GURPS 4th - Ghostbusters.pdf - SUCS

Written by KENNETH HITE, MICHAEL TRESCA, FRITZ BAUGH, WILLIAM H. STODDARD,AARON ALLSTON and DOUGLAS KAUFMANEdited and Compiled by LOTHAR WOTAN YOTIllustrated by ABRAR AJMAL, GUY BURCHAK, BRENT CHUMLEY, ALAN GUTIERREZ, JOHN MORIARTY,TONY PARKER, ROWENA, DAN SCHOENING, DOUGLAS SHULER, BOB STEVLIC, ROGÉRIO VILELA,BOB WALTERS and MATT WILLSONISBN 1-99666-666-4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ContentsContents .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2About GURPS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Ghostbusting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4About the Authors .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Campaign in Brief .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Theme.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51. Paranormology 101.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6The Science of Ghostbusting.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9What Are Ghosts Made Of?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 9So What Are Ghosts?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9A Short History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Ghostbusters International.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Time Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112. Ghostbusters International .. . . . . . . . 14The Ghostbuster Franchise .. . . . . . . . . . . . 14Training Your Team.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Exclusive Territories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Starting Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Staffing & Scheduling.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Corporate Positions .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Franchisee Rights.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Work Orders.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Code of Conduct.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18The Use of Mascots.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Ghostbusting For Big Bucks .. . . . . . . . 193. Characters.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Character Concepts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Ghostbusting Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Monsters as Characters .. . . . . . . . . . . . 22Character Design .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Character Hooks.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Secret Advantages and Disadvantages 24Ghostbuster NPCs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Iconic Characters .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Peter Venkman.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Ray Stantz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Egon Spengler .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Winston Zeddemore.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Slimer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 344. Ghosts.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Ghost Classification .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Classes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Attributes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Depreciated Terms.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38The Spirit Cabinet .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Spirit Meta-trait .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Apparition.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Poltergeist.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Intelligent or Mindless? .. . . . . . . . . . . . 39Genius Loci. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Revenant.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Shade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Elemental.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Restoring Fatigue.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Devil-Beast.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Outsider. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Other Ghostly Abilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Malevolent Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Ghostly Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Animated Objects.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Ghostly Skills to GURPS Skills .. . . . . . 46Ghostbusting vs. Monster Hunting.. . . . . . 47More Monsters .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 475. Busting Ghosts .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48The Prehistory of Ghostbusting.. . . . . . . . . 48Ghostbusting Methods.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Ghostly Motives .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Ghostly Spoor.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 506. Equipment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Ghostbusting Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Proton Packs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Ghost Traps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Ecto-Containment Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSONManaging Editor ❚ ANDREW HACKARDGURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCHProduction Manager ❚ WIL UPCHURCHArt Director ❚ STEVE JACKSONPage Design ❚ PHILIP REEDProduction Artists ❚ JUSTIN DE WITT and ALEX FERNANDEZPrepress Checkers ❚ MONICA STEPHENSand WIL UPCHURCHPrint Buyer ❚ MONICA STEPHENSMarketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMANSales Manager ❚ ROSS JEPSONErrata Coordinator ❚ ANDY VETROMILEGURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ STÉPHANE THÉRIAULTAll original Ghostbusters images and logos are copyright of their respective companies: Ghostbusters is ©1984 Columbia Pictures. The Real Ghostbusters is ©1986Columbia Pictures Television and DIC Productions. Ghostbusters II is ©1989 Columbia Pictures. Extreme Ghostbusters is ©1997 Columbia Pictures Television and AdelaideProductions. All Rights Reserved. GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid and the namesof all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license.Trademarks and copyrights are cited in this document without permission. This usage is not meant in any way to challenge the rightful ownership of said trademarks/copyrights. All copyrights are acknowledged and remain the property of the owners. This game is for entertainment only.Contents

PKE Meters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Ecto-Goggles .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Slime Blowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Flight Suits.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Khaki versus Tacky.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58Anti-Slime Suit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59PKE Badge.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Atmospheric Ionization Analyzer.. . . . . . . 59Aura Video-Analyzer.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Ghostbusting Equipment Chart. . . . . . 59Conventional Gear .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60Useful Gear.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Unconventional Gear .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Common Wards.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62Uncommon Weapons.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Silver Weapons.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64Creating Gear .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66Occult Readings.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Equipment List.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Pack Units.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 687. Vehicles.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Ecto-1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Ecto-2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Ecto-3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Non-Ectos.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Alternate Ectomobiles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Ghostbusting Vehicles Chart .. . . . . . . . 758. Ghostbuster HQ.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Choosing A Site.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76The Hood .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Map: GB HQ - Basment & 1st Floor. . . . 78Map: GB HQ - 2nd & 3rd Floors. . . . . . . 789. Planning A Campaign.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Ghostbusting Campaigns.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Campaign Length.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Narrative Structures.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Boundaries.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83High-Powered Horror.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Running Horror.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Fright Checks.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Multiple Fright Checks.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Cumulative Effects of Fear.. . . . . . . . . . 88Cowards Die a Thousand Deaths .. . . . 89Fright, Awe and Confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Fright, Awe and Confusion Table.. . . . . 90Disadvantages from Fright Checks .. . . 9110. Adventures.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Creating Adventures.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Basic Structure.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92General Elements.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92It’s Only the Wind.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Adventure Scenarios. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95The Sump Thing.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95A Gross of Gremlins.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95The Disappeared.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96The Little House in the Wood. . . . . . . . 96The Atheist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97The Inheritance.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97And the Rain Came Down.. . . . . . . . . . 98The Wreck of ’53.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98The Vampire Brief.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100Running Adventures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102The Water Ghost.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103Timing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Rewarding the Players.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105The Elephants’ Graveyard. . . . . . . . . . 105Looking for the Holy Grail.. . . . . . . . . 105By the Light of the Silvery Moon.. . . . 105Appendix I: Other Planes .. . . . . . . . . . 106Astral Plane. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106Boogieman’s Realm.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Dream Worlds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107Ecto-containment Unit.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Ethereal Plane.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Flip Side Dimension. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109Appendix II. Player Handouts .. . . . . . . . 110Business Cards.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Certificate of Merit.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112Customer Bill of Rights.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Customer Invoice.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Damage Release Form.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Entity Analysis Form.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116EPA Operating Permit.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117EPA Temporary Permit .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118Franchise License.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119Franchise Contract.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120GBI Standard Will.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122Job Application Form.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Personnel Record.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124Work Order.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125Glossary.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126Bibliography .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Non-fiction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Fiction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131Comics .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134Filmography.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134Television.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Index.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138About GURPSSteve Jackson Games is committed to full support of the GURPS system.Our address is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a selfaddressed,stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us! We can also bereached by e-mail: info@sjgames.com. Resources include:Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid/). Our online magazine includesnew GURPS rules and articles. It also covers the d20 system, Ars Magica,BESM, Call of Cthulhu, and many more top games – and other Steve JacksonGames releases like Illuminati, Car Wars, Transhuman Space, and more.Pyramid subscribers also get opportunities to playtest new GURPS books!New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow, and we’llbe happy to let you know what’s new. For a current catalog, send us alegal-sized or 9”x12” SASE – please use two stamps! – or just visit www.warehouse23.com.e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids, andsupport not available anywhere else! Just head over to e23.sjgames.com.Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we do our best tofix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releases, are availableon our web site – see below.Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for errata,updates, Q&A, free web forums, and much more.Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, and we’reputting them online – with links to let you buy the books that interest you! Goto any book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link.GURPSnet. This e-mail list hosts much of the online discussion of GURPS.To join, point your web browser to mail.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l/.Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS BasicSet, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to thatbook, not this one. Page references that begin with PO refer to GURPSPowers, other page references can be found on the updated web list at:http://www.sjgames.com/gurps/abbrevs.htmlContents

GhostbustinGIf there are ghosts, then not all ofthem will be benign. When a living personsteps into the world of ghosts, someonehas to be on hand to help him out.Ghost hunters look for ghosts. Mediumstalk to ghosts. Occultists study ghosts.Ghostbusters make sure the ghosts don’tbite — and bite back if they do.If you’re running or playing in aghostbusting campaign or scenario, it’simportant to keep two things in mind:environment and mood. All good ghoststories are about locations, as the archetypalhaunted house demonstrates.Keep the setting’s feel about you; do researchon reputed hauntings. The genrebegins with the “occult detectives” of theVictorian and pulp steampunk eras, butghostbusting is still going strong fromThe X-Files to Danny Phantom.Don’t get too hung up on logic, orrules, or looking up Fright Check modifiers.Ghostbusting is campfire horror,you and your friends against the darkness.Scare each other, and revel (justa bit) in the campy glory of it all, fromelectric pentacles to proton packs.And one more thing: don’t go into thebasement alone.- Kenneth HiteAbout theAuthorsKenneth HiteKenneth Hite fervently believes that hewas the first person to buy Call of Cthulhuin the state of Oklahoma, and hasbeen playing horror RPGs almost continuouslysince then. He wrote GURPSCabal and the third edition of GURPSHorror, from which much of this bookderives, and co-authored GURPS WWII:Weird War Two. His “Suppressed Transmission”column covers high strangenessfor Pyramid magazine, it has beencollected in two volumes to date. Kennethholds an M.A. in International Relationsfrom the University of Chicagoand a Bachelor’s degree in Cartography.He lives with his wife Sheila in Chicagowith many a quaint and curious volumeof forgotten lore. He has never knowinglyseen a ghost.Michael TrescaMichael “Talien” Tresca is a writer,speaker, artist, and gamer. He has publishedthree D20 modules: Tsar Rising,All the King’s Men, and The DancingHut from MonkeyGod Enterprises. Hehas written numerous supplements,including Mercenaries: Born of Bloodfrom Otherworld Creations, and CombatMissions from Paradigm Concepts.Michael contributes to Relics from AEGand The Iron Kingdoms CampaignGuide from Privateer Press. He has alsowritten magazine articles and reviewsfor Spectre Press’ Survival Kit series,Dragon Magazine, Scrollworks, and D20Weekly, D20 Filtered and Pyramid. Michaellives in Connecticut with his wife,who is an editor, and his cat, who is fluentin English.Fritz BaughFritz contributed the Time Line, pp.11-13. Fritz was a pretty active gamerwith a small circle of friends throughoutthe late 80s and most of the 90’s. Theystarted with Ghostbusters: A FrightfullyCheerful Role Playing Game in 1986,about the same time The Real Ghostbusterswas coming onto television andblowing their minds. Fritz has written alot of Ghostbusters fan fiction, which isreadily available on the web.William H. StoddardWilliam H. Stoddard is a freelancewriter and editor living in San Diego,California, in an apartment crammedwith books. He was introduced to RPGsin 1975 and has played them ever since.His main other hobby is research; newgame books give him an excuse for evenmore library visits than he would makeanyway. His previous work for SteveJackson Games includes GURPS Steampunkand four other books, as soleor co-author, as well as contributions tonumerous other books.Aaron AllstonAaron Allston became editor of SpaceGamer magazine in 1980 also begandesigning game supplements on a freelancebasis, for Steve Jackson Games andthen for Hero Games. In 1983, shortlyafter Space Gamer won the H. G. WellsAward for Best Role-Playing Magazineof 1982, he went freelance full-time as agame designer, doing most of his workfor Champions issuer Hero Games andDungeons & Dragons publisher TSR.In 1988 he began working for WestEnd Games on Ghostbusters International,among others. He branched intowriting and by the mid 1990s had twonovels under his belt.He began writing on the Star WarsX-Wing series in 1997. In 2006, Allstonlaunched the Star Wars The Legacy ofthe Force series with a hardcover entitledBetrayal.Aaron lives in Round Rock, Texaswith four cats, and a dog, avoiding therays of the accursed sun.Douglas KaufmanDoug published his first game, Ace ofAces, while he was still in college gettinghis bachelor’s degree in General Dramatics.He went to New York to become anactor, but ended up as a game designerat West End Games. There he workedon such games as Star Wars: Star Warriors,Arabian Nights, Kings & Things,and Paranoia.From there he moved into electronicgaming at Microprose Software andGames Channel at America Online. Hedid freelance work for Firaxis on AlphaCentauri which led to his comingto Firaxis, where he helped design SidMeier’s Alien Crossfire and Sid Meier’sAntietam. Now he’s designing state-ofthe-art,cutting edge games never beforeconceived of in the history of man.GhostbustinG

summAryGURPS Ghostbusters is intendedto be a humourous pseudo-horror campaign.The information presented here isbased on the movies of the same name.It can be adapted to work in other timeperiods, such as Victorian Steampunk,pulp era Cliffhangers adventure or evenas a Call of Cthulhu scenario, althoughthis might be a bit of a stretch. It couldconceivably work in a near future setting.For the purposes of this book, onlymodern day campaigning will be discussedin detail.CAmpAiGn inbriefWhat if ghosts aren’t really supernaturalconcepts, but creatures with theirown biology? And if ghosts have theirown biology, by using scientific principals,they could be thwarted – if not destroyed,at least captured. And if ghostscan be captured… well, then somebodymight get rich doing it.Enter the Ghostbusters. Cobbled togetherby a group of misfit scientists,they attempted to use parapsychologyfor profit and, at least some of the time,succeeded. In the 1980s, ghostbustingrode high on a wave of increased supernaturalactivity and, thanks to a lot ofstrange science the Ghostbusters avertedmany paranormal disasters.By the end of the 1980s, Ghostbusterswere dealing with the supernatural, theunexplained and the just plain weird.Life as a Ghostbuster is never predictable.The wax and wane of supernaturalactivity seems to vary without rhyme orreason – with supernatural phenomenaspiking wildly in far-flung regions acrossthe country.As the world changed, so too did thenature of ghostbusting. With a heightenedawareness for global terrorism,the psychic energy matrix of the Earthwas boiling with anger, fear, and hate– ghosts became more common thanever before.And what do you need when theworld is gripped in fear and suspiciousof everything that moves? You needmore Ghostbusters: men and womenwho, backed by bizarre technology,blast streams of barely harnessed energyat whatever you’re afraid of, and doingit with a smile and a small service fee.Thus Ghostbusters International wasborn.themeGURPSGhostbustersis all aboutgood guys versus badguys, although the badguys tend to be dead,from another dimension,or both. They aren’t alwaysghosts – Ghostbusters dealwith “something strange in yourneighborhood,” and the strict definitionof a ghost doesn’t alwaysapply. Ghostbusters will fire theirproton packs for just about anythingthat will pay the bills.Ghostbusters is cinematic. Coincidenceshappen at justthe right time. Peoplewho the Ghostbustersdesperately needto see (or notsee) show up atthe last minute.And everything iswrapped up in a fewhours. A session of Ghostbustersshould never be boring.Ghostbusters is humorous. Ghostbustersget frightened, they get beatenup, and they run away screaming fortheir mommies when confronted with“things man was not meant to know”.But one shot of tequila later they’re backin action, relatively unaffected by theirnear-death experience.That’s the beauty of Ghostbusters. It’ssupposed to be scary, it’s supposed to behorrifying, but its also supposed to beexciting fun.Despite the fact that ghostbustinginvolves a bunch of guys playing withproton beams, ghostbusting isn’t onlyabout blowing stuff up. In fact, mostghosts have a history that needs solving.In this respect, Ghostbusters is a lotlike a Scooby Doo mystery, only the badguy never pulls his mask off at the endbecause it’s hisreal face.Throughit all, the Ghostbustersare decidedlyreal people. Forevery mad scientistor parapsychologistspoutingtechno-babble,there’s aGhostbuster,a regular Joe athis regular job,just trying totrap a pesky ghost,or stop-ping a demon fromdestroying a city block. Ghostbusters getdrunk, they get horny, and they sometimesget arrested – they’re unlikely heroes,but they’re the only ones licensedto strap on a goofy backpack, drivearound in a ridiculous looking vehicle inthe middle of the night, and zap unrulyspectres with proton beams.And their rates are reasonable too!GhostbustinG

ChApter onepArAnormoloGy101Venkman: Egon, why don’t you tell usa little about the science of ghostbusting.Spengler: Certainly, Peter. To beginwith, you must realize that the fourdimensionalspace our senses perceiveis only a fraction of the total universe.Quantum chroma-dynamics and modernsuper-symmetry theory show that inFact there are eleven dimensions. Maybetwelve.Stantz: Eleven dimensions!Spengler: Or perhaps twelve. Mostgrand unification theorists believe thatthe majority of those dimensions collapsedinto pocket universes nanosecondsafter the Big Bang. However, thedifficulty of quark-scatter experimentsmake verification of extra-dimensionaldimensions problematical, and —Venkman: You’ve lost me, Egon. Let’sgo back to eleven.Spengler: Never mind, Peter. Theimportant factor here is that certainof these dimensions are, I believe,inhabited by ecto-material beings whoseconsciousness impinges our own in acomplexly reinforcing way. These beingscan, under certain conditions, manifestthemselves in our 4d-space through themanipulation of quantum instabilitiesin micro-scale space, which you mustrealize is foamy —Zeddemore: You mean, like shavingcream?Spengler: I mean that space, also, isquantized... but we’re getting off trackhere. The point is that this ability tomanipulate quantum instabilities is, infact, a fifth form of energy in addition tothe commonly accepted four — gravitic,electromagnetic, weak and strongnuclear.Zeddemore: Let me get this straight.You’re saying that demons, boogie-menand all the other weird stuff we haveto deal with are powered by the samething?Spengler: Precisely! A form of energywe call Psychokinetic Energy, or PKE.Stantz: So, for instance, we can seeghosts because they use PKE?Spengler: Right, although it is importantto realize that not all PKE manifestationsare visible. Also, the use of PKEto create a dimensional aperture permittingvisual observation is reflexive.Venkman: That’s what?Spengler: Let me put it in the simplestpossible terms, Peter. If you can see it,it can see you. And if it isn’t friendly…that may not be a good thing.Venkman: There you go again, withthat “good thing”, “bad thing” stuff.Spengler: Sorry.Venkman: That’s okay, Egon. Howabout telling us about the more practicalapplications of PKE.Spengler: Of course. Now, althoughprevious researchers made their contributions,I think I can say with alldue modesty that until I developed thePKE valence field model of paranormaldisturbance, parapsychology and relatedpArAnormoloGy 101

sciences were at a standstill.Venkman: I love this part – this theoryis straight out of Thrilling Wonder Stories.Spengler: Uh — yes, As I said before,PKE works through micro-scaledisturbances in the foamy structureof quantized space and, at this scale,the observer has a direct impact on thesystem, a fact long established in quantumphysics. This being so, the humanmind, as a conscious observer of thewhole system, can in fact manipulatePKE energy directly.Venkman: All I know is that lovelyyoung coeds often display amazing powers.Their other kinds of energy manipulationaren’t bad either,Spengler: Precisely… I think. At anyrate, Schrodinger’s gedanken experimentwith the cat is illustrative —Stantz: I’m allergic to cats,Spengler: Ahhh… the point is thatthought, coupled with emotion, canbring about changes in the physicalworld. The extent of these changes islimited only by the amount of extra-dimensionalenergy the individual mindcan tap.Zeddemore: So you mean I can turnsomeone’s hair white, win at the races,or move a six-ton safe just by thinkingabout it?Spengler: Yes, although it’s a littlemore complex than that, Winston.Indeed, the theory necessary to permitsuch dramatic changes is still far froma complete formulation, but the factis that such phenomena do exist innature. Of course, since everyone hasthis ability to a greater or lesser extent,people also have defenses. Turningsomeone’s hair white if they don’t wantyou to, can be very difficult.Stantz: And yet, people have been doingthat sort of thing for a long time.Spengler: Certainly. Primitive magic— such as the use of sacrificial virgins,voodoo, trance magic — is an attemptby the unsophisticated to harness PKE.Great resources can be tapped by thosewho know where to find them.Stantz: Right! Like the time we battledGozer the Gozerian! Zuul asked us tochoose a form for our destruction and Ichose the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Manand we all almost died... uhh…Spengler: Correct, Ray. You chose theform, and the PKE necessary to completethe manifestation was suppliedby Gozer. Nowadays, with the toolsafforded us by modern parapsychologicaltheory, we can affect paranormalphenomena in much more sophisticatedways.Venkman: They’re talking aboutproton packs and ghost traps, folks! Ilove these guys — they always get to thepoint so fast! Ray, start us off with yourclassification system so everyone willknow what we’re talking about.Stantz: Gosh, thanks Peter. First, letme just say that Egon and I shouldshare the credit — strictly speaking, theclassification of paranormal entities isEgon’s —Venkman: Thank you, Ray. Now, whatwas that great system you had?Spengler: Let him finish, Peter,Venkman: Later, Egon. Go ahead, Ray.Stantz: Right. The first step in classifyingany dimensional cross-nexusmanifestation is deciding its physicalrepresentation. For instance, a ClassI specter is defined as an undevelopedform, insubstantial and difficult tosee. Interaction with the environmentis limited and enigmatic, like spectrallights, voices or sounds. Most of theseare capable of travelling through wallsand other physical objects — anythingthat can do that is called a vapor.Zeddemore: Sounds like they’re reallyhard to chase, ‘cause we can’t gothrough walls to hunt them down.Stantz: That’s true. Fortunately, mostghosts are focused. That means thatthey can’t leave the area or building orwherever they first appear. That makes iteasier.Zeddemore: You mean they can’tmove?Stantz: No, no. A ghost that can’tmove at all is called a non-roamingphantasm, as opposed to those thatcan move, which are full-roaming. Soa non-roaming ghost is focused, but afull-roaming ghost can be focused orunfocused. Get it?Zeddemore: Yeah… sure.Venkman: And how do you get rid ofthem once you find them’?Stantz: A proton pack stream/ghosttrap combination is usually effective,although you’ve got to know where thething is in order to hit it, and a lot ofthese babies just sort of seem to be...somewhere. Now, a Class II ghost isreally creepy — that’s where they start tohave actual physical characteristics andcan physically manipulate things. ButClass II forms are vague or inconsistent,like hands or lips just floating there,Venkman: And removal?Stantz: Again, proton streams areusually effective... uh, sometimes,Venkman: Don’t hedge, Ray.Stantz: Sorry. What I was about tosay is that you have to be careful ‘causesome Class II’s can fight back. And ifthey’re vapors too, they’re really tough totrack down!Venkman: So a Class II can be avapor, too?Stantz: Oh sure, All these specialmodifiers can apply to any Class. So,like I was saying, a Class II vapor istough, but Class III’s and IV’s are evenworse! They’re actual distinct humanforms, although they can change theirshape sometimes.Zeddemore: Like that ghost you guysmet in the New York Public Library.Stantz: Right! And the only differencebetween a Class III and a Class IVis that no one knows who a Class IIIghost used to be. As soon as investigationreveals the former identity, theghost is reclassified as a IV. This alsomakes it a lot easier to talk to and,ultimately, to get rid of,Zeddemore: So, who was the ghost inlibrary? After you investigated?Venkman: We don’t talk about thathere, Winston. Sorry, Ray.Stantz: That’s okay. One other thingabout Class III and IV ghosts is thedistinction between half and full torsoapparitions. Full torso apparitions arereally rare — usually a Class III or IVghost is indistinct from the chest ondown.Paranormology 101

Zeddemore: But the ghost in thelibrary was — owww!!!!Venkman: Sorry, Winston, but therewas a tremendous bee on your back. Goahead, Ray.Stantz: Okay, next are the Class V’s,which are ectoplasmic manifestationsof definite but nonhuman form. Someof our theories suppose that Class V’sare formed from emotionally-chargedevents or as side effects from ritual summonings.To get rid of them, you canuse a proton pack, but sometimes you’llget what’s called a repeater. That’sa ghost that just keeps on comingback until you find out what’ssummoning it in the first place.Now sometimes the local PKE istoo weak to support more than afew recurrences of a specter, butother times you’ll get a non-terminalphantasm — they just keepcoming back.Venkman: Like that ugly littlespud in the hotel Sedgewick.Stantz: Right! Only that “uglylittle spud” is actually a Class VFull-Roaming Vapor, and a focusedand non-terminal repeater.Venkman: It’s still a spud.Stantz: Next we have Class VIspooks, which are nonhuman animalghosts. For instance, O’Malleyreports that the ghost of a penguin fromthe Central Park Zoo once was observedattacking a mugger. To get rid of theseoften requires research into the animal’shabitats, natural enemies, and so on. Itdoesn’t do too much good talking to apenguin, does it!Venkman: No, Ray, it doesn’t. Tell usabout the last classification.Stantz: Class VII! Oh, those nastyClass VIIs! These are the meta-spectres,like Zuul and Gozer, with extra-dimensionalpowers far beyond human ken.They’re also sometimes called “demons.”Venkman: Any tips on demon-busting?Stantz: Not really. The best solution isusually to prevent them from enteringthis dimension in the first place.Spengler: I’d just like to interject thatit’s important to remember that there isa grain of truth in every superstition.For example, if you’re dealing with awerewolf, which would be a fairly weakClass VI, there’s documentation to showthat only silver can harm it. So I’vedesigned a proton pack using silverizedmaterials, just in case. In other words,there may be ways to handle even thetoughest beings, if you know their weaknesses.Venkman: And if this pseudoscientificgobbledygook doesn’t do it, sometimesyou can smooth-talk the spook andfigure out its problem, and get rid of itthat way.Zeddemore: Just like you guys got ridof the ghost in the library, right? Didn’tdo any good, did it? If talking doesn’tbudge it, I say keep your proton packhandy.Venkman: Okay, Egon, how aboutfinishing us up with a brief discussionof things that aren’t ghosts but are still“supernatural.”Spengler: Ah, yes! Well, despite thecontribution to the developing scienceof paranormology, a large portion ofparanormal phenomena remain unexplained.Indeed, because of the natureof the subject matter, darker forces oftenattempt to obscure facts and makeinvestigation inconclusive.Venkman: You’re saying that ghosts tryto obscure the facts to protect themselves?Or is this just an excuse forshoddy research, Egon?Spengler: Ahem. For example, Xenostudiesis another aspect of ghostbustingwhich we are only beginning tounderstand. The collective unconsciousoften affects the PKE matrix in unexpectedways. Numerous reports of flyingsaucers, dating from ancient times —Stantz: There was this great movie onlast night, Plan 9 From Outer Space!And the story was that —Spengler: Yes, Ray, we know. Also,history records many accounts of corporealcreatures from alternate dimensionsor different planes of existence. TheLoch Ness monster, by contrast, isin all probability no more than asingle plesiosaur surviving into themodern era —Stantz: Or the Jersey Devil! Man,what a creepy creature that was —Spengler: Ray, we’ve beenthrough this before. The JerseyDevil obviously entered this dimensionthrough a child’s PKE blastingopen a fifteen-fold cross rip, andis therefore a truly paranormalcreature.Stantz: But what about Grey’srefutation? And the example of...what was his name?Venkman: Don’t argue, guys.It’s undignified. Now I think thepoint is that many of the thingswe were called upon to investigateare, strictly speaking, not ghosts. ButI say: don’t let that deter you from therelentless pursuit of knowledge, or thecollection of handsome fees!Spengler: In the interests of science,you may be called upon to confrontenigmatic, terrifying creatures. But perseverancein the study of the unknownmay reveal invaluable knowledge,perhaps the very keys to the universalriddles of time, space and energyVenkman: Or even how to find a parkingspace in New York!Spengler: *Sigh*Venkman: So let me just conclude bysaying that, as Ghostbusters, our jobisn’t always easy. It isn’t always whatyou expect — and it isn’t always ghosts.But when there is no one else out thereto help innocent people in desperatetrouble, it’s up to us... the noble, selflessGhostbusters... to save the world!Paranormology 101

A Ghostbusters game is somethingthat shouldn’t take a lot of thinking,especially on the part of the players.They don’t need to know why somethingworks, only that it does. This may notalways be satisfactory to the Game Mas-ter, or to some of the more scientificallyinclined PCs.WhAt AreGhosts mAdeof?the sCienCe ofGhostbustinGBefore scientific investigation,the question wouldhave seemed ludicrous— ghosts were made of thesame matter as souls, nomatter whatsoever! Butas science divorced itselffrom religion, spiritual energyneeded a new identity;in 1852, Karl von Reichenbachnamed it the “Odicforce.” Eminent physicistSir William Crookespopularized“psychicforce,” which becamethe default term. Somescholars viewed thisforce as an immaterialor transmaterialsubstance similar to“luminiferousether.”Possibly as a result of J.B. Rhine’s psi researchin the 1930s and 1940s,the theory shifted. Ratherthan a special type of energysuch as Odic force orWilhelm Reich’s “orgone,”ghosts became part of theelectromagnetic spectrum, likeradio waves or ultraviolet light.Modern ghost hunters usually acceptthis theory, although some insist onadding “auras,” implying that ghostsare simply “bodiless auras.”Recently, experiments in plasmaphysics have bled into parapsychology,and a new theory states ghosts are here-tofore-unclassified plasmas, positivelyionized electrostatic fields like St. Elmo’sfire. Since natural plasmas appear in ballform, perhaps plasmas explain the sightingsof “orbs” — balls of ghostly light.Regardless of current theory, for gamepurposes these various energies shouldbe treated as psychokinetic energy orPKE, unless GM chooses to segregatethem into different classes or types.so WhAt W AreGhosts?The traditional answer, and still themost common theory, is that ghostsare dead souls, walking the earthrather than moving on. However,theories of ghosts’ natures havechanged over the years. FredericW. H. Myers, co-founder of theSociety for Psychical Research,hypothesized that ghosts were“psychic recordings” impressedon a site by the psychic forceof people who died there. Latertheorists elaborated on this concept,suggesting that some peopleleft imprints on the “psychicether” that slowly faded over thecenturies, but that psychics andsensitives can read the traces in“haunted” locations.These theories remain cur-rent, although elements are replacedwith the electromagneticfield, chi field, or “global aura.”“Psychic recordings” go throughtheir actions in a predictable, constantway (like a film loop) and donot interact with witnesses. Theyalso stick to the same place — even ifthe walls, doorways, floors, or otherterrain have been radically altered.This leads some investigators to saythat ghosts are actually “leaks” throughportals between dimensions, made upof some extra-dimensional energy thatdoesn’t map to our dimension’s physics.In this theory, “haunted houses” areactually “etheric windows,” openings toother planes, like ley line nodes, sacredwells, or cemeteries. Perhaps those livingor dying in the portal imprint on theoutside energy, combining recordingand portal theory.Alternately, perhaps the witnessesthemselves imprint on the portal’s en-pArAnormoloGy 101

GhostbustersInternationalWith the steady increase in worldwidedemand for their services, theGhostbusters (more specifically, PeterVenkman) realized that they couldnever handle all the cases coming theirway. What if other ghostbusting groupsaround the world could take up the mantleof the original team, busting ghostsin different countries and different languages?And what if each group couldstart up a franchise with appropriatelylicensed ghostbusting equipment. Andwhat if this solution made the originalGhostbusters filthy rich?Thus Ghostbusters International wascreated. Ghostbusters, Inc. is the parentTime Linecorporation and majority stockholder ofGhostbusters International (GBI). GBIlicenses all things Ghostbuster and hasseveral lawsuits pending against unlicensedGhostbusteresque theme parks,cartoons, and toys that have capitalizedon their fame. In short, Ghostbusters,Inc. is a corporation – the scariest entityany Ghostbuster will ever face.But still… it’s a living.8000 BC: The Undying One, master of the African nationof Tangalla, is challenged by the wizard one day known as“The Collector”. The Collector fails, and is banished to theland of lost objects. The Undying One holds the twin keysto the realm until his own defeat, where they become heirloomskept by the descendants of Shima-Buku (BrooklynTriangle, Moaning Stones).7000 BC: Hob Anagarak, a demonic creature holdingsway over the Arctic, is imprisoned in a block of black ice.It is said in Inuit legend that after this, the land grew cold(Cold Cash and Hot Water).3500 BC: The Sumerian civilization forms in Mesopotamia.The Sumerians invent writing (cuneiform) and thepantheon worshipped by the Sumerians and their successors,the Babylonians and Hittites, include many colorfulfigures such as Marduk, god of the city; his nemesis, thegreat dragon Tiamat; Gozer the Gozerian, and it’s minionsZuul and Vinz Clortho; and the elemental spirits Anshar andKhishor (I am the City, Ghostbusters, Very Beast Friend).3000 BC: Shima-Buku, chieftain of the Ibandi people ofTangalla, defeats the Undying One and imprisons him inthree stones that were scattered throughout the borders ofTangalla (Moaning Stones).1600 BC: An Egyptian chronicle mentions a powerfulHyksos deity known as “Zuul, the Gatekeeper, minion ofGozer” (Ghostbusters).738 AD: Death of Arab madman Abdul Al-Hazred (moreaccurately rendered as “Abd Al-Azrad”), writer of a collectionof dark spells and lore related to “Khadhulu” and the“Great Old Ones” known as the Kitab Al-Azif. When translatedby Western scholars into Greek and Latin, centurieslater, it would become known as the Necronomicon, asource work for 20th century horror writer H. P. Lovecraft’sCthulhu mythos (Collect Call of Cthulhu).900 AD: The monks of the monastery of St. Theophilusbind four spirits that appear to be the Four Horsemen of theApocalypse from Christian prophesy. They are contained inthe Codex of St. Theophilus, sealed with mystic wax.The peak of the Viking civilization birthed in the Scandinavianpeninsula. Their pantheon of warlike gods includesOdin, Thor, Loki, Surt, and many more colorful beings; accordingto their myth, the world will one day be destroyedin the great battle of Ragnarok (“Apocalypse… What,NOW?!”, Ragnarok and Roll, Slimer’s Sacrifice).1505 AD, June 25: Birth of Vigo Von HomborgDeutschendorf, who later terrorizes Eastern Europe as adespot and necromancer known most famously as Vigo theCarpathian, but also as Vigo the Cruel, Vigo the Despised,Vigo the Torturer, Vigo the Unholy, the Scourge of Carpathia,and the Sorrow of Moldavia (Ghostbusters II).1598 AD: Vigo the Carpathian paints his dynamic selfportrait.Following a common practice of the time, hepaints it over another, older work depicting four strangearchangels and a cherub. Vigo ensorcelled the painting tocontain his essence after his death (Ghostbusters II).1610 AD: Vigo the Carpathian is killed by his subjects,having lived 105 years. He is shot, hung, stabbed, anddrawn and quartered. Before finally expiring, his severedhead delivered the prophesy “Death is but a doorway, Timeis but a window; I’ll be back” (Ghostbusters II).1684 AD: Bandits raid the monastery of St. Theophilus;among the items stolen is the Codex of St. Theophilus.The order would attempt to find the Codex, but fail untilit resurfaces at a Northby’s auction in 1985 (“Apocalypse…What, NOW?!”).1689 AD: Phineus Eventide is born. He would grow upto become one of the most powerful wizards in the world.Elias Spengler saves the colony town of Lewistown, Massachusettsfrom the witch Kestrel, imprisoning her in acrystal containment unit. Elias’ descendants will includeZediciah, an 18th century wizard, and 20th century GhostbusterEgon Spengler (If I Were a Witch Man).1690 AD: Hieronymous, English court wizard, is drawninto the Netherworld of Arzun and Tolay (Egon’s Ghost).1870 AD: The New York Pneumatic Rail Road (NYPRR)is first built, the brainchild of Alfred Beach. As envisionedby Beach, it serves as a system of mass transit in Manhattandespite early opposition of corrupt politico Boss Tweed.It is later phased out in favor of the famous subway system;some parts of the pneumatic are abandoned; one juncture,Van Horne Station, becomes an important early part of thereturn of Vigo the Carpathian in 1988 (Ghostbusters II).Paranormology 10111

1889 AD: The Eiffel Tower is debuted at the World’s Fairin Paris. Unknown to the world at large, it’s creator, GustavEiffel, was a ghost hunter and the tower was his containmentsystem (Ghostbusters in Paris).1890 AD: Birth of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, who in theearly 20th century would write many horror novels in whatwill be referred to by some as the “Cthulhu Mythos” beforehis death in 1937. Unbeknownst to the world at large, Lovecraftdid not create the Cthulhu mythos: he drew it fromthe ancient mystic text known as the Necronomicon. RayStantz would be a voracious reader of Lovecraft’s works,which inspired his own studies of the supernatural (CollectCall of Cthulhu).1897 AD: Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula is released. CountVostok of Buldavia claims that the book is a fictionalizedand slanted account of his battles with the fanatical VanHelden family (Transylvania Homesick Blues).1904 AD: Birth of Mr. Tummell, who would become abillionaire industrialist listed at the top of the Fortune 500.In his later years, he would invest much of his fortune in dimensionaltransit research, hoping to take his fortune withhim after his death (You Can’t Take it With You).1910 AD: Ivo Shandor, an Albanian medical student,forms a cult dedicated to the worship of Gozer the Gozerian,an ancient Sumerian deity also known as The Destructorand The Traveler. Shandor believed that society was toosick to survive, and performed many “unnecessary” surgeries,experimenting with the pacification of humans. He alsobranched out into architecture, creating the design for 550Central Park West, the 1983 residence of Dana Barrett andLouis Tully. His cult had over one thousand members at thetime of his death (Ghostbusters).1920 AD: Gangsterism flourishes during Prohibition.The most notorious crime boss is Al Capone, who runs theChicago underworld with an iron fist (The GhostbustersLive from Al Capone’s Tomb!).1928 AD: Walt Fleishman releases the first cartoon starringRicky Roach, leading to a dynasty of animated characterslike Conquerer Duck and Winchester Wolf.1944 AD: Walt Fleishman disappears. It wouldn’t belearned until years later that he was sucked into a pocketrealm ruled by his evil creation Winchester Wolf, and torturedfor the next forty years (Who’re You Calling Two-Dimensional?).1948 AD: Criminals Tony and Nunzio Scoleri are electrocuted.They were sentenced to death by a young judgenamed Steven Wexler in one of the first cases of his fortyplusyear career. They would be summoned back to try andtake revenge on Wexler via the slime of Vigo the Carpathianin 1988 (Ghostbusters II).1959 AD: The firemen of the Hook and Ladder #8 repelTime Line (continued)a ghost invasion. They are aided by a team of time travelersfrom 1989, the future inhabitants of their firehouse, theGhostbusters (It’s About Time).1960 AD: As part of the “Silver Age” of comics, youngcomic writer Len Wolfman created the superhero CaptainSteel, an inspired knock-off of Superman. Disguising himselfas mild mannered CPA Kirk Clint, he fights a neverendingbattle against such villains as deranged scientistDoctor Destructo (Captain Steel Saves the Day).1983 AD: Egon Spengler, Peter Venkman, and RayStantz investigate a haunting at the New York Public Library;though they have little success in dealing with theproblem, Egon manages to get reading that confirms theionization properties of ectoplasmic entities – it could bepossible to capture a ghost, and contain it indefinitely.Their triumph appears short lived as they return to discoverthat the Board of Regents has terminated their grantand Dean Yaeger is throwing them off campus. Venkmangets Ray to put three mortgages on his parents’ house tofinance the world’s first paranormal investigation andelimination agency: Ghostbusters. The team advertisesfor a fourth member: veteran Winston Zeddemore is hiredfor the job. The Ghostbusters also draw the attention ofthe government, particularly an EPA hatchet man namedWalter Peck. Dana Barrett, a cellist, and her neighbor, CPALouis Tully, are possessed by Zuul (“The Gatekeeper”) andVinz Clortho (“The Keymaster”) respectively, and whenPeck opens the Ghostbusters’ containment unit, they drawon the psychic turbulence to release their master, Gozerthe Gozerian, a powerful Sumerian deity. Gozer adoptsthe form of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and beginsdestroying midtown Manhattan before a risky plan by theGhostbusters thwarts him, sending his intelligence backto his home dimension, along with Zuul and Vinz Clortho(Ghostbusters). Despite saving the city, possibly the world,lawsuits are filed against the team for their activities in levelingCentral Park West (Ghostbusters II).The Ghostbusters rebuild the firehouse, and build a biggercontainment unit. Leakage from the containment unitallows Slimer to escape, who starts hanging around thefirehouse (Citizen Ghost).1984 AD: Digging a new subway tunnel, the transit authoritydisobeys the door telling them “do not open untildoomsday”. The Ghostbusters close the gateway (Knock,Knock).Hollywood wants to make a movie out of the Ghostbusters’adventure with Gozer. Venkman is convinced RobertRedford wants to play him, but the parts go to Bill Murray,Dan Akyroyd, and Harold Ramis (Take Two).Egon and Janine run afoul of Ray Cougar, running anunauthorized Ghostbuster-themed roller coaster at histacky carnival. The coaster ends up possessed by the com-12 Paranormology 101

ined spectral force of animals from a circus that burneddown in the spot years before (Roller Ghoster).A rogue sandman, Keeper of Dreams, tries to bringpeace to the world by putting everyone to sleep (Mr. SandmanDream Me A Dream). Egon Spengler’s ecto-bomb trapsthe Boogieman in his home dimension (The Boogieman Cometh).1984 AD, June 8: Ghostbusters, featuring Bill Murray,Dan Akyroyd, and Harold Ramis as Venkman, Ray, andEgon, is released by Columbia Pictures. The real Ghostbustersattend the New York debut of the picture. A fictionalizedaccount of the team’s formation and battle withGozer, it becomes one of the top-grossing comedies of alltime.1984 AD, October 31: Samhaine, an ancient Celtic deitywhose legend is at the heart of the Halloween celebration,attempts to invoke perpetual Halloween. He is defeatedand locked in the Ghostbusters’ containment unit (WhenHalloween Was Forever).1985 AD: The Ghostbusters deal with a drought in supernaturalactivity by becoming the Crimebusters, runningafoul of a mob boss known only as “Crime Lord”, whokidnaps Janine in an effort to neutralize the team (GhostBusted).Asked to visit by the French government, the team preventsthe Eiffel Tower from exploding (Ghostbusters InParis).Cultists steal a copy of the Necronomicon and summonCthulhu. A risky gambit using an old H.P. Lovecraft storysends the monster back to his ocean floor dwelling (CollectCall of Cthulhu).An exhibit showcases the three Moaning Stones of Tangalla,supposedly the prison of a demon called “The UndyingOne”, bound by the great Ibandi leader Shima-Bukuthousands of years ago. The museum imprudently puts thethree stones together, and the Undying One returns withan army of skeletal warriors. Winston, the reincarnation ofShima-Buku, re-binds the demon (Moaning Stones).The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are accidentallyreleased from the Codex of St. Theophilus. With the help ofFather Janosz and the order of St. Theophilus, the Ghostbustersdefeat the Dark Riders and seal them away again(“Apocalypse… What, NOW?”).The Ghostbusters are on hand for the latest round in thebattle between Marduk, Babylonian God of the City, andhis eternal nemesis Tiamat (I Am The City).The Ghostbusters go underground and discover the “Pillarof New York”, a giant gear that keeps Manhattan fromsinking. A bunch of ghosts cause earthquakes in New Yorkby closing off the flow of lubricating ectoplasm. The Ghostbustersstop them (Beneath these Streets).Time Line (continued)Egon survives a fall off the World Trade Center duringa bust, but contains his emotion; the Boogieman, able tofeed on the internalized fear of his former victim, breaksfree from his pocket dimension. Egon triumphs over hisfear, and using the destablizer gun renders the Boogiemanvulnerable to the Ghostbusters’ proton packs, and he’splaced in the containment unit (The Boogieman is Back).1985 AD, Halloween: Samhaine escapes the containmentunit, once again trying to instigate eternal Halloween.Once again, he is foiled and contained (Halloween II 1/2).1986 AD: Paul Smart, President of Grossjuck Industries,steals a ghost trap, and copies confidential Ghostbusterfiles. Weeks later he resurfaces, announcing his “New advancein spectral elimination”: Robo-Buster X-1, a robotthat blasts ghosts to nothing instead of containing them.Over the next few weeks the thing steals Ghostbuster business.But Robo-Buster X-1 doesn’t destroy ghosts, it blendsthem together into a massive spectral entity. The entity iseventually defeated, destroying Robo-Buster and ruiningGrossjuck Industries and Paul Smart (Robo-Buster).In the wake of several protracted lawsuits against them(some dating back to the Gozer incident of 1983) the Ghostbustersare brought to court. Rather than go to trial, theteam accept a plea agreement wherein they accept an injunctionagainst acting as paranormal investigators. EgonSpengler returns to research, specializing in theories onpsychomagnetheric resonance in human emotional states.Peter Venkman becomes host of a low budget TV programcalled World of the Psychic. Ray Stantz becomes the proprietorof an occult bookstore, and appears with WinstonZeddemore in Ghostbuster costumes at children’s parties.1987 AD: Dana Barrett – with her son Oscar encountersome ghostly phenomenon. She consults with Egon Spengler,who brings Ray Stantz and Venkman into the case.The three find a river of slime flowing through the old NewYork Pneumatic Railway – and run afoul of the law. LouisTully defends them in the court of Judge Steven Wexler, butthe appearance of the Scoleri brothers that forces Wexler torescind the ghostbusting injunction and dismiss the case.The Ghostbusters return to business.1987 AD, December 31: The Ghostbusters using Vigothe Carpathian’s own weapon – the psychomagnethericslime – against him, animate the Statue of Liberty andbreak the shell around the museum just before midnight.The Ghostbusters foil Vigo’s attempt to possess Oscar. Themadman is defeated and destroyed (Ghostbusters II).1990 AD: Unable to keep up with the ever increasingworkload, the aging team members use their share of theprofits from the 1989 “Ghostbusters II” movie to foundGhostbusters International. After setting up the business,they take on the less demanding job of training young franchiseesthe art of ghostbusting.Paranormology 10113

Chapter TwoGhostbustersInternationalThe GhostbusterFranchiseThere are two corporate entities thatcarry the Ghostbusters name: Ghostbusters,Inc., and Ghostbusters International.Ghostbusters Inc., is the originalfranchise created in the movie. Their territoryis New York State, primarily Manhattan.Ghostbusters, Inc. is the parentcorporation and majority stockholder ofGhostbusters International (GBI).Peter Venkman, through Louis Tully,manages Ghostbusters International.The contract that enterprising Ghostbustersfranchisees sign is built aroundthe parent company making a lot ofmoney before the franchisees startearning any. A sample contract is in theHandouts section of this book for theGame Master to use (see pp. 116-117).As with anything else in these rules, theGM should feel free to make changes tothe contract if he wants it to be less restrictive,or, even more so.Each Ghostbuster franchise beginswith a contract that outlines the rights ofGBI and the franchisee. It also dictates acode of conduct that must be followedby the franchisee and its employees. Examplesof both are provided in the sidebarsof pp. 17-18. Beyond the contract;training, an exclusive territory and basicghostbusting equipment are provided aspart of the start-up cost of the new franchise.The intention is to make the playerswork hard for their money. Even withthe cost of the operation, plus maintainingand buying equipment, a ghostbustingfranchise could be stashing awaya fair sized nest-egg. Kick-backs to theparent corporation are designed to makesure that the nest-egg never happens.Rich Ghostbusters don’t tend to workvery hard at ghostbusting.“We are on the threshold of establishing theindispensable defense science of the next decade– professional paranormal investigations andeliminations. The franchise rights alone willmake us wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.”– Peter Venkman, “Ghostbusters”The first rule of ghostbusting is this:it ain’t cheap. To start off in a franchise,Ghostbusters have to sell or mortgageeverything they own. This is why mostGhostbusters aren’t married. They collectivelyscrape up enough money to eatfor a week and take out ads. In return,Ghostbusters become part of the Ghostbusterfranchise. Of course, the playerscan always be hired by an existing franchiseand just work “for the man” if theywant to keep things simple.TrainingYour TeamThe original four Ghostbusters haveretired from active ghostbusting dutiesand now work exclusively at trainingnew inductees to the Ghostbusters organization.All new Ghostbusters must gothrough the training program at GhostbustersInc. national training center inNew York. The training of the first fourrecruits to a new franchise is covered underthe terms of the franchise contract.Any new employees requiring trainingdo so at extra cost.There is no training required for otherfranchise employees, such as secretarialhelp or people doing other menialtasks within the franchise. Only a personworking a positron glider or other equipmentspecific to ghostbusting is requiredby the franchise contract to undergoGBI training. Failure to have all “Ghostbusters”properly trained can void thefranchise contract.Under certain circumstances, otherGhostbusters may be given the authorityby GBI to train new employees. This isat the discretion of the GM, if needed tomove the game in a new direction or toexpedite training for more remote gaminglocales, like the freak states, Alaskaand Hawaii.While trainees are taught by the originalGhostbusters, this is not necessarilyconsidered “Trained by a Master” in thestrictest sense, and yet it does mean thatPCs will be gaining more skill than therequired 200+ hours of training wouldnormally provide.In game terms, after the two weektraining course the PCs should be ableto use a proton pack, a basic ghost trapand a PKE meter with relative competence.Players with default skills relatedto ghostbusting can concentrate theirtraining on weaker areas or the GameMaster can raise their stats to reflecttheir advanced knowledge in that skill.See Chapter Three on character creationfor more details regarding recommendedand required ghostbusting skillsand their default values, if any.14Ghostbusters International

ExclusiveTerritoriesIn return for the initial payment andafter participation in the Ghostbusterstraining program, the franchisee receivesan exclusive territory of servicewithin which no other GBI franchiseeor franchised agent, may operate, andbeyond which the franchisee may notoperate or proceed as a GBI agent withoutexplicit written approval from GBI.How territories are divided up amongfranchisees is entirely at the discretionof the Game Master. A map dividingthe United States into 10 territories hasbeen provided for convenience. The cityindicated on the map as a GhostbustersHQ was selected because it has the highestpopulation, and therefore the highestearning potential for that territory.It is assumed that most players willwant to be based in the U.S., possibly inor near their own home state, but anycity, state or country can be used as abase of operations for the game if it isacceptable to the players and the GM.The larger and older a city is, thehigher the incidence of ghosts will be,so this should be considered by the playersand the GM before a final decision ismade for the setting of the game.Other CountriesWhile a U.S. map is shown in thissection, the rest of the world is left upto the Game Master’s imagination. Itwould be expected that Canada mighthave a team of Ghostbusters in Vancouver,Toronto and Montreal. Likewisethe largest European cities would likelyhave franchises located within them.The richer the country, the more likelythere will be enough work to support ateam of full-time ghost-catchers.Third-world countries with pooreconomies are less likely to contain anyGhostbusters, but also culturally, the fatherone gets from Europe, the greaterthe difference in attitudes toward ghostsand the supernatural will be.With their history of ancestor worshipand very different perception of what aghost means, ghostbusting in China orJapan would be a very interesting andpossibly difficult proposition.Travel OptionsGhostbusters from one territory mayinvite a team from another territorywithout explicit consent from GBI, andany team can go to an area or countrywhere there are no defined Ghostbusterterritories set up by GBI. Thiscan open up opportunities for the occasionalglobe-trotting adventure whenold gaming location plot-hooks dry up,or a change of pace is called for. GameMasters may want to sketch out a worldmap showing areas of the world that arecovered by the GBI franchise and whichcountries are still ripe for plunder, er,in need of that special service that onlyGhostbusters can provide.Covering Your TerritoryThere are no rules and restrictionsabout how a franchise is run. GBIdoesn’t care if you have one office or sixas long as they get their cut and don’thave any problems with the operationonce it is up and running.All this means is that the Game Masterand the PCs can have fun playingaround in a much bigger sandbox, ifSalemSEATTLEOlympiaWAORSacramentoCarson CityNVSANFRANCISCOCAPACIFICOCEANHelenaIDBoiseSalt Lake CityUTAZPhoenixMEXICOMTWYCheyenneDENVERCOSanta FeNMAustinLake SuperiorMichiganLakeLake HuronCANADALake ErieLake OntarioFLVTMEAugustaNDMontpelier Concord NHBismarckMNMAAlbany BOSTONMINNEAPOLISProvidenceWINYRISt. PaulHartfordSD PierreMIMadisonCTLansingPA Trenton NEW YORK CITYNJIA CHICAGOHarrisburgDoverAnnapolisNEDesColumbusDEWashington, D.C.MoinesINLincolnOHMDSpringfieldIndianapolisWV VAILCharleston RichmondTopekaMOFrankfortKSJefferson CityKYRaleighNCNashvilleATLANTICTNColumbiaOKOklahoma ARSC OCEANCityAtlantaLittle RockALGAMSDALLASMontgomeryLA JacksonTXTallahasseeBatonRougekm 0mi 0125 250125 250Gulf ofMexicoNW ESThe state abbreviation appears in bold, Statecapitols are indicated by a star ★ and Ghostbuster basecities are represented as white circles ● . Where a basecity is also in or near a state capitol, the star and circleoverlap ●★.Rank City State Population1 New York New York 8,143,1972 Chicago Illinois 2,842,5183 Dallas Texas 1,213,8254 San Francisco California 739,4265 Seattle Washington 573,911Rank City State Population6 Boston Massachusetts 559,0347 Denver Colorado 557,9178 Washington District of Columbia 550,5219 Atlanta Georgia 470,68810 Minneapolis Minnesota 372,811Ghostbusters International15

that’s what they want.Ghostbusters: New York may havea huge headquarters with three shiftsand 4 teams of men out in the field atall times. Ghostbusters: Dallas may havetheir headquarters in Dallas, but theycould also have offices in Little Rock,Austin, Baton Rogue and OklahomaCity just for convenience.The final scope and scale of theGhostbusters International corporationcan be as small and petty, or large andomnipresent as the GM wants.StartingEquipmentThe equipment supplied to a startupfranchise consists of one standardproton pack for each Ghostbuster, asingle PKE meter, and three standardghost traps per Ghostbuster. Once thefranchise has a home base, and buildingpermits have been secured, one basicecto-containment unit will be installed.All other equipment and expenses arethe responsibility of the new franchiseowners. The purchase or lease of officespace, vehicles, operating and constructionpermits, etcetera, are likewise notcovered by the franchise agreement.Much of the signature equipmentused by the Ghostbusters (as seen in themedia) is available for purchase fromGBI, but the purchase of such gear andany other Ghostbuster paraphernalia isnot required. Nor is it necessary. Somefranchises never need tripod traps, andothers even borrow or rent equipmentfrom nearby franchises as needed. Somefranchises use a replica Ecto-1 as theprimary vehicle while others will merelyuse a standard SUV painted in the corporatecolors and decked out with onlythe equipment they need.Staffing andSchedulingAs mentioned earlier, a franchisecan be as big or as small as the GameMaster and his players want. Usually afour-man team working insane hoursand spending their off time sleeping ona couch is about standard for a ghostbustingagency.The example set by Ghostbusters II ispretty much just that, four Ghostbustersliving in a space over the office and runningout every time there is a call, supplementedby Janine Melnitz in the roleof secretary/receptionist and Louis Tullytheir lawyer/accountant. This compositionworks pretty well for any game, butit can easily expand to add more regularNPCs for your players to interact with.Perhaps there is an owner/operatorwho takes care of the finances and themedia relations; a mechanic worryingover every nick on the Ecto-1, or a creepyjanitor that always seams to be near anyimportant conversation, leaning on hismop and bucket. Or just another shift ofGhostbusters in a competitive one-upmanshipwith the Players’ team.Big office or small, your players maywant to role-play and not just roll-play,so they’ll need time to do other thingsbesides fighting ghosts (like ballroomdancing). They can take personal time infits and starts or if there are a few teamsa work schedule can be drawn up.Knowing that time off is comingcan make the completion of a job thatmuch sweeter. It can also make the jobof ghostbusting seem more like a realjob and not some crazy thing done by abunch of guys that can’t get real jobs.CorporatePositionsUpon creating their Ghostbustersfranchise, the Ghostbusters themselvesmust elect officers. There can be onlyone president and accountant. All theother positions are available, but notabsolutely required for each franchise.Some positions can be held by part-timeNPCs if that is more expedient.For players who like to have depth intheir characters, managing the store canbe fun, and add an extra layer to the part16 Ghostbusters International

they are playing. For others, handlingaccounting and dealing with customercomplaints will take away from the funof the game.Players should decide for themselvesif they want a hand in running the franchise,or if they would rather work forthe company as paid grunts. Most of thefollowing positions can be filled by nonplayercharacters, or shared between afew PCs with the necessary skill sets.AccountantLike the secretary, the more physicallyactive ghostbusting professionals considerthe role of accountant to be prettyboring. But they keep it to themselves,because the accountant pays their salaries,bargains with clients, sets fees, andreplaces the equipment that tacticalleaders completely mangle.This is a position that should bemanned by someone who is remotelycompetent. The fees for capture andcontainment may seem exorbitant tothe customers, but a ghostbusting enterprisecan hemorrhage money faster thana hot knife through butter once teammembers start demanding increasinglybizarre equipment to handle jobs thataren’t exactly bringing home the proverbialbacon.LawyerGhostbusters tend to break things.Despite signing damage waivers beforethe busting starts, customers will still attemptlawsuits when they feel that thecost of the capture is too high, or the collateraldamage too great. A lawyer mightnot be needed on the permanent staff,but the need to have one at some pointis inevitable.If no PC wants to have the job of lawyeringbetween busting assignments, aregular and annoying NPC can handlethe job, and add a little conflict backat the office. A lawyer in this positionshould be carping at the regular teamabout damaging property, treating customersmore politely and generally naggingat them like a little old lady.PresidentPresidents have an obsession aboutbeing their own boss. They believe inthemselves, have an abundance of confidence,and the ability to acquire thefunds necessary to bankroll their newestmoneymaking venture. These small toFranchisee RightsNew Ghostbuster companies that pony up the necessary cash to join thefranchise have the following rights:1 The right to use the Ghostbuster brand name and logos.2 The exclusive right to purchase and operate Ghostbustersequipment in their territory.3 An exclusive territory within which they act as representativesfor Ghostbusters International.4 Access to the shared Ghostbusters database consisting of allGhostbusters’ case files collected from each franchise.5 Access to digitized tomes of forgotten magical lore, such asTobin’s Spirit Guide or Spates Catalog.large business owners have a knack forputting together business plans, gatheringresources, and getting a new ventureoff the ground. They rarely want to stickaround after the launch, however, asthey prefer to put their energies into thenext big thing.The president will be the main contactbetween the franchise and GBI,which means he’ll be at the front linewhen things go wrong and there is anaccounting to be made. Theoreticallyhis bigger pay cheque makes up for allthe added stress.ResearcherIf Ghostbusters just zap and trap,it won’t take long to fill a containmentunit, and then where will the ghost beput? Most ghosts haunt a location becauseof unfinished business.Researching the history of the building,the community or, if you’re reallylucky, the person that became the ghost,can give you a solution that lets theghost find peace.If the PCs aren’t big on research,then a professional researcher, or even agrad student in need of extra cash mightcome in handy.SecretaryThe secretary gets the exciting taskof sitting in the office! Every once in awhile, the phone rings! If the secretary isextremely dexterous, he/she/it may successfullypick it up and even answer thephone without scaring off a client! Whenthey’re not listening to some kook soundoff about his talking toaster, secretarieshold down the fort while the otherGhostbusters are away. If you haven’tfigured it out yet, being the secretarysucks. This is an excellent position for anon-player character.A good secretary will keep serviceablerecords for the accountant so that peopleget paid. He/She/It will also keep the jobschedules and work dockets completeand organized so that the ghostbustingteams know where to go and when toget there, and even sometimes what iswaiting for them.Tactical LeaderTactical leaders are more commonamongst the Ghostbuster franchisesthan they used to be. These are the guyswith military training who treat catchingghosts like arresting perps. MostGhostbusters find tactical leaders a littlescary. So do most ghosts.Though not necessary to a Ghostbusterscampaign, they can still be interestingas adversarial colleages or an optionfor players who don’t want to repeatthe Ghostbusters movie formula.TechnicianScientists and engineers of all typesfit within the scope of this starting occupation.Ghostbusters tend to attract alot of “fringe” scientists that are generallylooked down upon by the legitimatescientific community.Then there’s the wait time to get yourproton pack back from GBI’s repair centerin New York that could be avoided.Ghostbusters International17

