  tools can pick one of the locks with a successful DC 16 
  Dexterity check using those tools. Handcuffs have 20 
  hit points. 
  Lantern, Harness. Resembling a smaller version of a 
  common bull’s-eye lantern, this device casts bright light 
  in a 15-foot cone and dim light for an additional 15 feet. 
  Once lit, it burns for 2 hours on a 4 ounces of oil (about 
  a quarter of a flask). Though it sheds less light than larger 
  lanterns, it can be clipped to a belt, leaving the user’s 
  hands free. It can become quite hot, however, and must 
  be handled with great care. 
  Magic Lantern. An extremely popular form of 
  entertainment, this device projects an image onto a 
  screen using a lens to enlarge and focus the image. The 
  images are painted on glass slides that are inserted into 
  the machine. It is employed for religious, educational, 
  artistic, scientific and topographical uses as well. 
  Opera Glasses. These items are ornate, less powerful 
  versions of the more common binoculars. Opera glasses 
  generally magnify at a power of 2 or 3 times, limiting 
  GARMENTS
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Belt, leather 
  $0.30
  —
  Blouse 
  $1.25
  —
  Bonnet 
  $2.25
  —
  Boots, riding 
  $3.00
  —
  Boots, soft 
  $1.50
  —
  Boots, rubber 
  $1.25
  —
  Cap
  $0.50
  —
  Cape, Opera 
  $1.00
  —
  Dress, common 
  $4.00
  —
  Dress, fancy 
  $7.50
  —
  Gloves, kid 
  $1.00
  —
  Hat, Bowler 
  $1.00
  —
  Hat, Deerstalker 
  $1.25
  —
  Hat, Ten Gallon 
  $1.75
  —
  Hat, Silk Top Hat 
  $4.00
  —
  Overalls 
  $2.50
  —
  Overcoat 
  $11.00
  —
  Pants 
  $1.75
  —
  Petticoat 
  $1.00
  —
  Raincoat (oil slicker) 
  $4.00
  —
  Shirt 
  $1.00
  —
  Shoes 
  $1.00
  —
  Skirt, dress 
  $3.50
  —
  Skirt, walking 
  $2.50
  —
  Suit, hiking/riding 
  $8.00
  —
  Suit, bespoke 
  $12.00
  —
  Suit, daily business 
  $5.00
  —
  Suit, dress 
  $9.00
  —
  Union Suit, wool 
  $2.00
  —
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  78
  their use severely. A favorite vanity piece of the social 
  elite, these viewing spectacles are rarely ever seen 
  outside the theatre, except perhaps on display in the 
  homes of those wealthy enough to afford going to lavish 
  theatrical events on a regular basis.
  Physician’s Bag. This contains the basic implements 
  of modern medicine, including bandages, gauze, rubbing 
  alcohol, smelling salts, disposable gloves, and pain-
  relieving medicines. A physician’s bag is nicer than a first 
  aid kit, coming in a cabinet bag and containing additional 
  specialized tools such as a stethoscope, scalpels, post-
  mortem knives, and the like. Otherwise, it is identical 
  to a healer’s kit, except that it only has 5 uses, and by 
  purchasing $1.00’s worth of supplies, all expended uses 
  can be replenished. As an action, you can expend one 
  use of the kit to stabilize a creature that has 0 hit points, 
  without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check. 
  It also grants characters proficient in the Medicine skill 
  advantage on Wisdom (Medicine) checks when they are 
  physically examining the patient. 
  Pipe, Meerschaum. This smoking pipe is named 
  after the light stone from which it is carved. These 
  pipes are popular with gentlemen of the era, and have 
  been associated with the image of the “Great Detective” 
  Sherlock Holmes. 
  Stereoscope. This popular novelty device uses optics 
  to fool the eye into seeing an artificial three-dimensional 
  image. Constructed mostly of wood, the viewer looks 
  at two slightly different images (usually photographs) 
  through mirrors. They are a common household item 
  among Westerners. 
  Whistle, Police. These thin metal whistles are 
  standard issue for the constables of the era who use 
  them to summon aid or backup. The whistles used by the 
  London police can be heard up to 500 feet away, or up to 
  10 times that far with a successful Wisdom (Perception) 
  check (DC = 12 + 1 per 500 feet of distance from 
  the whistle).
  Artisan’s Tools
  The types of artisan tool sets described here either 
  supplement those in the Player’s Handbook or provide 
  more detail on their versions in Gothic Earth. For gaming 
  sets or musical instruments that exist in different versions 
  of the same item (such as higher or lower quality chess 
  sets or pianos), one proficiency covers all iterations of 
  that tool.
  Carpenter’s Tools. This kit contains an assortment of 
  carving tools, hammers and other items that may enable 
  a character to make repairs to wooden objects or fashion 
  new items from appropriate materials. However, a supply 
  of lumber and other materials is necessary for larger 
  projects. 
  Cobbler’s Tools. This kit contains tools that include 
  knives, punches and awls. A cobbler’s kit is used for the 
  care and repair of leather items. The kit also contains 
  shoe polish, saddle soap and leather cream. Used mostly 
  to fix shoes and boots, it is also used for other leather 
  goods including gloves, backpacks, suitcases, bags and 
  many other items. In this era, proficiency with either 
  cobbler’s tools or leatherworker’s tools can be used 
  interchangeably with both.
  Demolitions Kit. This does not contain actual 
  explosives, but it does include the implements for using 
  them safely, including 50 feet of fuses (usually pre-cut in 
  lengths ranging from 1 foot to 10 feet), snipping cutters, 
  a plunger, and 100 feet of wire. Proficiency with these 
  tools also provides general knowledge of explosives and 
  their use.
  TOOLS
  ITEM
  COST
  WEIGHT
  Artisan’s tools
  Carpenter’s tools
  $15.00
  15 lbs.
  Cobbler’s tools
  $5.00
  5 lbs.
  Demolitions kit
  $20.00
  20 lbs.
  Gunsmith’s kit
  $5.00
  2.5 lbs.
  Mechanic’s tools
  $25.00
  10 lbs.
  Microscope
  $18.00
  5 lbs.
  Photographer’s set
  $25.00
  5 lbs.
  Sewing kit
  $2.50
  1 lb.
  Smith’s tools
  $20.00
  25 lbs.
  Typewriter
  $25.00
  10 lbs.
  Watchmaker’s tools
  $30.00
  2.5 lbs.
  Gaming sets
  Backgammon set
  $5.00
  1 lb.
  Baseball gear 
  (ball, mitt, bat, and glove)
  $2.00
  3 lbs.
  Chess set, common
  $1.00
  0.5 lb.
  Chess set, fine
  $5.00
  1 lb.
  Marbles (50) 
  $1.00
  1 lb.
  Playing cards 
  (traditional 52 card deck, 
  plus 2 Jokers)
  $0.50
  —
  Tennis set 
  (balls, two rackets)
  $3.50
  2 lb.
  Musical instrument
  Banjo
  $4.00
  5 lbs.
  Bugle
  $2.50
  1 lb.
  Guitar
  $9.00
  3 lbs.
  Harmonica
  $0.30
  0.1 lb.
  Piano, grand
  $90.00
  500 lbs.
  Piano, cottage (upright)
  $40.00
  350 lbs.
  Tambourine
  $1.50
  1 lb.
  Violin, standard
  $6.00
  1 lb.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 5: WEALTH, EQUIPMENT, AND WEAPONS
  79
  Gunsmith’s Kit. These tools are designed to aid in 
  the repair and maintenance of most handguns and rifles. 
  It includes brushes, both long and short, to help keep 
  barrels clear of debris, as well as oil and cloth to keep 
  all parts in good working condition, and some small 
  metal tools. A character that also has access to a proper 
  machinist’s shop can craft firearms using these tools. 
  Mechanic’s Tools. A small assortment of tools 
  necessary for repairing and maintaining the wonders of 
  the modern age, such as electrical devices, mechanical 
  devices and steam engines. These include pliers, 
  wrenches, wire, tape, snipping cutters, rubber gloves, a 
  small rubber mallet, and more. Mechanic’s tools are the 
  functional equivalent of tinker’s tools, and proficiency 
  with either one includes proficiency with both.
  Microscope. This optical device has gone through 
  many changes in recent times, becoming smaller in 
  size and somewhat portable if great care is given to its 
  transportation. It is rarely found outside academic or 
  scientific halls, but can be used to examine minute objects 
  and is useful in many scientific pursuits. It is fragile and 
  subject to easy breakage. 
  Photographer’s Set. This portable case contains 
  everything needed to take high quality photographs, 
  including a fold-up camera and tripod, flash equipment, 
  flash powder, photographic plates, photographic paper, 
  developing chemicals, camera repair tools, and even a 
  small amount of makeup.
  Sewing Kit. This small kit contains needles, various 
  threads, a few stray buttons and a small pair of scissors. 
  The tools here are meant to repair small tears and to 
  make slight alterations to clothing and costumes. For 
  more extensive work, a sewing machine and appropriate 
  materials are required. For modern garments, the sewing 
  kit is the functional equivalent of weaver’s tools, and 
  proficiency with either one includes proficiency with both.
  Smith’s Tools. The art of the smith is not entirely dead 
  in the modern age. Though not as essential to a town’s 
  survival as it once was, blacksmithing is still a respected 
  and useful profession. This large, heavy kit includes a 
  leather apron and a wide assortment of metalworking 
  tools, such as hammers, chisels, and tongs, as well as 
  finer tools for doing decorative work on metal. In many 
  cases, however, use of these tools also requires access to 
  a working forge or anvil.
  Typewriter. Recently designed with the “QWERTY” 
  style typing board, this device is rapidly becoming a 
  staple in the business environment. Typing at the speed 
  required for professional employment as a typist requires 
  an ability check, and proficiency is tested during hiring. 
  While some models require the typist to lift the carriage 
  in order to see the work, improvements to this device are 
  taking place all the time. Some models are elaborately 
  decorated with flower designs and other decals. Cheaper 
  models are nondecorative and simply functional.
  Watchmaker’s Tools. This set of tools contains a 
  collection of fine instruments for the maintaining and 
  repairing of the delicate inner mechanics of pocket 
  watches and other chronometrical devices. Watchmaker’s 
  tools often include a magnifying lens (sometimes made 
  to be attached to a cap or to fit directly over the eye), 
  miniature pliers, tweezers, polishers and fine brushes for 
  cleaning out debris. 
  EQUIPMENT PACKS
  All of the equipment packs described in the Player’s 
  Handbook are still available on Gothic Earth, and most 
  remain just as useful. Each is a more convenient (and 
  often cheaper) means of buying the items in it than 
  picking them up individually. In addition, the following 
  equipment pack (introduced in Curse of Strahd) is also 
  available. 
  Monster Hunter’s Pack ($33). Includes a chest, a 
  crowbar, a hammer, three wooden stakes, a holy symbol, 
  a flask of holy water, a set of manacles, a steel mirror, a 
  flask of oil, a tinderbox, and 3 torches.
  TRANSPORTATION
  ITEM
  COST
  Ocean liner (per 100 miles) 
  $2.50
  Railroad (per 50 miles) 
  $1.50
  Riverboat (per 50 miles) 
  $1.00
  Cab, hansom (per mile) 
  $0.20
  Cab, four-wheeler (per mile) 
  $0.10 
  Omnibus (per person, to any destination 
  on local route) 
  $0.05
  COMMUNICATION
  ITEM
  COST
  Telegram (per word) 
  $0.05
  Telegram (per world, international) 
  $0.25
  
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   Chapter 6 
   
  Qabals
  I
  n the shadows of Gothic Earth, many qabals gather, 
  preserving forbidden lore against the curse of the Red 
  Death and the ravages of time. Whether or not they still 
  remember their original goals, and whether they have 
  remained true to their purpose or fallen utterly under the 
  control of the Red Death, most organize themselves into 
  independent cells, using secretive procedures like those 
  of professional spies to cover their tracks.
  Not all of those engaged in the secret war against the 
  Red Death are members of qabals, but for millennia these 
  covert orders have provided the main structure for all 
  organized resistance. Through unity, they have won many 
  victories no individual ever could, while also weathering 
  an endless number of cruel defeats.
  A Qabal’s Sigil. Each qabal has a sigil, a special 
  symbol meaningful only to those who know of the qabal’s 
  existence. Most qabal members carry some version of 
  that symbol (an engraving on jewelry, a custom calling 
  card, a surreptitious tattoo, or even the depicted object 
  itself) so that comrades in the battle against the great 
  Evil can recognize them when they meet. This includes 
  not only members of other cells from the same qabal, 
  but also members of other qabals with whom they share 
  a common cause. Usually, when qabal members who 
  don’t already know each other meet, a sigil is only part 
  of identifying each other, alongside secret phrases and 
  code words.
  Structure and Leadership. In the traditional 
  organizational methods handed down from the most 
  ancient of these groups, each area where a qabal is 
  frequently active has its own secret cell of a half-dozen 
  or so members. That cell recognizes a single leader. The 
  leader, in turn, is a member of a “ranking cell”, consisting 
  of a select group of 5–10 members who each lead a 
  separate cell of their own. The leaders do not discuss the 
  other members of the cells they lead unless absolutely 
  necessary.
  Conversely, cell members who are not in leadership 
  positions usually know little or nothing of cells elsewhere. 
  This structure makes it very difficult for a single member 
  who is captured and interrogated by agents of the Red 
  Death to reveal information under torture that would 
  threaten the qabal as a whole.
  For these hidden orders, paranoia is the price of 
  survival. Even the most virtuous qabals will kill to punish 
  betrayal or to keep their secrets out of the wrong hands. 
  Nevertheless, members of different qabals can and do 
  work together, sharing necessary information about the 
  Red Death’s machinations while withholding any details 
  about how their separate factions actually work.
  Qabalistic Initiation. Lists of spells, spellcasting 
  foci, and other details are provided after each qabal’s 
  description. The spells and foci are for use with the 
  Qabalistic Initiation option of the scion’s Forbidden 
  Lore feature. Brief descriptions of each qabal are included 
  as well. Each qabal also has a default alignment which 
  most of its members share, as well as a special symbol 
  (or “sigil”). Should you become a member of a qabal for 
  which a spell list is not provided, your DM will assist you 
  in determining the benefits you receive for Qabalistic 
  Initiation.
  The spells and spellcasting focus listed for each only 
  benefit a player character member of that qabal if that 
  character also has the Qabalistic Initiation fragment 
  of Forbidden Lore. They also give a general sense of 
  the kinds of spells members of the qabal tend to know, 
  listing those which are taught to members who seek 
  formal instruction. To be clear, neither the Qablistic 
  Initiation option nor any other class feature is required to 
  join a qabal.
  Joining a Qabal
  In some campaigns, the player characters will all be 
  members of a qabal—either all comprising a cell of the 
  same qabal, or as members of separate qabals allied in 
  the war against the Red Death. In many cases, however, 
  qabal membership will be attained over the course of 
  the game, and the characters will start with little or 
  no connection to any of these secret orders. Certain 
  campaigns may never have player character qabal 
  members, with these organizations remaining mysterious 
  factions lurking in the background as the story unfolds.
  Whichever of these is the case, the DM and players 
  should discuss whether any given character would begin 
  as a qabal member before play begins.
  A Partial List of Other Qabals
  There are far more qabals currently active on Gothic 
  Earth than can be described in this volume. A list of 
  many good and neutral qabals is included here. Qabals 
  described in detail elsewhere in this chapter are not 
  included in the list. Certain qabals described here claim 
  to have been influenced by beings from other worlds, 
  or even claim such beings as their founders, but the 
  inflexible nature of Gothic Earth’s planar boundaries 
  makes such claims highly dubious.
  Some have suggested that the Romani ethnic 
  subgroup known as the Vistani should be classified 
  as a qabal, given their secretive customs and the oral 
  traditions by which they are said to pass on occult lore 
  within family groups. However, labelling an entire culture 
  as a magical secret society is a strange proposition, and 
  rumors about innate supernatural capabilities being 
  passed on within Vistani groups (chiefly the ability to 
  employ certain types of magic without attracting the 
  attentions of the Red Death) cannot be confirmed.
  
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  Qabal Name
  Alignment
  The Betrothed 
  chaotic good
  The Baltimore Gun Club 
  neutral good
  The Community of Thoth 
  lawful good
  The Company of the Dance
  lawful good
  The Consanguinity of the Azure Robes 
  lawful neutral
  The Divine Madness 
  chaotic neutral
  The Eleusinian Consortium 
  chaotic good
  The Emerald Enclave
  neutral
  The Exorcists of the Silver Flame
  lawful good
  The Fellowship of the Tattered Scroll 
  chaotic neutral
  The Followers of the One 
  chaotic neutral
  The Followers of the Way 
  neutral
  The Guiding Hand 
  lawful neutral
  The Haywain Drivers
  neutral good
  Heirs of the Piper
  neutral good
  The Hermetic Order of 
  the Radiant Crescent 
  chaotic neutral
  The Interiad 
  neutral
  The Keepers of the Left 
  lawful neutral
  The Knights of Mars the Terrible 
  chaotic neutral
  The Millstone Sisterhood
  neutral good
  The Order of the Balefire
  neutral good
  The Order of the Crimson Chalice 
  lawful good
  The Order of the Cruciform Sword 
  lawful good
  The Pilgrims of the Radiant Dawn 
  lawful good
  The Seven 
  ?
  The Society of the Sanctified Mind
  lawful good
  The Spanish Hermetic Society
  lawful neutral
  The Students of the Reborn Truth 
  neutral
  The Sword That Has Been Drawn 
  lawful good
  Those Who Have Seen 
  lawful neutral
  The Undying Flame 
  lawful neutral
  The Unseen Hand 
  lawful neutral
  The World Spiritual League 
  neutral
  Die Wächtern
  Founded nearly a millennium ago, one of the most 
  established qabals is “the Watchers”, or Die Wächtern. 
  Though most members hail from Europe or North 
  America, the group acts globally, and has dedicated itself 
  to the elimination of the Red Death’s minions wherever 
  they can be found. Like all qabals, it is a secret from the 
  larger populace, but among those who oppose the great 
  Evil, it is perhaps the most well-respected modern qabal. 
  Its new leader is Professor Abraham van Helsing, said 
  to have won a decisive victory against Dracula himself 
  by organizing a small group of British socialites into a 
  formidable team of vampire hunters. Founded during 
  the First Crusade by Christian knights, the qabal still 
  bases its oaths and codes of conduct on Judeo-Christian 
  dogma, and most members are religious Westerners who 
  see their work as a holy quest. Members are no longer 
  required to be knights as they were in ancient times, but 
  they must be of “exceptional character” and are required 
  to swear a sacred oath to support the qabal and its war 
  against the horrors of the Red Death.
  The returning crusaders who established Die 
  Wächtern at the start of the 12th century had seen true 
  evil in the atrocities committed by their fellow crusaders 
  even before they ran afoul of the creatures of the Red 
  Death. They stumbled upon an ancient underground 
  complex, where they discovered a cache of arcane 
  knowledge and supplies brought to the Holy Land by 
  scholars who had fled the destruction of the Library 
  of Alexandria. They believed divine providence had 
  guided them to their find, yet they were soon beset by 
  unholy forces. They nearly died at the hands of the Red 
  Death’s servants, but their survival was the first of many 
  victories to come.
  Returning to their homes in Saxony, the knights 
  gathered at a hidden sanctuary south of Leipzig. They 
  began a new, holier war against the evil menace revealed 
  by the forbidden lore they had found. Their covenant 
  challenged each of them to live up to the example of 
  Provocatio, the Defiance, the ancient qabal whose 
  records they had uncovered. For centuries, the Watchers 
  united men and women of faith from various sects of 
  Christianity, Judaism, and Islam in their secret war 
  against supernatural evil. Their legacy of undaunted 
  heroism persists to this day, though a catastrophic defeat 
  in the early 1600s all but destroyed the order.
  A few qabalists escaped their mysterious attacker 
  (rumored to have been Dracula himself), but they could 
  not preserve the order’s records. A vast arcane library 
  including ancient tomes from the Defiance itself was lost. 
  Few setbacks in the war against the Red Death have been 
  so devastatingly bleak. Yet the few survivors recreated 
  Die Wächtern in Amsterdam, and have assembled a vast 
  new archive of occult knowledge.
  Sharing information with the astonishing speed 
  afforded by new technologies such as the telegraph, the 
  modern qabal lives up to its name, creating a web of 
  vigilance that stretches across the civilized world.
  1st-level Spells: detect evil and good, sanctuary
  2nd-level Spells: augury, lesser restoration
  3rd-level Spells: magic circle, remove curse
  Spellcasting Focus: Holy symbol
  Alignment: Lawful good
  Sigil: A monocle with a silver rim and/or a silver chain
  Headquarters: Amsterdam
  
