Some Commonly Found Creatures in US Swamps

Some Commonly Found Creatures in US Swamps 

Sourced from varied websites

Mixture of Freshwater and Saltwater Denizens

Now the majority of these creatures will not be suitable for an encounter. Things like a Fox, Rabbit, Vole, Bats, etc. Others could be encounters like Bears, Bobcats, especially the Alligators or Crocodiles. Another issue with this list is that is for both Fresh and Saltwater so if you pull them all in at once, 

it would be a severe mishmash. However to get an idea as to what creatures may be living in a swamp, it should be most suitable. 

Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temmincki) 

American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) 

American Toad (Bufo americanus) 

Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata) 

Barking Treefrog (Hyla gratiosa) 

Barred Owl

Beaver (Castor canadensis) 

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) 

Bird-voiced Treefrog (Hyla avivoca) 

Black Bear (Ursus americanus) 

Black Rat (Rattus rat) 

Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta) 

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) 

Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) 

Broad-headed Skink (Eumeces laticeps) 

Bronze Frog (Rana clamitans) 

Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) 

Brown Water Snake (Nerodia taxispilota) 

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) 

Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) 

Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) 

Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) 

Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata) 

Cotton Mouse (Peromyscus gossypinus) 

Cotton Rat (Sigmodon hispidus) 

Cottonmouth Snakes

Coyote (Canis latrans) 

Crabs

Deer Snakes 

Dwarf Salamander (Eurycea quadridigitata) 

Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) 

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) 

Eastern Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum) 

Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) 

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) 

Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) 

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) 

Eastern Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis) 

Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciursu carolinensis)

Eastern Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis) 

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platyrhinos) 

Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getulus) 

Eastern Mole (Scaolpus aquaticus) 

Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum) 

Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis) 

Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus) 

Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) 

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus) 

Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii) 

Eastern Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius) 

Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana) 

Egrets

Evening Bat (Nycticeius humeralis) 

Feral Pig (Sus scrofa)

Five-Lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) 

Flamingo

Florida Cooter (Pseudemys floridana) 

Florida Panther

Flying Fox

Fowler’s Toad (Bufo fowleri) 

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) 

Frogs

Gapper’s Redback Vole   

Golden Mouse (Peromyscus nuttalli) 

Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) 

Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 

Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) 

Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) 

Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) 

Ground Skink (Scincella lateralis) Turtles 

Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus) 

House Mouse (Mus musculus) 

Insects (Of All Sorts)

Jabiru

Least Shrew (Cryptotis parva) 

Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia) 

Little Brown Myotis (Bat)   

Loggerhead Musk Turtle (Sternotherus minor) 

Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) 

Mangrove Monitor Lizards

Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum) 

Marsh Rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris) 

Marsh Rice Rat (Oryzomys palustris) 

Masked Shrew  

Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius)

Meadow Vole   

Midland Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) 

Mink (Mustela vison) 

Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum) 

Mole Skink (Eumeces egregius) 

Mud Salamander (Psuedotriton montanus) Mammals 

Mud Snake (Farancia abacura) 

Mudskippers

Muskrat   

Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) 

Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans) 

Norway Rat “Common Rat” (Rattus norvegicus) 

Nutria (Myocastor coypus) 

Oldfield Mouse (Peromyscus polionotus) 

Osprey

Otter

Pine Vole   

Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata) 

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) 

Red Bat   

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) 

Red Salamander (Psuedotriton ruber) 

Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Red-Bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) 

Red-Bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster) 

Red-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) 

River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna) 

River Otter (Lutra canadensis) 

Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula) 

Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) 

Saltwater Crocodile

Sandhill Crane

Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis triangulum) 

Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea) 

Sea Snakes

Seminole Bat (Lasiurus seminolus) 

Short-tailed Shrew  (Blarina brevicauda)

Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) 

Six-Lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) 

Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus) 

Slimy Salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) 

Smoky Shrew  

Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae) 

Snails

Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) 

Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata) 

Southeastern Five-Lined Skink (Eumeces inexpectatus) 

Southeastern Myotis (Myotis austroriparius) 

Southeastern Pocket Gopher (Geomys pinetis) 

Southeastern Shrew (Sorex longirostris) 

Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) 

Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita) 

Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) 

Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) 

Southern Leopard Frog (Rana utricularia) 

Southern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus) 

