Version 0.5 – Heaven or Hell, Let’s RUN!

Panic
The game of little
girls running.
Version 0.5

Release notes.
This page actually brings the number of pages above the 20 page limit for this.
Initial rulebook!

Next Release
Rules will be adjusted based on play testing.
More splash art.
Also, better splash art.
May include rules for raising animals and alchemy.
 Panic
The game of little
girls running.

Introduction to them. Dice are generally referred to by the

Panic is a pen and paper RPG revolving number of sides the die possesses preceding
around vulnerability, running, and hiding. by the letter d, while any number preceding
Panic works best as a two player game, but the letter d refers to the number of dice
players can be introduced. Regardless of the involved. For instance, if something calls for
number of people involved one person you to roll two six sided dice it will likely be
should take on the role of the Nightmare listed as 2d6. The primary type of dice used
Weaver (often abbreviated to the NW) while in Panic are special dice known as
the rest take the role of players. The percentiles (or d% or d100). These are a set
Nightmare Weaver creates the world around of 2d10, with one die representing a number
the players, controls the stalker, sets up the in the tens space and the other representing
story, and takes control of all the behind the a number in the ones space. A roll of 2 and 7
scenes stuff. The players create player would, I fact, be considered a result of 27.
characters (often abbreviated to PCs) to take Some d10s are made specifically for the
a central role in the story, they control all of purpose of displaying the tens space, and it
their character’s thoughts and actions, and is suggested that you use one of these.
hopefully can help them to survive.
Ultimately it is up to the NW and the player to Gameplay
work together to create a story (or Nightmare At its heart Panic is a role playing game. The
as they will be referred to.) players take control of their characters and
To play the game you will need a pencil, an dictate their actions, while the NW describes
eraser, paper, and either a set of gaming the world and the people around the PCs
dice or the electronic equivalent. You may and often describes the result of their actions
also want a grid and tokens or miniatures to as well. For actions requiring the display of a
represent certain aspects of combat or certain amount of skill, success or failure will
fleeing. weigh on the roll of the dice. As a general
Panic is a rather niche RPG, made for a fairly rule for panic, you want to roll low when
specific type of game. For more general rolling percentiles and high when rolling other
systems you may want to look into Dungeons dice. There are exceptions to this rule, but it
& Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, Trail of Cthulhu, should at least get you started in the right
or GURPS. direction.
A final note before we begin. Panic never
A Word on Dice penalizes or increases dice rolls. If a skill is
(Experienced gamers can ignore this section) ever mentioned as receiving a bonus or a
Dice play an important role in Panic, and as penalty it is applied to the base chance of
a result we use special terminology to refer success or failure rather than the roll itself.
 of the game, so you may want to consider
Chapter one carefully which attributes you assign your
scores to.
Characters. To generate attributes roll 1d10 and add five
to your result. Do this three times, and assign
Character Creation your results to one of each of the following
Your character should be more than just a attributes.
collection of statistics and numbers, think of
who she is, what she looks like, what kind of Strength: How strong you are. Used
personality she has, how she reacts in the primarily for combat but also determines how
face of terror. This is the basis of character heavy an object you can move, how much
creation, and as a result there are no rules to you can carry, and your age.
determine what kind of person your character Dexterity: How fast you are. This affects
is beyond her attributes, abilities, and age. your ability to dash, jump, swim, and avoid
Some prefer to decide on their character’s your stalker in general.
appearance and personality before character Wisdom: How smart you are. Wisdom allows
generation has even begun, while others you to know obscure bits of information,
generate the character first and come up with determine how to use unfamiliar machinery,
an appearance and personality which fits her and use weapons.
statistics. If you opt for the first option it is
suggested that you either hold off until your If your NW is feeling generous, he may allow
age has been generated or ignore the normal you to roll an additional 1d10+5 and drop the
rules for character age and simply select an lowest result. Of course, if he’s feeling cruel,
age for your character, preferably between he may force you to roll an additional 1d10+5
six and fifteen. and drop the highest result…
It is recommended that you print off the
character sheet included at the end of this Step 2:
document and record your character’s Age
statistics as you generate them. Panic is all about vulnerability, and what’s
more vulnerable than a child? There are a
Step 1: few ways of determining age, however most
Attributes of them are designed to create particularly
Attributes can be considered to be the young characters.
skeleton of your character. They determine
how strong, fast, and smart your character is.
Attributes have some effect on most aspects
1. Your age is equal to your strength. falls under a different domain, which is in turn
2. Your age is the average of your attributes. governed by an attribute. For instance,
3. Your age is generated randomly, as if it dodge is a movement skill and is governed
were an attribute (1d10+5) by dexterity. The three domains are as
4. You choose your age. follows:
5. The NW chooses an age for you, this
option is usually used if age is of some Brawn: These skills are governed by
importance to the plot. strength.
Movement: These skills are governed by
No one is going to hold a gun to your head dexterity.
and force you to play a child (except maybe Utility: These skills are governed by wisdom.
the NW, he is making you play a game about
killing children, after all) but it is Each skill is listed with a base percentage to
recommended for a feeling of increased which you add the governing attribute.
vulnerability, and for explaining why the Dodge has a base rating of 50%, a character
stalkers get to be so much stronger than you. with 10 dexterity would have a 60% at
succeeding to dodge.
Step 3: Skills are further increased upon character
generation through the use of skill points. To
Health, Stam & Panic determine your skill points multiply each
You begin play with 50 health, 25 stamina attribute by two. For each skill point you
and 0 panic, unless the NW insists otherwise. spend on a skill the base chance of it
Beginning with health, stamina and panic at succeeding permanently increases by one.
different levels is generally plot related, for Skill points from each attribute can only be
instance a Nightmare taking place in the spent on skills in the domain under which it
hospital where the PC has been admitted governs. A skill point obtained from strength
may call for the PC to start off play injured. cannot be spent on a movement or utility skill,
More information on health and panic is for example. The attribute bonus and the skill
provided in chapter three. points can increase a skill beyond 100%.
The each skill and its base success chance
Step 4: is listed in the chart below, but you may wish
Skills to view the full descriptions of each in the
Skills, in conjunction with the percentiles, are next chapter before you invest your skill
used to determine whether a large number of points.
attempted actions succeed or fail. Each skill