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  The Ghost Circle
  As its name indicates, this is the modern revival of the 
  lost qabal known as the Circle. Though the original was 
  founded in London, most of its leading members were 
  deeply devout religious scholars who migrated west 
  with the Puritans and settled in the Massachusetts Bay 
  Colony. As well-versed in classical scholarship as the 
  teachings of the Bible, these learned magical adepts 
  used the same secret protocols practiced by other qabals 
  to keep their activities hidden from their superstitious 
  neighbors in the colony.
  One of the Circle’s primary pursuits in the New World 
  was seeking to meet with practitioners of magic from 
  various subgroups of the nearby indigenous coastal 
  peoples, such as the Wampanoag, Massachusett, and 
  Abenaki. Individual tribes among these First Nations 
  had suffered great losses from colonization, disease, and 
  warfare. The Circle qabalists worked hard to earn the 
  trust of as many of the remaining practitioners of magic 
  as they could. The colonists’ arrival had heralded a great 
  growth in the Red Death’s influence in this region, and 
  members of the Circle were only able to combat the great 
  Evil’s minions with the aid of native allies.
  Some early successes may have made the Circle too 
  ambitious. By means much like those which brought the 
  Red Death to Gothic Earth, a new and powerful entity 
  now called Zemlak the Destroyer arrived in our world. 
  The adepts of the Circle attempted to banish this entity, 
  but Zemlak was far too powerful. It defeated the qabalists, 
  revealing the identities of those who survived its wrath to 
  its minions among the Puritans. The Salem Witch Trials 
  were more than mere mass hysteria; they were an attempt 
  to eliminate the remaining members of the Circle.
  This attempt was almost completely successful. The 
  Circle ceased to exist as an organized qabal, and the few 
  members who were not killed survived only by fleeing 
  back to England or seeking sanctuary with the same 
  indigenous allies who had tried to warn them of their 
  foolish hubris.
  Only a few successors of the version of the qabal that 
  met its end in New England are active today, a single 
  cell recently relocated to Boston. In the Circle’s original 
  home of London, however, a larger resurgence has 
  taken place. This group consists primarily of younger 
  occult researchers who came together in the 1880s after 
  discovering a trove of the Circle’s lost literature. The 
  name “the Ghost Circle” came from the notion that the 
  Circle was rising from its own death to take action in 
  the world once more. The leaders are a trio of women 
  who each operate their own cells, frequently changing 
  locations and identities as necessary. 
  Members of the Ghost Circle bring a vast array of 
  scientific weapons to bear in their activities. Their 
  primary approach is always observation and investigation, 
  and it is only in rare cases that they choose to take direct 
  action. However, by combining the powers of modern 
  physics, engineering, medicine, and psychology with a 
  broad knowledge of the occult, they have had a number 
  of notable victories in their war against the horrors of the 
  supernatural.
  The cell that keeps the legacy of the ancient Circle 
  alive in New England only recently connected with the 
  British cells, thanks to the efforts of a young qabalist 
  named Theresa O’Neill. Drawn to Boston with her allies 
  in 1889, she became aware of visiting agents of the Ghost 
  Circle through divination magic. Sister to a Boston police 
  detective who does not believe in the supernatural at 
  all, Miss O’Neill is only a neophyte spellcaster, but her 
  investigative skills are well-honed. She carefully tracks 
  the Red Death’s rising American influence in coded 
  reports she shares with the leadership in London. She 
  knows the being called Zemlak is still active, and that it is 
  now one of the Red Death’s leading lieutenants.
  Another notable new recruit is a young man (born in 
  1872) by the name of Thomas Carnacki, who has already 
  had several successful adventures against the occult 
  despite his relative lack of experience. Whether his efforts 
  will bring him fame and fortune or only an untimely death 
  remains to be seen.
  1st-level Spells: bless, detect magic
  2nd-level Spells: magic weapon, see invisibility
  3rd-level Spells: dispel magic, magic circle
  Spellcasting Focus: A magnifying glass
  Alignment: Neutral good
  Sigil: A pentacle
  Headquarters: London (a townhouse in the bohemian 
  neighborhood of Chelsea)
  The Ghost Circle Headquarters, London.
  
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  La Lumiere
  Often known by its English name, “the Enlightenment,” 
  La Lumiere was established over a century ago in Paris, 
  during the historical era that shares its name. Three 
  previously separate qabals (the Alliance, the Society of 
  Keepers, and the Sisterhood) became one, dedicated 
  to the belief that learning, culture, science, art, and 
  individual freedom are humanity’s best hope for a bright 
  future—a future free of the Red Death’s control. 
  La Lumiere’s members work against supernatural evil 
  in much the same manner as other qabals, but their main 
  activities revolve around supporting those who wish to 
  expand the frontiers of the arts, sciences, and other areas 
  of learning. This tradition began with Andre Lescot, a 
  relatively low-ranking French government official who 
  was nevertheless able to subtly redirect resources and 
  sponsor programs to transform the palace known as the 
  Louvre into what it is today: the greatest museum on 
  Gothic Earth.
  Three smaller qabals unified around the vision 
  Lescot espoused: That there can be no livable future in 
  which human compassion and artistic expression do 
  not advance at the same rate as scientific and economic 
  progress. (Rumors say Lescot inherited this credo from 
  his parents, who died mysteriously in 1719, having been 
  involved in a similar previous qabal that disappeared not 
  long after.)
  Membership requirements are quite strict. This 
  qabal includes a fair number of the world’s best-known 
  artists and scientists, but most eschew fame, advancing 
  their cause anonymously. To even be considered for 
  recruitment, one must be of the highest intelligence, 
  cultural awareness, and refinement. Only those with a 
  deep belief in the priority of individual rights over the 
  laws of society are invited to join.
  Qabalists of La Lumiere have little respect for national 
  borders, seeing people everywhere as belonging to one 
  true community that includes all of humankind. Some 
  members could even rightly be called anarchists. All 
  strive for a new ordering of the world, the dawn of a more 
  civilized age in which all people unite to end human 
  suffering.
  Despite their steadfast opposition to the Red Death—
  which directly undermines La Lumiere’s goals with its 
  attempts to sow fear and ignorance—most of this qabal’s 
  members abhor violence. Many could be called pacifists. 
  When direct action against the great Evil is required, they 
  must navigate their personal ethical codes, seeking to 
  inflict no more harm than is absolutely necessary.
  1st-level Spells: faerie fire, sleep
  2nd-level Spells: continual flame, locate animals or 
  plants
  3rd-level Spells: daylight, love’s lament*
  Spellcasting Focus: Any lantern, torch, lamp, or candle
  Alignment: Chaotic good
  Sigil: A candle in a silver holder
  Headquarters: Paris (in a secret complex beneath the 
  Place du Carousel at the heart the Louvre)
  LOVE’S LAMENT
  3rd-level enchantment
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Self (60-foot cone)
  Components: V, M (a musical instrument)
  Duration: Instantaneous
  The music created by this spell draws upon the sadness, 
  guilt, and despair of those around you. Each creature in 
  a 60-foot cone has disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks related to hearing until the end of your next 
  turn, and it must make an Intelligence saving throw. 
  A creature that fails the saving throw takes 3d10 psychic 
  damage and is poisoned until the end of its next turn, 
  as it calls to mind memories of all its lost loves and 
  disappointments in life.
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using 
  a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the psychic damage 
  increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.
  The Nation of Nine
  This is a far-ranging, decentralized union of qabals 
  concerned with the preservation of sacred places. They 
  oppose threats to the natural world and associate the 
  corruption of the Red Death with colonialism and the 
  spread of technology. Most members hail from cultures 
  that have been on the wrong end of European empire-
  building, although at least one of its associated qabals 
  includes a fair number of agents of Western European 
  descent, who use their cultural fluency and privilege to 
  perform covert missions against the imperial powers.
  The Nation is even more secretive than most qabals, 
  since their activities often place them in direct opposition 
  to the world’s leading political regimes as well as 
  supernatural foes. Some say their name indicates they 
  are a union of nine separate qabals, but even this number 
  cannot be confirmed by outsiders.
  Each of the various sub-qabals keeps its own sigil. 
  Contact between them is rare, except among leaders. 
  When lesser agents must identify themselves to members 
  of another sect, they do so with the sigil of the qabal 
  they are meeting, rather than their own. The first of 
  the recorded sub-qabals was Libertad (“Liberty”), 
  whose activities are recorded as early as 1589. Their 
  most noteworthy work was with abolitionist and anti-
  monarchist movements in various Western countries, and 
  they were especially active around the French Revolution 
  and the lead-up to the American civil war. They are also 
  said to have engaged in mystical espionage to aid the 
  Union cause in that conflict.
  Yet Libertad was also involved with the central 
  mission that has since unified it with all of the Nation of 
  Nine’s other qabals. Since ancient times, humankind has 
  identified special locations as sources of mystical power. 
  Modern adepts and mystics often speak of places where 
  lines of magical energy (sometimes called “ley lines”) 
  intersect. Many locations have been recorded that not 
  only empower spellcasting, but diminish the corrupting 
  
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  85
  power of the Red Death. In many places, these sites are 
  still kept secret, often under the vigilance of the Nation, in 
  the hope that their unique properties need not be lost.
  People living near such places tend to feel an intuitive 
  impulse to protect and preserve them, but several factors 
  can remove this instinct. Growing settlements, the 
  clearing of natural features, increased reliance upon 
  technology, and the imposition of outside cultural values 
  all work, on many levels, to obscure any need to defend 
  such sites. This is especially true when such “civilization” 
  is imposed by an invader.
  Some of the most well-known of the world’s magically 
  sacred sites have already been depowered, corrupted, 
  or devastated by the Red Death’s agents. Stonehenge’s 
  sorcerous potency is greatly diminished, the great 
  pyramid at Giza focuses energies that have long since 
  been corrupted, and Angkor Wat was abandoned after 
  being nearly destroyed. The Nation of Nine is determined 
  to defend those that remain.
  Some have theorized that these places are 
  marshalling points, where the Earth itself concentrates 
  its resistance to the invasive power of the Red Death. 
  Members of the Nation believe such locations are vital 
  to saving humanity from the great Evil. Therefore, they 
  consider opposing the relentless march of what some 
  would call “progress” to be an absolute moral imperative. 
  Though many of these qabalists have known the 
  horrifying outrages of oppression, their larger mission 
  is not only about preserving or avenging any particular 
  cultural group. Rather, they have united for the salvation 
  of all humankind.
  1st-level Spells: fog cloud, hunter’s mark
  2nd-level Spells: heat metal, pass without trace
  3rd-level Spells: conjure animals, plant growth
  Spellcasting Focus: Any druidic focus
  Alignment: Neutral
  Sigil: Varies by subgroup
  Headquarters: None (individual member qabals are 
  said to be headquartered around the world, with two 
  tied to locations in West Africa, and others based 
  in Madagascar, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Bangkok, 
  Melbourne, Seattle, and Mexico City)
  PLACES OF POWER
  Certain magically powerful places, including the sacred 
  sites defended by the Nation of Nine, grant one or both of 
  the following benefits while a character is in that location:
  • Dark Powers checks are rolled with advantage.
  • Resolve point costs for casting spells are reduced 
  by half (rounded up).
  Scions of Alchemae
  Like the members of La Lumiere, the Scions of Alchemae 
  (sometimes known as the Brotherhood of Alchemae, 
  though given the growing numbers of female numbers, 
  this name is falling into disuse) place great value on 
  reason and scientific inquiry. However, this qabal is 
  unique in that pure science is seen as having a value that 
  eclipses all other things. 
  Art, emotions, morality, charity, and the like are 
  all seen as distractions. New members are not even 
  approached until they have made an important scientific 
  advancement or discovery. 
  This qabal was founded in Persia in the 1200s, 
  where its members used rigorous research and applied 
  magic (seen as merely an advanced scientific pursuit) to 
  investigate and harness the properties of light. Followers 
  of the Code Alchemae have been responsible for many 
  new fields of science and technology, yet at other times 
  they have sought to discredit certain innovators. 
  For example, Alessandro Volta, inventor of the 
  battery, was a Scion of Alchemae, but for unknown 
  reasons the qabal has worked to undermine certain 
  independent contemporary scientists, such as Anna 
  Mesmer and Nikola Tesla. Others prominent members of 
  the Scions have included Thomas Edison, John Dalton, 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | CHAPTER 6: QABALS
  86
  Marie Skodowska (known as Marie Curie after marrying 
  a fellow Scion in 1896), Aureliano Maestre de San Juan, 
  Dmitri Mendeleev, Huang Lü, Joseph Priestley, Rupa Bai 
  Furdoonji, Ada Lovelace, and Victor Frankenstein.
  1st-level Spells: find familiar, identify
  2nd-level Spells: calm emotions, locate object 
  3rd-level Spells: animate dead, clarity of mind*
  Spellcasting Focus: Alchemist’s supplies
  Alignment: Lawful neutral
  Sigil: A mortar and pestle
  Headquarters: London (relocated from Persia for 
  unknown reasons sometime during the 1700s)
  CLARITY OF MIND
  3rd-level abjuration
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Touch
  Components: V, S
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
  You touch a target and grant it extraordinary focus for 
  the duration. The target has advantage on Wisdom and 
  Intelligence saving throws against spells. Once during 
  that duration, the target can choose to gain advantage 
  on a Wisdom or Intelligence saving throw that is not 
  against a spell. Once the target does so, the spell ends 
  immediately. 
  In addition, until the spell ends, the target does not 
  have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks in 
  areas that are lightly obscured, nor on attack rolls against 
  creatures that are heavily obscured. 
  The Sword of Hunyady
  Founded by a descendant of the ancient Romanian 
  warlord (and secret foe of the undead) Janos Hunyadi, 
  known as the “White Knight of Christendom,” this 
  qabal has only existed for ten years. Yet it already well-
  respected among those who battle supernatural evil. 
  They are based in the small town of Hunedoara, only a 
  day’s travel from several centers of power for the being 
  believed to be the Red Death’s greatest servant, Count 
  Dracula himself.
  The founder of the qabal is Magda Arany, who traces 
  her ancestry back to Janos Hunyadi through his son, 
  King Matthias I of Hungary and Croatia. Magda was 
  also a student of Abraham van Helsing, and the Sword of 
  Hunyady maintains a close alliance with Die Wächtern to 
  this day. She came to believe that the influence of Dracula 
  and other undead monstrosities in Romania would 
  inevitably lead to great battles for the fate of humanity—
  battles that would be fought in her homeland.
  The other qabal members share their founder’s vision 
  of impending conflict, and spend their days preparing. 
  Much of their time is spent in training their comrades. 
  Each new member is expected to be formidable in at 
  least one of the “Four Pillars” at the core of the qabal’s 
  doctrine: faith, scholarship, martial prowess, and magic. 
  Once initiated, recruits are expected to conduct informal 
  classes to teach their fellow qabalists what they know.
  The other main requirement of membership is an 
  unquenchable desire to do battle with the forces of evil. 
  All new candidates must be sponsored by an existing 
  member. They will spend weeks having what they think 
  are merely informal (if deep and esoteric) conversations 
  with a “friend of friend”, who is actually one of the qabal’s 
  leaders (most often Magda herself). If the prospective 
  member is deemed acceptable, the leader extends them 
  an invitation to join. So far, so much care has been 
  taken to choose recruits of the right inclination that this 
  invitation has never been refused.
  Once a single cell based in Hunedoara, the qabal has 
  now established other small groups in major cities across 
  the regions of Transylvania and Wallachia. Recently, 
  the qabal has realized that Dracula himself has not 
  been spending his time in Romania, and so individual 
  members have been sent abroad to investigate the Count’s 
  activities. Sooner or later, the greatest of vampires 
  will return to his homeland, and the qabal intends to 
  be prepared.
  Currently, the Sword of Hunyady’s priority is 
  synthesizing information gained from disparate sources, 
  including knowledge passed on by Die Wächtern and 
  contacts in other good-aligned qabals. They believe the 
  minions of the Red Death are on the move, planning 
  something of unprecedented scope, and obtaining 
  a larger picture of what this means is considered a 
  vital goal. 
  Another major pursuit is recovering the many 
  legendary artifacts said to rest in hiding places across 
  their homeland. A local magical phenomenon aids them 
  in this. Each year, on St. George’s Day eve on May 4 
  (or April 24 in the Orthodox calendar), hidden magical 
  treasures in Transylvania betray their resting places by 
  means of a blue flame which flickers over their burial 
  places all night long. Thus, this is an important time 
  of year for the qabal, though they must move with even 
  greater caution than usual. For on that same night, some 
  related occult effect seems to empower the servants 
  of the Red Death from dusk until dawn. Even the local 
  folktales tell of these enchantments, and it is said no 
  Transylvanian in their right mind ventures outdoors on 
  this strange night.
  1st-level Spells: protection from evil and good, shield
  2nd-level Spells: darkvision, mirror image
  3rd-level Spells: clairvoyance, magic circle
  Spellcasting Focus: A vial of holy water
  Alignment: Lawful good
  Sigil: A coin bearing the likeness of Janos Hunyadi
  Headquarters: Castle Hunedoara, Transylvania
  
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  EVIL QABALS
  Though this chapter focuses on good and neutral qabals, 
  it must be noted that the number of such qabals is easily 
  equaled or exceeded by the number of corrupted ones. The 
  very nature of magic makes it very difficult for most qabals 
  to avoid falling into evil without disbanding. Some of these 
  qabals are cults, worshiping sinister entities. It is unknown 
  if any of the beings to which they devote themselves (if they 
  even exist) are servants of the Red Death.
  These compromised qabals differ greatly in 
  their beliefs, philosophies, approaches, and goals. 
  For example:
  Founded by survivors of the Defiance, the Six-Fingered 
  Hand remains dedicated to destroying the Red Death, 
  but members believe that the only way to defeat it is to 
  destroy Gothic Earth itself(!), a goal they actively pursue.
  Members of the Company of the Yellow Sign are 
  traveling actors and other theaterical professionals, all 
  obsessed with the text of a play that drives anyone who 
  reads it mad. 
  The Fellowship of the Crimson Dawn, a fashionable 
  London semi-secret society founded in 1887, is obsessed 
  with uncovering occult “truths.” Few of the qabal’s 
  influential members realize that their well-respected 
  leaders have become both adepts of startling power and 
  devoted servants of evil.
  The unnamed entity worshipped by the Cult of the 
  Heir is described as the rebellious daughter of Orcus, 
  the Roman god of the underworld. Their occult texts 
  describe this being (known only as "the Heir") as the 
  embodiment of betrayal and deceit, rewarding her most 
  fanatical qabalists with the secrets to cheat death itself 
  and gain immortality.
  The Sons of Mihnea collect unwilling blood sacrifices 
  to nourish a dhampir (half-vampire) believed to have a 
  family tie to Dracula himself.
  The Church of the Far Realm receives messages from 
  “Hidden Masters” who claim to dwell outside of this 
  plane of existence. These revelations instruct the qabal’s 
  members to perform potent arcane rituals, each intended 
  weaken the planar boundaries around Gothic Earth, until 
  the Hidden Masters are able to push through.
  The Cult of the Hell Hound Whisperer seeks to 
  corrupt those who feel they have been passed over for 
  advancement or defeated by unfair means, casting blame 
  for such failures on others and enticing their targets into 
  grand betrayals. They believe their schemes will one day 
  allow them to resurrect their deity, whom they believe lies 
  dead in the realms beyond.
  Other evil qabals include the Army of Set the Undying, 
  the Black Flame, the Circle of Five, the Circle of Thirteen, 
  the Cult of the Cosmic Beauty, the Eye, the Fearsome Army 
  of Madrid, Guild of the Dark Flower, the Hermetic Order 
  of Maejik, the Just and Mighty Order of Kahl, the Order of 
  the Endless Night, PRIME, the Transected Circle, the White 
  Legion, and Zemlak’s Children. Though some individual 
  members may yet be redeemable, all evil qabals serve 
  the Red Death’s purposes to some degree.
  Lost Qabals
  Many renowned qabals have taken up the fight against 
  humankind’s undying adversary over the millennia. 
  The prototype for most qabals is Provocatio, the Defiance, 
  which rose and fell in early centuries of the Common 
  Era. From the ashes of the Defiance grew other orders, 
  studying in secret to preserve what little magic they 
  remembered and make certain that the Red Death did not 
  corrupt everything utterly. 
  Other ancient qabals who took up the hallowed cause 
  of defending humanity include:
  The Stone. One of the first qabals to assume the 
  mantle of the Defiance, the Stone grew powerful in 
  6th century Britain, during the reign of the king legends 
  now name as Arthur Pendragon. The storied adept 
  Merlin, said to be descended of fiends yet dedicated to 
  the cause of good, led this qabal until his unexplained 
  disappearance. 
  The Stone persisted for centuries, lasting into the 
  era of the Holy Roman Empire. Eventually, however, 
  authorities were corrupted and manipulated into 
  persecuting the qabal’s members. At the same time, 
  creatures of the Red Death began assassinating key 
  leaders, and the Stone was finally crushed. However, it is 
  said that disciples of the Stone’s teachings later founded 
  successor qabals such as the Circle and the Scions 
  of Alchemae.
  The White Wizards. Like the Stone, the qabal known 
  as the White Wizards was founded by Merlin himself. 
  They were a much more widespread network, however, 
  stretching beyond Europe to the Middle East and North 
  Africa. They excelled in communicating magically from 
  afar, and it is said some members never even met a fellow 
  qabalist in person. 
  This ability to quickly disseminate information across 
  great distances allowed the White Wizards to identify 
  and destroy many of the minions of the Red Death. Their 
  main focus was defeating fallen and corrupted qabals, 
  and their adepts were particularly skilled in defeating 
  other spellcasters. While this group outlasted the Stone, 
  agents of the great Evil eventually destroyed the web 
  of magical communication that connected the qabal’s 
  membership, and its activities faded from history.
  The Phoenix. Arising from the ashes of a Europe 
  devastated by the Black Plague, the Phoenix was an 
  Italian qabal that emerged in the 1300s. Scholars of 
  Gothic Earth’s secret history often credit the Phoenix 
  with sparking the larger cultural movement now known 
  as the Renaissance. It is whispered among qabalist 
  scholars that the Phoenix’s swift genesis began with 
  the actions of a lord who had once served the Red 
  Death, but betrayed his former master in the interests of 
  saving humanity.
  This qabal sought to unite the great minds of the era, 
  including explorers, mystics, philosophers, scientists, 
  and artists. Many believe that great men like Leonardo 
  da Vinci, the architect Brunelleschi, and the painters 
  Piero della Francesca, Raphael and Michelangelo were 
  all members of the Phoenix at one time or another. 
  
