GURPS 4th - Monster Hunters Encounters 1
GURPS 4th - Monster Hunters Encounters 1
GURPS 4th - Monster Hunters Encounters 1
Hunters
Encounters
TM
1
Written by
CHRISTOPHER R. RICE
Edited by
NIKOLA VRTIS
Illustrated by
DEAN SPENCER
GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON Chief Executive Officer z PHILIP REED
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Chief Creative Officer z SAM MITSCHKE
GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO
Production Artist z NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
GURPS FAQ Maintainer z Page Design z PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT
VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO Prepress Checker z NIKOLA VRTIS
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Introduction
GURPS Monster Hunters offers the tools needed to run
a modern-day urban-fantasy campaign centered on hunting
19: Incantation Magic, with Antoni Ten Monrós, and
Dungeon Fantasy Traps, with Jason “PK” Levine. His first
the things that go bump in the night. It features templates for solo work was GURPS Monster Hunters Power-Ups 1. He
characters, new gear, new abilities, and (of course) new mon- also wrote additional material for GURPS Monster Hunters
sters. What it lacks are encounters featuring its monsters. To 6: Holy Hunters and GURPS Thaumatology: Ritual
fill that need, this supplement describes two opportunities Path Magic. Of course, if he’s not writing about GURPS,
to engage with vampires, werewolves, and cultists. These he’s blogging about it. Visit his site, “Ravens N’ Pennies”
brief scenarios include notes using the monster-finding rules (www.ravensnpennies.com), for more GURPS goodies.
from GURPS Monster Hunters 2: The Mission, and can be From Portsmouth, Virginia, he’s spinning words of
dropped into any Monster Hunter campaign with little fuss. whimsy into gold. He wishes to thank L.A., for being the
This supplement assumes the reader has access to the first wonderful, amazing, inspiring woman that she is – not every
three books in the GURPS Monster Hunters series. man gets his muse personified in the flesh! He also wishes to
thank his gaming group, the Headhunters, for alpha testing;
Using This Supplement his family (especially his mother); and Elizabeth “Archangel
Beth” McCoy, his Sith Editrix mentor.
Each section of this book follows the format laid out in
Monster Hunters 2: The Mission. Notes detail how to dis-
cover the encounter, investigate it, pursue the monsters, con-
front them, and deal with the aftermath. Each encounter is
light enough to be placed within a campaign with little or
no prep. Each section contains hooks for the GM to lead the
group into a given encounter, information that can be gained
using the Deduction rules from The Mission, pp. 9-11, and
suggestions for how PCs might discover clues.
The monsters in each encounter assume a party of four
or five champions who are prepared enough to take on the
creatures appropriate to the encounter. The GM may need to
reduce the number of monsters for smaller parties or increase
them for larger ones.
Monster statistics are drawn from GURPS Monster
Hunters 3: The Enemy and come with a page reference for
that book, as well as any important alterations in stats. If the
monster’s abilities change significantly, the ratio of cham-
pions needed to put down a threat is also noted. The GM
should use the tips in The Enemy to adjust the challenge
level of these encounters to suit a particular campaign.
The Midnight
Bordello
Off a lonesome highway or backcountry road sits Over the course of several months, she ingratiated her-
Beatrix’s House of Delights. Once the jewel of a powerful self with the current madam, Annabelle, and convinced
railroad baron, the antebellum-style mansion has been a her (with no small amount of mind control) to sell her the
stop on the Underground Railroad, a speakeasy, a home business and retire. Beatrix spent some of the fortune she’d
for the mentally ill, and — for the last 60 years – a bordello been saving up and added modern amenities (Wi-Fi, CCTV,
promising the sweet and sweaty delights of the flesh. The etc.) to the old mansion. Internet access let her advertise
eponymous Beatrix is the third madam to run the bordello obliquely and round up quite a clientele, including several
. . . and the first vampire. As a young woman, she was one of powerful locals, like the sheriff who’s been enthralled into
the first prostitutes to grace the newly renovated mansion. ignoring the activities of the place (and the numerous miss-
Her beauty and wit attracted a charismatic patron, Camille, ing persons . . .) during his weekend getaways there. A few
who enticed Beatrix to run away with her. The master vam- suites are also “cam girl” rooms, which fund a good chunk
pire revealed her nature soon after they left, and turned of the place’s monthly expenses.
Beatrix that night. Beatrix has turned a few of her most successful girls (and
For the next 40 years, Beatrix served her master as a com- taught them her tricks, p. 6). They feed off the clients and in
bination of lure and muscle. When she was finally released turn increase Beatrix’s hold on the local community. Locked
from the bonds of servitude, she thanked her master and up in the basement are the failures: vampires Beatrix turned
wandered alone for another two years until she found herself but who didn’t make the transition well and are now mind-
back at her old place of business. She realized she was tired less bloodsuckers.
of looking for prey, and wanted them to come to her instead.