Brawn Movement Utility

Bolster +0% Backstep 60% Disable 0%
Head 50% Balance 50% Hide 50%
Kick 50% Climb 50% Know 25%
Punch 50% Dash 20% Search 25%
Push 50% Dive 50% Use 10%
Slam 40% Dodge 25% Weapon-Melee 30%
Struggle 50% Jump 100% Weapon-Ranged 40%
Tackle 60% Sneak 50%
Throw 60% Swim 50%
 rating of five. Lolita has a wisdom of 9, so
Chapter Two she must roll underneath 45 to successfully
sing the baby to sleep.
Skills. The skill rules may seem a bit daunting to
new gamers, but there is no real need to
As mentioned earlier, most actions requiring memorize them. If it seems to be too much to
some degree of skill to accomplish will take in simply refer to the skill entries as you
require a skill check to determine whether need to use them.
the action succeeds or fails. This chapter
describes a wide array of possible actions
and tells you how to resolve the skill. The Brawn
skills are listed alphabetically within their
respective domains.
Many skills burn away at your stamina as Bolster
you use them, and still others require Bolstering is but one of the PC’s many tools
stamina to work at all. Using a skill with a to keep a stalker at bay. It is used to keep a
stamina cost will reduce your stamina by the door, or other obstacle, firmly in place
listed amount to a minimum of zero, and between you and your stalker. Unlike most
skills marked as stamina dependant require other skills, Bolster is an opposition skill
at you possess at least the indicated amount meaning that both the stalker and the PC roll
of stamina to use the skill. If you have their percentiles. The PC adds her rank in
insufficient stamina to pay the cost of a skill this skill to her dice roll and compares this to
which is not stamina dependant you may still the stalker’s Crash check result. If the PC
use the skill, but at a 15% penalty. Stamina has a total higher than the stalker’s then the
costs are also listed next to the obstacle stays in place.
corresponding skill on the character sheet As long as she continues to roll higher than
and are consumed whether the skill her stalker the PC may continue to use the
succeeds or fails. skill, permitted she has the stamina to do so.
Skills marked with an asterisk are considered
to be combat skills, and are simply marked Bolster has a stamina cost of 1 per turn that
as a reminder. it is used, and is stamina dependant.
If you cannot find an appropriate skill for
what you are attempting, have your NW Base Rank: 0% + Strength
assign your task to a domain. Your NW
should then determine a challenge rating for (Because Bolster is one of the few skills you
the task (from 0-10, 0 being impossible and want to roll high with it is preceded with a
10 being a cake walk). Roll your percentiles. plus sign in the skill section of the character
If you roll underneath the product of the sheet as a reminder.)
domain’s governing attribute and the
challenge rating, you succeed. Anything Head*
easier than a 10 should succeed With this skill you bash your head into your
automatically with no roll. opponent, preferably connecting your skull
For instance, if Lolita wishes to sing a baby with that of your stalker. While it isn’t a
to sleep (an action with no governing skill) particularly strong attack the head bash is
and the NW would declares that it is a the only combat skill besides struggle that
wisdom based action. The baby is fairly does not operate at half rank while held by
upset, so the NW assigns it a challenge your opponent. This is a melee combat skill,
as a result the PC must be one square or Push
closer to her target to use it. On a success Rearranging your environment is very
the character deals 1d3 damage to her target. important to survival. Barricades can be
If she is in a hold she is able to daze the made, new paths can be opened, and with a
target for an instant, giving her a free use of bit of subtly you may just be able to make
the struggle skill but this is resolved at half your own hiding place. The push skill is used
her rank in that skill. to move objects of considerable weight, up to
the maximum amount allotted by your
Head has a stamina cost of 1 per use. strength (see chapter 3 for weight rules). As
a general rule, objects of 50 lbs or less do
Base Rank: 50% + Strength not require a push roll.
A push is resolved by rolling the percentiles,
on a success you move the object one
square. If you fail it stays in place.
Regardless of the result you must still pay
the stamina cost.