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  Its well-traveled members ventured far from the qabal’s 
  Mediterranean birthplace, eventually founding cells 
  in places as distant as the Middle East and Asia. The 
  sharing of knowledge between such disparate places and 
  cultures re-acquainted these qabalists with knowledge 
  about the Red Death that had been lost centuries before.
  The end of the qabal is poorly understood today, 
  but most evidence lays the blame for the Phoenix’s 
  eventual downfall at the feet of the infamous Niccolo 
  Machiavelli. Some theories say Machiavelli had fallen 
  under the influence of the Red Death; others propose 
  that those actions which spelled the qabal’s undoing were 
  perpetrated by an inhuman creature who had disguised 
  himself as the influential political genius. In any case, by 
  the time colonialism began to spread the Red Death’s evil 
  to new continents, the Phoenix was no longer an obstacle 
  to the great Evil’s plans.
  The Circle. While members of many evil qabals 
  smuggled themselves to the Americas, eager to awaken 
  sleeping evils and corrupt magical creatures there, some 
  champions of good made the migration as well. One of 
  the most effective qabals in the New World arrived with 
  the Puritan settlers of what is now Massachusetts. The 
  Circle was destroyed during the Salem Witch Trials, 
  though it has recently been reborn. More details appear 
  in this chapter’s description of its successor qabal, the 
  Ghost Circle. 
  The Lost Kingdom. Whether this qabal ever even 
  existed is a hotly debated topic among modern qabalists. 
  If it did exist, it would have predated even the Defiance 
  by millennia. Some argue that it is not only real, but that 
  it still exists today, while others deny the whole idea is 
  wishful thinking.
  If the legends are to be believed, just before the Red 
  Death entered the world, a disciple of the Egyptian wizard 
  Imhotep fled the Third Dynasty with a devoted band of 
  adepts and mystics. This student, named as Sadett, saw 
  the direction her master’s work was heading and believed 
  his eldritch research would call forth otherworldly 
  corruption. She led her followers to an inaccessible valley 
  in what are now called the Congolese rain forests. For 
  4,000 years since, their descendants have ruled their own 
  nation and kept it secret from other civilizations.
  Despite this isolation, there are rumors that the Lost 
  Kingdom sends agents into the outside world to track 
  the spread of the Red Death’s corruption and follow 
  humanity’s progress in spite of it. It is also said that, on 
  rare occasions, they allow outsiders to join their ranks, 
  including the late Scottish explorer David Livingstone. 
  Although Livingstone never admitted to it, even when 
  asked on his deathbed, many qabalists are certain he 
  spent considerable time within the Lost Kingdom during 
  his explorations. Over the course of the 1890s, the names 
  of other famous explorers—such as Florence Baker and 
  her husband Samuel, Richard Burton, Professor George 
  Challenger, Mary Kingsley, Malcolm Murray, Allan 
  Quatermain, and Alexandrine Tinné—are sometimes 
  linked to the legend as well.
  The most alluring portion of the myths surrounding 
  the Lost Kingdom may be the description of various 
  protective and concealing enchantments woven over their 
  hidden city, allowing spellcasting without fear of the Red 
  Death’s taint.
  THE SOCIETY OF THE WHITE ROSE
  One of the most highly-regarded modern qabals is 
  the Society of the White Rose (sometimes called the 
  Fellowship of the White Rose), which for many years 
  has organized resistance to the Red Death across six 
  continents. Many members of other good aligned qabals 
  can recall having had White Rose contacts, and quite a 
  few have a story about the time they received crucial aid 
  or information from that qabal’s agents.
  However, none of those stories seem to take place 
  after 1889. Since the beginning of the 1890s, even 
  people who can recount positive experiences with the 
  qabal are unable to recall any specific details about its 
  members or their meeting places. As of now, it seems 
  no one remembers any specific details about the White 
  Rose. The fact that the Society was one of the most far-
  reaching and reliable qabals in the secret war makes this 
  phenomenon all the more confusing. More than a few 
  adepts and mystics even recall having joined the qabal 
  and taken action as members, but no longer remember 
  any details about the organization itself. 
  The authors hope to reveal more details about this 
  strange and tantalizing mystery, along with many other 
  secrets of Gothic Earth, in a future publication, under 
  the planned title of Masque of the Red death Dungeon 
  Master’s Handbook.
  
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   Chapter 7 
   
  A Primer for Dungeon Masters
  While this book is a guide for players, this chapter includes 
  some important rules and tips for Gothic Earth Dungeon 
  Masters. However, none of the content need be kept secret, 
  and many of these rules are likely to be referenced by 
  players as well. More detailed guidance on playing as the 
  Dungeon Master for Masque of the Red Death appears in 
  the previous published versions of the setting for the second 
  and third edition D&D rules. Some of their advice has been 
  gratefully adapted for this chapter.
  In addition to those books, some of the text from the 
  fourth edition Dungeon Master’s Guide and the third edition 
  Ravenloft Dungeon Master’s Guide has also been adapted 
  here, in accordance with the DMs Guild Community 
  Content Agreement.
  R
  unning Gothic Earth adventures differs 
  greatly from masterminding a campaign in more 
  traditional D&D worlds. While other games 
  may feature mysteries and battles with horrific 
  abominations in fantastic settings, a Masque of the 
  Red Death adventure explores the nuances of fear and 
  the essence of heroism in a comprehensible historical 
  age—and is hopefully all the more horrifying for that 
  familiarity.
  Gothic Earth is a world inspired by the real history 
  of the 1890s, but also one in which magic exists and 
  the taint of corruption eats away at the heart of the 
  world. This world is home to close analogs (or rather, 
  the original versions) of many of the most horrific 
  villains from the Ravenloft setting. Instead of Strahd 
  von Zarovich of Barovia, this world is home to a certain 
  Transylvanian count whose thirst for blood has enabled 
  him to live beyond the bounds of time. Dr. Jekyll and 
  Mr. Hyde live in the same symbiotic torment that 
  haunts the darklord of the domain of Nova Vaasa, while 
  Frankenstein’s monster stalks the night driven by an 
  undying hatred much like that of the creature who haunts 
  Mordenheim. This is a world of ghosts and mummies and 
  werewolves, where ancient Egyptian tombs lie in wait for 
  the archaeologists and explorers who eagerly unlock their 
  doors and loose their curses upon the unwary.
  The role of the Dungeon Master is particularly 
  crucial in a Masque of the Red Death game session. 
  The DM must set the stage, weave a web of deceit and 
  misdirection, fill the saga with fearsome atmosphere, 
  and choreograph the tale into a danse macabre, all while 
  creating and portraying intelligent and fallible supporting 
  characters and villains with individual motives and 
  weaknesses.
  The popular phrase “playing mind games” is a fairly 
  accurate description of a DM’s relationship to their 
  players in this setting. Masque of the Red Death relies 
  on deduction, clever ruses, glibness of tongue, subterfuge, 
  and inspiring the imagination with thoughts of terror. 
  Special attention must be paid to the cycle of fear and 
  hope players experience during a game session.
  These adventures rely on investigation and the fight 
  for survival, but this goes beyond solving overt puzzles, 
  gathering clues, and overcoming combat challenges. Over 
  time, the characters must unravel a web of plot twists 
  and conflicting machinations that tangles fallible mere 
  mortals with agents of a literal evil incarnate. 
  The archetypal Masque of the Red Death campaign 
  reveals its horror layer by layer, like nested Russian dolls. 
  Comprehending the first level of a story opens the way 
  to a second layer of plotting and motives behind the first. 
  And beneath that layer is another and another until the 
  heroes reach the heart of the matter, that master plot that 
  links mere mortal evils back to the cosmic horror of the 
  Red Death and its minions.
  As the adventure unfolds its mysteries, they should mix 
  those of a mystic nature with interweaving plots of NPCs 
  to cause confusion and misdirection. Most importantly, 
  the elements of the adventure should impact the players 
  (not merely the characters) on an emotional level.
  Useful storytelling devices for adventures on Gothic 
  Earth (with examples) are listed below:
  • 
  Pathos. The evocation of pity or sadness, often 
  created by seeing undeserved personal misfortune, 
  such as a poor orphaned waif crying for help from a 
  burning building.
  • 
  Injustice. Involving the characters in the plot on behalf 
  of someone who has grievously and unfairly wronged 
  by others. 
  • 
  Sympathetic Villains. An antagonist who performs 
  evil for a noble or relatable cause, such as to rescue 
  the lost soul of a loved one. 
  
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  • 
  Foreshadowing. A smaller plot that portrays a 
  miniature version of the larger arc of the campaign, 
  such as a small local dispute that parallels an evil 
  mastermind’s insidious plan. 
  • 
  Empathy. Understanding the pain of an NPC (even a 
  villainous one), such as when an enemy is revealed be 
  unjustly accused or misunderstood. 
  • 
  Surprise Reveals. Just when the characters think 
  they see where the plot is going, you pull out the rug 
  from under them: for example, they discover that the 
  kindly priest desperate to save his community from 
  a mysterious killer is actually the alter ego of the 
  murderer himself. 
  • 
  The ticking clock. Creating a sense of desperation 
  and impending doom if the heroes do not act 
  expeditiously.
  Plot twists and feints are what the game is about. Things 
  should rarely be what they seem, and when they are, their 
  purpose or motive may not bow to local conventionality. 
  Fair seems foul and foul seems fair while the mighty have 
  vulnerabilities and the weak have hidden strengths.
  To make the adventures grim and horrible, contrasts 
  should be provided in a story—interruptions of quiet 
  interludes and moments of peace, happiness, and light 
  help to make the shadows darker.
  Both the DM and the players should think about 
  conserving their characters’ resources—including their 
  hit points—until the final confrontation, when combat 
  may, in fact, be unavoidable. 
  Gothic Earth adventures should devote as much focus 
  to talking one’s way through a conflict or developing 
  clever problem-solving techniques to master a challenge 
  as other D&D games devote to combat or exploration. The 
  DM should be quick to listen to their players’ musings and 
  logic. When the players put great effort into developing 
  complex plans or clever strategies, that effort should be 
  rewarded with special successes or increased chances 
  for victory. 
  Indeed, the DM can allow ideas from players to 
  inspire new directions for the story, only to twist the 
  answer in an unexpected direction so that it resembles, 
  but is not identical to, the player’s thoughts. This 
  provides spontaneous evolution for the adventure while 
  rewarding players with a feeling that they are unraveling 
  the mystery.
  Horror and Madness
  In the more familiar D&D worlds, when mortal creatures 
  battle tentacled aberrations and intrude on sacrificial 
  rituals, their minds usually remain fully engaged with 
  the reality before them, even if they are haunted by the 
  disturbing memories later. On Gothic Earth, the response 
  is quite different. Alongside primal fear, the most 
  common reaction to such nightmarish confrontations is 
  instinctive denial.
  Most who see these things refuse to admit their reality, 
  insisting the attacking werewolf was a rabid animal, 
  the vampire’s missing reflection was a trick of the light, 
  or that the ghouls in the cemetary were enraged grave-
  robbers. When faced with eldritch horrors or any evil 
  beyond the banal corruption of civilized society, the 
  human mind recoils… because that is what the Red Death 
  wants to happen. 
  Its manipulations have deeply changed the psychology 
  of the human race and transformed the way people 
  respond to the supernatural. Most believe in a rational 
  world, where magic and true evil cannot exist, and they 
  cannot reconcile their mundane conception of reality with 
  anything outside of it. 
  And when denial fails, another phenomenon can take 
  hold: the mind-altering influence of the Red Death. It has 
  interwoven its power with this world’s magic and with 
  evil itself, both of which are tangible forces in the world 
  (even if few people are aware of that fact). Its alien sorcery 
  combines with the rigid worldview it has nurtured in 
  humanity, undermining the faculties of those who behold 
  monstrous horrors. 
  Mortals understand these disruptions as madness, 
  but despite any similarities in effect, they are far from 
  any condition that could affect the human mind due to 
  normal causes. While the budding science of alienism 
  (psychology) may be used to treat these maladies, each 
  is an expression of the Madness of the Red Death, that 
  entity’s attempt to corrupt human perceptions and self-
  control. Rather than being powerless in the face of such 
  insidious attack, those who defend humanity can use 
  their Resolve Points to resist.
  Since Red Death Madness is a supernatural affliction, 
  if your game involves any NPCs or other characters 
  living with actual mental illness, none of the rules in 
  this section should be used in their depiction. In fact, 
  including any more realistic challenges to characters’ 
  mental states in your game is a decision everyone 
  involved the game should make together.
  When a creature fails a Horror saving throw or suffers 
  another cause of madness, they roll on the Red Death 
  Madness Effects table and suffer the effect described. 
  (These rules are based on the optional Madness rules 
  described in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, 
  which they replace entirely for games set on Gothic 
  Earth.) The default duration of any effect rolled on 
  the table is 1d10 minutes, unless the victim is already 
  suffering one or more madness effects. If it is already 
  suffering just one effect, the duration is increased to 24 
  hours. If it is already suffering two or more Red Death 
  Madness effects, the new one lasts indefinitely until 
  cured. In some cases, however, the circumstances by 
  which such an effect is afflicted determines the duration.
  When rolling on the Red Death Madness Effects 
  table, the creature rolls a d6 to determine the madness 
  effect with which it is afflicted. If the result is an effect 
  with which it is already afflicted, roll again, using a 
  d10. If this next result is also an effect with which it 
  is already afflicted, roll again using a d20, and keep 
  rerolling if necessary until you get a new type of Red 
  Death Madness.
  For player characters, the player incorporates the 
  madness into the character’s existing personality and 
  still role-plays their own character. The DM does not take 
  
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  control of a character as it slips into insanity, though the 
  DM might make suggestions on how such a character 
  would deal with these dramatic changes to their 
  state of mind.
  However, if a character rolls a 20 on the Red Death 
  Madness Effects table, the DM then has the option of 
  taking such a character for their use as an NPC.
  FANTASY, REALITY, 
  MADNESS, AND CONSENT
  Real mental illness is far more complicated than the 
  mechanics of any roleplaying game could ever capture. 
  In the interest of compatibility, the effects here closely 
  follow the model of the optional Madness rules 
  described in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, 
  but with some differences (for example, the changes to a 
  character’s mental state created by Red Death Madness 
  effects are referred to as Personality Traits rather 
  than Flaws).
  No effect on the Red Death Madness Effects table is 
  meant to bear anything more than a passing resemblance 
  to any real neurodivergence or mental health issue. 
  They are all supernatural conditions filtered through 
  the extremely flawed 1800s century understanding of 
  “insanity” (an outdated term which, by the 21st century, 
  has no place in the science of psychology). On Gothic 
  Earth, evil and horror are tangible cosmic forces, and 
  the Red Death uses its supernatural influence over 
  these forces to inflict these effects, as consequences of 
  confronting the unreal terrors described in Gothic horror 
  stories and fantasy fiction.
  While the authors of the present volume have sought 
  to present this material respectfully, and to draw a clear 
  line between the fictionalized states of mind on the Red 
  Death Madness Effects table and the actual science 
  of mental health, the Horror & Madness rules will not 
  be right for every player or every group. Obtaining 
  unanimous consent, as described in the “Handling 
  History and Horror” section at the beginning of this book, 
  will be very much needed here. Do not to assume the use 
  of these rules unless everyone in the group has directly 
  consented to having the Red Death Madness effects 
  inflicted on their characters. 
  If your group does not use the Horror & Madness 
  rules, use the following simple replacement: whenever a 
  horror saving throw would be called for, substitute a fear 
  saving throw instead.
  Red Death Madness Effects
  The effects described here correspond to the entries on 
  the Red Death Madness Effects table, and are listed in the 
  same order as they appear:
  Anhedonia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I take no pleasure in social interaction, and seek to be 
  alone as much as possible.”
  Cyclothymia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I suffer from great mood swings, and when I am not full 
  of manic energy, I’m depressed and unmotivated.”
  Entomophobia. You gain the following Personality 
  Trait: “I am terrified of bugs, insects, and spiders.” 
  Whenever you start your turn within 10 feet of such a 
  creature that you can see, you must make a fear save.
  Hebephrenia. You gain the following Personality 
  Trait: “I struggle to carry out everyday tasks, and my 
  words are often a confusing jumble.” Whenever you finish 
  a long rest, you must roll a DC 12 Constitution saving 
  throw. On a failure, you suffer disadvantage on Charisma 
  (Deception or Persuasion) checks until the next time you 
  finish a long rest.
  Melancholia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I’m depressed because I know everything I do ends in 
  failure.” Whenever you finish a long rest, you must roll a 
  DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you take 
  1 level of exhaustion.
  Pyromania. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I need to see everything burn.” When you do not have 
  some reliable means of starting a fire (such as matches 
  and kerosene) on your person, you suffer disadvantage 
  on all ability checks until you acquire such means. If you 
  have the opportunity to set something larger than a sheet 
  of paper on fire without anyone seeing you do so, you 
  must roll a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you 
  take psychic damage equal to 1d6 + your level unless you 
  attempt to start the fire immediately.
  RED DEATH MADNESS EFFECTS
  d20
  MADNESS EFFECT
  1
  Anhedonia
  2
  Cyclothymia 
  3
  Entomophobia
  4
  Hebephrenia
  5
  Melancholia
  6
  Pyromania
  7
  Monophobia
  8
  Agoraphobia
  9
  Avolition
  10
  Kleptomania
  11
  Hemophobia
  12
  Dysthymia
  13
  Aphasia
  14
  Catatonia
  15
  Partial Amnesia
  16
  Atychiphobia
  17
  Neurasthenia
  18
  Nyctophobia
  19
  Paranoia 
  20
  Psychopathy
  
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  Monophobia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I am terrified of being alone.” Whenever you start your 
  turn with no allies within 10 feet of you, you must make a 
  fear save.
  Agoraphobia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I am terrified of open spaces.” Whenever you start your 
  turn in an open space (as defined by the DM), you must 
  make a fear save.
  Avolition. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I have no motivation to put forth any effort, and only 
  grudgingly comply with the requests of others.” You have 
  disadvantage on Dexterity checks for initiative.
  Kleptomania. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I cannot resist stealing small items whenever I think I 
  can get away with it.” If you have the opportunity to steal 
  an object small enough to be hidden on your person, 
  without anyone seeing you do so, you must roll a DC 15 
  Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you take psychic 
  damage equal to 1d6 + your level unless you attempt to 
  steal the item immediately.
  Hemophobia. You gain the following Personality 
  Trait: “I am terrified of the sight of blood.” Whenever you 
  start your turn within 10 feet of a living creature that has 
  been reduced to half its hit point maximum or less, or 
  something else that is bleeding or bloody, you must make 
  a fear save.
  Dysthymia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I am so depressed I can no longer make important 
  decisions, or even sleep!” You have disadvantage on death 
  saving throws and on Dexterity checks for initiative, and 
  whenever you finish a long rest, you must roll a DC 15 
  Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you take 1 level of 
  exhaustion.
  Aphasia. You often lose the ability to speak. Whenever 
  you finish a long rest, you must roll a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw. On a failure, until the next time you finish 
  a long rest, you become incapable of normal speech, and 
  cannot cast spells with verbal components.
  Catatonia. Whenever you finish a long rest, you must 
  roll a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, 
  for 2d8 hours, you are incapacitated (see the condition), 
  you can’t move or speak, and you are unaware of your 
  surroundings. At the end of that time, you must roll 
  another DC 15 Constitution saving throw; if you fail, 
  these effects are extended for another 2d8 hours.
  Partial Amnesia. You lose some of your memories. 
  You knows who you are, and you all profiencies, racial 
  traits, class or arcehtype features, and background 
  benefits, but doesn’t recognize other people or remember 
  anything that happened before the madness took effect.
  Atychiphobia. You gain the following Personality 
  Trait: “I have a debilitating fear of failure.” Whenever you 
  make a d20 roll for which you have disadvantage, you 
  must make a fear save.
  Neurasthenia. You have weak nerves. You gain the 
  following Personality Trait: “I suffer constant anxiety and 
  I am easily overwhelmed by events around me.” You have 
  disadvantage on Dexterity checks for initiative, and if you 
  do not have the highest initiative result, you must make a 
  fear save.
  Nyctophobia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I am terrified of the dark.” Whenever you start your turn 
  in an area that is lightly or heavily obscured by darkness, 
  you must make a fear save.
  Paranoia. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I am convinced that powerful enemies are hunting me, 
  and their agents are everywhere I go. I am sure they’re 
  watching me all the time.” Whenever you make an 
  opposed roll or a Dexterity check for initiative, you must 
  make a fear save
  Psychopathy. You gain the following Personality Trait: 
  “I no longer feel empathy or remorse, and I don’t care who 
  I have to hurt to get what I want.” You have disadvantage 
  on Wisdom (Insight) checks, and your alignment changes 
  to Neutral Evil.
  Recovering from red death Madness
  Once Red Death Madness takes root, it is hard to 
  eliminate. The most reliable means of curing madness 
  is magic, though that can be risky for the spellcaster. 
  Otherwise, if the afflicted character can get to a place 
  of calm and safety, there is hope they can recover their 
  