Southern Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina carolinensis) 

Southern Toad (Bufo terrestris) 

Southern Two-Lined Salamander (Eurycea cirrigera) 

Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera)) 

Spotted Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus conanti) 

Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) 

Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata) 

Spring Peeper (Hyla crucifer) 

Squirrel Treefrog (Hyla squirella) 

Starnose Mole  (Condylura cristata)

Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon baurii) 

Striped Skunk   

Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) 

Swamp Rabbit “Cane Cutter” (Sylvilagus aquaticus) 

Three-Lined Salamander (Eurycea guttolineata) 

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Turtles

Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means) 

Upland Chorus Frog (Pseudacris feriarum) 

Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) 

Water Buffalo

Water Moccasin

Water Turkey

White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)

Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) 

Wood Duck

Wood Stork

Woodchuck   

Woodland Jumping Mouse   

Woodland Vole (Microtus pinetorum) 

Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta) Alligators 

Much of the above list copied from

http://www.fws.gov/southeast/pubs/bond_swamp_animal.pdf

Another site utilized is 

http://www.greatswamp.org/SeeDo/Mammals.htm

Note: I plan to cross post this to two other of my own gaming oriented blogs as it can pertain to both of those as well. 

6 Types of Adventures (Per GURPS CthulhuPunk)

GURPS CthulhuPunk written by Chris McCubbin is a strong supporting document for integrating Cthulhu Mythos Elements into the GURPS Cyberpunk Setting. It is a great resource for any GM running a game in the GURPS Cyberpunk Stock setting. For us that do not use that setting (being more the Night City or Homebrew Types) it is less relevant that way. However there are some really cool elements to incorporate into your Horror Game overall. The focus of this article is found on Pages 66 to 69, Adventure Archetypes. The author states there are 6 overall broad outlines for stories in the Mythos, and so these can be used in the gaming as well. The 6 Outlines are: The Ceremony Forbidden Knowledge Fatal Attraction Outbreak The Lost Expedition The Site With those 6 outlines also comes The Victim. The Victim in these circumstances is the poor unfortunate that has come across The Mythos, or is the focus on the scenario or story. As Chris McCubbin states this is the Catalyst for what is occurring. It can be past tense, it can be happening right at that moment. So a little in depth with each of the 6 Outlines The Ceremony: Essentially this boils down to Characters vs Cultists, to stop a ceremony of some sort. Of course in CoC or any other Mythos inspired game this can open up to a wide range or activities. From someone invoking The Hounds of Tindalos to making contact with Yithians, to actual Contact Spells for Ithaqua or other Great Ones. Forbidden Knowledge: This is the plotline where The Victim has come into possession or contact with something that is better left untouched. Be it a tome, an artifact, an offshoot of the Whately Family living in the DC area and running for Local Government, it boils down to better left alone. Fatal Attraction: This is where The Victim has come to the attention of The Mythos for some reason. Skill, talent, inherited an artifact. For what ever reason, the Great Old Ones or their minions have come a knock knock knocking on the Victims' Front Door. Outbreak: When the Mythos comes into the limelight in an obvious way. Think in terms of an Outbreak of an illness. The actions of some sort have come to the attention of the Characters and potentially of the authorities. The Lost Expedition: When the Nameless Patron invites the Characters to go and find out what happened to the previous discoverers, that is the Lost Expedition. The Site: Where the Lost Expedition is to find out what happened. The Site is where the characters are on The Lost Expedition. Good Luck. These 6 broad outlines are a great way to start the thinking process for a night's gaming, or for a longer more spreadout adventure. For more details go find a copy of this out of print sourcebook. It is illustrated by Dan 'Smif Smith and worth the effort for the other gems included in the 125 pages of writing.

New Occupations for Characters and NPCS

One thing that most RPGs have are lists or suggestions of careers or occupations related to the setting or genre.

In Call of Cthulhu from Chaosium there are the different Occupations in the rule book such as Athlete, Author, Dilletatte, Clergy, Parapycholigist, and Policeman to name a few of the 28 Occupations listed in the main rule book. In ADnD there were the secondary occupations, listing all manner of Medieval Jobs such as Mason, Carpenter, Hunter, Millwright, were the sorts of entries made.