Push has a stamina cost of 1 per use, and is

stamina dependant.

Base Rank: 50% + Strength

Kick*
Kick is a combat skill which has you solidly
connecting your feet with your opponent to Slam*
deal damage. As a melee attack you must be The element of surprise is by and far one of
one square or closer to your target to use the most important tactics when facing a foe
this skill. On a success you kick your with superior strength. Slam allows you to
opponent, dealing 1d4 + ¼ Dexterity damage. send doors, tables, or other objects into the
stalker by slamming the bulk of your weight
Kick has a stamina cost of 1 per use. into it. However, if the object’s weighs too
much you may find yourself unable to move it.
Base Rank: 50% + Strength (See chapter three for rules on weight)
Slam can also be used to force open
unlocked doors you don’t have time to deal
Punch* with, or barrel through some objects.
Punch is a combat skill which has you solidly Although slam has two forms, both are
connecting your fists with your opponent to considered to be combat skills.
deal damage. As a melee attack you must be To use as an attack: If there is a movable
one square or closer to your target to use object in the square between you and your
this skill. On a success you punch your stalker you can slam it into the stalker. Make
opponent, dealing 1d4 + ¼ Strength damage. a slam roll, if it succeeds your stalker may
choose to attempt a dodge. If your stalker’s
Kick has a stamina cost of 1 per use. dodge roll fails, or opts out of a dodge, you
then go on to roll damage. The NW should
Base Rank: 50% + Strength choose an appropriate die size for the
damage roll based on the object hitting the the most powerful attack in the Brawn
stalker, but the standard ¼ Strength bonus domain, and not just in terms of dishing out
should be added to the result, unless the the damage. As a melee attack you must be
object being slammed is too light to deal adjacent to your target to use this skill, tackle
damage. This use of slam gains a 20% cannot be used while engaged in a hold. On
bonus if the stalker is unaware of the PC’s a success you deal 1d6 + ½ Strength
presence. damage, and your opponent is knocked back
Outside of combat: To force open doors, or one square directly away from you.
force aside movable objects, simply roll a
slam check. On a success the obstacle is Tackle has a stamina cost of 5 per use, and
sundered aside, and you may continue the is stamina dependant.
rest of your movement. On a failure you lose
one square of movement, and are then Base Rank: 60% + Strength
permitted to continue your movement,
although the fact that you still have an Throw*
obstacle in your path may cause you to Throw is used to hurl objects at various
reconsider your path of flight. targets. As with slam, if an object is too
heavy you may find yourself unable to throw
Slam has a stamina cost of 3 per use, and is it, otherwise the NW should choose an
stamina dependant. appropriate die size for the damage roll
based on the object hitting the target, but the
Base Rank: 40% + Strength standard ¼ Strength bonus should be added
to the result, unless the object being
Struggle* slammed is too light to deal damage.
Being in a hold can be quite devastating, you Targeting an object: On a success you hit
find yourself unable to move and most skills your target with whatever you are hurling, as
only have half their usual chance to succeed. long as it is within a number of squares equal
The struggle skill is used to escape a hold, to or less than your Dexterity attribute.
and does not take the usual half chance of Targeting a creature: Targeting a creature
success when held. On a success you are no operates similarly to the rules for targeting an
longer held. object, but because of the distance involved
the creature has time to react to the attack.
Struggle has a stamina cost of 1 per use. For every square the thrown object has to
travel the target receives a 5% bonus to its
Base Rank: 50% + Strength dodge skill for the purposes of dodging the
thrown object.
Tackle*
You fly at your opponent and shove the full Throw has a stamina cost of 1.
weight of your body into your stalker,
knocking him back and injuring him. This is Base Rank: 60% + Strength
 amount allotted by your speed. On a success
Movement you move one square up the surface you are
climbing, or hoist yourself atop it if you are
Backstep directly beneath a ledge. On a failure you
Backstep is, in a way, an improved version of reduce your remaining speed by one and
the dodge skill. Backstep is used in reaction automatically attempt to use the skill again
to a melee or ranged attack and does not as failure in this skill represents using a
use up your skill use for your turn. On a particular amount of stamina rather than an
success you evade your stalker's attack and outright failure to climb. If you run out of
suffer no damage, in addition you may move stamina while climbing you immediately fall.
into one adjacent unoccupied square. This If your turn begins and you are in the middle
movement does not count towards your total of ascending a surface you may opt to hang
allotment determined by your speed. on the surface rather than continue to
ascend, no roll is required for this and this
Backstep has a stamina cost of 5 per use, action does not use any stamina.
and is stamina dependant.
Climb has a stamina cost of 1, and is
Base Rank: 60% + Dexterity stamina dependant.