Work OrdersCode of ConductIn exchange for Ghostbuster franchise rights, all Ghostbusters franchiseesand their employees must follow the Ghostbusters International Codeof Conduct. A Ghostbuster shall:1 Offer high quality service within his territory.2 Promptly respond to consumer complaints.3 Properly contain or otherwise neutralize supernatural agents.4 Intelligently utilize and maintain all devices patented and soldexclusively by Ghostbusters, Inc.5 Not share trade secrets, equipment designs or plans, andnot share or sell any of the patented equipment owned byGhostbusters, Inc.6 Hold Ghostbusters, Inc. and Ghostbusters International freefrom all but reasonable customer complaints.In the movies, the Ghostbusters canbe seen talking about various jobs andupdating Janine Melnitz about clientpayments and such. In running a business,this kind of paperwork is a blessingto the accountant (and other pencilpushers like the IRS), and a curse to thepeople who actually have to do it. This isnot the case with work orders.Obviously it would not be fun to havethe players fill out forms on ghost entrapments,client payments and othersundry details of a night’s business inthe dark, eerie city. But there is onepiece of paper can spice up the game forthe all involved (if the Game Master hasthe time and imagination for it).Call it a “job sheet”, a “call sheet” orthe day’s “work docket”. Whatever youwant to call it, it can invest a game witha sense of anticipation or give the playersan acute sense of eagerness (or dread)about what tomorrow holds in store.A typical Ghostbusters game will startwith the Game Master announcing, “Tonight’sjob involves a Class III causingproblems at…” which is of course fine.However, imagine the reaction of playersas they are handed a clipboard witha list of jobs for that day, or better yet,the next three days.“An apparent zombie infestation, awerewolf sighting, a possible Class IVin city sewers. Oh! And if you have thetime, Mrs Kane says there are demonsin her attic again...”The work order can be as detailed oras vague as the GM chooses, althougha mix of both is more entertaining andsometimes very rewarding for all thoseconcerned. (Don’t be hesitant to add potentialgame hooks to the list...)The work order is a big black cemetarymarker for the players to dwellon. After a good gaming session, maybeonly the first two items in a list of fivehave will have been completed, leavingthe players with all that time betweengaming sessions to contemplate the exactnature of the horrors that await.The werewolf sighting may be an authenticappearance of a were-beast, orperhaps only wild dogs, large raccoons,or some other third thing. Everythingon the work order is based on the uninformedopinions of non-professional,paranoid observers – lay persons whoseobservations may be wildly exaggeratedor dead-on accurate – with nuanced degreesof excessive detail on either side ofthe truth. The final effect, of course, isto let the players know “kind of, maybe,in a way” what’s around the corner (butnot really).More ideas on ways to use work ordersto the best effect are given in ChapterTen on Adventures.Other FormsAfter just asserting that filling outforms is tedious, awful, boring stuffthat should never ever happen in a gamelike GURPS Ghostbusters, it shouldbe pointed out that there are printableforms, permits, contracts and invoicesprovided at the back of this book.Some are fun to look at and maybehand around during a relevant gamingsession, you might even need to referto the Franchise Contract from time-totime.The others are all much too practicalto be fun.One of these practical forms is theEntity Analysis Form which your playersmay want to use for keeping track of anybeasties that they bag, or as remindersof the ones that got away.18 Ghostbusters International

The Useof MascotsGhosts are dangerous, destructiveand disgusting at their worst, and stupid,irritating and disgusting at their best. Sono one in their right mind would wantone as a pet, right?As a matter of fact, Ghostbusters Internationalencourages new franchiseowners to adopt a ghost as a mascot assoon as possible. By mascot, we’re nottalking about a man in a foam suit, or apet monkey. We’re talking about a reallive, er, dead ghost.At first glance it might seem like anattempt to make your games mirror TheReal Ghostbusters cartoon, but if youthink about it, this policy is groundedin common sense. What could disarm askeptic faster than an encounter with aphysical manifestation of the very thinghe says doesn’t exist. Arguments aboutholograms are dismissed as fast as theslime is applied. Of course it is still hardto get around the claims that Ghostbustersare using hypnosis or mindalteringchemicals, but usually theseclaims are made by arm-chair criticswho are far away from where the actionis going down.Choosing a MascotGBI encourages a thoughtful approachto choosing a mascot. Obviouslya mascot should not be too big orthreatening, and as for other aspects, theneater and least smelly of ghosts will bebetter for all concerned. After all, whenthe media are gone, the ghost will stillbe there.Mascots should be ghosts. Demons,imps, gremlins and the like may seemcute at first, but they do not project thekind of image that GBI is trying to cultivate.While GBI won’t make an issue outof an inappropriate mascot, they canmake their displeasure known throughsubtle means like the late delivery ofequipment or higher than usual shippingcosts.Gaming a MascotThe purpose of a mascot is to addto the game. The mascot is not there tosave the team. He can be comic relief.He can be a thorn in the sides of bothfriend and foe. Mostly he is there tomove the plot along.When clues are missed, or secretdoors fail to be found, the Game Mastercan use the mascot rather than comingup with a convoluted or obvious ploythat says “Hey stupid! Look over here!”That being said, the mascot shouldnot be overused or the Ghostbusters willcome to depend on him as they wouldanother member of the team. Mascotsshould be undependable, and screw upsituations just as often as they help out.Again, this can be to the GM’s advantage.If your Ghostbusters become tooprofessional, and things start going tooGhostbusting for Big BucksGhostbusters International has established standard feesfor the following basic services:On-Site Inspection:$500 Client is expected to make a full disclosure of thehistory surrounding the infestation, however unpleasant orembarrassing. Withholding such information may lead toadditional charges.Capture of Paranormal Entities:For First Entity: $4,000Each Additional Entity: $1,000Removal of Paranormal Entities:For First Entity: $1,000Each-Additional Entity: $500One-time Storage Fee:$1,500Special service fees may be applied for special servicesThe Ghostbusters may not be prepared to handle certain‘special needs’ removals, like werewolves or vampires.Fees will be adjusted accordingly.Ghostbusters International encourages individual franchisesto run specials with reduced prices or package deals whenbusiness is slow or when a franchise is breaking into newterritory.Individual franchises have the right to charge whatever fees theylike, provided they can cover their franchise fees and operatingcosts. In practice, the Ghostbusters should have a Robin Hoodcomplex – steal from the rich, give to the poor. Frequentlyhumanitarian impulses prompt Ghostbusters to accept smallerfees from needy and deserving victims of supernatural menaces,while naked greed usually surfaces when Ghostbusters deal withlarge corporations or government bureaucracies.All prices are subject to change without notice.smoothly, it can get boring.Having the mascot get in the way ofa good shot, or make a noise giving theteam away at the worst possible momentare just two examples of how youcan use a mascot to spice things up.Finally it is good to give your mascotsome defining characteristics. Slimeris cowardly, and an avaricious glutton.Thus food and fear will be prime factorsin motivating him.A mascot should always seem to bemore of a pet than a sidekick. Above all,a mascot should not be very bright.Ghostbusters International19

ChApter threeChArACtersChArACter ConCeptsEven before they’ve gone through thetraining programme to become “professionalpsychic exterminators,” mostGhostbusters likely entered the tradewith skills they’ve learned from someother profession. For instance, WinstonZeddemore’s skill-set is long and varied,thanks to his previous military experiencein Vietnam.Determining a character’s occupationand background is important. A highsteel worker may indeed lead an excitinglife, but it would take an extraordinaryleap (so to speak) to get him involvedin the spooky happenings of a Ghostbusterscampaign. Still, that leap mightbe worth the effort – a good GM shouldbe willing to work with the players tocreate unique characters. (See CharacterHooks, pp. 23-25, for more “leaps.”)Your players may wish to come upwith an interesting back story and arelated set of skills that naturally lendthemselves to a career in ghostbusting.This is a brief, though not exhaustive,list of character ideas.Academic“A fascinating demonstration ofthe Hmong belief in discarnation.Fortunately, such spirits despisemustard seed.”A professor, teacher, or researcher ata university or other center of higherlearning. He is easy to get into an adventure,as Ghostbusters are often bringingmysteries to a scholar, hoping for experthelp – and the professor might be ableto pass off an occasional adventure as“research in the field”.An academic might be interested inspiritual phenomena for purely scholarlyreasons. He could join the Ghostbusterstemporarily as a specialist inforeign haunts, native history or hiscross-cultural theories might providekey insights. Before long a career inghostbusting may seem to be producingbetter results than working in a dimly litback room at the university. But could atenured professor really give up his prestigeand security to fight ghosts?Clergyman“I cast you out, unclean spirit, alongwith every specter from Hell, and allyour fell companions!”A priest, minister, imam, rabbi, etc. Ifa clergyman is attached to a particularchurch, he will often get involved in theproblems of its church members – andsome of those problems may be supernatural.For millennia, of course, it wasa major part of the clergy’s job to opposethe evil supernatural, from witchesto demons to the unquiet dead. Eventoday, clergymen with special training(e.g., Catholic exorcists) act as supernatural“troubleshooters,” and can becomeinvolved in adventures throughout theworld.The clergyman’s superiors may secretlytolerate or openly denigrate him(or both), but he cannot refuse the call.Detective“It’s just like any other murderinvestigation, except the guy was killed100 years ago... by a ghost.”People call in a detective to investigatestrange noises and lights... or tomake sure that Ghostbusters aren’t runninga scam. Eventually, the evidencebefore his eyes convinces him the situationis real. A skilled detective couldeasily move from adversary to ally if hisinsights prove to be valuable.Rooting out crime and rooting outhorrific evil are parallel missions; thedetective may easily turn from the oneto the other. Historical (especially Victorianand pulp-era) and modern horrorseem to be the most fertile ground forthe detective. Police detectives and privatedetectives each have their own setof problems and advantages, but bothsee the horror as a puzzle to be solvedand a challenge to be beaten.0ChArACters

Doctor“Does his head normally spinaround like that?”If ghosts are the disease, call a doctor.It’s also handy to have the surgeon rightthere when you get thrown down a flightof stairs at 1:00 A.M.Spending one’s career battling diseaseseems to be excellent preparationfor battling more supernatural menacesto public health. Between their familiaritywith corpses, clinical demeanor, andundeniable utility to hard-pressed partiesof monster hunting Ghostbusters,doctors have a natural role as investigatorsof the horrific.Exterminator“You don’t often get glowing,moaning mice that size.”Going from exterminating materialvermin to ectoplasmic menaces isn’tmuch of a career change. It’s still messy,dangerous, and nothing you can talkabout at parties.Friendly Ghost“Could you point that proton gunsomewhere else?”Every so often, a dead man sticksaround to do the right thing, and lendsan immaterial hand to keep the livingsafe. Other ghosts may despise him asa sellout, however. Friendly ghosts willhave the Spirit Meta-trait, but shouldn’thave Probability Alteration.A friendly ghost is a far cry from amonster like a vampire or werewolf. Ifa player wants to run this type of characterhe must first get an okay from theGM as this type of PC may not fit in wellwith the campaign he has planned.Ghost Hunter“Just once, I’d like proof of life afterdeath that didn’t want to kill me.”Not a devoted investigator of spectralphenomena, but a monster killer. Anex-military man is bound to have had avery interesting life, and at some point, atraumatic encounter with the supernaturalthat made him switch from huntingmen to hunting monsters. In fiction, he’sthe discreet and often ruthless professional.Either way, he’ll probably haveplenty of money stashed somewhere sothat he can pursue his quarry without“Very impressive resumé. Electronic countermeasures…Strategic Air Command... Black belt inKarate... Small arms expert... Mr. Zeddemore, as youmay have heard, we locate ghosts and spirits, trapthem with streams of concentrated quantum energyand remove them from people’s homes, offices andplaces of worship.”wasting time trying to earn his breadand butter.Who better to fight the forces of evilthan a warrior? Retired soldiers are asuniversal as clergy and criminals, andfor much the same reasons. From thenoble knight to the battle-scarred andcynical veteran, the soldier is on thefront lines against the horrors of manya game world.Journalist“Have any of you seen Elvis —recently, I mean?”Whether in pursuit of truth, scandal,or both, a journalist has to work twiceas hard for half the money. Ghosts andGhostbusters both make good copy.A journalist is either a writer for anewspaper (respectable or otherwise)a magazine, or a TV or radio reporter.He is a natural for horror, because hisjob is to investigate offbeat happenings.A freelance journalist will have a farless predictable – and probably lower– income than a regularly employed reporter;however, he doesn’t have to takeassignments he doesn’t want, and is freeto investigate anything that will makea salable story. Making the jump frompoorly paid journalist to poorly paidGhostbuster isn’t much of a stretch.Medium or Charlatan“I’d like to speak with Aunt Gladys,please.”“NOW YOU WILL ALL DIE!”An actual practitioner of some arcaneand preternatural art. Psychics who findmissing children, astrologers, palm readers,spiritual healers, and witch doctorsall fall into this category, as do more sinistertypes such as sorcerers and paganpriests, if their powers are genuine.Some mediums merely speak with– Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”the dead, others channel them in (hopefully)controlled conditions. Charlatanswho discover real ghosts, or devotedladies of peerless virtue, can help witha spectral investigation. Many mediumshave a friendly ghost (a “spirit guide”) asan Ally.Charlatans include syndicated horoscopewriters, stage magicians who scrupulouslycall their feats “illusions,” andso on. A challenging and very amusingcharacter type to role-play is the quacksorcerer, who hides his ignorance of theoccult as he slips deeper and deeper overhis head into a horror adventure.Parapsychologist“Promise me you’ll let me get somepublishable data before you startblasting the place to smithereens.”The parapsychologist is usually distinguishedfrom mediums, exorcists,and even anthropologists by an emphasison “hard science.” He is also an expertwith PKE meters, encephalographs,and other gadgets.The parapsychologist investigates theoccult and paranormal as a career. Hecan be a true believer in the authenticityof his field, or a researcher dedicated todisproving the supernatural – it’s up tothe player. Traditionally, parapsychologistin fiction are either clear-eyed, capable“occult detectives” or sheltered,theory-minded academics.Scientist“What happens when I do this?”The man of science who seriouslypursues occult phenomena will usuallybe scorned by his comrades, so it is alonely job. Still, some institutes (bothofficial and covert) study paranormalevents such as ESP and magic. An alternativeto the occult scientist is the skep-Characters21

tic who will seek natural explanationsfor everything he encounters, no matterhow unusual.Sensitive“It’s even worse when you can seethem, Professor.”He sees dead people. A living ghostdetector, who often possesses other psychictalents, is invaluable on an investigationbut in extra danger during theconfrontation. Sensitives tend to have alot more psychological disadvantages.Teaching Assistant“Where does the Kirlian camera go,again?”In the end, every theory rests on thestrong back of a graduate student, beautifuldaughter, or Watson-like assistantto carry the electric pentacles and takenotes. It would only be natural for a juniorapprentice to segue into the positionof full-fledged Ghostbuster.AppropriatenessAs with any other gaming scenario,players should make sure their charactersfit in with the general scheme thatthe Game Master has in mind. The GM’scampaign world may be as mundane asthe skeptical vision of the Ghostbustersin the movies, with no apparent supernaturalphenomena beyond the rareappearances of ghosts, or it could bepopulated by real psychics, time-travellingdinosaurs and comic book superheroes.The GM will be the final arbiter regardingwhether or not a friendly ghost,a monster, a sensitive or any other offbeatcharacter concept would be appropriateand allowable for a player to runin his or her campaign world.GhostbustingSkillsThere are certain basic skills thatGhostbusters need if they want to succeedin this line of work.All of the skills listed below are fromthe rules in the GURPS Basic Set. Nospecial Ghostbuster specific skills havebeen created for this book since all ofthe equipment and skills displayed inthe movies and television show are easilycovered by the basic GURPS rules.If the GM wants, he can add modifiersfor these skills based on the PC’s trainingand experience with ghostbustingequipment and techniques.Beam WeaponsDX/EasyProton packs are classified as a BeamWeapon with the “Projector” specialization.As indicated in by the DX -4 defaultfor this skill, almost anyone could pickit up and start causing damage. BasicGhostbuster training should ensure thatless destruction occurs once a graduatehits the streets.Monsters as CharactersGames in which the protagonists are monsters vampires, werewolves,ghosts, etc. – have become very popular in the last decade. The central horrorof such games does not necessarily rest on the even more horrific enemiesthat the protagonists must face (although the “conventional” methodsof horror can be useful in such situations and scenarios), but on the horrorof the characters’ monstrous state. Monsters-as-characters games focus onthe horrors of isolation and alienation, self-hatred, and angst.These can be powerful themes, but care must be used to prevent thecampaign from becoming emotionally stale or monotonous. This can bevaried by introducing other styles, or by occasionally emphasizing the paradoxicalrewards of monstrousness – the beauties of the night, the gloriesof extra senses, and the feral joy of the hunt. Of course, if the central horrorof isolation and alienation is too successfully removed, the campaign willbecome a more conventional “adventure” game, similar to a straight superscampaign or pulp adventure game.In general, this style of campaigning depends on the GM to maintain asufficiently fearsome and intricate world background.Computer OperationIQ/EasyComputer Operation is a necessaryskill for any player who wants to usea PKE meter, or a Giga-meter. It alsocomes in handy when doing researchinto ghostly happenings, or when referencinga digital version of Tobin’s SpiritGuide.DrivingDX/AveragePlayers wanting to drive an Ectomobilewill need the Driving skill with theAutomobile specialization. The Ecto-3unicycle requires the Motorcycle specialization.Optionally, players with aDriving skill and the Perfect Balanceadvantage should be able to operate theEcto-3 without any penalties.Fast-TalkIQ/AverageGhostbusters are forever talking theirway into, and out of situations. This isone skill that a Peter Venkmanesquecharacter cannot be without.GadgeteerWhat would Ghostbusters be withouttheir wonderous technology? While nota skill, anyone wanting to create newbusting technology or radically modifyexisting proton packs, ghost traps, et alto do wild new things will want to lookinto this Advantage.GizmoThis another very cinematic Advanatgethat is very appropriate to the genre,but the GM may wish to limit it’s use toavoid abuse, and to prevent all his plansfrom being short-circuited.Hidden LoreIQ/AverageThe nature of this skill makes it virtuallyimpossible to learn on the job, soany player who wants to be on top ofobscure mystical goings-on in any givenadventure will need to make this skill apart of their background prior to joiningGhostbusters International.GURPS Ghostbusters is very much acinematic game, so GMs should not requireplayers to specialize on their HiddenLore skill.Both Hidden Lore and Thaumatologyshould be considered advanced forms ofOccultism, which a character must alreadyhave before they make the switchfrom their current careers.22Characters

Liquid ProjectorDX/EasyThe Sprayer specialization of thisskill is necessary for the proper operationof the Slime Blowers, as seen in themovie Ghostbusters II.OccultismIQ/AverageThis is a very valuable skill for theGhostbuster who needs a basic generalknowledge and background informationabout the hows, wheres and whysof magic and the occult.As a general skill, this could be learnedwhile training to become a Ghostbuster,and as such, the GM should limit howmuch information a character should besupplied on a successful Occultism roll.Advanced skills like Hidden Lore andThaumatology should be required forobscure knowledge about dead civilizationsor magical rites respectively.PilotingDX/AverageAny character wishing to pilot theEcto-2 must have a Piloting specializationof Autogyro, although the vehiclecould easily be classified as an Helicopteror an Ultralight craft. (See p. 73.)ResearchIQ/AverageResearch is a key skill if your characterswould rather be sending spirits offto their final reward, rather than zappingand trapping them.Investigation of old hauntings willlikely lead to dusty libraries, newspapermorgues, strange runes and bizarreparchments – rather than CD-ROMsand easily searchable databases.RunningHT/AverageThe need for this skill should be obviousto anyone who knows anythingabout ghostbusting.Thaumatology IQ/Very HardLike Hidden Lore, Thaumatology isnot a skill that the average Ghostbusterwould have. Comprehensive knowledgeof Magic may require an Unusual Backgroundor even the Trained By A MasterAdvantage.Thrown WeaponDX/EasyA ghost trap is classified as a ThrownWeapon. Any player wishing to throw atrap with competence at a critical juncture,may want to consider training inthis area.Weird Science IQ/Very HardWeird Science is one of the mainstaysof the ghostbusting genre. If none of thePCs have opted to buy the Gadgeteer orGizmos Advantages, a GM may wantto make Weird Science a prerequisite,or all the innovations in the campaignmay have to be bought from GBI headoffice.Other SkillsThere are many other skills thatmight come in handy during any givenGhostbusters adventure, but these skillare less likely to be given as much stagetime as the ones already mentioned.Scientific skills such as Anthropology,Cryptography, and History may alwaysplay a part in a gaming session. Otherhard science skills like Electronics Operation,Electronics Repair, Metallurgy,and Hazardous Materials have playedsmall roles in the Ghostbusters moviesand television series.More esoteric skills like Exorcism,Herb Lore, Mental Strength, Philosophy,Psychology, Sociology, ReligiousRitual, and Theology can certainly comein handy or at least round out a very interestingback-story for a character.Finally Climbing and Scuba are greatskills to have for those ghostbusting jobsthat occur in bizarre locations. Tacticsmakes sense if a character is ex-militaryor is the team’s tactical leader.CharacterDesignCharacter creation is a key part ofrole-playing. This is even truer in Ghostbusters,because the player’s crucial personalinvestment in the horror to comewill be determined by his character’sbackground. Everyone in a traditionalfantasy role-playing game wants treasure(if only to give it to the more deservingpoor). Not everyone wants to seeGozer the Destructor defeated; an eviladventurer might even want to join him!The player should make certain that hischaracter concept meshes with the GM’svision of the Ghostbusters campaign.Coming up with a character conceptis an essential part of any role-playinggame. Making a concept “work” in theGhostbusters genre depends a great dealon cooperation between players and GM,and between the players themselves.The traditional horror game or ghoststory presupposes that the Ghostbustersare all “good guys” – or at least that theevil they face is so overwhelming thatthe hit man and the FBI agent will havea powerful common interest in stoppingit. Ghostbusters is no exception.Brief BiographyOnce you’ve generated your character,go over his sheet and come up witha brief biography. Try to work in all theadvantages, disadvantages, and skillsyou’ve been thinking of as numericalpoint values. Transform them into thestuff of a life story. You don’t have towrite an epic, or even an encyclopediaentry – you might simply try to composeyour character’s resumé, or write one diaryentry for each year of his career.This exercise doesn’t just give thecharacter more depth and reality; it alsoincreases player identification with thecharacter. Just answering a few seeminglysimple questions about the character,from his physical appearance tothe names of his parents to his happiestchildhood memory, can bring a characterinto sharp focus and reality. Thiscan happen before the first numbers arewritten on the character sheet; indeed,the GM may work with you to generatethe character in just that fashion.Finally, any character biography can bemined for character hooks.Character HooksA “character hook” is some aspect ofa PC’s personality or history that the GMcan use to develop plot lines or scenesin the campaign. When the player putsthese “hooks” into his character’s background,he gives the GM license touse them in the campaign. Since it’s aGhostbusters campaign, these uses areliable to be unpleasant for the character.Sometimes, the GM won’t even tell theplayer what a given hook means; if theCharacters23

hero doesn’t know where his brotherdisappeared to 10 years ago, it’s moreof an unpleasant surprise when saidbrother turns up as the Vampire Lord’sfootman.Why would any sensible player letthe GM do that to his character? First,it helps create the story and gives theplayer an investment in that story. Remember,horror gaming is even more ofa collaborative effort than regular roleplaying.With a character hook for theGM to use, that collaboration is builtin. When blasphemous evil directly affectssomething in the hero’s past, it’smore meaningful to the character andthe player than if it was the brother ofsome passerby who was enslaved by theVampire Lord.Second, more selfishly, it gives theplayer some guaranteed “spotlight time”or “story share.” The GM should alwaysmake sure that every player gets sometime in the spotlight of the main action,or has some share in helping to solvethe mystery, defeat the evil, or removethe curse. By utilizing hooks, characterswho haven’t been front and centerin the campaign so far can have theirturn. Many common advantages anddisadvantages – including Allies, Dependents,Enemies, and Patrons – can serveas ready-made character hooks.Here are some common hooks, withhints on how to use them in a horrorgame. Many of them can be tied into thecharacter’s family history. This has twogreat advantages. First, the theme of thefamily opening the protagonist up tomalevolent supernatural influence is atthe heart of the Gothic horror tradition.Second, attention given to the character’sfamily deepens the character’s realityfor player and GM alike, and cangenerate further hooks. (You might evenbe able to get points for one of them, asa Dependent!)Remember too, that this is a Ghostbustersgame and hooks can also bemined for potential embarrassment predicamentsby the GM.Childhood CurseThe childhood curse is a traditionalfantasy or fairy-tale character hook.Often, a powerful witch or evil faerie,jealous of (or wronged by) the hero’sparents, placed the curse on him. Its effectscan be as dramatic or humorousas the player and GM feel necessary; asSecret Advantagesand DisadvantagesAfter initial training, the Ghostbusters will be encountering the supernaturalfor the first time. They can have no idea how it will affect them. Oneway to simulate this is to assign some characters secret advantages anddisadvantages – qualities that, even their players don’t know about. Suchsecret traits can often tie in with character hooks.A useful technique is to balance secret advantages against secret disadvantages,which will have no net effect on the character’s point total. In thiscase, don’t count additional points of disadvantages or quirks toward thecampaigns disadvantage limit (if any) or the -5 point limit on quirks. TheGM need not give all PCs secret traits worth the same number of points (oreven give all PCs secret traits!); this helps preserve the uncertainty.Secret advantages and disadvantages should be chosen from qualitiesthat the subject would not have discovered previously. A person could easilyhave Magery or Magic Resistance, psionic power, or Animal Empathywithout ever realizing it. Previously unknown disadvantages might includecertain Phobias (especially Squeamishness) or even a Split Personality. Andanyone might have an old family Patron or Enemy (such as a vampire oreven an entire supernatural conspiracy, such as the Cabal).When a secret quality comes into play, don’t explain exactly what is happening.Just give a vague hint: “Sorry, Bill, you missed your Fright Checkafter all. That corpse really got to you…” There are some advantages that aperson might never know about, such as Immunity to Disease – if he thinksabout it at all, he thinks he’s been lucky.long as the character is still playable, thesky is the limit. The curse can be a “delayed-action”curse such as a Gesa; e.g.,on the victim’s 21st birthday, he will killhis brother. The player could have beenborn under a very unlucky astrologicalconjunction (or during an eclipse of themoon), which opens him up to darkforces. Unless his family consists of occultists(which is its own kind of curse),he might not even know about it.The curse might instead be a familycurse; if all of your ancestors have diedat sea, then news of a haunted ship takeson a whole new significance. The cursemight be evaded; if someone is cursedbecause his family owns the GhoulnightGemstone, he can renounce his family,convince them to sell the diamond, orsteal it and sell it himself. Alternatively,the family blood could be tainted; ifthe hero’s great-great-great-grandfatherwas a werewolf, then he should be verycareful under the full moon. The cursemight even be a mutation. Curses can bebought as Destiny, Weirdness Magnet,or any number of other disadvantages.Some curses might not actually affectthe PC, but his Evil Twin. And some unluckysouls are simply Cursed.Evil AncestorThis hook can be tied into any of theother hooks in this section, either ascause (because of Great-Uncle Jonas’blasphemous experiments, the castlehas been cursed for centuries), effect(Great-Uncle Jonas was only the firstand most famous member of the familyto fall victim to the disturbing familybrain malady), or both (for the playerwith an urge toward the highly baroque).Even worse, Great-Uncle Jonas mightnot even be dead... Evil ancestors mightpass down unpleasant physical disadvantages,or give a descendant an unwholesomeReputation as the scion of atainted line.Haunted ItemSomething that the character owns ishaunted, cursed, possessed by a ghost ordemon, or otherwise an entryway for themalign forces of the supernatural. A ringwith a curiously glowing stone, a swordwith a thirst for human blood, or simplyan eldritch tome bound in the skinof a mighty necromancer will all create24 Characters

more than their share of adventure possibilities.If the item is also tremendouslyvaluable, useful, or even magical, thenboth the character and the player maybe unwilling to get rid of it despite itsunsavory nature. Some items also havean uncanny tendency to return to theirformer owners, often after a chain ofbloody coincidences.The item may even be a place – aswamp with something from beyondlurking in it, or a full-fledged hauntedhouse. Haunted property is, of course,often inherited from one’s family. Theprocess of removing the ghosts or unravelingthe curse may involve uncoveringhorrific truths about the inheritor’s pastor ancestry. Will the hero be as willing toremove the ghost of his own ancestor ashe would some nameless revenant?InsanityIf the character has been insane in thepast, then a whole realm of possibilitiesopens up for the GM. In a psychologicalhorror game run with large helpings ofsurrealism, it may become slowly, horriblyobvious that the “former” madmanis still insane; his memories and observationssimply cannot be trusted. If theGM is not willing to go to such surrealisticlengths (which are not for everyone),he can still justify virtually anything inthe character’s past, from a long-lostson to bizarre rituals. The specific circumstancesof the original descent intomadness may still linger as a Phobia tobe triggered by some climactic event inthe campaign.Ghostbuster NPCsNon-player characters are essentially the rest of the world in a role-playinggame. The primary characters will of course be the players, the Ghostbustersof the campaign. If the game is made up of only two or three playersit may be necessary to roll up an extra Ghostbuster or two, to accompanythe players on bigger “busts”.The Iconic Ghostbusters characters on the following pages are examplesof men at the top-level of the field. These characters should not be usedas NPCs to accompany the team on missions since they are (or should be)much better than the PC’s characters are.NPCs should be created for a campaign with the same or fewer pointsthan the players. They should function as assistants, giving only as muchinput as required. NPCs are not there to save the day.Modern genetic research has cast significantdoubt on the old superstition ofthe “bad seed” or the hereditary insanityof a given bloodline (barring congenitalillnesses, of course), but that doesn’tmean that a family history of insanitycan’t play an important role in a horrorcampaign. After all, modem genetics isalso notably skeptical about vampires,werewolves, and cannibal monstersfrom Pluto. Especially in a pulp-era,Victorian, or earlier historical horrorsetting, a sensitive fellow’s own fear ofinsanity could end up driving him insane.Missing RelativeThe long-lost sibling, spouse, parent,or child is a natural target for themachinations of the GM’s plot. Whetherthe missing relative surfaces as a victim,a puppet, or an active agent in somehorror plaguing the team, the characteris in for some unpleasant decisions. Ina Ghostbusters game, these decisionsmight not end with the relative’s sorrydemise, because one can never be surethere isn’t a clone somewhere (ghouls,doppelgangers, ghosts, and shape-shiftingaliens can fill much the same role inmore traditional horror games).It’s an extra dose of unpleasantness ifthe hero’s vanished great-great-grandfathershows up in the middle of the actionwhen he has no business even beingalive. Immortality is seldom a goodthing in the horror genre, and an ancientrelative might have some very unsavoryknowledge about the family…Missing TimeThis hook is most common in tales ofUFO paranoia, but the “mysterious spellof amnesia” is used as a device in manyother genres as well. This is a blankcheck to the inventive or fiendish GM;anything that can be justified by insanitycan just as easily have occurred duringthe “blank spot” in the amnesiac’smemory. The GM can handle this usingsecret advantages and disadvantages(see p. 24), treat it as a False Memory,or modify the Amnesia disadvantage tosuit the specific case.Missing time in a family history is alittle harder to construct, but it is sometimesworth it. If the courthouse withthe family records burns down, thenanything could have been true about thecharacter’s ancestors. Imagine the shockas he discovers that his grandparentsnever existed – no birth certificates, nodeath certificates, no marriage certificates.Who were they? And where didhis parents come from?ChArACters

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Peteris one of three doctors of parapsychologyon the team, though he also holdsa Ph.D. in psychology. He has a flippantpersona, a dry wit, a seemingly lackadaisicalapproach to his profession, andwomanizing ways. Of the three doctorsin the Ghostbusters, he seems the leastcommitted to the academic and scientificside of their profession, and tendsto regard his field, in the words of hisemployer, Dean Yaeger, as “a dodge orhustle”. He once said he acted the wayhe did because “No one expects anymore of me this way”. However, he possessesmore common sense than eitherRay Stantz or Egon Spengler.Peter’s father, is a con-man who failedto earn money in honest ways and wasalways away on business at Christmaswhen Peter was a child. Peter regrets nothaving spent more time with his mother,Margaret, and will give 100% discountsto customers that remind him of her.While never elected the official leaderof the group, Venkman often makes thedecision of whether the Ghostbusterswill take a case or not. He does a lot ofthe legwork and organizing of the business,mostly because no one else wantsto. It was Peter who first suggested turningthe Ghostbusters business into afranchise, and now handles a lot of theday-to-day business problems of GhostbustersInternational. Although he willoccasionally review progress at the GBItraining center, and sometimes regalestudents with stories of his ghostbustingdays, Peter does not actively teach anyof the courses.He was originally opposed to Slimerliving in the firehouse, but quickly developeda love-hate relationship with theghost, that he still maintains.Peter Venkman, Ph. D.POINTS SUMMARYAttributes/Secondary Characteristics [ 180 ]Advantages/Perks/TL/Languages/Cultural Familiarity [ 122 ]Disadvantages/Quirks [ -62 ]Skills/Techniques [ 48 ]Other [ ]26 Iconic Characters

CHARACTER SHEETST [ ] HP [ ]DX [ ] WILL [ ]IQ [ ] PER [ ]HT [ ] FP [ ]Name ___________________________________ Player ____________________ Point Total __________ Ht __________ Wt __________ Size Modifier _________ Age ____________ Unspent Pts __________Appearance _______________________________________________________________________________CURRENTCURRENTBASIC LIFT (ST ST)/5 ______ DAMAGE Thr ________ Sw ________ BASIC SPEED __________ [ ] BASIC MOVE ___________ [ ]ENCUMBRANCE MOVE DODGENone (0) = BL _____ BM 1 _____ Dodge _____ Light (1) = 2 BL _____ BM 0.8 _____ Dodge -1 _____ Medium (2) = 3 BL _____ BM 0.6 _____ Dodge -2 _____ Heavy (3) = 6 BL _____ BM 0.4 _____ Dodge -3 _____ X-Heavy (4) = 10 BL _____ BM 0.2 _____ Dodge -4 _____ ADVANTAGES AND PERKS [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]Languages Spoken Written [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]DRPARRYBLOCKTL: _______________________________________ [ ]Cultural Familiarities___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]Reaction ModifiersAppearance ___________________________________Status _________________________________________Reputation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SKILLSName Lvl Rel Lvl Pts Ref [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]Iconic Characters27

Raymond “Ray” Stantz, Ph. D.Ray was born in the Bronx, then latermoved to Morrisville. He still owns thefamily house. Ray has a large extendedfamily (with many different nationalitiesranging from Swiss to Scottish toRussian), including his Aunt Lois, andUncle Andrew MacMillan of Dunkeld,Scotland.Ray is one of the three doctors ofparapsychology who started the originalGhostbusters team, along with Dr. PeterVenkman and Dr. Egon Spengler.Ray is considered the “heart” of theGhostbusters by the other members ofthe team. He is an expert on paranormalhistory, metallurgy and is a devotedgrease monkey. He would rather rebuilda “classic” car or build something newfrom scratch rather than buy it assembledfrom off the shelf.Ray is characterized by his almostchildlike enthusiasm towards his work,and his forthright acceptance of paranormalactivity. He is known for hiswordy and overly technical explanationsof scientific and paranormal phenomena.Ray, along with Egon, is responsiblefor pioneering the Ghostbusters’theories and designing and building theequipment used for catching and containingghosts. Ray continues to modifyand improve all of his designs.When Ray isn’t turning one of Egon’sdesigns into working hardware, or repairingand improving existing equipment,he enjoys teaching the history ofthe paranormal, ghost classification andalso the technical aspects of ghostbustingequipment to new GBI franchisees.Winston handles the more hands-oncourses like using the equipment anddriving, while Egon teaches the theoreticalangle in the hopes of finding a youngprotégé to continue his work.POINTS SUMMARYAttributes/Secondary Characteristics [ 200 ]Advantages/Perks/TL/Languages/Cultural Familiarity [ 95 ]Disadvantages/Quirks [ -96 ]Skills/Techniques [ 92 ]Other [ ]28 Iconic Characters

CHARACTER SHEETST [ ] HP [ ]DX [ ] WILL [ ]IQ [ ] PER [ ]HT [ ] FP [ ]Name ___________________________________ Player ____________________ Point Total __________ Ht __________ Wt __________ Size Modifier _________ Age ____________ Unspent Pts __________Appearance _______________________________________________________________________________CURRENTCURRENTBASIC LIFT (ST ST)/5 ______ DAMAGE Thr ________ Sw ________ BASIC SPEED __________ [ ] BASIC MOVE ___________ [ ]ENCUMBRANCE MOVE DODGENone (0) = BL _____ BM 1 _____ Dodge _____ Light (1) = 2 BL _____ BM 0.8 _____ Dodge -1 _____ Medium (2) = 3 BL _____ BM 0.6 _____ Dodge -2 _____ Heavy (3) = 6 BL _____ BM 0.4 _____ Dodge -3 _____ X-Heavy (4) = 10 BL _____ BM 0.2 _____ Dodge -4 _____ ADVANTAGES AND PERKS [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS[ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]Languages Spoken Written [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ] [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ _________________________________________________________ [ ]DRPARRYBLOCKTL: _______________________________________ [ ]Cultural Familiarities___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]Reaction ModifiersAppearance ___________________________________Status _________________________________________Reputation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SKILLSName Lvl Rel Lvl Pts Ref [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]Iconic Characters29

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Egon is oneof the three doctors of parapsychologyon the original Ghostbusters team.Bespectacled, awkward, and laconic,Egon is the member of the team responsiblefor the main theoretical frameworkfor their paranormal studies. Also, beingaddicted to science, he is the creator ofthe Ghostbusters’ equipment along withDr. Ray Stantz.Egon is the most serious and straightforwardmember of the team. Of his hobbies,he states that he collects “spores,molds, and fungus,” and claims that as achild, the only toy he ever had was “partof a Slinky,” but he straightened it.Egon had been haunted by the Boogiemanas a child, and was severely traumatized.This led him to paranormalresearch, where he would eventually begiven a chance to use his knowledge anddevices to gain revenge. Despite his leaningstowards science, Egon has a familyhistory of witchcraft (two ancestors, Eliand Ezekiel, were wizards), of which heis ashamed.He is also the love interest of JanineMelnitz, the Ghostbusters’ secretary.While not always a one-sided interest,Egon’s repressed behavior towards loveoften forces him to hide his feelings forher. However, whenever she goes on adate with another man, Egon shows noticeabledislike for whomever she dates(often, Janine will date another man justto push Egon).Egon once reluctantly left the team atthe request of his Uncle Cyrus, but laterreturned after his uncle saw what kindof work his nephew and his friends did.Egon continues to work on the theoreticalside of paranormal phenomenonwhen he is not teaching new recruits atGBI headquarters.Egon Spengler, Ph. D.POINTS SUMMARYAttributes/Secondary Characteristics [ 160 ]Advantages/Perks/TL/Languages/Cultural Familiarity [ 64 ]Disadvantages/Quirks [ -88 ]Skills/Techniques [ 68 ]Other [ ]30 Iconic Characters

CHARACTER SHEETST [ ] HP [ ]DX [ ] WILL [ ]IQ [ ] PER [ ]HT [ ] FP [ ]Name ___________________________________ Player ____________________ Point Total __________ Ht __________ Wt __________ Size Modifier _________ Age ____________ Unspent Pts __________Appearance _______________________________________________________________________________CURRENTCURRENTBASIC LIFT (ST ST)/5 ______ DAMAGE Thr ________ Sw _____+1___ BASIC SPEED __________ [ ] BASIC MOVE ___________ [ ]ENCUMBRANCE MOVE DODGENone (0) = BL _____ BM 1 _____ Dodge _____ Light (1) = 2 BL _____ BM 0.8 _____ Dodge -1 _____ Medium (2) = 3 BL _____ BM 0.6 _____ Dodge -2 _____ Heavy (3) = 6 BL _____ BM 0.4 _____ Dodge -3 _____ X-Heavy (4) = 10 BL _____ BM 0.2 _____ Dodge -4 _____ ADVANTAGES AND PERKS [ ] [ ]DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS[ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]Languages Spoken Written [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ] [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]DRPARRYBLOCKTL: _______________________________________ [ ]Cultural Familiarities___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]Reaction ModifiersAppearance ___________________________________Status _________________________________________Reputation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SKILLSName Lvl Rel Lvl Pts Ref [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] Iconic Characters31

Winston Zeddemore is one of thefounders of the Ghostbusters organization,even though he was hired after thecompany began. He remained the only“new” Ghostbuster until GBI was created,and by virtue of this he has beenaccorded the same stature in the companyas Ray, Egon and Peter. Unlike theother founding members of the team, heis not a scientist with a background inthe paranormal. Despite not sharing theeducational credentials of his coworkers,Winston is a very capable memberof the team, bringing many skills withhim from his previous service in themilitary.Described as the “everyman” of theGhostbusters, Winston is often the manwho serves as a voice of reason and displaysfar more common sense than theother Ghostbusters.Winston was hired seemingly becausehe is the only applicant at the time.When applying for the job as a Ghostbusterhe was questioned extensivelyby Janine Melnitz as to whether he believedin a large number of supernaturaloccurrences and beings. He replied, “Ifthere’s a steady paycheck in it, I’ll believeanything you say.” When he was introducedto Ray Stantz, Ray’s response was,“Beautiful. You’re hired.” Once Winstonmentioned that he did not believe in thesupernatural before becoming a Ghostbuster,which shows that he was onlylooking for a lucrative job. Nevertheless,he accepts the existence of the paranormalonce he witnesses it firsthand, evenstating that “these things are real” andthat he has “seen shit that will turn youwhite”.Winston worked actively for thirteenyears busting ghosts before he became ateacher of new recruits at GBI.Winston ZeddemorePOINTS SUMMARYAttributes/Secondary Characteristics [170]Advantages/Perks/TL/Languages/Cultural Familiarity [ 70 ]Disadvantages/Quirks [ -57 ]Skills/Techniques [ 78 ]Other [ ]32 Iconic Characters

CHARACTER SHEETST [ ] HP [ ]DX [ ] WILL [ ]IQ [ ] PER [ ]HT [ ] FP [ ]Name ___________________________________ Player ____________________ Point Total __________ Ht __________ Wt __________ Size Modifier _________ Age ____________ Unspent Pts __________Appearance _______________________________________________________________________________CURRENTCURRENTBASIC LIFT (ST ST)/5 ______ DAMAGE Thr ________ Sw ________ BASIC SPEED __________ [ ] BASIC MOVE ___________ [ ]ENCUMBRANCE MOVE DODGE*None (0) = BL _____ BM 1 _____ Dodge _____ Light (1) = 2 BL _____ BM 0.8 _____ Dodge -1 _____ Medium (2) = 3 BL _____ BM 0.6 _____ Dodge -2 _____ Heavy (3) = 6 BL _____ BM 0.4 _____ Dodge -3 _____ X-Heavy (4) = 10 BL _____ BM 0.2 _____ Dodge -4 _____ ADVANTAGES AND PERKS [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS [ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]Languages Spoken Written [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]DRPARRYBLOCKTL: _______________________________________ [ ]Cultural Familiarities___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]Reaction ModifiersAppearance ___________________________________Status _________________________________________Reputation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SKILLSName Lvl Rel Lvl Pts Ref [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]Iconic Characters33

SlimerSlimer is technically a focused, nonterminalrepeating phantasm, or a classfivefull-roaming vapor. For years it hasgone around Hollywood that Slimer isthe ghost of John Belushi. Others speculatethat because of some of his behaviorsthat he might once have been a dog.Egon believes him to be a “gluttony elemental”.Peter Venkman’s use of “He slimedme...” instantly created a new verb forslime, which endures as popular slang.Slimer became an official memberand mascot of the Ghostbusters whenhe helped Peter and the rest of the gangdefeat ghostly versions of themselves,and they decided to keep him. Egon saysthat Slimer stays with them “for strictlyscientific reasons”. Egon and Ray haveindeed used Slimer in experiments andhave tested various theories and equipmentout on him before trying it out inthe field.Slimer has always had a fondness forPeter, maybe due to his being the firsthuman that Slimer had ever had physicalcontact with. However, Ray whooriginally trapped Slimer is now almostalways the first to defend the spud fromimminent frying by an angry Peter.Slimer has the ability to change theshape of his slime, and even his body,impersonating ghosts, as well as becomingcorporeal enough to hold objects.This ability is limited and cannot bemaintained for very long. He may alsobe photographed.Slimer is not very smart (somewherebetween a dog and a three or four-yearold). He has mistaken photographiccut-outs of the team for the real thing.In spite of this he has helped the Ghostbusterson many occasions and is moreof a help than a hindrance.POINTS SUMMARYAttributes/Secondary Characteristics [ 60 ]Advantages/Perks/TL/Languages/Cultural Familiarity [ 259 ]Disadvantages/Quirks [ -150 ]Skills/Techniques [ ]Other [ ]34 Iconic Characters

CHARACTER SHEETST [ ] HP [ ]DX [ ] WILL [ ]IQ [ ] PER [ ]HT [ ] FP [ ]Name ___________________________________ Player ____________________ Point Total __________ Ht __________ Wt __________ Size Modifier _________ Age ____________ Unspent Pts __________Appearance _______________________________________________________________________________CURRENTCURRENTBASIC LIFT (ST ST)/5 ______ DAMAGE Thr ________ Sw ________ BASIC SPEED __________ [ ] BASIC MOVE ___________ [ ]ENCUMBRANCE MOVE DODGENone (0) = BL _____ BM 1 _____ Dodge _____ Light (1) = 2 BL _____ BM 0.8 _____ Dodge -1 _____ Medium (2) = 3 BL _____ BM 0.6 _____ Dodge -2 _____ Heavy (3) = 6 BL _____ BM 0.4 _____ Dodge -3 _____ X-Heavy (4) = 10 BL _____ BM 0.2 _____ Dodge -4 _____ ADVANTAGES AND PERKS[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS[ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ] [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]Languages Spoken Written [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]DRPARRYBLOCKTL: _______________________________________ [ ]Cultural Familiarities___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]Reaction ModifiersAppearance ___________________________________Status _________________________________________Reputation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SKILLSName Lvl Rel Lvl Pts RefIconic Characters35

Chapter FourGhostsGhost ClassificationNo universally accepted typology ofghosts exists; ghost-hunters and parapsychologistsuse terms like apparition,entity, ghost, haunting, and spirit interchangeably.To systemize things a little (and tomake a work docket instantly understandableto a shell-shocked Ghostbuster),Ray Stantz devised the currentghost classification system used by GBI.It gives each team member a quick ideaof what’s coming up on the next few assignments,and maybe an idea of whatto prepare for.Naturally he didn’t use a straightforwardnaming system like “Easy, Difficult,or Run Away!”ClassesThe “Class” definition for a ghost indicatesits relative power on a comparativescale from one to seven. A Class Ighost is relatively weak, while a ClassVII is usually referred to as being “off thescale”. After numerous encounters withClass VIIs, Egon has speculated that Raymight have added 5 or 10 more classesto allow for more “granulated results”.Class IThis type of entity is defined as anundeveloped form, insubstantial anddifficult to see. Interaction with theirphysical environment is limited andenigmatic (i.e. spectral lights, voices,sounds). Simple application of a protonpack beam is normally effective.If there is a recurring or steady sourceof psychokenetic energy (PKE), destroyingthis source is often of more lastingbenefit than going after the entity itself.Class IIClass II entities are incorporeal undeadthat have visible characteristicsand can physically manipulate things(i.e. poltergeists). Class II forms tend tobe vague, inconsistent or incomplete,like ghostly hands or a floating face. Althougha proton pack beam is normallyeffective, some Class II entities have thecapacity to return attacks.Similar to Class I entities, these areusually manifestations of very strongemotional events of the past, rather thanthe result of a sentience with “unfinishedbusiness”.Although an occasional Class II willseem to show sentience, it is typicallyjust a mindless reflection of some strongemotion like fear, anger or hateFinding the source of the energy thatempowers the ghost and eliminating thatis ultimately a quicker and more permanentsolution for this class of ghost.Class IIISometimes called anonymous hauntings,a Class III is an incorporeal entitythat has taken a distinct human form anda personality is evident, but no formeridentity of a living antecedent is established.If an identity can be established,the ghost is reassigned as a Class IV.Often difficult to deal with, Class IIIghosts generally possess sophisticatedmeans of defense, and can sometimeschange their forms as well.Class IVWhen investigation reveals the formeridentity of a Class III entity, it is reclassifiedas a Class IV. Class IV entities areusually indistinct from the chest down.Economic disposal methods include researchinto the background of the entity,as well as possible communication withit to help resolve any unfinished busi-36Ghosts

ness. Some Class IV ghosts can remembertheir former lives and have returnedto take care of something that they wereunable to do while alive. Others are psychicechoes of traumatic events in thepast. Class IV ghosts make up the largestpercentage of cases for a typical Ghostbustersfranchise.Class VClass V entities are ectoplasmicmanifestations of definite but non-humanform. Speculation includes thetheory that Class V’s are formed fromemotionally-charged events, a strongemotion coalescing into an elemental oras side effects from ritual summonings.(The spud Peter Venkman talks aboutso much may have been a by-productof rituals held in the Sedgewick Hotel’sbasement, or the convergence of thegreed and gluttony of hotel patrons withaccess to room service.) These typicallyrequire extensive proton pack implementationto eradicate.Class VIClass VI entities are ghosts of lowerlife forms. Although animals do not generatespirits when they pass on, manyClass VI ghosts are created as associateghosts of a particular location (see Geniusloci, p. 40.) or by powerful Class Vor Class VII creatures. Thus spirit armiesof the Napoleonic wars will have horsesin the cavalry, and Outsiders may havelarge “pets” or swarms of pests.Unique solutions are often requiredto handle these entities, including researchinto habitats, allergies, naturalenemies, etc.Class VIIClass VII entities are Outsiders orMeta-spectres. They can be exceptionallypowerful, malevolent, and exhibitcontrol over subordinate forms. Suchentities are potentially very dangerous.Powers often include the ability tochange form at will, dematerialize objects,summon pests, or possess people“Sir, what you have there is what we refer to as afocused, non-terminal repeating phantasm, or a ClassFive full roaming vapor — real nasty one, too!”— Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”and animals. These beings are oftenidentified by primitive cultures as “Demons”.Entities which fit this classificationinclude Sandmen, Gozer and Cthulhu.Neutralizing them is usually a problematicundertaking at best, as often thesebeings can become corporeal. Most standardghostbusting procedures are futile.The best approach is to take measures toprevent these things from entering oursphere of influence in the first place.AttributesAfter assigning a Class to a ghost, anAttribute descriptor is added to provideextra detail. Any one of the following Attributedescriptors can be appended tothe entity’s Class, but often two or morewill be added to enhance the descriptionand give further indication of the entity’sabilities.Though official terminology has notbeen regularized and there is room forexpansion, a few of the more commonlyused terms are discussed below:Free FloatingA ghost that moves about at will, withno regard to buildings, people, or timeand space as we know it. As opposed toa focused entity, these ghosts may travelanywhere, although some have restrictions;like the Headless Horseman, whocan follow any victim but cannot passover water (even on bridges).Free floating spirits are often powerful,but thankfully have no externalsources of power and so are easy to traponce they have been weakened enough.Free RepeaterAn entity that continues to return toits haunting grounds until the source ofthe PKE that generates it is discoveredand removed.Ritually-summoned spooks are oftenfree-repeaters and they are the bane ofa Ghostbuster’s existence. Even when aghost is captured or eliminated, someagency continues to produce successivehauntings. Such ghosts reappear periodicallyuntil the PKE source can bedisabled.Since repeated (unpaid) visits are oftenrequired before the menace can besaid to have been “properly contained”,free-repeaters can be very costly to anyGhostbusters franchise.The biggest problem with free-repeatersis that there is no way to determinewhich ghosts are free-repeaters untilthey have reappeared. They also generatethe most consumer complaints sincemany people assume that the Ghostbusters“faked” the first capture and gotpaid for not really doing the work.FocusedAn entity that is “focused” is unableto leave the area or building where itfirst appears. It may be tied to the locationfor many reasons. It might be a“Spirit of Place”, or the source of all it’sPK energy may be located there. (SeeRestoring Fatigue, p. 41.) Some ghostsmechanically reenact a scene from theirlives, reacting to people and events thatno one else can see.Full-TorsoSome ghosts have full torsos, somehave arms and legs, some have no headand the like. Full torso apparitions arerelatively rare – many hauntings are indistinctbelow the chest.There is a direct ratio between aghost’s visible body area and the amountof power it is likely to possess. Thus aspook with legs tends to be more dangerousthan a pair of floating eyeballs.Meta-spectresMeta-spectres are considered to bevery powerful beings with some ghost-Ghosts37

like characteristics, like being insubstantial.A proper Wendigo, true Djinn,and some other god-like spectres (technically“incarnations of collective humanconsciousness”, like Sandmen) fallinto this category.Power levels for many of these entitiesare commonly “off the scale”. Theyalso tend to have unique and non-ghostlikeabilities that only become apparentwhen they are used (against Ghostbusters)for the first time.OutsiderThese powerful creatures are notclassified as ghosts, but as extra-dimensionalbeings. Most are corporeal, andshare a deadly disdain for mankind. TheBoogieman, Gozer, and Cthulhu are allexamples of Outsiders.Like Meta-spectres, they all have highpower levels, and many unique abilities.But while Meta-spectres can sometimesbe caught in ghost traps, Outsiders mustbe thoroughly destroyed or forced backinto their own, or another dimensionRepeaterA spook with obsessive, repetitiousbehavior patterns (i.e., always manifestingat a certain place and time). Repeatersfall into Class I, II, III and sometimesIV. Because of their predictability theycan be pretty easily found and captured,although ethical Ghostbusters shouldresearch Class IVs first.An over-abundance of repeaters inone territory can make the local Ghostbustersfranchise very profitable.Vapor or MistA common but imprecise term, itmay refer to a Class I or II entity, or anyinsubstantial haunting.DepreciatedTermsThere are many interchangeableterms that can be used to say “ghost”.Where possible, Ghostbusters are encouragedto use terms that are explicit.For instance, “poltergeists” and “doppelgängers”are definite and distinct typesof ghosts, and so are useful descriptors.The value of terms like ethereal being,haunt, incorporeal being, manes,phantasm, phantom, presence, shadow,specter, spirit, spook, vision, and wraithcan be used interchangeably with theword “ghost”. As such, the word “ghost”is preferred since it ties in with GBI’scorporate branding guidelines. We are“Ghostbusters” not “Wraith-wranglers”after all.The Spirit CabinetSpirit Meta-traitThe “standard” ghost possesses the 261-point Meta-trait (p. B263). Inbrief, this means the ghost doesn’t eat, drink, sleep or breathe and is invisibleand intangible. Other powers that were associated with Spirit Form inGURPS 3rd edition (pp. SPI33-36) must now be bought separately for eachghost created. Many spirit powers described in this section do not haveparallels in the new GURPS rules set, and are offered as descriptions ofspecial effects. A chart is provided at the end of this chapter which offerssome Fourth Edition Advantages to describe these special effects for thoserequiring more detail.To use certain powers, a ghost must expend fatigue (usually 1 to 5 per action).If you don’t want to worry too much about fatigue costs for “friendlyghosts,” someone else in the party should keep the being’s focus (see Heartp. 40) nearby. This advantage appears in Spirits (as Spirit Form pp. SPI33-36) and Undead (pp. UN51-54).The following creatures are Bestiary-style“monsters,” with the templatemodified to include Will and Fatigue,rather than Undead-style NPCs. This isbecause in the ghostbusting genre, thespirit’s personality is a tool for solvingthe case, rather than a measurement ofits abilities. A ghostbusting campaignwon’t usually revolve around recurringspectral NPCs, making character statsless useful than quick-reference meleevalues. GMs wanting to personalizethem can add mental advantages anddisadvantages, or use GURPS Undeador Spirits to create full-fledged NPCsfrom these stock specters. One exampleof each Class of ghost has been provided,but they are generic spooks rather thanspecific villains picked from the Ghostbustersmovies and animated show.Also in keeping with the genre, thefollowing ghosts are relatively powerfulfor their kind. This list is not exhaustiveor exclusive; there are many differenttypes of ghosts with many overlappingtraits. Unless explicitly noted, however,all ghosts are intangible and hence invulnerableto physical attack. Only magicalweapons and attacks, and specializedanti-spectral weaponry such as protonpacks (pp. 51-52) can harm them.More powerful ghosts can materializeand carry objects if Special Enhancementsfor their abilities are purchasedwhen the creature is created. Materializedghosts can be harmed by physicalattacks — though not by suffocation,disease, poison, etc. — which is one reasonthey don’t materialize very often.Ghosts created without Special Enhancementscan still materialize, butthe cost is high: 1 fatigue for every twolevels in each physical attribute (ST, DX,38 Ghosts

and HT), rounded up. Clothing is free,but weapons or armor must be paidfor at 1 fatigue per pound. Full materializationrequires the ghost to pay thisenergy cost every minute. For a translucentbut intangible visual manifestation,the ghost need only pay 1 fatigue per5 seconds, double that to appear solid.Merely making noises (howls, moans,clanking chains, etc.) costs 1 fatigue per10 seconds; audible speech costs 1 fatigueper second and requires a Will rollto speak intelligibly. Unless otherwisenoted, all ghosts can materialize, givenenough energy.ApparitionST: 3-20 Move/Dodge: 10/10DX: 14 DR: 6/0IQ: 8 Size:

drawer open… Fatigue costs are asfor DX, above. GMs may wish tomodel this ability as Telekinesis withPower equal to the ghost’s ST. Theseattacks can force a Fright Check at a-2 penalty.Genius LociST: 15 Move/Dodge: 8/8DX: 10 DR: specialIQ: 13 Size: variesHT: 10 Weight: –Will: 20 Reach: RFatigue: 30 Damage: specialSkills: Area Knowledge (Haunt)-17;Throwing-10.Literally, “the spirit of a place.” LikeHill House in The Haunting, a placemay be “born bad,” and hence have amalevolent genius loci from the start, orsome horrific event such as a massacremay taint it with evil. Genii loci usuallydo not materialize, acting through matterpossession instead. They may be theghosts who appear at “portals.” Technicallythey can be called Class II or ClassIII, although the latter is preferred.Special AbilitiesHeart: Many genii loci have a “heart,”a focus somewhere within their domainsuch as a sealed crypt, a paintingor artifact, their bones under aflagstone, etc. Attacks on the heartcan kill the spirit; however, in thesame room (or within 30 feet) of theirheart, genii loci have doubled ST, DX,and HT and automatically recover allfatigue spent on the next turn.Matter Possession: Genii loci canpossess the matter of their place. Ahaunted-house spirit can appear anywherein the house within one turn,animating the furniture, floorboards,paneling, chandeliers, etc. They havethe DR of the material they currentlypossess (see p. B558), but only magicor other specialized attacks ever actuallydamage the spirit.Poltergeist Powers: Within their domain,genii loci can use the specialabilities of a poltergeist (see p. 39),except Apport, for double the listedfatigue cost.Probability Alteration: Within theirdomain, genii loci can channel theirwills to affect the outcome of anevent. The effects of this power dependon the intended result and theamount of fatigue the ghost spends.The ghost must first win a Quick Contestof Wills with the subject, unlessthe ghost is trying to help the subject,in which case only an unopposed Willroll is required. On a success, a positiveor negative modifier can be appliedto any one roll, at 2 fatigue per+/-1 (maximum +/-10, for 20 fatigue).This includes short actions, long actions,or even things like rolls on theJob Table. Activities not normally resolvedby rolls may also be affected,but the GM must assess the outcome.The chart on p. B14 can be useful fordetermining success.The spirit can also short out electricalconnections, screw up computerfiles, “lose” tools or equipment, misshelvebooks, and otherwise interferewith ghost hunting. Anything out ofan investigator’s direct sight shouldbe fair game for being messed up,broken, overheated, or lost.Terror: See Apparition, p. 39. By howlingin the chimneys, or scratching atthe door, the ghost can inspire FrightChecks with penalties of -1 to -4.RevenantST: 13 Move/Dodge: 6/6DX: 14 DR: 0/0IQ: 16 Size: 1HT: 12 Weight: –Will: 18 Reach: CFatigue: 18 Damage: specialSkills: All relevant skills of its formerlife.Revenants are Class IV phantoms ofreturned or restless dead people. Thisis the traditional “ghost,” as opposed tothe rotting corpse defined as a revenanton pp. UN73-74. ST, DX, IQ, and HTmatch the ghost’s characteristics in life;many advantages and disadvantagesmay also carry over (see p. UN45 andGURPS Undead in general). Some revenantshave Terror attacks (see p. 39);the Fright Check modifier depends onthe gruesomeness of their death.Special AbilitiesPossession: The Revenant’s body mergeswith and occupies the body of thehost. Roll a Quick Contest: the Revenant’sIQ vs. the subject’s Will. Thevictim resists at +5 if he is in combatwith the Revenant or otherwise waryof him. If the Revenant loses or ties,it is mentally stunned for 1d seconds.In addition, it may never attempt topossess that subject again. It remainsinsubstantial during the possession,traveling inside the host but otherwiseinaccessible to the host who iseffectively mindless. It can be injuredas detailed under Parasitic, but onlyby attacks that affect insubstantialthings. A genuine exorcist can castit out by winning a Quick Contest ofhis exorcism ability vs. the Revenant’sWill. It cannot return to a body it hasbeen cast out of for at least 24 hours.It can release a host at any time. Ifit is exorcised or leaves voluntarily,the host recovers after 1d seconds ofmental stun.When a person is possessed, theghost’s energy infuses his body withgreater strength, speed, and endurance.The possessed body’s ST israised by 1/5 the ghost’s ST (Fatigue40 Ghosts