Move onto d20 Modern, a much more recent release and in there we can find 19 Starting Occupations, such as Academic, Celebrity, Dilettante, Entrepreneur, and White Collar, covering a broad swath of 1990s/2000 sorts of overall fields.

NOTE: There is a lot of overlap between the two games of CoC and d20Modern. Both are covering roughly the same sort of timeperiod in history. With Human Existence being about 50k years, then the time from the 1920s to 2000 is just a tiny speck.

Three different examples from 3 genres/areas. Still there are overalaps between them all. There is Education, Military, Clergy, Craftsman in all of them.

So for more modern and potentially futuristic games and settings what sorts of careers / occupations are there. An idea, a concept, I have been mulling for a while. So here is a starting list of more 2012 and beyond careers, pulled from a variety of sources. These are suitable for other genres besides Modern and Horror. They can apply to near future, covering such genres as Cyberpunk or Singulairty/Transhuman. They can apply to any setting that has a current component to it. Change up the words or what it deals with and it can apply to Steampunk or Clockpunk (Insert Steam or Mechanical into pretty much anything and it might apply).

List of New Occupations (Because we gamers do like our lists) Of course this is not completely inclusive, but it will give some ideas:

NOTE: These are all real job titles...all 244 of them

Account Executive

Account Manager

Account Representative I

Account Representatives / Agents

Accountant

Accounting Manager

Accounts Payable Clerk

Acoustic Archeologist

Acoustic Ecologist

Adjuster, insurance - inside homeowner claims

Admin Assistant / Ops Manager

Administrative Assistant

Air Conditioning Technician

AML Operations CAO Initiatives Project Manager

Application Architect

Application Developer - SQL, .Net, C#, JavaScript

Application Support Specialist

Appointment Setter

AS/400 - RPG Senior Programmer Analysts

Assistant Director of Nursing

Assistant Operations Manager

Assistant Vice President, Creative Development

Audit Associate

Aural Architect

Auto Property Damage Adjuster

Automotive Technician

Bilingual Billing Supervisor

Billing and Enrollment Specialist (Commercial Insurance)

Body Injury Supervisor

Business Analyst

Business Development Manager

Business Systems Analyst - Lead

Cable Technician

Call Center Operations Unit Manager

Caregiver (CNA/HHA)

Case Manager - IT Forward Civic Justice Corps

Case Manager I (Concurrent Review)

Cashier

CEI Contract Support Specialist

CEI Senior Roadway/Bridge Inspector

Center Receptionist

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)