Base Rank: 50% + Dexterity

Balance
This skill determines your ability to traverse
particularly slippery or narrow surfaces. By Dash
opting to move across the surface at half The dash skill allows you to burn additional
speed you gain a 25% bonus to this skill, or a stamina in exchange for a small burst of
50% bonus if you choose to cross at a rate of speed. Dash does not count as a skill use.
one square per turn. On a success you are On a success your speed is increased by two
able to move across the surface, on a failure squares.
you fall.
Dash has a stamina cost of 1, and is stamina
Balance has no stamina cost. dependant.

Base Rank: 50% + Dexterity Base Rank: 20% + Dexterity

Climb Dive
The climb skill allows you to climb up vertical Dive is a skill that sees you leaping into the
surfaces, assuming there are hand holds or ground, often to avoid being injured. This skill
foot holds (whether natural or manufactured) can be used as your skill for a given turn, or
to aid your assent. Climbing a rope with a in reaction to a ranged attack, falling debris,
wall to brace against makes the task explosion, or other similar effect. If used as a
particularly easy, and under such reaction it does not count as a skill use.
circumstances you will gain a 25% bonus to When you use this skill you jump into a
this skill. This skill does not count as a skill square up to two squares away and land
use, however each square traveled with this prone on the ground. This movement does
skill counts against your movement, and the not count towards your total amount of
skill may be used multiple times as long as movement allotted by your speed. On a
the distance traveled does not exceed the success, if this movement brought you
outside of the range of the effect you were Base Rank: 100% + Dexterity
diving away from you take no damage (a
ranged attack, such as from a pistol, is Sneak
considered to have a range of the square This skill is used to be sure that you muffle
you dove from). On a failure you are injured the sounds of your passage. Sneak must be
during your dive, while you still move to the used at the beginning of a turn, before taking
destined square and land prone you take full any movement. Your speed is reduced to
damage from the effect you dove away from. three squares while sneaking, but sneak
does not count as your skill use. Using any
Dive has a stamina cost of 1, and is stamina other skill while sneaking results in a 25%
dependant. penalty to that skill. On a success your
physical movements and actions are
Base Rank: 40% + Dexterity particularly quiet this turn, your stalker is
unable to hear you.
Dodge
Dodge is purely a reaction skill, and is your Sneak has a stamina cost of 0.
primary defense against your stalker. Dodge
does not count as a skill use. When targeted Base Rank: 50% + Dexterity
by a melee or ranged attack you may opt to
make a dodge roll. On a success, you evade Swim
the attack and take no damage. Unlike other This skill is used to move across, or
movement skills, dodge can be used while underneath, a body of water. This skill does
held, albeit it operates at half its usual not count as a skill use, however each
chance at success. square traveled with this skill counts against
your movement, and the skill may be used
Dodge has a stamina cost of 1. multiple times as long as the distance
traveled does not exceed the amount allotted
Base Rank: 50% + Dexterity by your speed. This skill receives a 25%
penalty for traveling underwater. On a
Jump success, you travel one square in the desired
This skill is used to leap forward, soaring direction. On a failure you reduce your
over pits and chasms. Because of the time it remaining speed by one and automatically
takes to get into motion, jump, land and attempt to use the skill again as failure in this
regain balance, jump replaces normal skill represents using a particular amount of
movement and counts as your skill use. stamina rather than an outright failure to
Jumping into an adjacent square uses jump's swim. If you run out of stamina while
normal chance of success, but for every swimming, you fall (or remain) under the
square beyond the first you wish to jump the surface of the water and begin to drown,
skill receives a 20% penalty. On a success, losing five health per turn, you do not regain
you land in the targeted square. On a failure stamina while drowning. If your turn begins
you fall short of your target by one square, and you are in the middle of swimming
plus another square for every 20% you failed across the surface of a body of water you
the check by. A failure also means that you may opt to tread water rather than continue
land prone. to swim, no roll is required for this and this
Jump has a stamina cost of 1. action does not use any stamina.
Swim has a stamina cost of 1, and is stamina
dependant. Base Rank: 70% + Dexterity

