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Written by
Stuart Wilding

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Edited by
Walton Wood & Scott Andreu

pl Illustrated by
Ruben Mocho
Layout & Design by
Byron Andreu
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This edition first published in 2023 by Storeywood Game Co.
351 Storeywood Dr, San Antonio, Texas 78213.

[Link]

ISBN: 979-8-218-96399-6
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All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced,

stored or transmitted in any form or by any means. First
published in U.S.A. in 2023.
Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Table
of Contents

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Introduction & Background 5 Combat Mechanics 49
• Before You Start 5 • Initiating Combat and Turn Order 49

T T
• Action Points (AP) 49
Character Creation 15 • Attacking 51
• Character Classes 17 • Combat Movement 52
Brawler 18 • Misc. Combat Effects 52

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Doctor 20 • Example of Combat Play 53
Priest 22
Ranger 24
Slayer 26 Narrator Guide 57
• Who Is the Narrator? 57
•

•
Characteristics
Traits
Knowledge
Perks

Character Progression
Renown Points
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29
29
30
30

33
33
•
•
Managing the Systems
Crafting Stories

Monster Codex
•
•
Beasts and Misc. Humanoids
Demons
57
61

67
69
78
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• Reputation Tags 34 • The Undead 85
• The Dark 91
Weapons 37
• Basic Weapons 37 Glossary of Terms 98
• Custom Weapons 39
• Improvised Weapons 41
Hunters of Fable 101
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General Game Mechanics 43

• Skill Check 43
Young Blood : A Hunters of the Occult Adventure 105
• Health and Injuries 44
• Sanity and Psychoses 46
• Restful Sleep 47
• Inventory 47
 Introduction & Background
Introduction

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& Background

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- Before You Start -
The Game assist an ally must roll 3+ to do so. A
Hunters of the Occult is a pencil and
paper roleplaying game of monster
success would occur on a result of 3 or
higher.
I
hunting, exploration, and adventure
in the 19th century. Players take on the What You Need

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role of professional monster hunters In order to play, you will need:
who use their skills, knowledge, special • A copy of this rulebook. Even
abilities, and customized weapons to seasoned players will likely want to
delve into danger, become famous, and reference certain rules or details
of course slay monsters. during play.

pl The professional monster hunters are

effectively evil-hunting mercenaries
most commonly associated with tracking
down and dispatching nefarious
creatures. Their careers can also
have them traveling to distant lands,
exploring ancient ruins, engaging with
• Six-sided die. Although you can
play with a single die, having
multiple dice is recommended. At
least one six-sided die per person is
optimal.
• A Narrator. This is the person
who tells the story and guides the
player characters through it. The
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monster-hunting guilds, discovering Narrator Guide section addresses
new monsters, and much more. this role in depth.
• Three to five player characters.
How to Play Hunters of the Occult is designed
When playing Hunters of the Occult, around multiple monster hunters
players will almost always roll a single, working together, and a small
six-sided die to resolve any situations group of player characters is ideal
with uncertain outcomes. These dice for most sessions. This group
Sa

rolls must meet or beat a target number of characters does not normally
(notated as “X+”), and higher results include the Narrator, though in
make favorable outcomes more likely. some instances, the Narrator may
This basic play process will cover also wish to play a monster-hunter
everything from heart-racing combat to character in their story.
intense interrogations. • A character sheet per player
character. Players will use these to
For example, a hunter attempting to reference their character’s abilities,

-5-
Introduction & Background

Introduction & Background

equipment, attributes, and more.
Extra scrap paper may be helpful
for taking notes during play. The
Once ready to play, the Narrator will
walk the player characters through
stories, in which they will need to A Constant
Threat Looms
“cheat sheets” provided at the investigate mysterious goings-on, engage

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end of this book are also a helpful in dangerous activities, hunt down evil,
reference, especially for new and ultimately slay it.
players.
• A grid sheet and miniatures. These
items are recommended to help

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make the combat scenes more
understandable and immersive.
A hexagon grid is ideal, though a
H unte rs of the Occult takes place in a world not unlike
our own in the 1800s. Technology is approximat
the same, as are regions and perhaps even nations.
ely
However,
square grid also works. there is one key difference: humanity is engag
ed in an
unending battle against the occult.

I Throughout history
I
the forces of evil ha
impede, or outri ve sought to disrupt
ght destroy civiliza ,
Humanity’s answer tion as we know

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to this constant th it.
monster hunters. reat is professiona
Thousands across l
their lives to study the world dedica
ing these looming te
equipping themse dangers, training
February 28th, 1842 lves accordingly to
Hunte rs of the Occul ke ep them at bay. In
and

- The Hunt for the Key, Part 1 - t, players play the role of

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The days drag on here near the equator. The humid air is heavy
in my lungs, and the jungle is unforgiving, but I must press
on. With every lead, I feel I’m one step closer. Local legends
of mystical grounds are one thing, but excavations backed by
multiple monster-hunting guilds? Even professional hunters can
hunters, interceptin
g and combating th