Certified Sr. DOT Field Technican

Certified Surgical Tech - Labor and Delivery - Celebration Health - Nights

Chief Building Engineer

CISSP Enforcement Specialist

Claims Approver Long Term Care

Claims Coach

Claims Representative - Liability

Clinical Research Coordinator Direct Hire

CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Operator and Programmer

CNC Machinist

Collections Agent

Commercial Banking Assistant, Full Time

Commercial Loan Servicing Administration Director

Commercial Real Estate Servicing Generalist

Commercial Truck Rental Representative

Commercial Truck Technician

Concrete Finisher

Construction Mobile Building Installer/CDL Driver

Consumer Loan Underwriter

Contract Occupational Therapy

Contract Specialist

Cook

Coordinator, Fulfillment/Records Management

Corporate Trainer

Cost Estimator

Credit Representative

Credit Risk Analyst

Custodian

Customer Care Representative I

Customer Service Agent

Customer Service Representative

Customer Service/Technical Support Specialist

Cyber CI Audit Rules Policy Engineer

Cyber CI Auditor

Cyber Forensics and Network Warfare Analyst

Cyber Warfare Program Analyst

Data Security Analyst

Delivery Driver

Dialysis Patient Care Technician

Dining Room Server

Director, Performance Improvement - RN

Distribution Manager

District Sales Manager

Driver

Driver Helper

Early Childhood Education Coordinator

Echo Technologist PRN /INT

Education Specialist

Electrician

Electrician Apprentice

Electrician Helper

Electronics Engineer - Analog & Digital Circuit Design

Elementary Instructional Aide

Elementary Perm Substitute

Employability Skills Instructor

Employee Communications Manager

Employment and Training Coordinator

Enrollment & Advertising Consultant

Enrollment Services Specialist

Event Specialists/Product Demonstrators

Executive Chef

Executive Housekeeper

Experienced Driller

Facilities and Fleet Coordinator

Facilities Building Tech A

Facilities Custodian

Facility Maintenance

Field Compliance Inspector

Field Operations Manager

File Clerk

Food Service Assistant

Foreman / Crew Leader

Forklift and Truck Mechanic

Forklift Operator - General Warehouse

Fraud Intake Coordinator

Front Desk Sales & Service Representative

Front Office Assistant/Medical Assistant

General Staff Accountant

Housekeeper

Housekeeping Inspector

Housekeeping Manager

Houseman

HR Functional Specialist

HR Specialist

HVAC Apprentice

HVAC installer

HVAC Mechanic Journeyman

Hyperion Systems Administrator

Industrial Sheet Metal Mechanic

Information Technology Technician

Infrastructure Project Manager

Inside Sales Associate

Intake Coordinator

Irrigation Technician

IT Project Manager

Kennel Tech

Landscape Foreman

Laundry Supervisor

Lawn Maintenance Worker

Lead Analysts

Lead Direct Support Professional

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Life Insurance Sales Agent

Line Cook

Maintenance Mechanic

Maintenance Supervisor

Management Assistant

Manager - Food and Beverage

Manager of Import Accounting & Compliance

Manager of Project Management

Manufacturing Assistant

Manufacturing Process Supervisor

Marketing and Communications Officer

Marketing Coordinator

Marketing Manager (Media Relations)

Marketing/PR Communications Manager

Mechanical / Technical Service Specialist Opportunities Job

Medical Appointment Clerk

Medical Assistant

Medical Billing Manager

Medical Receptionist-Starts Immediately

Medicare Provider Relations Rep II - 20872

Mental Health Technician

Mentor Coordinator

Merchandising and Pricing Lead

Mortgage Specialist

Multi-craft Industrial Machinery Mechanic

Multidisciplinary Analyst

Night Auditor

Nurse Assistant Training Instructor

Nurse Manager Quality

Occupational Therapist

Office Assistant

Oncology Technician

Optical Management Technology & Opticianry Instructor

Painter / Powder Coater

Partner Manager-OEM - MicroStrategy

Personal Banker

Physical Therapist

Physical Therapist Assistant

PIP Claims Supervisor

Pipefitter

Polisher

Portable Restroom Service Driver

Powder Coat Supervisor/Powder Coater

Press Brake Operator

Process Technician

Processing Associate

Product Manager

Program Coordinator

Project Coordinator

Project Management Assistant

Project Manager

Property Associate

Psychoacoustitician

Purchasing Manager

Quality Assurance Specialist

Radio Frequency Technician

Receiving Associate

Receptionist

Recreation Attendant

Recruitment & Placement Manager

Regional Director of Managed Care Contracting

Registered Nurse

Reliability Engineer

Report Writer

Residential Service Plumbers

Restaurant Cashier

Restaurant Purchasing Manager

Route Sales Driver

Sales Account Manager

SAP FICO - Specialist Senior

Scaffold Builder

Seasonal Sales Associate

Security Officer

Semi Truck Driver

Senior Account Executive

Senior Personal Injury Protection Claims Adjuster

Senior Software Engineer

Senior Tradesworker

Senior Workers' Compensation Lost Time Claims Adjuster

Service Electrician

Service Technician

Shipping/Receiving Supervisor

Software Engineer - Android Development

Sound Designers

Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

SQL Database Administrator

Sr. Risk Representative

Store Manager

Surgical Technologist

Sustainability Manager

Systems Administrator

Systems Administrator/Developer

Title Examiner

Tractor Trailer Driver

Transportation Specialist

Trauma Nurse Coordinator Clinical Education/Performance Improvement

Web Developer - ASP.NET - C# - PHP

Welder

Workers' Compensation Adjuster

Yard Laborer

Sources:
Dwell Magazine November 2012 Issue
TV Commercials
Job Searches on Job Boards

Characteristics or More on Monsters Point 3: HP Lovecraft and Descendants

 Characteristics or More on Monsters Point 3: HP Lovecraft and Descendants

Mr. Wigglestick here, coming to you today from the Hallowed Halls, where fine suggestions lurk behind every nook and deep within the crannies of the mind. The Hallowed Halls is a fine establishment, with room to accommodate most any sort of appetite, no caveats attached. So take your time, browse the collection and admire the artwork, feel free to visit the front desk for entertainment, refreshments, or lodging requests.