Utility Base Rank: 50% + Wisdom

Disable Know
This skill is used for picking simple locks, It is said that knowledge is power, in Panic it
disengaging security cameras, disabling is at very least a utility. Know represents your
traps or other similar actions. Many objects overall accumulated knowledge and can be
are too complex to disable, but being able to used in a number of different situations, such
take care of the small stuff definitely paves as looking at a text and realizing that the
the path to safety. On a success, if the object foreign language it's written in is Latin,
can be disabled, it is disabled. On a failure remembering that the people of Innsmouth
the object is not disabled, and the player are said to be inbred and disfigured, or
must make a know check at a 50% bonus. If simply knowing the Konami code. Rather
the know roll is failed and it is not visually than the player declaring that she is using
obvious that the disable attempt failed, then this skill the NW generally calls for it, and
the character is unaware that she failed the because it is a passive trait it does not count
disable attempt. as a skill use. On a success, you know the
information at stake. On a failure, you do not.
Disable has a stamina cost of 0. A player cannot simply attempt to use this
skill in successive rounds as the information
Base Rank: 0% + Wisdom will not spontaneously appear or disappear
from her character's mind.
Hide
Sometimes your body simply won’t allow you Know has a stamina cost of 0.
to run any further, and when it comes to this
it's often time to hide. In order to utilize this Base Rank: 25% + Wisdom
skill you need something to hide in, under, or
behind which will hide all or most of your Search
body from view. A success means that you This skill allows you to find objects that are
have hidden your body, are able to remain obscured or hidden from view. In order to
perfectly still, and control your breath so as use this skill you target an object, wall, or
not to be heard. A failure means that not all particular square to search. On a success,
of the above elements have been met and you find anything of note.
your Stalker will be able to find you as if you
weren't hiding at all. Note that this skill does Search has a stamina cost of 0.
not make you invisible, if you hide under a
bed and your stalker happens to look Base Rank: 25% + Wisdom
beneath the bed you will be seen. Likewise, if
he sees you crawl underneath the bed he will
Use
know where you have hidden. Many mechanical objects are quite foreign
and complex to a child, this skill allows them
Hide has a stamina cost of 0. to analyze and get the gist of how to use
such objects. On a success, you've figured
out, more or less, how to use the contraption
you are analyzing and may use it in future of the weapon (See chapter four for more
turns (though who is to say just how information on weapons).
proficiently?). On a failure the object requires
further study. Failing five times or more on a The stamina cost of this skill depends on the
particular contraption means that its use is weapon being wielded.
completely beyond you.
Base Rank: 40% + Wisdom
Use has a stamina cost of 0, although putting
what you’ve learned into practice may result Weapon-Ranged
in a loss of stamina. Your feet and fists are natural extensions of
your body, this skill allows you to think of
Base Rank: 10% + Wisdom weapons the same way. Weapons-Ranged is
actually a collection of three separate skills.
Weapon-Melee Primitive: Bows, crossbows and darts.
Your feet and fists are natural extensions of Guns: Pistols and Shotguns.
your body, this skill allows you to think of Rifles: Rifles.
weapons the same way. Weapons-Melee is Skill points for this skill are not assigned to
actually a collection of three separate skills. Weapon-Ranged, but to one of the three
Blades: Weapons which are made for above categories.
slashing. On a success, you strike your opponent and
Spears: Weapons which are made for deal damage depending on the type and size
piercing. of the weapon (See chapter four for more
Clubs: Weapons which are made for information on weapons).
bludgeoning.
Skill points for this skill are not assigned to Weapon-Ranged has a stamina cost of 0.
Weapon-Melee, but to one of the three
above categories. Base Rank: 20% + Wisdom
On a success, you strike your opponent and
deal damage depending on the type and size
 those of you using the metric system a
Chapter three square should consider a square to be a
Elements. metre, and those of you using more archaic
forms of measurement should consider a
Panic is a game consisting of a number of square to be five feet. You cannot move into
elements which work together in order to or through the square of a hostile opponent,
create a functioning system. This chapter will unless he is unconscious, bound, or
go over a number of these elements and otherwise disabled.
explain how they fit into the game.
Speed
Role-playing Your speed determines how many squares
Panic has no rules for social skills, as such you can move. Most humans (including
all dialogue including deceit, intimidation and children over five and stalkers) have a speed
diplomacy should be role played between the of 5.
players and the NW.
Health
Turns Health is a meter to determine how much in
You are probably familiar with taking turns in the way of injuries a character can take
games such as monopoly, but in an RPG like before dying. Each point of damage a
panic they function somewhat differently. A character takes reduces her health by an
turn is often more of a measurement of time identical amount until the character reaches
than a true turn, and in the case of panic it 0 or fewer health, at which point she is dead.
represents six seconds of time passing. A character can regain health naturally at the
Often this time glazes over quite rapidly, rate of one point per hour, or more rapidly
sleeping takes about 3600 turns but is not through the use of medical supplies
acted out turn by turn and is, in fact, (accompanied by a successful use of the use
generally reflected with the phrase ‘you skill), and finally from the use of alchemical
awake eight hours later’. All PCs, and NPCs items. However, regeneration of health and
essentially act at the same time unless ‘the mundane medical items cannot raise one’s
chase’ has begun, in which case each health above its starting level. As a character
character’s turn is dealt with separately for is injured she also suffers penalties to her
the sake of simplicity. During a turn a brawn and movement skills, as shown on the
character may move up to her speed and chart below.
use one skill. 50-41 Healthy -5%
40-31 Injured -10%
30-21 Staggered -15%
Squares 20-11 Dying -25%
Squares are simply the term for an
10-01 Unconscious Unconscious
indeterminate amount of space and are used
to determine who can hit who, how far you Panic
can move, and whether or not the place you This is another meter to determine how much
are standing is in jeopardy. It may be helpful in the way of fear and psychological trauma a
to imagine that the world is covered by an character can endure before panicking,
enormous grid that only the NW and players fainting, or going into cardiac arrest. Events
can see, one that the PCs and NPCs of the which startle, scare, or otherwise traumatize
world are oblivious to. For simplicity’s sake, the character will cause her to gain panic. It
is also worth noting that each point of character who has fallen unconscious as a
damage a character receives causes her to result of damage to health will only awaken
gain two points of panic. Panic does fade when and if her health returns to a number
over time, if a minute passes without a chase greater than ten. If a character has fallen
or increase in panic taking place the unconscious as a result of panic then she will
character begins to lose panic at the rate of remain so for one hour, although taking so
one point of panic per turn, to a minimum of much as a single point of damage will also