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Deduction
Use the clues under Investigation
(above) with the list below to discern
who, what, and where. The GM may
establish “when” and “why” clues, if
desired.
Who (‑6): Madam Beatrix has a
human cover identity, as do all of her
progeny, and she is a stickler for keep-
ing up appearances. Her paranoid
effort gives a higher penalty, but Very
Beautiful appearance and Supernat-
ural Features offset that. Appropriate
Skills: Current Affairs (Regional) or
Area Knowledge (Local). Success
Notes: Success by 0-2 identifies Beatrix’s
social position in the local county. Success
Discovery by 3-4 provides further details (e.g., “She doesn’t go outside in
Hunters might stumble across Beatrix’s operation because the day; guess she needs her beauty sleep, y’know?”). Success
of an encounter with Camille, or after something Beatrix did by 5+ or a critical success gives all information needed to
during her two years of wandering attracted the investigators’ identify Beatrix.
attention. Alternatively, the PCs might arrive on her doorstep What (‑8): Beatrix and her minions take fastidious care
for another reason: when they feed from humans and only turn those who already
work for the madam. Vampires are common, but thanks to
• A local news report focuses on yet another missing per- Beatrix’s mental abilities (p. 6) and her passing that on to her
son in the county. children, this adds a further penalty. Appropriate Skill: Hid-
• A fellow monster hunter goes missing in the area after den Lore (Vampires). Success Notes: Success by 0-2 identifies
looking for “something fishy.” the creatures as vampires. Success by 3-4 reveals information
• A stranger asks the investigators to help find a missing about the standard vampire abilities. Success by 5+ or a critical
sibling, parent, etc. (if the PCs are known detectives, even if success tells the PCs about Beatrix’s and her brood’s unusual
they might not be known monster hunters). abilities, and also provides detailed information about their
• The champions hear about the bordello from a friend or vampiric capabilities.
associate who suggests they go for “untold happy endings.” Where (‑7): Beatrix’s lair is the bordello, and she doesn’t
• En route to another location, the hunters hit a deer or hide that fact more than necessary to avoid entanglements
other large animal with their vehicle, and the bordello is the with law enforcement outside of the county. Appropriate Skills:
nearest location that might have a phone. Area Knowledge (Local) or Hidden Lore (Vampires). Suc-
The GM might also invoke a GM-facing disadvantage such cess Notes: Success by 0-2 tells the PCs what county the bor-
as Compulsive Carousing, Divine Curse (Monster Magnet), dello is in. Success by 3-4 gives the same, plus a starting point
Duty, Enemies (Monster of the week), or Lecherousness. to track down its location. Success by 5+ or a critical success
reveals the bordello’s exact address.
Investigation
Beatrix’s House of Delights is a known location in
the county it’s in (+1 “where” clue after a “what” clue is I believe that sex is one of the most
discovered, and it gives the name of the owner). It’s a
place which wives accuse their husbands of going (or beautiful, natural, wholesome things
husbands accuse their wives). Searching the Internet
reveals the website for the bordello; if the PCs sign up
that money can buy.
for a cam girl session, they’ll note the movements are
almost inhumanly smooth (+1 “what” clue).
– Steve Martin
Aftermath
Important NPC If the champions destroy Beatrix, they may eventually have
to deal with Camille – the master vampire who created her.
Except for Beatrix, the vampires in the bordello use the sta-
tistics from the mature vampire entry in The Enemy (p. 11), Camille first sends her other progeny after the PCs; she only
but – through turnover and luck – all have a Beautiful/Hand- gets directly involved if that fails.
some or better appearance. They also have Sex Appeal and If Beatrix manages to survive the hunters, she tries to take
Professional Skill (Courtesan) at 14 or higher. Finally, remove shelter with one of her many mind-controlled locals – starting
the Blood Agent limitation on their Mind Control, add Elastic with the sheriff. If those avenues are closed, Beatrix quickly
Skin (allowing them to tailor themselves to individual clients), leaves the area to regroup.
and give them the same ecstatic bite that Beatrix has (see Her next moves depend on how many of her progeny sur-
above). There’s a reason they can charge what they do and get vived. She’s not particularly skilled at tactics and prefers
away with what they’ve gotten away with! to operate behind the scenes. If at least half are still alive,
Beatrix starts turning human thralls into feral vampires,
who attack the champions when they least expect it. If few of
Beatrix her progeny escape, she uses local civil authorities to harass
Born in 1929, Beatrix Lennart grew up in the Great and separate the PCs until she can pick them off one by one
Depression, and it forever marked her. With her looks and at her leisure. If that doesn’t seem feasible, she attempts to
charisma, she could have gone to Hollywood, but that ambi- mind control one of them, to get that person to feed her infor-
tion seemed too risky. Still, she liked the easy life and hopped mation from within.