Welcome, one and all.

These are the cream of the crop. Too many tentacles, too many gaping orifices, insane cultists and things from outside our space and time. These are the real deal kiddies, come play at your own risk.

1. Ancient Elder Gods
2. Hideous monsters
3. Subterranean creatures
4. Insane Cultists
5. Human / Monster Hybrids
6. Aliens from distant worlds
7. Shapeless / Formless things that make no sense

Characteristics or More on Monsters Point 2: Gothic Novels

Characteristics or More on Monsters Point 2: Gothic Novels

Mr. Wigglestick here, coming to you today from the Hallowed Halls, where fine suggestions lurk behind every nook and deep within the crannies of the mind. The Hallowed Halls is a fine establishment, with room to accommodate most any sort of appetite, no caveats attached. So take your time, browse the collection and admire the artwork, feel free to visit the front desk for entertainment, refreshments, or lodging requests.

Welcome, one and all.

Ahh the Gothic Novel and all of it’s successors. Truly the Horror genre holds the most esteem for this source of fear and monsters. None of the other genres have held our fascination as long as this has.

1. The Frankenstein’s Monster
2. Le Loop Garou
3. The Vampire
4. The Golem (Predecessor to The Frankenstein’s Monster)
5. The Gargoyle
6. The Stalker (Jack the Ripper in essence, also under Grotesqueries)
7. The Mad Scientist (Personified in Captain Nemo in this case)
8. The Mad Man or Woman (also in the Grotesqueries)
9. Wild Beasts and altered versions of such (wolves, bats, rats, etc.)
10. Lost Worlds, savages, dinosaurs, etc.
11. Christian Demons and Angels

Protodimension Issue 4 is available

The Spring Issue is here. Issue #4 of Protodimension Magazine featuring Spring Rites
is now available on the main site.

The direct download link is ready and able to accept your free requests

It is stuffed with all sorts of horror and conspiracy oriented goodness such as the Table of Contents indicates

•Silence, Poetry by music-freak101
•A Rite of Spring, An Adventure by Dave Schuey For Dark Conspiracy
•Market Direct, An Interview with Literature Innovator Jess Hartley
•The Necromancer, New Horror Art by CosmicGhost
•Rotten Factory, A Demonseed by CW Kelson III (Tad)
•The Precontinental Order, An Organization By Ryan Quinn, for Spycraft 2.0
•Firearm Accessories, Weapon Options by Zvezda for Dark Conspiracy
•Liveathan, Setting Elements by Michael Pevzner for All Systems
•Report on the Viability of, A Short Story, by CW Kelson III (Tad)
•Staring, A Poe, by music-freak101
•Memories Of A Killer, Fiction by Peyton Bisaillon
•Outbreak Generator Charts, A Plot Device by Citizen X (Joe Klemann)
•Motorway: The Gremlins’ Playground, A Proto-Dimension by Linden Dunham for Dark Conspiracy
•The Big Long Wait, A Short Story by Tim Bisaillon
•The Strayer-Voigt Infinity Gold Special, High Class Handguns by Kevin OíNeill for Dark Conspiracy
•Big Guns and Bigger Stuff, Gear in a Modern Setting by Kevin OíNeill for Dark Conspiracy
•Mechanisms, Fiction by CW Kelson III (Tad)
•Under the Floorboards, A Column by Lee Williams
•Into the Woods, Humor by The Braincase Factory

Go check out the modern horror and conspiracy oriented FREE gaming magazine that is Protodimension Magazine

Protodimension Magazine

Greetings all.

Issue #2 of Protodimension Magazine is currently on schedule. The current list of articles and literature is available here:

http://www.protodimension.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=66

As always, we welcome any horror & conspiracy-related submissions you may have. We are always in need of everything: adventures, art, scenarios, art, backgrounds, art, blurbs, art, stories, art, plot hooks/adventure seeds, and did I say art?