Restoring FatigueGhosts restore fatigue normally (p. B427), but some ghosts have other resources to call on. Most can tap fatigue fromtheir “haunts,” or from a focus: some object important to them, such as their bones, a wedding ring, or a portrait. (Insome cases, if the ghost’s focus is destroyed, the ghost is destroyed when it reaches 0 Fatigue.) As a general rule, treat afocus as having the same fatigue as its ghost. It, too, restores fatigue normally, and a ghost within 30 yards of it can taphis focus for 1 fatigue every second. Other possible sources of extra fatigue include:Age: As ghosts age, those that don’t fade away get more powerful. Add 1 to the ghost’s permanent Fatigue total foreach 25 years of unlife after the first 100 years.Emotions: Living people’s emotions can power ghosts, especially “psychic-recording” apparitions. See Drain underApparition, p. 39.Etheric leakage: “Portal” ghosts can tap 5 to 30 fatigue per day from their portal. Haunted houses, battlefields, stonecircles, and so on may contribute such energy even if portals are not part of the setting.Smells: The most common way to strengthen a ghost in Mediterranean and other traditions is through the smellof cooking food (1-2 points), liquor and tobacco (3-4 points), blood (1 point per 3 sacrificed or spilled hit points), orincense (1-6 points depending on rarity and power). Such ghosts can tap these amounts each day; this takes 1 minute.Time: Some ghosts may recover fatigue twice as fast at night, or have double fatigue on powerful nights such as Halloweenor the anniversary of their murder.Worship: If a ghost is worshipped as ancestral ghosts in Rome, China, and Haiti were and are — it can gain 1 additionalfatigue per day per worshipper, up to 100.is not increased), and its DX and HTare raised by 1/8 the ghost’s DX andHT, respectively. The Revenant keepsits own IQ, Perception, and Will, andmental traits. Skills are a special case.The Revenant’s IQ-, Perception-, andWill-based skills are unchanged. Otherskills remain at the same relativeskill level.Weakened targets improve the revenant’sroll as follows: near-death,+8; drugs, liquor, or fever, +4. Willingsubjects add +10 to the ghost’s Will.Previously successful possessions ofa particular subject gives the ghost+1 to its roll, to a maximum +3.ShadeST: 13 Move/Dodge: 7/7DX: 14 DR: 0/0IQ: 15 Size: 1HT: 14 Weight: –Will: 19 Reach: CFatigue: 22 Damage: 1dSkills: Intimidation-16; Mimicry-15;Shapeshifting-15; all relevant skillsof its former life.Shades are Class IV angry ghosts,whose body, memory, or name hasbeen denied respect. The quintessentialshades are the Roman manes, but thistemplate also works for ghosts “too orneryfor Hell” or “too wicked to die.” Itdiffers from the revenant in being malevolent,and from the elemental in havingbeen a specific individual in life.Special AbilitiesIcy Touch: A shade’s icy claws do 1dcold damage. This attack cannot beparried or blocked, and armor doesnot defend against it.Materialization Restriction: A shadecan only materialize within 50 feetof its focus, or by being directly summoned.Shades can also appear indreams, with a Will roll and the expenditureof 1 fatigue.Terror: See Apparition, p. 39. Victimsare at -4 to Fright Checks, -6 if the terrorattack comes during a dream.ElementalST: 10 Move/Dodge: 10/10DX: 12 DR: 2/0IQ: 6 Size: 1HT: 12 Weight: –Will: 13 Reach: RFatigue: 15 Damage: specialAn elemental is a Class V embodimentof a force or emotion such as fear,lust, murder, or suicide. “Slimer” fromGhostbusters is a gluttony elemental.Similar to apparitions, elementals usuallyhave more freedom of action, andare more likely to appear humanoid.The term elemental as used here and inhorror literature more closely matchesthe personification from pp. SPI59-60than it does traditional RPG elementals.Special AbilitiesCompulsion: An elemental must makea Will roll at -2 to resist an opportunityto experience its core behavior– an alcoholic elemental would drinkscotch, a lust elemental would molestan attractive stranger, etc.Inspiration: An elemental’s main abilityis to inspire its core emotion orsensation in witnesses within 10yards – or in special circumstances,such as seeing the elemental througha telescope, window, or in a mirror.The witness must succeed in a QuickContest against the elemental’s Will;for most emotions the witness useshis Will (with any applicable advantagesor disadvantages), but for adisease elemental he uses HT, etc. Ona critical failure, the subject takes apermanent disadvantage to matchthe inspiration.Ghosts41

Inspiration lasts 3d minutes, afterwhich time the subject can attempta Will roll, once every 10 minutes,to shake off the effects. At the GM’sdiscretion, slapping, pain, or otherstimuli may allow a Will roll early, oreven with bonuses.Possession: If the elemental possesses(see p. 40) the witness, it may add+5 to its Will in inspiration contests.Elementals do not attempt long-termpossession.Devil-BeastFiendish HogST: 30 Move/Dodge: 14/7DX: 16 DR: 2/4IQ: 18 Size: 2HT: 15/30 Weight: 300-450 lbs.Will: 18 Reach: CFatigue: 30 Damage: 1d+2 crSkills: Tracking-14.Horse of Hell(Hellmount)ST: 50 Move/Dodge: 18/8DX: 12 DR: 0/0IQ: 8 Size: 3HT: 13/30 Weight: 2,000 lbs.Will: 16 Reach: CFatigue: 30 Damage: 1d+2 crSkills: Area Knowledge (Haunt)-15.Spectral Raven(Murder Crow)ST: 6 Move/Dodge: 16/10DX: 21 DR: 0/0IQ: 12 Size:

OutsiderST: 20-70 Move/Dodge: 8/0DX: 12 DR: 3/5IQ: 18 Size: 1 to 10HT: 20/40-50 Weight: 100-4,000 lbs.Will: 23 Reach: C, 1-15Fatigue: 60-120 Damage: 3d+2 cr#Skills: Hidden Lore(Temptations)-15.The Outsider is a powerful Class VIIbeing from outside conventional timeand space, even from outside the normalrealm of ghosts and spirits. GURPSSpirits calls such entities ultra-terrestrials.Carnacki’s Ab-human enemies, theAeiirii and Saiitii, are classic Outsiders.Their motivations are inscrutable orwholly malevolent; often only specializedrituals repel them, rather than conventionalpentagrams or holy symbols.Demons such as Pazuzu from The Exorcistcan also be modeled as Outsiders,although most demons share standardvulnerabilities to exorcism, etc. Demonsare also the only Outsiders who routinelypossess the living.Special AbilitiesFoulness: The hideous stench of anOutsider weakens those around it.Within 20 yards of a manifestation,humans must make a Will roll tomove further into the smell. Within10 yards, they must make a HT roll.A success indicates merely a sicklyfeeling and the loss of 2 hit points.On a failure, the subject is crippledby vomiting, nausea, and cramps;he loses 1d+2 hit points immediatelyand is at -3 to all skills and attributesuntil the lost HT is restoredor 1 hour passes, whichever is later.If he remains within the stench, hecannot recover hit points, and mustmake HT rolls each hour. At the GM’sdiscretion, gas masks may partiallyor fully block this effect, or full hazardousmaterials (hazmat) suits maybe required. Anything touched by theOutsider is fouled; food becomes inedible,books gooily stuck shut, clothingstained, equipment encrusted.This taint cannot be easily removed;alchemy, industrial dry cleaning, andso on might work.Invulnerability to Physical Damage:Even when fully materialized, theunnatural matter of an Outsider remainsimmune to physical attacksfrom any weapons except those fromits home plane – i.e., glowing meteoricrocks, daggers of unknown alloy, etc.In some cases, proper rituals or scientificmethods can “attune” earthlymaterials to them; these “enchanted”weapons do half damage.“Ray, when someone asks you if you’re a god,you say, “Yes!””— Winston Zeddemore, “Ghostbusters”Spectral Attack: With ropy tentacles,elephantine tread, or myriads of needle-sharpteeth, the Outsider attacksthe living. (Bite attacks are 2d+2 cutting.)Attacks usually require at leastpartial materialization. Outsider STcan run to 50 or higher, increasingdamage proportionally.Stifling Air: An Outsider can suffocate(see p. B436) anyone in the roomwith it. This costs 4 fatigue for each10 seconds.Terror: See Apparition, p. 39; the Outsider’sincomprehensible form causesFright Check penalties from -4 to ashigh as -10.Ghosts43

other Ghostly AbilitiesGhosts have displayed many differentabilities over the centuries. Following aresome additional skills not mentioned inthe Spirit Cabinet bestiary. As touchedupon earlier, not all of these skills easilytranslate into standard GURPS Advantages,Disadvantages and Skills. Wherepossible the GURPS rules are cited anda chart of possible correlations to the officialrules is provided on page 46.The sampling in this book is by nomeans all-inclusive. Many other ghostlyattributes can be postulated from thepages of the GURPS Basic Set, GURPSMagic and GURPS Powers.AnimateIn “The Real Ghostbusters” one of theskills repeatedly demonstrated by morepowerful ghosts, is the ability to givelife to normal, inanimate householdobjects. There is no Advantage or Spellthat resembles this ability in the currentGURPS Basic Set. It does not work liketelekinesis as the animated object movesof it own volition once activated, leavingthe ghost free to perform other actions.The ghost imbues the inanimate objectwith mobility and a semblance oflife. Each such animated object then willimmediately attack whomever or whateverthe ghost designates, or follows anyother spoken commands.The object will continue to functionuntil the predetermined numberof turns runs out, unless it is destroyedfirst. Certain other attacks can stop theanimation like being splashed with holywater or a blast from a proton pack. Inany case, when the animation ceases,the object will revert to its original, preanimationform, rather than being frozeninto some bizarre posture.An animated object can be of any material.The ghost must expend 2 fatigueto animate small objects (toys, mops,etc.), 4 fatigue for medium-sized objects(like household appliances) and 8 fatiguefor man-sized or larger objects (like furniture,beds, etc.). The animation lastsfor 2d+2 turns unless additional fatigueis spent.Larger items cannot be animated unlessthe ghost and its focus are close tothe object being animated (like beingwithin the haunted house or wanderingwater-tower). This ability does not workon objects carried or worn by anotherperson. See Animated Objects p. 46 fordetails on possible abilities for these creations.Corrupting GazeA ghost can blast living beings with aglance. Treat as Innate Attack (Toxic) pp.B61-62. Critical hits do 1d-6 of damageto the victim’s Charisma.Corrupting TouchAs per Corrupting Gaze, but the ghostmust partially materialize to attack. Successfulattacks do double damage.Horrific AppearanceAs per Physical Appearance (Horrific)but because the ghost is obviouslysupernatural the sight of it causes anunmodified Fright Check (as opposed toTerror). See p. B21 for more detail.IllusionsThis power creates the visual illusionof an object, creature, or force, as visualizedby the ghost. Sound, smell, andthermal illusions are included in theeffect. While concentrating, the ghostcan move the image up to 400 feet away.(See Illusions pp. PO94-95.)Mind ControlThe ghost can control the actions ofhumans or other ghosts. (See Mind Controlp. B68)Since ghosts have usually been deadfor a long time, most are out of touchwith modern conventions, (like dress,music, slang, modes of transport, etc.)and likewise unfamiliar with regularhuman interaction, victims of spectralmind control are often very obvious tothose around them. This equates to aGhosts

onus on Perception rolls (+1 for everyten years the ghost has been deceased),to realize that a person is under the influenceof a ghost.Mind ReadingThe ghost can read surface thoughtsof any mind in the area. A target cansave versus Will to prevent the ghostfrom reading its thoughts, and the ghostmust manifest to have another chanceto mind read again. Creatures of animalintelligence have simple, instinctualthoughts that the ghost can pick up.(See p. B69-70.)Poltergeist EffectIn stead of using the poltergeist effectsdescribed on page 39, the GM maychoose to use the more limiting but lesscostly combination of Telekinesis (p.B92) and Poltergeist Effect (PO82).The ghost moves objects or creaturesby concentrating on them. The powercan provide either a gentle, sustainedforce or a single short, violent thrust(ghost’s choice).RejuvenationIn most cases, it’s difficult to destroya ghost through simple combat. The“destroyed” spirit will often restore itselfin 2d-2 days. Even containment can becircumvented. As a rule, the only wayto get rid of a ghost for sure is to determinethe reason for its existence and setright whatever prevents it from restingin peace. The exact means varies witheach spirit and may require a good dealof research.SlimeSlime comes in two basic varieties,regular and thick. The regular slime willalmost completely coat a victim on asuccessful attack. This results in a -1 toFright Checks, -2 from the victim’s currentFatigue score, and 1d+3 poundsadded to his encumbrance until theslime can be cleaned off. Fatigue cannotbe regained while the victim is coveredin slime.Thick slime is more like strands ofectoplasm wrapping up the subject likea mummy. The subject can still breathebut is otherwise helpless, being unableto take any physical actions. The subjectcannot speak because the ectoplasmicstrands muffle sounds, but the subject’snostrils are clear. The subject can executepurely mental actions (such as“Generally you don’t see that kind of behaviorin a major appliance.”Malevolent ObjectsGhostly life after death is practically normality itself compared to lifewhere there should not be, and never has been, any. An inanimate objecttaking on a life of its own is the shadowy inverse of the ghost. The horror iscompounded when the object turns on its human creators. These malevolentobjects are almost never the result of possession or poltergeists – theexplanation for their sudden animation is usually never made clear.Malevolent objects come in many shapes and forms, but they are oftenitems of some personal importance. Children’s toys, particularly dolls andstuffed animals, are popular candidates. Furniture, such as beds, antiquerockers, or large chests, might also become malevolent, though the threatwould most likely be limited to Fright Checks. Even particular items ofclothing, such as an old dress found in a trunk in the attic, may suddenlyturn against their wearer, or against someone hiding in the attic.A common malevolent object in the modern world is the mad machine.Vehicles are the most common – killer cars, phantom rigs, even malignplanes and boats have all been known to surface in horror cinema. Othermad machines include the megalomanic computer, the TV set that showsonly horrible crimes being committed against (or by) the viewer, or thetelephone that badgers its owner with incessant ringing and sounds of terror(or maniacal laughter, or the pleas of dead loved ones) emanating fromthe receiver.For a given malevolent object, the GM should specify DR and hit points;mobile objects also require ST, DX, and Move. Such objects rarely need anIQ score – their motive is only to destroy or terrorize humans. Stopping amalevolent object requires nothing short of destroying the object itself, buteven then, the evil may not be at rest – picture the doll’s severed head stillcackling away…– Peter Venkman, “Ghostbusters”manifesting powers). The writhing, regeneratingnature of the cocoon preventsits occupant from making a physical bidfor escape. However, cutting or damaginga large enough strand can free thecocooned victim. Treat the strands asheavy rope – DR 2, HT 3. Creatures thatare cocooned high in the air fall, and cocoonedswimmers may drown.Regular slime evaporates in 2d-2minutes while thick slime can take up toan hour before it degenerates into regularslime.Summon PestsThe ghost summons a swarm of bats,rats, or spiders (GM’s choice), which attacksall other creatures within its area.(The ghost may summon the swarmso that it shares the area of other creatures.)If no living creatures are withinits area, the swarm attacks or pursuesthe nearest creature as best it can. Theghost has no control over the swarm’starget or direction of travel. (See Alliesp. B36 and Summonable Enhancementp. PO41.)TelekinesisA ghost can use telekinesis as a standardaction. (See Telekinesis p. B92.)Ghosts45

GhostlyEquipmentWhen a ghost forms, all its clothing,equipment and carried items usually becomeethereal along with it. In addition,the ghost may retain 1d+2 items that itparticularly valued in life (provided theyare not in another creature’s possession).The equipment works normally on theEthereal Plane but passes harmlesslythrough material objects or creatures.The original material items remainbehind, just as the ghost’s physical remainsdo. If another creature seizes theoriginal, the ethereal copy fades away.This loss invariably angers the ghost,who stops at nothing to return the itemto its original resting place.Animated ObjectsUnlike Malevolent Objects which areself aware, animated objects act or fightonly as directed by the ghost that animatedthem. They follow orders withoutquestion and to the best of their abilities.Since they do not need to breatheand never tire, they can be extremely capableminions. While animated objectscan move and take actions without beingcommanded by the ghost who animatedthem, they are not truly sentient.For objects that are self-aware, see p.45or Tsukumogami on p. 121.For ease of calculation an animatedobject is assumed to have the followingbasic attributes; ST 12, DX 12, IQ 5, andHT based on what the object is made of.(See pp. B557-559)An animated object can have one ormore of the following special abilities,depending on its form.BlindA sheet-like animated object such asa curtain or tapestry can grapple an opponentup to three sizes larger than itself.The object makes a normal grapplecheck. If it wins, it wraps itself aroundthe opponent’s head, causing that creatureto be blinded until it is removed.ConstrictA flexible animated object such as arope, vine, or rug deals damage as perthe Constriction Attack advantage (Seep. B43.) An object of at larger size canmake constriction attacks against multiplecreatures at once, if they all are atleast two sizes smaller than the objectand can fit under it.HardnessAn animated object has the samehardness (DR and HT) that it had beforeit was animated.Enhanced MoveThe basic speed stat should assumethat an animated object lurches, rocks,or slithers along and should be adjustedaccordingly. Objects with two legs (statues,ladders) or a similar shape that allowsfaster movement have the normallycalculated speed. Objects with multiplelegs (tables, chairs) have a enhancedmove of +1. Wheeled objects have a +4bonus to speed. Objects might have additionalmodes of movement. A woodenobject can float and has a swim speedequal to half its land speed. A rope orsimilar sinuous object has a climb speedequal to half its land speed. A sheet-likeobject can fly (clumsily) at half its normalspeed.TrampleAnimated objects can trample anyonewhose Size Modifier is two or moresmaller than itself, or people lying prone.See Trampling p. B404.Ghostly Skills to GURPS SkillsApport: There is no parallel for this Advantage in the GURPS rules.Compulsion: The closest ability to compare with Compulsion is CompulsiveBehavior (p. B128), but it is a poor match.Drag to Hell: There is no parallel for this Advantage in the GURPS rules.Drain: This ability equates to Innate Attack (Fatigue) pp. B61-62.Flame Breath: See Innate Attack (Burning) pp. B61-62.Foulness: The closest parallel is Bad Smell p. B124, but this advantagewould need to be multiplied to achieve the same results as desired foran Outsider.Heart/Focus: See Focus and Focus vs. Source p. PO7. In cases not involvingGenii Loci the energy of the Focus is provided by PKE unless otherwisestated.Hellish Invulnerability: Works as Extra Life p. B55.Icy Touch: This ability equates to Innate Attack (Toxic?) pp. B61-62 or ElementalAttacks (Cold/Ice – Freeze Ray) p. PO137.Inspiration: Again, a poor match, but Affliction (Malediction) p. B35 is theclosest in effect to Inspiration as shown for Elementals.Invulnerability to Physical Damage: See Damage Resistance pp. B46-47,Injury Tolerance (Homogenous) p. B60 or Invulnerability pp. PO118-119 and use whichever suits your vision of Outsiders the best.Matter Possession: A poor match is Matter Control pp. PO131-132.Possession: As per Possession p. B75 with no Special Enhancements andwith the Special Limitations of Magical, No Memory, and Spiritual. TheGM may not require the spirit to enter the body of the subject to possesshim.Probability Alteration: See Probability Alteration pp. PO132-133.Slam: See Slam pp. B371, B392 and B368.Spectral Attack: See Binding p. B40 and Extra Mouth p. B55.Stifling Air: See Elemental Attacks (Air – Vacuum) p. PO137.Strangle: Constriction Attack p. B43. See also Strangulation pp. B370,B401 and B404 for details.Terror: Same as Terror p. B93.Vulnerability: See Vulnerability p. B161.46 Ghosts

Ghostbusting vs.Monster HuntingAlthough the game is called GURPSGhostbusters, campaigns would quicklydeteriorate into boring repetition if theplayers could fight nothing but ghostsduring each session of play.While the Ghostbusters movies concentratedon ghosts for the most part,the animated series ventured furtherafield, dealing with goblins, trolls, werewolves,vampires and even a renegadeSandman, among many others. Thereisn’t any reason why your campaignshouldn’t wander off into unexploredterritories as well.The Real Ghostbusters demonstratedthat resourceful Ghostbusters can dealwith many other supernatural threatsbesides garden variety spooks and spectres.Mythology, fiction, movies, televisionand even old-time radio programsare a treasure trove that ensures any enterprisingGame Master will never runout of fabulous creatures to stun, surpriseand confound players. The crucialquestion is “How much is too much?”Game Masters must remain consciousof the magic formula of theGhostbusters genre; equal parts of humorand horror.The game can lose much of it’s impactor drama, if the players feel that they areinvulnerable, but on the other hand, ifplayers are dying during every session,or the streets are becoming littered withcorpses while serial killers run rampant,the humor part of the equation is lost.Ghosts are a known factor for theplayers and containing or dispersingthem is more of an intellectual challengethan anything else. Monsters addmany extra variables to the mix; Canthey be contained? Can they be killed?Can they be reasoned with? Will they eatour brains...When selecting prefab monstersor creating new ones, the Game Mastermust consider a few things; why isthis thing here? how can this beast bestopped or contained by the playerswith the equipment they have on hand?and most importantly, why is this thingdoing what it’s doing?A monster that is killing people forthe sake of killing people has no placein a Ghostbusters scenario. A monsterthat is webbing up miners in cocoons toprotect its eggs is a sane and solvable conundrumworthy of a night’s pondering– especially when the situation is dressedup with added trimmings to seem morespooky and mysterious than it is.The Adventures chapter of this bookwill give a Game Master plenty of ideasabout balancing ghosts, monsters andmore varieties of weirdness. And on howto keep games and game opponents freshand exciting over an extended campaign,but it cannot help any GM who makeshis monsters and the circumstances ofhis scenarios too dark or too light.It is reasonably easy to run a straighthorror campaign, and very difficult torun a humorous one. To dance upon thefine line between them requires a greatdeal of skill and imagination. Whenevera GM feels he is making a mistake aboutthe direction an adventure is taking, heshould favour the humor over the mindnumbingterror.More MonstersThe Game Master seeking more and more varied monsters for his gameshould begin with GURPS Horror which has abbreviated treatment ofvampires, mummies, zombies, and their ilk, GURPS Undead, which expandson the monsters from GURPS Horror, and GURPS Spirits, whichdoes the same for ghosts, djinn, faeries, and other immaterial entities.GURPS Monsters provides specific NPC monsters suitable for a wide rangeof campaigns, many of which can be reverse-engineered to yield “generic”monster templates. GURPS Creatures of the Night contains many moremonsters, in GURPS Bestiary format.Worldbooks such as GURPS Black Ops, Cabal, Myth, and Voodoo providemonsters specifically tailored to those campaign frames. Genre andhistorical source books provide monsters based in specific milieus: GURPSAtomic Horror, CthulhuPunk, Egypt, and Russia will richly reward furtherinvestigation. Finally, the GM who wishes to taint the bright colorsof fantasy with dark horror should look into GURPS Fantasy Folk andFantasy Bestiary for suitable targets.Ghosts47

Chapter FiveBusting GhostsThe Prehistoryof GhostbustingAthenodorus of Tarsus performed thefirst recorded ghostbusting in the firstcentury A.D. when he reburied the bodyof a ghost that was haunting his house inAthens. Later philosophers, churchmen,and sorcerers occasionally appear in therecords laying ghosts to rest and banishingspecters. In 1662, Joseph Glanvil,the Chaplain in Ordinary to Charles II,investigated a poltergeist case in Wiltshire,the so-called “Tedworth Drummer.”He took witnesses’ reports and tried hisbest to rule out natural explanations.The most prestigious premodern Ghostbuster,however, was Prosper Lambertini,who investigated auras, miracles,and possession for the Vatican until becomingPope Benedict XIV in 1740.In the next century, ad hoc investigatorslike Lambertini and BenjaminFranklin — who looked into Mesmer’sclaims for the French Academy weresucceeded by organizations. Sir WilliamCrookes investigated spirit phenomena,beginning with the medium DanielDunglas Home in 1869, and became afounding member of the Society forPsychical Research in 1882. However,groups such as the SPR, its American incarnationthe ASPR (founded in 1885),and others soon foundered on technicalissues and personality conflicts. Bythe 1920s, the magician Harry Houdinibegan to expose fraudulent mediums,while the ghost hunter Harry Price beganto investigate honest ghost stories.The “steampunk” era of optimisticallyextending science to the spectral realmshad ended, and with it the golden age ofghostbusting.In the 1980s a new age of ghostbustingwas ushered in when three scientistsentered The New York Public Library,and the rest is, as they say, history.GhostbustingMethodsNo matter the milieu, from ancientGreece to post-modern America, therehas always been, and will always be aneed for ghostbusting. Although everyhaunting is different, there are a fewconsistent basic ingredients.“The architect’s name was Ivo Shandor. I found it inTobin’s Spirit Guide. He was also a doctor, performeda lot of unnecessary surgery. And then in 1920, hestarted a secret society...”— Egon Spengler, “Ghostbusters”InvestigationA spectral investigation begins with aphysical survey of the site and intensiveresearch. Investigators should dig intothe location’s history not just for ghostlyreports, but also for gruesome murders,spurned lovers, or decadent tenants,any one of which could spawn a specter.Newspaper archives, interviews andtestimony, or plans and sketches mightcontain valuable clues. This is a goodtime to spot priest’s holes or other secretchambers. These steps involve Research,History, Area Knowledge, Interrogation,and other skills.An investigation should include atleast one sitting, with the Ghostbusters48Busting Ghosts

waiting for the entity to manifest. Anyequipment should be set up and ready torecord ghostly phenomena, (PKE badgescan be used to track ghosts) and withthread, wax, or tape the investigatorsshould seal off as many rooms as possible,eliminating them from consideration.Rolls for apparatus use, as well asArchitecture or Carpentry to investigatethe house, may be required.CommunicationA critical step in ghostbusting is findingout what will make the ghost goaway. The traditional way to contact aghost is a séance, at which a mediuminvokes the local spirit and hopefullyenters a dialogue with it while everyoneelse holds hands around the tableto form a “circle of power.” GMs cantreat the traditional séance as a ceremonialcasting of the Summon Spiritspell (p. M150), and the hand-circle as aritual with the same effect (and energycost from the group) as a Pentagram.Breaking the circle breaks either spell.Optionally, the GM can assume that thePerformance/Ritual (Spiritualist) skillgrants those spells in ceremonial form.See GURPS Spirits for more detailedcoverage of spirit magic.Another method of contacting thespirits is automatic writing, in whichtrance mediums take dictation fromspirits, or allow possessing spirits towrite out their messages. The Britishjournalist W. T. Stead ran Julia’s Bureau— named for his ghostly partner, JuliaAmes — an automatic-writing messageservice, between 1909 and his death onthe Titanic in 1912. Some spiritualistsstill practice automatic writing, but theOuija board and, later, electronic voicephenomena (EVP) muscled it out of the“Gozer the Gozerian? Good evening. As a dulydesignatedrepresentative of the City, County andState of New York, I order you to cease any and allsupernatural activity and return forthwith to yourplace of origin or to the next convenient paralleldimension.”— Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”modern consciousness.In 1936, Attila von Salzay attemptedto use a record cutter to capture ghostvoices on phonograph records; UFOcultist George Hunt Williamson usedreel-to-reel magnetic tape in the 1950sfor similar purposes. But EVP remainedobscure until Latvian psychologist KonstantinRaudive documented 100,000Ghostly MotivesPart of ‘busting’ a ghost often involves figuring out what it wants, and either helping or thwarting it. Some potentialghostly motives include:Curse: A ghost like the Flying Dutchman may be cursed to appear to fulfill a curse on someone living. Breaking thecurse dispels the ghost, or vice versa.Guardianship: Ghosts often guard things such as their foci (see Heart p. 40), their loved ones, their descendants, ortheir eldritch master’s bones. Either destroying what they guard, or convincing them that other protections are adequate,banishes a guardian ghost.Ignorance: Some ghosts died too fast or too traumatically, and don’t realize they’re dead. Convincing a ghost it’s deadmay be difficult, involving complex role-playing as well as Psychology rolls.Love and Lust: Ghosts may be hoping for a rendezvous with another spirit or with a particularly attractive living person.Or that person may be the reincarnation of a past love.Proper burial: By far the most common ghostly motive, the first “restless ghost” story in the Western tradition concernsthis demand. Complications can spring up: for example, it may be hard to find a pagan priest or the correctrites to bury a Viking haunting a Victorian manor.Scam: Friendly ghosts may be haunting someone or somewhere to drum up business for Ghostbusters or to gatherinformation surreptitiously.Sheer Malevolence: Some spirits, such as Outsiders (see p. 43), haunt the earth for no reason but malice. Alternately,their agenda is so alien that it merely seems like malevolence. These ghosts must be destroyed.Unfinished business: That “one last thing” may keep ghosts hanging around trying to get the job done. For example, asoldier’s ghost may be trying to “make it home for Christmas,” and only seeing Christmas celebrated will allow himto move on peacefully.Vengeance or justice: The prototypical “ghost of a murdered man” seeks the exposure and hanging of his killer — orhis killer’s descendants. Other ghosts may seek the return of stolen property or the clearing of his name. Of course,the ghost might not be good or true — the “killer” was framed, the property rightfully transferred, or the name accuratelybesmirched or it might be mindlessly continuing a blood feud.Busting Ghosts49

Ghostly SpoorThe Society for Psychical Research uses the “MNOPP” mnemonic toclassify the five most-common spectral phenomena. Movement of objects,inexplicable Noises, Optical effects, Pushes and other tactile sensations,and, least common, an uncanny Presence. Many of the specific effectsbelow map to this mnemonic; GMs may wish to escalate a haunting byrunning “up the scale,” or reserve “P powers” for only the most powerfulentities.Animals: Dogs, horses, and other beasts often detect ghosts earlier thanhumans, and become restive and skittish. However, some animals suchas whippoorwills, swarm or flock toward ghosts.Cold spots: Ghosts tend to make the surrounding air colder; perhaps asthey focus local electromagnetic energy to manifest themselves, theydrain heat.Electrical activity: Inexplicable blackouts and blown fuses, or mysteriouspowering-up of unpowered items, could be evidence for ghosts havingan electromagnetic or electrostatic makeup.Lights: A very common type of ghost sighting; even normal lights sometimesalter or fade in the presence of ghosts — for instance, candlesburn blue.Slamming doors: Doors in haunted houses seldom stay open or shut, andsuddenly become locked for inexplicable reasons.Trismos: This is the keening wail or moan that ghosts emit in ancient Greekstories. It inspires a Fright Check at -2.Weird weather: Ghosts seem to appear when the weather is oppressive,either stiflingly hot, storming, or in the depths of winter. Often, ghostsaccompany “devil winds” or other freak occurrences.recorded voices between 1965 and 1971.EVP is still occasionally called “Raudivevoices” in his honor. EVP voices are inaudibleduring recording, manifestingindistinctly and faintly when playedback. EVP seekers use all manner ofrecording equipment to gather ghostvoices. According to a German mediumchanneling the ghost of Thomas Edison,tuning your television to 740 MHz— possible with an Electronics (Communications)roll — can sensitize it tospirit communication. Television opensup new vistas for EVP, as does digitalsound analysis.Of course very powerful ghosts can bespoken to directly without any mechanicalor spiritual intermediary. Many havebeen waiting an eternity to talk to anyone,but have frightened away wouldbeconversationalists. With others, thehardest part is getting their attention.Once communication has been established,Ghostbusters can use Psychology,Diplomacy, Interrogation, and evenActing to find out the ghost’s purpose,nature, and weaknesses, if any. Thismight spark another round of research,or move things right into a showdown.“Well, whatever it is, it’s got to get by us. Right.Go get her Ray!”— Peter Venkman, “Ghostbusters”ConfrontationAfter investigation and communication,friendly or weak ghosts can usuallybe removed or sent peacefully on.The vast majority of hauntings can beresolved by helping a ghost completesome unfinished business (see GhostlyMotives p. 49). This not only rewardsyour players for their work at research,but it helps keep their costs down. Containmentunits do not come cheap, andonce they’re full – they’re full.A Ghostbuster’s Ghostbuster feelshe’s really earned his keep when he getsto face down a powerful, malevolent entity,or the ones with power who are toostupid to get out of the way.After peaceful solutions have beentried and discarded, the next most costeffectivemethod of removing ghosts,demons and whatnot is a key skill calledExorcism (see p. B193 for details). Ifthe team doesn’t have anyone skilled inthis area, there may be local clergy oran official exorcist who is willing to assist.Ghostbusters also tend to attract avery esoteric fan following. Potentiallysome goth Ghostbuster fan(atic) with anadroitness in Thaumatology (p. B225),Ritual Magic (p. B218) or knowledge inother occult fields might be recruited tohelp (or hinder, depending on their actualability) the PCs in ridding the world ofyet another unspeakable horror. If thatdoesn’t take, then it’s time to get out theunlicensed nuclear accelerators.Proton packs can work wonderson ectoplasmic entities, and can evenknock the stuffing out of some corporealbeings, but only if the players get achance to use them. While “zapping andtrapping” is what most players reallywant, sometimes even Proton Packs arenot enough.There are monsters powerful enoughto ignore proton beams and slime blowers,no matter how many are aimed atthem. Cthulhu and his minions, truedemons, and similar high-level colossican easily ignore much of the standardGhostbuster arsenal.That’s where tactics, knowledge andplanning can come into play. Ghostbustersneed to be wily, and adaptable.Again there is a payoff for the Ghostbusterswho do their research. Maps ofthe location, background on the ghost(and those related to the ghost) can allprovide key insights into its vulnerabilities.Knowing where the nearest lake orhigh-voltage transformer can be handyas well.When brains, guts, willpower andmore brains, guts, willpower are still notenough, that’s when its time break outthe Weird Science (see Creating Gearpp. 66).50 Busting Ghosts

ChApter sixequipmentGhostbustinG GeArAll the gear listed in this first sectionis the property of Ghostbusters Internationaland therefore requires a license asdescribed in Chapter Two.During the process of acquiringthe franchise license (and getting thefirst team trained), the “starting equipment”package will be delivered to thefranchise location (see p. 16). The timerequired for all this takes place beforegame play begins.The following inventory of equipmentwill whet your players’ appetitesfor gizmos and gadgets, or make themore paranoid among them overloadthemselves with extra “safety features”.Players must be reminded that all theequipment they use must be paid forin advance and even the lightest bicyclehelmet will affect their encumbrance.More is not always better.Prices for all the equipment listedare given in modern-day GURPS dollars.The costs will vary with era, or forprototypes, experimental equipment,and mass-market versus military-gradeversions.proton pACksThe Proton Pack is the primary toolfor the purpose of “busting” ghosts. Ithas a hand-held gun section (variouslycalled a Proton Gun, neutrona wand,particle thrower or simply a “thrower”)connected to a backpack-sized particleaccelerator.The Proton Pack is mounted onto anarmy issue All-purpose Lightweight IndividualCarrying Equipment (A.L.I.C.E.)pack frame with adjustable shoulderand kidney straps and a belt. It takes oneminute to properly don a Proton Pack,but this time can be reduced by halfwith the aid of a second person.“You know, it just occurred to me that we reallyhaven’t had a successful test of this equipment.”— Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”The proton pack functions by “concentratingpositively charged protons(some say positrons), using them toattack negatively charged ectoplasmicentities”. In practical terms, the protongun fires a stream of energy that allowsa wielder to snare a ghost, holding itin place so it can be positioned abovea trap for capture. Dr. Egon Spenglerdesigned the pack, and he and Dr. RayStantz built it.The Proton Pack has a definite similarityto a cyclotron, (although it is calleda positron collider by Ray) producing ahigh-powered stream of charged particleswhich interact destructively withthe ectoplasm of the ghost. The packsare very difficult to control for an inexperienceduser; the firing process createsdirect or skew recoil in the firing stick. Itis considered a two-handed weapon althoughanyone with the Beam Weaponsskill can use one hand to make brief adjustmentsto the proton stream withoutneeding to alter their aim. The streamsare quite destructive to physical objectsand can cause extensive property damage.Knobs on the main stock of the ProtonPack can perform various functionsto customize the proton stream, includingadjustments for stream intensity,length, and degrees of polarization. Themaximum power setting for the ProtonPacks was mentioned by Egon Spengleras being “500,000 megahertz.” The ProtonPacks have a self-destruct mechanismcapable of affecting a large radius.(See Proton Bomb p. 53.) The protonpacks have less efficient power cells, allowingthem to run out of energy whenappropriate for dramatic tension.Crossing the Streams: Crossing thestreams was initially discouraged, asit was believed that “total protonic reversal”would occur; this effect wouldhave catastrophic results, namely “theend of all life as we know it, and everymolecule in one’s body exploding at thespeed of light.” Crossing the streams isquite dangerous. However, in a desperateeffort to stop the powerful Gozer theGozerian, the Ghostbusters performeda simultaneous 4-fold crossing directedinto a portal, causing total protonic reversalin the other dimension, but notaffecting the molecular structure ofour dimension. When the Ghostbusterscrossed their four streams, they aimedthrough the inter-dimensional portal,which then exploded every molecule ofGozer (including his psychic influence)and forced it back through the dimen-equipment1

sional window where it had entered.The portal itself collapsed and explodedwhen Gozer was destroyed.Overheating: This is similar in someways to the Proton Bomb effect. It isextremely dangerous and it is rare forpersons in the vicinity to survive a blastcaused by overheating. If a proton packruns for 20 rounds, firing all of its chargesconsecutively, the player must makea save roll under the pack’s malfunctionnumber -6 or overheat in four rounds.The pack’s explosion deals 10d of firedamage to the wearer (no save allowed)and 5d of splash damage to people andobjects in adjacent 330 yard radius (DXroll to make cover, for half damage).Recharging: The power cells for anyProton Pack take 12 hours to recharge,while replacing a them can take about15-20 minutes with the right tools.Standard UnitTL(8+1)The core technology of this bleedingedgedevice was developed in a ColumbiaUniversity laboratory in the mid-1980s and has proven itself in privateindustry and government applicationssince. A miniature nuclear accelerator(the equivalent of two D power cells) ina backpack unit creates a protonic field,shunted through a magnetic hose into ahandheld projector, which streams theresulting particle beam toward a spectraltarget.There are two basic settings: attackand containment. The beam can simplyblast matter and ectoplasm, or it cancreate a stasis field to hold ghosts inplace, typically to position a target overa ghost trap. Blasting ghosts reducestheir Fatigue making stronger ghostseasier to capture. If too much damage iscaused a ghost may be dispelled, whichmeans the Ghostbusters must wait untilit re-assembles itself, which can takefrom a few minutes, to several days oreven weeks.Creating a stasis field requires at leastone thrower set for containment, butat least two throwers on the same settingare needed to maneuver the targetProton Packand Thrower ArmIon ArmPower CellPPDInjectorsRibbon CableBumperShock Mount“It’s technical… it’s one of our little toys.”BoosterSynchronousGeneratorover a trap. A ghost can make a Willroll against the field’s power to escape iteach turn, until the running total of thefield’s power is higher than the ghost’sST+Will. At that point, it cannot moveoutside the field, and the Ghostbusterscan maneuver the ghost into a given positionwith a weapon skill roll at +4.Firing a Proton Pack is a Beam Weapons(Projector) roll. After making a successfulroll, players should tell the GMwhat their power setting is (from 1-10).The GM determines if the power is highenough for a capture, or is perhaps too— Peter Venkman, “Ghostbusters”Booster FrameHGACrankGeneratorN-Filterhigh and thus lowering the spirit’s Fatiguescore. Critical hits mean the GMshould tell the player what power settingto use. PKE readings will give the playersbetter odds of hitting the right powersetting. The Proton Pack’s characteristicscan be seen in the chart on page 59.The standard proton pack can befired 20 times before it’s batteries needto be recharged or replaced (a timeconsuming task) a damaging blast ora sustained stream both count as oneshot – after each 20 second interval ofstreaming another shot is considered tohave been discharged. This can be treatedas Spraying Fire (p. 409.) Althoughthe maximum power setting of a packis 10, in emergencies the energy outputcan be doubled by going full-stream.This causes the proton gun to expendtwice the power in each blast, and consequentlyeach burst is the same asshooting twice. The chances overheatingincrease too.Bio-Electric UnitHeatsinkClippardMotherboardClippardLegris ElbowCyclotronTL(8+1)This modified proton pack is verysimilar to the standard proton packexcept that it has only one setting, containment.The containment setting only52Equipment

Ghost Trap (top and side views)Foot Pedal ActuatorType Aworks against living humans, animalsand corporeal beings like Outsiders andsome Meta-spectres.Ghostbusters must be very carefulwhen using this unit as the temptationfor misuse is great. On the lowest settingsit is easy to shock people, as withlow voltage livestock fencing. At settingsof 1 to 2.5 wildly varying effects frommild shock to electrically induced heartfailurecan be achieved. Many a naiveGhostbuster looking to relieve stress orcontrol the Paparazzi has lost his jobdue to subsequent charges of assault.At higher settings than 3 human targetscan be seriously burned or killedby the electrical shock. Typically whenfaced with a corporeal threat of an indeterminablenature, for safety reasonsa Ghostbuster must slowly progressthrough the lower power settings on aBio-Electric Proton Pack in order not topermanently harm a “scary human withproblems” which leaves them open toType Battacks from “scary non-humans withproblems”.As with standard units, maneuveringthe stasis field requires at least twothrowers hitting the same target. Thetarget makes a Will roll against the fieldto escape each turn, until the runningtotal of the field’s power is higher thanthe ghost’s ST+Will. Each additionalbio-proton beam decreases the ghost’sroll by -2. Because the Bio-Electric unituses more power than a standard unit,it has a lower number of shots that canbe taken, and also a lower tolerance foroverheating. (See p. 59.)Proton BombTL(8+1)A Proton Bomb is not actually a bombat all, but is a setting on all Proton Packswhich acts as Proton Pack (large areaeffect).It fires a wide-ranging series ofbeams in a 60-foot radius doing maximumdamage for that type of unit.To prevent an overheating incident,the proton bomb setting will automaticallyshut-down before any overheatingcan occur. Thus the maximum remainingshots – minus one, will be fired beforethe unit powers down. Note that amalfunction roll must be made any timethe Proton Bomb option is chosen to assurethat the shut-down activates as expected.Any damage to the Proton Packcan add modifiers to the malfunctionroll at the GM’s discretion.Using the Proton Bomb feature leavesthe unit permanently disabled as in anoverheating incident, so it is considereda last-ditch solution for dealing with aninfestation problem. Most franchiseswill deduct the cost of a “burnt” ProtonPack from an employee’s salary unlessthere is irrefutable proof that the maneuverwas “absolutely necessary”.Ghost trApsGhost traps are small boxes that storeand transport one subdued ghost. A footpedal attached to the box by a twelvefootlength of tubing opens the lid.The ghost trap can be described asa miniature ecto-containment unit. Astandard ghost trap can only containone human-sized incorporeal being ortwo smaller ones.Looking into the trap: The old adagethat “the eyes are the gateway to thesoul” is quite literal in this case. Anyonelooking into a ghost trap must save versustheir Will attribute at a - 2, to avoidhaving their soul sucked into the trap. Ifthis does occur, it is a simple matter foranother person to shut off the trap andrelease the soul. The problem at issueis that while the body is briefly unoccupied,a ghost may seek to take possessionof it. Since ghost traps are usuallyonly activated when ghosts are nearby,there is a high likelihood of a possessiontaking place.Overloading the trap: Ghost traps areextremely small pieces of equipment,and can only contain a certain amount ofPKE, even if it is from a number of smallghosts. The overloaded trap explodes ifequipment

more than one ghost is captured in thetrap, inflicting 3d of fire damage to allwithin a 10-foot radius and releasing theghosts. Each type of trap is rated for thenumber of ghosts can contain.Recharging the trap: This is extremelyimportant, a ghost trap must be at100% charge to work at peak efficiency.The trap runs on a rechargeable batterythat lasts up to 48 hours. After 48hours, a trap must make a HT save everyten minutes or it explodes, inflicting3d points of fire damage to all within a10-foot radius and releasing the ghost(s)contained within.Standard UnitTL(8+n)A standard ghost trap harnessespsychokinetic energy (PKE) created bya Kirlian transformer hooked up to aB power cell to trap ghosts. Triggeredwith a pedal or remote signal, it opensand produces a 3-hex tall cone, and anyghosts in a 4-hex wide area over thetrap’s opening are drawn into it. A ghostmust succeed at a Quick Contest of STversus the trap power of 20 to escape thePKE field. A ghost already restrained bya stasis field, pentacle, or other containmentstream cannot escape the field. Aspreviously stated, a standard ghost trapcan contain one human-sized ghost ortwo smaller ones.High-capacity Unit TL(8+n)This trap can contain up to three human-sized,six small, or one large incorporealbeing at a time. The smaller theentities, the more can be contained inthe trap. But the bigger the ghost, theless spirits can be contained. When twoor more ghosts are trapped together,their molecules merge and cannot beseparated without releasing both. In allother respects it works like a normalghost trap.Super TrapTL(8+n)Super traps are the same as standardghost traps except that they have morethan double the power capacity and lastfor one week on a full charge. After thattime, the trap must make a HT save everyten minutes or it explodes, inflicting3d points of fire damage to everythingwithin a 10-foot radius and releasing theghost(s) contained within.Tripod TrapTL(8+n)Essentially the tripod trap is identicalto the standard ghost trap in operation.The main difference is the design, whichallows for a larger containment area andalso allows for elevated entrapment. Thetrap can be used in areas of clear surfacemaking them ideal to use on cluttered oruneven ground. The tripod trap, whenactivated creates a grid-like confinementarea. Its beams reflect and bounce offcertain surfaces and create a grid-typelight array that traps ghosts in it for alimited amount of time, long enough fora Ghostbuster to pull out a real trap andnab the ghost.Tripod traps work just like ghost trapsexcept they paralyze the ghost ratherthan actually trapping it. The trap automaticallysenses any non-corporeal undeadthat pass through its 30-ft. squarearea. When the tripod is triggered, allghosts within its area of effect mustmake a Dexterity save or be paralyzedfor 3d rounds.Bio-Electric Trap TL(8+n)This trap is a modified tripod ghosttrap, but instead of capturing ectoplasmicentities, it throws up an electricfield around living beings. As it opens,creatures within a 20-ft. square area arecaught and contained, unless they aretoo big to fit inside, in which case thetrap automatically fails. Teleportation,Jumping and some forms of astral travelmay provide a means of escape.The bands are a quarter-inch wide,with half-inch gaps between them. Anycreature capable of passing throughsuch a small space can escape; othersare confined. Nothing can attack acreature in the grid, unless the weaponcan fit between the gaps. All spells andbreath weapons can pass through thegaps in the beams.The trap lasts for 2 hours before runningout of power.Vehicular Ghost TrapThis ghost trap acts as a high capacitytrap, except that it can be mounted on avehicle. It emits a 30-foot long cone, 10-feet at its widest, directly in front of thevehicle. (See p. 71.)Ecto-containmentUnitsAlso referred to as the “containmentsystem.” This is the large ghost containmentfacility in the basement of a typicalfranchise headquarters. It was developedafter Dr. Spengler and Dr. Stantzmade their first physical contact with alibrarian ghost in the basement of theNew York Public Library. According todata from that experience, they theorizedthat if a ghost’s ionization rate wasconstant, they could capture and holdit indefinitely. This concept makes thewhole Ghostbuster enterprise possible.The containment unit has an easyaccessslot, into which is placed a full54Equipment

ghost trap; after two buttons are pressedin sequence, and a lever pulled, the ghostis pumped from the trap into the unit’scontainment field. After completingthese steps, a green light attached to thecontainment system briefly activates, denotinga successful containment. Thusthe credo: “When the light is green, thetrap is clean.” All captured ghosts mustbe stored in a containment unit.Standard UnitTL(8+1)This is the standard Ecto-containmentunit (ECU) that all new franchisesstart out with. It has a high-voltage lasercontainment grid capable of holding approximately1,000 ghosts before becoming“a little crowded”.Working like an immensely largerversion of the ghost trap, the containmentunit compresses the ghosts into asmall area merging them together intoan ectoplasmic soup. Individual ghostscannot be extracted without releasingall the ghosts in the unit. When lowpowered Class I and II ghosts are containedin such a unit, they completelylose their identity or focus and dissipate,and their energies are absorbed by otherghosts in the unit making them slightlymore powerful. For example; when thecontainment system was shut-down inGhostbusters, Slimer, who was formerlya focused, repeating phantasm, becamea free-roaming vapor.It is highly recommended that allfranchises obtain a back-up power supply(like independent generators) and agenerous fuel supply for emergencies,particularly power failures.The EPA has standing orders regardingthe hazards of shutting down a containmentsystem.DimensionometerTL(9)The second style of containmentsystem outwardly looks and functions,exactly like the standard unit, but theaccess door interfaces with an alternatedimension.This “ghost” dimension is virtuallylimitless and so completely removedfrom our own that the problems of overcrowdingand PK energy build-up aremoot points.Because the ghosts are shunted to anotheruniverse, they are not compacted,but essentially set free to roam at theirown discretion. This means that individualghosts may be retrieved if necessary.However, the vastness of the ghost dimensionmakes finding and recoveringone ghost in a sea of ghosts extremelydifficult. Added to that hardship are thenatives who resemble demons, ghostsand other monsters.The original Dimensionometer ContainmentUnit (DCU) was dangerouslyeasy to enter, or get sucked into. (PeterVenkman had to rescue Egon Spenglerafter a high-voltage switch overloaded.)The current model of the unit hasbeen entered only once by a human.Egon Spengler, in a special moleculardestablizationsuit went in to find thethree “Spirits of Christmas” (successfully),although the machine he used toenter the containment unit exploded ashe exited. (See pp. 108-109.)The DCU version of the containmentunit is much more expensive than thestandard model and there is currentlyonly one in use, in the New York Citybranch office. Ghostbusters Chicago isrumored to be considering the purchaseof such a unit as well, but the deal is notfinal as yet. Any additional DCUs willopen onto the same ghost dimension,making future safety policies a muchhigher priority. Any containment breachcould release a shared store of ghosts accumulatedover many years from manydifferent franchises all over the world.In the meantime, franchises thatare reaching their maximum quota ofstored ghosts must ponder the purchaseof another standard unit, or the majorinvestment of a DCU gateway.GBI has proposed a mobile containmentgrid that could drain a franchises’stored ghosts (for an additional fee) andtransport them to the DCU in New Yorkfor final elimination. Unfortunatelythis plan was scrapped due to concernsabout safety expressed by the EPA, theFBI, the CIA and the Department ofHomeland Security.PKE MetersA PKE meter has two modes of operation,scanning for use at distances,and telemetry for more up-close, detailedanalysis of a subject.Using a PKE meter accurately requiresa Computer Operation roll. A successfulroll for scanning allows the userto substitute his Computer Operationskill to track ghosts, as per the Trackingskill. Rather than following tracks, thePKE meter picks up traces of PK energyshowing the passage of a spirit.Powerful spectres leave broadertrails, but the Ghostbuster needs a lotof skill to pick this information out ofall the background noise. The GM willadd modifiers that indicate the level ofEquipment55