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  senses, especially under the care of someone skilled 
  in the burgeoning science of psychology. However, 
  characters who go too long before starting the process of 
  regaining their mental health make that process much 
  more difficult.
  Magical Cures
  A calm emotions spell can suppress the effects of 
  madness for the duration for those that fail the saving 
  throw against the spell. Lesser restoration and remove 
  curse allow a target with Red Death Madness to make 
  a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw the next time they finish 
  a short or long rest, with success ending one madness 
  effect from which they are suffering. A greater restoration 
  spell or more powerful magic is the only sure cure for 
  madness. When used in this way, greater restoration 
  ends up to three madness effects of the caster’s choice 
  on the target.
  Recovery by Resolve
  If a character with at least 1 resolve point finds a secluded 
  place where they feel safe to collect themselves, they can 
  start the process of trying to recover from Red Death 
  Madness. If it is begun within 24 hours of the madness 
  effect being gained, this attempt takes 8 hours. During 
  that 8 hours, the afflicted character cannot perform any 
  activity more strenuous than they would during a short 
  rest, nor can they take damage or make any fear saves, 
  horror saves, or Dark Powers saves.
  At the end of the 8 hours, the afflicted character can 
  make a Wisdom saving throw. The DC is 20 minus the 
  afflicted character’s current number of resolve points. 
  Success on the Wisdom save ends one Red Death 
  Madness effect from which the afflicted character is 
  suffering. If the roll succeeds by 5 or more, one additional 
  madness effect, if such exists, is also cured. On a failure, 
  the afflicted character suffers no adverse effects, unless 
  they fail the roll by 5 more, in which case their grip on 
  sanity loosens, and they must roll on the Red Death 
  Madness Effects table once again.
  If the afflicted character has another character 
  attempting to aid and counsel them for the entire 8 hours, 
  the counselling character may be able to help by making 
  a Charisma or Wisdom check with an appropriate skill 
  just before the afflicted character rolls their Wisdom save. 
  On a success, the afflicted character gains advantage 
  on their Wisdom saving throw to recover from Red 
  Death Madness. (A counselling character with the 
  Alienist Specialist Technique from the Expert archetype 
  automatically grants advantage on this saving throw.)
  If the Red Death Madness to be cured has been in 
  effect for longer than 24 hours, the process takes 7 days 
  rather than 8 hours. A counselling character who wishes 
  to assist must spend at least 24 hours with the afflicted 
  character over the course of the 7 days, otherwise their 
  assistance has no effect.
  Sanitariums
  Content Note: This section discusses institutionalization 
  for mental illness.
  Sanitariums on Gothic Earth are more advanced than 
  similar institutions in other D&D worlds. Psychologists 
  work with the latest theories and treatments in an attempt 
  to cure even the most violent and uncontrollable victims. 
  However, these institutions vary widely in effectiveness. 
  While peace and quiet are often part of the treatment 
  for mental illness, they become less curative when a 
  character is locked away in a place where “peace” comes 
  from opium or absinthe, or where “quiet” comes from 
  an isolated room with well-padded walls and occasional 
  experimental “treatments.” 
  Since most people in this scientific and rational age 
  do not believe in ghosts, monsters or magic, it is not at all 
  unusual for characters heard babbling about encounters 
  with a werewolves or ghosts to be labelled as insane. 
  During the 1890s, it became “fashionable” to suffer from 
  multiple personality disorder, and many were diagnosed 
  incorrectly with that mental illness. Characters with no 
  Red Death Madness or major mental health challenges 
  may find themselves in an asylum or hospital. They may 
  actually become afflicted with Red Death Madness, due to 
  time spent within the institution meant to be curative.
  Sanitariums are given one of three ratings relative 
  to the sanity of these therein, similar to the attitudes of 
  NPCs: Helpful, Indifferent, or Hostile. These each have 
  an effect on characters dwelling in them.
  A helpful sanitarium gives characters who have been 
  there for at least the last 7 days a +5 bonus on Wisdom 
  saving throws to recover from Red Death Madness.
  An indifferent sanitarium may or may not help any 
  character confined within it. A character who has spent 
  at least the last 7 days in an indifferent sanitarium treats 
  each successful Wisdom saving throw they make to 
  recover from Red Death Madness as if the roll had been 5 
  higher, but also treats each failed Wisdom save they make 
  to recover from Red Death Madness as if the roll had 
  been 5 lower.
  A hostile sanitarium actively degrades the mental 
  health of those who spend time there. Harmful 
  treatments, abusive attempts at discipline, or even 
  outright torture may be administered, forcing additional 
  horror saves. Even characters who are fortunate enough 
  to avoid such excesses must make a horror save at the 
  end of every 10 days they spend in a brutal sanitarium. 
  In addition, any character who has spent the last 7 
  or more days within such a brutal sanitarium has 
  disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws to recover from 
  Red Death Madness.
  
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  Dark Powers
  Evil comes in many forms, but it is never as dangerous 
  as when it is convenient. The Red Death poisons with 
  a subtle hand. Those who believe “the end justifies 
  the means” often find themselves caught in a web of 
  corrupting darkness, no matter how earnestly they claim 
  good intent. Each moral shortcut leads farther from the 
  light and one step closer to damnation.
  The threat of seduction via the Dark Powers granted 
  by the Red Death should serve as a discouragement for 
  characters who consider performing acts of evil, even 
  in the name of good. Each time a Dark Power is gained, 
  a character falls further and deeper into corruption, 
  seduced by power and darkness.
  As described elsewhere, even the mere act of casting a 
  spell is another chance to draw the Red Death’s attention, 
  and each failure makes redemption that much harder. Yet 
  there are other means of obtaining these sinister gifts. 
  Acts of true evil always risk attracting the notice of a far 
  greater evil.
  The Price. If the number of Dark Powers a creature 
  possesses is ever higher than their total number of Hit 
  Dice, from that day forward that creature belongs to the 
  Red Death, body and soul, becoming an NPC under the 
  DM’s control.
  The Path of Corruption
  Dark Powers are granted according to six stages, which 
  map the character’s descent into evil. The path from 
  innocence to damnation in the Red Death’s service is 
  far too short. Each stage grants a different kind of Dark 
  Power, starting with Stage One. 
  Stage One: The Caress
  A character with no Dark Powers receives their first one 
  in the form of an unholy being who appears and offers 
  assistance.
  The character learns the find familiar spell and can 
  cast it as a ritual. Even if they do not cast it, the next time 
  they finish a long rest, the familiar appears as if they had. 
  The familiar is either an imp or a quasit, as chosen by the 
  DM. If the character already has a familiar, this new one 
  replaces it.
  When the imp or quasit appears, it is in the form 
  of a beast, as per its Shapechanger trait, and it avoids 
  assuming its true form unless it is alone with its master 
  or under duress. If the familiar is dismissed or killed, 
  it reappears the next time the character finishes a long 
  rest if the character has not already brought it back 
  themselves. 
  The familiar assists the character, but its goal is 
  to corrupt them, and it has the following Personality 
  Trait: “I keep a list of my master’s sins, which I recite 
  gleefully at the most disturbing times.” Even when the 
  familiar is not physically present, its fell spirit is always in 
  telepathic contact.
  When the character rolls a 1 on an attack roll, ability 
  check, or saving throw, it can ask this familiar to grant 
  supernatural aid from the evil forces that sent it. The DM 
  decides if it agrees to help. If it does, the character rerolls 
  with advantage, and must use the new roll. However, 
  
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  when this happens, the familiar chooses the character’s 
  movement and action on its next turn.
  The next time the character gains a Dark Power, they 
  immediately reach Stage Two, and gain their new Dark 
  Power as described in that stage.
  Stage Two: The Enticement
  A character who already has one or more Dark Powers 
  is rewarded for returning to their evil ways with a 
  new Dark Power, a minor boon that comes with an 
  embarrassing curse.
  The DM chooses one 1st-level spell the character does 
  not already know. It cannot be an abjuration, divination, 
  or evocation spell. The character can cast the chosen 
  spell once at its lowest level, regaining the ability to do 
  so when they finish a long rest. Casting this spell requires 
  a Dark Powers save as normal.
  At the same time, the character gains a unique curse 
  that only afflicts them when they try to perform certain 
  tasks in the harsh light of the sun. The DM chooses one 
  of the following skills: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, 
  Athletics, Deception, Medicine, Performance, Persuasion, 
  Sleight of Hand, or Stealth. While in sunlight, the 
  character has disadvantage on checks with the chosen 
  skill. The DM and the player should cooperate to 
  determine the form this curse takes, based on the skill 
  affected (Examples: For Acrobatics their limbs feel heavy 
  when they attempt certain movements, for Deception the 
  character grins like a demented madman whenever they 
  lie, for Medicine their hands spasm and clench when they 
  treat or examine a patient, etc.)
  The next time this character gains a Dark Power, they 
  roll a d6 and subtract the number of Dark Powers they 
  possess from the number rolled. If the result is 1 or lower, 
  they proceed to Stage Three, otherwise, they gain another 
  Stage Two power.
  Stage Three: The Invitation
  A character who continues in their evil ways is offered 
  further corruption via a new Dark Power, a magical item 
  empowered by the Red Death. This item is chosen to 
  assist the character in their evil endeavors, but carries a 
  frustrating curse.
  The DM chooses one magic item, which should be a 
  permanent item, not a consumable one like ammunition, 
  a potion, or a scroll. This is an uncommon magic item 
  unless the character’s proficiency bonus is +3 or higher, 
  in which case it is rare one. The character gains the 
  chosen item, either finding it placed mysteriously among 
  their personal items or discovering that one nonmagical 
  item they already own is empowered with eldritch might. 
  The character gains the following Personality Trait: “I 
  am unwilling to part with this item of power, and I keep it 
  within reach at all times.”
  This item requires attunement, even if other items of 
  this kind do not. No one can attune to this item except 
  the character who received it as a Dark Gift. The item 
  gains one minor detrimental property, from the table in 
  the Artifacts section of chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master’s 
  Guide, replacing all references to the artifact with 
  this item.
  The next time this character gains a Dark Power, they 
  roll a d8 and subtract the number of Dark Powers they 
  possess from the number rolled. If the result is 2 or lower, 
  they proceed to Stage Four, otherwise, they gain another 
  Stage Three power.
  Stage Four: The Embrace
  The character is marked as a true villain, undergoing a 
  troubling transformation which also provides a powerful 
  boon. This transformation creates serious mental or 
  physical changes, marking them for their deeds. Such 
  a character can no longer live a normal life, though 
  often their new form can be hidden with special effort. 
  Roll or choose from the following table to determine the 
  character’s new Dark Power.
  The next time this character gains a Dark Power, they 
  roll a d10 and subtract the number of Dark Powers they 
  possess from the number rolled. If the result is 3 or lower, 
  they proceed to Stage Five, otherwise, they gain another 
  Stage Four power.
  STAGE FOUR DARK POWERS
  d12
  DARK POWER
  d12
  DARK POWER
  1
  Darkened Gaze
  7
  Inhuman Eyes
  2
  Call of Dagon
  8
  Second Face
  3
  Living Death
  9
  Smoldering Breath
  4
  Nocturnal Intangibility
  10
  Devilish Hooves
  5
  Forked Tongue
  11
  False Lycanthropy
  6
  Aural Infestation
  12
  Whispers of 
  the Red Death
  These Dark Powers’ effects are as follows: 
  Darkened Gaze. The character’s eyes turn completely 
  black, and they can no longer see. The character is blind 
  and has disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks, 
  but gains blindsight out to a range of 60 feet. 
  
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  Call of Dagon. The character develops gills, gaining 
  the ability to breathe underwater and a swimming speed 
  of 30 feet. If the character has gone more than 8 hours 
  without being fully submerged in water, they suffer 
  disadvantage on Constitution saving throws until they are 
  submerged again. 
  Living Death. The character’s skin is cold and clammy 
  to the touch, and they smell like a recently embalmed 
  corpse, with perfumes and chemical smells barely 
  covering a hint of rot. The character gains resistance to 
  cold and poison damage and vulnerability to fire damage. 
  Nocturnal Intangibility. At night, the character can 
  spend 1 resolve point or 1 Hit Die to move through solid 
  objects as though they were difficult terrain until the end 
  of their next turn. A character who ends his or her turn 
  inside an object takes 5 (1d10) force damage. 
  Forked Tongue. The character’s tongue forks 
  like that of a serpent. When speaking the truth, the 
  character’s voice is a hissing whisper, but lies and 
  threats comes naturally, granting the character 
  advantage to all Charisma (Deception or Intimidation) 
  checks, but imposing disadvantage on all Charisma 
  (Persuasion) checks.
  Aural Infestation. Worm-like insects have taken 
  residence in the character’s ears, imposing disadvantage 
  on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. 
  As an action, the character can pull an insect from their 
  ear, which can be consumed by any willing creature to 
  restore 1 hit point. A character who benefits from eating 
  one of these insects cannot do so again until they finish 
  a long rest; until then, eating additional insects provides 
  no benefit, and instead causes the character to become 
  sickened, taking 1 level of exhaustion. 
  Inhuman Eyes. The character’s irises are no longer 
  circular, but take a new and inhuman shape (such as 
  the vertical slits in cat’s eyes, or the horizontal ones 
  possessed by goats). The character gains darkvision out 
  to 60 feet and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on sight, but has disadvantage on Wisdom 
  (Animal Handling) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks. 
  Second Face. The character grows an additional face 
  on the back of their head. At inopportune times it begins 
  to discuss the sins and flaws of those nearby, imposing 
  disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) and Charisma 
  (Persuasion) checks, but also granting advantage on 
  Wisdom (Insight) checks. While the second face is 
  uncovered, the character cannot be surprised, except 
  when incapacitated. 
  Smoldering Breath. The character’s throat and lungs 
  burn as if they are breathing in smoke, and they exhale 
  wisps of smoke with every breath. They cough loudly 
  in moments of stress, granting them disadvantage on 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks. However, they can cough up 
  a billowing cloud of smoke, casting the fog cloud spell, 
  which must be centered on themselves. The duration 
  is changed to 1 minute, and the spell does not require 
  concentration. They can cast fog cloud in this manner 
  once, regaining the ability to do so when they finish a 
  short or long rest. 
  Devilish Hooves. The character’s feet transform into 
  large black hooves, and they can no longer wear shoes 
  or other footwear. This gives them disadvantage on 
  Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and causes ability checks to 
  follow the character’s tracks to be rolled with advantage. 
  However, the character’s speed increases by 5 feet, and 
  they ignore difficult terrain. 
  False Lycanthropy. The character’s hair grows long, 
  thick, and unkempt, while their eyes take on a slight 
  reddish glow, their eyebrows grow thickly together, their 
  teeth sharpen, and a brand of a pentagram appears 
  on the inside of their left hand. The character is not a 
  werewolf (unless they have actually contracted that form 
  of lycanthropy), but has all the classical signs of being 
  one. They have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  related to sight or smell, and when reduced to half their 
  hit point maximum or fewer, they gain resistance to 
  nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage 
  
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  that is not silver or adamantine. However, they are 
  vulnerable to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage 
  from silver weapons, and if they touch wolfsbane or a 
  silver object, they suffer disadvantage on all Dexterity 
  checks, Constitution saving throws, and melee attack 
  rolls for 1 minute. 
  Whispers of the Red Death. The character hears 
  distracting, deceitful whispers from an unseen malevolent 
  force, which occasionally contain a kernel of truth. This 
  imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on hearing, but also allows the character to cast 
  the augury spell once, regaining the ability to so whenever 
  they finish a long rest.
  Stage Five: The Creature
  A character at this stage has been reshaped into a 
  creature of the night, and they gain an additional Dark 
  Power to speed them down the path of corruption. At 
  the DM’s discretion, a player character who falls this far 
  from grace may be removed from the player’s control 
  permanently, becoming a villainous non-player character.
  The character gains the Sunlight Sensitivity racial 
  trait: while in sunlight, the character has disadvantage 
  on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks 
  that rely on sight. They are utterly tainted by evil—cats 
  hiss at their approach, and milk sours at their touch. 
  Choose one of the following creature types: aberration, 
  fey, fiend, or undead. Effects such as the detect evil and 
  good spell detect the character as being a creature of the 
  selected type, rather than a humanoid.
  The character also receives an extra Ability Score 
  Increase, identical to the feature of the same name they 
  gain at 4th level. They gain proficiency in the Arcana skill 
  if they don’t already have it, and they gain one fragment 
  of Forbidden Lore of the DM’s choice for which they meet 
  the prerequisites.
  The next time this character gains a Dark Power, 
  roll a d12 and subtract the number of Dark Powers they 
  possess from the number rolled. If the result is 4 or lower, 
  they proceed to Stage Six, otherwise, they gain another 
  Stage Five power.
  Stage Six: The Darklord
  A character who already has five Dark Powers commits 
  one final act of evil, proving themselves beyond 
  redemption. The character now belongs to the DM, not 
  the player, and they are transformed into some kind of 
  monster of an appropriate type. They are now a darklord, 
  a general in the armies of evil and a leading servant of 
  the Red Death, and they will return to menace heroes 
  who stand against the dark forces they now serve—
  especially their former comrades. Often, when the Red 
  Death gains such a pleasing new servant, it removes 
  certain limitations—disfigurements, sunlight sensitivity, 
  and the like—that previous failed Dark Powers checks 
  had imposed.
  Sinkholes of Evil
  In some places on Gothic Earth, where the influence 
  of monsters and magic lies most heavily, mortal magic 
  gutters in the face of the Red Death’s true power. While 
  Gothic Earth is permanently cut off from the other planes 
  of the D&D multiverse, these locations are so infused 
  with evil that they still manage to partially detach from 
  the rest of the world. 
  Such areas fester like boils between Gothic Earth and 
  the thin membrane of the Border Ethereal. They come 
  into being when foul passions arise with such strength 
  or frequency that their evil nature seeps into the very 
  substance of the world. These are known to those who 
  fight the Red Death as Sinkholes of Evil. 
  Laboratories in which blasphemous experiments 
  profane nature, unholy shrines were worshippers 
  shed their humanity, crooked trees blighted by nearby 
  atrocities, banks or counting houses that contain a 
  miser’s ruthless greed, homes bloodied by horrific 
  crimes, and merciless schools where children are 
  robbed of their true uniqueness; all of these may become 
  Sinkholes of Evil.
  