The Issue 3, Winter 2010 submission cut-off date is 1 January 2010. That date would normally be December 1, but the holiday is a wonderful time of the year, isn't it Cool

Also, if anyone is willing to work up a cartoon strip (4 times a year, pretty easy, eh?), contact us at the usual email address:

submissions(at)protodimension(dot)com

Note that if we had more submissions, we could publish more often. Very Happy

Cheers!

Norm Fenlason
Lee Williams
Tad Kelson - Editors

More Tentacles than you can shake a Fist at

Characteristics in Horror Genre Gaming
More Tentacles than you can shake a Fist at
There are five main genesis points to the modern horror genre in gaming, as far as monsters as protagonists are concerned. They are illustrated below with details to follow. This refers to the protagonists/threats distinction made already. These are the easiest to find examples of, to use and implement in your own gaming as well. Several of these fall or cross over with the Grotesqueries category of protagonists as well.

So the 5 main starting points are as follows:
Point 1 are Mythological Creatures such as The Medusa, Werewolves (also present in Point 2), The Kraken, etc.

Point 2 are the examples that come from the Gothic Novels. This includes the traditional monsters of Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, Jekyl and Hyde, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, etc. These will often overflow with the Grotesqueries form of the protagonist.

Point 3 are the works of HP Lovecraft and to a lesser extent Edgar Allen Poe (Who can fall into the Gothic perspective at times easily). These are the things man was not meant to know or understand, aliens, things from other places in many instances.

Point 4 is the modern slasher/gore/madman/monster type. More than the others these will often overflow with the Grotesqueries form of the protagonist.

Point 5 are the modern monsters classification. The prime examples of these are the 1950s monster movies, the Aliens from the movies by the same names, all the things that are found in outer space, etc. Also aliens and abductions fall into this category while things like giant mutant crocodiles also fall into this distinction, which is mostly time based (more recent) than anything else. This is to separate out the axe wielding inbred family monsters from the giant crocodile monster or the alien space virus that creates shambling hordes of brain eating things from each other.


Of course there are variations to all the themes.

Characteristics

Good Day // Good Evening, as it will pertain to the kindly reader

Next I would like to discuss what I see as some of the salient characteristics of the genre as it pertains to Roleplaying Games only. Naturally there is cross-over, between literature, films, stage, and RPGs, no denying this. I am going to talk about my own perceptions of it, from over 30 years of being a gamer.

Characteristics in Horror Genre Gaming
Protagonists / Threats
These come from 3 main areas. There is a natural overlap, none have only a single one that I can see.
That said there are 3 main types:
• Psychological
• Monsters
• Grotesqueries (Macabre/Surreal/Unnatural)
So in example in the fiction of HP Lovecraft, he has all three at one point or another. Psychological is in the Rats in the Walls story, Monsters are all over the place naturally, while Grotesqueries show up in the Dream Stories of Kadath that I have noticed. The line between Monsters and Grotesques is tenuous and thin at best. That distinction is more evident in Film I think than RPG settings.

Psychological:
This is more terror than horror, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what is happening. It is often a component leading up to the climax and battles with monsters and grotesqueries.
The scary elements, the clues, the hidden messages in ancient tomes, all part of this element.

Monsters:
These are the staples, the things that go bump in the night. These are the elements most often found in a non-horror genre game system or setting. One example is Vampires in the Victoriana Game Setting of Gaslight (Both the Savage Worlds and OGL editions). It is not a horror game setting per se, but with Vampires and Monsters in it, drawing from the literature of the time, which lends to Horror like elements included.

Grotesqueries:
These are often monsters themselves, or the changed and strange. Examples would include hunchbacks, circus performers, sideshow freaks, the misshapen from birth, those are the grotesque things. Sometimes they are monsters; sometimes they are simply misunderstood to the point of turning them into monsters. Also these include those that appear normal, but in their heads they are not. So an example of this is that Jack the Ripper would fall into the Grotesqueries category, while Werewolf or Spring Heeled Jack would fall into the monsters category.

These are the three main elements to Horror Gaming and what sorts of challenges are encountered. It of course has omitted traps and natural disasters. Those do not fall neatly into these categories. So with these elements in mind, you the person running the game can see which you prefer to use in your game. A later article will start discussing the stock versions of these elements.


So it has come this point, here is a master / consolidated listing of extant Horror Genre Roleplaying Games, being as inclusive as I can make it. I am sure there are many others I am missing, small and obscure ones I have not heard of, or ones in progress I am unaware of. So this list will expand as time permits.