Encounters with dark entities are fairly common, to the

dismay of many, and most people will find themselves
face to face with dangerous creatures at several points
in their lives. Luckily, professional monster hunters
are numerous and common enough to be found in
these monster
e terrors of this wo
rld.
m
fall victim to superstition, but that is a level of credibility most parts of the world so long as there’s coin to be
which I could not ignore. It could be the Key. had. Indeed, monster hunters are generally thought
of as glorified mercenaries, with varying degrees of
Members of “Fire and Steel” guided me to the site, where I am told effectiveness as well as prestige.
a half-dozen laborers have spent several weeks clearing through Given how dangerous monster slaying is, those who
the brush and beginning to unearth the find. As we arrived, my are most
proficient at it tend to build local reputations as
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they do so.
relief of reaching base camp was quickly replaced by awe of the The recognition is well earned, of course, as repea
tedly putting
site. Massive stones arranged in an arc, several still partially oneself in mortal danger and emerging victorious
is the stuff
buried in earth and jungle, with elaborate markings carved into of legends. In fact, the appeal of potential fame
and fortune
that follows is what attracts many to the profession
nearly every inch of them. The lead scholar suspects a purposeful . With no
shortage of monsters afoot, there are plenty of oppo
arrangement spanning hundreds more meters still. The patterns rtunities
for aspiring monster hunters to make a difference
and leave
in the stones, as well as their makers and purpose, have yet to be their mark.
identified.

-6- -7-
Introduction & Background

Introduction & Background

Studying Monsters Monster-Hunting

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Guilds
T he world has been under attack from the forces of
A s the numbers of monst

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er hunters grew, many beg
darkness for nearly as long as there has been recorded to find value in organizin an
g. Though not done by
history. Historians have tried their best to piece together hunters, having formalize all
d groups of hunters brough
the history of monster sightings but have yet to pinpoint an advantages as it does for oth t many
er trades. New members
origin time or location for the first assaults on humankind. to benefit from the guild’ are able
s reputation, collected inf
is shared more quickly, an ormation
d it can provide more sta
I I
for its members. Accor ble work
The loosely (if at all) organ dingly, it is quite commo
ized ranks of monster hunte monster hunter to belon n for a
the best documentation rs have g to a particular regional
available regarding the var coalition. guild or
creatures that lie in wait. ious evil
Many monster hunting coa
have shared and compiled litions

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their knowledge to form
comprehensive encyclop the most very few large guilds
edia to date: The Monst
er Codex. To the surprise of many, there are
This is the gold standard ially associated with a
of monster knowledge in
the world of monster hunters who are offic
and is the basis of most Nat ural ly, a number of
hunters’ study when joi
ning and particular religious organization.
practicing the profession. res are attracted to the
clergymen and other religious figu

Some scholars dedicate their lives

monsters, many of whom are form

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to the academia of
er hunters themselves.
It is a long-held belief that knowledge
to all of humankind, meant to be
willing to spend their time studying
from different areas tend to stay in
of monsters belongs
available to anyone
it. As such, researchers
contact and share new
monster-hunting life, but the reverse
culture of naturalism has developed
community, where most tend to hold
pragmatic view of the trade.
is
in
rare

a
the
ly

scien
true. Instead, a
mon ster-hunting
tific or simply
m
doing the dirty work.
information as it is gathered by those
It wasn’t
ld be lo st with out my partner. tween us.
“I wou balance be
we pl an ne d, bu t we have a nice proven invaluable,
something and people skill
s have instincts
My studiousness deny how her perceptivity and raw r, and I
but I also can’t own. We complement each othe
far exceed my is partnership for anything.”
Sa

wouldn’t trade th

-8- -9-
Introduction & Background

Introduction & Background

Key themselves, accidentally or otherwise bridging the worlds of man
October 17th, 1838 and monster together.

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- We Must Find the Key -
When examining the origin of monsters myself, I had originally
My research brought me to many different countries, and my started from two ends of a spectrum. One end is the idea that
eyes have been opened wider than I thought possible. I’ve climbed monsters have spread outward from a single point of origin. On the

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mountains, traversed jungles, braved deserts, and more. So many other end, monsters are somehow spreading everywhere at the same
places. So many people. So many monsters. time. Archaeological and anecdotal evidence would help us discern
which is more correct. My findings, paired with my aforementioned
In my travels, I’ve heard more than a few explanations for the theological studies, compelled me to write this journal.
origin of the world’s evil creatures. Most
I cultures tie it
creation myths,
directly to the region’s
and it ’s easy to see
The data I’ve gathered suggests there are multiple, independent I
sources from which monsters emerge. Furthermore, it would
why. Every group seems to have appear that some of these origin points have been discovered in the

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been dealing with the monster past — and were eliminated. More research is needed, but there
phenomenon for millenia. It ’s is something deeper here we can engage in. Something more potent
like human civilization has than simply slaying the monsters.
grown up with monsters. In a
twisted way, we’re
and us. Siblings hell-
other.

I had an important
many discussions with
world. In nearly every
pl
siblings, the monsters
bent on destroying each

discovery following my
regional experts across the
story they tell, monsters
There’s an old adage among hunters about finding coincidences
versus recognizing patterns. Common ideas like gods and demons
and magic are one thing, but a detail as specific as a key? With
each new piece of information reinforcing my hypothesis, I become
more convinced: the Key and its doors are real. I also believe that
this key can close off the doors to the birthplace of monsters,
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finally ending our war against them forever. We must find the
either come from or belong to some other realm Key.
Key
apart from humans’. This alone isn’t
incredible. The surprising part is that most of
these stories also feature a key to these monster
territories.
Sa

What do the keys do? They open and lock the doors to the monster
realm, of course. The particulars vary, but the keys are quite
simply the mechanism by which monsters go between their world and
ours. For example, some legends note their deities using the Key to
unleash the monsters upon humanity as punishment for their sins.
Others make mention of individual people having possession of the

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