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  In fact, some creatures are of such power that their 
  very presence changes the surrounding area. Though 
  there are many monsters and creatures of evil that 
  haunt the dark reaches of Gothic Earth, not all are direct 
  servitors of the Red Death.
  Thanks to the corruption of magic, no Regional Effect 
  or Lair Effect (as featured in the descriptions of certain 
  monsters) can be dismissed or counteracted by mortal 
  magic, even if the monster has little connection to the 
  greater evil that haunts humanity.
  Not every brutal cruelty or act of wickedness 
  spawns a sinkhole. Graveyards, battlefields, and the 
  like may evoke fear and horror, but few are physically 
  changed by these emotions. Generally, the presence 
  of the supernatural—such as a vampire inhabiting a 
  mausoleum, or the specter of a cruel Confederate general 
  haunting the location of his final battle—speeds such a 
  place’s transformation. In other cases, even with no such 
  visitation, acts of terrible or repeated cruelty worthy of 
  epic notoriety create these places of horror.
  Such evil taints space and time, accruing an 
  otherworldly miasma known as ethereal resonance. 
  Sinkholes of Evil are not separate worlds of their own, 
  but small demiplanes adjoining Gothic Earth. Sometimes 
  these places encompass the lair of one of the Red Death’s 
  most formidable servants.
  A Sinkhole of Evil is alive. It thinks, and hates, and 
  is empowered with terrible talents that can distort and 
  harm the perceptions of any sentient creature. Such a 
  place also has unique planar traits that differentiate it 
  from normal locations on Gothic Earth. Sinkholes of Evil 
  are assigned ranks by which their darkness dice—which 
  modify some rolls within these hellish locales—are 
  determined, as well as their malevolent Intelligence.
  SINKHOLES OF EVIL ATTRIBUTES
  Sinkhole
  Rank
  Darkness Die 
  (Dormant)
  Darkness Die 
  (Awakened)
  Intelligence 
  Score
  Minor
  None
  1d4
  8 (−1)
  Major
  1d4 
  1d6
  12 (+1)
  Greater
  1d6 
  1d8
  16 (+3)
  Rank. A Sinkhole of Evil’s rank determines its 
  darkness die, which represents the potency with which 
  evil manifests there. A darkness die is either added to or 
  subtracted from certain die rolls in the location. The rank 
  also determines how intelligent such a sentient place is 
  when it is awakened. Most such sites remain dormant 
  most of the time, however; the difference between 
  dormant and awakened Sinkholes of Evil is described in 
  the following section.
  A Sinkhole’s rank signifies the emotional significance 
  of the evil acts that created it, and the accompanying 
  ethereal resonance (as described following). Most 
  Sinkholes are minor, and have no effects except general 
  eeriness until they are awakened; until then, the evil 
  sleeps. Major sinkholes constantly manifest their 
  unholy taint, and are never safe places for mortals. 
  A greater sinkhole seldom exists without the presence 
  of supernatural evil.
  However, no Sinkhole of Evil is trivial. Each one is 
  a monstrously wicked place that has been the site of 
  horrific suffering. However, its rank describes how much 
  the place was transformed by the evil acts that created it, 
  and how much it echoes those horrors physically.
  Turning Undead. When an undead creature in the 
  area of a Sinkhole of Evil makes a Wisdom saving throw 
  against an attempt to turn, control, rebuke, or otherwise 
  influence it, it rolls the darkness die for the Sinkhole and 
  adds the result to its saving throw.
  Fear and Horror Saves. When any creature makes a 
  fear or horror save within a Sinkhole of Evil, it must roll 
  the Sinkhole’s darkness die and subtract the result from 
  that saving throw. 
  Ethereal Resonance. The creation of a Sinkhole of 
  Evil corrupts the site and fills it with a taint of negative 
  emotions related to the evil that transformed it. When 
  intruders trespass here, they are immersed in the fog 
  of this taint and may suffer penalties to any actions 
  influenced by the nature of the place’s nature. 
  Further, the potency of this taint is even stronger 
  on the Border Ethereal. Overlying images symbolizing 
  the lair’s taint permanently mark the area. This ability 
  of emotions to attain physical substance in the walls 
  between dimensions is known as ethereal resonance.
  The taint that shapes the ethereal resonance of a 
  Sinkhole always comes down to one primary emotion: 
  agony, despair, fear, greed, hatred, lust, rage, etc. This 
  describes the fundamental nature of the place and the 
  acts that created. A place may have been the site of many 
  varied emotions, negative and otherwise, but only one 
  taint defines its ethereal resonance.
  In the Border Ethereal, the sights, sounds, smells, 
  textures, and physical features of a Sinkhole always 
  reflect the taint of its ethereal resonance. For example, 
  when viewing a Sinkhole of Evil tainted by despair in 
  the Border Ethereal, you might see a place colored only 
  in shades of gray, with a damp ashen haze clinging to 
  everything. Every object you touch might be frigid, hard, 
  and smooth, like a tombstone in the dead of a cold night. 
  You might hear winds that howl and groan as if grieving, 
  or hear snatches of mournful violin music echoing in the 
  distance. You might smell withered vegetation, mold, and 
  the musty air of a mausoleum.
  When a creature makes a saving throw to avoid 
  acting on or experiencing an emotion that matches 
  the emotional resonance taint of a Sinkhole, the DM 
  can roll the darkness die and subtract the result from 
  that saving throw. For example, if a character makes a 
  Wisdom saving throw against the fear spell while within 
  a Sinkhole of Evil tainted by the emotional resonance of 
  fear, the DM can reduce that saving throw by an amount 
  equal to the result of a darkness die roll.
  In addition, any Dark Powers check made within a 
  Sinkhole of Evil for an act that has special resonance with 
  the Sinkhole’s ethereal taint (such as an act of torture in 
  a place tainted by agony, or a sudden vengeful murder 
  in one with the taint of rage) is made at disadvantage.
  
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  Dormancy and Awakening. A Sinkhole of Evil is 
  usually dormant, seeming to be nothing more than its 
  physical form. Other creatures and challenges may 
  still be present, but they do not threaten intruders in 
  an organized fashion. While dormant, the Sinkhole’s 
  intelligence is fitful and dreaming. The heroes may 
  encounter a phantom form representing the Sinkhole’s 
  ethereal resonance, appearing and then disappearing. 
  Or they may encounter no manifestation of it at all, save a 
  tangible feeling of unease.
  It is only when evil acts are committed that echo the 
  taint of the Sinkhole’s ethereal resonance that the place’s 
  sentience begins to awaken. As this occurs, heroes may 
  begin to feel watched, hear breathing, catch fleeting 
  glimpses of something passing, witness mysterious 
  shadows, smell odd things, or discover that items have 
  been moved. Awakening always brings a sense that 
  something is different and changed: perhaps there is a 
  persistent sound or sensation, or some event seems to 
  occur again and again.
  When awakened, a Sinkhole of Evil turns its attention 
  toward trespassers. It knows who and what is within it, 
  and begins to marshal resistance to those who are not 
  welcome. Its mind influences creatures of evil within it, 
  organizing them to surveil and, when the time is right, 
  attack intruders. 
  The environment of an awakened Sinkhole of Evil 
  transforms in some way that hinders trespassers. 
  A phantom fog may arise to cause confusion or sow fear, 
  despair or panic. A persistent alarm may grow louder 
  and more frequent. Agents begin a series of hit and run 
  encounters. Doors may shut and lock. New barriers, 
  hazards, and obstacles materialize to channel heroes in 
  one direction.
  The presence of an evil supernatural creature whose 
  wickedness is directly tied to the taint of the ethereal 
  resonance also awakens a Sinkhole of Evil.
  Lairs of Evil. Sinkholes of Evil are even more 
  deadly when they are home to creatures that have been 
  changed by the touch of the Red Death or that have 
  willingly sacrificed their will and a piece of their soul 
  to become one of the Red Death’s notorious generals 
  or their lieutenants. Such unholy refuges are known as 
  Lairs of Evil.
  A Lair of Evil vibrates with the echo of its master’s 
  hateful will. It provides not only shelter and a safe haven 
  to hide its denizen when it is most vulnerable, but also 
  hideous strength. It may have a name or several names, 
  or its name may be lost in the tides of time. When the 
  name is unknown, or when it is considered ill luck to call 
  the place by its proper name, local folk will use an epithet 
  or descriptor to name the place. For example, local 
  peasants call Castle Dracula “the Black Castle” or “the 
  Place of the Impaler” (though qabalists of the Sword of 
  Hunyady now believe Dracula has lairs in more than just 
  one of their homeland’s castles).
  A Lair of Evil is always of major rank or higher, 
  and it is always considered awakened when its master 
  is present.
  Rewarding 
  Roleplaying Interaction
  In many D&D games, especially on Gothic Earth, there 
  may be significant portions of a game session that consist 
  only of roleplaying interaction. Often, one or more player 
  characters may engage in a scene of interpersonal 
  interaction—with each other or with an NPC—which is 
  driven by a character’s personality or emotions as much 
  as it is driven by the goals of the adventure. 
  While you should be aware of all the different types 
  of players in your group and their various preferred 
  playstyles (a session where you never even roll dice may 
  delight some players, but bore others), it can deepen the 
  story of your campaign to dramatize certain non-physical 
  conflicts between player characters and/or NPCs.
  These kinds of scenes can be even more useful at the 
  beginning of a session, and can help refocus players on 
  their characters, especially when there has been a longer 
  break between sessions. They can also serve to resolve 
  conflicts that arise during standard play between player 
  characters. When a piece of a character’s backstory or 
  personality is tied to the plot of your adventure, scenes 
  of roleplaying interaction can remind everyone of these 
  elements and make the session more satisfying. 
  
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  Awarding XP for 
  Roleplaying Interaction
  You can encourage players to seek this kind of 
  in-character drama by granting tangible rewards 
  for such play, just as you would for traditional 
  encounters.
  For every 15 minutes that one or more 
  player characters spend in significant, 
  focused roleplaying that advances the 
  story of the campaign, award each 
  participant experience points equal to 
  the Easy XP threshold for that player 
  character’s level. This information can be 
  found on the XP Thresholds by Character 
  Level table in the Encounter Building 
  section of chapter 3 of the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide (it is also repeated below 
  for your convenience).
  ROLEPLAYING 
  INTERACTION REWARDS
  LEVEL
  XP REWARD PER 15 MINUTES 
  OF ROLEPLAYING INTERACTION
  1st
  25
  2nd
  50
  3rd
  75
  4th
  125
  5th
  250
  6th
  300
  7th
  350
  8th
  450
  9th
  550
  10th
  600
  While you should employ a lighter touch in these 
  situations than you might in a combat encounter or 
  exploration scene, it is still your place as the DM to 
  help manage the flow of these interactions. Your chief 
  concerns should be to maintain focus on advancing the 
  story and keep all the players entertained.
  Don’t grant XP rewards for time the players use to 
  digress, idly chatter, repeat themselves, wander off topic, 
  argue to a standstill, or engage pointlessly with minor 
  characters. You may notice that a particular player is 
  trying to stretch things out in order to gain additional XP, 
  and you should let them know that you will be decreasing 
  awards accordingly.
  Remember that all you are rewarding is time devoted 
  to social interaction. You should take care not to judge 
  any player’s skill at roleplaying as part of determining 
  these XP rewards—all you are judging is how much 
  time they spent participating in meaningful character 
  interaction.
  DMing Interaction Scenes
  Your best tool in running such scenes is identifying 
  the nature of the conflict. 
  Any interesting roleplaying interaction is built on 
  some kind of disagreement or attempt to fulfill an unmet 
  need. Someone wants something, and the point of the 
  scene is finding out whether or not they get it. Often (as 
  in real life), the conflict is simply one person wanting an 
  admission that the other is wrong.
  If there is no conflict or uncertain outcome involved, 
  one or more players will quickly lose interest, and you 
  should move the game forward quickly, before it stops 
  being entertaining. Generally, however, players are goal-
  oriented, and such a scene is driven by their attempt to 
  achieve some larger aim.
  A DM should try to shepherd such a scene towards 
  a resolution, but do so cautiously. Sometimes the best 
  way to make sure you aren’t forcing a particular outcome 
  on a player is to allow the scene to end in an impasse 
  or standstill, but there are ways to manage this (as 
  described below).
  Other than gently nudging them towards a satisfying 
  conclusion, try to sit back and allow the players to lead the 
  action. If you are roleplaying an NPC, try not to dominate 
  the conversation.
  If a player seems a bit lost, don’t pressure them 
  to roleplay to any degree that would make them 
  uncomfortable, but help them focus on the scene’s most 
  important elements: 
  • 
  What does their character want?
  • 
  What is stopping them from getting it? 
  • 
  What are they doing to overcome such obstacles?
  
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  Amid such interpersonal conflict, the characters might 
  employ emotional pleas, rational debate, a mix of implied 
  (or overt) threats and rewards, and other such tactics.
  Ending an Interaction Scene
  Over time, you should see the scene unfold into one 
  of two likely outcomes:
  • 
  The characters are moving towards resolution.
  • 
  Both sides are entrenching themselves, digging in 
  their heels and resisting compromise.
  In the latter case, step in to try to avoid such an impasse. 
  You can suggest new negotiating positions to the players 
  or remind them of alternate lines of argument. Of course, 
  you shouldn’t force a compromise, but if the players are 
  still seeking one you can be the one to help them find it.
  At the same time, don’t let the scene go on past the 
  point of being entertaining. A good sign that a particular 
  interaction has played itself out is when people start 
  repeating themselves or simply finding new ways to 
  restate their main argument.
  When it is time to wind things down, start asking the 
  main participants what their intentions or final decisions 
  are. If things are resolving themselves, the interaction 
  likely ends with some kind of compromise or with one 
  side capitulating to the other. Otherwise, it is ending in a 
  stalemate.
  Such an ending can still be rewarding, informing the 
  character’s actions and compelling them to deal with 
  unanswered questions later in the session. However, 
  the rules below also offer some methods for avoiding an 
  unnecessary impasse.
  Resolution & Resolve
  Since stalemates often feel unsatisfying to players, there 
  is one more inducement you can offer in the interest of 
  resolution: In such an interpersonal conflict, characters 
  who give in regain 2 spent resolve points. (If a character 
  is already at their maximum resolve, you can, as always, 
  offer them Inspiration.) 
  Characters who win don’t receive an extra reward 
  beyond the satisfaction of their victory, but those willing 
  to relent are able to conserve the willpower they would 
  have expended by continuing to stand their ground, and 
  they restore their personal resolve accordingly.
  If one side in the stalemate is an NPC, it is often best 
  to let the player characters have more influence. If you feel 
  it is better to have your NPC refuse to give in, you should 
  allow the player characters on the other side to regain 2 
  spent resolve points.
  Sometimes, however, an impasse is between two 
  player characters, and neither side will give in. In this 
  situation, if the scene began with one side petitioning the 
  other, allow the petitioner to regain 2 spent resolve points. 
  Beyond that, it is important to the players’ sense of agency 
  that you accept the stalemate and move on.
  It can often be helpful to remind players of this rule at 
  the beginning of the scene—giving in is often contrary to 
  human nature, but players are less likely to dig in early if 
  they are aware there is a reward for compromise.
  Social Combat
  Some social interactions in D&D are best resolved 
  mechanically, but should also require more than a single 
  Charisma or Wisdom check. The Exert Influence action 
  and the new conditions introduced in chapter 1 can be 
  used to run social combat: non-physical conflict between 
  characters. High stakes negotiations or intense debates 
  to determine a course of action are examples of social 
  combat. These rules allow a creature to be “defeated” 
  through interpersonal influence rather than battle.
  Social combat rules are not a substitute for roleplaying 
  interpersonal interactions in the manner to which your 
  group is accustomed. Rather, they are a means for 
  tracking progress in such situations and determining 
  when (or if) victory is achieved.
  These rules strive to be simple. The Exert Influence 
  action allows characters who make successful Charisma 
  checks to inflict levels of the stress condition on others. 
  A creature with enough stress becomes detached, causing 
  it to give in.
  For example, if the characters have evidence a 
  mortician has been selling bodies to a necromancer, 
  they may attempt to convince to mortician to reveal the 
  necromancer’s identity. However, if the mortician fears 
  the wrath of the necromancer more than the characters, 
  getting this information may require a great deal of 
  convincing. The characters may employ a variety of 
  tactics—threatening to reveal what they know to the 
  local law, lying about what tortures they will inflict on 
  the mortician, trying to explain the protection they can 
  offer, telling horrifying stories about the consequences 
  of necromantic experiments, etc.—represented by a 
  number of Charisma checks resisted by the mortician. 
  If they enjoy enough success, they inflict cumulative 
  levels of stress, eventually wearing down the mortician’s 
  resistance and obtaining the necromancer’s name.
  Additional Bonus Actions 
  for Social Combat
  At the DM’s option, the following additional bonus actions 
  can add depth to conflicts using the social combat rules.
  Assess. As a bonus action, you can make a Wisdom 
  (Insight) check against a creature you can see or hear 
  within 15 feet. The DC equals that creature’s passive 
  Charisma (Deception) score. On a success, you gain 
  advantage on the next Charisma check or Wisdom saving 
  throw you make against that creature before the end of 
  your next turn. 
  Reassure. As a bonus action, you can choose a 
  creature and make a Charisma (Persuasion) or Wisdom 
  (Insight) check against a DC equal to 13 + that creature’s 
  
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  current number of stress levels. On a success, that 
  creature can make a Wisdom saving throw against the 
  same DC, recovering 1 level of stress on a success as long 
  as it shares a language with you.
  Threaten. When you hit with an attack roll during 
  your turn, you can use a bonus action to halve the damage 
  inflicted. The target must then succeed on a Wisdom a 
  saving throw (DC = 9 + the ability modifier you applied to 
  the attack roll (usually Strength)) or take 1 level of stress. 
  If you are proficient in the Insight or Intimidate skills, 
  add your proficiency bonus to the DC. A creature that is 
  already frightened has disadvantage on this saving throw.
  Detective’s Competence
  A common difficulty in many role-playing games comes 
  up when players fail to uncover a piece of information that 
  is crucial to the adventure moving forward. For example, 
  they might fail to find a secret door that is the only way 
  into an important location. Generally, the failure to obtain 
  information is not interesting. 
  In Masque of the Red Death, this problem can be 
  exacerbated. Adventures in this setting tend to focus 
  on investigation. Also, Arthur Conan Doyle’s tales of 
  Sherlock Holmes provide major inspiration for the 
  setting, and a Holmes story is about solving a mystery 
  based on the many clues the Great Detective finds, rather 
  than his failure to notice those clues at all.
  There are a number of ways to handle this (including 
  crafting adventures that do not grind to a halt based 
  on failure to gain information), but these rules offer a 
  relatively simple one: the price of an unsuccessful roll 
  to learn necessary information can be paid in other ways, 
  rather than merely failing to learn the information.
  If a player character has failed an ability check to gain 
  a piece of information, if the DM believes gaining the 
  information is better for the progress of the game, the 
  DM can give the player the option to gain it by spending 
  a resolve point.
  If a player does not have (or wish to spend) a resolve 
  point, the DM can instead offer one of the following 
  consequences:
  • 
  The activity required to gain the information takes 
  10 times longer than it normally would.
  • 
  The character must either spend a Hit Die or suffer one 
  level of exhaustion, due to the extreme concentration 
  or other great effort required. The character does 
  not regain any hit points from spending a Hit Die 
  in this way.
  • 
  The act of gaining the information draws immediate 
  unwanted attention.
  • 
  An unfriendly creature elsewhere becomes aware 
  of both the information gained and the fact that the 
  character knows it.
  DETAILING MAGIC ITEMS
  When a magic item appears in the campaign, the most 
  important thing for the DM is to have a sense of how it was 
  created. Sometimes you don’t want to have every specific 
  detail sketched out (especially when improvising due to an 
  unexpected player action), but it is still best to conceive 
  some idea of where the item came from. 
  Beyond the item’s origin, it is also useful to think of 
  how it has changed hands since. Unless the characters are 
  the very first ones to take possession of the item since its 
  creation, it has likely been coveted by many or left many 
  legends in its wake.
  EXAMPLE MAGIC ITEM: 
  THE PIPE ORGAN OF LAKE AVERNE
  Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
  The stops and pedals of this large pipe organ can be 
  operated in particular combinations to cast certain mind-
  affecting spells. When the organ is played indoors, the 
  sound of it always carries throughout the entirety of any 
  structure it is within. 
  The pipe organ is 20 feet wide, 30 feet long, and 15 
  feet tall, and is not easily transported. Moving it requires 
  disassembling it and reassembling it elsewhere. Both 
  assembly and disassembly each require 1 hour and 
  three successful DC 15 Intelligence (pipe organ) checks, 
  increasing the time by 30 minutes for each failed check 
  before three successes are achieved. A creature that 
  attempts to play the pipe organ without being attuned to 
  it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 
  2d4 psychic damage.
  You can use an action to play the organ and cast one 
  of the following spells: calm emotions, charm monster, 
  confusion, crown of madness, dream, enemies abound**, 
  enthrall, fear, love’s lament*, or Tasha’s hideous laughter. 
  Once the organ has been used to cast a spell, it can’t be 
  used to cast that spell again until the next dawn. The spells 
  use your spellcasting ability and spell save DC.
  When you use the organ to cast a spell that forces 
  targets to make a Wisdom saving throw, the targets have 
  disadvantage on the saving throw. When you use the organ 
  to cast a spell that has a range of 5 feet or greater, you can 
  spend 1 resolve point to double the range of the spell. This 
  effect applies whether you are using the instrument as the 
  source of the spell or as a spellcasting focus.
  Whenever a creature plays the organ, their skin 
  takes on a sickly pallor until the next sunset. For that 
  duration, whenever the creature is in direct sunlight, it has 
  disadvantage on Charisma checks.
  This organ is said to have been crafted by a mysterious 
  figure who secretly assisted the architect Charles Garnier 
  in designing and building Paris’s Palais Garnier Opera 
  House. According to the tales, music from the organ can 
  still be heard there, only quietly in the Opera House’s 
  surface rooms, but louder in the subterranean chambers 
  beneath, and loudest of all on the shores of Lake Averne, 
  an underground body of water beneath the building.
  
