The StokerVerse Roleplaying Game Quick Start is a 70-page introduction to the StokerVerse. It follows the ethos of other Nightfall Games Quickstarts, such as those for The Terminator RPG and SLA Industries, in introducing the players to the rules that have been designed specifically for the StokerVerse RPG, based on Nightfall Games’ very own S5S system. The quickstart contains:
- An adventure, “Dracula’s Empire,” broken down into eight scenes, partly to provide a natural rest point for gaming sessions and partly to make life easier for the Author (gamesmaster) in preparing and learning the plot and its details. However, a session can be as long or as short as your time allows and several chapters of the adventure may be played in one gaming session.
- Each chapter has been subdivided into sections to further assist the person running the game. The sections detail the overview of the events ‘synopsis’. The ‘supporting cast’ are persons of interest in that portion of the story. There is also ‘For the Author’ – insights and information intended purely for the gamesmaster, hidden details, further information the players might uncover, and to provide them notes from which they can elaborate as they see fit to the players.
- This Quickstart uses a cut down version of the Nightfall Games S5S system, which has been specially tailored for the StokerVerse Roleplaying Game:
- Skill List and Descriptions (more skills will be included in the Core Rulebook).
- Skill Tests: the basic conflict resolution mechanic of the S5S system.
- Combat: initiative, attacking, defending, armor, hit points, impairments, healing, etc. (Medical care is covered in greater detail in the Core Rulebook).
- Traits: add to the roleplaying element of a character’s personality. Each trait either grants or costs a number of points.
- Equipment
- The Nature of the Occult World & its Secrets: the Stokerverse is a place of horror and mystery. Demonic entities abound as do curses and all manner of occultism.
- Pre-generated characters (the main rules will include a chapter on character creation)
Dracula is dead, of that we should be certain. The brave Texan, Quincey Morris, pierced his chest with a bowie knife. Morris paid with his life when he severed the great vampire’s ties to the mortal world. I can see by the puzzled look on your face that you may not be familiar with the full facts of this story. You may have read of a mysterious Romanian Count’s disappearance in the Strand or perhaps heard of the case of the Demeter? Pour yourself a stiff drink and I shall regale you with a tale which is as cold and dark as the crypt of Lord Blackwood in Highgate Cemetery.
Dracula’s Empire
Mina has gone missing. Shortly after docking in London, her absence was noticed. Van Helsing is concerned that she still may be under the malign influence of Dracula, even though he is dead. His concerns were raised by piecing together the aspects from the missing wooden stakes (from the original Dracula novel) and her strange behavior on the ship home. He has called a meeting in London.
As the act progresses bodies are discovered drained of blood and badly mutilated. Initially, this appears to be more Ripper/Torso murders but the Ripper-esque mutilations have been made to hide bite marks on the body.
A mysterious woman has been seen in high society and there is talk of unusual parties and gatherings. Might these be linked to the murders and disappearance of children in the area?
A Kickstarter campaign for the core rulebook will be run in the Summer of 2022.
Get the Quickstart HERE