zero panic. A character whose panic level revive her. A character awakening from a
exceeds 100 faints, and will not regain panic induced spell of unconsciousness
consciousness until her panic returns to 0. A returns to the waking world with sixty less
character will not gain panic while panic, to a minimum of zero. That being said,
unconscious, but if something traumatic whatever awakens her may, in and of itself,
enough to bring a character’s panic to 120 or induce some additional panic.
higher she will die of cardiac arrest. Each
point of panic a character accumulates can Asphyxiation
bring her into different stages of terror, each A character who finds herself unable to
applying penalties and bonus to skills as breathe will lose health at the rate of five
listed on the chart below. points per turn, until she is able to breathe
00-09 Content No change
once more.
10-19 Startled +5% Movement + Brawn
20-39 Frightened +10% Mov+Bra -5% Utility
40-59 Scared +15% Mov+Bra -10% Utility
60-79 Terrified +5% Mov+Bra -15% Utilityy Falling
80-99 Overwrought Must flee. Can only use mov skills,
failure causes her to fall prone. For every two squares a character falls she
takes five damage. If some unlucky soul is
Stamina unfortunate to find herself underneath a
This is the final meter in panic, and it falling object she will take five damage for
determines how much a character can every two squares the object fell, and may
accomplish before she becomes fatigued. An find herself trapped beneath the object
action requiring a certain amount of physical afterwards.
exertion will reduce stamina; at zero stamina
a character receives a 15% penalty on all
skill checks and similar rolls, and skills Weight
marked as stamina dependant simply cannot A character can carry an assortment of
be used. As luck would have it, stamina too objects weighing up to ten times her strength
regenerates. A character regains a point of in pounds. She may push or slam up to twice
stamina at the beginning of her turn, as long this number.
as she has not lost any stamina since the
beginning of her previous turn. Prone
When a character lands prone on the ground
Unconsciousness her speed is reduced to two as she herself is
If your character falls unconscious she will reduced to crawling. She may stand, but
generally remain so for a number of hours, or doing so counts as both a skill action and
until revived by another character. A three squares of movement.
 which has caused you to lose stamina since
Chapter 4 the beginning of your last turn, you gain a
The Chase.
. point of stamina at the beginning of your turn.
Panic, on the other hand, does not
As soon as the stalker and the PC encounter regenerate during the chase except under
one another, the chase begins. The chase is certain circumstances.
often referred to as combat in similar gaming
systems, however in Panic combat is lumped Combat Skills
together with running and hiding from the The most common skills to be exchanged
stalker, hence the change in name. during the chase are combat skills. These
During the chase the PC and the stalker take skills are marked with asterisks on the
alternating turns to use their movement and character sheet to make them readily
skills. The first part of the chase is to identifiable. Combat skills can be divided into
determine who gets the first turn, both the three basic categories, melee skills, ranged
stalker and the PC roll 1d% and add their skills, and evasive skills.
respective dexterity scores, whoever comes Melee skills are used for close quarters
out with the highest number is permitted the combat and require you to be in a square
first turn. adjacent to your opponent to use them.
On your turn you are permitted to up to one Using a melee skill generally follows this
skill (or more if you use a skill which explicitly sequence: The skill to be used is declared.
states that it does not count as a skill use) The target then declares whether he/she
and move a number of squares up to your wishes to use an evasive skill. The
speed. Your skill may be used at any point percentiles are rolled to determine success in
during, before, or after your movement, as the skill, if the target chose to use an evasive
long as you are permitted to use the skill in skill it is rolled at the same time. If the melee
whatever square you use it in. Some skills, skill roll indicates a success (as long as any
such as jump, cannot be used if you have opposing evasive skills failed) damage is
moved during your turn, so be careful when rolled based on the skill or weapon being
planning out your turn. used and this damage is dealt to the target's
A character is unable to use movement or health.
skills which cause movement while held, and Ranged skills are used when there is one or
all skills except for struggle and head are half more squares separating the combatants.
as likely to succeed. Some ranged skills have a maximum amount
You may also choose to prepare a skill for of distance they can be used from, so make
use if certain conditions are met. For sure your opponent is close enough before
instance, if a character's stalker is five declaring the skill. Using a ranged skill
squares away she may decide to prepare her generally follows this sequence: The skill to
dive, in order to do so she must state the skill be used is declared. The target then declares
she is preparing and condition which she is whether he/she wishes to use an evasive
preparing the skill for, such as 'when my skill. The percentiles are rolled to determine
stalker is adjacent to me'. In this example, success in the skill, if the target chose to use
were her stalker to move adjacent to her she an evasive skill it is rolled at the same time. If
would then be able to dive even though it is the ranged skill roll indicates a success (as
not her turn. You cannot prepare movement. long as any opposing evasive skills failed)
Much like when not engaged in a chase, if damage is rolled based on the skill or
you have not engaged in any action or skill
weapon being used and this damage is dealt The chase ends when the PC has lost the
to the target's health. stalker, when the PC is killed by the stalker,
Evasive skills are used when you are or when the PC dies.
declared the target of an attack which you
wish to defend yourself against. You roll to Weapons
determine whether or not you succeed at Both stalkers and characters may come
evading the attack at the same time as your across objects they can use as weapons
attacker rolls to determine whether or not during the scenario. Weapons use the
his/her attack strikes you. On a success, you appropriate weapon skill (Melee Blades,
take no damage and any additional effects Melee Spears, Ranged Rifles, etc.) to
from the combat skill targeting you are not determine its chance of successfully striking
applied. the target, but it is the weapon itself that
To determine which of the above categories determines just how much damage is dealt.
your skill applies to, simply read its entry in Melee weapons deal damage primarily
the skill chapter. Some skills also have based on their size, while ranged weapons
effects above and beyond dealing and deal damage dependant on the type of
avoiding damage, these are applied weapon being used. The chart below can be
immediately after damage or damage used to determine how much damage a
evasion. weapon should deal, and how much stamina
The NW may rule that certain conditions can it takes to use. Weapons with a stamina cost
adjust the odds of your attack hitting your are stamina dependant. Except for rifles,
opponent, such as foul winds causing arrows ranged weapons can only fire accurately
to go astray, and add a penalty or a bonus to enough to hit if the target is within a number
combat skills he feels appropriate to the of squares away equal to the character’s
situation. Note that no matter how dexterity score.
phenomenal some attacks may seem, they
generally can't travel through walls.