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  The DM decides which of these options are available, 
  depending on the situation. The process of paying this 
  alternate price for information can start with a player 
  request or the DM’s suggestion.
  Determining which information or rolls (if any) qualify 
  for this rule is left entirely left to the discretion of the 
  DM, but make careful note of intent when a players asks 
  to use this option. If a player is trying to short-circuit an 
  interesting investigation, that is likely to hurt the play 
  experience. However, allowing players to move past a 
  frustrating or uninteresting stopping point created by 
  poor die rolls is likely to make the game better rather 
  than worse.
  Magic Items
  Every magic item on Gothic Earth is unique. If a 
  character acquires a +1 dagger, it is the only +1 dagger 
  in the world. Even if another dagger somewhere around 
  the globe grants a +1 bonus, it also has benefits or curses 
  unique to it.
  Each magic item should have a unique history, and 
  likely its own name as well. That +1 dagger could be the 
  blade of Marcus Brutus, used to inflict the fatal wound 
  during the assassination of Julius Caesar.
  Magic items in this world should be rare and 
  wondrous. Most of the enchanted objects on Gothic 
  Earth have found their way into the hands of the Red 
  Death’s minions. In addition, due to the tainting of magic, 
  every magic item on Gothic Earth is cursed in some 
  way, unless it is consumable (a potion, scroll, or piece of 
  magical ammunition).
  The curse need not be a major one—for a minor 
  item, it could as simple as forcing its owner to wake up 
  abruptly each morning at dawn. The DM should create 
  an appropriate curse, or roll for one Minor Detrimental 
  Property using the table in chapter 7 of the Dungeon 
  Master’s Guide.
  Casting Spells with Magic Items
  When a creature uses a magic item as the source 
  of a spell it casts (as opposed to merely using it as 
  a spellcasting focus), the creature does not need to 
  immediately make a Dark Powers check for casting 
  that spell. 
  Instead, whenever the creature finishes a short or 
  long rest, if it has cast one or more spells using a magic 
  item since the last time it finished a short or long rest, the 
  creature makes a single Dark Powers check. The creature 
  has disadvantage on the check if any of the spells were 
  evocation or necromancy spells, or if any of the spells 
  were of a level higher than the creature’s proficiency 
  bonus. The DM can adjust the DC of this check just as 
  they would the DC of a normal Dark Powers check.
  Optional Rules
  The use of the rules here is not assumed in the default 
  version of Masque of the Red Death, but at the DM’s 
  discretion, they can be implemented as described without 
  substantial disruption to the game.
  Feats
  If you want to use the optional Feat rules introduced in 
  the Player’s Handbook, they should be easy to integrate 
  into the Gothic Earth setting with no changes necessary. 
  Some additional feats can also be made available, which 
  are listed here.
  Alternate Career
  Prerequisite: 4th level or higher
  You have the experience and training to succeed in 
  multiple distinct vocations. You can choose one Specialist 
  Technique from the options listed under the Sleuth class 
  and gain the listed benefits.
  You can never take the same Specialist Technique 
  option more than once, no matter how many times you 
  get to choose one, even if that Specialist Technique offers 
  different options.
  Competitor
  You are an expert in games, sports, and other 
  competitions. You gain the following advantages:
  • 
  Increase one of your ability scores by 1, 
  to a maximum of 20.
  • 
  You gain proficiency with one type of gaming set 
  or vehicle.
  • 
  You always know the current gambling odds on any 
  public game, competition, or sport.
  • 
  You have 3 competition points. Whenever you make 
  an ability check that is directly related to a game, 
  sporting event, or competition, or that is contested 
  by another creature’s ability check, you can spend a 
  competition point to gain advantage on that roll. You 
  regain your expended competition points when you 
  finish a long rest.
  Equestrian
  You are an expert in horseback riding. This gives you the 
  following benefits:
  • 
  You gain proficiency with the Animal Handling skill. 
  You also gain expertise with this skill, which means 
  your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check 
  you make with it.
  • 
  You have advantage on all ability checks and saving 
  throws related to controlling, maneuvering, or staying 
  on a mount.
  • 
  You can mount or dismount a creature by expending 
  10 feet of movement instead of half your speed.
  
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  • 
  You gain your choice of one of the Martial Disciplines 
  available to the Soldier class, which can only be 
  chosen from the following options. You can never take 
  the same Martial Discipline option more than once:
  • Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in 
  one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus 
  to damage rolls with that weapon.
  • Harrying. When you hit a creature with an unarmed 
  strike or a melee attack using a weapon that doesn’t 
  have the heavy, two-handed, or versatile property, the 
  target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its 
  next turn.
  • Mounted. While you are mounted, unmounted 
  creatures you hit with weapon attacks can’t make 
  opportunity attacks against you or your mount for the 
  rest of the turn if they are smaller than your mount, 
  and you can re-roll any weapon damage die that rolls 
  a 1. You must use the new roll.
  Hypnotist
  Prerequisites: 3rd level or higher, proficiency in the Insight and 
  Science skills
  You have received extensive training in the new science 
  of post-hypnotic suggestion. You automatically succeed 
  on ability checks to counsel a character afflicted with 
  Red Death Madness, and if you speak to a creature for 
  10 minutes while you have its undivided attention, you 
  can make an Intelligence (Science) or Wisdom (Insight) 
  check. The creature must then make a Wisdom saving 
  throw against a DC equal to your ability check result. If 
  the saving throw fails, the creature is affected as if you 
  had cast the suggestion spell on it (though this is not a 
  magical effect). While a creature is under these effects, it 
  has disadvantage on all Wisdom saving throws you force 
  it to make.
  Once a creature has failed a Wisdom saving throw 
  against this effect, it will always have at least a small 
  vulnerability to your hypnotism. If such a creature 
  can hear or see you, you can use an action to grant 
  the creature confidence, as if it has benefitted from a 
  guidance spell cast by you. 
  While such a creature can hear you and is within 30 
  feet of you, if you can see it, you can also give it a one-
  word command, and the creature must make a Wisdom 
  saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your 
  Intelligence or Wisdom modifier (your choice)). On a 
  failure, it must obey the command, as if it had failed a 
  saving throw against a command spell cast by you.
  None of the spell-like abilities granted by this feat are 
  actual magical effects. They do not require a Dark Powers 
  check, and are not affected by the casting of counterspell 
  or dispel magic.
  Jaded Urbanite
  Whether you grew up in a large city or spent time in 
  one as an adult, you are familiar with life on crowded 
  urban streets, and you know to be on constant guard 
  against attack, theft, or clever deceit. This grants you the 
  following benefits:
  • 
  Choose one of the following skills: Deception, Insight, 
  Intimidation, or Persuasion. You gain proficiency in 
  that skill if you don’t have it already, and you also gain 
  expertise, meaning you double your proficiency bonus 
  on ability checks with it.
  • 
  You have advantage on saving throws against effects 
  that would cause you to take psychic damage or 
  become charmed.
  • 
  Within a village, town, or city, you are never slowed by 
  difficult terrain unless it is magical, and you can move 
  through spaces occupied by non-hostile humanoids 
  and beasts as if they were allies.
  • 
  When you are surprised, you can still take a single 
  action during the surprise round, but it can only be 
  the Dash, Disengage, or Help action.
  Military Training
  You gain your choice of one option from the Martial 
  Discipline feature of the Soldier class, for which you must 
  meet all prerequisites normally. You can never take the 
  same Martial Discipline option more than once, no matter 
  how many times you get to choose one. In addition, you 
  gain proficiency with one weapon of your choice.
  
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  Pistol Expert
  Thanks to extensive practice with handguns, you gain 
  the following benefits:
  • 
  You are proficient with all handguns.
  • 
  Being within 5 feet of a hostile creature doesn’t 
  impose disadvantage on your ranged attack rolls.
  • 
  When you make a one-handed attack with a weapon 
  that has the secondary property, if the weapon is 
  a handgun, having already made another weapon 
  attack that turn does not cause you to attack with 
  disadvantage.
  Prognosticator
  By concentrating, you can gain glimpses of future events. 
  You know the true strike cantrip, and you can spend 1 
  resolve point to cast one of the following spells, chosen at 
  the time of casting: detect poison and disease or hunter’s 
  mark. If you are 5th level or higher, you can also spend 2 
  resolve points to cast augury. When you cast a spell in this 
  way, you do not need to make a Dark Powers check.
  Your spellcasting ability for all spells and cantrips 
  gained from this feat is Intelligence or Wisdom (your 
  choice). You cast these spells and cantrips innately, 
  without verbal or somatic components, though you must 
  still expend any material components.
  Sixth Sense
  You are sensitive to the presence of the supernatural in its 
  many manifestations. You know the guidance cantrip, and 
  you can spend 1 resolve point to cast one of the following 
  spells, chosen at the time of casting: detect evil and good 
  or detect magic. If you are 5th level or higher, you can also 
  spend 2 resolve points to cast see invisibility. When you 
  cast a spell in this way, you do not need to make a Dark 
  Powers check.
  Your spellcasting ability for all spells and cantrips 
  gained from this feat is Intelligence or Wisdom (your 
  choice). You cast these spells and cantrips innately, 
  without verbal or somatic components, though you must 
  still expend any material components.
  Steady Pilot
  You are highly skilled in operating and steering 
  vehicles of a certain type. This feat grants you the 
  following benefits:
  • 
  Increase your choice of either your Dexterity or 
  Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
  • 
  You gain proficiency with navigation tools and with 
  your choice of either land vehicles or water vehicles.
  • 
  You gain expertise with your proficiency in your choice 
  of either land vehicles or water vehicles, which means 
  your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check 
  you make with the chosen proficiency. 
  • 
  You can use a sudden maneuver to aid an ally in 
  combat. You can use the Help action to aid an ally’s 
  attack roll, even if they are not within 5 feet of you, 
  so long as you can see both your ally and their target, 
  and both are aboard a vehicle you are piloting. 
  Telepath
  You have a natural psychic ability to touch others’ minds, 
  granting you the following benefits:
  • 
  You learn the message and psychic shock* cantrips.
  • 
  You learn certain spells and gain the ability to innately 
  cast them. You can cast each spell at its lowest level 
  without using a spell slot. Once you cast a spell in 
  this way, you must finish a long rest before you can 
  cast that spell with this benefit again. The first spell 
  you learn and cast in this way is charm person. At 5th 
  level, you also learn and cast the detect thoughts spell 
  with this feat. At 9th level, you also learn and cast the 
  sending spell.
  • 
  If you are 3rd level or higher, you can telepathically 
  speak to any creature you can see within 30 feet of 
  you. You must share a language with the creature 
  for it to understand your telepathic utterances. You 
  can speak telepathically in this way to one creature 
  at a time.
  • 
  You add a bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier 
  (minimum of 1) to all Wisdom (Insight) checks.
  
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  Your spellcasting ability for all spells and cantrips gained 
  from this feat is Intelligence or Wisdom (your choice). 
  You cast these spells and cantrips innately, without verbal 
  or somatic components, though you must still expend any 
  material components. When you use this feat to cast a 
  spell, you do not need to make a Dark Powers check.
  PSYCHIC SHOCK
  Illusion cantrip
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 60 feet 
  Components: V, S
  Duration: Instantaneous
  You invade another creature’s mind, and for one split 
  second, you cause them to perceive some image, noise, 
  or memory that would cause them stress.
  Choose a target you can see or hear within range. 
  The creature makes an Intelligence saving throw. If it 
  fails, the creature takes 1d6 psychic damage, and it has 
  disadvantage on the next Wisdom check it makes before 
  the end of your next turn. If the creature has not yet acted 
  this combat, it suffers an additional effect: it makes its 
  next attack roll at disadvantage. 
  You do not know what image the creature saw unless 
  you can read its thoughts by other means (such as the 
  detect thoughts spell). If the creature fails the saving 
  throw by 5 or more, it does not realize a cantrip caused 
  this effect and believes the flash of emotional pain 
  it experienced came from its own mind.
  At Higher Levels. This spell’s damage increases by 
  1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), 
  and 17th level (4d6).
  Trained Chemist
  The unlocked secrets of chemistry drive many of the 
  innovations of the modern age. The full benefits of these 
  advancements are only available due to the efforts of 
  knowledgeable scientists such as yourself. You gain 
  the following benefits:
  • 
  Increase your Intelligence score by 1, to a 
  maximum of 20.
  • 
  You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies and 
  demolitions kits, and with the Science skill.
  • 
  You gain expertise with alchemist’s supplies and 
  demolitions kits, which means your proficiency bonus 
  is doubled for any ability check you make with either 
  of these proficiencies.
  • 
  As an action, you can identify one potion you are 
  holding, as if you had tasted it.
  • 
  When you finish a short rest, if you have alchemist’s 
  supplies and a healer’s kit, you can help others heal 
  more quickly. After being treated by you with both 
  your alchemist’s supplies and a healer’s kit during a 
  short rest, a creature that spends Hit Dice to regain 
  hit points can choose to reroll some of those spent Hit 
  Dice if they dislike the results. The maximum number 
  of Hit Dice they can reroll at the end of a single short 
  rest is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 
  of one). They must use the new rolls. 
  NonHuman Characters
  With the DM’s prior permission, a character in Gothic 
  Earth could be a member of a nonhuman race. Though 
  humans in their hundreds of millions dominate the globe, 
  the DM may decide that there yet remain nonhuman 
  communities hidden away in the unexplored wilderness 
  or deep underground. The DM should respectfully 
  consider the myths and legends of real cultures 
  when choosing where and how these communities 
  continue to exist.
  For example, elves could be the Huldrefolk of 
  Scandinavia, or the Nawao of the Hawaiian Islands. 
  Dwarves could be the Korobokuru described in 
  the folklore of the Ainu people of northern Japan, 
  or resemble the Tolkienesque crafters of Germanic 
  mythology. A persistent rumor in Gothic Earth posits 
  that the legendary half-fiend adept Merlin sired an entire 
  bloodline of demi-human descendants; in normal D&D 
  terms, they would be tieflings.
  Cultural influences within certain races’ existing 
  descriptions may indicate obvious ties. The unique 
  heritage of the genasi from Princes of the Apocalypse 
  likely ties them to the Arabian Peninsula, where fireside 
  tales and sacred scriptures alike speak of their genie 
  ancestors. The firbolg from Volo’s Guide to Monsters 
  can share both history and homeland with their Celtic 
  equivalents of the same name.
  If nonhuman settlements still exist, they would likely 
  spend a good portion of their time and any magical 
  abilities they retain in concealing their existence or 
  their real nature from human society. Any member of 
  such a race leaving their hidden enclaves would need 
  some means—likely supernatural—of avoiding notice or 
  disguising themselves as humans. 
  Of course, like all use of magic, reliance on eldritch 
  aid to remain hidden increases the likelihood of these 
  races incurring some taint from the Red Death. Such 
  consequences may explain why nonhuman races are so 
  rare in this world.
  Higher-Level Characters
  The Masque of the Red Death rules assume your 
  character’s career progresses no further beyond 10th 
  level. A level of power beyond this makes the setting’s 
  themes of overwhelming horror and undying evil more 
  difficult to portray, as our underdog protagonists become 
  super-heroic rather than merely heroic.
  However, if you wish to continue into the third or even 
  fourth tiers of the D&D rules, existing rulebooks can 
  give a DM material for higher-level adventures. Since the 
  classes in this document top out at 10th level, characters 
  who advance beyond such heights will need to multiclass 
  
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  by necessity. Such characters increase their proficiency 
  bonus based on their total character level, as shown in the 
  Character Advancement table in chapter 1 of the Player’s 
  Handbook. When their total character level reaches 
  14th, and again at 17th level, these characters receive an 
  additional Ability Score Increase.
  Longer Casting Times
  In previous editions of Masque of the Red Death, 
  the casting times of spells were lengthened relative to 
  other D&D worlds, and special ability checks for casting 
  were always required. These adjustments reflected 
  the increased amount of effort it takes to tap into the 
  corrupted and depleted magical energies of Gothic Earth. 
  This is still an element of these rules, but in order to hew 
  more closely to the default fifth edition D&D ruleset, 
  resolve points have been included as an alternate cost.
  If you wish, you can include similar rules to limit 
  magic in your campaign, though you should be mindful of 
  allowing spellcasting to remain a valid path for a player 
  character. Balancing encounters as described in the 
  Dungeon Master’s Guide becomes much more difficult 
  when spellcasters have their ability to contribute in 
  combat diminished to this degree.
  When using this rule, there are two alternatives 
  available:
  Slowest Casting. All spells use the Slow Casting rules 
  described in the spellcasting section, even if the spell 
  is cast using resolve points. The only spells that can be 
  cast without the use of resolve points are those with the 
  ritual tag. 
  Under these rules, combat spells take much longer 
  to cast, altering their utility. For example, a fireball spell 
  no longer helps when ambushed by assassins, but that 
  spell may be useful in blasting open the entrance to an 
  abandoned mine or burning down a haunted house.
  Alternate Casting Times. Using this optional rule, 
  whenever a spell is cast, you consult the following table 
  to determine its longer casting time, based on the normal 
  casting time in the spell description.
  Listed Casting Time
  Gothic Earth Casting Time
  Reaction
  Reaction
  1 bonus action
  1 action
  1 action
  2 actions*
  1 minute
  10 minutes
  10 minutes
  1 hour
  1 hour
  8 hours
  8 hours
  24 hours
  24 hours
  24 hours
  * A spell with a casting time of two actions requires you to 
  use your action to begin casting during your current turn. 
  The spell is not cast until your next turn, when you must use 
  another action to finish casting on it. If you do not finish the 
  spell on your next turn following the turn when you started 
  casting, the spell fails as if it never been cast.
  Limited Spell Lists
  Magic is strange in Gothic Earth. Spells of fire 
  and thunder are far less common than curses and 
  augmentations. This is part of the reason why certain 
  spells (chiefly evocation spells) are more difficult to cast 
  in these rules. The world of Gothic Earth shuns flashier 
  displays of magic, tending instead towards the subtle 
  movements more easily disguised as coincidence or 
  providence. 
  As a result, you may wish to limit the spells available 
  in a Masque of the Red Death campaign to those 
  more appropriate for the Gothic Earth setting. In doing 
  so, we suggest DMs rely upon their own aesthetic sense 
  of what is and isn’t appropriate for the setting when 
  including spells from the Player’s Handbook, Elemental 
  
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  Evil Player’s Companion, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, 
  Elminster’s Guide to Magic, and other sources.
  For those hoping to have a quick list provided, clear 
  tables with amended spell lists for, amended spell lists for 
  all Player’s Handbook spellcasting classes are provided in 
  the adventures Jolene—or, The Beauty From Beyond the 
  Stars and The Ghostly Library, both set in Gothic Earth 
  and available on the DMs Guild.
  Hidden Hit Points
  If you’re a DM who wants to sow fear in the hearts of 
  players as well as characters, one extreme optional rule 
  seldom fails to raise tension: Keep track of the player 
  characters’ hit points yourself. 
  In this variant, each player knows their character’s hit 
  point maximum, but when they take damage, it becomes 
  your job as the DM to subtract it from that maximum 
  privately, so the players don’t know exactly how many they 
  have left. When a zombie’s slam attack hits, don’t say it 
  deals 4 damage; instead, provide a colorful description 
  of the blow. Describe the force with which it hit and 
  the pain it inflicted, and let the player guess how much 
  damage it dealt.
  When using this option, you should be prepared to 
  describe each character’s health to its player when called 
  upon. If a character has only taken a little damage, you 
  can describe them as “A little rattled, with just a few 
  stinging scratches.” A character with only a few hit points 
  left might have “Stiff limbs and blurry vision” and be 
  “Struggling just to stay standing.”
  One caveat to this rule; when a character is first 
  reduced to half its hit point maximum or less, you should 
  always let them know. Try to do so in a way that is clear 
  about that fact as well as descriptive. Some rules require 
  knowledge of whether a character is at below half their 
  hit points, and you do want to allow players some sense 
  of their current durability. A term from previous editions 
  of D&D, “Bloodied,” is a useful shorthand for saying a 
  character or creature is down to half or fewer hit points.
  This optional rule leaves the characters uncertain 
  about their foes’ capabilities and their own ability to 
  survive, which is likely to create tension. People fear the 
  unknown, after all. It also encourages players to stay 
  engaged with the descriptive fiction of the game, rather 
  than its mechanical rules.
  The Lovecraftian Spiral
  The Masque of the Red Death rules are designed to 
  emulate Gothic Horror, an important genre with its own 
  particular tropes, and one that predates the works of the 
  author H.P. Lovecraft by a number of years. Nonetheless, 
  in the world of tabletop roleplaying games, the influence 
  of that writer’s Cthulhu Mythos looms large, and some 
  groups may want to better model that style of horror.
  To be clear, there are substantial differences between 
  the Lovecraftian tradition of horror and the Gothic Horror 
  that has been portrayed in Masque of the Red Death 
  since the release of the original boxed set in 1994 (though 
  Lovecraft himself was a major inheritor of the Gothic 
  tradition, as were the literary pioneers of most varieties 
  of genre fiction we recognize today).
  For example, in the “Cosmic Horror” of Lovecraft’s 
  mythos, the universe is indifferent to human morality, 
  but in Gothic Horror good and evil are larger cosmic 
  forces. In Lovecraft’s tales the madness is an inevitable 
  consequence of beholding the world’s hidden horrors, 
  which can almost never be defeated, while Gothic writers 
  often portray certain heroes retaining both life and 
  sanity, even in the face of absolute horror, via their strong 
  moral character. The darkest threats in Gothic Horror 
  tend to come from folklore and classical mythology, as 
  opposed to incomprehensible alien monstrosities like 
  Cthulhu and the other Great Old Ones. There are many 
  other differences, but the main point is that Masque of 
  the Red Death is not Call of Cthulhu, so portraying 
  that kind of Cosmic Horror requires different rules and 
  sensibilities.
  The mechanical rules change relates to increased 
  use of Red Death Madness. Despite "sanity rules" 
  appearing in many classic tabletop RPGS, their use can 
  be problematic for some groups. As with other uses of 
  the Horror & Madness rules in this book, applying the 
  variant mechanics below requires obtaining consent 
  from everyone involved in the game, as described in the 
  “Handling History & Horror” section at the beginning of 
  this book. Frequent imposition of Red Death Madness 
  effects could be triggering for those with any personal 
  connection to mental health issues, and could even set 
  back progress in personal therapy for someone living with 
  such a condition.
  If everyone consents and you choose to apply the 
  inevitable Lovecraftian spiral into madness in your 
  campaign, give these rules changes to your players:
  • There are no fear saving throws, only horror 
  saving throws.
  • When you roll a horror save, it is an Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, or Charisma save (your choice).
  • Resolve points cannot be spent to ignore the effects of 
  a failed horror save. You must roll on the Red Death 
  Madness Effects table.
  • When you fail a Dark Powers check, you must also roll 
  on the Red Death Madness Effects table, in addition to 
  any other effects.
  • When you roll on the Red Death Madness Effects table, 
  the duration of the new madness effect you roll is based 
  on how many forms of madness you already have at the 
  time, as follows:
  • No current madness effect: 1d10 minutes. 
  • 1 madness effect: 1d10 × 10 hours.
  • More than 1 madness effect: Until cured.
  Other changes required for Cosmic Horror have more 
  to do with the plot and general dynamics of the campaign, 
  rather than rules, so applying ideas such as the futility of 
  earthly endeavors, a cold and impersonal universe, and 
  the horrors awaiting on the frontiers of the human quest 
  for knowledge will depend (like so many other things) on 
  your choices as the DM.
  