PKE Meterversion 1.1Underside ofhand stock.difficulty involved. For instance, a metaspectremay leave an obvious trail givinga +4 to rolls, while tracking a ghostthrough a graveyard would give a -10 toanyone attempting such a feat.When in telemetry mode, the firstreading taken usually tells the Ghostbusterhow many ghosts he is dealingwith. He can then scan each signature todetermine the PKE valence of that particularghost. An entity’s valence numberis determined by combining its Strength,Will and Fatigue stats. For instance, theTerror dog on page 42 would have a valencereading of 56, while the Outsideron page 43 could have a valence as highas 213! The GM will give the valencenumber on a successful roll, but shouldnot break down the three numbers forPKE Meter ScanValence Result1-30 Background noise or low-level spooks (Class I or II).30-60 Low level ghosts (Classes I to V).60-120 Medium level ghosts (Classes II to VI).120-250 High level ghosts (Classes III to VII).250-350 Meta-spectres and Outsiders (Class VII).350+ Off the scale!the player. The valence number is merelya gauge of how powerful the entityis. For a player to learn more about theghost, he must continue scanning.After the initial scan, the player canopt to continue scanning to learn moreabout the target. Each successful scanwill reveal one of the subject’s Basic Attributesor Secondary Characteristics.The player can pick and choose in whichorder he learns these details. A failed rollmeans no information is received and nomore rolls for that statistic are allowed.Critical hits and misses are at the whimof the Game Master. Information suchas the ghost’s Class or even what one ofit’s powers are is not out of the question.Likewise, lying about such things on amissed roll always enhance the fun factorof any game session.PKE meters also give a +2 to Perception(sight) rolls, but not if the ghost beingsought is invisible.Burying the Needle: It is not uncommonfor a PKE Meter to overload in thepresence of extremely powerful metaspectres.If a PKE meter detects an entityof over 350 PKE, the meter mustmake an HT save or inflict 1d electricaldamage to the wielder and itself for every20 PKE over 350. GMs should allowa DX roll to see if the user holding themeter can throw it away before the unitgoes critical.Standard UnitTL(8+2)A PKE meter measures the Psychokineticenergy in a 60-foot radius. Entitiesthat register PKE valences are manipulatingPsycho-kinetic Energy to manifeston our plane of reality and thereforemust be spirits, Outsiders or undead.PKE meters are more sensitive andare ideal to use in situations where thePKE traces are low to nonexistent, orwhere only one or two spooks are involved.Giga-MeterTL(8+2)This device works like a PKE meterexcept that it is much more powerfuland has an operating radius of 1 mile.The Giga-meter excels in situationswhere there is a lot of ambient PK energylike in a graveyard, or a river of psychomagnethericslime. It is also excellentfor tracking spectres in large areasor following older trails.eCto-GoGGlesStandard UnitTL(8+1)Using advanced remote Kirlian technology,these active-sensing gogglessend out repeated high-frequency burstssimilar to those used to irradiate Kirlianphotography subjects. The specializedequipment

optics in the goggle mount translate thereturn signals and reveal the presenceof spirits or invisible entities. Most livingthings’ auras are too weak to be readby these goggles, and masking softwareeliminates them where possible to giveclear readings. The wearer gains a 15-point Detect advantage (p. B48), but becauseof the restricted field of view andlack of depth perception these gogglesprovide, they impose a –4 penalty on allPerception (sight) rolls made by someonewearing them.Military Grade TL (8+1)Military grade Ecto-goggles work justlike standard units, but use passive lightgathering to improve vision in near-darkconditions. The goggles grant the abilityto see in darkness — but the restrictedfield of view and lack of depth perceptionthese goggles impose a -4 penaltyon Perception (sight) rolls made bythose wearing it.These goggles must have at least alittle light to operate. A cloudy night providessufficient ambient light, but a pitchblackcave or a sealed room doesn’t. Forsituations of total darkness, the gogglescome with an infrared illuminator that,when switched on, operates like a smallflashlight whose light is visible only tothe wearer (or to anyone with Infravisionor wearing Ecto-goggles).Slime BlowersThe slime blower works essentiallylike a fire extinguisher, projecting itspositively charged PsychomagnethericEctoplasm at a specific target selectedby the operator. The slime tanks aremounted onto an A.L.I.C.E. pack framewith larger straps and more paddingthan a Proton pack’s frame.The slime blower works on an airpressure system. The central tank containsthe mood slime, which can bepositively or negatively charged. Thetwo smaller green tanks on either sideof the main tank are the pressurized airtanks. Each has a halogen lamp on topto illuminate the target. A slime blowerhas DR 4 and HT 5. A blower reducedto 0 hit points ruptures and explodes,covering the wearer in slime (no save allowed)and splashing creatures and objectsin adjacent hexes if they fail a DXsave to avoid the splashing fluid.The slime blower’s cannon features aswitch trigger, which works similar to atap with an air pressure system. Whenthe switch is pulled, it makes the highpressuredair in the air tanks push themood slime through the hose and intothe large canister-like projector gun.The slime fires at a fast and furiousrate. It shoots a 5-foot-wide, 30-footlongcone of slime that covers anythingin its path. Although the point-andshoottechnology is pretty simple to use(DX-4) the Liquid Projector skill witha Slime Blower specialization is neededto operate the weapon effectively.Anyone caught in the line of slime canmake a Dodge to avoid being touchedby it. Creatures with cover get a bonus(see pp. B407-408). The GM may applysplash-over penalties as he sees fit.If a human is struck by positivelycharged slime, he is instilled with powerfulhope. Each human covered in slimegains a +2 on subsequent Fright Checks,saving throws, attack rolls, skill checks,and weapon damage rolls. It negatesall rage effects including the Berserkdisadvantage. It also bestows the –10Chummy disadvantage on those whohave been slimed. (“I love you guys.”)Psychomagnetheric slime has normalencumbrance penalties as for regularslime (p. 45).Using negatively charged slime couldtheoretically reverse these results.The slime blower can also been usedSlime BlowerProjectorGunRearViewRightSideEquipment57

immediately follows the orders of thefirst person who commands it after it’sinitial animation. (See Animate p. 44.)An animated object can be any nonmagicalmaterial sprayed by “moodslime”. One small object may be animatedby covering it in slime at the rateof one object per round. A human sizedobject takes two rounds to cover whilea large object like a car takes four — anobject the size of the Statue of Libertytakes thirty-two rounds, plus the time ittakes to get from location to location inorder to spray it.Unless the local franchise has theirown supply of mood slime (and seriousghost problems throughout their basecity – obviously) barrels of psychomagnethericslime can be purchased directlyfrom GBI. Each barrel contains enoughslime to fill two slime blowers.Khaki versus TackyIn the first Ghostbusters movie, the boys looked good in grey. GhostbustersII featured dark green flight suits, and The Real Ghostbusters showedthe team decked out in their own personal colors (although this was donebecause TV executives do not believe children are capable of distinguishingbetween two different people unless they wear radically different – andgaudy – clothing). With this precedent set, your players may want to create“distinct” uniforms for their own branch of the franchise.Official Ghostbusters International guidelines stipulate that to projecta standardized, recognizable corporate image to the public, Ghostbusteruniforms “must consist of a standard flight-suit with at least one No Ghostslogo patch prominently displayed on it.” Beyond this requirement playersshould feel free to get creative, although the GM (being the local representativefor GBI) has the right to veto any costume he views as inappropriateor unacceptable.Many fanciful permutations on the original Ghostbusters uniforms haveappeared on the Internet, including some with armor plating and very deepcleavage. While this is allowable, the GM must make sure that players dealwith encumbrance issues that may arise as well as repairing and cleaningslimed costumes at the end of each assignment/adventure.fliGht suitsInstantly recognizable to the generalpublic, the flight suit is the “uniform”of the Ghostbusters organization andhas remained in service all this time forgood reason. Flight suits are light andloose fitting to allow freedom of movement.If slimed, they can be quickly andeasily removed and are spacious enoughfor a thin layer of clothing to be wornunderneath (light pants and a T-shirt) soon the possessed, forcing an entity toevacuate a host body due to the positivecharge of the slime. Any person possessedby an evil creature or enchantedby any single evil spell is freed. Repeatedapplications may be necessary toremove multiple spells. The possessingentity must make a Will save to avoidbeing ejected each round the person itpossesses is covered in positive slime.A successful attack against an evilcreature from another plane may causeit to be driven back to its home plane.The creature can negate the effects witha successful Will save.Positive slime can imbue inanimateobjects with mobility and a semblanceof life. Each such animated object thenequipment

there is no worry about “exposure”.Flight suits also have many pocketsand cloth loops for carrying additionalgear or Power Bars ® for snack attacks afterspook attacks. The flight suit is alsoideal because it is so easy to clean.Anti-Slime SuitWhen a job gets too messy, it’s time tobreak out the anti-slime suits. Worn tokeep a Ghostbuster from being slimed,it’s a big, bulky thing that looks just likea radiation suit, but has a shiny, silverouter coating. When wearing the suit,the Ghostbuster avoids losing any fatigueto slime attacks. Both types ofslime simply slide off the suit with nofurther effect. The bulkiness of the suitreduces Move and all Dexterity basedrolls by –1, while the head gear restrictssight and removes peripheral vision.This equates to a –4 on Vision rolls and-2 for Hearing.PKE BadgePKE Badges are small plastic badgeswith a clip to attach it to your shirt. Onthe plastic is a small blue strip. When exposedto anything above average backgroundPKE activity, the blue strip turnsgreen. That’s it.PKE Badges have many uses. Theycan be left with clients who are worriedabout recurrent activity; they can beplaced in various locations at the site ofa haunting and left overnight, to determinea spirit’s walking habits; they canbe combined with ID badges at large facilitiesso that workers will know whenother staff members have become possessedby demons… The options andpermutations are endlessAtmosphericIonizationAnalyzerCalled the “Ghost Sniffer”, this devicesamples ionized traces left by PKE activity,and can be used to date paranormaloccurrences, sort of like how carbon-14dating is used to date fossils. It takes noparticular skills to use the sniffer on siteduring an investigation. Each time thered button is pressed, a new catch filteris used; squeezing the pump ball pullsair into the filters.Back at HQ, a player must roll successfullyagainst the Chemistry or WeirdScience skill to determine anythingabout the area analyzed. The GM willhave predetermined whether there wasanything for the PCs to sample.Aura Video-AnalyzerThe purpose of this handy lab gadgetis two-fold: not only does it tell the emotionalstate of the subject wearing thehelmet (it tells whether or not the subjectis lying, is in love, is in pain, etc.) butit also reveals the wearer’s essence of archetype(in non-technical term, the subject’sself-image – hero, empress, moviestar, genius, wild beast, fertility goddess,etc.). If the subject is possessed, for instance,it shows the outline of the entityin possession of the subject.Treat the analyzer as the Detect Liesskill (p. B187).Ghostbusting EquipmentTL Weapon Damage Acc Malf Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC NotesProton Packs8+1 Standard Unit 5d imp. 8 16 max. 190 43 lbs 4 20 11 -8 -4 $23,000 3 [1]8+1 Bio-Electric 5d imp. 8 17 max. 190 47 lbs 4 16 11 -8 -4 $21,000 3 [1]8+1 Proton Bomb 3d6 — 16 43 lbs 19 19 — — — $23,000 3 [1]Ghost Traps8+n Bio-Electric — — 15 30 ft. 19 lbs 1 Sp. — — — $ 1,800 3 [2]8+n High Capacity — — 16 20 ft. 8 lbs 1 1 10 — — $ 600 3 [2]8+n Standard — — 16 20 ft. 8 lbs 1 1 10 — — $ 500 3 [2]8+n Super — — 16 20 ft. 10 lbs 1 1 10 — — $ 550 3 [2]8+n Tripod — — 15 30 ft. 19 lbs 1 Sp. — — — $ 1,700 38+n Vehicular — — 14 30 ft. 20 lbs 1 1 — — — $ 650 3Slime BlowerS8 Slime Blower — — 15 10 ft. 50 lbs 1 Variable 12 -10 -5 $ 8,700 4 [1, 3][1] Weight includes backpack and thrower.[2] Weight assumes foot pedal and line are not attached.[3] Weight of unit when empty.NOTE: There is a chart listing all other ghostbusting equipment on pp. 68-69.Equipment59

Conventional GearIn addition to specialized technologysuch as Proton Packs or PKE meters,there is a lot of conventional “investigation”gear that can greatly assist ateam of Ghostbusters. Most real-lifeghost-hunters use little more than HarryPrice’s “articles for observers”: coloredchalk and pencils, thread, a notebook,a good watch, a candle and matches, aflashlight, a flask of brandy, and somesandwiches. His list still works today.Price added that a camera could beused; most ghost-hunters recommendusing high-speed film cameras (800 ASAfilm or better) rather than digital ones,as the actual negative can be studied.However, a backup digital camera, oreven a camcorder, is increasingly common.Add an MP3 or DAT audio recorderfor spooky noises or EVP. Cell phones(or headset radios, walkie-talkies, etc.),glow sticks, light-intensifier goggles andstarlight scopes, parabolic mikes, andsimilar gear also come in handy whenstumbling around a dark house at midnight.Steampunk Ghostbusters mighthave TL(5+ 1) versions of any or all ofthis technology, of course.Other modern ghost-hunting equipmentcan include:Alpine Gear: Haunted alps rarelyfigure into a campaign. Alpine gear isnecessary for climbing down elevatorshafts, excavations of desecrated burialgrounds, and sewers swimming withmood slime. The gear includes all of thetools and equipment that climbing enthusiastsutilize to make climbing easierand, in some cases, possible; rope, pulleys,helmets and pads, gloves, spikes,chocks, ascenders, pitons, a hand ax,and harnesses. It takes 10 minutes toremove the gear from its pack and outfitit for use. This gear is used with theClimbing skill for best results.Bullhorn: There’s nothing like a bullhornfor making yourself heard over thehubbub of an angry mob, or for remotelyasking a ghost to surrender beforemoving in on it.Compass: Detects swings in magneticfields. It might also help you if you getlost on the way to an assignment.Electrostatic Generator: A Van deGraff or Wimshurst machine generateshundreds of thousands of volts worthof ions, to detect potential electrostaticphenomena such as ghosts.Geiger Counter: Radioactive ghosts?Why not? Besides, there are other usesfor Geiger counters. Radioactive monsters;exploring Three Mile Island; detectingmalfunctions in unlicensed nuclearaccelerators…Infrared Camera: Conventional filmor digital, it’s up to the team what’s bestto use. The camera itself my be an SLRfor still shots or a camcorder set to recordfor an hour or more. It works asper the Infravision advantage (p. B60)up to 60 feet.Laptop Computer: This is a sturdy portablecomputer which the Ghostbusterscan operate anywhere. Ghostbusterscan use it to connect to the Internet foraccess to lots of dubious informationabout any subject. A digital version ofTobin’s Spirit Guide is available fromGBI for laptop use as are certain othercurious volumes of forgotten lore. NormalResearch and Computer Operationskill rolls will apply.“We have the tools, we have the talent!”Police Band Radio: With a range liketwenty miles or so, this device can keepGhostbusters up to speed on breakingnews and, in the case of very large menaces,it will give them an idea of the extentof the problem they’re dealing with.While Ghostbusters are not legally allowedto broadcast on emergency channels,it’s nice to know that there is thatoption available, even if it can only beused once.Scuba Gear: A wet suit is helpful wheninvestigating haunted sewers, stories ofsea monsters, and similar aquatic situations.Water ghosts are more commonthan one might think.A typical one-tank wet suit holds oxygenfor 30 minutes of diving. It takes alittle skill to swim in a wet suit if youdon’t know how. However if a PC wantsto do more than just paddle around veryslowly, he’ll need to roll against the Scubaor Swimming skills with appropriatemodifiers. It takes at least 15 minutes tosuit up for diving.Spectrometer: This optical instrumentis used to measure properties oflight over a specific portion of the electromagneticspectrum, typically used toidentify materials. It can also measurethe polarization state. Spectrometer is aterm that is applied to instruments thatoperate over a very wide range of wavelengths,from gamma rays and X-raysinto the far infrared.In general, put something inside,switch it on. On a skill roll against ElectronicsOperation (Scientific), the Ghostbusterfinds out the object’s chemicalcomposition. It’s useful when analyzingalien stuff.Stroboscope: If ghosts “flicker” in andout of human perception, then strobelights may reveal them or help in photographingthem. Ghosts may also appearin fluorescent light.Tone Generator: Emitting an audibletone can set up a standing wave tunedto, or resonant with, an electromagnetic— Winston Zeddemore, “Ghostbusters”ghost’s frequency. This might make aghost easier to spot or force it to manifest.Plus, it drives them crazy.Video Camcorder: Portable video camerasuse some format of videotape torecord activity. The tape can be playedback through a VCR or via the cameraeyepiece. A wide variety of lens can beused to shoot in different conditions.Digital camcorders might also be used.Walkie-talkie: This hand-held radiotransceiver communicates with anysimilar device operating on the samefrequency and within range. It has onlya few channels. Anyone else using a similarwalkie-talkie within range can listenin on the PC’s conversations. It has arange of 2 miles. They may fail to workin the presence of powerful psychokineticforces.The advantage of walkie-talkies overcellular phones is that no dialing is necessary.60Equipment

Cellular Phone: Handy for inter-party communications(but unwise if you suspect monitoring or tracing). Aswell, a cell phone with police, fire, and other emergencynumbers on speed dial can provide anything from adistraction to a quick medevac in an emergency. Phoneplans vary — $70, 0.25 lb.Duct Tape: Holds thermocouples on walls, repairs brokenequipment, and serves as makeshift handcuffs (Escape-3 or Quick Contest of ST vs. ST 18 to escape), rope (a60-yd. roll can be braided into a 20-yd. rope that cansupport 200 lbs.), or direction markers, among otherthings. A 60-yd. roll is $8, 1 lb. Matte-black, weather-resistanttape costs twice as much.EMF Detector: Senses electric and magnetic fields, andradio emissions. Can come in handy in settings whereghosts or spirits are composed of electromagnetic energy.Commercial EMF detectors work at relativelyshort (1-5 foot) ranges. $200, 0.5 lb.Fiberscope: Optical fiber within a steerable steel-meshtube, with lenses at both ends. It can be snaked aroundcorners, under doors, through heating ducts, etc. toprovide a view of a hidden space. The tiny lens gives -3to Vision rolls. A 1-yard-long version with an eyepieceis $2,250, 2 lbs. A special video camera and 4” LCDmonitor add $1,400. 1 lb., but let an entire group see,and record, anything being examined.Glow Stick: A plastic tube containing chemicals that createlight when mixed by shaking or bending the tube.Lasts 6 hours, and illuminates (dimly) a 5-foot radius.Comes in a variety of colors; some Ghostbuster teamsassign each man a color for easy ID. $1, 0.25 lb.GPS Receiver: Receives signals from the NAVSTAR(NAVigation Satellite Timing And Ranging) satellitenetwork, giving your precise location anywhere in theworld. This effectively grants Absolute Direction. (Rollvs. Orienteering to determine where you should be,the direction you’re facing, etc.) Useful for pinpointingyour location in haunted woods, underground tunnels,and other places that aren’t on the map. By settingway points, you can use it to retrace your stepsif you’ve gotten turned around. GPS signalsmay not penetrate thick rock – be carefulwhile spelunking. $200, 0.5 lb.Headset Radio: Compact, voice-activated mikeand-earplugcombo allows whispered communicationsbetween dispersed party members at upto 150 yards. A nice compromise between “don’t splitthe party” and “sneak ahead to see what’s going on.”$50, neg. wt. Standard tactical models have a range of1 mile, and are $700, 1 lb.; state-of-the art encryptedtactical headsets are $5,000, 0.5 lb.Infrared Flashlight: Shines a beam of infrared light, usefulfor scanning a dark room without giving away yourUseful Gearown position (assuming you have IR goggles or somethingsimilar). $30, 1 lb.Kryptonite Lock and Chain: Useful for tying up strongerbeasts, securing doors and gates behind you, and keepingyour bike safe. Price depends on ST rating: $100 forthe lock and $10/yd. for the chain at ST 15, up to $300for the lock and $50/yd. for the chain at ST 30. Weightis 2 lbs. per yd. per point of ST over 14.Light-Intensifier Goggles: Concentrate and amplify existingvisible light, granting Night Vision (p. B71) atthe cost of peripheral vision. They are of no use in totaldarkness. Battery life is 12 hours. $6,000, 1.5 lbs.Bulkier (5 lbs.), less effective goggles (-2 to Perception– Vision rolls), usually old Soviet models, can be hadfor as little as $800.Shoulder Light: Useful when you need both hands free,the shoulder light is a powerful (30,000 candle-power),compact light source easily mounted on a shoulderstrap, helmet, or gun barrel. $50, 1 lb.Squirt Gun: Powerful plastic water guns use pump actionto spray liquid (garlic oil, holy water, silver nitratesolution, etc.) onto foes with liquid susceptibilities.Quality pressure-loading squirt guns hold one gallonand have Malf 16, SS 12, Acc 2, 1/2D –, Max 12,RoF 2~, Shots 8, Rcl 0. Use Liquid Projector (SquirtGun) to hit. $30, 6 lbs. empty.Thermal Detection Device: A handheld IR sensor with abuilt-in computer that can distinguish the heat signaturesof living beings from other heat sources; usefulfor finding “cold spots” or “warm spots” at a distance,and thus for detecting ghosts or invisible creatures.$600, 1 lb.Thermographic (“infrared”) Film: Produces pictureseven in complete darkness, as long as heat sources arepresent. A Photography roll is necessary to take anddevelop IR photos. Costs $1 per exposure.Ultraviolet Flashlight: Some vampires that react to “sunlight”are specifically sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light.The beam of a UV flashlight may harm them as sun-light – or even as “concentrated sunlight,” doing doubledamage. A flashlight has SS 12, Acc 3; 1/2D 5, Max15. Use Beam Weapons (Projector) or Guns (Pistol)-4 to hit. Effective RoF is 6; consult the auto-firerules (pp. B408-410) to simulate a continuousbeam. An adjustable longwave/shortwave UVflashlight is $70, 5 lbs. A high-intensity handheld UVlamp must be plugged into the wall, but does quadruplesunlight damage. $225, 8 lbs.Zippo Lighter: The lighter that won WWII. Ruggedconstruction, a reliable flint mechanism, and near-perfectergonomics give you a fail-safe instant source offire. Requires butane fuel for every 100 lights. $20. negligibleweight.equipment1

unConventionAl GeArCommon WArdsA number of traditional materialsrepel or harm ghosts. These may beDreads, Susceptibilities, Vulnerabilities,or Weaknesses for various ghosts.Asafetida: The pungent resin of Ferulafoetida, a tall, leafy plant native to northernIndia, Iran, and Afghanistan. It cangrow wild in any high, dry climate, suchas the American Great Plains. Medievalmagicians used its nauseating smellin exorcisms and other rituals to driveaway evil spirits. A common spice in Persianand Indian cuisine, most Westernersknow it as the “active ingredient” inWorcestershire sauce. Asafetida powder,cut with rice flour to deaden the smell,is $2 an ounce; the pure resin costs $10an ounce. In a post-modern game, a protectivecircle drawn in Worcestershiresauce might work just as well or evenbetter than a chalked pentagram!Bells: Especially in the East, ghostshate loud noises, such as bells, rattles,and fireworks. Medieval ghosts cannotstand the sound of church bells, andmust return to the spirit plane whenthey ring. Modern Ghostbusters mightuse recordings of church bells to driveghosts out of a room.Fire: Cleanses as it destroys, usuallyonly used against fully materializedspirits. Some ghosts dread holy candles,hearth fires, or blacksmith fires.Garlic (Allium sativum): Garlic clovesare readily available at any supermarket;six cloves cost $1. Native to central Asia,garlic now grows wild as far as Italyand France, and can be grown in gardensin any temperate region. In somecampaigns, the garlic oil (which makesup about 0.1 % of the plant) will havea more powerful effect, perhaps fourtimes that of raw garlic, on susceptiblemonsters. The principal componentsof garlic oil are diallyl disulfide, diallyltrisulfide, and allyl propyl disulfide;they do not exist in garlic naturally, butmust be catalyzed by heat and water.This healthy herb repels evil in manycultures.Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna): InDruidic and Christian traditions, hawthornis effective against spirits and evilmagic.Holy Symbols: Especially in Christianfolklore, brandishing a crucifix, icon,or other holy symbol protects againstthe undead. In folklore, any use of holysymbols or prayer gives protection; infiction, True Faith is usually requiredas well. A small silver crucifix or otherholy symbol can be bought at any jewelrystore for $25 to $50, depending onworkmanship and design. A hefty silvercross, say a foot long, could also be usedas a weapon: swing -1 crushing damage,reach 1, cost $200, weight 2 lbs.,minimum ST 7, 1 turn to ready. UseAxe/Mace skill to hit.Holy Water: In Roman Catholic, EasternOrthodox, Eastern Catholic, OldCatholic, Anglo-Catholic, and some otherChurches, holy water is water whichhas been blessed by a priest, bishop, ordeacon for the purpose of baptism orother rites. Some monsters and ghostswill shy away from the sight of Holy Waterwhile other can take damage or evendissipate if splashed with it. Usually thestrength of the effect is related to thestrength of the monster’s belief in thatreligion before death.Other faiths also have what might bedeemed Holy Water. Muslims believethat water from the Well of Zamzam inMecca is divinely blessed, and also tohave supernatural properties. Sikhs prepareholy water, called amrit, for use ina ritual baptism. Hindus believe that thewater from the Ganges is holy.Images: Chinese ghosts flee fromthe image of something they fear. If theghost had a Phobia in life, it might retainit after death.Iron: Seen for millennia as a magicalmetal, iron repels evil, including Satanhimself in some stories. An iron horseshoehung over the door keeps the roomsafe from ghosts. Even the blacksmithhimself may repel spirits. Modern ghostsseem to have gotten over this allergy.Running Water: Ghosts and vampirestraditionally cannot cross running water,but spirits in haunted houses seemunaffected by plumbing.Silver: More common in fiction thanin folklore as an undead repellent. (SeeSilver Weapons p. 64.)Sunlight: Ghosts almost never appearin the daytime in fiction, although thereare many daylight ghost experiences.Cocks’ crow or other announcements ofthe dawn also drive away ghosts.Wolfsbane (Aconitum lycoctonum): Ablue-purple, white, or yellow-floweredplant, common in the Swiss Alps. It canbe grown as a garden plant in any temperateregion; it is a hardy and handsomeperennial. The alkaloid aconitine,which can be extracted from the plant, isa deadly poison; see pp. B437-439. Manyherb shops carry wolfsbane, but it is neitherfresh nor particularly potent (werewolvesget +3 to endure its smell). A sachetof wolfsbane is $15. Fresher, morepotent wolfsbane can be found at herbfarms ($5 for an effective dose), or in thewild (requires three hours of searchingand a successful Biology (Botany), HerbLore, Naturalist, or Poisons roll).equipment

unCommonWeAponsThe dowsing rod, ghost sword, Ouijaboard, necrophone, Kirlian camera,Spiricom, and infinite video imaging(though not its cliffhanging ancestor)are all historical items or techniques.(Their efficacy remains unproven.) Unlikethe previous two sections, the equipmentlisted here will not always be easilyobtainable by Ghostbusters in need.Some can be found or fabricated witha little research, others will remain outof reach.Prices are given in modern-dayGURPS dollars.Dowsing RodTL0Dowsing is one of the oldest methodsfor detecting supernatural energy.A dowsing rod is a forked stick, usuallyof willow, witch-hazel, or whalebone.Modern ghost hunters use coat-hangerdowsing rods with no apparent loss ofeffectiveness, but the GM may imposepenalties for mundane materials. Accordingto modern parapsychologicaltheory, anyone can dowse. Dowsing detectsthe direction of the nearest, strongestspirit; it is a Mental/Hard skill defaultingto IQ-6. Dowsing falls off withrange; rolls are at -1 to skill at 2 yards, -2at 4 yards, -3 at 8 yards, etc. Each 10 STof the spirit dowsed, however, adds a +1bonus to Dowsing skill.Psychics or sensitives may have amuch lower default, or they may havea power (such as ESP) and require adowsing rod. This is a 10% limitation— needing specialized rods, such aswhalebone or witch-hazel, is a 20% limitation.If wandering around for a whileis also necessary, that is the PreparationRequired limitation (see p. B114).The weight and cost of a coat-hangerdowsing rod are both negligible; dowsingrods constructed of specialized materialsmay cost up to $100 for exoticwoods or rare bones.Ghost SwordTL1In the Odyssey, Odysseus used hissword to menace recently summonedshades. Chinese ghost-hunters havemade “ghost swords” a standard part oftheir equipment for millennia. A ghostsword has been enchanted or engravedwith the proper runes and rituals toreach into the spirit world; it harmsghosts as if they were conventional, materialentities.A ghost sword costs $6,250 per poundof sword weight, plus the cost of thesword itself.Moreton JarTL(4+n)This variant on the Leyden jar (anearly capacitor) is named for the pseudonymousearly 18th-century ghost investigator“Andrew Moreton.” An arrangementof magnets and oiled silverplates inside a cut-crystal bell jar createsthe “attractive force” that draws ghostsdown a braided silk cord and into the jar,where they are trapped. The cord mustbe in contact with the ghost (tangible orintangible) at the moment of activation;a fully materialized ghost may make aWill roll to avoid dematerialization andentrapment. The Moreton jar requiresa Mechanic (Electrical)/TL(4+n) roll toactivate. A failure “shorts out” the jar(freeing any ghosts trapped within it);on a critical failure, the jar explodes,doing 1d damage to everyone in a 2 hexradius.A 10 cubic foot Moreton jar can hold20 ST of ghosts, weighs 55 lbs. and costs$2,200. The jar cannot be overfilled. Adjustsize, weight, and price accordinglyfor larger or smaller ST capacity jars.Specchia Tormenta TL(4+1)An unknown Italian craftsman designedthe “mirror of torment” in themid-16th century, based on sorcerousequipment

Silver WeaponsMore common in fiction than in folklore as an undead repellent. Puresilver weapons (swords, daggers, etc.) or arrowheads cost 20 times as muchas ordinary steel ones, if they can be found, but break as though they wereof cheap quality. Silver-coated or Silver-edged weapons cost three times thelisted value. Silver bullets must be made of solid silver or silver alloy: silvercoating won’t do. When they can be found (roll vs. Area Knowledge to finda willing gunsmith), silver bullets cost 50 times the usual price.Making Silver WeaponsSomeone with the appropriate Armoury skill can make silver weapons.This can be convenient, as any outsider asked to manufacture silver weaponswill know what the party is up to. This might lead to a new ally, but itwill probably just start rumors that the PCs are armed, dangerous lunaticsand in a world where the Cabal (p. 24) is strong, word of such a purchasemay quickly reach the wrong ears…Hand-loading cartridges for firearms requires Armoury (Small Arms)roll. This is not difficult with the proper tools, but any improvisation willgive at least -4 to the roll (GM’s decision). The GM should make this rollin secret. Success means a batch of reliable ammunition. Failure reducesthe Malf number of the gun by the margin of failure when firing that ammunition;critical failure reduces Malf by 10! Time required is at the GM’sdiscretion: a motorized progressive loader with prepared components canturn out 1,000 rounds per hour, while an improviser with inadequate toolsand a lump of silver might take hours to make just one round.Shotgun shells can be loaded directly with silvercoins, as long as the coins are not too large for thebore. Even today, you can buy a couple of dozenworn silver dimes in any major American cityand nobody will raise an eyebrow; at worst,the shop owner will mark you as a survivaliststocking up on precious metals. Use theshotgun’s usual statistics (damage, SS, Ace,etc.), but halve 1/2D and Max. Otherwise,treat hand-loaded shells exactly as any otherhand-loaded ammunition (see above).Damage from Silver WeaponsSilver weapons of all kinds do their regular damage to targets that canbe damaged by normal weapons. Against creatures only affected by silver,damage depends on the weapon:Pure Silver Weapons: Full damage.Silver Alloy Weapons: Coin and jewelry silver are usually alloyed with copper.The amount of silver in the alloy is expressed as its fineness, in partsper thousand. A fineness of 925 means the alloy is 92.5% silver: a finenessof 500 means the alloy is 50% silver. Alloy weapons do less damageto silver-vulnerable creatures according to the percentage of silver in thealloy (round down). For instance, a .45 ACP bullet made of pure silverwould do 2d damage. One made of 1880s English coin silver (925 fine)would do 2d-1. One made of 1920s English coin silver (500 fine) woulddo 1d. (And modern coins contain no silver.) Cheap “silver” jewelry andtableware are thinly plated with silver alloy; this metal has no effect onsuch fell beasts.Silver-Coated or Silver-Edged Weapons: -1 damage per die, but the coatingmust be at least 90% silver.geometries. Once the mirror catches aghost’s reflection, it must make a ST rollat -10 or be trapped inside it. Breakingthe mirror frees the ghost. Each mirrorcan only hold one ghost; putting anew ghost in drives the old ghost out.There are rumors of a lost Leonardomasterpiece — entitled Ulysses in Hadesor The Vale of Purgatory — painted usingperspectives and ratios derived fromthe same equations. This painting, if itexisted, would be priceless, and able tocontain thousands of ghosts. An original16th-century specchia tormenta (at least17 were made) weighs 1 to 10 lbs., andsells for at least $100,000. Later Venetianglaziers made copies as best theycould; the finest of these are the “Hapsburgmirrors,” made between 1790 and1840. GMs should reduce the ST penalties,and the cost, of these knockoffs.Talking BoardTL5Beginning in the 1850s, French spiri-tualists used automatic-writing techniquesto communicate with ghosts. Themost common was a wooden planchette(a small board on casters or legs) witha pencil attached, which wrote via themedium’s hand on paper placed beneathit. In 1890, the Baltimore inventorElijah Bond applied for a patent fora “new planchette” which omitted thepencil, and replaced the paper with aboard pre-printed with the alphabet, thenumbers 1 to 0, and the words “Yes” and“No.” In 1891 Charles Kennard boughtBond’s patent and marketed his planchetteas the “Ouija Board.” He claimedthat “ouija” was the Egyptian wordfor “good luck,” according to spirits hecontacted with the board. His businesspartner William Fuld took over in 1901,and drove the Ouija Novelty Co. to newheights until his mysterious death in aequipment

fall from a flagpole in 1927.Talking boards (the general name) allowsitters to contact ghosts without theMedium advantage or any other specialpowers. The ghosts nudge the planchette(via the sitters’ hands) to spell outmessages — but there is no guaranteethat the messages will be accurate, polite,or from any specific spirit unlessthe board is used with a summoning orcompelling ritual. Wooden talking board:$40, 2 lbs.Electric PentacleTL(5+1)Invented by Thomas Carnacki in1907, the electric pentacle marks the beginningof truly scientific ghost-breakingequipment. Forty mercury-vaportubes set in a pentagram shape, wiredin parallel to an induction coil, poweredby two 2.2 kWs lead-acid batteries willrepel spirits as the Pentagram spell (seepp. M124-125). The key is the specificwavelengths of blue light emitted by thetubes, which Carnacki determined to bethose most resistant to spectral force. Noghost can cross the light barrier withoutwinning a Quick Contest of Will versusthe barrier’s Power. Even fully materializedspirits or possessed humans cannotcross the pentacle, or throw any objectat the tubes. However, the tubes are delicate,requiring an hour and a successfulMechanic (Electrical)/TL(5+1) roll to setup. Any critical failure on a physical skillby the person inside or near the pentacleis likely to break a tube, and hence thebarrier.A 40-tube electric pentacle has aPower of 30, weighs 20 lbs., and costs$2,500. It is 10.5 ft. in diameter (33 ft.in circumference), and has enoughroom in the central, protected pentagonfor one person, who sits on the batterypack. More tubes allow larger pentacles.Power can be increased by simply increasingthe amount of electricity, eitherby more batteries, better batteries, inductioncoils, or transformers.NecrophoneTL(5+n)In the October 1920 issue of ScientificAmerican, Thomas Edison announcedthat he was working on a machine tocontact the dead. No plans or prototypeswere discovered in his laboratory afterhis death in 1931. In a séance ten yearslater, Edison directed two electrical engineersto the blueprints. Edison’s necrophoneis a sensitive electrical valve,powered by a chemical electrolyte solution,which amplifies spirit voices capturedby a large, trumpet-shaped aluminumdish-aerial apparatus. The ghostsspeak through a microphone hooked upto the valve. Tuning the necrophone toa specific spirit requires something connectedto that spirit or a summoning ritual.The ghost is not required to answer.A necrophone can also passively pick upghostly “chatter” in an area, much likeEVP. Using the necrophone requires anElectronics Operation (Communications)/TL(5+n)roll.The necrophone uses 0.2 kW, weighs22 lbs., and costs $800.Shanghai SandwichTL(6+1)During his fringe researches in thelate 1920s, Philo Farnsworth ran acrossthe optical formulas used in the specchiatormenta (see pp. 63-64), and adaptedthem using Crookes tubes and seleniumplates. He created a modern ghost trap,which boils down to a television camerafilming its own screen. Any ghostscaught between camera and screen aretrapped between them, unable to moveor use their powers without making aST -10 roll. (Fully materialized ghostsmake the roll at -4.) The transmitter andreceiver need only to be in line of sight;breaking this breaks the trap. Activatingthe equipment is a simple ElectronicsOperation (Communications)/TL(6+1)roll with a +6 bonus.Hard-boiled ghost-hunters used this“Shanghai sandwich” in the 1930s and1940s. It may be named after the “hall ofmirrors” in the Orson Welles film Ladyof Shanghai, or perhaps for the old customof “shanghaiing” (kidnapping) unwillingsailors.A descendant of this technology, infinitevideo imaging (IVI), has comeinto use with the advent of cheap videocameras and television sets. However,without the special tubes used in theShanghai sandwich, IVI can only captureimages, not actual ghosts, on videotape— a video equivalent of EVP. AnIVI setup is easy; anyone who can worka camera can do it.Farnsworth’s Crookes transmitter:2 kW, $40,000, 650 lbs. Selenium receiver:0.2 kW, $1,600, 60 lbs.equipment

Creating GearThe Ghostbusters genre is rife with mad scientists and crazy inventions.It would seem incumbent for a player to choose Gadgeteer, Gizmos andWeird Science as skills when creating their characters, and yet most playersdon’t because inventing skills are “too costly” or “too time consuming”.GURPS Ghostbusters is a very cinematic game, so expectations of freetechnology and easily acquired inventions are high. Game Masters shoulddiscourage this impression.Deus ex machina: It is a Hollywood cliché that a “new invention” introducedat the beginning of the movie (or TV episode) will save the day, thenself-destruct and never be seen again. Not every team is going to have anEgon Spengler or a Ray Stantz, (and certainly not both!) nor should the GMcreate NPCs of similar calibre to “help the game along”. There are enoughultra-tech and mundane gadgets in this book to safely counter almost anysupernatural threat the players could encounter, so there isn’t really a needfor new gear. So, what can a GM do to quench the thirst of tech hungryplayers with a lack of commitment for creating it?First Things First: Players should be encouraged to check out New Inventions,Gadgeteering, and Gadgets for Non-Gadgeteers, pp. B473-479 beforefinalizing their character designs. The GM should allow for the cinematicinventing rules and maybe substitute Weird Science for Engineer (Electronics,etc.) or Mechanic.Lazy Options: There can be ONE and only one NPC with gadgeteer skills,and everyone else must buy the 15-point Unusual Background (GadgeteerFriend) on p. B477. The inventions will not function for those who do notbuy the Advantage. Only PCs should be allowed to perform Quick Gadgeteering(p. B476).The Final Option: New Gear is entirely in the hands of the GM. Unlessplayers step up to the plate to embark on the arduous process of inventing,all new technology in the campaign should appear at GM’s whim. It shouldnever be free and it should never appear “just in time”.An annual GBI catalogue of new equipment could be issued. If so, thereshould be a lot of tech in it, much of it useless with confusing, florid descriptions,so that the players don’t know exactly what to buy, or spend a fortuneon gadgets they don’t need, or that just don’t do the job as advertised. Aboveall it should be very expensive.Kirlian CameraTL6Semyon and Valentina Kirlian developedKirlian photography in 1939Soviet Kazakhstan. The technique involvedplacing an organism or object ona photographic plate and subjecting it toa high-voltage, high-frequency electricdischarge. Developing the plate reveals ahalo or aura with a successful Photographyroll. The plate can be set anywhere aghost is likely to appear, and the cameratriggered remotely. Kirlian photographsrequire low-speed film; the shutter staysopen for up to three seconds. They revealany spirits, and the aura of any living orundead beings in contact with the plate,as the 30-point version of Detect. Interpretingphotos may require further testsof Psionics, Occultism, or Hidden Lore(Spirit Lore), at the GM’s discretion.A no-frills TL6 Kirlian camera withpolarized film costs $595 and weighs3 lbs. A modular TL7 camera with afrequency tuner, tabletop electrodeplate, and real-time polarized viewercosts $1,200 and weighs 6.5 lbs. A lateTL7 Kirlian digital camera with “liquidsample” attachments and real-time motion-capturetechnology costs $9,700and weighs 11 lbs. This includes rudimentaryaura-analysis software (Psionics-12,or +2 to skill).EM Aura Reverser TL(6+n)Building on Carnacki’s work, a NewYork parapsychologist created the EMaura reverser in 1970. Essentially a “spiritualjammer,” the reverser drains powerfrom any living or undead being withinits spherical range. Each minute the reverseris operating, its range increasesby 3 yards (to a maximum of 100), andit drains 1 HT from its victims. Lead, orany other radiation shielding, will protectagainst the reverser as per the ruleson p. B436. Getting the reverser set up,and checking wave-lengths against localconditions, requires three hours and anEngineer (Psychotronics)/TL(6+n) orPsionics/TL(6+n) skill roll. 380 cubicfeet, $70,000, 500 lbs.SpiricomTL7In 1980, electrical engineer GeorgeMeek and medium Bill O’Neill builtSpiricom, a machine for communicationwith the dead. They used it to speakwith deceased NASA scientist GeorgeMueller, who helped them perfect theSpiricom Mark IV by 1982. This systemuses multiple-frequency tone generatorsto isolate ghostly voices from a room’s“white noise” and apparently creates aspiritual “carrier wave” to speak with orsummon a specific spirit. Ascended andevolved spirits come in on the 29.5 MHzband or higher. Tuning the Spiricom tolower frequencies contacts baser, eveninhuman, spirits. Operating the Spiricomrequires 1d6x10 minutes of tuningand a successful Electronics Operation(Communications)/TL7 roll. Spiricomtechnology functions far more reliablywith a medium or psychic operator;without a medium, attempts to contacta specific spirit are at -6 to skill.Spiricom Mark IV system: 20 cubicfeet, $3,200, 80 lbs. Meek and O’Neillhave released the plans for free, so asuccessful Engineer (Psychotronics)roll might let Ghostbusters on a budgetbuild one for less.66 Equipment

Some of the following works will be a part of the equipmentinventory of the average Ghostbuster, like Tobin’sSpirit Guide, others such as the Necronomicon could bethe focus of a life-long Holy Grail type quest.De Vermis Mysteriis: The Mysteries of the Worm is thework of Ludwig Prinn, an alchemist and necromancer,who boasted attaining a miraculous age before beingburned at the stake in Brussels during the witch trialsin the late 15th century. Prinn maintained that he wascaptured during the Ninth Crusade in 1271, and attributedhis occult knowledge to studyingunder the “wizards and wonder-workersof Syria” during his captivity. Thebook is comprised of “spells and enchantments”,particularly those thatcan summon strange entities. The bookcontains references to “such gods ofdivination as Father Yig, dark Han, andserpent-bearded Byatis.” Prinn impliesknowledge of Nyarlathotep, “the oldestgod of all Egypt”. The book provides informationon the cults of Bubastis andSebek, and on the Pharaoh Nephren-Ka’s worship of Nyarlathotep.Magicians, Martyrs, and Madmen: ByLeon Zundinger. A collection of storiesabout magicians, martyrs, and madmen,giving detailed biographies ofthem (including Prince Vigo Von HomburgDeutschendorf). If a Ghostbustermakes a Research check, access to thebook bestows a +2 bonus to HiddenLore (Occult Lore) checks pertainingto the topic he researches.The Necronomicon: Literally “Law of theimage of the dead” this evil tome by the “Mad Arab”Abdul Alhazred, is undoubtedly a substantial text, asindicated by Wilbur Whateley who consulted the “unabridged”version for a spell that would have appearedon the 751st page of his own defective Dee edition.Some editions have been disguised. A John Merrit locateda copy mislabelled Qanoon-e-Islam in the libraryof Joseph Curwen. This book has been translated fromthe original Arabic into Greek, Latin and partially intoEnglish. There are only 7 copies known to be extant.The Roylance Guide to Secret Societies and Sects:Similar to Tobin’s Spirit Guide, only it specializes insecret societies, sects, and the beings they worship (includingZuul, Vinz Clortho, Volguus Zildrohar, Lordof the Sebouillia). If a Ghostbuster makes a Researchcheck, having access to a copy of this book bestows a+2 to Hidden Lore (Conspiracies) checks pertaining tothe topic he researches.Occult ReadingsSaracenic Rituals: Ludwig Prinn’s lost book which is saidto have “revealed the lore of the efreet and the djinn,the secrets of the Assassin sects, the myths of Arabianghoul-tales, the hidden practices of dervish cults” and“the legends of Inner Egypt”.Spooks Illustrated: In the 1930s, Charles Foster Hearsebegan his publishing empire, featuring such eclecticmagazines as Spooks Illustrated, which would eventuallybe read by all four of the future Ghostbusters(especially the swimsuit issue). Hearse would be succeededby his heirs; son Charles FosterHearse, Jr.; and in 1984, grandsonCharles Foster Hearse III. If a Ghostbustermakes a Research check, asubscription to Spooks Illustrated bestowsa +1 bonus to Research checksthat involve the Occult and HiddenLore (Occult Lore) skills.Technology Tomorrow: A futuristictechnology magazine that Egon Spenglerreads. If a Ghostbuster makes aResearch check, a subscription toTechnology Tomorrow bestows a +1bonus to Research checks involvingWeird Science and any other relatedscience or engineering skills.Tobin’s Spirit Guide: Written byJohn Horace Tobin and published in1920, Tobin’s Spirit Guide is basicallya collection of ghosts, occultists andsecret societies, with their powers andskills explained (including Ivo Shandor,the architect of 555 Central Park West, and thesecret society he started that worshiped Gozer).The Ghostbusters commonly use this book. If a Ghostbustermakes a Research check, the book bestows a +2bonus to Occult or Hidden Lore (All specialties) rollspertaining to the topic he researches.Unaussprechlichen Kulten: The first edition of “NamelessCults” appeared in 1839 in Düsseldorf. The Englishedition was issued by Bridewall in 1845, but it was badlytranslated. A heavily expurgated edition was issuedin New York by Golden Goblin Press in 1909. Originaleditions in German have a heavy leather cover and ironhasps. Few copies still exist because most were burntwhen word of author Friedrich Wilhelm von Junzt’sgruesome demise became public knowledge.Who’s Who and What’s That?: A popular paranormalpublication. If a Ghostbuster makes a Research check,a subscription to Who’s Who and What’s That? bestowsa +1 bonus to Research checks that identify scientificpersonalities and Current Affairs (Occult, Popular Cultureand Science & Technology) rolls.equipment

Equipment ListTL Name Weight Cost Bulk Malf Range ST HP DR LC PU Notes7 Alpine Gear 53 lbs $800 -2 18 — 11 28 4 4 18 Anti-slime suit 12 lbs $767 -8 — — 10 18 2 4 18+1 Atmospheric Ionization Anlzr. 8 lbs $250 -1 17 1 ft. — 8 2 4 0.258+1 Aura Video-Analyzer 112 lbs $1,200 — 15 1 ft. — 18 2 4 NP6 Bullhorn 2 lbs $47 — 18 400 yd. — 5 2 4 0.258 Cellular Phone 0.25 lb. $70 14 ∞ 2 2 4 0.026 Compass neg. wt. $65 — 18 — — 1 2 4 NW0 Dowsing Rod var. var. — — 4 yd.+ — 2 2 4 0.02 [1]6 Duct Tape 1 lb. $8 — 19 60 yd. — 8 2 4 0.036 Duct Tape – weather-resistant 1 lb. $16 — 19 60 yd. — 8 4 4 0.038+2 Ecto-containment – DCU 5,000 lbs $600,000 — 16 0 ft. — 116 4 2 —8+1 Ecto-containment Unit – ECU 5,000 lbs $83,000 — 17 0 ft. — 116 4 2 —8+1 Ecto-goggles – Military Unit 1.5 lbs $16,000 -1 15 250 ft. — 4 2 2 0.2 [2]8+1 Ecto-goggles – Standard Unit 5 lbs $9,000 -1 16 200 ft. — 7 2 4 0.2 [2]5+1 Electric Pentacle 20 lbs. $2,500 — 11 33 ft. — 10 2 4 1.57 Electrostatic Generator 15 lbs $85 — 13 10 yd. — 9 2 4 1.56+2 EM Aura Reverser 500 lbs. $70,000 — 13 380 cf. — 28 2 4 48 EMF Detector 0.5 lb. $200 — 14 5 ft. — 3 2 4 NW8 Fiberscope 2 lbs. $2,250 — 15 1 yd. — 5 2 4 0.048 Fiberscope* 3 lbs $3,650 — 15 1 yd. — 6 2 4 0.058 Geiger Counter 0.5 lbs $460 — 17 — — 3 2 4 0.031 Ghost Sword 3.6 lbs. + $ 22,700+ — — 1 yd. 10 13 6 2 0.1 [1]8+1 Ghost Trap – Bio-Electric 29 lbs $18,000 — 15 30 ft. — 12 4 3 0.6 [3]8+1 Ghost Trap – High-capacity 10 lbs $600 — 16 20 ft. 10 9 4 3 0.2 [4]8+1 Ghost Trap – Standard Unit 10 lbs $500 — 16 20 ft. 10 9 4 3 0.2 [4]8+1 Ghost Trap – Super Trap 12 lbs $550 — 16 20 ft. 10 9 4 3 0.2 [4]8+1 Ghost Trap – Tripod Trap 28 lbs $17,000 — 15 30 ft. — 12 4 3 0.6 [3]8+1 Ghost Trap – Vehicular 20 lbs $650 — 14 30 ft. — 10 4 3 —8+1 Giga-meter 2 lbs $1,200 — 13 1 mile — 5 2 4 0.1 [2]7 Glow Stick 0.25 lb. $1 — 18 2 yd. — 1 2 4 NW8 GPS Receiver 0.5 lb. $200 — 16 ∞ — 3 2 4 0.037 Headset Radio neg. wt. $50 — 14 < 1 mile — 1 2 4 NW8 Headset Radio – Encrypted 0.5 lb. $5,000 — 15 1 mile — 3 2 4 NW8 Headset Radio – Tactical 1 lb. $700 — 14 1 mile — 4 2 4 NW8 Infrared Camera 3.5 lbs $6,000 — 18 ∞ — 6 2 4 0.15 [5]8 Infrared Flashlight 1 lb. $30 — 17 10 yd. — 4 2 4 0.046 Kirlian Camera 3 lbs.+ $ 595+ — 15 ∞ — 6 2 4 4 [1, 5]8 Kryptonite Lock and Chain var. $110+ — 18 1 yd. 15 — 6 4 NW [1]8 Laptop Computer 5.4 lbs $2,800 — 16 — — 7 2 4 0.058 Light-Intensifier Goggles 1.5 lbs. $ 6,00 — 15 ∞ — 4 2 4 0.05 [5]Pack UnitsTo make assembling and packing gear easier for the players and the GM, it is suggested that discreet “pack units” beused for calculating how much equipment can be carried. A pack unit is considered to be about the size of a standardproton pack. The storage area at the rear of a replica Ecto-1 is capable of holding 12 pack units. The pull-out rack for theproton packs on the left-side of the compartment holds 5 pack units, (literally 5 proton packs) while the rest of the rackaccounts for one more pack unit. That leaves 6 pack unit spaces on the other side of the car for things like ghost traps.The equipment chart on pp. 68-69 has a column labelled PU which is the pack unit size for that item. Some itemslike PKE badges have negligible weight (NW) and take up space only in very large quantities. Objects like the Spiricomthat are too bulky or fragile to be moved, or must be completely disassembled are labelled NP for “not portable”. Someequipment appears in fractions of pack units; when placing items like this in the Ecto-1 the fractions should be roundedup. Some larger items, like the Ecto-2 and 3 may have special packing requirements. The Ecto-3 for instance, must befolded down and placed into it’s own reserved space in the rear wheel hub.68 Equipment

Equipment List (continued)TL Name Weight Cost Bulk Malf Range ST HP DR LC PU Notes4+2 Moreton Jar 55 lbs. $2,200 — — 10 ft. — 14 2 4 2 [1]5+2 Necrophone 22 lbs. $800 — 12 ∞ — 12 2 4 0.758+1 PKE Badges neg. wt. $4 — — 4 ft. — 1 2 4 NW [2]8+1 PKE Meter 1.5 lbs $1,000 — 13 60 ft. — 4 2 4 0.1 [2]7 Police Band Radio 2 lbs $35 — 18 5 miles — 5 2 4 0.158+1 Proton Pack – Bio-Electric 47 lbs $21,000 -8 17 max.190 11 14 2 3 1 [6]8+1 Proton Pack – Standard Unit 43 lbs $23,000 -8 16 max.190 11 14 2 3 1 [6]7 Scuba Gear 52 lbs $1,300 -9 — — — 14 4 4 1.26+1 Shanghai Sand. – Crookes 650 lbs. $40,000 — 14 ∞ — 32 2 4 4 [5]6+1 Shanghai Sand. – Selenium 60 lbs. $1,600 — 13 ∞ — 16 2 4 4 [5]8 Shoulder Light 1 lb. $50 — 15 12 yd. — 4 2 4 0.058 Slime Blower 50 lbs $8,700 -10 15 10 ft. 12 14 4 4 1.5 [6, 7]4+1 Specchia Tormenta 1-10 lbs. $100,000 — — ∞ — 8 2 4 0.2 [5]8 Spectrometer 120 lbs $12,000 — 18 — — 20 2 4 NP7 Spiricom Mark IV 80 lbs. $3,200 — 12 20 cf. — 18 2 4 NP8 Squirt Gun 6 lbs. $30 -1 18 9 yd. 7 7 2 4 0.2 [7]8 Stroboscope 2 lbs $1,425 — 16 30 ft. — 5 2 4 0.3 [8]5 Talking Board 2 lbs. $40 — — — — 3 2 4 0.068 Thermal Detection Device 1 lb. $600 — 17 10 yd. — 4 2 4 0.038 Thermographic Film: neg. wt. $1 — — — — 1 2 4 NW [9]8 Tone Generator 5 lbs $115 — 17 20 ft. — 7 2 4 0.068 UV Flashlight 5 lbs. $70 — 16 15 yd. — 7 2 4 0.068 UV Flashlight - High Intensity 8 lbs. $225 — 16 20 yd. — 8 2 4 0.07 [10]8 Walkie-Talkie 1 lbs $40 — 15 < 1 mile — 4 2 4 0.037 Zippo Lighter neg. wt. $20 — 10 — — 1 2 4 NW[1] There are many variables for this item. See itsindividual entry for accurate information.[2] Range given is a radius.[3] PU of .6 assumes tripod legs are stowed in the storagetube atop the Ecto-1.[4] Weight assumes foot pedal and line are not attached.[5] Range is limited to the line of sight.[6] Weight includes backpack and thrower.[7] Weight of unit when empty.[8] PU assumes unit is in its carrying case with accessories.[9] Cost is per exposure.[10] High‐intensity handheld UV lamp must be plugged intothe wall, but does quadruple sunlight damage.* With video camera and 4” LCD monitor.Note: NW stands for “Negligible Weight” not NO weight.The GM is responsible for setting limits on how manypieces of NW equipment can be put into a vehicle orcarried at one time by a PC.Equipment69

Chapter SevenVehiclesThe vehicles used by the Ghostbustersare almost as distinctive as the equipmentthat they wear. The Ecto-1 aloneis recognized the world over, and hasearned GBI countless marketing dollarsin the form of toys and model-kits, not tomention the full-sized replicas that aresold to new Ghostbuster franchises thatgo “the whole nine yards” when theystart up their branch offices.None of the vehicles listed here arepart of the franchise contract purchaseprice, and no franchise is required to buyany of them. Each of them is availablefor purchase from GBI. Fully assembledor kit versions may be ordered for easeof transport to franchises far away fromthe New York City offices.The Ecto-1The Ecto-1 is a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor limo-style end loader combinationcar (either hearse or ambulance)used by the founding Ghostbusters.The original vehicle was purchased byRay Stantz for the relatively high priceof $4,800 (over $9,400 when scaled upfor inflation) in a poor state of repair.After the necessary reconstruction, itwas used to carry the team’s ghost-capturingequipment, as well as transportingthe Ghostbusters through New YorkCity. It has a distinctive siren wail. Itsfeatures include a special pull-out rackin the rear containing the staff’s protonpacks, which facilitates a quick retrievalwithout the complication of having toreach into the vehicle’s rear. There arealso various gadgets mounted on the top,whose function is revealed under SpecialModifications on pp. 71-73. Someof the equipment includes anti-ghostweaponry and defenses. It was originallydesigned to be a much more high-techvehicle, with an almost artificial intelligence.Unfortunately, Ray Stantz andEgon Spengler became too busy withthe day-to-day business of ghostbustingto continue with the execution of theseplans.It is rumored that work had been doneto provide the vehicle with the capabilityof inter-dimensional travel. If this is thecase, this feature has not yet been madeavailable to the rest of the Ghostbustersfranchise (possibly because GBI is in negotiationswith Sony to produce a thirdmovie which involves a recent adventurethey had in an alternate dimension thatresembled a hellish version of New YorkCity – the shooting title; Hellbent).“Everyone can relax, I found the car. Needs somesuspension work and shocks and brakes – brake pads,lining, steering box, transmission, rear end…”— Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”“Ectomobile”The Ecto-1 was never called the Ectomobile.The word “Ectomobile” wascoined by The BusBoys in the song“Cleaning Up The Town” from the Ghostbustersmovie soundtrack.The word Ectomobile has since beentrademarked by GBI and can be used byany franchisee.Ecto-1aThe Ecto-1a and the Ecto-1 are essentiallythe same vehicle. The only significantdifference is the arrangement ofroof rack to allow for a substantial drum70 Vehicles

arrangement at the rear of the roofrack to hold mood slime. The next mostnoticeable upgrades are the digital announcementboards on each side of theroof, and two forward facing loudspeakersfor broadcasting Ghostbuster advertisementsand contact information.The License Plate.The car is called the Ecto-1 becauseof its custom ECTO-1 license plate.While some franchises have beenable to secure Ecto-1 plates for cars intheir territories, the popularity of theGhostbusters movie and it’s sequel hasmade them a very popular item withmovie and Ghostbusters fans (called“ghost-heads”).Most franchises have opted to passon purchasing these expensive vanityplates and have simply registered theirvehicles with standard government issuedplates.The Use of Sirensand FlashersAlthough the Ghostbusters have beenshown to use sirens and emergencyflashers in the popular media, this is notnecessarily an accurate representationof reality. In most jurisdictions, the useof sirens and rotating flashers is restrictedto police and emergency service vehiclessuch as fire trucks and emergencymedical units. Flashers without sirensare sometimes allowed on slow-movingroadway equipment like tow-trucks,which are usually required to purchasea special license for this purpose.Although all replica Ecto-1 cars soldby GBI come with working flashers andsirens, it is up to the individual franchiseowners to research local laws andsecure the proper permission to use thisparaphernalia in their own territories.Likewise owners are responsible for anyfines issued for equipment misuse.Special ModificationsAside from the obvious externalmodifications to the Ecto-1, there manyothers to take note of as they affect thespeed, handling and fuel consumptionof the vehicle. Below is a list of the standardalterations and equipment foundon a replica Ecto-1 as sold by GBI. Notethat many fanciful accessories seen inThe Real Ghostbusters cartoon are notavailable — for example, the inflatableraft-like flotation device used to carrythe car across water.AC Unit: There is a large air-conditioningunit on the roof, originally becausethe unmodified Cadillacs did notcome with AC. The AC unit has becomestandard operating equipment on newermodels because an Ecto-1 can get reallyhot with all the equipment running.Access ladder: There is a ladder on thepassenger side of the car near the rearthat allows access to the roof equipmentfor modifications or repair.Compressed Air Tanks: There are twoyellow tanks of compressed air on thedriver’s side of the car. No one knowswhy they’re there. Someone must havethought they’d be handy.Directional Antenna: This antennacan be used by both the onboard gigameterand the police band radio.Electrical Power Generator: The carbatteries are not powerful enough to runall the extra equipment located in theroof-rack of the Ecto-1. Hence, there isa small but powerful generator locatedup there as well. The generator sharesthe car’s fuel, so usage must be gaugedfor both the mileage and power outputif the Ghostbusters are worried aboutmaking it into the next town.If the hose from the gas tank to thegenerator becomes damaged, the carwill still run, but the generator will beunable to pull fuel up the pipes and itwill stop working.The generator can run for 12 hours at50% load (2,000 watts) using 3.7 gallonsof fuel. The generator has an HT 3x anda DR 2 while the hose has an HT 2f anda DR 1.Emergency Audio: The Ecto-1 hasan ambulance siren and a megaphonemounted on the roof.Emergency Lighting: The Ecto-1 hasa red rotating police “Gum ball” light,four red emergency spots, a single whitespotlight. There are also blue rotatingpolice bar lights at the front and rear ofthe roof.Fuel Usage: The Ecto-1 is not exactlyfuel efficient, but it isn’t a massive gashogor polluter either. It gets 18 milesper gallon – city driving and 23 m.p.g.– highway driving. The fuel tank holds20 gallons, but this is shared by the generatorwhen it is in use. See above.Ghost Trap: The Ecto-1 is outfittedwith the vehicular ghost trap (see p. 54)which sees little use. The trap is in a fixedposition and can only capture targetsimmediately in front of the car. There isalso the problem of bystanders staringinto the trap when it gets opened.Giga-meter: A directional antenna ismounted on the roof to collect data, likea giant giga-meter. It works exactly as anormal unit, but with a range of 2 miles.Because of the size and mobility, it isideal for triangulating locations basedon PKE readings. The unit is controlledby a panel on the dashboard, which isalso where the data is displayed.Citizens’ Band (CB) Radio: A shortdistance,simplex radio communicatoroperating on a selection of 40 channelswithin the 27 MHz (11 meter) band.A CB whip antenna, in excess of 15feet runs the length of the Ecto-1 forcommunications between it and any‘base station’ (with a big, high antenna).Expect two to five miles range betweentwo cars, and as many as ten or morevehiCles1

miles between a base station and a car.CB does not require a license and,unlike amateur radio, it may be used forcommercial communication.Fiberglass Body: To lighten an alreadyimmense load, all Ecto-1 replicas arefitted with structurally reinforced fiberglassbodies on the chassis frame.Load Capacity: Let’s face it, Ghostbusterslove their gear. If they could,they would bring along everything, andthe kitchen sink. As noted above, theEcto-1 is built to carry a lot, but weightis not the only thing that need concernsomeone packing the vehicle for a job.The other thing to consider is bulk.There is room in the front seat areafor the driver and one passenger. Monitoringequipment for the apparatus onthe roof makes this area too tight foreither person to where proton packs orany other equipment bigger than a loafof bread.The rear seats are rather more spacioussince there is no gear set up backhere. Three adults can fit in snuggly oronly two if wearing proton packs. Firingfrom the back seat puts a -2 modifier onthe Beam Weapons skill due to the constrictionof movement from the lack ofspace and problems involved with wedginga human torso, plus a proton packthrough a window in order to fire. Modifiersfor the motion of the vehicle andskill of the driver may also be applied atthe GM’s discretion.The rear storage area contains a rackthat can hold 5 proton packs and takesup the entire driver’s side of the compartment.The rack can be removed ifnecessary, but the rails that it rides onare permanently installed.The passenger side of this area is freeof any permanent fixtures to accommodatewhatever equipment might berequired. The Ecto-2 can fit in this spacewhen disassembled and folded down.For more information on how muchcan be fitted into a standard Ecto-1 replica,see Pack Units on p. 68.Marine Radome: A marine radome ismounted on a pole above the rest of theroof equipment. It contains a motionsenor augmented with PKE meter technology.When switched on, it will detectany PKE spikes near the Ecto-1. Whensuch are detected, it sends a signal thatcauses the onboard computer to generatean ionized charge on the skin of thecar, which has an opposite charge tothat created by proton packs, effectivelykeeping ghosts away from the vehicle.Police Band Radio: With a range ofECTO-1Ecto-1a1 Marine Radome2 CB Whip Antenna3 Compressed AirCylinders4 Storage Tube5 Directional Antenna6 TV Antenna7 Megaphone8 VehicularGhost Trap9 AC Unit10 Aerials72 Vehicles