Name Damage Stamina

Small Blade 1d4 + ¼ Str 0
Medium Blade 1d6 + ¼ Str 1
Large Blade 1d8 + ¼ Str 3
Small Spear 1d6 + ¼ Str 1
Medium Spear 1d8 + ¼ Str 3
Large Spear 1d10 + ¼ Str 5
Small Club 1d4 + ½ Str 1
Medium Club 1d6 + ½ Str 3
Large Club 1d8 + ½ Str 5
Bow 1d4 + ½ Str 3
Crossbow 1d6 0
Darts/Shurikens 1d4 + ¼ Str 1
Pistols 1d8 0
Shotguns 1d12 0
Rifles 1d20 0
 Chapter Five Skills
A stalker has access to all the skills that a
Stalkers character does, but also has access to the
hold skill. Additionally, the bolster skill is
All chapters from this point on are intended renamed to crash for stalkers, and it is used
for the NW only, the players do not have to to push open doors that are being bolstered.
worry about these sections and it is actually If a door is well barricaded the barricade
recommended that they do not read them. itself rolls against the stalker’s crash check,
and the barricade is considered to have a
The stalker is the chief opponent of the rank of +15%.
players, they have a tendency to be stronger,
faster or smarter than the PCs. The
Hold
characters wont necessarily always meet This skill sees a stalker grabbing the
with the stalker during a period of time character, preventing her from moving or
wherein the stalker is trying to kill them. No, fighting back. On a success, the character is
a stalker bides their time, they wait until they considered to be held by the stalker and will
can get their victims into a closed remain so until she either struggles out of his
environment, somewhere that they can stalk grasp or he chooses to release her. She is
their prey with no fear of others interfering. It moved from her own square into the stalker’s
is under these circumstances that the chase square. She cannot move out of the stalker’s
usually begins. Stalkers are generated in the square, and is carried with the stalker if he
same way as a PC with the following chooses to move, although his speed is
exceptions. reduced by three while holding another
character. Once the hold ends the character
Health will be dropped into an adjacent square, one
A stalker begins play with 100 health, and it of the stalker’s choosing if he chose to end it
takes twice as much damage to grant him voluntarily, one of the character’s choosing if
penalties to his strength and movement she manages to struggle out of the hold.
scores.
Hold has a stamina cost of 3, and is stamina
Panic dependant.
A stalker cannot gain panic.
Base Rank: 30% + Strength
Age
A stalker’s age is decided by the NW, and Stalker Abilities
does not necessarily equal his strength score. Stalkers may pick and choose from a number
of different abilities upon creation. There is
no real limit to the number of abilities a
Attributes stalker may have, but it is recommended that
A stalker may choose to whether to roll the stalker is given only three ‘free’ abilities
1d10+5 or 1d10+10, but it is recommended and has some sort of disadvantage for every
that only one attribute be generated with the ability beyond the third. A list of example
latter option. abilities is provided below, but the NW
should feel free to come up with his own.
Predator Melee attack, deals 1d6 + ¼ Wisdom
The stalker is fast and adept at chasing down damage and causes the target to land prone
prey. His speed score is increased by one. on the ground. Costs 5 health.
Melee attack, deals 1d20 + ½ Wisdom
Colossus damage. Costs 20 health.
The stalker is an enormous brute, and he
dishes out the damage. When calculating AZOTH!
bonus damage from attacking the stalker The stalker possesses the ability to drain the
adds another quarter of his strength. souls of dying creatures, this allows him to
push back death itself. By laying his lips on
Wild that of a dying, unconscious, or recently
The stalker’s attacks are wild and hard to deceased creature the stalker drains its soul.
predict. When calculating damage from If the creature was alive it is instantly slain.
attacking she deals damage one die size The stalker gains ten health for using this
greater than usual (1d6 instead of 1d4, 1d8 ability on an animal, or fifty health for using it
instead of 1d6, etc). on a human. The stalker may also steal the
youth of the creature along with its soul.
Inhuman
The stalker has an almost inhuman Lightning
resistance to pain. She does not receive a The stalker can strike as fast as lightning. By
penalty to brawn and movement skills from expending an additional three stamina along
taking damage. with a melee attack, the subject of the
stalker’s attack does not have the option of
using her dodge skill in defense.
Blooded
The blood of the mandrake flows through the
veins of the stalker. She regains one health Fighter
per round instead of one per hour. The stalker knows how to follow up his
attacks. After a successful melee attack the
stalker may attack again by paying double
Prodigy
his next attack’s normal stamina cost. If that
The stalker is exceptional in some manner,
attack succeeds he may strike a third time,
but appears to be lacking in other areas. The
but must pay quadruple the stamina cost.
stalker generates two of his attributes with
1d10+0, and the final attribute with 1d10+15.
Embrace
It is death to remain in the stalker’s arms. If a
Alchemy
character is held by a stalker for three
The stalker is a true alchemist. His alchemy
consecutive rounds or more the stalker may
skill has a base rank of 50% + Wisdom, and
choose to deal a devastating blow to her, this
he can assault the character with alchemical
attack deals 50 damage.
spells at the cost of burning away his life
force.
Example Spells: Disadvantages
Ranged attack, can strike a number of Laying on too many abilities on a single
squares away equal to his wisdom attribute, stalker makes things outright unfair for the
deals 1d10 + ¼ Wisdom damage. Costs 5 players, as a result you may wish to give
Health. your stalker a few disadvantages to balance
him out a bit. Below is a list of example
disadvantages, but the NW should feel free Slow
to invent his own. The stalker is exceptionally slow. Mentally,
that is. He rolls his wisdom attribute with
Hideous 1d10+0.
The stalker can’t stand to look at what she
has become. Upon gazing at a mirror the Frail
stalker will not move for one turn, and shriek The stalker is can’t take much before he falls.
as her skill use. Subsequent turns will be He begins play with only 50 health, her
used to destroy the mirror, the stalker will act brawn and movement skills are reduced from
normally once it is shattered. damage at the same rate as a PC’s.