The Moon
Clan
In a remote location, a clan of shapeshifters lives with end up on the menu. Regional law enforcement officers have
witches who pray to the moon as their deity. Led by two people tried to find the clan’s home, but it’s deep in the wilderness
who call themselves Father Moon and Mother Moon, the com- and trespassers tend to disappear . . . This has led to an “igno-
munity welcomes lycanthropes of all kinds, as well as formi- rance is bliss” policy. Those who know about the Moon Clan
dable spellcasters who draw power from moonlight. The clan stay out of the woods and lock themselves in on full-moon
lives by a small body of water thought to have formed after nights. In return, the clan doesn’t try to eat them, instead sub-
a meteorite struck the earth. Their settlement, Outer Haven, sisting on anyone foolish enough to enter their domain.
has a couple dozen buildings and 30 to 50 inhabitants at any
one time. Many of the shapeshifters have their own spaces in
the woods and only return to “town” when called by Father or The Hunt
Mother Moon. Those in Outer Haven live by the rules of the The clan comes into to town once a month to purchase
clan, including that all flesh is meant to be eaten and humans supplies, remind everyone they’re still around, and see if any-
are but meat. Even the non-lycanthropes practice cannibal- one is looking for them (either to hurt them or join them). The
ism, and the children there are raised on a diet of “long pig” clan prefers to feed on those who they think won’t be missed.
as soon as they can chew solid foods. This practice has made Anyone looking for them is in for a difficult time: Outer
them unwelcome in civilized communities, and they’ve lived Haven is located deep within a thick forest, and a magic spell
on their own for decades. has been set up to confuse and turn travelers around (see
Those living in towns bordering on the Moon Clan’s domain Pursuit, pp. 8-9). If somehow outsiders find the village, many
whisper about the wild group’s practices and hope they don’t hungry lycanthropes guard it.
Father Moon is by modern standards insane, but very
cautious, while his mate is disinterested in human
society but manages the social structure within
Outer Haven.
Discovery
If the hunters have had prior experience with
lycanthropes or cannibal cultists, the GM can tie
those into the Moon Clan. Otherwise, here are some
hooks:
• Rumors of Outer Haven and the Moon Clan go
back decades, and the community has claimed the
lives of many hunters who tried to stamp them out.
Finally finishing them off might be some champi-
ons’ Holy Grail.
• While searching for clues for another mission,
the heroes notice a tabloid report of the “Teenager’s
Bermuda Triangle” – a sensationalized listing
of teenagers who’ve gone missing in the area, or
become lost and had to be rescued by locals after a
terrifying overnight ordeal.
• A hunter’s Ally, Contact, or Dependent goes
missing around the area.
• A PC lycanthrope hears about Outer Haven
and how they can teach a young shifter to control
their inner beast.
Aftermath
The hunters might surprise the Moon Clan by
appearing at their homestead and using lots and
lots of silver. The reverse might also be true – fight-
ing a group of 30+ cultists, witches, and shapeshift-
ers might be more than a team can handle even with
heavy firepower. Alternatively, if they can take out sev-
eral shapeshifters in the woods before they bunch up
at Outer Haven, it might prove to be just another bug
hunt. The cultists will sacrifice themselves to ensure
Father and Mother Moon escape. If that happens, the
PCs will need to watch their backs, as the two will
seek bloody revenge. Further, Father Moon might lay
curses on the heroes before fleeing, or he might seek
them with magic later.
If the PCs crush the Clan, they’ll need to decide
what to do with the children (there are children as
young as six months in Outer Haven). Some of them
are shapeshifters, but most are just normal kids
raised in a bad place. If Jericho has been rescued,
he’ll want to take care of his “little cousins,” who are
Mother Moon hiding in one of the cabins by the lake. If he hasn’t been res-
Mother Moon is an ancient werewolf, having been around cued, but the GM wants to involve him, one of the young
since sometime during the late 1800s (she cares not for werewolves may have led the other children, carrying the
such human concerns as dates). She found Father Moon babies, to his prison – they’re trying to free him so he can
performing rituals in the night and eavesdropped on him protect them from the terrible people who’ve come to kill
instead of immediately attacking. She had developed her own their parents.
Killing you was the point. Living through it was just a luxury.
– Trevor Belmont, Castlevania #1.4
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
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