FoldingWingsECTO-2This ultralight helicopter can be carried in therear of a replica Ecto-1 by detaching the tail assembly,folding the wings and compacting the landinggear. Hydraulics raise and lower the rotors.ExtensibleLanding GearDetachableTail Assemblytwenty miles, Ghostbusters can keep upon emergency situations or breaking policenews.Civilians are not allowed to broadcaston emergency frequencies, but it couldbe used as a “last chance” option to callfor help. (It can only be used once, andthere will be legal repercussions.)Storage Tube: There is a long yellowtube that runs the length of the passengerside of the car (marked with deceptiveradioactivity stickers). It is usuallyempty, but can be used to carry oddsand ends such as the tripod mounts forthe tripod ghost traps.Suspension: The Ecto-1 is designedto carry a maximum cargo of 1,500 lbs(including passengers) plus fuel. Thatroughly equates to 5 proton packs, theEcto-2 and four passengers with a littleroom left for a ghost trap or two.Fully loaded and fueled, the weightof the Ecto-1 is slightly over 2 tons.Although the chassis and engine aredesigned with this weight allowancein mind, the mass of the vehicle whenmoving at anything but a sedate pace requiresthat the driver take a -4 penalty toall Driving skill rolls in situations wheresuch rolls are required.TV Broadcast Antenna: This was originallymeant to broadcast “Ghostbustersin Action”; an advertising scheme of PeterVenkman’s. This plan was abandoneddue to costs and legal issues. The antennais still handy for creating localizedstatic interference for people or ghoststhat the Ghostbusters don’t want to havebroadcasting or receiving signals.Ecto-2The Ecto-2 is a small, open, two-seat,ultralight helicopter (heavily merchandisedby GBI as toys and appearing incartoons and comic books).The Ecto-2 is small enough to be foldeddown and carried within the Ecto-1.As per most of the USA FAA’s regulationsfor “Ultra-light Aircraft”, this vehicle hasless than 5 US gallons fuel capacity, anempty weight of less than 254 pounds, atop speed of 55 knots, a maximum stallspeed not exceeding 24 knots, and isonly allowed to fly during daylight hoursand over unpopulated areas. Weight allowanceshave been made since theEcto-2 is legally classified as a “Trainer”because it has two seats.In the United States no license ortraining is required by law for ultralights,but training is highly advisable.To fly the Ecto-2 requires the Pilotingskill. The breakdown is as follows; Helicopter-4, Ultralight -2, or Autogyro withno modifiers. Attempting to fly withouttraining has a modifier of -8.It takes from 4 to 10 minutes to unpackand assemble the Ecto-2 for flight.For each minute less than the optimal10, add +1 to the Malf number that mustbe rolled against in the case of damageand/or a malfunction. The Malfunctionnumber for the Ecto-2 is 17.The Ecto-2 is capable of lifting twopeople weighing approximately 200 lbs.each, plus a single proton pack andghost trap.Vehicles73

Ecto-3The Ecto-3 is a collapsible, motorizedunicycle with a sidecar that folds upinto Ecto-1’s passenger-side rear fender.Essentially a unicycle with a powerfullawn mower engine, the Ecto-3 sports atiny sidecar with it’s own wheel makingit a uniquely two-wheeled unicycle. Thesecond wheel in no way helps balancethe unicycle and some may feel it makesthe thing even more difficult to maneuver.It takes about 2 minutes to assemblethe Ecto-3, but it can take an additional2 minutes to get it started.The sidecar is not spacious, having afoot print for an average-sized man tokneel in. Characters with the Fat disadvantageor a + size modifier cannot ridein the sidecar.A Driving (Motorcycle) skill or thePerfect Balance advantage is a prerequisiteto successfully operate this vehiclewith any degree of safety. Despite itshaving two wheels, the Bicycling skillcannot be used as a default for drivingthis vehicle unless the character has aUnicycle specialization, in which casethe skill would be at a -4.The Ecto-3 has a maximum safespeed of approximately 45-50 mph, butcould reach 75 mph if necessary. TheGM should apply negative modifiers atsuch speeds. Motorcycle helmets are requiredby law.Non-EctosOccasionally toys and other merchandiseare inappropriately named bymanufacturers and become part of thepublic’s perception of the “GhostbustersMythology” while being, in reality, entirelyfabricated. Toys, posters and nowInternet images of Ghostbusters manipulatedwith software like Photoshopare capable of altering the public imageof those working under the auspices ofGhostbusters International.Actual Ghostbusters working in thefield must often face public misconceptionsabout their work and their equipment,generated by the mass media. Butin the end, it is all worth the trouble tothe folks at GBI who can turn the mythinto moolah.Ecto-3 (jet)Initially designated the Ecto-3, therewas a one-shot, time-distortion, jet-likevehicle invented by Egon. This vehiclewas renamed the Ecto-4 after Ray debutedthe more stable unicycle version.Eventually the jet concept was entirelyabandoned.Ecto-3 (go-kart)There was a go-kart-like vehicle alsodubbed the Ecto-3 by toy distributors.This device was never a GBI sanctionedvehicle at all, but merely the inspirationof some toy company executive.Ecto-4This is a miniature rocket jet wasdesigned exclusively for Ghostbustercomic books and was never actuallybuilt. The media have build it into theGhostbusters mythology.Ecto-500This ridiculous, souped-up sports carwas exclusively a product of toy merchandisingand never existed in real life.It came complete with oversize exhaustpipes and oversized engine. The enginehad ghost catching nozzles that juttedout from the front of it.ECTO-3Ecto-BomberA toy based on events of an adventurethe original four Ghostbusters had. Theyused a white airplane against a creaturenick-named “The Slob”. The namecomes from the toy, as the actual bomberwas never named or used again.The confusion over the Ecto-bombername resulted in the GBI regulationsabout using the “no ghost” logo and the“Ecto” designation when naming auxiliarycraft. See the last paragraph of AlternateEctomobiles on p. 75.Ecto-IchiThis was an extremely high-tech sixwheeled Ectomobile created for use bythe Ghostbusters on a mission in Japan.It was capable of flight and travelingover water like a hovercraft.It was destroyed by a Godzilla-likemovie monster on it’s first mission andnever rebuilt. GBI has no official connectionwith the builders of this uniquevehicle and thus no legal right to use it’slikeness or to built prototypes along thesame lines.74 Vehicles

Alternate EctomobilesThe Ghostbusters franchise contract stipulates thatall trademarked ghostbusting equipment must be purchasedthrough GBI. It goes without saying that knockoffsof proton packs and ghost traps don’t exist becauseno one outside, of the core group of company founders,knows how they work. However, should anyone find away to violate this clause, he/she would be subject to losinghis/her franchise license.Franchisees are free to purchase any additional non-GBI equipment that they feel is needed to accomplish ajob, whether that be alpine climbing gear or snow shoes.This includes transportation.Although GBI does sell Ecto-1 replicas, they are large,heavy vehicles that are not particularly fast or maneuverable.For many territories they are not adequate forthe terrain or other special requirements of the area.Most offices that have purchased a replica have done sofor the prestige value and commercial recognition thatsuch an item brings. (An Ecto-1 looks great in a localChristmas parade.)GBI makes the Ecto-1 roof rack equipment availablein three standard sizes for those franchises needing analternate (or more affordable) form of conveyance. Withslight adjustments the racks can be adapted to sit atopalmost any land vehicle currently on the market. Therack equipment can also be assembled in other configurationsfor more esoteric vehicles, but specialized racksmust be fabricated by the franchise owners. It is not recommendedthat this gear be attached to flying craft as itis both heavy and untested in the air.The roof rack apparatus is not a requirement for allGhostbusters machines, and in some cases, it is not desirable.Owners can purchase any car, plane, boat, truckother mode of transport they deem vital for the work. A“no ghosts” logo can be placed on any of these to link itback to the corporation. No such vehicle displaying thelogo should be called an “Ecto-” or bear a license plateor other mark identifying it as such, unless it has officialGBI roof rack equipment. Also, no vehicle can be resoldwith any roof equipment attached, nor with any of thecorporate branding visible. Sale of any equipment bearingthe “no ghosts” symbol is not permitted under contractas it conflicts with GBI’s merchandising policies.Ghostbusting VehiclesTL Vehicle ST/HP Hand/SR HT Move LWt. Load SM Occ. DR Range Cost Loc. Stall NotesDRIVING/Tl (AUTOMOBIlE)8 Ecto-1 88 -4/4 11f 2/35 2 .75 +3 1+4 5 410 $ 45k G4W — [1]DRIVING/Tl (MOTORCYClE)8 Ecto-2 22 -1/2 10f 3/23 .1 .2 0 1+1 2 90 $ 1k E2W — [1]FlYING/Tl (HElICOPTER)8 Ecto-3 40 +2/2 8f 2/90 .5 .26 +2 1+1 3 150 $ 40k EH3WWi 0 [1]vehiCles

Chapter EightGhostbusters HQChoosing ASiteSelecting a territory and a cityto base the campaign is covered inChapter Two. Choosing a base of operationsmight prove more difficult.Unless the campaign is centered ina city that is physically near the GMand players, researching neighborhoods,buildings, rents and buildinglayouts will be a difficult task. TheGM may need to fudge some detailsor create them out of whole clothwherever the right sort of informationis lacking.The site and the layout of thebuilding will necessarily have tobe a compromise between whatthe players want and what the GMdeems is reasonable.The NeighborhoodThe community around theGhostbusters headquarters is probablythe least important aspect of anepisodic campaign (see One-Shots,on p. 80); it being merely a backdropthat the PCs drive through on theirway to complete another job docket. Forany extended campaign, selecting andfleshing out a neighborhood can providea lot of fodder for player character development.Suggested criteria for location selectionshould include proximity to whatmay be high PKE zones or areas with alarge number of recorded hauntings. Therelative costs of renting in the area andhow likely local residents will welcomesuch an organization into the communityare also factors to consider.Players should give feedback to theGM regarding which areas they wouldlike to use as a base, but it is up to theGM to veto ridiculous requests as hemust design and populate the districtonce a building is selected.The GM should determine whichbusinesses and types of buildings inhabitthe area and provide the players with“I think this building should be condemned. There’sserious metal fatigue in all the load-bearing members,the wiring is substandard, it’s completely inadequatefor our power needs, and the neighborhood is like ademilitarized zone.”— Egon Spengler, “Ghostbusters”a sketch of the layout so that theycan visualize it. Google satellite imagescan be a big help here. A simplemap of a couple blocks surroundingthe HQ will provide a basis for charactersto navigate locally and interactwith local residents and shopowners.Getting to know the locals willhelp the Ghostbusters with decisions,like who they want to warnfirst when the containment unit getsset to blow.The BuildingNot every city is going to havean abandoned fire hall convenientlylocated and available for lease. Tohelp with the process of finding anedifice of suitable dignity, the GMshould find photos of likely buildingsthat might pique the playersinterest. They need not be from thechosen neighborhood, or even fromthe same city as the game. Attachingprices, an estimate of the squarefootage and other “real estate” typeinformation can help the players decidebetween buildings. The GM canskew the numbers toward the option hemost favors if he so desires. Floor plansneedn’t be drawn up until a final selectionis made, in order to help save theGM some time and energy.The LayoutAfter the building is selected, the GMmust draw up a floor plan of each floorthat the franchise will be occupying.Permanent fixtures like concrete wallsor plumbing should be marked on aswell. With luck, a blueprint of the buildingmay be available. The GM shouldkeep an eye out for these when selectingbuildings for the players to choose from.Local libraries and some online sourcescan also be a big help with this.The players should take the GM’sbase drawing and mark modifications oftheir own to be “built in” before the teammoves in. Except for the standard ecto-76 Ghostbusters HQ

containment unit, GBI (and the GM) arenot responsible for any construction orfurnishing that the players may have inmind. When all the additional informationhas been marked up on the originalrough draft, a final diagram of the floorplan should be created for everyone touse during the game.A sample plan of the original Ghostbustersfirehouse headquarters is providedin this chapter as an example ofwhat such a plan should show, or it canbe used as is, by anyone wishing to basetheir game in New York City. Note thatthe plans are based on the layout of LosAngeles, Fire Station No. 23 which wasused for the interior shots of the Ghostbustersmovie, and not New York’s Hookand Ladder Company 8, which was usedmostly for exterior shots of the Ecto-1leaving the building.Constructionand FurnishingsThe players are entitled to modify thebuilding in any way they see fit to makeit functional. In the absence of requeststhat would fundamentally weaken ordamage the structure, the GM shouldallow any modifications that the playersmay want.Some things to consider before theconstruction starts, are costs of thesemodifications and how they will be paidfor. Questions like this should be askedof the players during the character creationstage so that appropriate levelsof wealth, Patrons or other Advantagescan be bought. The franchise and allother ancillary costs must be accountedfor if the players are planning on owningand running the office themselves.Ray Stantz had a family home he couldmortgage three times after all.The GM must decide before the buildingis bought whether the area is zonedfor business, residential or mixed usage,should the players decide that they wantto live at the HQ. Players planning onliving in a sector zoned exclusively forbusiness use may find themselves finedor evicted.The HoodFinding, renting, furnishing and outfittingthe headquarters should all bedone before the campaign commences,so it should be assumed that any rezoning,building permits, and constructionwork was performed properly and legallybefore the Ghostbusters move in.This would mean that there were noobjections to the franchise being locatedwhere it is. This does not mean thatthe team should consider themselvessettled.If their presence becomes too muchof an imposition to local homeowners orbusinesses, the Ghostbusters may findthemselves facing a class-action suit byirate neighbors looking to oust them.Outside pressure may also be appliedthe owners of the building if the teamonly leases the structure.For these reasons it is important forthe Ghostbusters to blend in with theneighbors, and for the GM to create aneighborhood.A detailed work-up of the environsand character sheets for local NPCs isn’treally necessary, at least not right away.When the final area map is drawn up,the GM should mark it up with labelsto indicate which buildings are commercialand residential, noting how tallthey are, or the number of stories. Tagslike “coffee shop” are good enough, asthe game progresses, it may become aStarbucks or a little café depending onhow things develop.Populating the area is almost as simple.Start by making a long list of names.They can be funny, or have a hidden significancein another language, or justbe cherry-picked from the local phonebook. When the PCs walk into a shop,or smash into someone’s car, the GMcan select a name from the list and therole-playing can begin. Keep a sheet ofpaper with the new NPC’s name on it.Details about his reactions to the PCs,broad strokes about personality andother quirks can be noted as they develop.These notes will also aid in gettingthe GM into character when playing thisnew NPC, especially if the character appearsinfrequently.Like the Ghostbusters’ clients, mostlocal NPCs will have normal stats socharacter sheets won’t be a necessity unlessthe character becomes integral tosome later plot developments.Ghostbusters HQ77

Dr. Venkman’sOfficeStairs toGroundFloorManualShut-offStairs toBasementTrapStorageContainmentUnitMs. Melnitz’ DeskBasementStairs toSecond FloorEcto-2GhostbustersNew York CityHeadquartersEquipment LockersFirePolesFirePolesWashEcto-1ElevatorVehicle EntranceGround FloorStores78 Ghostbusters HQ

Stairs to Ground FloorStairs to Third FloorExperimentalResearchLaboratory(Chemical andParanormal)New EquipmentFabrication andTesting AreaStoresStairs to Second FloorSkylightShaftKitchen andDining AreaWashDr. Stanz’sOfficeDr. Spengler’sOfficeDormitoryElevatorElevatorRecreationRoomSecond FloorBalconyThirdFloorGhostbusters HQ79

Chapter NinePlanning ACampaignGhostbustingCampaignsA Quick NoteHumor has a welcome place in horror,largely because laughter is itself adefense mechanism. A frightened personis very relieved when he finds he canlaugh! This is what makes the Ghostbustersmovies work so well. In a cinematiccampaign filled with stock horrorelements, humorous horror can be thebest kind.You can use stock horror elements todrive the humor by taking a leaf fromGURPS Discworld. Run a game whereeveryone – monsters and heroes alike –knows that horror clichés have the forceof natural law. Or you can take your cuesfrom Abbott and Costello, or Bugs Bunny,and run a game where the monsterscan’t really hurt anybody. (They still inspireFright Checks – all the better to getpeople running around and falling overthings.) Funny monsters are so slow thatany cretin can run away from them, orso stupid that a tap on the far shouldercan fool them by making them turn thewrong way.However, the players can’t take advantageof the monsters’ legal–mindednessor incompetence to blow themaway, or the adventure becomes a bloodbathinstead of a comedy. If weapons areallowed in this sort of campaign – andthey don’t have to be – make sure the heroesare terrible marksmen. Better yet,contrive things so that their guns areuseless; give them dud ammo or blanks,or let the monster steal their weaponsto use them for doorstops. Monstersshouldn’t be deadly, and neither shouldthe hunters; both should be in a continuallyshifting balance where even death isan inconvenience, and the most powerfulgun can be stopped up with a convenientcarrot.Campaign LengthThe Game Master may choose to runeither one-shot adventures or an extendedcampaign. One-shots will run justa few play sessions (or even only one),while an extended campaign can runmany nights, or even indefinitely. Thecampaign’s length will affect every otherdecision, including the type of charactersthe players design, the monstersthey face, and the resolution of the plot.One-ShotsThe one-shot adventure lends itselfwell to Ghostbusters games. It has asimple, linear plot with a definite conclusion.A one-shot should play like a horrormovie or short story: normal people findthemselves besieged by the unknown,the Ghostbusters investigate, captureor perhaps even defeat the monster thatthreatens them. Adventures of this typecan usually be played out in one to threesessions.Extended CampaignsThe extended campaign, on the otherhand, could run forever. It features anumber of successive, often overlappingadventures. Some players will createpurpose-built Ghostbusters, paying specialattention to combat and occult skills.Others will start with the same kinds of“plain folks” they would normally startin any new game, and let them growinto professional occult investigators inthe course of play; these characters willbe especially meaningful to the players,because they were actually played fromtheir very first encounter with the supernatural.An extended campaign lets the GMand players investigate the personalitiesof the heroes and their supernaturalopposition in much greater depththan is possible in a series of one-shots.80 Planning A Campaign

It also gives the GM room to develop“epic” plots, in which only the PlayerCharacters stand between the armiesof evil and the unsuspecting world. Agood extended campaign will play like atelevision or novel series, in which newthreats arise as old ones are overcome,and old enemies reappear with fiendishnew schemes.NarrativeStructuresMany campaigns are built arounda narrative structure, such as the everpopularquest for an item or battle todefeat a master nemesis. If the narrativestructure is intended to climax beforethe end of the campaign, then it is a“story arc” within the larger campaign.Many campaigns (especially short ones)have only one story arc: the story of thecampaign itself. The narrative structureof the campaign is something like theformat of the scenario, but it operatesover a larger scale.It is important to emphasize that anarrative structure does not mean thatthe PCs are cardboard cutouts to bemoved by the GM along a pre-assignedstory track. Some narrative structuresrequire more “scripting” (or, as thosewho dislike scripting call it, “railroading”)than others, but none of themshould replace the players’ decisions asthe key motivator of the characters’ actions.Players are justifiably sensitive towhat they see as too much railroadingof the storyline, although every player’sidea of “too much” is different. It is arare player, for instance, who is comfortablesimply being dumped into a settingwith no idea of what the GM has inmind or what kind of stories would workbest in it. (If you find yourself with suchplayers, however, count your blessings;they are almost always more than eagerto involve themselves in your world, andthey get into more trouble than any GMcould ever think to throw at them.) Playerswill, for instance, seldom abandonthe quest in the middle of the story arc,but they usually appreciate having morethan one way to complete it.Of course, nothing prevents the GMfrom presenting a series of choices thateventually lead to the same outcome,introducing false dichotomies, or usingthe old “Schrodinger’s plot” trick (if theGhostbusters leave the city on Old MillRoad, the mystic with the cryptic prophecyis on Old Mill Road; if they leave onMain Street, he’s on Main Street). As ageneral rule, it’s acceptable to railroadas long as the players don’t see the tracksor hear the whistle; after all, somebodyhas to move the story along, and as withall the hard parts of the game, that’s theGM’s job. Just be ready to move with thePCs; if, despite everything, they leave astory hanging in the middle, that’s anothersource of loose ends to bedevilthem later on. It’s usually wise to have amain narrative structure and one or two“subplot” structures for the adventurersto enmesh themselves in if they leavethe main one, whether accidentally oron purpose.Here are a few common narrativestructures, with some hints on usingthem in a Ghostbusters role-playingcampaign design.EscapeThe Escape narrative structure beginswith the Ghostbusters in someterrible predicament, from which theymust extricate themselves. They can betrapped in the dreams of a madman,under sentence of death by the Illuminati,infected with werewolf serum, orsomething equally upsetting. They mayface opposition from a villain or villainsin their attempt to escape, but unlikethe Nemesis structure (see below), thefocus is on the heroes rather than theiropponent. This makes Escape an excellentstructure for psychological or characters-as-monstersgames.Putting the PCs into the predicamentshould be done either openly atthe beginning of the game or as soon aspossible; players tend to react badly toinvoluntary PC confinement. The climaxof the Escape narrative has to be neatlytimed; if it happens too early, much ofthe potential for scaring them is lost; ifit happens too late, the players will befrustrated and sullen.GauntletThe Gauntlet is something of a combinationof Escape and Quest (see below);the Ghostbusters are moving througha horrifying place or series of places.They are not necessarily imprisonedin the Gauntlet, nor are they necessarilysearching for anything in particular.Think of the Gauntlet as the “road movieof terror”. (The movie Deliverance isa classic Gauntlet narrative.) When theheroes emerge on the other side, theywill be free of the horror; therefore, theclimax of the Gauntlet narrative usuallyoccurs right before the final boundaryis reached. The allegorical weight of thejourney at its heart makes the Gauntletan excellent structure for psychologicalor madness-and-dream scenarios. AGauntlet is also an ideal shorter arc toinclude in any other structure (especiallyits cousins, Escape and Quest).NemesisIn the Nemesis narrative structure,the Ghostbusters are opposed by a villainor villainous force, whether thePlanning A Campaign81

Lord of the Vampires, the Ancient Orderof Black Magicians, or the Grey aliens.The narrative is the story of their battle,which can occur in one place or all overthe world. The climax is the final showdownbetween the heroes and the villain.Most “monster movies” utilize theNemesis structure.The heroes can be opposed by thevillain directly throughout, or they canbattle an ever-escalating number ofmonsters, henchmen, goons, undead,or whatever and only gradually come tothe realization of the villain’s true natureor identity. The Nemesis almost alwaysdwells in a particularly foul and unpleasant(or at least horrifically dangerousfor visitors) lair. The Nemesis narrativeis an excellent one for thematic unityand building a consistent tone; this hasmade it one of the classic narratives forrole-playing.“I tried to think of the most harmless thing.Something I loved from my childhood.Something that could never, ever possibly destroy us.Mr. Stay-Puft...”— Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”PicaresqueIn the Picaresque narrative structure,the protagonists battle a random assortmentof foes. This is essentially a “nonarrative structure” narrative structure.Many TV series are fundamentally Picaresque,with Kolchak: the Night Stalkerbeing the premier horror example. Fewnovels are Picaresque, although manycontinuing series become Picaresque ona large scale. Many long-running Ghostbusterscampaigns become Picaresquein much the sameway, built up out ofa series of short storyarcs using otherstructures.Picaresque hasthe advantage of beingalmost impossibleto railroad; playerswith a severeallergy to railroadingwill enjoy it. Italso makes a goodway to introduceone of the other narrativestructures. If,in the course of thePicaresque storyarc, the heroesmake an enemyof some potentialNemesis, or decideto Quest after somemystical device, thefact that they chosetheir fate will makethem accept the awfulhorrors in storefor them. The disadvantageis a tendencyto sink rapidlyinto formula ormeaninglessness. The GM must make aconcerted effort to keep the Picaresquecampaign interesting and varied (buildinga detailed world helps here). It isalso harder to develop a thematic unityfor a Picaresque campaign.QuestThe Quest is the classic narrativestructure of fantasy role-playing, andstill holds a great deal of attractionfor players and GMs. In the Quest, theGhostbusters must travel to a distantplace and carry out some specific action.This often involves obtaining someobject — a magic sword, the Holy Grail,an abducted sister, etc. It might insteadinvolve returning an object, destroying itor simply activating it. The climax of theQuest comes at the final stage, where theheroes have reached the goal and mustbattle the final foes to achieve their mission.Often, a Quest is necessary to defeata Nemesis.Mix and MatchObviously, these narrative structurescan be combined in any number of fashions.A good example is the TV seriesThe X-Files which combines a Nemesis(the conspiracy to cover up UFOs) witha Quest (to find “the truth” and Mulder’ssister) and elements of the Picaresque(the various mutants, serial killers, andmiscellaneous adventures not connectedto the Nemesis or the Quest). In general,any long-running campaign winds uptaking on a number of narrative structures,often at the same time. If the GMis paying attention, each structure canhave its own satisfactions and its ownsense of closure.82Planning A Campaign

BoundariesThe physical setting of the campaign,the place where the action will unfold,plays an important role in campaign design.It can seemingly be changed withgreater ease than can, say, the level ofausterity, but it retains a great deal ofimpact upon the initial design. Sincehorror campaigns depend so stronglyon background details, detailing the settingor settings with which the heroeswill interact should take a high priority.This only gains importance if key elementsof mood, important clues, or thecentral concepts of the horror itself aredependent upon the setting, as they sooften are.The main choice is between a campaignthat draws its power from its locationand depends on consistency inthat location to give it depth, and thecampaign that draws its power from itsvariety and depends on the scope of thatvariety to give it impact. There are possiblecompromises between the localizedand the globe-trotting campaign, butmost horror games will gravitate to oneor the other extreme. If the GM doesn’tanticipate, and plan for, this tendency,he will be playing catch-up at a very inconvenienttime.LocalizedThe localized campaign is mostly orentirely restricted to one city, county,province, or small country. Individualscenarios may take place outside it,but they are driven by events inside themain campaign setting, and the PCs canexpect to return to their “home base” atthe end.This approach gives the GM a chanceto build a highly detailed, believablesection of the game world. The heroeswill be interacting with the same NPCs,passing the same locations, hearing connectedrumors, and generally insertingthemselves deeply into the game world.This pays enormous dividends in horror.The heroes care about the area and areeasier to motivate. Familiar faces or locationscan suddenly turn scary or dangerous,increasing the level of horror.Every advantage that a realistic, detailedgame world carries is at least potentiallyaccessible in the localized campaign.The localized campaign also answersone of the nagging meta-game questionsany long-running Ghostbusterscampaign faces: “Why do we keep runninginto these horrible monsters?” Inthe localized campaign, the answer issimple: the monsters are where you live.GMs are encouraged to come up withadditional variations on that answer, orat least some localized explanation thatwill hold up under moderate scrutiny— be that an inter-dimensional vortex,a meteor strike, or the curse of the deadautarch who ruled these lands millenniaago.A localized campaign can harbor awhole battalion of horrors, if it is set inthe sort of place where horrors happen;players are much more willing to believein a lot of unrelated horrors in VictorianLondon or modern L. A. than in suburbanAurora, Illinois or some genericfantasy city. Fortunately, horror literatureis full of places where the horrorsseem nonstop: Stephen King’s Maine,H. P. Lovecraft’s Miskatonic Valley, theSunnydale of Buffy the Vampire Slayerand the Louisiana bayous of the Swamp“Good morning, I’m Roger Grimsby. Today, theentire Eastern Seaboard is alive with talk of incidentsof paranormal activity. Alleged ghost sightings andrelated supernatural occurrences have been reportedacross the entire Tri-State area.”— Roger Grimsby, “Ghostbusters”Thing. The real world also has no shortageof places full of horrific history andlegendry: London, Paris, New Orleans,Cairo, and Transylvania only scratchthe surface. Any large American city canhold as many horrors as the ambitiousGM can stuff into its alleys, steam tunnels,and warehouses; New York City,Chicago, and Los Angeles are all classichorror settings with enough variety thatGhostbusters can never dare leave.Planning A Campaign83

The final advantages of localized horrorcampaigns are the psychologicalones of implication and constraint. Ifeverywhere the heroes go at home is fullof ghosts, it implies that nowhere is safe,and that any knowledge (of a place’s truenature or history, for example) is dangerousknowledge. These are feelingsand implications that the GM shouldeagerly exploit. The sense of constraintthat comes from the localized campaignis simply the sense of being imprisonedwith Something Dangerous, writ largerand kept in the background. The teamwill wrestle against the city limits or thecounty line without even knowing whythey feel trapped.Globe-trottingThe globe-trotting campaign tradesthe security and depth of the localizedcampaign for uncertainty and rootlessness— two very 20 th century fears. It’snot surprising, then, that the majority ofglobe-trotting horror adventure is set inthe 20th century, from the pulp horrorsof the 1920s to the far-flung conspiraciesof modern times.“Gozer was very big in Sumeria. ”For the globe-trotting campaign tofunction, there must be some sort ofrapid communication, so that the Ghostbusterscan find out about the evils festeringacross the continent or overseas.Globe-trotting also requires some sortof rapid transport to place them rapidlyand reliably on the forefront of theworldwide war against evil. Letting theaction slow down for a four-month caravantrip or sailing voyage to the hauntedtemple is a sure way to let the steam outof any horror game.The globe-trotting campaign neednot be restricted to late historical ormodern horror games, of course. Highfantasygames can use crystal balls andflying carpets or magical gateways to replacetelegraphs and jet planes. Gamesset in the world’s dreamlands, or assumingrapid astral travel, can do the samething without even requiring the minimaltime of conventional transport. Atolerant and cooperative group of playerswill often let the GM “fast forward”past the long journey in even the lowest— Peter Venkman, “Ghostbusters”of low-tech environments, and perhapssubstitute prophetic visions for CNN.A wide-ranging futuristic globe-trottinghorror game requires rather moredevelopment of the nature of the world(or worlds) involved, but science fictionmakes globe-trotting a snap.The advantages of the globe-trottinggame are variety and isolation. Whena campaign’s worth of horrors can bedrawn from any corner of the worldand scattered across four continents,the campaign is potentially thematicallyricher than one in which all the horrorshave to come from Comanche legendryand occur in West Texas. Varying thetypes of monsters and their settings canalso help keep the campaign from fallinginto formula. As well, variety canbe used to build believability. Spacingout the horrors geographically preventsthe players from asking why their homebase just happens to be Monster Capitalof the Known World.This question can be used to feed theGhostbusters’ isolation. Thematically,the “dangerous knowledge” motif is onlystrengthened by having horrors manifestall around the world; the truism that“everywhere is dangerous” becomes farmore obvious to players whose charactershave, indeed, been everywhere. Ifeverywhere is dangerous, then nowhereis safe. The investigators are isolatedfrom all normal society, since normalsociety (foolishly or blindly) believesthat it is safe at home.Across the PlanesWhile not necessarily ideal as a settingfor extended campaigns, one usefuloption for Ghostbusters settings is toadd extra planes of reality. Even the grittiestgame of austere urban terror canhave wild, surrealistic scenarios — in thedream world of one of the main characters.Plenty of haunted houses have“etheric windows” into the spirit world.Allowing (or forcing) the intrepid Ghostbustersinto the realm of the spectral undeadcan present a whole new range ofoptions — beginning with the likelihoodthat the hunters are now the hunted.Perhaps a local cemetery casts an “ciheicshadow” back in time to the witch–trials that took place there on GallowsHill, allowing creepy foreshadowing, visions,and (highly localized, dangerous,and completely GM–controlled) timetravel. And what is the traditional “gateto Hell” but a dimensional rift? With adream realm, a spirit world, a shadow ofthe past, and the antechamber to Hell,you’re already halfway to multi–planargaming action, all without compromisingthe reality of your basic setting. Infact, the high contrast between thesehorrific planes and the material worldcan actually increase your players’ identificationwith the game setting as “thereal world.”For more discussion of alternateplanes of existence, see pp. B519 orGURPS Spirits; for a multi-planar cosmologyoptimized for horror gaming,see GURPS Cabal.84Planning A Campaign

High-Powered HorrorGhostbuster in a stand-up fight, he canharry and unnerve him forever. Messwith the players minds, and with theircharacters’ perceptions. Play change-upwith the monsters, work different archetypesand fears, swap out characteristicsbetween templates. Keep the playersguessing – and keep them nervous aboutwhat they might discover.Once the heroes grow in power andexperience (say, 350 CP or more), theystart to become really fearless – and thatisn’t the point of Ghostbusters gaming.The GM should make sure that thehorror tracks the PCs’ power progression,and should be prepared to throwsomething else at them at any time.High-powered gaming requires a lot ofimprovisation; players are devious sortswho always come up with some kind oflast-ditch plan. Have a backup strategy:know your game history and do not becaught off guard by a sudden magicalassault on the sanity of the VampireKing. Knowing your villain is crucialto knowing how he plans to destroy thePCs this time – and you should be readywhen those meddling Ghostbusters tryto thwart him with something you stillhadn’t anticipated.Endanger OthersJust because the Ghostbusters arebulletproof doesn’t mean their friendsare! Ghostbusters will have Dependents,Allies, Patrons, and other folk they careabout; a monster who kidnaps a hero’skid sister, or kindly old mentor, or boyfriendcan lure a powerful foe onto chosenground. Right-thinking PCs will stillfeel vicarious fear if monsters threatenperfect strangers. A school bus full ofkids, the parish priest, or even the copor soldier who ran into danger beforethe team got there can trigger a usefullevel of concern.Keep it MysteriousNever show the players exactly whatthey’re hunting. The foes attack fromthe darkness, then fade back into it; theshape gliding through the water can’t bepicked up on infrared if it’s cold-blooded:the undead sorcerer looks familiar,but he’s just too decayed for recognition.Keep the horrors mysterious, and thefear of the unknown can do its work foryou. Even if a single ghoul can’t stop aChange the StoryDon’t run a scenario or a campaignthat depends on straight-up confrontationfor its horror. Draw horror from theworld, or from the monster’s intangibleeffects on the Ghostbusters. Use thefear of social isolation to point up theprice the heroes pay for their power andfor their calling. Cosmic horror drawspower from slow discoveries, not fromunkillable monsters — even if the PCseasily defeat the Minions, dread can setin when they realize the Cosmic Deitiesare eternal. Psychological horror canwork even better with high-poweredGhostbusters: they have more to fearfrom their own disintegration. In a conspiratorialgame, the heroes don’t knowwhom to fight, or where the enemy is. Agame in which the players take the roleof monsters can be as much an explorationof the dark side of their power as amatter of counting the odds.“Sorry, Venkman. I’m terrified beyond the capacityfor rational thought.”— Egon Spengler, “Ghostbusters”Weaken the HeroesProton packs run dry. Being slimeddrains fatigue. The Ectomobile suffersmysterious engine malfunctions. Aftera sufficiently long battle, or under certainfield conditions, the heroes mighthave to rely on knives, fists, and witsrather than their equipment. An Escapescenario (see p. 81) might even beginwith the heroes captured, stripped ofweapons and gear, and chained in themonster’s lair!Alternatively, change the battleground.Put the heroes underwater, orin hard vacuum, or deep in quicksandPlanning A Campaign85

— anywhere penalties start to apply.Monsters might use blinding, stunning,paralyzing, and similar attacks in additionto long-range ambushes or hit-andruntactics.Keep in mind, however, that horrorgaming requires collaboration far morethan it does helplessness for its effect. Ifthe players wanted to play 50-point victims,they would have built those charactersinstead! Keep the obstacles fair,and always make sure it’s about horror.Raise the StakesFeel free to add more horror if the heroesseem to be having too easy a time ofit. Instead of six ghouls in the lair, thereare a dozen. Or the lair opens onto a disusedsubway tunnel – and there are 60ghouls there. Guarding a skeletal subwaytrain. Where the Ghoul King sleepswith his seven hand-picked bodyguardbrides. Pull back the visible scope asneeded to reestablish a mood of horror.Remember that monsters attackwhen and where they have the advantage:no light, deep in the swamp, indreams, etc. Use their advantages ruthlessly,if the monsters and the PCs areevenly matched, the monsters shouldattack the heroes in detail. They shouldmob stragglers, and launch assaults ona Ghostbuster who “just went ahead toscout”. They may even use mazes, illusions,or lures to separate the team.Finally, make the monsters tougher.Monsters with Extra Life should alwayscome back; a living villain you want tostay alive should have Hard to Kill orRegeneration – or both. If the PCs stillhave a tactical advantage, give the mainvillain powerful magical artifacts or advancedtechnology (the kind the heroescannot use if captured). As a last resort,any monster can worship a Thing ManWas Not Meant To Know…Target the ThreatsEven Superman has his kryptonite.High-powered Ghostbusters will haveweaknesses. For instance, psionic vampirescan threaten magic-proof heroes.A hero with magical powers might godown under a swarm of were-rats beforehe can cast a spell. Mind controlcan turn combat masters against theirown allies! This approach works best asa reaction to the Ghostbusters’ actions; amonster becomes scarier if its attacks getpersonalized. PCs with Overconfidencecan be lured into ambushes, and thosewith Paranoia fooled into shooting offall their silver ammo at wild dogs. Theplayers will be trying to figure out themonsters’ weaknesses — the monstersshould be doing the same to the them!Running Horrorthe internal, in mind when working tomake a role-playing session scary.Although maintaining a sense of fearis the prime thrust of the following pages,the GM should remember not to gooverboard with the terror at the risk ofabandoning the humorous counterpointthat is so important to a Ghostbusterscampaign.The key to the horror role-playingsession is to make it scary, to build anatmosphere of fear. The players shouldbe nervous, jumpy, whispering for noreason, and starting at imaginary noises.The GM has two roads to this goal. Oneroad is external, with the GM acting onthe players’ environment, perceptions,and personal knowledge or fears. Theother road runs through the frighteningworld that the PCs inhabit and withwhich they interact; the players’ identificationwith their characters transfersthat fear to them. The ideal horror sessionwill involve both approaches.Parallels can be seen with an effectivehorror movie. The audience is frightenedexternally: the movie is shown in thedark, jarring and nerve-wracking musicconstantly builds tension, and disturbingcamera angles and lighting effectscreate nervousness. Internally, the audienceidentifies with the protagonist andshares his fear of the horrific monsteror nightmarish plot with which he hasbecome entangled. The GM should keepthese twin dynamics, the external andTimingThe best way to keep the heroesguessing, particularly in a campaignfull of professional occultists, is to makesure that they never feel completely safe.If they visit the spooky old graveyard atthree o’clock in the afternoon, don’t letthem drive home safely and go to sleepin their comfy, secure beds. Arrangethings so that they’ll be detained at thecemetery until sundown. Then let theair out of their tires. Then, as they startto walk home, hit them with a wave ofzombies. After they have worked theirway out of that predicament, let them retreatto their nice, safe, suburban home– and really let them have it!In general, whenever the players andtheir characters feel that they’ve earneda respite… when they think that they aresafe… that’s the time to hit them withsomething really shocking!Changes of PaceAnother way to guarantee that theheroes retain their fear of the horrificis to ensure that they don’t face it everyplay session. This can be done overtly, bythrowing in a non-horror adventure, orcovertly, by setting up an adventure thatappears horrific but turns out to have a86Planning A Campaign

perfectly rational explanation. Perhapsthe party will want to explore the junglesof Africa in search of lost civilizations,or maybe they’ll have to rescue aDependent who has been kidnapped bythe mob (of course, in a world full of occultmenaces, the mundane capture of aGhostbuster’s daughter may have beenarranged by a supernatural mastermind).Or they could become involvedin an investigation of what seems to be astring of vampire killings, but turns outto be nothing more than a clever serialkiller covering his tracks. You can evenplay the double-reverse on this one: areal vampire might also be after themurderer – he might not want to haverumors of vampires flying about!Props and AtmosphereOnce the adventure is worked out,and before the players show up, it’s timeto think about atmosphere. Plan thephysical conditions for the play session:furniture, lighting, background noise,and any props you might use. If at allpossible, run your horror adventure afterdark, by candlelight. An imaginaryghost is much more frightening in thedim glow of a candle than under theblue-white glare of a fluorescent tube.Creepy theme music also helps.Choose some horror-film soundtracks,Bach organ fugues, or Gothic rock, andplay them softly during your game session.The music will soon drop belowthe players’ level of conscious awareness,just as it does during a film, butit will continue to evoke a suspensefulmood. Sound-effects albums don’t work;instead, they cheapen the effect of agood horror adventure.Props can also add a great deal to ahorror campaign. Just setting a skullshapedcandle holder on the table, rightnext to the battle map, will remind theplayers of the genre. If the adventure callsfor the Ghostbusters to find an ancientmanuscript, scrawled in blood, then getsome parchment paper and a brown calligraphypen and make the scroll. Then,when the time comes, don’t just read theplayers the text – hand them the actualdocument! (Don’t worry that your calligraphyisn’t up to the standard of a Gregorianmonk – relevant scrolls would bepenned by sorcerers, not scribes.)Pictures of monstrous foes can alsohelp the players visualize the adventure.Consider preparing a set of “flash cards”before every session, photocopying orsketching an image of each monsterto be encountered during the evening’sadventure. Don’t hand the cards to theplayers. Instead, when an adventurerruns into a horror, flash the illustrationin the candlelight for just a few seconds– “You see this!” – before hiding the cardagain. That one candlelit glance willset the players’ imaginations rolling,conjuring monsters far worse than anythingthat could be described in words.This technique is especially effective inThings Man Was Not Meant To Knowcampaigns.Fright ChecksThe key game mechanic for horrorrole-playing in GURPS is the FrightCheck (pp. 360-361). Possible triggersfor a Fright Check include seeing horrificmonsters, finding their victims, oreven witnessing suitably creepy signs ofthe supernatural. Modifiers will dependon the circumstances, and on the personmaking the Fright Check. A hardened,battle-weary team of Ghostbusters willreact quite differently from a team ofMultiple Fright ChecksSome situations will call for players to make more than one FrightCheck. This usually occurs when things are going from bad to worse. Forexample:The party breaks through some rotten wallboard at a point where anotherroom is indicated on their map. Sure enough, there’s a small alcovebeyond the hole. They shine a light inside, revealing a skeleton chained tothe far wall. (Everyone makes a Fright Check at no modifier.)One of the investigators steps in, curses as a pair of rats scurry for a holein the far wall, and examines the skeleton more closely. “Judging from thesemarks, I’d say this poor fellow was eaten alive by rats!” (Everyone makesanother Fright Check at ‐2, for a grisly death.)Then, someone else spots a reflection in the dim lantern light, and asks,“What’s that on his finger?” The closest PC examines the finger, and thenrecoils in horror. “Oh, my God! I recognize that ring! It’s Dr. Henderson!”(After a few screams, another Fright Check is made at ‐2, because the victimwas a friend.)In general, the modifiers for sequential Fright Checks are not cumulative.If a horror is gradually revealed, forcing several Fright Checks, eachnew modifier is applied to only one Fright Check. In the example above, the‐2 modifier (“…eaten alive by rats!”) to the second Fright Check does notapply to the third Fright Check (“It’s Dr. Henderson!”).Ad Hoc Fright ChecksAt times, the mechanical rolling, looking up, and applying of FrightChecks will actually snap the players out of the mood of fear you have allworked to create. In such circumstances, the players may allow the GMsimply to assign 1d turns of stun and move on. After the action, the playerscan roll “true” Fright Checks and receive any Quirks, Disadvantages,or other ill effects. Such ad hoc gaming can rub some players the wrongway; in this as in all things horrific, the GM should work with his players toincrease cooperation and build horror.Planning A Campaign87

Cumulative Effects of FearThe heroes in a horror campaign will be exposed to many frighteningsituations; therefore, the GM may wish to make Fright Checks more difficultas the victim becomes more frightened. To do this, apply a ‐1 penaltyto subsequent Fright Checks for every failed Fright Check. Each successfulFright Check removes one point of this penalty as the victim “regainshis composure” (this merely removes the penalty; it never grants a bonus).These modifiers are cumulative for one adventure only, assuming the investigatorsget a certain amount of R&R between adventures.Example: Agatha Witherspoon’s normal Fright Check target is 16 (IQ 13and an extra +3 Will). However, she missed two previous Fright Checks, soshe must roll against 14 instead. She succeeds, so her next Fright Checkwill be at 15.Note that some results on the Fright Check Table – notably new Phobiasand permanent IQ loss – will also negatively affect future Fright Checks.This effect is in addition to the cumulative modifiers, if using this option.green recruits. The species of the adventurermay also alter the equation;any encounter in the dark will carry atleast an extra -1 on Fright Checks forhumans, but cave-dwelling, nocturnalhobgoblins might instead take penaltiesfor encounters in the daylight!Fright Check modifiers for a varietyof horrific situations are given below.The GM is free to modify or ignore anymodifier that seems inappropriate.MonstersThe “intrinsic” Fright Check modifierfor a monster can range from -1 (aswarm of rats) to -10 or worse (a ThingMan Was Not Meant To Know). Manyfactors affect the “scariness” of a monster,including:Number. A horde of monsters is scarierthan just one. Roll at -1 for 5 monsters,-2 for 10, -3 for 20, -4 for 50, and -5for 100 or more (as for Terror, p. 39).Proximity. If the monster is closeenough to attack you when first seen— you turned the corner and there itwas — roll at -2. If it’s close enough tobe on you in seconds, there’s no modifier.If it’s at an apparently safe distance(usually 100 yards or more), roll at +1.Vast distances (e.g., seeing a monstermiles away through binoculars) give+3. Perceived threat is what matters; agiant space virus might be miles away,but if it can cross interstellar distances,you have no doubt that it can get to youin seconds, and there’s no bonus for distance.Size. Small monsters (dog-sized orsmaller) give +1. Human-sized monstersgive no modifier. Anything frombear-sized up through elephantine gives-1. Truly huge monsters (Godzilla, KingKong) give -3. Mind-boggling sizes —“Look! The giant space virus is blockingout the sun!” — give -6.Unusual appearance. Disgustingfeatures, such as a trail of slime or a foulodor, give -1. Alien appearance — suchas a five-sided head with one eye andtwo mouths on each side gives -2. Somethingthat utterly defies the laws of biologyand physics gives -3.Viewer preparation and familiarity.If the hero is warned about the monsterbefore he sees it — “I hear it in the nextroom. Be careful, doctor. All your yearsof study haven’t prepared you for this.”then roll at +1. If he has seen this typeof monster before, apply another +1— more for multiple past experiences.Recent experiences with that specificmonster give +1 per encounter in thepast 24 hours (as for Terror, p. 39). AllFright Checks assume a basic level ofsurprise, but a completely unpreparedvictim (GM’s call) rolls at -1 or -2, dependingon the circumstances.Dead BodiesMost people are unfamiliar withdeath, and must make a Fright Checkupon encountering a dead body. A numberof factors affect how “scary” such anencounter will be; these are summed upin the modifiers below. Also use thesemodifiers, with an additional -2, when acharacter actually sees someone die.Grisliness. A peaceful-looking body,prepared for burial, gives +6. A bodywith no signs of violence gives +2. Atypical violence victim (knife in theback, gunshot wound) gives no modifier.More violent ends can go from -1(stabbed 17 times) to -3 (chopped intoa thousand pieces). Witnessing extremeviolence gives similar modifiers (seeingthe giant crocodile pick up the securityguard and bite him in half is good for-3). A skeleton gives no additional modifier,but a partially decomposed bodygives an extra -2.Number and type of dead. Finding asingle human body, or witnessing a singledeath, is considered the norm. Largernumbers — “Come here, sergeant, thebasement’s packed with ‘em!” — give -1.Incredible numbers (an entire city) give-3. If the victim is an animal, a FrightCheck is still required, but at a +4.Proximity. Only the two extremes ofdistance give any modifier. An encounterat a great distance (more than a quartermile)is at +1; one at close quarters (youopen the door and the body falls on topof you) is at -1.Victim’s relationship to character. Ifthe victim was a Dependent, the FrightCheck is at a -6; if a loved one (but not aDependent), -4; a friend, -2; an acquaintance,-1.Viewer preparation or familiarity.An advance warning gives +1 — or +3if you had a long time to steel yourselffor the shock (e.g., identifying a bodyafter the policeman’s phone call). Thosewhose professions involve a familiaritywith death (doctors, police, soldiers,etc.) won’t have to make a Fright Checkunless the corpse has been mangled ordrained of blood, or the victim was aclose friend; even then, they should geta +2 or more. For some people (a combatmedic or an assassin, for instance),a “mere” dead body would not requirea roll at all. Likewise, there is no needto roll if you kill someone yourself; it isunlikely that you will be scared by yourown victim, unless his subsequent behavioris vividly unnatural.88Planning A Campaign

Bizarre and SupernaturalHappeningsThere is no limit to the weird thingsa GM can do to the players. This loosecategory includes events like turning onthe faucet and getting slime instead ofwater, finding a dead cat in your freezer,or coming across an entire wall coveredby six-inch cockroaches. In general, themore people affected, the more dangerinvolved, and the stranger the event, themore severe the Fright Check penalty.Some examples:No modifier : An apparition in a mirror;a picture falls from the wall.-1 : An unnatural howling in the dead ofnight; all the doors in a house slamshut simultaneously.-3 : A wall covered with loathsome insects;blood runs from the faucets.-5 : Attacked by furniture.-7 : The ground opens up and zombiescrawl out.-10 : The oceans turn to blood.Forgotten Lore and HorribleSecretsIn some horror games (psychologicaland cosmic horror especially), the horrormight come not only from monstersand corpses, but also from the heroes’discovery of horrifying truths about theworld, themselves, or their place in theuniverse. These discoveries can requireFright Checks.Since much “horror magic” forcesa sorcerer to directly confront, accept,and indeed invite such knowledge, evencasting a spell might demand a FrightCheck!Whether a Fright Check is requiredin a given case will depend on the campaign.In a traditional Gothic horrorgame, discovering that one’s grandfatherwent mad might demand such a FrightCheck; in a grittier Ghostbusters game,only the realization that an alien raceis pulling the teams’ strings will shakethem to the core.In general, the more clearly and completelythe new discovery reveals an AwfulTruth threatening the heroes’ sanityor world view (or even the world viewthat they still desperately wish to believein), the greater the Fright Check penalty.Some examples:No modifier : This information demonstratesthe Awful Truth, but it mightbe explained away. The graphicallyrealistic graffiti art in the subwaysshows ghouls killing people.-1 : This information clearly demonstratesthe Awful Truth; it takes willfuldenial to reject it. This transit policereport clearly indicates the presenceof a ghoul colony in the New Yorksubways.-3 : This information shows the AwfulTruth goes deeper, or has wider meaning,than previously thought; alternatively,the Awful Truth strikes directlyat your life or beliefs. These diariesprove that a group of madmen havespread ghoul colonies to the WestCoast. Your grandfather somehowbecame a ghoul and faked his death.-5 : Knowing this information, or castingthis spell, assuredly opens thecharacter or his loved ones up to evil,madness, or Things Man Was NotMeant To Know. Your grandfatherinfected your children with the ghoulvirus the last time he visited you.-7 : The Awful Truth has global scope, oris the kind of shock that could easilyunhinge you. The ghoul cult hasexisted for centuries, and controlsmajor health care institutions. Yourgrandfather initiated you into theghoul cult as a child and erased yourmemory of it until now.-10 : This knowledge, or spell, could destroythe world — perhaps it’s doingso right now. The ghoul cult has lacedthis year’s flu vaccine with the ghoulvirus.Cowards Diea Thousand DeathsAfter a few sessions of horror, the Ghostbusters may start to take whatseem to be sensible precautions: they stop going into the crypt, simply dynamitethe old deserted mill, never read any eldritch scrolls, always leavethe chest sealed, and possibly even move to a small town to grow the perfectavocado. In short, they turn into cowards. Cowardice may be an understandablereaction in the world of most horror role-playing games, but itshould never be a wise one. This is because it short‐circuits the atmosphereof fear for the players, and it spoils all the GM’s fun.The GM should go out of his way to get the action moving. If the heroeshave character hooks or Disadvantages (or Skills or Advantages!) that makethem especially susceptible to curiosity, fascination, or even possession, theGM should invoke them to short‐circuit cowardly strategies. A player charactermight find himself dreaming of the sealed chest night after night untilfinally he dreams that he opens it — and awakens to find himself standingbeside the chest, which has somehow become unlocked. NPCs are anothergreat way to drag the action back to the Bad Place or into the tension of ahorror scenario. If the party won’t do it, let their trusted mentor happen toread the eldritch parchment aloud, or have someone’s sister wander intothe crypt at night.Most important, the GM should make every effort to demonstrate thatthe adventurers need the knowledge or the accomplishment that they’reavoiding; e.g., if they refuse to read the blasphemous tome, they never findthe spell that short‐circuits the lich lord’s mental powers. This demonstrationcan be active rather than passive: the villain steals the sealed chest, andopens it when the stars are right for the evils within to prosper; dynamitingthe mill only gives the festering Thing In The Basement more time to grow;etc. The players should learn that there are only two choices in horror: faceyour fears now or let them grow stronger. If they learn that at the expenseof one or two characters’ limbs, sanity, or lives, then that’s just part of thetuition.Planning A Campaign89

friGht, AWe And ConfusionGURPS Basic Set presents a usefulFright Check table on pp. B360-361, butacknowledges that some of its results areinappropriate for representing awe andconfusion.GURPS Powers addresses this with aseparate Awe and Confusion Check tableon Powers page 85. But, perhaps forreasons of page space, that table is morevague and deviates slightly from beingwell-aligned with the Basic Set FrightCheck table.Here is a unified table for Fright,Awe and Confusion. It closely duplicatesthe results of the Fright Check table andpresents results for Awe and Confusionthat are just as fine-grained. The resultfor any given number will be identical orvery similar for each type of effect, butstill appropriate to that type.The rules are the same as presentedon p. B360. After a failed roll under theFright Check rules, roll 3d, add the marginof failure from the roll that causedthe effect, and consult the table below.New traits, if required, are assigned bythe GM as appropriate for the characterand for the event that caused the FrightCheck. (See Disadvantages From FrightChecks p. 91)Fright, Awe and Confusion TableResult Effect4, 5 Stunned for one second, then recover automatically.6, 7 Stunned for one second. Every second after that, roll vs. unmodified Will to snap out of it.8, 9 Stunned for one second. Every second after that, roll vs. Will, plus whatever bonuses or penaltiesyou had on your original roll, to snap out of it.10 Stunned for 1d seconds. Every second after that, roll vs. modified Will, as above, to snap out of it.11 Stunned for 2d seconds. Every second after that, roll vs. modified Will, as above, to snap out of it.12 Incapacitated, as per specific effect below; see Incapacitating Conditions (p. B428).Depending on the circumstances, this may be merely inconvenient, or humiliating.Fright: Retching for (25 - HT) seconds, and then roll vs. HT each second to recover.Awe: Ecstasy for (25 - Will) seconds, and then roll vs. Will each second to recover.Confusion: Dazed for (25 - IQ) seconds, and then roll vs. Will each second to recover.13 Acquire a new mental quirk (see Quirks, p. B162).Fright causes quirks that are mild phobias.Awe inspires quirks that reflect admiration.Confusion leads to quirks that suggest bafflement or perplexity.14, 15 Lose 1d FP, and take 1d seconds of stunning as per 10.16 Stunned for 1d seconds, as per 10, and acquire a new quirk, as per 13.17 Fall down, incapacitated, for 1d minutes, as per specific effect below.Fright: Unconscious (faint); after duration, roll vs. HT each minute to recover.Awe: Ecstasy; after duration, roll vs. Will each minute to recover.Confusion: Hallucination; after duration, roll vs. Will each minute to recover.18 Incapacitated, as per 17, but also roll vs. HT immediately. On a failure, take 1 HP of injury as you collapse.19 Incapacitated, as per 17, for 2d minutes. Immediately take 1 HP of injury as you collapse.20 Incapacitated, as per 17, for 4d minutes. Also, lose 1d FP.21 Feeble-minded activity, as per specific effect below. After duration, roll vs. unmodified Will once per minuteto snap out of it.Fright causes panic. You run around screaming, sit down and cry, or do something equally pointless for 1d minutes.Awe cases you to worship at the feet of the one who awed you – you must obey his every command as if you hadSlave Mentality! Effect lasts 3d minutes.Confusion causes you to hallucinate (the GM specifies the details, which should fit the situation); you can try to act,but you’re out of touch with reality and at -5 to all success rolls. Effect lasts 3d minutes.22, 23 Acquire a -10-point mental disadvantage, as below.Fright: Acquire a -10-point Delusion (p. B130), Phobia (p. B148), or other mental disadvantage.Awe impels you to adopt one of your new idol’s self-imposed mental disadvantages, turns youinto a slave (Reprogrammable) or makes you feel inferior (Low Self-Image).Confusion “blows your mind”, most likely resulting in one of Confused (12), Delusion (Major), Indecisive (12) orShort Attention Span (12).24 Major physical effect, set by GM: hair turns white, age five years overnight, go partially deaf, etc. In game terms,0plAnninG A CAmpAiGn

acquire -15 points worth of physical disadvantages (for this purpose, each year of age counts as -3 points).25 If you already have a -5 to -10-point disadvantage that could logically result from this encounter, it worsensto a -15-point trait!26 Incapacitated as per 18, and acquire a new -10-point disadvantage as per 22.27 Incapacitated as per 18, and acquire a new -10-point disadvantage as per 23.28 Light coma. You fall unconscious, rolling vs. HT every 30 minutes to recover. For 6 hours after you come to,all skill rolls and attribute checks are at -2.29 Coma. As per 28, but you are unconscious for 1d hours. Then roll vs. HT. If the roll fails, remain in a comafor another 1d hours, and so on.30 Catatonia. Stare into space for 1d days. Then roll vs. HT. On a failed roll, remain catatonic for another 1d days,and so on. If you have no medical care, lose 1 HP the first day, 2 the second, and so on. If you survive and awaken,all skill rolls and attribute checks are at -2 for as many days as the catatonia lasted.31 Seizure. You lose control of your body and fall to the ground in a fit lasting 1d minutes and costing 1d FP.Also, roll vs. HT. On a failure, take 1d of injury. On a critical failure, you also lose 1 HT permanently.32 Stricken. You fall to the ground, taking 2d of injury in the form of a mild heart attack or stroke.33 You lose control of your actions, as per specific effect below. The GM rolls 3d: the higher the roll, the more uselessyour reaction. If you survive your first reaction, roll vs. Will to recover. If you fail, the GM rolls for anotheruncontrolled reaction, and so on!Fright sends you into total panic. For instance, you might jump off a cliff to avoid the monster.Awe overcomes you. For instance, you might debase yourself harmfully to show your devotion.Confusion drives you completely mad. For instance, you might believe you can fly and leap to your doom.34, 35 As 22, but the disadvantage is worth -15 points.Fright: Acquire a new -15-point Delusion or Phobia.Awe usually results in Fanaticism – either for the one who awed you or his cause.Confusion tends to cause Confused (9), Delusion (Severe), Indecisive (9), On the Edge (12),or Short Attention Span (9).36 Severe physical effect, as per 24, but equivalent to -20 points of physical disadvantages.37 Severe physical effect, as per 24, but equivalent to -30 points of physical disadvantages.38 Coma, as per 29, and a -15-point disadvantage, as per 34.39 Coma, as per 29, and -20 points of physical disadvantages, as per 35.40+ As 39, above, but victim also loses one point in an attribute, as below.Fright: lose 1 point of IQ.Awe: lose 1 point of Will.Confusion: lose 1 point of IQ.These losses are permanent.Disadvantages From Fright ChecksOne of the biggest creative challenges for the GM is to determine just what sort of psychological burden to place ona character who has been badly frightened. It isn’t easy; recommendations from the players are welcome. Often, themost diabolical suggestions will come from other players, who delight in thinking up gruesome fates – as long as noneof it happens to their character.Make sure that the newly acquired disadvantage is connected to the frightening event in some way. Remember, thehuman mind is capable of some very convoluted reasoning to avoid unpleasant realizations.Example: Harry Collier is in a downtown alley at 11 p.m. to meet an informant. He hears muffled screams aroundthe corner, and runs to investigate. He arrives just in time to see a 12-foot-tall, tentacled abomination drag a wino downan open manhole. Failing his Fright Check in a big way, Collier acquires a mild Phobia or other disadvantage. Collier’splayer decides to treat it this way: the monster preys on street people, who have no money; the way to stay away fromthe monster is to keep as much money as possible. So Collier adds the disadvantage Miserliness.The next night, this same Ghostbuster is poking around that same alley for some clues (we never specified Collier’sIQ, but it must not be very high...), when he discovers the half-eaten body of another unfortunate transient, stuffed ina Dumpster. This calls for another Fright Check, and Collier fails again. This time, because the smell of rotting garbagewas so strong at the time of the shock, Collier makes a subconscious association between the two. This does not translatedirectly into a fear of garbage that would be too easy. Another player suggests saddling Collier with the OdiousPersonal Habit that everything he comes into daily contact with must be spotlessly clean and, if possible, disinfected.Collier becomes the only Ghostbuster on the team to take three showers a day.plAnninG A CAmpAiGn1