Slow Weak
The stalker is exceptionally slow. Physically, The stalker may be frightening, but he’s not
that is. His speed is reduced by one. particularly strong. He applies one quarter
less of his strength when calculating bonus
damage from an attack.
 Besides, when the environment is relatively
Chapter Six closed off it should make it substantially
Nightmares. easier to map out.

This final chapter provides a bit of advice for Panic

the NW to aid him in the creation of the Dealing damage is not the only way to
nightmare around the characters. The words increase a character’s panic. Each time a
nightmare and scenario are used character goes into a lower health bracket
interchangeably in this chapter. she will gain five panic, being startled by a
door slamming shut behind her will raise it by
Goals one, seeing Cthulhu rise from the depths of
Generally a scenario is designed with some R’lyeh may very well call for something in the
overall goal in mind for the character to ballpark of 50 panic. The following chart can
accomplish. Some goals include surviving be referenced to determine how much panic
until the police arrive, escaping the stalker, should be divvied out.
killing the stalker, or rescuing another person.
Goals should be tailored to the plot of your Startled 1 Panic
Take Damage 2 Panic per
scenario, so don’t feel restricted to the Damage
examples above. A nightmare has multiple Go from healthy to injured, injured 5 Panic
goals just as often as survival is the only goal, to staggered, etc.
so get creative and think about what the Disturbing or scary sight 5 Panic
character must do to escape the nightmare. Stalker begins his chase 5 Panic
You must also know to be flexible, it is quite See a monster 5 Panic
Attacked by monster 10 Panic
possible that the player may find a way to Watch a murder 10 Panic
escape the nightmare that had not even Watch someone close to you get 20 Panic
occurred to you. If this happens don’t simply murdered
claim it does not work and railroad them into The walls begin to spray you with 25 Panic
the goal you had in mind. torrents of blood.
Truly terrifying event 50 Panic

Environment
Leading up to the great chase the scenario
could take place anywhere, often it will see
the character simply living her life as the plot
begins to advance towards the encounter
with the stalker. For the actual game of cat
and mouse, however, it is suggested that the
character should be trapped in a relatively
closed environment, with little or no people
besides the stalker along with her. A
shopping mall after business hours, a trap
riddled castle, a mansion where the exits
have been sealed off, a ship at sea, all these
are examples of closed environments. Being
trapped and alone helps to create the feeling
of vulnerability panic strives to create.