Master List of Horror Genre Roleplaying Games
All Flesh Must Be Eaten
Beyond the Supernatural (Palladium)
Call of Cthulhu®
Chill
CJ Carella’s WitchCraft
Code Black (BTRC)
Conspiracy X
Cyberpunk 2020 Alternate World (R Talsorian)
Dark Conspiracy (Far Future Enterprises)
Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)
Dark Matter (Alternity Edition and d20 Editions)
Dread
EABA Code:Black
Etherscope (Goodman Games)
Feng Shui®
GUMSHOE System (The Esoterrorists, non-mythos Trail of Cthulhu)
GURPS, GURPS Horror, GURPS Undead, GURPS Spirits
Kult (Unknown as of this time)
Little Fears
Little Fears Nightmare Edition
Monte Cook's World of Darkness
Nephilim
Nightbane (Palladium)
Nightlife (BKM)
Over the Edge®
Ravenloft (AD&D)
The Hunt: Rise of Evil (Mystic Eye Games d20)
The Mutant Chronicles (Target Games and CMG version Fantasy Flight Games)
The Whispering Vault (I forget right now)
Torg (West End Games)
Unhallowed Metropolis
Unknown Armies®
World of Darkness (especially Hunter: The Vigil)

Relaunched

Ohh how long has it been since the darkness was last pierced with clarity and insight into the inner workings of depravity. Well something like that, and now for a change in direction. Originally this was intended to touch on the larger aspects of horror in life, literature, film and other activities. But that is a total waste. My interest in horror is much more focused, sharper, more piercing than an overreaching view will encompass. So instead, the foci have altered. No longer the big view, instead it is time to narrow it down, bring it into a gun sight focus on a few areas of the horror genre.

Welcome to the varied worlds of Horror Tabletop Gaming, or Horror Roleplaying Games and Gaming. Horror RPGs have a wonderful history in the overall hobby of Tabletop Gaming. There is a nice wide assortment of products still in print, with new ones coming out every year. Oftentimes in fact a non-horror game will have nice facets of the horror gaming genre in it making for plenty of choices to pick and chose (and borrow) from for the gaming enthusiast.

Now for purposes of this writing, the genre includes the weird, paranormal, macabre, occult and the conspiracy oriented genres as well. Often these are essential elements in addition to the horror factors, so no need to exclude them now is there. I might add in Urban Fantasy and some elements of SF gaming, often there can be an element of horror (See the movie Alien for a prime example) included in those. The initial focus is on the core elements though.

Starting off is a list of the titles I personally own, which are the ones I have experience and most of my interest falls into. I then go on to some other very arbitrary distinctions about the games and settings. I am going to focus my writing and support efforts on the systems and settings I have and are the most acquainted with.

Ones that I still possess
Call of Cthulhu (Chaosium)
Dark Conspiracy (Far Future Enterprises)
Kult (Unknown as of this time)
Dark Matter (Alternity Edition)
The Mutant Chronicles (Target Games and CMG version Fantasy Flight Games)
Dark Heresy (Fantasy Flight Games)
Unknown Armies (I forget right now)
The Whispering Vault (I forget right now)
Code Black (BTRC)
Ravenloft (AD&D)
Etherscope (Goodman Games)
Nightlife (BKM)
UnHallowed Metropolis (I forget right now)

Others I know of and want to get
Little Fears Nightmare Edition

Others I know nothing about
Dread
Chill

In Production (that I am personally aware of) Includes
Dark Days RPG (George Cotronis)

Related to the genre are the following
Eclipse Phase
Capacity (my own product in production have to plug my own items)

Most of the various generic game systems have horror based settings as well. GRUPS has the GURPS: Horror and GURPS: Screampunk setting books, Hero Games has the Horror Hero sourcebook (a perennial favorite of mine ideal to mine for sources and material). The d20 OGL world has the d20 editions of Call of Cthulhu, Dark Matter, and the more Urban Fantasy Urban Arcana (which can have horror elements and in fact it incorporates ideas from the old Rising Tide AD&D setting as well). Some of these are a bit more peripheral.

So time to embark on the weird and wonderful world of Horror Gaming