ChApter tenAdventuresCreAtinG AdventuresThere are out-of-print Ghostbusters game modules in existence,but these are few and hard to find; likewise, adaptinggames from other genres may end up being a lot of work fora less-than-satisfying result. Although this chapter provides adozen plot hooks for potential adventures, it is expected thatthe Game Master will need to start generating adventures ofhis own, so the main thrust of this chapter is discussing waysto create gameable material of your own.This chapter will discuss common RPG scenarios and howthey can be adapted for your campaign, aswell as comedy and horror elementsthat can be kept at hand and injectedinto any situation to change themood or upset the flow of the actionand finally some ideas to tryon your players that fit uniquelywith the ghostbusting genre.bAsiCstruCtureAny adventure is likely to startwith a client’s phone call, continueto an on-site inspection,and end with a ghost resolvingits issues (or getting sucked intoa trap). The job of the GM is addingto this basic formula to createsomething that seems magical andunique week after week. After thegame has progressed beyond acertain point, where the playershave a bit of history and experienceunder their belts, the basicstructure of the adventures canchange. The characters willhave become familiar withmany more NPCs and mayhave incited a need for revengein one or two. Withstrong friendships andenmities, and a shared historyto draw upon, there willbe more opportunities to breakaway from standard game formulas asthe world around the PCs becomes morerich and vigorous.GenerAl elementsMany things should be considered when developing anadventure for a Ghostbusters campaign. Here are some basicingredients, with some optional ideas. There are so manydiverting elements that can make for an exciting adventure,that sometimes the most important aspect of the GM’s job islimiting the number of ingredients that get added into the mix.After all, there has to be something left over for the next adventure,right?Ghosts and GoblinsThere are a few things that everyGhostbusters game is likely tohave. The first is of course a ghost,or some other supernatural threatfor the heroes to confront. Havinga mix of different ghosts at variouspower levels will help to keepthe game interesting and keep yourplayers from becoming complacent.Don’t overuse Gozer leveloutsiders. Remember that in themovies, the bulk of the story isabout investigating a “big case”while at the same time doinga lot of meatand potatoes jobs,the kind that payAdventures

the bills. Interspersing cases with commonghosts, powerful meta-spectres,and maybe even a gaggle of very weakghosts, will create a nice ebb and flowin the campaign as it progresses fromweek to week. Too many powerful ordangerous foes can impinge on the humorousundercurrent that is essential tothis genre.There is plenty of material in this andother books to help you create a ghost,but that won’t make it a good ghost. Thekey to making a monster memorable isnot just slapping some powers on a basictemplate and making sure that thenumbers add up. A good ghost needs aninteresting personality and background,or at least a singular goal to make theadventure work. Your players can alwayswade in on any garden-varietyghost with their proton guns blasting,but if the main thrust of your campaignis to kill monsters, maybe you should beplaying Dungeons and Dragons.Weak, godlike, or somewhere in between;your monster must first be compelling.Some questions to ask when creatingthat ghost are, why is it here andwhat does it want? Ghostly motivationsdon’t need to be complicated (see p. 49)or even all that interesting, but decidingwhat makes the ghost tick will make iteasier for the GM to play, and for theplayers to identify with its problems andwant to resolve its issues. Generating anentire character sheet for a ghost thatwill only be used for one game session isprobably a waste of energy, but it is recommendedthat along with a Bestiarystylewrite-up of stats, the GM should includeone or two Quirks, or quick noteson the ghost’s personality to help flesh itout and make it more two-dimensional.Adding an interesting “power” beyondthose of the Spirit meta-trait can alsobe fun, especially when the ability is notimmediately revealed to the players.A good background story in some caseswill end up being the bulk of the adventure.It can also help in determiningthe ghost’s personality and motivations.Most cities have their share of hauntedlocations, some even have tours. Lookinginto local legends, or transplantingfamous ghost stories from one city toanother with some details altered is aneasy way to develop your ghost, hauntand background all at once. Don’t beafraid to seek out anthologies of ghoststories, as most fiction of this sort willhave a lot of good background and interestingsites that can be readily transferredwith very little effort on the partof the GM, and might inspire him toplace the players in situations he neverwould have thought.Investigating the ghost, its haunt andits past will usually lead to the successfulresolution of a case. Of course thereare always extenuating circumstances…Some ghosts are mindless, while othersdon’t seem to have a past with anyissues to work out. Extra-dimensionalbeings like Gozer, or Class V ghosts thatare spontaneously generated by rawemotion or ritual summoning, will haveno background in this reality. In suchcircumstances the background that theheroes will be investigating will, morethan likely involve historical accountsof similar appearances, or the conditionsunder which the entity was created– and hopefully discover how to reversethe process.LocationThe ghost’s background will likelydictate the location of the adventure,which will usually be the site of thehaunting — although there is no reasonwhy the haunt can’t be selected first withthe ghost and its circumstances decidedlater on.The ghost, its haunt and the motivationfor the haunting should all be intertwined.It is often easiest to start withthe ghost’s motivations first, but in casesof unrequited love and similar “generic”motives, the location is almost unimportantto the main action of the plot. On theother hand, an interesting setting cangive the GM added foundation for framingthe background of the adventure. Asmall lake near the haunted house, anold speak-easy located in the basementof the haunted hotel, a gnarled old treethat was planted only a month beforethe ghastly crime was committed, theseare all fodder for a good back-story.There is no need to stick with hauntedhouses and abandoned theatres either.Any place can be suitable for a ghost tofrequent. In the movies and on the animatedshow, the Ghostbusters foughtspectres in a wide variety of locales:sewers, museums, libraries, circuses,train stations, hotels. It would be goodfor the ghost to have some ties to the locationif it is a haunting, but in the caseof a free-roaming ghost or meta-spectre,the spot where the action takes placeis more a matter of circumstance – theplace where the ghost took his stand– which of course is exactly where theGM wanted it all along, right?Need inspiration for your next gamesession? Take a map of the city thatAdventures93

your game is based in and throw a dartat it; no matter where it lands, or howinteresting the location may be, whatwill define the tableau for your playersis the atmosphere. The brightest, newestbuilding in the world can become anightmare with the right ambience.Atmosphere“It was a dark and stormy night.”There is no bigger cliché in fiction, andyet none more appropriate for a Ghostbustersgame. While there is nothingmore basic to horror than having thunderand lightning crashing around, thePCs should experience the full gamutof weather during a campaign. Nothingdulls the senses or the suspense morethan a month of dark and stormy nights.And nothing surprises a Ghostbustermore than unnameable horrors on abright sunlit afternoon. The effect of theweather can also have ramifications. Ashuddering wind can be eerie, but theconstant, erratic bang of a shutter atone side of a house can be nerve-wracking– and the cessation of the banging– what does that presage?For the atmosphere to be an effectivemodifier of mood it must be treated likea character. It cannot be mentioned casuallyat the beginning of a game sessionand then forgotten. It must be referredto periodically, and developed as thegame progresses. A gradual change oftone can be used to heighten drama orbuild tension, but so too can a dramaticchange. When trekking through a brightsunlit forest, a slow transition to darker,denser bush may not unnerve players asmuch as mentioning that the forest hassuddenly gone quiet.There is more to shaping the atmospherethan just the describing theweather or time of day. Think of atmosphereas an envelope surrounding theplayers’ senses. The sights, smells andsounds. The taste and feel of things. Anunderground tunnel and a city sewer arepretty similar in game terms, yet theycan be described very differently – andexperienced more viscerally – if donecorrectly. Is it musty, damp, dim, smellyor is there a certain tang of charred fleshin the air?Where possible the GM should workon all the senses, even exploiting the‘sixth’ sense – regardless of whetherthe PCs have ESP or not. Small roomsshould be described as claustrophobic,or the player may simply be told “Thehairs on your neck are prickling.” Witha little thought, any mundane object orplace can reflect malice or corruptionand decay.A Cast of ThousandsGhostbusting would be too easy if theonly thing that needed doing was catchinga ghost. Non-player characters areas essential as ghosts for a good adventure.Friends, enemies, officials and innocentbystanders all have a role to play.A large cast of “extras” is essential toextended campaigns, particularly localizedones. As with neighborhood NPCs,(p. 77) clients need not be more than aname and some distinguishing characteristics.Details can be filled in later ifthe character makes return appearancesor is something more than just a merecustomer. Again, variety is the spice oflife when it comes to any aspect of plottingan adventure and client creationis no exception. A large majority willby circumstance, be victims who onlywant their lives to return to normal, andthese should be played straight up. But asmall percentage of patrons will fit intothe “other” category.A greedy developer, who can finallylay his hands on that property “once thepesky ghost is gone”. A murderer whowants his victim to be permanently silencedbefore he can blab. A skeptic whowants to prove the Ghostbusters arefrauds. And of course the client who’sjust a jerk. A customer’s personality andcircumstances will have an impact ongame play. PCs may not take on a jobif they don’t like the client, or they maynot accept a commission from the city ifthe mayor scorned them in the press inprevious weeks.Apart from their clientele and theirneighbors, the heroes will encountermany other people in their day-to-daydealings. There will be police officers– those that like, hate or disregard thePCs. Depending on how high-profile theteam becomes, they may also garner attentionfrom federal authorities too. TheIt’s Only the WindIt’s not always ghosts. Sometimes, it’s only the wind, or perhaps one ofthese explanations:Animals: Rats and raccoons might make rustling or rapping sounds, andspectral sightings might be cranes, owls, or other nocturnal birds withlarge, reflective eyes.Drafts: Haunted houses are usually old houses. Old houses are drafty,have doors that blow shut, floors that don’t stay level (causing objects tomove), and weird cold spots.Groundwater: Guy Lambert, president of the SPR from 1955 to 1958, noticedthat the majority of haunted-house reports in Britain, Europe, andAmerica came from houses within three miles of tidal water. Groundwatercan undermine foundations (causing creaks and tilts), create whitefog patches, and cause cool floors and rooms.Hallucinations and Lies: From witnesses who want attention to peoplewho aren’t taking their medication, there’s no shortage of reasons someonesees a ghost.Magnetism: Geomagnetic effects are poorly understood even now, buthave been linked to “earth light” phenomena in the 1990s. Much of the“electromagnetic ghost” theory can also be explained by natural variationsin local magnetism.Old Man Withers: And, of course, someone might be spreading ghost storiesand even faking phenomena for malicious or criminal reasons suchas to cover up their hidden gold-smuggling operation.Subsonics: Infrasound causes anxiety, sorrow, and chills in test subjects. Itcan extinguish candles and send shivers down the spine. And it can becaused by the wind in long pipes, earth tremors, and stormy weather.94 Adventures

FBI, CIA, EPA and Treasury departmentmay all take an interest in local doings.The local media should be there towitness when things go wrong or to preventthe PCs from doing things “whatthey ought not do”. The extras need tobe in the way – bystanders, hostages andirritating hangers-on. The point of allthese extras is having someone for theplayers to “play to”. Interaction will resultin character development which iskey to role playing.Finally there should be some moreinteresting cast members who becomemini-adventures, which may not eveninvolve ghostbusting. Maybe the TimePolice will visit looking for help with anescapee. The mad scientist who wantsto show the PCs his latest ghost-grabber.The shape changing alien who hasa problem with his...AdventureScenariosEvery session of play is about characterssolving a problem, or addressinga situation.This section is a situation cook-book.Adventure fiction, whatever the medium,confronts heroes with a few standardtypes of scenarios. Here are recipesfor some of them. Each one starts with abasic formula: the essential ingredientsplus a few extra nuances that will makeit memorable. If there are interestingvariations, it explores them.Every campaign is different. No scenariotype will fit all possible campaigns,and few campaigns will use all the differentscenario types. But understandingwhat makes them all work is a goodstart on keeping players happy.The Labyrinth of DoomExploration of underground labyrinths,or “dungeon crawls”, are a verycommon type of adventure and oneof the oldest, going back to the originalDungeons & Dragons. Heroes fromConan the Barbarian to Luke Skywalkerhave ventured into dark undergroundmazes to search for monsters, treasureor glory.A dungeon crawl requires a dungeon:a confined area in a definite place, withentrances and exits, to produce a senseof crossing a threshold. Once in the labyrinth,everything is a potential threat.Adventure SeedsThe Sump ThingThe municipal government hires the Ghostbusters for a unique eliminationjob. City workers have been encountering a brown amorphous creaturein the sewers beneath the streets. Is it a monster or a ghost? Can it betalked to, and if so, what kind of personality would segue out of life intothis sordid afterlife?Most importantly — if it’s a free-repeater — how many times will theGhostbusters need to stalk these unclean subterranean passages (unpaid)until they find the cesspool that is the source of this creature’s power?A Gross of GremlinsThe international airport is having mechanical problems. Twelve gremlinshave been alternating between hangars, loosening bolts and yankingsprings. The harried mechanics are under a lot of stress to keep up withthe damage and get the airplanes out whole and on schedule. Something isgoing to break, and soon, unless the Ghostbusters can stop them.The gremlins are a tough bunch. Not technically ghosts, they are corporealcreatures capable of turning invisible and intangible. Their affinityfor all things mechanical gives them a Gadgeteer advantage of cinematicproportions. Above all this, they are smart, devious and have a wonderfullydangerous sense of humor that they are quick to turn on anyone who interfereswith them. Be warned — proton packs, ghost traps or even the Ecto-1are all fodder for these supernatural techo-geeks.To enhance the sense of danger, theheroes shouldn’t be able to perceive thelabyrinth clearly. Ideally, they won’t evenknow its size – which is one reason labyrinthsare often underground. Darknessand other barriers to the senses enhancethis uncertainty. Twisting, branching,and even hidden passages make it harderto form a clear mental map. LettingPCs carry lights or see in the dark, drawmaps, and probe ahead with magicalspells turns a dungeon crawl into a seriesof calculated risks. Preventing suchactions keeps it suspenseful and raisesthe tension.Dungeons would seem to be a rarecommodity in campaigns set in a moderntime period. A natural cave complexcan be a labyrinth. Caves are more dangerousthan dungeons; they aren’t madeby intelligent beings and there’s no guaranteethat they can be navigated. Morethan one such complex near a large metropolisis highly unlikely though.GMs wanting to run this type of adventureshould consider more logicallabyrinthine locals like city sewer systems,subway tunnels or possibly evena warren under the city’s largest cemetery,(quarried by a legion of undead,no doubt). It would not be much of astretch to turn a cruise ship, aircraftcarrier or even an offshore oil drillingplatform into a ghost-filled maze forthe players to flush out. An haunted oilrefinery might seem tame compared toa labyrinth crawling with orcs, but justconsider what the combination of protonstreams and petroleum fumes couldproduce.Labyrinth episodes can work fineperiodically, but no modern day tunnelnetwork would be big enough to sustaina campaign length series of adventures– unless of course, you locate it in anearby parallel dimension.The Perilous JourneyIn a perilous journey, the danger isn’tnecessarily at the destination; it comesfrom the expedition to get there.The most common type of excursionis a quest (see p. 82). For those intent onrunning globe-trotting campaigns, theentire game will be one extended perilfilledjourney.The Ghostbusters need a reason toundertake such a journey. In globe-trot-Adventures95

ting campaigns, the objective is simplyto get to the next assignment and threatsmay or may not occur along the way. Thegoal in an episodic campaign might be aweapon, a source of knowledge, a friendin need of rescue, a teacher or knowledgeableforeign scholar for example.A journey needs a route for the PCs tofollow. On a journey with a goal, thereis often only one route, whether it’s asclearly marked as the Yellow Brick Roador completely unknown. But there maybe alternate routes. And when the PCsmust turn tail, the choice of which directionto flee is often wide open.There also should be perils along theway. Even in flight from an enemy, somerandom encounters such as bandits ornatural hazards should interrupt. Thejourney could pass through unsettled,lawless or war-torn regions.The journey should be long; the countriesit passes through should be toolarge for the travelers to see all at once.To maintain a sense of the unknown,maps should be old and incomplete andAdventure SeedsThe DisappearedProfessor Cornwall has called twice asking for help from the Ghostbusters.His phone signal breaking up before any relevant information canbe exchanged. The calls are dismissed as pranks until a background checkreveals that Cornwall has been missing for the last 24 hours and this familyand university colleagues are worried about him.Another call and the Professor explains that he has been on the run fromaliens who want to capture him. The Ghostbusters agree to meet him, assumingthe man has had a nervous breakdown. When they arrive at thedesignated time and place, they find the dishevelled and haggard Cornwallhiding in some topiary. As he explains his predicament, four blue-skinnedaliens with bulbous heads approach. “Give us the one called Cornwall!”The Aliens crash landed on Earth in 1804. Their propulsion system damagedbeyond repair, they began looking for fuel to power their emergencyescape system. Hybernating while their automatic systems searched forthe fuel, they would come out of suspended animation whenever the rightpower source was found — humans with a very unique brain wave pattern.Professor Cornwall is the last person they need for their plan to work.The aliens aren’t stealing brains, but actually putting the humans in stasisuntil they can find enough to power their teleportation device and gethome — but the Ghostbusters don’t know this.Whether the aliens escape, and what happens to Cornwall is up to theplayers, but the GM should keep in mind that the Cornwall is not the firstperson the aliens have tried to kidnap. Check out the List of people whohave disappeared at Wikipedia to cherry-pick interesting people who havevanished throughout history and may now be standing in the spaceshipwaiting to be rescued.The Little House in the WoodOne cloudy morning, a little cottage was found to be standing near awooded patch in the city’s biggest public park. Police were called in byanxious parents who claimed that an old woman was trying to lure theirchildren into the house. A few officers went in to arrest her, but only pigsemerged from the building. When cops get turned into pigs in a housemade of sponge toffee, who ya gonna call?The witch (obviously) is corporeal and can use any spells the GM thinkssuitable — and funny. The Ghostbusters may need to use Diplomacy andFast Talk instead of proton guns to deal with this situation.While discussing the merits of a child-free diet and city building ordinances,a house walking on giant chicken legs struts into the clearing…guides unreliable or even traitors to yourplayers’ cause.A quest may have unusual goals. Odysseusand Dorothy Gale just wantedto go home; Frodo Baggins wanted todestroy a magical treasure; Moses waslooking for a new home for his people.In the natural world, many journeystake place by sea. They can also passthrough the supernatural world, as inDante’s tour of Hell, Purgatory, andHeaven.Quests and perilous journeys are oneof the easiest types of adventure to turninto a campaign. Just make the journeylong and the goal distant and elusive ormobile as well. It’s worth recalling thatmodern journeys can also be brief; asingle session of travel is an excellent interludebetween two longer story-lines.One vital feature in a prolonged journeyis way stations along the route. Letthe travelers come upon an inn, a monastery,or a hidden valley. This givesthem a mark of progress and a chanceto recover their strength and make newplans. If they want to hurry on as quicklyas possible, let them; if they prolongtheir stay, entangle them in local activitiesand new problems.InvestigationsInvestigation scenarios provide alow-violence gaming option. But investigationcan lead to confrontation whenthe adversaries and their purposes havebeen exposed – or earlier, if they takenotice the investigators! This formula ismore familiar in modern settings and astaple of the Ghostbusters genre.If any kind of fantasy works with investigativescenarios, this is it. The heroesface supernatural threats, detectingwhere evil or horror has infiltrated humansociety and determining how it canbe counteracted are central to this typeof adventure.An investigation needs a suspect.Typical human suspects are cult leaders,mad scientists, occultists, and otherassorted madmen. This being Ghostbusters,the GM need not limit his quarryto the living.An investigation also needs a victim.If the suspect isn’t insane, then the targetedvictim is normally an individual, afamily, or a business.The suspect has a scheme or plan.Two types of investigations diverge atthis point: those where the plan has96 Adventures

een carried out and the goal is to captureand punish the suspect, and thosewhere the plan is in progress and thegoal is to prevent its completion.Something has to keep the plan secret.In a world with functioning magic,this can be difficult; one successful divinationcan ruin a scenario. Either limitwhat magic can reveal, perhaps to a fewwords, or give the suspects their ownmagical concealments.However, there should also be clues;that is, the suspects’ actions should leavetraces for the investigator to uncover. Incoming up with clues, it’s dangerouslytempting to work out a complete listand try to point the PCs toward findingthem. This approach can feel contrivedand could provoke resistance. Be preparedto improvise new clues; often theinvestigators’ methods of learning thetruth can provide useful ideas.An important variant on investigationis magical investigation: trying to identifythe powers, or the origin, of a magicalobject, or trying to learn the source ofand how to counter or reverse a spell.Making a single investigation thetheme of an entire campaign is difficult.In a typical Ghostbusters campaign theplayers will come up against a successionof cases, some may be the work ofthe same master villain or agent of evil,whom they may never touch… unless,perhaps, that is the climax of the wholecampaign!Adventure SeedsThe AtheistHerbert Dorsey was a man without faith, but a very rich man who neveroverlooked any risks no matter how unlikely. When Dorsey died, the dictatesof his will were put in abeyance. It stipulated that before the estatecould be distributed, the Ghostbusters were to be paid reasonable compensationto come out to the cemetery and “check up on him”.The PCs will arrive at the grave, accompanied by Dorsey’s lawyers, hischildren, and his brother (each having a stake in the dormant will). Usingecto-goggles and special video recording equipment, they will indeed beable to prove that Herbert Dorsey may have died, but he hasn’t moved on.The players will now find themselves as the center of a tempest causedby dead man with no legal rights, angry would-be inheritors and ineffectuallegal council.Now that he’s dead; his soul in question, what will Herbert Dorsey do?Will he give his money to a church, or find some creative way to take it withhim? Certainly his spendthrift son and shiftless brother will have somethingto say about that. And what is his legal status? Either way, the Ghostbusterswill most assuredly be called upon to provide evidence at any subsequenthearing. Just how much money would it take for a Ghostbuster to zap, trapand forget about Dorsey?The InheritancePansy Ackerman was a queer old girl. She talked with ghosts (she said)and claimed that her strange meandering mansion was full of them. Shewas tickled, then shocked when she heard of the Ghostbusters who talkedto ghosts, and sometimes trapped them for money.Pansy’s relatives were appalled to find that her will named the localGhostbusters franchise her sole beneficiary; if they can spend one entirenight, from dusk till dawn in her rambling ghost-filled home. (Perhapswithout their equipment?)Both relatives and resident ghosts will not want the Ghostbusters to stayfor their allotted time. And then there are also rumors that Pansy had hiddencash and other valuables all around the crumbling manor.The house should be a character in this game. Secret passages, paintingswith eyes that move, rooms that change at the pull of a coat hanger, andmore should all be a part of this adventure.For inspiration, research the “Winchester Mystery House” or view Abbottand Costello’s Hold That Ghost.ConfrontationsConfrontations often occur at theconclusions of larger scenarios. Whenan investigation finds the true evildoer,or a dungeon crawl penetrates the innersanctum… it’s time for a grand, climacticbattle. In fact, one way to design avariety of adventures is to work out thefinal confrontation and then arrangeother matters to lead up to it. But it’salso possible to cut the preliminariesshort and get to the fighting as quicklyas possible. An adventure can even beginwith an open challenge.Confrontations are mainly a dramaticdevice; ghostbusting, with its focus onaction, is a most natural home.A confrontation needs an adversary,or perhaps a group of adversaries. Thebest adversaries are almost as powerfulas the heroes; that way, there’s a challenge,and even a real chance of defeat.A confrontation also needs a battlegroundor arena. Ideally this should befairly clear and open, to keep attentionfocused on the struggle and not on suchconcerns as rescuing innocent bystanders.At the same time, it’s a good thing tohave objects scattered about that a clevercombatant might turn to good use.Participants need something to fightover. This could be a treasure, someoneto rescue, or access into our dimension.In some settings, confrontation andcombat may be a game, performedbefore crowds of spectators. Fighters’motivations may include wealth, knowledge,or the chance to test their skills.Gladiatorial contests offer obvious examples.Magical duels between wizardscould have the same appeal in a worldof commonplace magic. A Ghostbustermight be brought to another world toduel a champion.A campaign’s structure can formaround a series of confrontations. Thisformula is common in super-heroiccampaigns, where each adventure culminatesin a battle against a new villain.If single combat between champions actuallysettles major disputes, adventur-Adventures97

ers may have to fight off the championsof many neighboring dimensions oneafter another.Or an entire campaign can lead up toa single confrontation with a master adversary.Any number of other missionscan help reach the point of that finalbattle – investigations, quests, even confrontationswith lieutenants of the mastervillain. This structure usually meansthat when the ultimate foe is defeated,the campaign is over. But it’s alwayspossible to reveal that the ultimate foewas in reality a high ranking lieutenantworking for yet another villain who iseven more dangerous.Adventure SeedsAnd the Rains CameThe Museum of Natural History has a big problem. Every Thursday atdawn, since the opening of their South American exhibit, it has rained. Notjust any rain; aphids, physalis fruit and even piranha! The clean-up costsare mounting while the smell of rotting flora and fauna, and fear of theunknown is keeping museum patrons away in droves.When the Ghostbusters set up to record the next event, they discoverthat a portal of sorts opens 20 meters above the museum’s roof, remaininglong enough for another anomalous rainfall. PKE valences in excess of 250can be taken during the event, but fall rapidly back to normal immediatelyafter the event. There is nothing unusual about the objects that fall fromthe portal. In the museum proper, low valences can be found on a few sacrificialknives and artifacts associated with violent death. However, in onedisplay case there is a descriptive card on gods of Incan mythology that hasa PKE valence of 68! The beginning of the card reads…Paricia was a god who sent a flood to kill humans who did notrespect him adequately. Possibly another name for Pacha Kamaq.Pacha Kamaq (‘Earth-Maker’) was considered the creator godby the people of Peru before the Inca conquest…The Wreck of ’53Faint ghostly trains are appearing on the rails in every corner of theGhostbusters exclusive territory. Materializing on tracks after dark andchugging their way toward the city, they get closer with each passing night.As the trains near, they become less transparent and their speed increases.In a few nights the first of the trains will be within the city limits.Research reveals that each phantom locomotive corresponds with awreck in which lives were lost, some going back as far as 1853. Scanningthe rails with PKE meters will show that PK energy, in the form of a thincoating of slime, is radiating out from the city’s center. As the phantomtrains overtake their modern kin, they deposit an extraordinary amount onslime in their wake, enough to drown people in the passenger cars. So farno one has been injured, but the Ghostbusters need to act quickly againstthe impending shut-down of the entire city rail grid.What agency is working to raise these long-slumbering iron horses?Is revenge a motive? Rumors surface of an engineer, who was fired yearsearlier for causing 7 deaths while operating under the influence, but howcould he be doing it? Could it have something to do with the new track laidrecently, track that helps complete an unholy pattern if one could only seehow the rails in multiple subway tunnels intersect.This scenario will work best in a large city like New York or Chicago,with commuter, freight and passenger lines all aimed at the city core. Tomake the threat even more intense, the ghost trains can travel on unusedrail lines and even subway and elevated tracks.The InexplicableAnother style of adventure confrontsthe heroes with mysteries – not situationsto be unraveled, as in investigativescenarios – but mysteries in the originalsense of strange and supernaturalevents. Mysteries are another archetypeof Ghostbusters adventures.The heart of this mystery scenario issupernatural or otherwise exotic power.Its real nature should be unknown tothe adventurers and should remain unknowneven at the end of the scenario. Itspower should be too great to overcomeby any form of combat or magic. But atthe same time, it should be indifferent totheir actions, or at least should not primarilyfocus on overcoming them.To bring the adventurers into contactwith the ineffable, it needs to have manifestations.Something should awaken itand draw its attention to the physicalworld, and that attention should producestrange effects. Often these will beharmful or terrifying, but in any case,they should attract investigators.Provide ways of perceiving the supernaturalforce more clearly. The heroesmay physically go where they can encounterit, or have the ability to perceivethe supernatural realm, or gain informationthrough divination or other magic.In doing so, they should never gain completeanswers, but only obscure hints.The risk of going mad after a failedFright Check can limit information.Finally, some underlying violation ofthe order of nature must have unleashedthe supernatural force. The adventurersshould discover this violation and find away to correct it, though doing so maycost them a great deal. By undoing theviolation, the adventurers should haverestored natural order to the world.A classic form of a mystery scenariouses the curse. Someone breaks a law ortaboo or offends a powerful being; as aresult, both they and those around them,and perhaps even their descendants,suffer great harm. Recall, for example,the legend of Oedipus, who brought aplague on Thebes by killing his fatherand marrying his mother.It’s also possible for a priest or sorcererinvoking a god or casting a spell todisturb the order of nature deliberately.In this kind of story, the adventurersmay struggle with fanatical cultists ormagical attacks before they can actuallyconfront the central mystery.Adventures

The best-known fictional treatmentsof inquiries into the unknown have contemporarysettings, as in the televisionseries The X-Files or the comic bookPlanetary. Priests seeking out black magichave acquired a bad name, thanks tothe Spanish Inquisition, but in a worldwhere magic is real, inquisitors couldhave a legitimate role. Evidence of holinesscan also draw a church’s attention,with the heroes trying to find out if theapparent miracles are real.Episodic inquiries into the inexplicableunfortunately often turn into “themonster of the week.” It’s hard to keepplayers in awe through one story afteranother of encounters with dark, hiddenforces. An entire campaign devoted tosuch inquiries can work, but it needs towalk a fine line between trivializing themysteries and constantly making themmore incredible.An entire campaign devoted to asingle mystery, or to a small number ofmysteries, can work very well. The heroesmay not even know if their strangeencounters all involve one hidden forceor several conflicting forces. They mayunwittingly become agents of the hiddenforce, without knowledge of its truenature or what it expects of them.Intensive TrainingOf course, every adventure can be alearning experience. But adventures canbe set up deliberately to train the heroes.Ghostbuster training is a given, but somegamers might be itching to experiencethe training as part of the campaign. Additionally,PCs might study to improvetheir skills or gain new ones, engage infield exercises, or even undertake specialmissions with their mentors. These scenariosinvolve lower risk levels and entertainingmishaps.A learning experience focuses on performinga task – either real or simulated.Either type should fit the Ghostbusters’skills. Most of the previously discussedscenario types scale down to such a purpose.Don’t remove all the risk, though;a little real danger sharpens a student’sattention wonderfully.An observer must monitor the students’performance, stepping in if theyget in too much trouble. Usually he’llkeep out of sight, appearing out of nowhereat the critical instant.The scenario should include an evaluationof the students’ performance.Keep notes of skillful or clever actions,but also of points where the studentscan improve. If a scenario produces aspectacular blunder, dwell on it. Rememberthat the evaluation may not beentirely fair; teachers don’t know everything.They may have excessively highstandards, and aren’t always unbiased.Base the evaluation on the teacher’s personalityas well as the facts.Finally, each scenario should teach aspecific skill or perhaps more than one.But not all the students should learn thesame skill. For example, group exercisesmay offer one student a chance to gainleadership skills, another an opportunityto hone combat abilities.A training exercise may involve anelement of competition. Two groups ofstudents may try to outdo each otherwhile performing the same assignment,or even compete to perform a task beforethe other group does. Training incombat skills may involve duels or wargames. If students become overzealous,competition may turn into actual combat,or students may begin sabotagingeach other’s efforts. Depending on thephilosophy of their teachers, such actionsmay be strictly against the rulesand require secrecy… or they may betolerated, even actively encouraged. Ifthe heroes face continuing rivalry fromanother team, they will become morepersonally involved in their training.Students may also find their ownlearning experiences. Such player initiatedscenarios can run very much liketraining exercises, complete with thefinal evaluation by their teachers... butthe prospects for getting into serioustrouble will be greater.A training campaign naturally beginsat the Ghostbusters training centrewhere the heroes are students. Charactersbuilt on 75 to 125 points work wellin such campaigns, though advancedstudents may require 175 points. Thetraining centre could be a combinationof classical fencing academies, firingranges, and Professor Xavier’s schoolfor “gifted” youngsters from X-Men!GMs may intersperse actual emergencymissions and scenes from the daily lifeAdventures99

of the school into the scenario.For an entire campaign to be a singlestory about training, it’s necessary for theadventurers to learn something big oreventually become teachers themselves.Perhaps advanced students undertakea long-term group project. Or perhapsthey strive to gain some knowledge ofsecret supernatural mysteries.A Day in the Life…Every campaign can benefit fromoccasional down time, when the adventurersdon’t explore haunted castlesor graveyards, or battle armies of monsters,but rest, spend their hard earnedcash, and drink and flirt with the help atthe local bar.This kind of scenario fits into anytype of campaign.A “day off” adventure needs a settingwith low danger levels. This can be assmall as the local bar, but it works betterif it’s on the scale of a town or smallneighborhood in a larger urban center.The heroes need to interact with a varietyof people. If some are impressivelypowerful, don’t make them foes for thePCs to defeat or sources of free benefits.Give them their own agendas, from runningthe annual street festival to findinghusbands for their seven daughters. Andspend equal effort on a few characterswith no power at all, such as the waitresswho flirts with the quiet member ofthe team, or the sausage vendor downthe block from Ghostbusters HQ.It’s also good to include a few communityevents. Weddings, funerals, andbirthdays all work well. Contests let theheroes show off their abilities and winprizes without mortal combat.Instead of having a fixed location, achange of pace scenario can take placeduring a journey. A pilgrimage to a sacredshrine or a long sea voyage canprovide relaxation, entertainment, and asense of transition.Or devote the scenario to an event orcontest – but as local celebrities – havethe PCs recruited to help run the event!Judging an amateur talent show or a pieeating contest with contestants comingin from all over the city, or a great sidewalksale filled with eager buyers, sellersand the odd drunk or pickpocket, can offersome novel challenges.An entire campaign of “day off” scenariosis probably too much of a goodthing. The charm of such episodes istheir rarity and contrast with the usualadventure and combat. Character interactionand humorous mishaps stand outbetter when they reveal a new side of thepeople involved.Hunting PartiesLegendary heroes have always hunteddangerous game, and Ghostbustersdo it for a fee. This type of adventure issimilar to a quest, but not the same: thegoal is not acquiring an object but overcomingdanger.A hunt needs a quarry, usually a monster.Catching it should test the hunters’skill and courage.Sometimes the adventure includespeople threatened by the quarry andseeking respite from the Ghostbusters.Finally, the hunt should take place ina wide area. This kind of quarry will notbe an average ghost and needs room tohide, move around, or even to ambushits hunters. Although this kind of scenariocan play out at night in desertedcity streets at night, it may be better inan area less settled, which typically containsat least old forest or mountains.In a less combat-oriented adventure,Ghostbusters may be sent after an animalthat’s not dangerous, but just rareand elusive like the Yeti or Lock NessMonster. They will certainly be asked tocapture it alive, adding to the challenge(and cost) of the expedition.A hunt can also pursue a man or otherintelligent being instead of a beast. A anevil magician may be an especially dangerousquarry. A manhunt can go crosscountryor take place in a large city. Ifthe quarry has a mask of legitimacy, thehunt may be even more dangerous, withthe PCs considered vigilantes or fanatics.(See the adventure seed below for anexample of how this might work.)It is not practical for Ghostbusters tospend a campaign on a single hunt as itdoesn’t fit with the franchise concept.The quarry is probably less powerfulthan the heroes; if it fights them openly,the hunt will end. But having it continueeluding them will get dull. A more usefulstructure is a series of hunts for differentbut related targets, whether they’relarge, mythological beasts or aristocraticvampires.Adventure SeedThe Vampire BriefHazel McMillian comes to the Ghostbusters with an interesting problem.Her daughter, Clara (Klare to her friends) has taken her dreary fascinationwith all things ‘Goth’ to the next level. Hazel hands them a personalad from a local paper and explains that “I didn’t believe in this supernaturalnonsense, but Clara has puncture marks on her neck and the doctor saysshe’s becoming anemic…”The Ghostbusters are hired to get ridof the vampire, or in Hazel’s own words– “shoo him away.” A little investigationreveals that Antoine Castelaine runs TVads as well and has developed a followingin the local Goth community. When theheroes arrive at the vampire’s home, theyare met by two police officers and a lawyerwith a restraining order keeping themaway from their quarry’s domicile. Apparently‘Klare’ has passed word to Castelaineabout her mother’s intentions.The police are not antagonistic toward the Ghostbusters, merely enforcingthe court order. “Ain’t no law against being a vampire,” they say.Is Castelaine really a vampire? Is there a way to stake out a tax-payingcitizen without going to jail? Will the Ghostbusters need their own lawyerto step in? And most importantly, how much do you charge for this kindof work?100Adventures

Cross-oversConsidering the multiplicity of bizarreshapes that both aliens and ghostscan take, it wouldn’t be surprisingfor the Ghostbusters to be called in toeradicate a menace that should rightlybe handled by the Men In Black. Butsince the Ghostbusters are listed in theYellow Pages, and the MIB are not – ameeting would seem inevitable. Whentwo groups with such conflicting goalscome face to face out in the field, whocan rightfully claim jurisdiction?There are enough accumulated ghoststories, folklore and modern mythologyto keep a campaign in fresh ideas,that a Game Master may never need tostray from the basic Ghostbusters gamestructure. The animated series demonstratedthat the genre is well suited forcross-over adventures.Before player characters are generated,the GM will have decided if thegame world has high mana or not. Atthat stage he should also be deciding ifthe world is populated with aliens, giantradioactive monsters, mages, superheroes,or anything else that he mightwant to hurl at the players during thecourse of the campaign.In a world of high mana and superheroes,the Ghostbusters may be calledupon to assist Doctor Strange in keepingthe forces of extra-dimensional evilat bay. Perhaps a disguised villain willhire the heroes to trap the Ghost Rider.The possibilities are endless.The world of GURPS Hellboy is anideal setting for cross-over adventures.While Hellboy’s comic adventures areinclined toward violent horror, the inherenthumor of the Ghostbusters genreis lurking there too. Toning down themore deadly aspects of a typical Hellboyscenario would make for tremendouscinematic thrills.In a campaign, a team of Ghostbusterswould make an excellent addition to theB.P.R.D. The average Ghostbuster beinga lot more competent than the standardagents that usually accompany Hellboyand his supernatural teammates ontheir missions.For even more colossal adventures(that go right off the scale), pictureCthulhu battling the Stay-Puft MarshmallowMan as a giant lizard rears upfrom the depths of Tokyo harbor. Thebiggest challenge of course is how doyou top a scenario like that?DiplomacyWhile political intrigues played smallroles in both Ghostbusters movies, it isunlikely that the players will want to bein campaign length scenarios involvinglawyers, lobbyists and legislators.Small scale diplomacy can add spiceas an aside to the main focus of thegame. At one end, the spectrum of diplomacymerges into covert operations;government officials of a certain typetrade in lies and secrets. At the otherend, it’s more like bartering, when twopeople discover that they both want thesame thing and want to help each otherbut are also wary of the other’s (possiblysecret) motives. The trouble is that thesame opening negotiations could lead toeither conclusion.Diplomatic undertakings focus on theattempt to gain benefits from someone,usually by offering benefits in return. Inthis case, Ghostbusters may need certainpermits in order to open a franchiseor perhaps to keep running their Ectocontainmentunit without interference.Advantages such as Charisma and socialskills help negotiations succeed.In a darker context, money, in theform of bribes, may need to exchangehands, or with more conspiracy mindedgames it may not be possible to negotiatewith the other side, or to trust themto carry out their agreements.The most basic element of a diplomaticscenario is two parties who havesomething to gain from each other. Theheroes will be one of the parties. Thegain may take various forms: cessationof hostilities, mutual protection, cooperativework, or a trade for example.The parties must be at least partlyignorant of each other’s motives and interests.Without uncertainty there is nonegotiation and no drama.Finally, negotiations occur in a neutrallocation. This can be a public place,or a private space belonging to someoneneutral. Or when negotiations reallygo wrong, a court of law might suffice.Persuasive skills will help determine theoutcome of a trial.Add interest to a diplomatic situationby involving more than two parties.The Ghostbusters will have to choose toform an alliance with one or go it alone.They may worry that another opponentmay enter into the situation to accomplishtheir own ends or gain leverageagainst them.ExplorationLike the Seattle Underground, somecities may have had sections built overruins left after a natural disaster of suchmagnitude that rebuilding wasn’t consideredan option. Tourists can sometimesvisit parts of the wreckage butmost of what remains is left to rats andother vermin of the night.Exploration adventures can seem alot like labyrinth scenarios, but the mainfocus is mapping out the area and findingout what’s in it. Whether standingin the remains of the Sub-rosa subway,or an alternate dimension, the thrust ofan exploration scenario should be push-Adventures101

ing the boundaries of science and theknown to gain knowledge.Ghostbusters aren’t likely to find agenerous benefactor who is willing topay for them to go exploring, so mostsuch adventures will happen duringdowntime when there is a dearth ofcases and the Ghostbusters have an opportunityto find out where those faerieskeep coming from, or to see if the dimensionthat the Ecto-containment unitopens into is really such a good place tobe putting ghosts.The preferred ingredients for explorationscenarios are a big place that veryfew people have ever seen and fewerhave lived to tell about. The heroes mustalso have a valid reason for wanting toexplore it. Although curiosity is a greatreason, the players may be expecting amore intriguing motive from the GM.The PCs should also have some relativelypainless way to get to the placethey’re exploring if the game isn’t to dragthrough long monologues about travel.The logic for not having campaignlength explorations is the same as givenfor dimension-hopping (See p. 84.) butextended excursions can make for a nicebreak in a campaign when the maintheme has become stale for the players.SubplotsRecurring subplots can provide a serialor episodic campaign with greatercontinuity. While the main charactersdeal with the problems and crises ofthe day, they also have to spend time onless important issues. Small developmentscan advance these subplots fromepisode to episode, without ever makingthem the main theme.The most fruitful source of such continuityis characters’ relationships. It’seasy to fall into thinking of these only interms of their direct impact on an adventure:a Dependent needs rescuing, anEnemy poses a threat, an Ally or Patronprovides help. But less dramatic themescan be worth exploring. What if the Allyfalls in love and is either terrified thathis love isn’t returned, or distracted becauseit is? What if the Patron wants theadventurer to attend his dinner parties?Taking advantage of established supportingcasts can complicate a PC’s lifein interesting ways.It’s also possible to introduce NPCswho assume these roles in play. An adversarywho is defeated in one scenariomay get away and plot revenge, or a victimof mistreatment may turn up andobviously need help. To make thingsmore complicated, these NPCs may attachto the predefined supporting cast.The PCs may befriend a lost child onlyto discover that he’s an adversary’s sonand needs to hide from his abusive parent– or that the adversary genuinelycares for him and is reluctantly gratefulto his foes for comforting him.Even inanimate objects can have suchsecondary relationships. A headquartersbuilding probably has some sort ofstaff; a vehicle has a crew, or at least amechanic. A relic can have someone tryingto reclaim it, sending dark agents tostalk the hero who is trying to deal withmore immediate problems.Some players can generate their ownsubplots. What if two of them becomedrinking buddies, or vie for the samegirl? Promote this by giving the playerstime to roleplay relationships and grantcharacter points for good roleplaying.RunningAdventuresThe basic elements covered so farwill help to create the plot for an adventure,but as Helmuth von Moltke theElder first said, “No battle plan survivescontact with the enemy.” In this case,we have met the enemy and he is ourplayer.The best outline can never anticipateall the inventive ways the players willfind to circumvent everything that youset in their paths. A good GM learns toroll with the punches and have lots ofcontingency material prepared so that agame in progress doesn’t go irrevocablyoff the rails.This next section is a combinationof standard in-game elements and dirtytricks that can be inserted into any game,in order to confuse or distract the players,buy time, and generally keep thingsinteresting.102 Adventures

Controlling TenorMost scenarios will have a built insense of atmosphere that the GM willslowly manipulate as the game progresses.Parallel and apart from the atmosphereis the tenor, or tone which isusually the domain of the players.The best narrative will accomplishlittle if it falls on deaf ears. When playersare excited and joking around, ortheir mood is counter to the atmospherethe GM is trying to build, it can be hardto get the game on track. Sudden actionmay be what it takes to turn the situationaround.Rather than continue with the narrative,have a player’s leg plunge suddenlythrough a rotten floorboard while a loudcrash sounds just ahead and out of sight.It may just have been a cat, or somethingmuch worse, either way you’ll have theplayers’ attention quickly enough.The GM needs to give the game it’sAdventure SeedThe Water GhostA British lord is staying in the area on business and calls upon the localGhostbusters to help rid him of the family curse. Every time Friday fallson the thirteenth of any given month, a “water ghost” appears at dusk andhaunts the head of the family until dawn.The ghost is watery in form, but resembles a woman dressed in thefashion of the mid-seventeenth century. She has been appearing to the heirof the family for over 300 years. When the ghost appears, everything in a40 foot radius starts getting dewy and this water forms continuously untilthe ghost disappears. Some have died from exposure or water borne diseasescontracted while in her presence, others have had accidents causedby the damaging effects of the water (one being electrocuted and anotherdrowned). The current lord has taken to bundling himself up in warm cottonclothing and staying outside in a semi-sheltered area on a comfortablebench, with a small bottle of brandy — to avoid the fate of his unluckierforefathers. While a few Lords have managed to become octogenarians, theghost has always made for an unhappy retirement.The ghost is a Class V free-repeater. Blasting her out of existence or trappingher will not stop the curse, since the lord himself is the water ghost’sfocus. She will reform quickly if dispersed and cannot be dissuaded fromthe curse because she was a suicide and this haunt is her only time awayfrom her eternal punishment. The ghost has a very high dodge score becauseshe can reshape her liquid body to avoid attacks. This spectre willprove to be a challenge for the Ghostbusters since she can’t be dealt with inthe same manner as most other ghosts. When the lord dies, the curse passesto his heir, so even destroying the “focus” won’t get rid of this pest.Read “The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall” by John Kendrick Bangs formore inspiration, and one possible solution. It has been collected in variousanthologies and is also available on the web.own sense of urgency, horror or humor,so it is good to have a prepared inventoryof random occurrences handy, to throwinto the game at a moment’s notice inorder to change the tenor in a spontaneousmanner or redirect attention withoutdestroying the atmosphere that youworked so hard to create.When trying to manipulate the tone,keep in mind things like the dangersinherent in the current location, or thepotentials for both horror and humorthat were built into the ghost. What situationscan be leveraged to keep the playersoff balance or distract them? NPCs inthe neighborhood or a political situationthat directly affects the franchise. Sometimesdistractions like these can keepthe players from concentrating on theproblem at hand, giving the GM furtherchances to surprise or confound them.But as with any good thing, don’t overdoit or it could backfire, leaving players toodistracted to notice what’s going on.AdventuresFrustrating AimsYou can’t always get what you want,but sometimes you get what you need.Despite the best laid plans, some playersfigure out that the best way to the topis with the elevator, and they may justtumble to your master plan far too earlyin the game session. As in real life, sometimesthe silver ring is snatched awayfrom you just when you’re about to grabit. Game Masters should have no fear ofdoing the same. Have an NPC get in theway, have the mascot blow their cover,or have the villain of the piece changehis plans at the last minute – weirderthings have happened.In any situation, NPCs whether antagonistic,friendly or random can addserious complications that can injectdrama or comedy while preventing theGhostbusters gaining an easy win.In opposition to frustrating the playersaims is a little thing called deus exmachina. When things are going particularlybad the GM may decide to interferewith a “bit of business”. The intentionhere is to inject a little comedy intothe proceedings, while tipping the scalesin the players favor at the same time. Abit of outrageous fortune, especially ifit’s funny, is always welcome. The playerswill appreciate it, and while their baconshouldn’t get pulled from the fire toooften, neither should the PCs be dyinglike flies.Running GagsWith any luck, one or two “bits” willget big enough laughs that they’ll be reusedand become running gags.A running gag can be as simple asa catch-phrase that gets repeated by acharacter in certain situations, or moreelaborate set-ups of Rube Goldberg-likecomplexity. Perhaps in situations wherethe Ghostbusters can’t use their Protonguns on him, the ghost of the WisconsinDairy King will appear to pelt them withsmall cheeses.Most running gags will start by accident,when something fails to work orsomething works spectacularly, and theplayers latch on to it in hopes of a repeatperformance of equal proportions.It might be difficult to manufacture runninggags, so the GM should watch forplayer reactions and note anything withpossibilities. (See By the Light of the SilveryMoon in the side-bar on p. 105 for apersonal favorite.)103

timinGBoth comedic and celestial timingare another important element in theGhostbusters genre. How often havemovie heroes been saved at the last possiblemoment by the rising sun? And whywill a car engine never turn over whenthe knife-wielding maniac is breathingdown your neck?When planning an adventure, theGM should look at the ghosts, the locationsand the NPCs for comic hooks, orpotential “funny accidents” that couldoccur at the worst possible moment,to invigorate the game. During play theGM should wait for an available opportunity;the quintessential right moment.However, the GM should never overusegags, interfering NPCs, or plain oldbad luck, as it can take away from theplayers’ enjoyment of the game. Afterall, they do need to win once in a while.And as Roger Rabbit once said, “Notat any time, only when it was funny.”Using Work OrdersImagine, after weeks of planning andhelping the players to mold their characters– finally sitting down for the firstreal gaming session of the campaign.The players are eagerly waiting for theproverbial alarm bell to ring, and a voiceto shrill out, “We got one!” when theyare handed clipboards with a sheaf ofpapers on each. “Here’s the paperworkfor tonight’s assignments,” says the GMand the game is afoot.Location Class Details From Until TimeSeverityCall No.Critical?Greater ChicagoMass Haunting Phantom Train Migration. (See Job Sheet) Sunset Unknown Yes Critical 123008-01AreaHome haunted by 3 full roaming vapours.Park RidgeHauntingSunset Sunrise No Medium 123008-02(See Job Sheet)Rosehill Cemetary Zombies? Repeated F13 zombie attacks (See Job Sheet) 11:30 pm 12:30 am Yes Medium 123008-03Possible victim of an alien abduction.Jackson Park Alien Abduction2:30 am 2:45 am Yes High 123008-04(See Job Sheet)Ghosts reported interfering with maintenance.O’Hare Airport Gremlins?Anytime Anytime No Medium 123008-05(See Job Sheet)Call Sheet: 123008Thursday, October 30, 2008Address: Washington Station (Subway)Greater Chicago AreaEntry: Security and Police will be waiting. System will be shutdown for servicing at 6:15 pmClass: Mass HauntingProblem: Multiple Phantom trains converging on Chicago city center.Details: Multiple ghost trains have been sighted over the previous weekend, reenacting their crashes.The sightings stopped on Monday/Tuesday night, but were repeated on Tuesday/Wednesday.On Wednesday/Thursday night the trains broke with the pattern and all began converging onChicago. The trains did not make appreciable advances toward the city, perhaps 20 miles.However, the trains that were localized and the ones closest to the city began circling theloop, making use of any normal trains on those lines impossible. (Some people on one trainalmost drowned in slime.) It is expected that if the trains do not proceed any faster thanpreviously, the last one will arrive at the loop by 10:11 pm. The city is under fire for lockingdown the subway after dark and they are also facing numerous lawsuits, as are three otherlocal rail companies. This job is a MUST DO if we can pull it off at all, it had better be tonight.being paid by 4 separate corporate entities if the situation gets resolved quickly.phenomena.Timing: Critical. The city wants this problem taken care of TONIGHT. Also, there is the potential for usSeverity: Critical. Physical attacks, damage, potential loss of life, materializations and otherOther Info: Details uncovered about new section of underground (subway) rails. Constructionfinished shortly before haunting began. City Councilman Paul Thurston (a trainaficionado) swayed the votes for this construction over other city transit plans.I have arranged an interview with him for 4:30 this afternoon. Please be discreet.Thurston is influential in city politics and the guy looks like he’s one hundred yearsold, so don’t give him a heart attack.For a GM with time on hishands, or who likes to writedown plot hooks as they occurto him, work orders canbe a lot of fun. Although theyare ostensibly task lists for players, workorders have the potential to be much,much more.To begin with, they are great plannersfor campaign progression. Before thecampaign commences, a quick check ofany calendar will immediately open upmany possible adventure hooks. Thereare special calendar dates the year roundthat can have deep significance. Monstersand goblins go hand-in-hand withHalloween, and Christmas ghosts are aBritish tradition that can easily jumpthe pond. Leprechauns, cherubs, giantrabbits and don’t forget to take into ac-countthespecialfeast days of other cultures.Making a note of these can help pinpointthe year’s busiest work days for ateam of Ghostbusters, but then go backand mark off days when there is a newmoon and a full moon, and maybe thefirst and last quarters just for fun.Tracking phases of the moon during acampaign can help foster a sense of expectationin players, as will the use of thework order in general. There should alwaysbe an influx of calls at GhostbustersHQ whenever there is a full moon, evenif most of them are spurious. Furthermore,the new moon should loom bigfor local cults, as would any celestialoccurrence that could be construed byoccultists to be of significance.Toss in a lunar or solar eclipse, a meteorshower, or a rare alignment of starsand planets – just the excuse some nutneeds for summoning things man wasnot meant to know. After all, there won’tbe a conjunction like this for anotherhundred years.Transferring calendar data to workorders and adding unconnected casescan quickly produce months of potentialgames, although the players shouldn’tbe given a glimpse that far into the future.The pages that they receive shouldonly concern the immediate day or so ofgame time, which may be weeks of playin real time.The sheets can be as detailed orCall Number:123008-01Thursday, October 30, 2008Detail Sheet10Adventures

vague as time or GM caprice dictate, butcertain information – client name andjob location – should be included. Theplayers will expect some detail about theghost, even if only a guess at it’s class –and that guess needn’t be very accurate.Priority and timing are highly recommendedto add urgency and a generalthreat level to each case. For instance, ofthe four cases on tonight’s work order,one is a standard haunting that occursfrom 3:00 a.m. till dawn each night. Thesecond case is a banshee that shrieks atthe client every Friday at exactly 4:38each morning before departing. Thethird case is a demon that appears minutesbefore dawn at Harvey’s Used CarEmporium and smashes a single carinto a small round ball of metal beforedisappearing. Finally there are pixiesswarming pedestrians in the city’s largestpark from dusk on Fridays till dawnon Monday mornings.The first case is a standard job thatseems non-threatening with a large timewindow for getting the work done. Thesecond, while non-threatening has verytight time constraints, and it is Friday.The third has high value commoditiesat stake and a pretty tight time schedulewhile the last job has a huge time window– but since the city is footing thebill and civilians are being targeted – itmay have the highest priority of all. Theheroes may be stuck leaving a job forthe next day in order to handle the importantones, or even worse, leave in themiddle of a job to take care of a moretime sensitive duty.When using work orders, the GMneedn’t be worried about staying committedto what is written down. Amendedwork orders can happen every day;jobs get backed up, clients reschedule ortry to have an exorcist fix the problem(they work for free), emergency jobs getinserted into the middle of the timetablewith no warning and no write-up, secretariesquit leaving one incompetentat the phones and no one to type up thework orders.Rewardingthe PlayersAwarding character points should behandled as described in the Basic Rulesunless the campaign is a high point (anddangerous) one. A Ghostbuster with averageor better skills should be able tohandle himself and survive with the normalrate of skill progression.What players may want more thanCP is money to buy better gear with.The GM may wish to track the moneymade on missions and allow the playersto charge extra for challenging jobs inorder to finance their need for advancedequipment. This assumes a game withgadgeteers or a monthly catalogue fromGhostbusters International.To encourage more wild or humorousgame play, the GM may wish to rewardbrave or foolhardy deeds. This can bedone with CP but it may make the playersmore avaricious instead of funny.Adventure SeedsThe Elephants’ GraveyardHarvard Bickleswaite, the Explorer’s Club man-among-men has madethe find of the century! He has discovered the secret dying ground of theAfrican elephant, and to prove it — he has returned to the city with 10 fullelephant skeletons, complete with ivory tusks.Unfortunately, once the skeletons are assembled for display, they becomeanimated and start stampeding back to their resting place. TheGhostbusters must now stop this stampede of carnage. There’s only onesmall problem, the elephants are too big for ghost traps and Bickleswaite— the only man who knows where the graveyard is — was knocked into acoma during the powerful pachyderms’ first rampage!The Search for the Holy GrailRushton Uppington has been questing for the Holy Grail ever since hefirst read Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. Now a self-made millionaire, andworld traveller, Uppington has a room in the collections wing of his mansionthat contains no less than 42 goblets of varying size and shape that hehas acquired on his journeys. Uppington wants to pay the Ghostbustersto scan his treasury of chalices with their “new-fangled ghost-thingies” todiscover if any one of them could be the true Sangreal.When the heroes unlimber their PKE meters they are surprised to findextremely high PKE valences, but the PK energy isn’t coming from thegrails — it’s coming from somewhere behind them…By the Light of the Silvery MoonEvery time there is a full moon, the Ghostbusters are inundated withcalls. Unfortunately most of them are false alarms caused by vivid imaginations,fueled by alcohol. Invariably, one of the calls will be to catch a werewolfthat’s been prowling the neighborhood.This has the potential to become a great running gag if played well. Inthe author’s campaign there has never been a werewolf. There have beenprank calls (and eggings), raccoons, dogs and even a bear. Without fail, theGhostbusters now call in the local animal control people whenever they goout on a werewolf caper, which is always fun to explain to the police andother bystanders at the scene of the distubance.Instead, consider giving out tokens orcheap glass beads. Whenever a playersays or does something in character thatis deemed hilarious or recklessly brave,present him with a token. When playershave accumulated a sum of tokens, theycan trade them in for bonuses on difficultdie rolls or they could be treated asa luck roll. Using them as bonuses forsuccess on even bolder stunts should beespecially promoted.The GM may allow players to exchangetokens for a substantially loweramount of CP or any other in-game perkthat he decides is appropriate. Above all,make the reward worthwhile and theplayers will work hard to earn it.Adventures105