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   Appendix A 
   
  A Guide to Gothic London
  …The old Cross, which is, even technically, the centre of the city, 
  is so in sober moral geography. The Strand roars toward Fleet 
  Street, and so to Ludgate Hill, crowned by St. Paul’s Cathedral; 
  Whitehall sweeps down to Westminster Abbey and the Houses 
  of Parliament. Trafalgar Square, which guards it at the third 
  angle, saves it to some extent from the modern banalities of 
  Piccadilly and Pall Mall, mere Georgian sham stucco, not even 
  rivals to the historic grandeur of the great religious monuments, 
  for Trafalgar really did make history; but it is to be observed 
  that Nelson, on his monument, is careful to turn his gaze upon 
  the Thames. For here is the true life of the city, the aorta of that 
  great heart of which London and Westminster are the ventricles.
  — Aleister Crowley
  This Appendix is chiefly adapted from period editions of 
  Baedeker’s Great Britain and The London Quarterly Review, 
  now in the public domain, as well as the third edition 
  Masque of the Red Death campaign setting book. As such, 
  it is written from an in-world perspective and flavored with 
  a Victorian Londoner’s voice, idiosyncrasies, and biases. 
  L
  ondon, the metropolis of the British Empire and 
  the largest city in the world, lies in the southeast of 
  England, spanning both banks of the mighty river 
  Thames. A center of industry and history reaching 
  back more than a thousand years, it embraces parts of the 
  four counties of Middlesex, Essex, Kent, and Surrey. It is 
  a city recognizable not only for its verdant and peaceful 
  parks, filled with brave statues of heroes, but its tiny 
  dank alleys and the cobwebbed mews that overlook its 
  cobblestone streets.
  Few Westerners would deny that London leads 
  the world in education, cultural sophistication, and 
  entertainment. It is also a city of mystery, wrapped 
  in shadows, whether to hide the decaying slums of 
  Cheapside and Billingsgate or the secret machinations 
  of the great Evil and its minions.
  The Populace
  The population, swollen by the advances of the Industrial 
  Revolution, is more than four and a half million. The city 
  has doubled in size in the last half-century, now about 
  15 miles long from east to west, and 9 miles wide from 
  north to south, and covering 122 square miles of ground.
  As the capital of a massive empire, London draws 
  immigrants from both the colonies and poorer parts of 
  Europe. A large Irish population settled here after the 
  Great Famine (1845–1849); at one point, Irish immigrants 
  made up about 20% of London’s population. London is 
  also home to a sizable Jewish community (estimated to 
  be around 46,000) and a very small Indian population 
  consisting largely of transitory sailors known as lascars.
  COMMON NAMES 
  The following names are the most common in London. 
  Female Names: Ada, Agnes, Alice, Amy, Ann, Annie, 
  Beatrice, Bertha, Catherine, Charlotte, Clara, Daisy, 
  Dorothy, Edith, Eleanor, Eliza, Elizabeth, Ellen, Elsie, 
  Emily, Emma, Ethel, Eva, Mary, Florence, Frances, 
  Gertrude, Gladys, Grace, Hannah, Harriet, Hilda, Jane, 
  Jessie, Kate, Lilian, Lily, Louisa, Lucy, Mabel, Margaret, 
  Martha, Maud, May, Minnie, Nellie, Rose, Sarah, 
  Violet, Winifred 
  Male Names: Albert, Alexander, Alfred, Archibald, 
  Arthur, Benjamin, Bertie, Cecil, Charles, Christopher, 
  Daniel, David, Edgar, Edward, Edwin, Ernest, Francis, 
  Frank, Fred, Frederick, George, Harold, Harry, Henry, 
  Herbert, Horace, Isaac, James, John, Joseph, Leonard, 
  Percy, Peter, Philip, Ralph, Reginald, Richard, Robert, 
  Samuel, Sidney, Stanley, Stephen, Sydney, Thomas, 
  Tom, Walter, Wilfred, Wilfrid, William, Willie 
  Surnames: Allen, Baker, Bennett, Brown, Carter, Clark, 
  Clarke, Cook, Cooper, Davies, Davis, Edwards, Evans, 
  Green, Griffiths, Hall, Harris, Harrison, Hill, Hughes, 
  Jackson, James, Johnson, Jones, King, Lee, Lewis, 
  Martin, Moore, Morgan, Morris, Parker, Phillips, Price, 
  Roberts, Robinson, Shaw, Smith, Taylor, Thomas, 
  Thompson, Turner, Walker, Ward, Watson, White, 
  Williams, Wilson, Wood, Wright 
  History
  Victorian London is a modern city with ancient roots. 
  Gaslights limn the twisting cobblestone streets each 
  night, bringing light to the darkness of ages. People rush 
  from place to place using the Tube, underground railways 
  that travel beneath the Thames, no longer needing the 
  many bridges so integral to travel for centuries before. 
  The Romans garrisoned the site of what is now 
  London nearly two millennia ago, but who can say 
  how long the native Britons lived here before that? 
  After Rome’s retreat, it was first the capital of a Saxon 
  kingdom, then the nation’s leading city in the era of 
  King Canute. Finally, after William the Conqueror was 
  crowned here, he made London the center of royal power. 
  The following centuries brought pestilence, fire, rebellion, 
  and civil war. In the three years from 1664 to 1666 alone, 
  the plague carried off 100,000 Londoners, and the Great 
  Fire destroyed 13,000 homes.
  After each disaster, however, London rebuilt and grew. 
  Legendary architects such as Christopher Wren and 
  Nicholas Hawksmoor erected public buildings, palaces, 
  institutions of learning, and many grand churches. By 
  1700 London was the largest city in Europe. An influx 
  of immigrants expanded the city to the east and south, 
  
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  112
  although those with wealth and power chose to live in the 
  north and western sections and have continued to do so 
  for centuries.
  Currency 
  The pound sterling is the currency used in London. The 
  pound divides into shillings and each shilling into pence. 
  The symbol for the pound is £, for shillings it is s., and for 
  pence it is d. 
  NOTE: For purposes of translating prices from the 
  base D&D rules, the pound may be considered equivalent 
  to the gold piece, the shilling to the silver piece, and the 
  pence to the copper piece. This is a simplified abstraction 
  determined for ease of play. For details on the historical 
  (in)accuracy of these equivalencies, please see chapter 5. 
  UK residents who are innately familiar with these 
  currencies will likely find it easier to use the real ratios 
  of pounds to shillings and pence instead.
  Accommodation 
  There are many options for accommodation in London. 
  Good hotels include the Metropole Hotel, the Grand 
  Hotel, the Savoy Hotel, and Morley’s Hotel. Average 
  hotels include Burr’s Hotel, Rowland’s Hotel, and the 
  Bedford Hotel. (Per the Lifestyle rules, the cost of lodging 
  is generally included in the cost for maintaining the 
  appropriate Lifestyle.)
  Boarding Houses and Private Lodgings are 
  readily obtainable in London, through application to 
  a respectable house-agent or by advertisement. The 
  dearest and best are in the West End. The neighborhood 
  of the British Museum is another convenient quarter for 
  boarding and lodging houses at more moderate prices. 
  Restaurants 
  The Holborn and the Criterion are two of the largest 
  and best-known restaurants in London. St. James’s 
  Hall, the Verrey, and the Cafe Royal are all first-class 
  restaurants and expensive. More reasonably priced 
  options include the Monico, the Frascati, and the London 
  Tavern. Cafés include the Vienna Café, the Café de Paris, 
  and Baker’s Café. 
  Transport 
  There are nearly 200 railway stations in London, 
  including those of its famous underground railway. 
  Horse-drawn cabs stand in waiting for new visitors at 
  all the railway stations and landing-stages, and may be 
  secured nearly anywhere else in the city as well. The 
  faster, more comfortable hansom cabs are designed to 
  seat two people, though they carry three just as often. The 
  humbler four-wheelers carry twice as many passengers 
  for half the price. Cab transportation is more expensive 
  in Central London than elsewhere, adding 5 d. (or .05 £) 
  per mile to the cost.
  Omnibuses (large enclosed horse-drawn vehicles 
  stabilized with springs) traverse the streets in 
  predetermined routes going nearly all directions, and 
  fares are much cheaper than a cab ride, though travel by 
  this means takes twice as long. Most omnibuses have 
  enough benches to seat one or two dozen people, though 
  the multi-level double-decker omnibuses may seat even 
  more. Horse teams pull these great vehicles on steel rails, 
  much like trains, allowing them to move so many people, 
  though fresh horses from the stable are required every 
  4 or 5 hours.
  In the outlying districts, cable-drawn tramway lines 
  supplement the bus systems. These cable cars are 
  comfortable and the fares are equivalent to those of 
  omnibuses.
  During summer, well-appointed stage-coaches ply 
  the routes to various places of interest around London, 
  affording, in good weather, a delightful way of seeing 
  the scenery. 
  Steamers from all parts of the world make port in 
  London. Those steamships hailing from the Continent or 
  from other close ports such as Scotland and Ireland land 
  their passengers at wharves below London Bridge, while 
  the larger oceanic liners enter docks lower down the 
  river. In this latter case, the passengers often finish their 
  voyage to London proper by special trains.
  Numerous smaller steamboats ply the river Thames, 
  calling at about fifty intermediate piers between Hampton 
  Court to the west and Southend and Sheerness to the 
  east. In Central London (between London Bridge and 
  Chelsea), these steamers are usually available every 
  10 minutes, while intervals of 30 minutes are more 
  common elsewhere.
  London Rain & Fog
  Light showers, cloudy skies, and the famous London fog 
  are common in the city all year round. The temperature 
  often fluctuates greatly over the course of single day. A 
  frequently heard saying is, “There’s no such thing as bad 
  weather, only unsuitable clothing.” Even in the summer, 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | APPENDIX A: A GUIDE TO GOTHIC LONDON
  113
  one is advised to pack a light jacket or sweater, in case of 
  sudden breeze or nighttime chill.
  Fashionable Londoners consider the lightweight black 
  umbrellas sold by the Ordog-Utterson Umbrella Company 
  to be an absolute necessity. This attitude is reinforced in 
  advertisements, which usually feature a young woman 
  approaching a gentleman in one London’s upper-class 
  neighborhoods as storm-clouds threaten, always with the 
  words: “A cold wind blows from the east. Have you got 
  your Ordog-Utterson?”
  NEWSPAPERS 
  At least 400 newspapers are published in London and 
  its environs. The principal morning papers are the Times, 
  Daily News, Daily Telegraph, Standard, Morning Post, 
  Morning Advertiser, and Daily Chronicle. The leading 
  evening papers are the Pall Mall Gazette, St. James’s 
  Gazette, Evening Standard, Globe, Evening Post, Star, 
  Evening News, and Echo. 
  Clubs 
  One of the greatest and most important changes in 
  modern society is the present system of clubs. The 
  facilities of living have been wonderfully increased by 
  them in many ways, whilst the expense has been greatly 
  diminished. For a few pounds a year, advantages are to 
  be enjoyed which no fortunes save the most ample could 
  otherwise procure.
  The Clubs are chiefly devoted to social purposes. Most 
  of the club-houses at the West End are very handsome 
  and admirably fitted up, affording every possible comfort. 
  Members are admitted by ballot, and the introduction of 
  guests by a member is allowed in some, but not in all the 
  clubs. The cuisine is usually admirable. 
  Principal clubs include: the Albemarle, the Alpine 
  Club, the Athenaeum Club, the Carlton Club, the City 
  Liberal Club, the Conservative Club, the Diogenes Club 
  (of which Mycroft Holmes is a member), the East India 
  United Service Club, the Empire Club, the Isthmian Club, 
  the Lord Nugent’s Windham Club, National Club, the 
  Oriental Club, the Orleans Club, the Prince’s Club, the 
  Reform Club, the Savage Club, the Travelers’ Club, and 
  the Union Club.
  As an example of what these institutions are like, the 
  Athenaeum consists of over 1,000 members, drawn from 
  nearly every walk of life (excluding those living in true 
  poverty). Civil servants and politicians socialize here 
  with clergy members, scientists, artists, and merchants. 
  Many of these are to be met with every day, living with 
  the same freedom as in their own homes. The building 
  is a sort of palace, kept by staff and servants with the 
  same exactness and comfort as a private dwelling. 
  Every member has the command of an excellent library 
  (including many maps as well as the daily papers and 
  principal periodicals) and the resources for writing 
  anything from casual correspondence to expansive 
  novels. Meals and other refreshments are available 
  to members at all hours.
  Theatres 
  London boasts about sixty-five theatres, most of which 
  are in or near the Strand. Opera is performed at Her 
  Majesty’s Theatre and the Covent Garden Theatre. The 
  most significant theatre is Drury Lane, which features 
  spectacular plays and pantomimes. Among the other 
  leading theatres are the Lyceum, the Haymarket, 
  St. James’s, Princess’s, the Adelphi, the Globe, and 
  many more. 
  Music Halls 
  World class concerts are performed at the Alhambra, the 
  London Pavilion, St. James’s Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, 
  the Crystal Palace, and many others. 
  Amusements 
  Favorite places of entertainment include Tussaud’s 
  Waxworks, the Egyptian Hall, the Royal Aquarium, and 
  the Olympia exhibition center. Picture exhibitions may be 
  seen at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, the Royal Society 
  of Painters in Water-Colours, the Royal Society of British 
  Artists, the Dori Gallery, and other places. 
  COMMON LONDON OCCUPATIONS 
  Alderman, Baker, Barber, Blacksmith, Bleacher, 
  Bottler, Brewer, Butcher, Carter, Chambermaid, 
  Clerk, Clothier, Coachman, Compositor, Conductor, 
  Confectioner, Constable, Copyist, Currier, Distiller, 
  Drayman, Dressmaker, Druggist, Dyer, Fitter, Glazier, 
  Grocier, Hackman, Hominy, Hostler, Huckster, Joiner, 
  Labourer, Lineman, Liner, Livery, Machinist, Maltster, 
  Mantuamaker, Mason, Mechanic, Miller, Milliner, 
  Moulder, Notions, Nurse, Peddler, Physician, Plasterer, 
  Plumber, Porter, Potter, Pressman, Puddler, Seamstress, 
  Sexton, Stationer, Tailor, Tallowmaker, Teamster, Tinner, 
  Tobacconist, Upholsterer, Waiter, Warper, Watchman, 
  Wheelwright, Whitewasher 
  Libraries and Museums
  In the area of Westminster, the London Library stands 
  on St. James Square. An independent lending library 
  with nearly 100,000 books, it was founded in 1841 on 
  the initiative of Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish author and 
  social commentator who was dissatisfied with some of 
  the policies at the British Museum Library. The Library’s 
  collections, which range from the 16th century to the 
  present day, are strong within the fields of literature, 
  fiction, fine and applied art, architecture, history, 
  biography, philosophy, religion, topography, and travel.
  Burlington House is the headquarters of the Royal 
  Academy, Royal Society, and several other learned 
  bodies. Next door is the Museum of Practical Geology.
  South Kensington Museum includes a museum of 
  ornamental or applied art, a national gallery of British 
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | APPENDIX A: A GUIDE TO GOTHIC LONDON
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  art, an art library, an art training school, and a school 
  of science. 
  A handsome and most convenient structure, the 
  Natural History Museum contains the extensive natural 
  history collections of the British Museum. The British 
  Museum, a huge building with an Ionic portico, contains 
  a series of extensive and highly valuable collections, 
  including several excellent libraries. Its most well-
  known exhibits may be its Greek, Roman, Egyptian, 
  and Assyrian collections.
  Mudie’s Select Library, a gigantic establishment, also 
  possesses hundreds of thousands of volumes.
  Lambeth Palace, for 600 years the residence of the 
  Archbishops of Canterbury, has an excellent old library 
  (admission by special permission only). 
  Other Points of Great Interest
  Trafalgar Square, one of the most excellent open spaces 
  in London, contains the Nelson Column and statues of 
  Sir Henry Havelock, Sir Charles Napier, George IV, and 
  General Gordon. To the northeast is the church of St. 
  Martin’s in the Fields. 
  The open space to the South of Trafalgar Square, 
  between the Strand and Whitehall, is Charing Cross, 
  the center of the city. It is from here that the routes to 
  London destinations are officially measured, radiating 
  from this common point as recorded in the authorized 
  Book of Distances all cab drivers are required to 
  carry (to be referenced by customers upon request to 
  prevent overcharging). For most sightseers, if not native 
  Londoners, Charing Cross is the central hub of the city 
  they experience in their excursions.
  On the north side of Trafalgar Square stands the 
  National Gallery, erected in 1832–38 and enlarged 
  in 1860, 1876, and 1887. From the large number of 
  artists represented, the collections it contains are of the 
  highest value to the student of art, and there is no lack of 
  masterpieces of the first rank. About 1100 pictures in all 
  are exhibited.
  Whitehall, leading to the south from Trafalgar Square, 
  passes the Admiralty, the Horse Guards (headquarters 
  of the military authorities), and the various government 
  offices (all to the right). To the other side are Scotland 
  Yard (headquarters of the police), the United Service 
  Museum, and the banqueting hall which is the only relic 
  of what was once the palace of Whitehall. 
  To the left, a massive building in the richest late-
  Gothic (Tudor) style, the Palace of Westminster, contains 
  the Houses of Parliament. The exterior is adorned with 
  many statues, and the interior is fitted up with great taste 
  and splendor. The Victoria Tower, the largest of the three 
  which adorn the building, is 340 feet high. The clock 
  tower is at the north end of the palace, with its great bell 
  known as Big Ben, and since its 1859 completion has 
  become an important landmark.
  Buckingham Palace is the London residence of the 
  Queen, and contains a fine picture-gallery (access to this 
  is difficult to obtain).
  Westminster Abbey is said to have been founded 
  in the 7th century, rebuilt by Edward the Confessor 
  (1049–65), and dating in its present form mainly from the 
  latter half of the 13th century, with numerous important 
  additions and alterations. It has many royal burial-vaults 
  and a long series of monuments to celebrated people.
  Hyde Park is the most famous and fashionable of the 
  London parks, covering an area of nearly 400 acres. The 
  large body of artificial water is called the Serpentine. 
  To the west, Kensington Gardens adjoins the park.
  One of the chief landmarks of the city stands a 
  few yards south of Newgate Street. This is St. Paul’s 
  Cathedral, an imposing Romanesque building with a 
  beautifully proportioned dome, erected in 1675–1710 
  on the site of an older building destroyed by the Great 
  Fire of 1666.
  Erected in 1825–1831, London Bridge commands a 
  good view of the river and much of the city itself. It is the 
  most important of the bridges over the Thames and the 
  scene of immense traffic.
  THE MOST HAUNTED 
  BUILDING IN LONDON
  The Tower of London is an iconic castle that has served 
  as a secure ancient fortress, a royal palace, and an 
  infamous state-prison. Beyond its prominent role in the 
  nation’s history, it has also served variously as an armory, 
  a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a 
  public record office, and the home of the Crown Jewels 
  of England (now kept in the Record or Wakefield Tower). 
  At least six ravens are kept at the Tower at all times, in 
  accordance with the belief that if they are absent, the 
  kingdom will fall.
  As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several 
  buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive 
  walls and a moat. Many have been beheaded within these 
  fortifications, including Anne Boleyn, said to haunt the 
  tower now as a ghost, alongside other apparitions such 
  as Henry VI, Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Pole, and the two 
  murdered heirs to the throne known as the Princes in 
  the Tower.
  The Reading Room, British Museum.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | APPENDIX A: A GUIDE TO GOTHIC LONDON
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  Forbidden Lore
  London, with its massive population, attracts evil 
  creatures of every kind. In the sunlight hours, nannies 
  walk with their charges, but in the dark corners of the 
  night, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, hags, golems, trolls, 
  zombies, and demons can all be found. Its ever-increasing 
  population and nexus for world travel make it a rich 
  source of potential victims, while beneath its streets, 
  there yet remain broken temples to dark gods of the 
  Roman Empire and other ancient powers.
  Those who fight the Red Death know that this city 
  contains some of the oldest and most deadly horrors 
  human beings have ever seen, or even dreamed of in 
  their worst nightmares. Rare encounters with the sidhe, 
  a race of fey who once ruled the British Isles, are mostly 
  reported in Ireland, but a group of them have claimed 
  misty corners of the labyrinth of tunnels beneath London 
  as their domains. Most of the sidhe (also known as 
  eladrin) left Gothic Earth, and the majority of those who 
  remain are chaotic evil and savage in temperament, 
  great masters of magic tainted by the Red Death. Other 
  fey creatures attend them as servants. A few sidhe who 
  resisted evil by giving up spellcasting hide under London 
  as well, hunted for sport by their corrupted kin.
  Yet the most numerous servants of the Red Death 
  in London are its human agents. There is no shortage 
  of cultists, zealots, and fanatics looking to inflict their 
  iniquitous schemes upon the unwitting populace. 
  Sherlock Holmes himself is said to have uncovered 
  an occult conspiracy among London’s criminals, a 
  network he spent much of his career trying to dismantle.
  The British Empire pillages many ancient nations. 
  Whether brought back by conquerors, archaeologists, or 
  simple thieves, relics and other treasures find their way 
  here from all corners of the globe. Many such items are 
  poisoned by the Red Death’s corruption.
  Yet at this point in history, London may also have more 
  defenders against this darkness than any other city. Many 
  qabals call London their home base, and it was here that 
  the brave fellowship formed which eventually dealt a 
  meaningful defeat to the powerful Count Dracula. 
  As the 1890s begin, the great detective Sherlock 
  Holmes is presumed dead. Before his descent at 
  Reichenbach, Holmes secretly inspired and recruited 
  many to the cause of humanity’s defense. Today, Holmes’ 
  associates Doctor Watson and Professor George E. 
  Challenger continue this work as best they can. 
  The associates recruited in England by Professor 
  Abraham van Helsing during his struggle against Dracula 
  all now live in London or visit the city regularly. Two of 
  them—the educator and notable suffragist Mina Harker 
  and her solicitor husband Jonathan—have been recruited 
  to van Helsing’s qabal, Die Wächtern. Few qabalists 
  can be said to have had more direct confrontations 
  with the Red Death’s lieutenants, nor to have won more 
  astonishing victories. In fact, Mina has recently been 
  made the overall leader of the qabal’s London cell, and the 
  bearer of a holy relic. Passed down from the founders of 
  Die Wächtern, it is said to be the bowl of Bartimaeus, the 
  beggar healed of blindness by Jesus in gospel accounts. 
  This plain wooden bowl allows Mina to cast true seeing 
  once, regaining the ability to do so each Sunday at dawn, 
  but once the spell ends, she is blinded until the next time 
  she finishes a short or long rest.
  Other qabals based in London include the Ghost Circle 
  and the Scions of Alchemae, both described in detail 
  in chapter 6, “Qabals.” Sherlock Holmes himself never 
  joined any established qabal, despite his efforts against 
  the Red Death and his own alliance with van Helsing 
  (to whom he was introduced by Pope Leo XIII himself, 
  during the affair known as “The Case of the Vatican 
  Cameos”). Some might argue that Holmes’s personal 
  network (including his Baker Street Irregulars and other 
  intelligence gatherers) served the same function for the 
  Great Detective.
  Sherlock’s older brother, government official Mycroft 
  Holmes, is said to exercise tremendous influence over all 
  of Britain, though his true position is a highly sensitive 
  secret. This is despite his seldom going anywhere aside 
  from his own home and the nearby Diogenes Club 
  (notable for its misanthropic rules allowing no one to talk 
  at all except in a single room set aside for that purpose). 
  Possessed of a flawless memory and inhuman analytical 
  faculties, Mycroft is likely the more intelligent Holmes 
  brother, but unlike Sherlock he has no desire to venture 
  out into the world, whether to search out mysteries or to 
  perform any other task.
  However, perhaps as a posthumous recognition 
  of his brother’s secret work, Mycroft has caused the 
  establishment of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch Section 
  13, tasked with investigating strange and supernatural 
  threats. A secret London telephone network created by 
  the government links Section 13 to Mycroft and other 
  high-level assets. As of yet, this new branch of Her 
  Majesty’s government has little more than a fraction 
  of the occult expertise possessed by the qabals, and 
  its understanding of eldritch matters remains woefully 
  incomplete.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | APPENDIX B: CHARACTERS FROM PAST EDITIONS
  116
   Appendix b 
   