Appendix IOther PlanesThe nature of ghosts and ghost realmsshould be considered in the context ofthe campaign. This isn’t really importantin a game that takes place exclusivelyin our own material dimension, but itneeds to be addressed if the heroes travelto other dimensions where there are(or aren’t any) ghosts. When people die,do their spirits go the Heaven (or Hell)after bodily death? If so, Heaven, Hell,Purgatory, the Happy Hunting Groundsand all other afterlife refuges might bedeemed alternate dimensions; planesthat are normally inaccessible to corporealhumans. Some planes may intersectwith our material world, or even overlapit. There should be a reason, no matterhow implausible, why ghosts exist insome dimensions and it is up to the GMto establish a consistent explanation forspirits and spirit worlds when presentingthem to the players. GURPS Spirits(pp. 20-31) contains a more detailed discussionof the whys and wherefores ofspirit worlds, accessing them and more.On the following pages are examplesof alternate planes, some that havemade appearances on the Real Ghostbusters,and may be appropriate settingsfor adventures in a multi-planarcampaign. The effects of time, gravityand magic, the morphability of objects,the physical size of the dimension andother salient information will be brieflylaid out. Game Masters must flesh outmuch more detail if PCs are to spendan extended time exploring any of theseotherworldly realms.Astral PlaneThe astral plane described in GURPSPsionics is a spirit world of sorts. It maybe the only spirit world, particularly ina campaign focused more on spirits as“psychic” phenomena. Characters withAstral Projection (p. PO121) can visit theastral plane, as can those using certainspells, like Planar Visit (Astral).Size: The astral plane overlays thephysical world, but is completely imperceptibleto non-astral beings. Thereforethe astral plane can be thought ofas being as infinite or finite as our ownuniverse. Only those with magic (AstralVision, Sense Spirit, Sense Observationand similar spells) can perceive spiritsnormally.106 Contents

The astral plane may be one of manyspirit worlds in the campaign. If so, astralprojectors may be able to travel tothe other spirit worlds with a successfulAstral Projection skill roll, modifiedaccording to the nature of the desiredplane. If an astral projector can travelto other spirit worlds, all the normalabilities and restrictions of astral projectionapply. Astral projectors can interactwith spirits as if they both were physical,gaining their normal astral DR andMove.Time: Time passes at the same rateon the astral plane as it does on the materialplane.Gravity: Gravity on the astral plane isa normal Earth gravity.Morphic: The astral plane is nonmorphic,since there are no native objectsor elements to affect except forother astral beings.Magic: The astral plane is a lowmanaarea, so all spells cast there are at-5 to skill, and any other effects of lowmana apply. Spells cast on astral beingswork normally, just like a sorcerer castinga spell into a low-mana area in thephysical world, except that astral beingscan be affected only by spells that affectthe mind or spirit. If the astral plane isthe only spirit world in the campaignsetting, the GM may wish to change thisrestriction to allow spirits with Mageryand innate spells to function normally.Boogieman’sRealmThe Boogieman’s dimension existsbeside, but apart from our own. Theterrain is a cross between an 18th centurydrawing room and an M. C. Ecsherprint, replete with oversized furnitureand floor to ceiling bookshelves. It haslooping ramps and stairways that go everywhereand nowhere. There are alsocountless doors of every design imaginable.The Boogieman uses these doorsas portals to access childrens’ closets allover the world. The Boogieman lives onthe fear he engenders in the children hevisits each night.Size: This plane is infinite. It goeson forever in all directions, but seemsmuch smaller because the Boogiemanhas formed it to appear like an endlesssuccession of large rooms.Time: Time seems to pass slightlyslower in this dimension. Calculatinga ratio of 1:0 to 1:5 might be appropriate,meaning one hour on the materialplane is equal to an hour and a half inthe Boogieman’s domain.Gravity: The strength of gravity hereis the same as on the Material Plane, butit is of a “subjective directional” nature,meaning each individual chooses thedirection of gravity’s pull. This planehas no gravity for unattended objectsand non-sentient creatures. This sortof environment can be very disorientingto the newcomer, but is commonon “weightless” planes. Characters canmove normally along a solid surface byimagining “down” near their feet. If suspendedin midair, a character “flies” bymerely choosing a “down” direction and“falling” that way. In such situations, anindividual falls as per the Falling VelocityTable (p. B431). Movement is straightlineonly. In order to stop, one has toslow movement by changing the designated“down” direction (again, movingas per the falling table). It takes an Intelligencecheck to set a new direction ofgravity. This check may be modified bythe GM if the falling character is panicked.Additional checks can be madeonce every 5 seconds. Any characterthat fails this check in successive triesreceives a -1 on subsequent checks untilhe or she succeeds.Morphic: Only the Boogieman hasthe ability to alter objects, creatures,and the landscape on this plane. To outsiders,this realm will seem to be nonmorphic,like the material plane. PCswill find this plane can be affected byspells and physical effort, but the Boogiemanmay cause any changes to reverseinstantly and dramatically.Magic: This is a realm of wild magic.PKE meters will not work becauseof the ambient magical “backgroundnoise”. Natural laws of physics do notwork properly here and can change atthe Boogieman’s whim. Proton Packs donot work with predictable results. Spellsand spell-like abilities function in radicallydifferent and sometimes dangerousways. Any spell or spell-like ability usedin the Boogieman’s Realm has a chanceto go awry. The caster must make a successfulroll against IQ -5 for the magicto function normally. The same is truefor Psionic or spell-like abilities. Failureon this check means that somethingstrange happens; roll 3d and consult theCritical Spell Failure Table (p. B236).Dream WorldsThere is another plane potentiallyaccessible to everyone; we travel thereevery time we sleep. It is the world ofdreams. The dream world is created by(or perhaps simply influenced by) ourdreams. It may be the dreams of intelligentbeings, or it may be the dreams ofall creatures, perhaps even the dreamsContents107

of rocks, rivers, and clouds.There may be as many dream worldsas there are dreamers, with each personinhabiting his own personal dreamscape.If so, there is little or no interactionbetween dreams without the use ofspecial abilities like psionics, spells, orrituals. These abilities allow someone to“visit” someone else’s dreamscape andinteract with him there.It is also possible that dreams tap intoa wider plane of existence; that there isa single “dream world” we can all visit.The two views are not incompatible. Itmay be that everyone dreams in a personal“inner” dreamscape but that thosedreamscapes are contained within agreater, “outer” dream world. Someonewho manages to “step outside” his personaldreamscape can visit the largerdream world (and things in the dreamworld can sometimes insinuate themselvesinto a person’s dreams…). This isthe kind of dream world appears in NeilGaiman’s Sandman series for DC Comicsand is also the default assumption inGURPS Spirits.Size: The dream world is infinite,though some dreamscapes may havefinite components within them. Or theymay consist of ongoing expanses in twodirections, like a map that stretches outinfinitely.Time: All time is subjective and highlyvariable in the dream world, and so, itcan be perceived differently by everyone.Time can also be altered through the useof spells, or simply by concentrating onchanging it. See morphic below.Gravity: Gravity is also subjective inthe dream world. Believing you can flyor walk on walls is all that’s necessary todo these things. Personal gravity can bedisturbed by spells or other dreamers. Insuch cases, have a quick contest of Willto see who affects the gravity.Morphic: As a rule, the dream worldis a highly mutable place, made upof the stuff of imagination. Dreamerswith strong Will or the Dreaming skill(p. B188) can greatly influence the substanceand events in their own dreamscapesat least, and possibly in the dreamworld as a whole.Magic: Abilities like psionics, magic,and rituals can also influence eventsin the dream world. GMs may wish toallow special advantages like Magery,psionics, or ritual magic that are usableonly in the dream world (at -40% Accessibilitylimitation) to reflect people whohave extraordinary powers only whenthey are dreaming.Ecto-containmentUnitDimensionometer type Ecto-containmentunits (p. 55) are doorways intoan unknown dimension peopled bydemons and other supernatural monsters.Discovered by Egon Spengler, it isnow also a repository for ghosts. Littleis known about the dimension since ithas not been extensively explored. Thelandscape resembles the paintings ofSalvador Dali, but even darker and moretwisted.The original Dimensionometer wasan enormous array of equipment thatopened a portal directly between thetwo dimensions. With this sort of portalit was as simple as stepping through adoor to cross between the two worlds.The effects of inter-dimension cross-rippingtended to cause things on the materialplane to get sucked into the ghostdimension. After an accident during thefirst test run, was decided that a directinterface was too dangerous to use, andthe existing trap-slot mechanism for astandard Ecto-containment unit wasadapted for use.Now the only way to enter the ghostdimension is via a ghost trap placed intothe interface, or wearing a (still experimental)molecular destabilization suit.Like it’s smaller counterpart, theghost trap, the DCU utilizes a revolutionarylaser containment technology tokeep captured ghosts away for the portalback to our dimension. Think of ghostsas having a negative magnetic chargeand the grid lasers also being negativelycharged. As the ghost approaches the interfaceof the DCU it will be propelledbackwards due to the shared charge,just as what happens when you put twomagnets together pole to pole.Size: The DCU is finite but still inconceivablylarge.Time: The DCU is timeless. Time stillpasses, but the effects of time are diminished.How this timelessness can affectcertain activities or conditions such ashunger, thirst, aging, the effects of poison,and healing is up to the GM.A possible danger of a timeless planeis that conditions such as hunger andaging might occur retroactively onceone leaves the plane for one where timeflows normally.Gravity: The ghost dimension has anormal Earth-like gravity.Morphic: The DCU is static and unchanging.Visitors cannot affect residentsof the plane, nor objects that thedenizens possess. Spells that wouldaffect those on the plane have no effectunless the plane’s no-mana state issomehow suppressed. Spells cast beforeentering this plane remain in effect.Even moving an unattended objectwithin a static plane requires a Strengthcheck. Particularly heavy objects may beimpossible to move.Magic: The DCU is a dead magicplane, although spells cast on objectsbefore entering continue to work.108 Contents

Ethereal PlaneThe ethereal plane is coexistent withthe material plane and often otherplanes as well. The material plane itselfis visible from the ethereal plane, but itappears muted and indistinct, its colorsblurring into each other and its edgesturning fuzzy.While it is possible to see into thematerial plane from the ethereal plane,the ethereal plane is usually invisible tothose on the material plane. The etherealplane doesn’t have any sort of nativelife or spirits (although it could, if theGM wants). Normally, creatures on theethereal plane cannot attack creatureson the material plane, and vice versa. Acharacter with the Insubstantiality advantagemay access the ethereal plane ifthat suits the “special effects” of his ability.A traveler on the ethereal plane is invisible,incorporeal, and utterly silent tosomeone on the material plane.The ethereal plane is mostly empty ofstructures and impediments. However,the plane has its own inhabitants. Someof these are other ethereal travelers, butthe ghosts found here pose a particularperil to those who walk the fog. It hasthe following traits.Size: The ethereal plane is infinite.Time: Time passes normally in thisplane.Gravity: There is no gravity. Individualson this plane merely float in space,unless other resources are available toprovide a direction for a gravitationalpull.Morphic: The plane is alterable, butcontains little to alter. Objects remainwhere they are (and what they are) unlessaffected by physical force or magic.You can change the immediate environmentas a result of tangible effort.Magic: The ethereal plane is a lowmana area, so it is more difficult touse magic there, although magic is themost common means of accessing it(via spells like Ethereal Body, p. M146).Spells function normally on the etherealplane, though they do not cross into thematerial plane.The only exceptions are spells andspell-like abilities that affect ethereal beings.Spellcasters on the material planemust have some way to detect foes onthe ethereal plane before targeting themwith spells, of course. While it’s possibleto hit ethereal enemies with spells caston the material plane, the reverse isn’tpossible. No magical attacks can overcross from the ethereal plane to the materialplane.Flip SideDimensionNew York, the Big Apple becomes BooYork, the Big Pumpkin in the Flip Sidedimension; an inverted, Halloween inspired,reflection of our material plane.Where things would be bright and cleanin our world they are dark and dirty inthis one. It is entirely inhabited by theundead, who are desperately afraid of“People”. Flip Side Ghostbusters arecalled Peoplebusters, and seem to enjoya level of respect that would be unprecedentedto the Ghostbusters of our plane.They use “proton packs” that spewstreams of thick slime (p. 45) to ensnaretheir targets. Conversely, living people inthis dimension can fly and walk throughwalls as though they were intangible, butthey still remain fully visible as thoughthey were solid corporeal beings.The inhabitants of this plane willseem malevolent to outsiders. In theirday-to-day dealings with each other,they would not seem to be especiallyevil. Outsiders to the plane will have atough time dealing with its natives andsituations. All reaction rolls should bewith a -6 modifier for all player characters,except those with particularly heinouspersonal habits.Size: The full size of the Flip Siderealm is unknown. “Boo York” seemsthe same size as New York on this planeso it may be assumed that this dimensionis the same size as ours.Time: Time passes at the same rateon the Flip Side plane as it does on thematerial plane.Gravity: Gravity on this plane is apparentlynormal Earth gravity.Morphic: The Flip Side is morphic toa much greater extent than the materialplane. Magic and physical force can alterthe environment, and will do so toa much greater extent than would thesame effort on our own plane. For example,denizens of the Flip Side routinelydeform their heads for a “new look”.Magic: Although all of Flip Side ishigh mana, none of this magic energy isambient and available for use by magicusers. Natives can deform their bodies,switch heads (while retaining their personalities),and many other seeminglyimpossible feats because of the innatemagical nature of their bodies. To accomplishdifficult tasks, Flip Siders buildmachines, which, while impractical inour dimension, work perfectly well onthe Flip Side because of the magic inherentin the building materials.Magic users wishing to cast spells onthe Flip Side must bring a magic sourcewith them or find some way to renderthe magic out of everyday objects andcontain it for later use.Contents109

Appendix IIPlayer HandoutsThese player handouts are providedmostly for fun. The intention is obviouslyto simulate some of the detail(and drudgery) of ghostbusting as a realprofession with its many pros and cons— paperwork being a major con.The GM can distribute any (all ornone) of these to the players hopefullyengaging them and enhancing their experienceas full-fledged Ghostbusters.This PDF book is distributed unlocked,so the text can be exported and editedif the GM would like to reword someitems, or even redesign the forms completely.Finally, tangible feedback doesn’tneed to stop with these sheets of paper.Consider handing out an “Employee ofthe Month” award to generate a littlefriendly competition among the players.As noted previously in Props and Atmosphere(p. 87) having material objectsreleating to the scenario, as it plays outcan magnify the tension or surrealnessof any situation.The purpose of each form should beself-evident, but a brief suggestion onpossible uses has been provided for theitems below.Business Cards: The PCs would leavethese cards with informants or witnessesto encourage contact throughoutan investigtion. What the playersmight use them for is beyond me.Certificate of Merit: Whenever a PCpulls off a particularly glorious stunt,or saves the world, there’s no betterreward than a pat on the back and apiece of paper that says “well done”.GMs may wish use these certificatesof merit as part of a reward systemfor particularly good role-playing.(See Rewarding the Players, p. 105 formore ideas.)Customer Bill of Rights: This documentis theoretically given to eachcustomer before any ghostbustingbegins.Customer Invoice: This document istheoretically given to each customerafter the ghostbusting ends.Damage Release Form: Most importantin thwarting future litigation forany “damages” incurred during anelimination and containment, thisform is must be signed by each customerbefore any ghostbusting workcan be performed.Entity Analysis Form: Probably themost useful piece of paper for bothplayer and GM. Encountered ghostscan be quantified, categorized andnamed to help chronicle the courseof the campaign and additional notescan be made to help in determininghow to deal with similar menaces inthe future.“Janine, here’s the papers on the Brooklyn job…she paid with Visa.”— Peter Venkman, “Ghostbusters”EPA Operating Permit: Mostly forshow, it least proves your franchise isoperating legally. Nice to hang on thewall next to the franchise license.EPA Temporary Permit: Mostly notfor-show,this permit indicates thatyour franchise has been treading onthin ice with government representativesfor a while, and it needs to shapeup or face closure and possibly legalactions. Fun to hang over the playersheads when their performance is notup to snuff.Franchise Contract: Always read thefine print before signing anything.This document might be a real eyeopenerfor some players who thinktheir characters are going to get rich.Of all the forms presented here, thisis the one GMs will probably want tofiddle with the most before submittingto the players for approval.Franchise License: Something prettyto hang on the wall while you’re playing,perhaps, but nothing you caneasily incorporate into a gaming sessionunless you’re taking the gameway too seriously.GBI Standard Will: Yet another fun bitof business that will get your playersthinking. It might also add to thebuild-up of horror and impendingdoom, if the will forms are handed tothe players for signing at an obviouscritical junture in a game.Job Application Form: To be filled outby any new would-be Ghostbuster.The GM may wish to had this out beforestarting the campaign to get a focuson his players intentions towardthe upcoming game. Or he mightwant to hand them out to new participantsin the gaming group to showjust how (disturbingly) serious youand your core group take the game.Personnel Record: Vital to the operationof any business are secret fileswith dirt on each employee… Okay,it’s just a blank character sheet.Work Order: This one is the most funfor the GM. Good for getting playersworked up without even setting footoutside their HQ. See pp. 18 and XXfor more details on how to spice upadventures with this little piece ofpaper.110Player Handouts

usiness CArdsIf you would like to print anything on the back of these cards, the Ghostbusters font is ITC Symbol Bold.Call JL5-2020We believe you!Call JL5-2020We’re ready to believe you!Got Slime?Professional Paranormal Investigationsand Eliminations.Call JL5-2020Call JL5-2020No Job Is Too Big, No Fee Is Too Big!Franchises Available.plAyer hAndouts 111

Certificate of MeritBe it known to all who bear witness that this highest honor whichmay be bestowed by The Ghostbusters International Corporationhas been awarded toon thisFor outstanding professionalism; for exceptional bravery in the faceof near-certain danger; for courtesy and compassion; for dedicationto teamwork; for strengthening and upholding the values and tenetsof our organization.We give congratulations for the contributionto the public good in this stellar completion of duty.Executive DirectorGhostbusters InternationalFranchise Owner

CUSTOMER BILLF RIGHTSSubject to reasonable imputations of reputation and ability to pay,each Ghostbusters franchise must accept all clients who apply for services,regardless of race, creed, color, station, nationality, and time of dayor night, on weekends and holidays, and whether living or dead.The Customer has the right to be presented with a preliminary writtenestimate of costs and time required for job completion.The Customer has the right to be notified of service problems as they arise,particularly affecting cost or completion of services rendered.The Customer has the right to be informed of the type of equipment thatwill be used in their homes, places of business or other properties,and the possible damage that these may cause.The Customer has the right to request a viewing of any legaldocumentation that will verify the legitimacy of the franchise. This includesthe personal identification of any GBI authorized personnel at the location.The Customer has the right to file a formal complaint with a customercare representative if the franchise does not meet the expectationsof the customer (within the guidelines of the Customer Service Plan).The Customer has the right to expect a timely response from the franchise.All job dockets will be completed in the order in which they werereceived.*The Customer has the right to be informed of any waiting period that mayapply. Unexpected delays do happen as paranormal activity fluctuates.The Customer has the right to expect successful completion of serviceswhether or not initial cost/time projections were correct, insufficient,or exorbitant.No Ghostbusters franchise can abandon needful clients who lack otherrecourse.*Unless the call is superseded by one that threatens human life, or is preceded by a time sensitive order.This form is must be given to any client before an agent of the GBI Corporation can perform any investigations or eliminations.Ghostbusters International Customer Bill of Rights Information Sheet©GBIF-113

CUSTOMER INVICECall Number:BILL TO:Standard Price MenuOn-Site Inspection ......................... $500Capture of Entities:First Entity........................$4,000Additional Entities.............$1,000Removal of Entities:First Entity........................$1,000Additional Entities................ $500One-time Storage Fee.................$1,500Additional service charges may beapplied in special circumstances.Job CodeDescription of Service$ AmountPayment Information AMEX VISA Mastercard Discover OtherCredit Card NumberSub-totalProton Charging:Storage Fee:Taxes:$1,500.00SignatureAmount Due:Payment is due within 30 days of the receipt of rendered invoice. All prices are subject to change without notice.Ghostbusters International Customer Invoice Form©GBIF-114

RELEASE FRM DAMAGESAt the client's free request, and without inducement other than a direneed of ghostbusting services, the undersigned licensed franchisee ofGhostbusters International herein undertakes to perform such servicespertaining to the bizarre and supernatural as said undersigned clientshall indicate verbally or in writing, and undersigned client shallpromptly pay the franchised agent of Ghostbusters International theagreed upon sum upon performance of the service.In pursuit of said service action, the franchised agent may create, cause,invoke, prompt, induce, or accidentally perform reasonable actionswhich cause unreasonable damage to client's home, furnishings,property, chattels, vehicles, records, papers, family, friends, and/or self,including injury, maiming, dismemberment, or loss of confidence or sexdrive, for which client agrees to hold franchised agent blameless,harmless, irreproachable, without guilt, or intent to perform injury,and without any liability whatsoever, now or at any future date, forever.Name Of ClientDateSignature Of ClientAddress of ClientName of Enfranchised Agent or EmployeeAddress Where Service was ProvidedSignature of Enfranchised Agent or EmployeeWitnessWitnessThis form is must be completed and signed before any agent of the GBI Corporation can perform any investigations or eliminations.Ghostbusters International Damage Release Form©GBIF-115

Call Number:Name:ENTITY ANALYSIS F RMPhysical Description:Apparent Goal:MENTALITY Intelligent Animal Intelect MindlessPKE METER READINGSIntial PKE Valence Reading:Strength: Dexterity: Intelligence:Health: Will Power: Fatigue:CLASSI II III IV V VI VIIATTRIBUTES(Check all that apply)Free Floating Free Repeater Focused Full-TorsoMeta-spectre Outsider Repeater Vapor or MistSPECIAL ABILITIES:WEAKNESSES:HISTORY & NOTES:This form is must be completed and filed with the appropriate Work Docket, including Damage Releases and Job Invoices.Ghostbusters International Entity Analysis Form©GBIF-116

It is certified by thisthatfranchise number forty-two is authorized to operate as a full-fledged professional paranormal investigationsand eliminations firm under the auspices of Ghostbusters International.This authorization is valid from the date shown on this franchise license, until the date shown on the separateValidation Card. This license No.: GBI-020624212-L42 is issued by the office of the Executive Director ofthe Ghostbusters International Corporation.Executive Director, GBI.Date of ValidationGBIF-119

GH STBUSTERS INTERNATIONALFRANCHISE CONTRACTTHIS AGREEMENT made by and between GHOSTBUSTERS INTERNATIONAL Corporation, subsidiary corporation of the parent Ghostbusters Inc.,herein after called GBI and this document’s signatory, hereinafter called Franchisee.WITNESS:Whereas Franchisee desires to utilize the name, reputation, unique knowledge, procedures, and special patented devices held as agent by GBI and usesame in smiting, chastising, corralling, containing and otherwise controlling supernatural and paranormal entities (ghosts), andWhereas GBI is permitted by the parent corporation to enfranchise certain worthy individuals and companies as GBI representatives, andWhereas Franchisee has offered to tender payment to GBI for certain unique or important rights, andWhereas GBI is in the business of granting such rights as franchises,NOW, THEREFORE, THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE AS FOLLOWS:1 GBI WARRANTIES: GBI warrants, declares, and agrees that it has theexclusive right to create Ghostbusters franchises.The right includes but is not limited to the design, purchase, and lease ofunique Ghostbusters equipment such as the proton pack and thecontainment grid, to an exclusive local area of representation definedunder separate agreement, to the regular execution of supportingnational advertising programs, to the investigation of paranormal,parapsychological, supernormal, or supernatural phenomena, to theenfranchisement of chosen field representatives after they have passedthe most stringent financial and moral surveys, tests and training and tothe security of reputation which only GBI can provide.2 FRANCHISEE WARRANTIES: Franchisee declares, warrants, implies,imputes and states unequivocally that he/she/it is of sound mind, reliablereputation, without taint of scandal, moral turpitude, conviction of majoror minor felony, or bankruptcy, and further warrants no intention, design,desire, interest in, or temptation therefrom any of the above insofar asthe relation with GBl ever shall exist now and forever:Franchisee further warrants that he/she/it shall work without stint inorder to satisfy even the slightest request from GBI which is made ingood faith under the terms of this contract, to wit: concerningperformance of Ghostbusters deeds in a seemly, fair, energetic, positive,prompt, attentive, constructive, dependable, intelligent manner;Franchisee finally warrants that he/she/it shall especially concentrateenergies to the satisfactory compliance with GBI in missions, no matterhow difficult, dangerous, bold, foolhardy, expensive or impossible theymay seem to be or to actually be.3 PAYMENT: GBI shall from time to time call upon a franchise to performgratis a service, action, de ghosting, debugging, investigation, guardianship,or ejection of some minor powerful entity from one dimensionalplane to another, or other duty against which Franchisee shall have noappeal except the successful discharge of the responsibilities placedupon it by GBI as GBI wishes, desires, or directs.The mission represents payment in kind upon an ongoing lease of rightsby Franchisee from GBI, and as such the duty of Franchisee under thissection never ends, except upon termination if this agreement.GBI and GBI only shall find, negotiate, and receive payment for missions,and only GBI may judge the success of such assignments. From time totime, GBI may designate Franchisee as its agent of negotiation, and offee collection and transmission.Notwithstanding Franchisee needs and expenses, the mission isconstrued as a profit making venture by GBI. The mission representsreturn upon capital invested Franchisee’s business, and Franchisee isexpected to make every effort to secure a spectacular return to GBI.4 TERRITORY: In return for initial payment and participation in themission program. Franchisee receives an exclusive territory of servicewithin which no other GBI franchisee or franchised agent, may operate,and beyond which Franchisee may not operate or proceed as a GBIagent without hotline approval or written permission of GBI.Notwithstanding Franchisee, perception of incompetence, dangerousprocedure, larcenous or libelous conduct, evidence of malfeasance,felonious activity, or contemptible behavior of adjacent franchises orfranchised agents, Franchisee is enjoined by GBI from interfering in theconduct of another franchise.5 USE OF PATENTS: From time to time, Franchisee may desire topurchase new equipment or to upgrade old Ghostbusters equipment.Anti-ectoplasmic devices are held in patent exclusively by GhostbustersInc. for which entity GBI acts as exclusive agent of sales and distribution.Under market terms, Franchisee may receive and maintain a profilequantity of GBI equipment under the mission concept, pro-rated uponthe actual number of franchise agents. Franchisee may purchase for cashadditional GBI equipment, subject to normal conditions of supply anddistribution.Franchisee is explicitly forbidden to build imitations or other workingdevices replicating GBI equipment, or to create new devices utilizingpatented systems or patented relations as held by Ghostbusters Inc. andits agent GBI without explicit authorization from the parent corporation,and is further explicitly forbidden from purchasing such equipment orother working devices from third parties who violate the world-widepatent agreements held by GBI as agent of Ghostbusters Inc.As is customary the ownership, patents, and all proprietary rights to suchnew equipment as developed by Franchisee or franchise employees willbe held in perpetuity by GBI, its heir, and its assigns. Original developershall pay all physical and legal costs associated with developing, patenting,etc.6 USE OF NAME: Subject to good taste and legal requirements, Franchiseemust use the name “Ghostbusters” in letterheads, advertisements(visual or aural), display advertisements, and standard promotionalitems such as pencils, clocks, lighters, bumper-stickers, and so on.“Good taste” shall mean that, in no manner or substantive effect shall thenames of, the officers of, or the intentions of Ghostbusters Inc. or of GBIbe presented in any but the most favorable and most complementarylight: that unsavory, untrue, unfounded, or ill-advised associations orimputations shall not be made, whether or not connected with thecorporate structure of GBI or its parent company; that no connectionwith demeaning, unsavory, licentious, irrational, disgusting, criminal, ortreasonous people, groups, organizations, or entities shall be made.7 MAINTENANCE OF GOOD COMMUNITY RELATIONS: The Franchiseeshall make every effort to uphold community standards, make

friends, sponsor charitable and civic activities, watch public television,light a candle, and at the end of each day leave the world a little betterthan it was that morning.Every Franchisee employee shall be neat and presentable, wear a freshuniform daily cleaned at personal expense, and shall comport himself orherself in a proper, respectable manner, on and off the job.Every Franchisee employee shall do his or her utmost at all times to keepthe franchise facility and its equipment clean and neat, and take care towash his or her hands. Franchisee perception of incompetence, dangerousprocedure, larcenous or libelous conduct, evidence of malfeasance,felonious activity, or contemptible behavior of adjacent franchises orfranchised agents, is expected to be transmitted expeditiously anddirectly to GBI main offices by hotline and by letter. Failure to do so maybe grounds for termination of this agreement.8 DELIVERY, POSSESSION, AND OPERATION OF GBl EQUIPMENT:Notwithstanding any other construction in this agreement, Franchiseeshall directly bear and pay promptly all packaging and shipping costs ofGBI materials, brochures, and directives. Franchisee is expected to keepclean and to maintain all GBI equipment. Operation of GBI equipmentwhich has been damaged or is partially unusable is strictly forbidden.Repair of equipment may be carried out by repair licensed franchisees(Ask for our business-enhancement package). Ship damaged equipmentto GBI for replacement. GBI makes no guarantee of in stock availabilitynor any guarantee of real time replaceability. (Ask for our maintenancecontract package.)Clients must sign damage waivers before GBI equipment can be operatedon their property or premises.9 ACCEPTANCE AND ABANDONMENT OF CLIENTS: Subject to reasonableimputations of reputation and ability to pay, Franchisee agrees toaccept all clients who apply for franchise services, regardless of race,creed, color, station, nationality, and time of day or night, on weekendsand holidays, whether living or dead.Franchisee agrees to present client with a preliminary written estimateof costs and time required for job completion, to notify client of serviceproblems as they arise, particularly affecting cost or completion ofservices rendered. Franchisee further agrees to successfully completeservices offered whether or not the initial cost/time projections werecorrect, insufficient, or exorbitant.Franchisee specifically agrees not to abandon needful clients who lackother recourse, and Franchisee especially recognizes the importantresponsibility which an exclusive territory grants.10. ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS: Unless explicitly permitted by GBI, Franchiseerights granted in this agreement are neither inheritable, saleable, orotherwise assignable.11. INSPECTION OF PREMISES: From time to time, Franchisee agrees togrant to GBI representatives full access to franchise premises, records,account books, computer files, safe deposit boxes, extra national bankaccounts, and other matters of interest to GBI, including client and E.P.A.relations, and general conduct and procedures while rendering GBIrelated services.12 TERMINATION: This agreement is null and of no effect if and when GBIor successor corporation no longer exists as a legal entity, or upontermination of the relationship between GBI and Franchisee, upontermination of the existence of the enfranchised entity, or upon noncomplianceof Franchisee with material conditions of this agreement.Noncompliance, if corrected within 15 days of dated notice by GBI, shallnot harm or affect the relationship between GBI and Franchisee. Ifnoncompliance shall extend beyond 15 days after dated notification bycertified mail, then GBI may terminate its relation with Franchiseewithout other notice, at its option. At its option, GBI may withhold partor all of the enfranchisement fee in recompense of services or impartedvalue.13 NOTICES: All Franchisee written communications shall be made bycertified mail to Ghostbusters International headquarters in New YorkCity, New York. All Franchisee verbal communications shall be made viaGBI hotline 800 555-2368, which may be recorded by GBI without othernotice and played back at embarrassing moments. All GBI written orverbal communications shall be made in whatever way we see fit.14 ATTORNEYS FEES: Should adjudication be required, all reasonableattorney's fees shall be borne by Franchisee.15 LIMIT OF LIABILITIES: Franchisee agrees that clients must sign andagree to damage waivers before services can begin. Franchisee furtheragrees that it shall make every effort in good faith to limit damage toclient's property and premises. In any case, Franchisee agrees tocompletely bear the legal costs and reparations in any proceedingsconcerning damage or infringements to, by, or from the franchise.16 LIENS AND BANKRUPTCY: Franchisee agrees that GBI rights,property, or equipment shall not be used as collateral, whether or notthird party vendor is willing to consider GBI rights as an asset. GBI rightsexist free of entail and may be withdrawn at any time upon proof ofviolations of this agreement, as detailed in the Termination section.17 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS: Franchisee promises to fully comply withthe letter and intent of all local, state, and national laws, regulations,requirements, customs, unstated positions, and untenable desires.Franchisee further completely exonerates GBI from all legal responsibilityto and for the presence, operation, conduct, and desirability offranchise.18 WAIVER OF SUBROGATION: Franchisee hereby releases, relieves, andwaives its entire right of recovery against GBI for loss or damage arisingout of or incident to perils, pleasures, costs, risks, discoveries, or illusionsstemming from its relation to GBI, whether due to intent or negligence ofGBI, its officers and agents, or the stockholders thereof.19 ADJUDICATION: All legal questions arising from the relations of GBIand Franchisee shall be settled in the city, county and state of New York,and as interpreted by the laws of those jurisdictions.20. DATE OF EFFECT: This agreement takes effect on the later date signedto below.THERETO, the parties have executed this agreement on the dates specified immediately adjacent to their signatures.Name Of FranchiseeName Of GBI Legal RepresentativeSignature Of FranchiseeSignature Of GBI Legal RepresentativeWitnessWitnessDatedDatedGhostbusters International Standard Enfranchisement Contract©GBIF-121

GBIF-122

JOB APPLICATION F RMApplicant NameEmail Address Home Phone Other PhoneNumber and StreetCityStateZip CodeHow were you referred to Company?Position(s) applying for: Secretarial Maintenance Ghostbuster Other Are you applying for: Temporary work (Summer or holidays) YES NO Regular part-time work? YES NO Regular full-time work? YES NO If hired, on what date can you start working? _____ / _____ / _____ Salary desired: $Can you work on weekends? YES NO Can you work evenings? YES NO Are you available to work overtime? YES NO Have you applied with us before? YES NO Do you have friends or relatives working for us? YES NO If yes, state name & relationshipIf hired, would you have transportation to work? YES NO Are you over the age of 18? YES NO Can you present proof of U.S. citizenship YES NO Can you legally work in the U.S.? YES NO Will you submit to a controlled substance test? YES NO Franchise & Field Agent Survey (Complete this area only if you are applying for a position as a Ghostbuster.)Have you ever personally experienced paranormal phenomena? YES NO Have you or any member of your family been diagnosed as paranoid, delusional, or schizophrenic? YES NO Do you believe in: UFOs YES NO Astral Projection YES NO Mental Telepathy YES NO ESP YES NO Clairvoyance YES NO Spirit Photography YES NO Full-trance Mediums YES NO Telekinetic Movement YES NO Pyramid Power YES NO Crop Circles YES NO The Loch Ness Monster YES NO The Theory of Atlantis YES NO Alternate Universes YES NO The Jersey Devil YES NO Spooks, specters or ghosts? YES NO Vampires YES NO Lycanthropes YES NO Teleportation YES NO Levitation YES NO Ball Lightning YES NO Bilocation YES NO Cryptids YES NO Faith Healing YES NO Spiritual Possession YES NO Ghostbusters International Job Application Form©GBIF-123

CHARACTER SHEETST [ ] HP [ ]DX [ ] WILL [ ]IQ [ ] PER [ ]HT [ ] FP [ ]Name ___________________________________ Player ____________________ Point Total __________Ht __________ Wt __________ Size Modifier _________ Age ____________ Unspent Pts __________Appearance _______________________________________________________________________________CURRENTCURRENTBASIC LIFT (ST ST)/5 ______ DAMAGE Thr ________ Sw ________BASIC SPEED __________ [ ] BASIC MOVE ___________ [ ]ENCUMBRANCE MOVE DODGENone (0) = BL _____ BM 1 _____ Dodge _____Light (1) = 2 BL _____ BM 0.8 _____ Dodge -1 _____Medium (2) = 3 BL _____ BM 0.6 _____ Dodge -2 _____Heavy (3) = 6 BL _____ BM 0.4 _____ Dodge -3 _____X-Heavy (4) = 10 BL _____ BM 0.2 _____ Dodge -4 _____ADVANTAGES AND PERKS______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]DISADVANTAGES AND QUIRKS______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]Languages Spoken Written_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]_________________________________________________________ [ ]NameDRPARRYBLOCKTL: _______________________________________ [ ]Cultural Familiarities___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]___________________________________________ [ ]Reaction ModifiersAppearance ___________________________________Status _________________________________________Reputation ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________SKILLSLevelRelative Level______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]______________________________________________________ [ ]

W RK ORDERWork Docket No.:Date:Work Order No. Address Ghost Class or Details Severity of Time From UntilNumber Phenomenon Infestation Critical?Ghostbusters International Generic Work Order Form©Ask about our customization offer. Order in bulk!GBIF-125

GlossaryHere is a glossary of terms that maycrop up in a Ghostbusters game. Thisis by no means a concise or exhaustivelist, but rather a stepping of point forsome concepts that maybe should cropup once in a while, to help keep playersguessing. After all, indecipherabletechno-babble is a another trademarkelement of the Ghostbusters genre.Anomalistics: Anomalistics is the useof scientific methods to evaluate phenomonathat fall outside of currentunderstanding, with the aim of findinga rational explanation. The termitself was coined in 1973 by DrewUniversity anthropologist Robert W.Wescott who defined it as being a“…serious and systematic study of allphenomena that fail to fit the pictureof reality provided for us by commonsense or by the established sciences”.Anomalous Cognition: A term used todescribe the transfer of informationto a subject through means otherthan the 5 traditional senses. It isusually used in relation to telepathy,clairvoyance, remote viewing, andother phenomena said to be evidenceof extra-sensory perception.This is an umbrella term used to labelan information transfer which maycomprise one or more underlyingprocesses. The term was coined byScience Applications InternationalCorporation (SAIC).Anomalous Phenomenon: An anomalousphenomenon is any observedevent which deviates from what isexpected (an anomaly) accordingto existing rules or scientific theory.Sometimes the anomalous phenomenonis expected, but the reason forthe deviation is unclear (research“Anomalies in Science” for more onthis). The scientific study of the fieldis called anomalistics, though it hasbeen associated with pseudoscience.Anthroposophy: Is a philosophy whichholds that the spirit world can be scientificallyinvestigated through systematicanalysis of inner experience.Apophenia: Apophenia is the experienceof seeing patterns or connectionsin random or meaningless data.The term was coined in 1958 by KlausConrad, who defined it as the “unmotivatedseeing of connections” accompaniedby a “specific experience of anabnormal meaningfulness”.Astral Projection: (Sometimes calledastral travel) is a paranormal interpretationof an out-of-body experienceachieved either awake or vialucid dreaming or deep meditation.The concept of astral projection assumesthe existence of another body,separate from the physical body andcapable of traveling to non-physicalplanes of existence. Commonly suchplanes are called astral, etheric, orspiritual. Astral projection is often experiencedas the spirit or astral bodyleaving the physical body to travel inthe spirit world or astral plane.Bilocation: A term used to describeinstances in which an individual orobject is said to be, or appear to be,located in two distinct places at thesame instant in time.Bilocation is said to be a physical,rather than spiritual, phenomenon,and a person experiencing it is supposedlyable to interact with theirsurroundings as normal, includingbeing able to experience sensationsand to manipulate physical objectsexactly as if they had arrived throughnatural means. This makes it distinctfrom astral projection.Chindi: A chindi is the ghost released atthe dying breath. The chindi is consideredto be an evil force, avengingsome form of offense to the dead person.The Navajo believe that contactingsuch a spirit can cause illness, ordeath. It is also believed that a chindican be used to cause harm to someoneelse.Cold Spot: Cold spot is a term used todescribe an unexplained area of localizedcoldness, or sudden drops intemperature, that are said to be theresult of paranormal activity, especiallyin hauntings and other ghostrelated situations.Cryptesthesia: Cryptesthesia is a paranormalperception, such as clairvoyance,psychometry or more generally,extra-sensory perception. It was acommon model for activities such as“seeing” drawings sealed in envelopesin the 19th century. Now usually referredto as Remote Viewing.Cryptid: Cryptids are legendary creaturesthat are rumored or suspectedto exist, but for which conclusiveproof is still missing. Examples includeBigfoot, the Loch Ness Monsterand the Mongolian Death Worm.Cryptids also include UnidentifiedMysterious Animals (UMA) and speciesthat are hard to classify.Dactylomancy: Dactylomancy, fromthe Greek word for finger, is a formof divination using rings. In sometraditions of dactylomancy, a ring issuspended like a pendulum above asurface that is marked with letters orsymbols. The direction of the swingindicates which symbols are to beconsulted, or which letters are to be126 Glossary

formed into a message, in answer toa specific question.Déjà vu: French for “already seen” andalso called paramnesia, (from Greekpara, “parallel” + mnëmë, “memory”)Déjà vu is the experience of feelingsure that one has witnessed or experienceda new situation previously.The term was coined by a Frenchpsychic researcher, Émile Boirac(1851–1917). The experience of déjàvu is usually accompanied by a compellingsense of familiarity, and alsoa sense of “eeriness”, “strangeness”,or “weirdness”. The “previous” experienceis most frequently attributedto a dream, although in some casesthere is a firm sense that the experience“genuinely happened” in thepast. Déjà vu has been described as“remembering the future.”Doppelgänger: Occasionaly called afetch, the doppelgänger is the ghostlydouble of a living person, a sinisterform of bilocation.In the vernacular, “Doppelgänger” hascome to refer to any double or lookalikeof a person — most commonlyan “evil twin”. The essential meaningof the German word is “doublewalker”,someone who is walking thesame way as another person. Theyare generally regarded as harbingersof bad luck. A doppelgänger seen bya person’s friends or relatives portendsillness or danger, while seeingone’s own doppelgänger is an omenof death.Ectenic force: Ectenic force is said tobe a form of spiritual energy emittedby a medium, that allows them tomanipulate objects without apparentphysical contact. It’s existencewas initially hypothesized by CountAgenor de Gasparin, to explain thephenomena of table turning and tappingduring séances.Ectoplasm: Ectoplasm (from the Greekektos, “outside”, + plasma, “somethingformed or molded”) is a termcoined by Charles Richet to denotea substance or spiritual energy “exteriorized”by mediums. Ectoplasm ishypothesized to be an enabling factorin psychokinesis and is associatedwith the formation of ghosts.Dr. Egon Spengler has postulated thatghosts generate ectoplasm in proportionto the amount of psychokineticenergy (PKE) they can manipulate.He believes that it can conduct andstore PKE, thus copious amounts indicatepowerful entities. He furtherstates that corporeal entities maygenerate their bodies from a second,more durable type of ectoplasm.Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP):are sections of static on the radio oron electronic recording media thatare interpreted to be the sound ofvoices. Some attribute these noisesto ghosts or spirits, while others attributethe voice-like aspect of thesounds to auditory pareidolia.Feng shui: The ancient Chinese practiceof placement and arrangement ofspace to achieve harmony with the environment.The discipline has guidelinesthat are compatible with manytechniques of agricultural planningas well as internal furniture arrangements.Space, weather, astronomy,and geomagnetism are basic componentsof feng shui. Proponents claimthat feng shui has an effect (good orbad) on health, wealth, and personalrelationshipsFolie à deux: Literally “a madnessshared by two”, folie à deux is a rarepsychiatric syndrome in which asymptom of psychosis (particularlya paranoid or delusional belief) istransmitted from one individual toanother. Recent psychiatric classificationsrefer to the syndrome as sharedpsychotic disorder and induced delusionaldisorder, although the researchliterature largely uses the originalname.Forteana: The term Fortean or Forteanais used to describe various types ofanomalous phenomena. Named afterCharles Hoy Fort (1874 – 1932), anAmerican writer and early researcherinto anomalous phenomena.Ghost light: A ghost light is any one ofmany unusual visual phenomena thatappear in specific areas all aroundthe world. This describes the appearanceof lights where one wouldnot expect to see them. Ghost lightsare common to all cultures and havemany names and associated folklore.Researching Ball Lightning and Willo’ the wisp will provide much addedinformation about the various incarnationsof ghost lights.Infinite Video Imaging (IVI): This isa technique of electronically pickingup ghostly images. For IVI you need avideo camera, television and possiblya VCR (if the TV dosen’t have audiovideoinputs). The camera is hookedup to the audio-video input of the TVand pointed at the TV creating aninfinite feedback loop (like pointingtwo mirror at each other). Whateverpasses between the camera and theTV will show up on the video tape.“You have been a participant in the biggestinter-dimensional cross-rip since the Tunguska blastof 1909!”— Ray Stantz, “Ghostbusters”Inter-dimensional cross-rip: An interdimensionalcross-rip occurs whentwo dimensions intersect and thereis a prodigious exchange of energyfrom one to the other. An explosionof great intensity can occur if the exchangeis unbalanced or one-sided.(See Tunguska Event p. 129.)Krasue: The krasue is the floating headof a vampiric female ghost. Intestineshang out of the ghost’s neck and trailbehind the head. This type of ghost isknown by many names in many culturesincluding Cambodia, Indonesia,Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.La Llorona: Pronounced “lah yoh-ROHnah”,is Spanish for “the crying woman”,sometimes called the Woman inGlossary127

White or the Weeping Woman. She isthe ghost of a woman crying for herdead children that she has drowned.Her appearances are sometimes heldto presage death and frequently areclaimed to occur near bodies of water,particularly streams and rivers. Thereis much variation in tales of La Llorona,which are popular in Mexico, theUnited States (especially in Mexican-American communities), and to anextent the rest of the Americas.Oomancy: Oomancy employs eggs forthe purpose of divination. The mostcommon method uses separated eggwhites which are dropped into hotwater. Divination is performed basedon the shapes assumed by the rapidly-cookedegg whites. Traditionally,oomancy is performed on Ostara.OOPArt: OOPArt is an out-of-place artifact.The term, coined by Americanzoologist Ivan T. Sanderson is for anyhistorical, archaeological or palaeontologicalobject found in a very unusual,or even impossible, location.The term covers a wide variety of objects,ranging from material studiedby mainstream science, such as theantikythera mechanism (above), toso-called ‘forbidden archaeology’ thatis far outside the mainstream.Onryõ: Onryõ is a type of Japaneseghost who is able to return to thephysical world in order to seek vengeance.While male onryõ can befound, mainly in kabuki theatre, themajority are women. Powerless inthe physical world, they often sufferat the capricious whims of their malelovers. In death they become strongand vengeful.Pareidolia: Pareidolia describes a psychologicalphenomenon involving avague and random stimulus (often animage or sound) being perceived assignificant. Some common examplesinclude seeing images of animals orfaces in clouds, the man in the moon,and hearing hidden messages on recordsplayed in reverse. The wordcomes from the Greek para- (beside,with or alongside) and eidolon (image— the diminutive of eidos; image,form, shape). Pareidolia is a type ofapophenia.Poltergeist: The term “poltergeist”comes from the German poltern, “toknock,” and geist, “spirit.” The mostcommon types of poltergeist activitiesare rains of stones, dirt, and othersmall objects; moving or throwing ofobjects, including large pieces of furniture;loud noises and shrieks; andvile smells. The activity is usuallycentered around a single (young) individualin a household.Psychokinetic Energy: PsychokineticEnergy, PK Energy or simply PKEcomes from unknown sources. Sinceit can be produced by rituals andcurses, it is surmised to be extra-dimensionalin origin. Naturally occuringPK Energy “leaks” or dimensionalportals indicate that the barriersbetween our dimension and othersmay be more tenuous than expected.PK Energy can be manipulatedby thought, especially ones that areemotionally intense, making it a perfectenergy source for ghosts to utilize.Ectoplasm is a perfect conductorfor PK Energy.Psychoenergetics: A term used to describethe use of the conscious mindto manipulate matter and energy inorder to achieve a task or result. Psychoenergeticsis said to be the meansby which spiritual healers heal.Radiesthesia: The paranormal or parapsychologicalability to detect “radiation”with the human body. Accordingto the theory, all human bodiesgive off unique or characteristic“radiations” as do all other physicalbodies or objects. Such radiations areoften termed an “aura”.Retrocognition: Retrocognition (alsoknown as postcognition), from theLatin retro meaning “backward, behind”and cognition meaning “knowing”,is a term used to describe theparanormal transference of informationabout an event or object in thepast by means that are unknown tocurrent science. A person who possessesthe ability of retrocognition issaid to be able to see into the past.Sacred Geometry: This concept maybe understood as a worldview of patternrecognition, a complex systemof hallowed attribution and significationthat may subsume religious andcultural values to the fundamentalstructures and relationships of suchcomplexes as space, time and form.According to this discipline, the basicpatterns of existence are perceivedas sacred: for by contemplating andcommuning with them one is therebycontemplating the Mysterium Magnum,the patterning relationships ofthe Great Design.Séance: A séance is an attempt to communicatewith spirits. The word “séance”comes from the French wordfor “seat,” “session” or “sitting,” fromthe Old French “seoir,” “to sit.” InEnglish, the word came to be usedspecifically for a meeting of people toreceive Spiritualistic messages.Shadow People: Also known as shadowmen, shadow folk, or shadow beings,they are said to be shadow-like creaturesof supernatural origin that appearas dark forms in the peripheriesof vision and disintegrate, or movebetween walls, when noticed.Reports of shadow people are similarto ghost sightings, but differ inthat shadow people are not reportedas having human features, wearingmodern or period clothing, or attemptingto communicate. Witnessesalso do not report the same feelingsof being in the presence of somethingthat ‘was once human’. Some individualshave described being menaced,chased, or attacked by shadow people.Witnesses report that encountersare typically accompanied by a feelingof dread and as if you’re life is on128Glossary

the line.Star Jelly: Star jelly, or pwdre sêr, is acompound purportedly deposited onthe earth during meteor showers. Itis described as a foul-smelling, gelatinoussubstance, which tends toevaporate shortly after having fallen.There have been reports of pwdre sêr(Welsh for rot of the stars) for centuries.A long article in the paranormalmagazine Fate declared Star Jelly tobe of extraterrestrial origin, calling it“cellular organic matter” which existsas “prestellar molecular clouds”which float through space.Steganography: This is the art and scienceof writing hidden messages insuch a way that no one apart from thesender and intended recipient evenrealizes there is a hidden message. Bycontrast, cryptography obscures themeaning of a message, but it does notconceal the fact that there is a message.Today, the term steganographyincludes the concealment of digitalinformation within computer files.Stigmata: Stigmata are bodily marks,sores, or sensations of pain in locationscorresponding to the crucifixionwounds of Jesus. The term originatesfrom a line at the end of Saint Paul’sLetter to the Galatians where hesays, “I bear on my body the marksof Jesus,” with “marks” in the LatinVulgate rendered as “stigmata.” Thecauses of stigmata are debated. Somecontend that they are miraculous,while others argue they are hoaxes orcan be explained medically.Stone Tape: The stone tape hypothesiswas proposed in the 1970s as a possibleexplanation for ghosts. It speculatesthat inanimate materials can absorbsome form of energy from livingbeings; the hypothesis speculates thatthis ‘recording’ happens especiallyduring moments of high stress suchas murder, or during important momentsof someone’s life. This storedenergy can be released at any givenmoment, resulting in a display of theoccurred activity.Survivalism: This refers to survival of theconscious self after the death of thephysical body. Survivalism attemptsto prove survival with the methods ofscience, using as evidence such thingsas reincarnation research, near deathexperiences, out-of-body experiences,electronic voice phenomena (EVP),mediumship, and various forms ofphotography.Synchronicity: A phenomenon first describedby psychologist Carl Jung as“temporally coincident occurrencesof acausal events.” The inability totest for it has marginalized its scientificimportance.Thunderstone: A thunderstone is anapparently worked stone object — oftenwedge-shaped, like an axe blade— alleged to have fallen from thesky. Tales of thunderstones are foundin many cultures around the world,from Greece to China, and are oftenassociated with a thunder god.Tsukumogami: These spirit-objectsoriginate from items or artifacts thathave reached their 100th birthdayand thus become alive and aware.Any object of this age, from swords totoys, can become a tsukumogami. InJapan tsukumogami are consideredspirits and supernatural beings, asopposed to enchanted items.Tunguska Event: Sometimes called theTunguska explosion, it was a massiveexplosion that occurred near the PodkamennayaTunguska River in whatis now Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, at7:40 AM on June 30, 1908.The explosion was most likely causedby the air burst of a large meteoroid orcomet fragment at an altitude of 5 to10 kilometers (3–6 mi) above Earth’ssurface. Some speculate to it actuallybeing the impact of a miniature blackhole or a large body composed of antimatter,others think it was a largeinter-dimensional cross-rip.Unidentified Flying Object: An unidentifiedflying object or UFO, is any realor apparent flying object which cannotbe immediately identified by theobserver and which remains unidentifiedafter investigation.Reports of unusual aerial phenomenadate back to ancient times (see Ancientastronaut theories), but reportsof UFO sightings started becomingmore common after the first widelypublicized United States sighting in1947. Many tens of thousands of UFOreports have since been made worldwide.Many more sightings, however,may remain unreported due to fear ofpublic ridicule because of the socialstigma surrounding the subject ofUFOs and because most nations lackany officially sanctioned authority toreceive and evaluate UFO reports.Vardøger: The vardøger is a spiritualprecursor. Stories typically includeinstances that are nearly déjà vu insubstance, but in reverse, where aspirit with the subject’s footsteps,voice, scent, or appearance and overalldemeanor precedes them into alocation or activity, resulting in witnessesbelieving they’ve seen or heardthe actual person, before the personphysically arrives. This bears a subtledifference from a doppelgänger, witha less sinister connotation. It has beenlikened to being a phantom double,or another form of bilocation.Xenoglossy: The putative paranormalphenomenon in which a person isable to speak a language that he orshe could not have acquired by naturalmeans. For example, a person whospeaks German fluently and like a native,but has never studied German,been to a German-speaking country,or associated with German-speakers,would be said to exhibit xenoglossy.Xenoglossy supports the idea of reincarnationbased on retention ofknowledge from a previous life.Glossary129

BibliographyEven more than most bibliographies,this one can only scratch the surface ofthe available material. These choicesrepresent the authors’ opinions, but feelfree to check out the nonfiction worksbelow, and look in their bibliographies,for more directions.NonfictionGMs can use their own etheric backyards,or consult compendia such asDennis William Hauck’s Haunted Places:The National Directory (Penguin, 1996)or John and Anne Spencer’s Ghost Hunters’Guide to Britain (Harper Collins,2000). For further reading and viewing,investigate the following:Brier, Bob. The Encyclopedia of Mummies(Facts on File, 1998). Completesurvey of the topic.Briggs, Katharine. A Dictionary ofFairies (Pantheon, 1976). An excellentstarting place for putting the “Un” into“Unseelie.”Cannil, Noel. The Philosophy of Horror(Routledge, 1990). A formal, academicstudy of the aesthetic of horror.Carter, Lin. Lovecraft: A Look Behindthe Cthulhu Mythos (Ballantine, 1972).Carter attempts a Lovecraft biographywhile presenting the most complete “beginner’sroundup” of the mythos outsideSandy Petersen’s brilliant RPG, Call ofCthulhu (Chaosium, 1981). Chris Jarocha-Emst’sA Cthulhu Mythos Bibliography& Concordance (Pagan Publishing,1999) is obsessively complete, whileDaniel Harms’ Encyclopedia Cthulhiana(Chaosium, 1998) organizes the Mythositself.Coleman, Loren and Clark, Jerome.Cryptozoology A to Z (Simon & Schuster,1999). A handy first guide to cryptids.Davenport-Hines, Richard. Gothic:Four Hundred Years of Excess, Horror,Evil, and Ruin (Fourth Estate, 1998).The subtitle says it all.Davis, Wade. The Serpent and theRainbow (Simon & Schuster, 1985).Ethno-botanical investigation into Haitianzombies, with much interesting informationon Voudun as well.“I could look for the name Zuul in the usualliterature.”— Egon Spengler, “Ghostbusters”Douglas, Adam. The Beast Within(Chapmans, 1992). A vital and intriguingexploration of the werewolf myth.Finucane, R.C. Ghosts: Appearancesof the Dead & Cultural Transformation(Prometheus Books, 1996). Rigoroushistorical discussion of the variance inghost beliefs from ancient Greece tomodern times.Fort, Charles. The Book of the Damned(Boni and Liveright, 1919). Possible,probable, and highly unlikely nonfiction.Collected with its three sequels inThe Books of Charles Fort (Henry Holt,1941). These books are vastly readable,and great weirdness mines. The greatcollector of frogs-from-the-sky stories,Fort raises important questions aboutthe way we dictate “reality.”Garrett, Laurie. The Coming Plague(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994). Thescary truth about diseases such as AIDS,Ebola, and their ilk.Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. The Encyclopediaof Ghosts and Spirits (Facts onFile, 2000).Hardy, Phil (editor). The OverlookFilm Encyclopedia: Horror (Overlook,1994). The cinephile’s reference work onhorror, with entries on over 2,000 films.Jones, Stephen and Newman, Kim(editors). Horror – The 100 Best Books(Carroll & Graf, 1990). A hundred horrorwriters and critics each pick a book;the result is a browser’s paradise.Kardec, Allan. The Book on Mediums(Weiser Books, 1970). Reprint ofthe 1874 masterpiece that became thebasis for spirit religions in Brazil andEurope.Kendrick, Walter. The Thrill of Fear(Grove Press, 1991). A history of horrorentertainment since the Gothic novel.King, Stephen. Danse Macabre (EverestHouse, 1981). King’s addictivelyreadable nonfiction examination of fourdecades of horror books and movies.Lovecraft, H.P. Supernatural Horrorin Literature (Dover, 1973). Accessiblebook version of Lovecraft’s seminal 1936essay.McNally, Raymond T. and Florescu,Radu. In Search of Dracula (HoughtonMuffin, 1994). Biography of VIad theImpaler and his role in the Dracula legend.Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book:The Encyclopedia of the Undead (VisibleInk, 1999). The single best referencework on the subject; indispensable.Newman, Paul. A History of Terror(Sutton, 2000). A necessarily shallowoverview and primer dealing with whatactually scared people from classicaltimes to today.Peebles, Curtis. Watch The Skies!(Smithsonian, 1994). A history of themodern UFO legend.Skal, David J. The Monster Show130Bibliography