  Characters from Past Editions
  M
  asque of the Red Death has a long history of 
  offering new player character types. Effort has 
  been made to ensure a version of every one of 
  those options is playable with the fifth edition 
  rules included in this volume—from the new classes and 
  kits (packages to modify classes) in the original 1994 
  boxed set for the second edition Dungeons & Dragons 
  rules, to the new classes and prestige classes (special 
  classes you can only multiclass into) for third edition 
  ten years later, based on material from the Living Death 
  Organized Play campaign. 
  The following table offers suggestions for how best to 
  recreate all of the character type options available in the 
  above-listed sources.
  Prior Edition Class, Kit, 
  or Prestige Class
  Suggested 
  Class
  Suggested 
  Archetype
  Adept
  Scion
  Adept
  Antiquarian
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Artifact Hunter
  Any
  Artifact Hunter
  Athlete
  Stalwart
  Any
  Cavalryman
  Soldier
  Outrider
  Charlatan
  Any
  Charlatan
  Criminal
  Sleuth
  Criminal
  Dandy
  Shepherd
  Socialite
  Detective
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Exorcist
  Scion
  Parson
  Explorer
  Stalwart
  Outrider
  Forbidden Loremaster
  Sleuth
  Adept
  Intellectual
  Sleuth
  Any
  Journalist
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Prior Edition Class, Kit, 
  or Prestige Class
  Suggested 
  Class
  Suggested 
  Archetype
  Laborer
  Any
  Laborer
  Lycanthrope Hunter
  Sleuth
  Slayer
  Master Inventor
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Mechanic
  Stalwart
  Expert 
  or Laborer
  Medium
  Any
  Medium
  Metaphysician
  Scion
  Expert
  Mystic
  Scion
  Mystic
  Parson
  Shepherd
  Parson
  Performer
  Shepherd
  Expert
  Physician
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Qabalist
  Scion
  Adept
  Sailor
  Soldier 
  or Stalwart
  Outrider 
  or Laborer
  Scholar
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Scientist
  Sleuth
  Expert
  Scout
  Sleuth
  Outrider
  Shaman
  Scion
  Mystic
  Shootist
  Soldier
  Gunslinger
  Sleuth
  Sleuth
  Any
  Soldier
  Soldier
  Any
  Spiritualist
  Sleuth
  Mystic
  Spy
  Sleuth
  Spy
  Tradesman
  Any
  Expert
  Undead Hunter
  Sleuth
  Slayer
  
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   Appendix c 
   
  Player New Rules Summary
  Resolve Points
  You have a number of resolve points, which you spend 
  to fuel certain features. 
  Maximum Resolve. Your resolve point maximum 
  equals your proficiency bonus + your level (3 at 1st level, 
  6 at 4th level, 11 at 8th level, etc.). You begin play at your 
  maximum. The number of resolve points you have can’t 
  go below 0, and cannot exceed your maximum.
  Regaining Resolve. You regain resolve points equal 
  to half your maximum when you finish a long rest.
  Spending Resolve. The maximum number of resolve 
  points you can spend on single use of any feature is equal 
  to your proficiency bonus.
  Uses of Resolve. Your resolve points fuel some class 
  and archetype features, but you can also spend them to 
  use the following benefits:
  • 
  Overcoming Wounds. You can spend 1 resolve point 
  as a bonus action to regain 1d4 hit points. If you wish, 
  you can spend additional resolve points on a use of this 
  feature, regaining an additional 1d4 hit points for each 
  additional resolve point spent.
  • 
  Overcoming Fear and Horror. Whenever you fail 
  a fear or horror save (as described in the following 
  section), you can choose to spend 1 resolve point to 
  avoid the effects of the failed save. If you do so, you 
  instead take 1 level of stress.
  • 
  Resolute Focus. Whenever you make an ability check, 
  attack roll, or saving throw, you can spend 1 resolve 
  point to gain advantage on that roll.
  • 
  Unarmored Resolve. As long as you have at least 
  1 resolve point and you are not wearing armor or 
  wielding a shield, your AC cannot be less than 11 
  + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus.
  New Condition: Detached
  • 
  A creature suffering the detached condition has 
  disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma 
  saving throws and ability checks.
  • 
  All Charisma checks against a detached creature 
  have advantage.
  • 
  When a successful Charisma check suggests a course 
  of action to the creature, the creature pursues it as if 
  it were under the effects of a suggestion spell, even if 
  it is immune to being charmed. This is not a magical 
  effect. Depending on the course of action, it may 
  choose to stop pursuing it as soon as it is no longer 
  detached. When suggested courses of action conflict, 
  the creature chooses which to pursue.
  New Condition: Stress
  Stress is measured in seven levels. An effect can give a 
  you one or more levels of stress, as specified in the effect’s 
  description. If you already have stress, your current level 
  of stress increases by the amount specified (not to exceed 
  seven levels of stress).
  A creature suffers only the effects of its current level 
  of stress, not those of any lower or higher ones.
  STRESS CONDITION EFFECTS
  STRESS 
  LEVEL
  EFFECT
  1
  −1 penalty on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws 
  2
  −2 penalty on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws
  3
  −3 penalty on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws
  4
  Disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, 
  and Charisma saving throws, and on 
  Intelligence checks
  5
  Disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws, and on Intelligence 
  and Charisma checks
  6
  Disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and 
  Charisma saving throws, and on Intelligence, 
  Wisdom, and Charisma checks.
  7
  Detached condition
  Special Rolls
  Your DM may ask you to make the following rolls:
  • 
  A fear save is a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, 
  if you don’t spend 1 resolve point and take 1 level 
  of stress, you become frightened for 1 minute. If 
  frightened, you can repeat the saving throw at the end 
  of each of your turns, ending your frightened condition 
  on a success.
  • 
  A horror save is a Charisma saving throw. On a failure, 
  you must either spend 1 resolve point or roll on the 
  
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  118
  Red Death Madness Effects table. If you spend the 
  resolve point, you instead take 1 level of stress.
  • 
  A Dark Powers check is a simple unmodified d20 roll 
  you must make whenever you cast a spell, or when the 
  DM judges that you have committed an act of true evil. 
  The DM will tell you what happens if you fail.
  New Action: Exerting Influence
  As an action, you roll a Charisma check (modified by any 
  appropriate skill proficiency) to inflict levels of the stress 
  condition on a creature that can see or hear you. The 
  target must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC 
  equal to the result of your Charisma check. On a failure, 
  it takes 1 level of stress. If it fails the saving throw by 5 or 
  more, it instead takes 2 levels of stress. If it fails by 10 or 
  more, it takes 3 levels of stress.
  New Action: Fanning
  When wielding a ranged weapon with which you are 
  proficient that has the reload property, you can use your 
  action to attempt to strike multiple targets. Choose a 
  10-foot square within that weapon’s normal range. Each 
  target in the area must roll a Dexterity saving throw 
  (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity 
  modifier). On a failure, a target takes damage equal to 
  1 + your proficiency bonus. After using this action, you 
  must reload.
  New Reaction: Taking Aim
  Taking Aim is a reaction, triggered by the end of your 
  turn, provided you did not move more than 5 feet during 
  that turn. When you take this reaction, choose a target 
  within range of your weapon and begin concentrating, as 
  if on a spell. While you are still concentrating on Taking 
  Aim, you have advantage on your first weapon attack roll 
  each turn against the chosen target. Your concentration 
  ends at the end of your next turn. It also ends early if you 
  move more than 5 feet during any turn, if you make an 
  attack that that does not target the chosen target at which 
  you aimed, or by the same means that would normally 
  end your concentration on a spell. 
  New Bonus Action: Targeted Strike
  Immediately before making a weapon attack as part of 
  the Attack action on your turn, you can use your bonus 
  action to modify that attack, making it a Targeted Strike. 
  You cannot make a Targeted Strike if the weapon attack 
  it would modify uses a weapon with which you are not 
  proficient or if that attack would be made at disadvantage.
  When you make a Targeted Strike, you choose one 
  of the following options. For all required saving throws, 
  the DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity, 
  Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier (your choice).
  • 
  Advancing Strike. The damage from the modified 
  attack is halved, but if the attack hits its target, you 
  choose a friendly creature who can see or hear you. 
  That creature can use its reaction to move up to half 
  its speed without provoking opportunity attacks from 
  the target of your attack. The target hit also suffers 
  disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes against 
  the chosen creature before the end of its next turn.
  • 
  Knockback Strike. If the modified attack hits, the 
  target must roll a Strength saving throw. On a failure, 
  if the target is Large or smaller, you can choose to 
  either knock it prone or force it to move up to 10 feet 
  away from you.
  • 
  Marking Strike. If the modified attack hits, the 
  target must roll a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails, 
  you mark the creature until the end of your next turn. 
  This effect ends early if you are incapacitated or you 
  die, or if someone else marks the creature. While it 
  is within 5 feet of you, if a creature marked by you 
  makes an attack roll that doesn’t target you, it suffers 
  disadvantage on the attack roll. 
  • 
  Strike to Kill. The modified attack inflicts additional 
  damage equal to your proficiency bonus if it hits a 
  creature within 5 feet of you. If the attack roll is made 
  at advantage, it also scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 
  or 20. However, if the damage from the modified attack 
  reduces a creature to 0 hit points, you cannot choose 
  to knock the creature out instead of killing it, even if 
  the attack was a melee attack.
  • 
  Strike to Wound. If the modified attack hits a living 
  creature, that creature must roll a Constitution saving 
  throw. If it fails, it must roll on the Devastating Injury 
  table. In addition, if the damage from this attack 
  reduces a creature to 0 hit points, the creature is not 
  killed. Instead it falls unconscious and is stable.
  New Rules for Healing and Damage
  • 
  Healer’s Kit Dependency. You can’t spend any Hit 
  Dice after finishing a rest until someone expends one 
  use of a healer’s kit to bandage and treat your wounds. 
  (A healer’s kit is often a first aid kit or physician’s bag.)
  • 
  Slow Natural Healing. You don’t regain hit points at 
  the end of a long rest. Instead, you can spend Hit Dice 
  to heal at the end of a long rest, just as at the end of a 
  short rest. (As normal, you also regain Hit Dice equal 
  to half your level at the end of a long rest.) 
  • 
  Devastating Injuries. When you take 10 or more 
  points of damage at once from a single source, 
  if it reduces you to 0 hit points, you must roll a 
  Constitution saving throw. The DC equals 15 or half 
  the damage taken, whichever number is higher. On a 
  success, you merely take 1 level of stress. On a failure, 
  roll on the Devastating Injury table.
  New Skill: Science
  Your Intelligence (Science) check lets you recall scientific 
  facts and theories. It measures your knowledge of 
  physical sciences such as astronomy, chemistry, and 
  physics, as well as modern technologies.
  
  MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH PLAYER’S GUIDE | APPENDIX C: PLAYER NEW RULES SUMMARY
  119
  
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  STRENGTH
  DEXTERITY
  CONSTITUTION
  INTELLIGENCE
  WISDOM
  CHARISMA
  NAME
  ATK BONUS DAMAGE/TYPE
  FOULED
  □
  □
  □
  NAME
  ATK BONUS DAMAGE/TYPE
  CHARACTER NAME
   
  Strength
  Dexterity
  Constitution
  Intelligence
  Wisdom
  Charisma
   
   
   
   
   
  PASSIVE WISDOM (PERCEPTION)
  EQUIPMENT
  MADNESS TRAITS
  OTHER PROFICIENCIES & LANGUAGES
  ATTACKS & SPELLCASTING
  FIREARM ATTACKS
  FEATURES & TRAITS
  ◯ ______
  ◯ ______
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  ◯ ______
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  ◯ ______
  ◯ ______
  ◯ ______
  Acrobatics (Dex)
  Animal Handling (Wis)
  Arcana (Int)
  Athletics (Str)
  Deception (Cha)
  History (Int)
  Insight (Wis)
  Intimidation (Cha)
  Investigation (Int)
  Medicine (Wis)
  Nature (Int)
  Perception (Wis)
  Performance (Cha)
  Persuasion (Cha)
  Religion (Int)
  Science (Int)
  Sleight of Hand (Dex)
  Stealth (Dex)
  Survival (Wis)
  TOTAL
  SUCCESSES
  FAILURES
  PERSONALITY TRAITS
  ARMOR
  CLASS
  CURRENT HIT POINTS
  TEMPORARY HIT POINTS
  RESOLVE POINT MAXIMUM
  CURRENT RESOLVE POINTS
  INITIATIVE
  SPEED
  SAVING THROWS
  SKILLS
  INSPIRATION
  PROFICIENCY BONUS
  DEATH SAVES
  HIT DICE
  IDEALS
  BONDS
  FLAWS
  SUSTAINING BONDS
  HIT POINT MAXIMUM
  NATIONALITY 
  ALIGNMENT 
  EXPERIENCE POINTS
  CLASS & LEVEL 
   
  ARCHETYPE 
  TOTAL LEVEL
  CLASS & LEVEL 
   
  ARCHETYPE 
  PLAYER NAME
  MASQUE of the RED DEATH
  STRESS
  
  EYES
  AGE
  WEIGHT
  HEIGHT
  HAIR
  SKIN
  TREASURE
  CHARACTER BACKSTORY
  CHARACTER APPEARANCE
  QABALS & CONTACTS
  CHARACTER NAME
  BACKGROUND
  BACKGROUND BENEFITS & FLAWS
  STARTING LIFETYLE
  CURRENT LIFESTYLE & COST
  LIFESTYLE INCOME
  ADDITIONAL FEATURES & TRAITS
  
  Gothic Earth is a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® setting like no other—
  a benighted mirror of our own world in the 1890s. Nations old 
  and new arise beyond the reach of Europe’s fading empires. 
  Railroads, ﬁrearms, electric power, and other wondrous 
  inventions spread across the globe, while magic is a lost 
  secret, tainted forever by an ancient evil.
  Thousands of ago, an alien force invaded Gothic Earth:
  the Red Death. It manipulates and corrupts humankind,
  while its minions—vampires, werewolves, doppelgangers,
  and worse—thrive in the shadows. Now, this terrible entity’s 
  carefully-woven plans come together. A few brave investigators 
  risk their lives against the darkness… Will you be one of them?
  The rules in these pages usher you into the tales of
  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley,
  and Bram Stoker. Find tools within to oppose the Red Death’s 
  agents, from Jack the Ripper and Mr. Hyde to Count Dracula 
  himself. Join hidden qabals, rediscover forbidden lore and 
  spells, and explore the horrors of Ravenloft® in a whole new 
  way with the Masque of the Red Death Player's Guide.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/R P Davis/Masque of the Red Death - Players Guide.pdf