(W.W. Norton, 1993). Social history andcriticism of horror films.Stanley, John. Creature Features(Berkley Boulevard, 2000). Subtitled“The science fiction, fantasy, and horrormovie guide,” it has close to 4,000entries! Stanley, who used to host a BayArea late-night movie show, provides ontargetcritiques of all the films. No horrorbuff’s library should be without it.Sullivan, Jack (editor). The PenguinEncyclopedia of Horror and the Supernatural(Penguin, 1986). An excellentfirst reference guide to the field, thoughsadly becoming dated.Underwood, Peter. Ghosts and HowTo See Them (Anaya, 1993) and TheGhost Hunter’s Guide (Blandford Press,1986). The dean of British ghost-huntingpresents a calm, intelligent overviewfrom a believer’s perspective.Warren, Joshua P. How to HuntGhosts (Simon & Schuster, 2003). Probablythe best of modern ghost-huntingmanuals.FictionThere is so much good horror fictionout there that any list must, by its nature,be arbitrary. The problem metastasizesfurther, given that even quite mediocrehorror fiction can often make areally great model for horror gaming, ifonly by spawning ideas of the “Well, if Iwere writing this” variety. That said, thematerial below is for the most part goodstuff, somewhat culled for gameabilityor game inspiration; however, some of itis just there because it will scare you outof a year’s growth.Barker, Clive. Books of Blood (SphereBooks, 1984). Six aptly named shortstoryanthologies established Barkeras a first-rank horrorist. His The DamnationGame (Weidenfeld & Nicolson,1985) and Cabal (Poseidon, 1988) exploreincreasingly secret horrors. WithThe Great and Secret Show (William Collins,1989) and Inajica (Harper Collins,1991), he moves further into dark fantasyand romance. Everything Barkerwrites is worth reading.Bear, Greg. Blood Music (ArborHouse, 1985). A tale of intelligent virusesthat transform living things fromwithin. All the more terrifying because itis not supernatural.Bellairs, John. The House With theClock In Its Walls (Dial, 1973), TheMummy, the Will, and the Crypt (Dial,1983), The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull(Dial, 1984), The Dark Secret of Weatherend(Dial, 1984), and many more areexcellent sources for kid-character roleplaying,as well as being great “juvenile”horror novels.Bierce, Ambrose. Can Such ThingsBe? (Cassell, 1893). Bleak, savagely ironicshort horror fiction.Blackwood, Algernon. The Willowsand Other Queer Tales (Collins, 1935).Reading these short stories is an educationin building and using narrativeatmosphere; Blackwood’s John Silence:Physician Extraordinary (Eveleigh Nash,1908) collects the adventures of his “occultdetective.”Blaylock, James R. Homunculus(Ace, 1986). Necromantic shenanigansin Victorian London, featuring morbidhumor and memorable characters. WithNight Relics (Ace, 1994) and All the Bellson Earth (Ace, 1995), Blaylock finds justthe right mix of dreamy California regionalismand horror.Blish, James. Black Easter (Doubleday,1968). The definitive book of demonsand black magic in the modernworld. The main character is an amoralblack magician who is truly neither goodnor evil — a terrific NPC.Bradbury, Ray. The October Country(Ballantine, 1955), and A Medicinefor Melancholy (Doubleday, 1959). Twohorror–occult anthologies from a masterof science fiction. Bradbury’s novelSomething Wicked This Way Comes (Simon& Schuster, 1962) is also essential.Bradbury’s small-town personal horrorsprefigure Stephen King, but his lyricalprose is all his own.Brite, Poppy Z. Lost Souls (DelacourtAbyss, 1992). Vampires, the SouthernGothic, and sexuality have been Britetrademarks ever since this assured firstnovel.Campbell, Ramsey. Ancient Images(Legend, 1989). Horror surrounding alost Karloff/Lugosi horror film. Campbellhas written many other excellenthorror novels, and his short story collectionAlone With The Horrors (ArkhamHouse, 1993) is definitive. His CthulhuMythos stories have a grimy, urban feelto them; they are collected in Cold Print(Tor, 1987).Chambers, Robert W. The King in Yellow(Neely, 1895). Required reading forsteampunk Gothics; a major influenceon Lovecraft. Reprinted (along with therest of Chambers’ weird fiction) in anomnibus volume, The Yellow Sign andOther Tales (Chaosium, 2000).Collins, Nancy. Sunglasses After Dark(NAL/Onyx, 1989). Post-modern vampiresand other horrors haunt a surrealnight world tailor–made for role-playing.Dean, Pamela. Tam Lin (Tor, 1991).Excellent atmospheric horror-fantasynovel set on a small college campus inthe 1970s, and centering on ghosts, faerie,and the power of the stage.Drake, David. From the Heart of Darkness(Tom Doherty, 1983). Drake’s narrativegifts turn to pure horror in thisshort–story collection. Vettius and HisFriends (Baen, 1989) collects Drake’sexcellent Roman–era horror-fantasy stories.Feist, Raymond. Faerie Tale (Doubleday,1988). Splendidly evoked evil faeriesin upstate New York.Finney, Jack. The Body Snatchers(Dell, 1955). Inspired the classic movie;an excellent exercise in literary paranoiain its own right.Goldstein, Lisa. The Red Magician(Timescape, 1982). A powerful, quietBibliography131

story of Jewish magic in Nazi–occupiedEurope. Goldstein mixes ancient magicand modern horror into a truly movingbook. A versatile author, in Dark CitiesUnderground (Tor, 1999) she presentsthe secret–magical horror of subwayconstruction.Hambly, Barbara. Those Who Huntthe Night (Del Rey, 1988). A very gameableEdwardian vampire murder mystery.The sequel is Traveling With theDead (Del Rey, 1995).Herbert, James. The Fog (NEL, 1975),The Magic Cottage (Hodder & Staughton,1986), Sepulchre (Hodder & Staughton,1987), and many others. Reliably bleakBritish horrorist. Sepulchre blends psychicpowers, industrial espionage, andpulp thrills.Hodgson, William Hope. The Boatsof the “Glen Carrig” (Chapman & Hall,1907), The House on the Borderland(Chapman & Hall, 1908), and Carnacki,the Ghost–Finder (Eveleigh Nash, 1913).Terrifying sea story, the ultimate “invadedhouse” novel, and crackling steampunk“occult detective” story collection— Hodgson’s range is amazing.Howard, Robert E. Skull-Face andOthers (Arkham House, 1946). Thoughhe is best known for his fantasy stories,Howard wrote in many genres duringhis brief career. Skull-Face is an anthologyof his occult tales; other good Howardhorror anthologies include PigeonsFrom Hell (Zebra, 1976) and Cthulhu:The Mythos and Kindred Horrors (Baen,1987).Jackson, Shirley. The Haunting of HillHouse (Viking, 1959). A modern masterpieceof psychological horror, one of themost quietly terrifying novels ever written.James, M.R. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary(Edward Arnold, 1904). Between1904 and 1926, medievalist M. R. Jamespublished some of the finest ghost storiesever in the English language. Althoughfew of them present any actualghostbusting, they are solid reading,especially for campaigns set in the Victorianor Edwardian eras. Literate, richin detail, and perfectly toned. Get anomnibus collection such as The PenguinComplete Ghost Stories of M.R. James(Penguin, 1987).King, Stephen. Salem’s Lot (Doubleday,1975), Night Shift (Doubleday, 1978),The Dead Zone (Viking, 1979), It (Viking,1986), The Stand (Doubleday, 1990),Bag of Bones (Simon & Schuster, 1998),and Dreamcatcher (Simon & Schuster,2001), to hit only the high points. King’sstrength lies in his characterizations andhis ability to bring the supernatural intoour familiar world.Klein, T. E. D. The Ceremonies (Viking,1984). Amazing and literate updating ofArthur Machen’s horrors to rural NewJersey. Klein’s 1980 short story “Childrenof the Kingdom” updates Machen’s Unseelieto modern New York City.Lackey, Mercedes. Burning Water(Tor, 1989). Aztec cults, possession, andhuman sacrifice in modern-day Dallas,Texas. This is an excellent horror storywith a delightful neo-pagan magical heroine.The sequels, Children of the Night(Tor, 1990) and Jinx High (Tor, 1991) arealso good.Laidlaw, Marc. The 37th Mandala (St.Martin’s, 1996). A New Age charlatanaccidentally unleashes Things Man WasNot Meant To Know as “spirit guides.”Lee, Tanith. Red as Blood (DAW,1983). This beautifully perverse collectionof short stories takes the classicfairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, andturns them into atmospheric and grislytales of fantasy and horror. A perfectexample of how to make the familiarhorrific. Also Kill the Dead (DAW, 1980)presents medieval fantasy ghostbusting.LeFanu, Joseph Sheridan. In a GlassDarkly (Richard Bently, 1872). Anthologycontaining the novelette “Carmilla,”the first great erotic vampire story, andmany other minor masterpieces. Carmillaand Other Classic Tales of Mystery(Penguin, 1996) is an excellent modernanthology of LeFanu.Leiber, Fritz. Conjure Wife (Twayne,1953). A haunting novel of secret witchcraftin a 1950s university. Our Lady ofDarkness (Berkeley, 1977) is a luminous,literary urban horror fantasy (a genreLeiber invented in 1941 with the shortstory “Smoke Ghost”).Ligotti, Thomas. The Nightmare Factory(Carroll & Graf, 1996). CollectsLigotti’s three main anthologies in oneomnibus. Ligotti is the premier writer ofshort horror alive today. Madness, puppets,and more.Lindholm, Megan. Wizard of the Pigeons(Ace, 1985). A truly superb bookabout magic and supernatural menaceamong the street people of Seattle. Thisbook is a fine example of how magic canbe all around us, yet unnoticed exceptby those who choose to look for it.1Lovecraft, H.P. The Dunwich Horrorand Others (Arkham House, 1985),At the Mountains of Madness (ArkhamHouse, 1985), and Dagon and Other MacabreTales (Arkham House, 1986). Thesethree omnibus volumes contain the correctedtexts of Lovecraft’s fiction (originallypublished in the pulps between1924 and 1941). Lovecraft is the greatestAmerican horror author since Poe, bothin terms of vision and influence.Machen, Arthur. The Great God Pan(John Lane, 1894). The linked story collectionintroducing Machen’s “hiddenrace” Unseelie. The standard collectionof Machen’s best work is Tales of Horrorand the Supernatural (Knopf, 1948).Chaosium is currently re-releasing corrected,complete versions of the linkedstories.Matheson, Richard. Hell House (VibiblioGrAphy

king, 1971). One of the best hauntedhousestories ever penned. Matheson’sshort stories are also reliable shockers,and his novel I Am Legend (Fawcett,1954) combines a great “scientific vampire”with post-apocalyptic psychologicalhorror.McCammon, Robert R. They Thirst(Avon, 1981). A vampiric apocalypse.Usher’s Passing (Holt, Rinehart & Winston,1984) is a Southern Gothic familydrama sequel to Poe’s “Fall of the Houseof Usher.” The Wolf’s Hour (Pocket, 1989)is WWII werewolf action. All are compulsivepage-turners.Newman, Kim. Anno Dracula (Simon& Schuster, 1992). Alternate historicalhorror in a world where Dracula won.Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Storiesand Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Doubleday,1966). Poe remains horror’s greatestliterary practitioner. His stories areas searing today as they were when firstpublished (between 1827 and 1846).Powers, Tim. The Anubis Gates (Ace,1983), On Stranger Tides (Ace, 1987), TheStress of Her Regard (Ace, 1989), and Declare(Harper Collins, 2001). Ingeniousblends of history and macabre fantasy,filled with werewolves, Voudun, vampires,and djinn. Excellent resource materialon running historical horror. Hismodern-day secret-magic series, LastCall (Morrow, 1992), Expiration Date(Tor, 1995), and Earthquake Weather(Tor, 1997) is just as good, and adds possession,ghosts, and ritual magic.Roszak, Theodore. Flicker (Summit,1991). Deeply creepy conspiratorial historyof early horror film.Saberhagen, Fred. The Dracula Tape(Warner, 1975), The Holmes-Dracula File(Ace, 1978), and An Old Friend of theFamily (Ace, 1979). A modern rethinkingof the Dracula story, portraying theCount as a misunderstood defender ofhis homeland.Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein,or The Modern Prometheus(Lackington, 1818). The original madscientist/construct novel. The 1983 Marveledition — the complete novel, not acomic book — features beautiful illustrationsby Swamp Thing creator BerniWrightson.Shepard, Lucius. Green Eyes (Ace,1984). Pseudoscience zombies and agenuinely creepy tropical atmosphere.Simmons, Dan. Song of Kali (Bluejay,1985), Carrion Comfort (Dark Harvest,1989), and Children of the Night (Putnam,1992). Excellent, stark horrors of(respectively) Calcutta cultists, psionicvampires, and the vampire as fear ofdisease mingling Dracula and AIDS.Smith, Clark Ashton. Out of Spaceand Time (Arkham House, 1942). Smith’sfirst anthology of Cthulhu Mythos stories,which have a lush, lyrical crueltyall their own. A Rendezvous in Averoigne(Arkham House, 1988) is the best currentanthology of Smith.Smith, Theme. Topper (Grosset &Dunlap, 1926). The first “friendly ghost”story. It has given birth to countless filmand video imitations, but the funny,sexy, irreverent original remains unsurpassed.Stableford, Brian. The Empire of Fear(Simon & Schuster, 1988). Alternatehistoricalviral-vampire novel. The Werewolvesof London (Simon & Schuster,1990) begins an increasingly complex,mystical saga of cruel angels and familytragedy.Steakley, John. Vampire$ (Roc, 1990).Plain and simple vampire-huntingadrenaline. Absolutely perfect model forfearless vampire-killing games.Stevenson, Robert Louis. The StrangeCase of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Longmans,1886). The horror classic. Stevensonwrote other tales of horror and adventure,especially “The Body Snatcher”(1884) and “Thrawn Janet” (1887). Thefirst is about a grave robber, and hasnothing to do with any movie invasion.Stoker, Bram. Dracula (Constable,1897). Still the greatest vampire novel ofthem all. Stoker’s lesser works can be enjoyablypulpy, such as The Jewel of SevenStars (Heinemann, 1903), which providedthe basic inspiration for the 1932 filmThe Mummy; Lair of the White Worm(William Rider & Son, 1911), whichbecame a gloriously weird Ken Russellfilm in 1988; and Dracula’s Guest andOther Weird Stories (George Routledge,1914).Strieber, Whitley. The Wolfen (Morrow,1978). Somehow believable novelof a hidden race of wolf-men living inNew York City.Weinberg, Robert. The Devil’s Auction(Leisure, 1990) and Armageddon Box(Leisure, 1991). Modern pulp horror inslam-bang style, with plenty of occultname-dropping.Wellman, Manly Wade. John the Balladeer(Baen, 1988). These beautifullycrafted stories, written over the courseof Wellman’s long career, are set in ruralAmerica and give a perspective onThings Man Was Not Meant To Know(and on rural America) remarkably differentfrom Lovecraft’s. Worse ThingsWaiting (Carcosa House, 1963) collectsmore great horror stories.Wheatley, Dennis. The Devil RidesOut (Hutchinson, 1934), Strange Conflict(Hutchinson, 1941), Haunting of TobyJugg (Hutchinson, 1948), To the Devil aDaughter (Hutchinson, 1953), The Ka ofGifford Hillary (Hutchinson, 1953), andBibliography133

The Satanist (Hutchinson, 1960). Spies,Satanists, and tough-guy action; Wheatley’s“Black Magic” series has everythinga horror game could want.Wilson, E. Paul. The Keep (Morrow,1981). Amorally tangled story of a demonicvampire preying on the SS. TheTomb (Berkley, 1984) is a remarkablysuccessful update of the old Sax Rohmer-style“weird menace” pulp horror tothe modern day.Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn. Hotel Transylvania(St. Martin’s, 1978). The first in along series of historical romance novelsstarring the heroic, gyneolatrous vampire,the Comte de Saint-Germain.Zelazny, Roger. A Night in the LonesomeOctober (Morrow AvoNova, 1993).Humorous horror novel of a Halloweennight where the world might or mightnot perish forever; narrated by Jack theRipper’s dog, Snuff.ComicsBissette, Steve (editor). Taboo (SpiderbabyGraphix/Tundra/Kitchen Sink,1989-1995). A pet project of Steve Bissette,this fat, semi-regular anthologyis notable for the stellar quality of itscontributors. Works hard to live up toits name, so the easily offended shouldstay away.Conway, Jerry, et al. Werewolf by Night(Marvel Comics, 1972-1977). Reliableand workman-like werewolf comic.De Matteis, J.M. I …Vampire (DC,1981-1983). This suspenseful vampiredrama was the main feature in House ofMystery from #290 to #319.Delano, Jamie, et al. Hellblazer (DC/Vertigo, 1988-present). Ongoing flagshiphorror title centers on a British sorcererand the shambles surrounding him.Garth Ennis’ run is particularly good.Feldstein, Al, et al. Tales From theCrypt (EC Comics, 1950-1955). This dimecomic and its EC stable-mates Haunt ofFear and Vault of Horror “corrupted” anentire generation, changing the face ofAmerican horror forever by combiningstories of remarkable psychological andsocial insight with genuinely disturbinggore by some of the greatest comics artistswho ever lived.Fleisher, Michael, et al. Wrath of theSpectre (DC, 1988). Reprints the classicJim Aparo illustrated horrific vengeancerun of DC’s ghostly superhero from Adventure#431 to #440. John Ostrander’srun on the Spectre title from 1992 to1998 is also worth reading.Gerber, Steve, et al. Vampire Tales(Marvel Comics, 1973-1975). This anthologyseries is best known for showcasingRoy Thomas’ creation, Morbius,the Living Vampire, the first vampire incomics since the CCA ban of 1954, and aunique techno-vampire for a superherocosmos.Kubert, Joe, et al. (editors). WeirdWar Tales (DC, 1971-1983). Occasionallybrilliant war-horror anthology series becamethe spawning ground for the CreatureCommandos. The Haunted Tankfirst appeared in G.I. Combat.Lash, Batton. Wolff & Byrd, Counselorsof the Macabre (Exhibit A Press,1979-present). Humorous look at the legaltroubles of the supernatural. Continuesunder the title Supernatural Law.Mignola, Mike. Hellboy, B.P.R.D., etal. (Dark Horse, 1993-Present). Alternatelyhumorous and horrific, Hellboycomics and associated media (movies,novels, animated TV specials and theGURPS RPG) are a great source of gamehooks and inspiration for Ghostbusterstyle action and comedy. Highly recommended!Moore, Alan. From Hell (BorderlandsPress, 1995). With Eddie Campbell’s intricateblack-and-white art, Moore tellsa story of Jack the Ripper, sacred geometry,and the conspiratorial horror at theheart of the 20th century.Morrison, Grant. Doom Patrol (DC/Vertigo, 1989-1993). Surrealistic superherobook with genuine momentsof horror throughout. Ignore all otherversions of this title. The Invisibles (DC/Vertigo, 1994-2000) is high-flying comicconspiracy without a net.Niles, Steve (editor). Fly in My Eye(Eclipse/Arcane, 1988-1992). Consistentlyexcellent, inconsistently publishedtrade-paperback-sized anthology.Sala, Richard. The Chuckling Whatsit(Fantagraphics, 1997). The comics versionof German expressionist film. Brilliantimages and a storyline that alwaysthreatens to become camp horror, butnever quite does.Wolfman, Marv. Tomb of Dracula(Marvel Comics, 1972-1979). A slambangscare-fest backed by some of thebest artistic talent of the 1970s. Thestrong characterization of Dracula ismemorable.FilmographyMovies have given us our mostgraphic images of horror. The films listedhere are all suggested viewing, albeitsometimes as story mines rather than asmasterpieces of cinema. Most are classics,must-sees for horror gamers; some,though, are obscure masterpieces thatone does not always find on the late, lateshow. Many of these are available onDVD; check your local dealer.The Abominable Dr. Phibes (RobertFuest, 1971). A campy variation on the“evil genius” model, Vincent Price’s Dr.Phibes is a mad musician who kills hisenemies by using the Ten Plagues ofEgypt.The Abominable Snowman of theHimalayas (Val Guest, 1957). This low-134Bibliography

udget, black-and-white feature (a veryearly release from the U.K.’s legendaryHammer Film Productions Ltd.) presentsa curiously low-key but excitingcryptid hunt.Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979). Neo-LovecraftianSF horror that brought thecreature-from-outer-space film to newheights of terror and believability simultaneously.Also presents a very gameablestory. The first sequel, Aliens (JamesCameron, 1986) is action rather thansuspense, but still quite gameable in adifferent way.An American Werewolf in London(John Landis, 1981). An excellent studyof the genesis of a werewolf, both startlingand funny. The dream sequencesare the most terrifying part of the movie,inspirational for oneiric horrors.Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, 1988). Thebest modern haunted-house comedy. Ofspecial interest for its creepy-yet-funnyview of the afterlife, which one couldeasily port to a campaign where everyoneis a ghost.The Believers (John Schiesinger,1987). Excellent suspense movie about aman’s battle with a malevolent Santeriacult.Big Trouble in Little China (John Carpenter,1986). A loving tribute to HongKong action movies. Features excellentspecial effects, an intensely quotablescript, gunplay, epic martial-arts battles,and lots of magic.The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963).Nature goes mad; a bravura course inusing common elements to build terror.The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrickand Eduardo Sanchez, 1999). Low-fihorrorbuilds nearly perfect atmosphereof suspense, terror, and dread with veritéstyle.The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (RobertWiene, 1919). Widely – and accurately– regarded as the first horror film masterpiece;its surrealistic sets, cameraangles, and storyline remain unmatchedtoday.Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992). Chicagourban legend manifests as spectralhorror in this gritty, powerful evocationof a Clive Barker short story.Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942).The 1982 version features flashy specialeffects and a nude Nastassja Kinski, butthe original is more subtly intriguing. Inthis version of the lycanthrope legend,the affliction is an ancient family curserather than a disease, and the transformationis tied not to the lunar cycle, butto sexual arousal.Cemetery Man (Michele Soavi, 1994).Existential zombie love story about agrave digger and his undead girlfriend.And then it just gets weird.A Chinese Ghost Story, (Ching Siu-Tung, 1987). Martial arts, comedy, romance,and tree-vampires with extensibletongues!Curse of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur,1956). Demon-summoning scrollsand satanic cults in England. Tourneurproves that you don’t have to show themonster to make horror scary.Deliverance (John Boorman, 1972).Another non-supernatural horror classicof civilization against savagery, theepitome of the Gauntlet story.Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Rouben Mamoulian,1931). Fredric March receiveda well-deserved Oscar for his dual leadin this creepy gas-lit horror film.Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1958). ChristopherLee and Peter Cushing square offin the best film version (known as TheHorror of Dracula in America) of the novel,epitomizing the lush, sensual, almostoperatic tradition of the U.K.’s HammerFilm Productions Ltd. Tod Browning’s1931 version, the classic starring BelaLugosi, is brilliantly shot, but badlymarred by an abysmal script.Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn (SamRaimi, 1987). This excessive movie careenswildly between gore, slapstick,and genuine fright. Loads of fun andlots of good ideas. (The Evil Dead wasessentially the same film with a fractionof the special-effects budget; Army ofDarkness: Evil Dead 3 is a swell fantasyadventureroller coaster with little truehorror.)The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973).This movie about a little girl tormentedby demons, and the battle for her soul,is not true ghostbusting, but the atmosphericeffects (and the example of aCatholic exorcism) are invaluable. Basedon the 1971 William Peter Blatty novel.Five Million Years to Earth (Roy WardBaker, 1968). Sensational British science-fictionhorror story about psionicmonsters buried beneath London.Flatliners (Joel Schumacher, 1990).Intensely gameable setup and rich atmosphericssave this disorganized filmabout a team of would-be thanatologistsexploring the afterlife by dying repeatedly.The Fly (Kurt Neumann, 1958). Sillybut unsettling, thanks to Neumann’s direction.The remake (David Cronenberg,1986) is gorier and less effective, butmore “realistic.” Both are worth seeing.Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931),The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale,1935), and Son of Frankenstein (RowlandV. Lee, 1939). The prototypicalmad scientist/construct films, worthseeing for their insight into the man-as-God issue as well as their chills. None ofthe hundred-plus Frankenstein sequelsmeasure up to these originals, althoughThe Curse of Frankenstein (Terence Fisher,1957) comes close.Freaks (Tod Browning, 1932). A respectful,but still grim study of the fearof mutilation and of the dangers of be-Bibliography135

traying an insular, marginalized communitynot unlike the Unseelie.Fright Night (Tom Holland, 1985). Affectionatelook at vampire-hunting moviesthat slowly becomes a truly tensethriller.The Frighteners (Peter Jackson, 1996).Excellent story about a ghost hunterthat smoothly moves from light comedyto dark horror at a rapid clip.From Dusk Till Dawn (Robert Rodriguez,1996). Action-camp horror full ofviolence, vampires, and attitude. Scaryand thrill-packed, but not terrifying.Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984).A tightly plotted, group-of-adventurersencounter-the-supernatural movie, thistime played for laughs. Modern setting,great special effects, and a textbook exampleof how to create supernatural adventures.Godzilla, King of the Monsters (IshiroHonda and Terry Morse, 1956). Thoughfollowed by an infinite series of ultra-campysequels, the original film ischeap, grainy, melodramatic and very,very scary. The original Godzilla is nobody’sbig monster buddy; he’s a literallyunstoppable force of nature, a walkingembodiment of nuclear terror.Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978).The first and best movie of the slasherflick-boomof the 1970s and 1980s. Thesequels are all forgettable.The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963).Quiet, tense ghost story, or a subtle taleof psychological disintegration? Eitherway, an often-overlooked horror masterpiecewith useful role-playing applications.Addresses the interaction ofpsychological and psychic pressures ina supernatural situation. Avoid the 1999remake at all costs!Hellboy (Guillermo del Toro, 2004).Plenty of action, horror and lighter momentsthat make for a wonderful meltingpot of comedy-horror and literalghost-BUSTING.House (Steve Miner, 1986). The moviesuffers from jokiness, but the essentialconcept of the haunted hyper-geometricalhouse makes a great game concept.The sequel is even sillier, but rings furtherchanges on the setting.House of Wax (Andre de Toth, 1953).Vincent Price gives one of his most terrifyingperformances ever, as the waxmuseum curator who turns victims intosculptures for his Chamber of Horrors.Highly evocative, and a great Victorianatmosphere throughout. The Paris Hiltonremake is best left unwatched.The Howling (Joe Dante, 1981). Theother great modern werewolf movie.The Hunger (Tony Scott, 1983). Ancient,decadent vampires live the lifeof the idle rich. Short of substance, butscary and very sexy with leads CatherineDeneuve, Susan Sarandon, and DavidBowie.I Walked with a Zombie (JacquesTourneur, 1943). Ignore the title, this is atransposition of Jane Eyre to the Caribbean,and a respectful, haunting look atVoudun and the deeper zombie legends.In the Mouth of Madness (John Carpenter,1995). Surreal Lovecraftian taleof a missing horror writer whose booksare changing reality.Invaders from Mars (William CameronMenzies, 1953). A minor alien-invasionclassic that set the pattern for the1950s’ science-fiction horrors.Invasion of the Body Snatchers (DonSiegel, 1956). A paranoiac horror/thrillerwithout monsters, special effects, oreven death, and all the more terrifyingfor it. The 1993 remake is worth seeing;the 1978 remake has aged badly. Don’tbother with the 2007 Nicole Kidman vehicle,The Invasion.Jacob’s Ladder (Adrian Lyne, 1990).Hallucinogenic psychological horrorsurrounds a Vietnam vet. Surrealism atits horrific finest.Jaws (Steven Spielberg, 1975). Aprime example of the “Fear of Nature.”This pure, elemental battle against agreat white shark demonstrates thathorror easily transcends the supernatural.The Legend of Hell House (JohnHough, 1973). This film, about a groupof people promised big money for provingor disproving the existence of an afterlifein the granddaddy of all hauntedhouses, makes a good adventure premise.Lots of detail on the use of psychicabilities. Adapted by Richard Mathesonfrom his 1971 novel Hell House.The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher,1987). New Wave vampires in modernCalifornia. The title refers to the followersof Peter Pan, which is sort of whatthis movie is about. Light, but lots offun.The Mummy (Karl Freund, 1932).Short on shocks, but maintains a horrificmood throughout. Gave us the “forbiddenreincarnated love” and “humanguise of the mummy” reused by laterfilms.Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987).An intelligent, very scary vampire filmin which the word “vampire” never appears.Set in the modern-day West, thevampires here are monsters of social upheaval— the ones your mother warnedyou about.Night of the Living Dead (George A.Romero, 1968). Combining stomachturningwalking-dead action with bleaksocial commentary, this zombie movie isonly equaled by its sequel, Dawn of theDead (George A. Romero, 1978), set in abesieged shopping mall.The Nightmare Before Christmas(Henry Selick, 1993). Giddy animated136Bibliography

musical with much worthwhile TimBurton-driven surreal imagery.A Nightmare on Elm Street (Wes Craven,1984). Amid all the hype and hooplaabout its countless sequels, it’s easy toforget just how unsettling this film canbe on first viewing, due largely to its brilliantcentral concept and imaginativeand surreal special effects.Nosferatu (F. Murnau, 1922). Murnau’ssilent masterpiece is a surrealistGothic. The remake (Werner Herzag,1979) presents the nosferatu as the irruptionof fatal reality into comfortablebourgeois life.Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982). Aflashy ghost story about an averagesuburban family. The most impressiveaspect of this movie is Hooper’s abilityto make everyday objects — TV Sets,stuffed toys, steaks — seem alive andmalevolent.Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960). Thefirst modern psycho killer movie. Thereis no gore, just suspense, misdirection,and a creepy atmosphere. Even if you’veheard the plot, see the movie.Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon, 1985)and From Beyond (Stuart Gordon,1986). By far the best filmic adaptationsof Lovecraft’s work, but based on thirdratestories. Still, full of supremely goodhumoredawfulness.Ringu (Hideo Nakata and ChisuiTakigawa, 1998). A Japanese suspensemasterpiece, borrowing from manyother horror movies but blending theminto its own tense story of a deadly videotape.Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski,1968). Witchcraft and Satanism amongthe uptown New York affluent. Polanskimasterfully builds the ominous, paranoidatmosphere.Session 9 (Brad Anderson, 2001). Environmentalclean-up crew encounterspsychological and supernatural horrorswhile removing asbestos from an abandonedinsane asylum. An atmospherictriumph.The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson,1943). A psychological horror film withcomplex characters, it deals with disillusionmentand suicide. Interesting toGMs for its handling of a satanic cult,mysterious and unknown throughoutthe movie.The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980).Not much of an adaptation of the novel,but a brilliant movie. Superb direction,an eerie score, and a memorable performanceby Jack Nicholson contribute toa terrifying atmosphere.The Sixth Sense, (M. Night Shyansalan,1999). A luminous combination ofghost story and psychological horrortale.The Thing (Christian Nyby, 1951).Notable for the conflict between the scientists,who want to capture or communicatewith the Thing, and the soldiers,who want to kill it. In the remake (JohnCarpenter, 1982), the Thing gains theability to mimic the appearance of anyhuman, making it impossible for theresidents of an isolated Arctic camp totrust one another.Thirteen Ghosts (Steve Beck, 2001).Remake of the 1960 William Castle B-movie about a mad ghost collector andhis insane, sorcerous house. The first 10minutes and the production design justifythe entire film.Tremors (Ron Underwood, 1990). Aseamless, brilliant updating of the 1950sB-movie to the modern era pits a smalldesert town against giant, malevolentsandworms.The Vanishing (George Sluizer, 1988).Psychological horror cripples a manwhen his wife suddenly — vanishes.Avoid the mediocre U.S. remake of thisDutch gem.The Wicker Man (Robin Hardy, 1973).Set in modern-day Great Britain, thismovie concerns a small offshore islandwhere the inhabitants still keep an interestin the “old religion.” Celtic mythologyin a modern setting, done with thrillermovieflair and a sense of humor.The Wolf Man (George Waggner,1941). Not the first werewolf picture,but the one that set the rules for the Hollywoodwolf-man as tragic victim/monster.Young Frankenstein (Mel Brooks,1974). Uproarious send-up of the wholehorror film genre, and rightly one of theAFI top 100 comedies. If for no otherreason, see this film so you’ll understandyour players’ jokes.TelevisionBuffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-present).Possibly the best continuing horrorTV series ever, and a model of story arcdevelopment. Easy on the eyes, too.Dark Shadows (1966-1971; 1991).This no-budget 1960s Gothic soap operastill commands a fanatically loyalaudience today, due to a memorable ensembleof ghoulish protagonists. Backin syndication on cable.Forever Knight (1992-1996). Vampirepolice drama with a cult following.The Invaders (1967-1968). Alien invasionparanoia with a 1960s twist of lowkeyexcellence.The Kingdom (1994, 1997). Two fourepisodeseries about a ghost-filled hospital,created by Danish director Lars vonTrier.Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974-1975). Inspiration for The X-files, thiscampy show had a sleazy but intrepidreporter chasing down a different monsterevery week, over the objections ofthe obsessively skeptical authorities.Not great drama, by any means, or evengreat television, but a potential source ofsome good ideas.Night Gallery (1969-1973). Rod Serling’sworthy successor to The TwilightZone.Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969-1972). The great silly horror show, despitethe total absence of actual horror.The Scooby gang is far too much like theaverage player group, so be warned. Thetwo live action movies are also worthchecking out.Tales From the Darkside (1984-1988).Produced by George A. Romero, this isprobably the best of the 1980s horroranthology series (including Friday the13th: The Series, Freddy’s Nightmares,and Monsters), despite cheesy specialeffects.The Twilight Zone (1959-1965; 1985-1988). The ground-breaking series thatdefined and perfected TV horror. Essential.Reincarnated several times withvarying degrees of success.Twin Peaks (1990-1991). Atmospherichorror mystery created by David Lynch.The series goes rapidly downhill afterthe central mystery is solved in the secondseason.Ultraviolet (1998). Superb, six-episodeBritish series about a covert deathsquad’s war against vampires.War of the Worlds (1998-1990). 1950salien paranoia updated to the GeorgeBush era with gusto, if little coherence.The X-Files (1993-present). At its peak,the best horror on television. Conspiracies,UFOs, and monsters all blend withexcellent camera work and productionfor an atmospheric triumph.Bibliography137

indexAcademic, 20.Accountant, 16, 17.Acting skill, 50.Advantages, 22-35, 38, 40, 41, 44,46, 89, 101, 108; secret, 24.Adventure seeds, 95-98, 100, 103,105.Adventures, 20, 47, 80, 82, 88,106, 110; creating, 92-95;one-shots, 80; running, 102-105; scenarios, 95-102.Air vehicles, see Ecto-2.Allies advantage, 21, 24, 45, 85,102.Amnesia disadvantage, 25.Animals, 8, 13, 37, 42, 45, 50, 53,88, 94, 100, 105, 126, 128;see also cryptid.Animate ability, 44.Animated objects, 46; see alsomalevolent objects.Anomalistics, 126.Anomalous cognition, 126.Anomalous phenomenon, 98,126, 127.Anthropology skill, 23.Anthroposophy, 126.Anti-slime suit, 59, 68.Apophenia, 126.Apparitions, 7, 10, 36, 37, 39,41, 89.Apport advantage, 39, 40, 46.Appropriateness, 22.Area Knowledge skill, 40, 42,48, 64.Astral Plane, 106-107.Astral Projection advantage, 106,107, 123, 126.Atheists, 97.Atmospheric ionization analyzer,59, 68.Auras, 9, 48, 57, 59, 66, 128; seealso ghosts.Aura video-analyzer, 59, 68.Ball lightning, 123, 127; see alsoghost lightBeam Weapons skill, 22.Berserk disadvantage, 57.Bibliography, 130-137.Billing, see customer invoice, fees.Bilocation, 123, 126, 127, 129.Boogieman, 13, 30, 38, 107;Boogieman’s realm, 107.Boundaries, 83; see exclusiveterritories.B.P.R.D., 101.Business cards, 110, 111.Cabal, 24, 47, 64, 84.Call of Cthulhu, 3-5, 130.Campaigns, 5, 10, 21-25, 47,76, 77, 80-89, 94-102, 104;campaign length, 80-81;planning, 81-84; style,85-87.Certificate of merit, 110, 112.Character sheet, 124.Characters, 20-35, 38, 66, 74,76, 77, 80, 86, 89, 93, 95,99, 101; biography, 23;concepts, 16-17, 20-22;creation, 22-23; design, 23;hooks, 23-25.Charlatan, 21.Childhood curse, 24.Chindi, 126.Chummy disadvantage, 57.Churches, 20, 48, 62, 97, 99; seealso religion.Clergyman, 20, 21, 48, 49, 62, 98,99; see also excorcism.Cliffhangers, 5.Climbing skill, 23.Code of conduct, 14, 18.Cold spots, 50, 61, 94, 126.Comic books, 12, 22, 73, 74, 99,101, 104, 108, 134.Compulsion, 41, 46.Computer Operation skill, 22,55, 60.Containment units, 10, 12, 13,16, 17, 45, 50, 53, 54-55, 68,76-78, 101, 102, 120; crystal,11; dimensionometer,55, 108; Eiffel Tower, 12;ghost dimension, 55, 108;standard unit, 55; seealso Moreton jar, specchiatormenta.Corporate positions, see jobs.Corpse light, 39; see also ghostlight.Corrupting gaze, 44.Corrupting touch, 44.Cosmic forces, 85, 89.Cowards, 19, 89.Creating gear, 22, 66, 105; seealso gadgeteering advantage.Cross-overs, 101.Cryptesthesia, 126.Cryptid, 123, 126.Cryptography skill, 23.Cthulhu, 11-13, 37, 38, 50, 101,102; see also Lovecraft, H.P.Cults, 12, 13, 49, 67, 89, 96,98, 104; see also Cabal,Illuminati.Curses, 24-25, 42, 49, 83, 98, 103,128.Customer bill of rights, 110, 113.Customer invoice, 18, 110, 114.Dactylomancy, 126.Damage release, 17, 110; form,115.Danny Phantom, 4.Déjà vu, 127, 129.Demons, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 18, 19,20, 24, 37, 42, 43, 50, 55,105, 108.Dependents disadvantage, 24,85, 87, 88, 102.Depreciated terms, 38.Detect advantage, 57, 66.Detect Lies skill, 59.Detective, 20.Devil-beasts, 42.Dimensions, 5-10, 12, 13, 38, 43,46, 51, 55-56, 58, 62, 70, 83,84, 93, 95, 97, 98, 101-102,106-109, 120, 127-129.Diplomacy, 101.Diplomacy skill, 50.Disadvantages, 22-35, 38, 40, 41,44, 87, 89, 90, 91; secret, 24;from fright, 91.Disappeared people, 96.Divination, 97, 98, 126, 128.Doctor, 21.Doctor Strange, 101.Doppelgänger, 25, 38, 127, 129.Dowsing rod, 63.Drag to Hell, 42.Drain advantage, 39.Dread disadvantage, 42, 62.Dreaming skill, 108.Dream worlds, 84, 107-108.Dreams, 41, 81, 86, 89, 126, 127.Driving skill, 22.Dungeons, 95, 97.Dungeons & Dragons, 93, 95.Elephants’ Graveyard, 105.Ectenic force, 127.Ecto-1, 10, 16, 22, 68, 69, 70-73,75, 78, 85, 95; see alsovehicles.Ecto-1a, 70-71.Ecto-2, 23, 68, 72, 73, 75, 78 ; seealso vehicles.Ecto-3, 22, 68, 74, 75 ; see alsovehicles.Ecto-Containment Unit, seecontainment units.Ecto-Goggles, 56-57, 68, 97.Ectomobile, see Ecto-1.Ectoplasm, 13, 45, 50, 51, 57,127, 128; ectoplasmicentities, 8, 10, 12, 21, 37, 50,1index

51, 54, 55; see also slime.Electric pentacle, 22, 65, 68.Electronic Voice Phenomena,49, 50, 60, 65, 127, 129.Electronics Operation skill, 23.Electronics Repair skill, 23.Elemental, 11, 34, 37, 41-42, 46.EM aura reverser, 66.Enemies disadvantage, 24.Entity analysis form, 110, 116.Environmental ProtectionAgency, 10, 12, 55, 95, 110,121; operating permit, 117;temporary permit, 118.EPA, see EnvironmentalProtection Agency.Equipment,14, 16-19, 22, 28, 30,34, 43, 46, 49, 50, 51-69,70-72, 74-75, 78-79, 85,97, 105, 108, 113, 120,121; conventional gear,60; equipment list, 68-69;ghostbusting equipmentlist, 59; ghostbustinggear, 51-59; uncommonweapons, 63-66;unconventional gear, 62;useful gear, 61.Ethereal plane, 46, 109.Evil ancestor, 24, 25, 42.EVP; see electronic voicephenomena.Exclusive territories, 15-16.Excorcism, 20, 21, 23, 40, 42,43, 50, 62, 105.Excorcist, The, 43.Exterminator, 21.Extra-dimensional, seedimensions.Faeries, 24, 47, 102.Fast Talk skill, 22, 39, 96.Fat disadvantage, 74.Fatigue, 38-46, 52, 56, 59, 85;restoring, 41.Fees, 5, 8, 17, 19, 55, 100, 120;see also customer invoice.Feng shui, 127.Fiction, 131.Filmography, 134.Flame Breath, 42, 46.Flight Suit, 58-59.Flip Side Dimension, 109.Foci, 38-41, 44, 46, 49, 55, 103.Focused, 37.Folie à deux, 127.Folklore, 62, 64, 101, 127.Fort, Charles Hoy, 127.Forteana, 127.Foulness, 43.Franchise, Ghostbusters, 11,13-19, 26, 28, 37, 38, 51,53-55, 58, 70, 71, 75-77,97, 100, 101, 103, 110, 113,115; contract, 14, 70, 75,110, 120-121; license, 11,51, 75, 110, 115, 119, 121;franchisee rights, 17.Free floating, 37Free repeater, 37.Friendly ghosts, 21, 22, 38, 49, 50.Fright checks, 24, 39-45, 50,57, 80, 87-89, 98; multiple,87; cumulative effects, 88;disadvantages from, 91.Fright, awe and confusion, 90;table, 90.Full-torso, 37.Gadgeteering advantage, 22, 23,66, 95, 105.GBI; see GhostbustersInternational.Gear, see equipment.Genius Loci, 40.Ghostbusters; movie, 11-13, 22,23, 26, 38, 41, 47, 55, 58,70, 71, 77, 80, 101.Ghostbusters II; movie, 11-13,16, 23, 38, 47, 58, 71, 80,101.Ghostbusters Inc., 11, 14, 18,120.Ghostbusters International, 5,11, 13, 14-19, 22, 23, 26,28, 30, 32, 36, 38, 51, 55,58, 60, 66, 70, 71, 73-75,77, 105, 107, 112-116,119-121; see also franchise,Ghostbusters.Ghostbusting, 4, 5, 8, 10, 14-17,19, 20, 47, 94, 95, 97, 110;campaigns, 80. time line,11-13; methods, 37, 48-50;prehistory of, 48; rates,19; science of, 6, 9; skills,22-23.Ghost hunter, 21.Ghostly equipment, 46.Ghostly motives, 49.Ghostly spoor, 50.Ghost light, 9, 127.Ghost Rider, 101.Ghosts, 36; abilities, 44;attributes, 37-38; classes,36-37; classification, 36;equipment, 46; ghostlyskills, 38-46; intelligence, 39;materialization, 39, 43, 63.Ghost swords, 63.Ghost traps, 13, 14, 16, 22, 23,38, 52, 53-54, 59, 68, 75,95, 105, 108; high-capacity,54; standard, 54; super trap,54; tripod trap, 13, 54, 69,73; vehicular, 54, 71-72.Ghouls, 25, 67, 85, 86, 89.Giga-meter, 56; see also PKEmeter.Gizmo advantage, 22, 23, 66.Glossary, 126-129.Government, 12, 19, 52, 71, 95,101, 110.Gremlins, 95.Haunted item, 24-25.Hazardous Materials skill, 23.Headless Horseman, 37.Heart/focus, see Foci.Herb Lore skill, 23.Headquarters, 76-79; choosing asite, 76; neighborhoods 77.Hell, 41, 42, 46, 84, 96, 106.Hellboy, 101.Hellish Invulnerability, 42.Hidden Lore skill, 22.History skill, 23, 48.Holy Grail, 67, 82, 105.Horror, 85; running horror, 86.Horrific appearance, 44.Iconic characters, 26-35.Icy Touch, 41, 46.Illuminati, 81.Illusions, 21, 44, 86;Infestations, 18, 19, 53.Infinite video imaging, 63, 65,127.Infravision advantage, 57, 60.Insanity, 25.Inspiration, 41-42.Insubstantiality advantage, 109.Inter-dimensional, seedimensions.Inter-dimensional cross-rip,108, 127; see also Tunguskaevent.Interrogation skill, 48, 50.Intimidation skill, 41.Investigations, 7-10, 20-23, 36,48-50, 59, 60, 87, 96-98,100, 120-121, 129.Invulnerability to PhysicalDamage, 43, 46.Jobs, 16-17; application form,123.Journalist, 21.Kirlian camera, 56, 63, 66, 68.Krasue, 127.La Llorona, 127.Laws, 10-13, 16, 71, 73, 74, 96-98, 100, 101, 121.Lawyer, 17.Legends, 10, 11, 13, 67, 83, 84,93, 98, 100, 126; see alsomythology.Licenses; CB, 72; flying, 73;plates, 17, 75; sirens, 71; seealso franchise.Liquid Projector skill, 23.Loch Ness monster, 8, 126.Lockpicking skill, 39.Lovecraft, H.P., 11-13, 83.Magery, 24, 101, 107, 108.Magic, 7, 38, 40, 49, 50, 62, 84,89, 95, 97-99, 106-109.Malevolent objects, 45.Mana, 101, 107-109.Maps, 15, 50, 61, 76-79, 95-96,101.Mascots, 19, 34, 103.Materialization Restriction, 41.Matter possession, 40, 46.Mediums, 21.Medium advantage, 65.Men in Black, 101.Mental Strength skill, 23.Meta-spectres, 8, 37, 38, 42, 53,56, 93.Metallurgy skill, 23.MIB; see Men In Black.Mimicry skill, 41.Mind Control, 44-45, 86.Mind Reading, 44.Miracles, 48, 99.Missing time, 25.Missing relative, 25.Monsters, 10, 13, 21-22, 25,38, 47, 49-52, 55, 60, 62,74, 80, 82-89, 91, 93, 95,100, ; as characters, 22, 81;hunting, 21, 47.Mood slime, see slime.Moreton jar, 63.Mysteries, 179, 181-182.Mythology, 11, 47, 67, 74, 98,100, 101; see also legends.Narrative structures, 81-82.Necrophone, 65.Night Vision advantage, 61.Non-fiction, 130.NPCs, 25, 94.Occult books, 67.Occultism skill, 23.Odic force, 9; see also PKE.Onryõ, 128.Oomancy, 128.OOPArt, 128.Orbs, 9, 39; see also ghost lightOrgone, 9; see also PKE.Outsider, 37, 38, 42, 43, 49, 53,56, 92.Pack Units, 68.Paranormology 101, 6-13.Parapsychologist, 21.Pareidolia, 128.Patron advantage, 24, 77, 85,102, 130.Perfect Balance advantage, 22,74.Phantom locomotives, 100.Philosophy skill, 23.Pickpocket skill, 39.Piloting skill, 23.PKE, 6-10, 36, 37, 46, 53, 54-56,59, 105, 127, 128; readings,52, 56, 71, 72, 116;valences, 6, 56, 98, 105,116; zones, 76.PKE badge, 49, 59, 68, 69.PKE meter, 14, 16, 21, 22, 55-56, 60, 69, 72, 98, 105, 107;see also giga-meter.Planes; see dimensions.Player handouts, 110-125.Pocket universes, 36.Poltergeist, 36, 38, 39, 128;phenomena, 10, 48.Poltergeist Powers, 40.Poltergeist Effect, 39, 45.Possession, 40-42, 45-46, 48, 53,59, 89.Index139

President, 16, 17.Prices, 19, 51, 61, 63, 64, 70, 76,105, 114.Priests, see clergyman.Probability Alteration, 21, 40, 46.Prophecy, 75, 81, 84, 150.Proton bomb, 53.Proton packs, 51-53; bio-electric,52-53; standard, 52.Psionics, 66, 108.Psychic force, 9; see also PKE.Psychokinetic Energy, see PKE.Psychoenergetics, 128.Psychomagnetheric slime, seeslime.Psychology skill, 23, 49, 50.Pyramid magazine, 3.Radiesthesia, 128.Real Ghostbusters, 10, 19, 38,44, 47, 58, 71, 93, 101, 106.Reincarnation, 37.Rejuvenation, 45.Relics, 26, 91.Religion, 9, 62.Religious Ritual skill, 23.Repeater, 38.Research skill, 23, 48, 60, 67.Researcher, 17.Retrocognition, 128.Revenant, 39, 40-41.Rewarding players, 105.Rituals, 8, 23, 25, 37, 49, 50, 62,63, 65, 93, 108, 128.Runes, 23, 63.Running skill, 23.Sacred geometry, 128.Sacred places, 9, 42, 100.Scientist, 21-22.Scope, 15-16.Scuba skill, 23.Séance, 128.Secret advantages anddisadvantages , 24Secretary, 17.Sensitive, 22.Services, 97.Settings, 5, 15, 25, 61, 83, 84, 93,96, 97, 99-102, 106-107.Shade, 41.Shadow people, 128.Shanghai sandwich, 65.Shapeshifting advantage, 41.Signature Gear advantage, 16.Silver weapons, 8, 42, 61-63, 64.Sirens; use of 71.Skills, 14, 17, 20, 22-23, 39-47, .Slam attack, 42.Slime, 10, 12, 13, 19, 34, 45, 56,57-60, 71, 85, 88, 89, 98,109; see also ectoplasm.Slime blower, 57-58.Slimer, 8, 12, 19, 26, 34-35, 37,41, 55.Sociology skill, 23.Specchia tormenta, 63-64.Spectral attack, 43.Spengler, Egon, 6-8, 10-13, 26,28, 30-31, 51, 54, 55, 66,67, 70, 108, 127.Spiricom, 66.Spirit meta-trait, 21, 38, 93.Spirits, 25, 30-33, 44, 101;ancestral, 112, 197, 201; ofplace, 45; of time, 78; traits,134;St. Elmo’s fire, 9; see also ghostlight.Staffing and scheduling, 16.Stantz, Ray, 6-8, 10, 12-13, 26,28-29, 30, 32, 36, 51, 54,66, 70, 77.Star jelly, 129.Starting equipment, 11, 14, 16.Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, 7,10, 12, 82, 101.Steganography. 129.Stifling Air, 43.Stigmata, 129.Stone tape, 129.Strangle attack, 39.Subplots, 185.Summon pests, 45.Sump thing, 95.Superheroes, 49.Survivalism, 129.Swarms, 37, 42.Synchronicity, 129.Tactical leader, 17.Tactics skill, 23.Talking board, 64-65.Technician, 17.Teaching assistant, 22.Telekinesis advantage, 40, 41, 45.Terror advantage, 39, 40-43.Thaumatology skill, 22, 23, 50.Theology skill, 23.Throwing skill, 39, 40.Thrown Weapon skill, 23.Thunderstone, 129.Time line, 11-13.Timing, 104.Training, 14, 17, 20, 22-24,99-100.Tsukumogami, 129; see alsomalevolent objects.Tunguska event, 129; see alsointer-dimensional cross-rip.Twinkie, 10.Undead, 36, 38, 40, 47, 54, 56,62, 64, 66, 82, 84, 85, 95,109, 133; see also vampires,zombies.Unidentified flying object, 129.Valences, 56; see also PKE.Vampires, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 47,61, 62, 82, 85-87, 100.Vapor, 7, 8, 10, 34, 38, 55.Vardøger, 129.Vehicles, 70-75; alternateectomobiles, 75; non-ectos,74; vehicles chart, 75; seealso Ecto-1, Ecto-2, Ecto-3.Venkman, Peter, 6-8, 10-14, 22,26-27, 28, 34, 37, 55, 73.Visions, 84.Vulnerability, 42.Wards, 62.Water ghost, 93.Weapons; see equipment.Weird Science skill, 23, 59,66-67.Werewolves, 8, 18, 19, 21, 22,24, 25, 47, 62, 81, 105.Will and testament, last, 97, 122.Will-o’-wisp, 39, 127; see alsoghost light.Witches, 98.Work order, 18, 104, 105, 110,116, 125.Worlds, 10, 39-40.Worship, 11, 12, 15, 41, 67, 86, 90.X-files, 4, 82, 99.Xenoglossy, 129.Zeddemore, Winston, 6-8, 10,12, 13, 20, 32-33.Zombies, 18, 47, 86, 89.Stuck for an adventure?No problem.e23 sells high-quality game adventures andsupplements in PDF format. STEVE JACKSON GAMESe23.sjgames.com www.warehouse23.com 140 Index

In 2006, I began research for a newcampaign. The group had decided on Ghostbustersas our next best option for a gamescenariot. I found a gently used copy ofGhostbusters International on eBay (theoriginal game was too pricey). I was disappointedwith the game which was very basic.There was some good information on settingup adventures, but not enough “crunchystuff” for a GURPS game.I bought GURPS Horror as soon as I laideyes on it. The book proved to be too horrororiented for a humorous campaign, althoughit did have some good ideas about setting upthe campaign. My search continued.Web searches turned up Ghostbusters –Who Ya Gonna Call?, a d20 based rule bookin PDF format. I printed and quickly read it.It had some good crunchy data on the Ghostbusters’equipment and some backgroundinfo on the movies and cartoon. There was agood section on alternate dimensions too. Itwas added to my collectio. With the deadlinefor my game approaching, I lacked enoughdetail to run a serious game for my players.I searched the Internet for other GURPSplayers who might have played a Ghostbustersscenario, and were sharing theirgame notes with the world. I stumbled uponthe GURPS All-Star Jam 2004 with it’schapter “Ghost Breaking”. This was exactlywhat I needed, and just in time! I supplied myplayers with photocopies of relevant pagesand we began to generate characters as Ihastily cobbled together our first adventure.The initial games went off without ahitch. It was a big pain to reference things inmy dog-eared, and heavily bookmarkedpages. I began to consolidate my rules into amore cohesive binder, including house rulesthat were developed for situations thatweren't addressed by the scattered array ofrule books. As the binder began to resemble arough book, I digitized germane pages frommy four books – so that I wouldn't have tocarry six books and a thick binder anymore.After playing Ghostbusters for almost ayear, I decided I would create an authenticlooking GURPS world book to hold theaccumulated bits in my binder, and givebound copies to my players for Christmas. Iworked up drawings and scammed artworkfrom any source. In November our gamingcame to a halt as real life intruded into ourgame time. I devoted myself to completingthe book. November turned into December,and so on. Eventually I added parts from theGURPS Fantasy, since the advice was just assound for Ghostbusters games as it had beenfor my Conan campaign.The hard copy books are finished and myplayers love them. They have cajoled me intosharing this effort with the world, although Iam loathe to do so since it contains thecopyrighted work of others – some of itheavily edited – in addition to the chapters Iwrote myself. Given time, I would haverewritten all of it, but I'm too busy with otherthings now.I have credited the authors and artists(when I could find out who they were)because I sincerely hope that everyone whouses this book will go out and buy their stufftoo. I’ll post this once and then I’m done. Iwouldn’t mind hearing what people think ofthe book. I frequent www.gbfans.com and theUseNet group, rec.games.frp.gurps if anyonewants to leave word on what they liked orwould have done differently.Lothar Wotan YotIF YOU LIKED THIS BOOK, BUY THESE BOOKS!Aaron AllstonDouglas KaufmanKenneth HiteMichael TrescaFritz BaughKenneth HiteWilliam H. Stoddard

In a world awash with ghosts, extra-dimensionaldemigods and supernatural phenomenon there is notime for science, only for action. For the average manthis is a time of terror and tribulation: for those of steelynerve and sharp wit, it is a time for glory and profit.GURPS Ghostbusters puts campaign-planning adviceand weird science at your fingertips, so you can createa setting that is implausible fun!Discover what a “focused, non-terminal repeating phantasm”is, how to deal with one. This book will guide you throughpurchasing your first franchise, selecting your exclusive territoryand setting up your own indispensable defense company thatwill make you wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.With the help of these instructions you’ll be ableto face down any supernatural menace and you canproudly say, “I ain’t afraid of no ghost!” (Yeah, justkeep telling yourself that.)GURPS Ghostbusters requires the GURPS Basic Set,Fourth Edition. The information and advice on technology, game play,and ghost design can be used as a resource for any ghost-hunter style game.By Kenneth Hite, Michael Tresca, Fritz Baugh, William H. Stoddard,Aaron Allston and Douglas KaufmanIllustrated by Abrar Ajmal, Guy Burchak, Brent Chumley, Alan Gutierrez, John Moriarty, Tony Parker,Rowena, Dan Schoening, Douglas Shuler, Bob Stevlic, Rogério Vilela, Bob Walters and Matt Willson4TH EDITION, 1ST PRINTINGPUBLISHED APRIL 2008ISBN 1-99666-666-4$34.95 SJG 01-9666Printed inthe USA