ADVENTURERS BEWARE! YOU’RE IN FOR A SCARE!
The cover for Folio of Fear.
Oíche Shamhna, Oíche Shamhna!
I take Halloween very seriously. Every October, I watch as many horror movies as I can, I go for walks late at night and I binge horror podcasts (I heavily recommend The Wrong Station for some really, really good quality horror fiction!). Partially it’s because I’m autistic. Mostly, it’s because Halloween is an Irish holiday. Evolved from the Samhain festival that marked the end of the Light season and the beginning of the Dark season (which lasts until Bealtaine in May!), I’ve grown up with stories of old Irish traditions around the end of Harvest. There’s nothing quite like it; having some barmbrack fruit bread (and maybe choking on the ring hidden inside it in one of the slices!), a scary movie on while fireworks and trick-or-treaters roam. If you’re good, you’ll be taken to the bonfire later to see a massive, barely controlled fire churning on palettes and old mattresses provided by the community.
And, then, of course, there’s the ghost stories.
I’ve mentioned it in my other fairly well known blog post Irish fantasy, but in old Ireland, there was a job called a seanchaí. These were people who told stories for a living; they’d go from town to town, and in exchange for food and shelter, they’d entertain with all sorts of legends and tales. And often, these were horror stories. The banshee, the weeping woman that would predict the death of a loved one. The fetch, an exact doppelganger of you who’d curse you to die if you met them. And, of course, my favourite: the púca, a trickster spirit that would try to scare the bejeezus out of anyone who thought themselves too clever for silly superstitions. These kind of ghost stories were very common when I was growing up, and I’d go on a rant about them here if I wasn’t going to rant about something else. The point is– I love Halloween, and I wanted to tell ghost stories of my own.
It was only natural that I eventually make this book to cross over with my love for Pathfinder. I had once hoped to have this be a Core+ book, but horror is ultimately a niche genre. Was I deterred by it not getting many votes? Hell no, I went ahead and did it myself. Enter Folio Of Fear, a passion project with 20 horror stories for your table, and 20 unique monsters to really scare your table!
Horror Movies For Your Table
One of my favourite traditions for Halloween is the Halloween One-Shot. You and your TTRPG table take a break from the regular adventure you’re all going on for something spooky, and get a bunch of good scares in for a festive-one-shot. But the problem is, there’s only so many available! In Pathfinder 2e, you’ll often get the same suggestions on every post looking for a Halloween one-shot; The Mosquito Witch (which is absolutely fantastic!), Something To Dismember Me By, or a handful of other small adventures. At worst, you get the dreaded “why not use this monster?” response. And yes, some monsters are very, very scary! But you need to make a one-shot around them too, and sometimes, that’s just too much effort.
Folio of Fear seeks to directly remedy that. It has 20 adventures, one for each level, all the way from 1st to 20th. I’m really, really proud of the adventures within– I’m going to avoid spoiling any, just in case you’re here to convince your GM to try it out! Each adventure is structured like the outline of a horror movie, with your PCs as the protagonists. Of course, there’s often NPCs involved too… just so you can kill them off or find their remains after the monster gets to them! And there’s a whole variety of genres; for example, the 16th-level adventure Skin Deep is a gothic horror romp through a castle after a will reading goes terribly wrong, while Fear The Allbirth Slayer! is a fun slasher movie complete with gruesome kills your party can prevent… if you can catch the killer in time. One of my favourites is The Believer’s Foxhole, a high-level folk horror adventure in the vein of movies like Midsommar or The Wicker Man (1973). There’s also varying levels of horror available to use; after all, I know better than anyone that not everyone can handle horror the same way! You might find some adventures creepy without being too gruesome, like Lost In The Woods (one of my favourites!), or you might lean all in to the schlocky gore in others (Slime Trail of Horrors is not for the squeamish). The book has a list of content warnings for every adventure, so your GM can ensure that any adventure played is one the whole party is on board for.
I wanted the adventures to all feel different, and that was a really great time. I used different subsystems here and there to provide some meat to the bones of the adventures– a few Research sections here and there, each with their own twists, made a few adventures really lean into that dawning horror of the truth. Lost in the Woods is a hexploration… with a spooky twist that’ll make GMs cackle like monsters and players grit their teeth in horror. There’s a few Chase scenes, there’s a couple of time-sensitive components where dividing up your time correctly can prevent (or enable) horrifying twists. And each adventure has a “what if we lost?” section, with some having pretty freaky results. Of course, if you TPK, maybe it was just a nightmare… right?
One big thing I wanted was for these adventures to feel very plug-and-play. All locations in the game are intentionally vague; the city of Aurholdt from The Witch-Wedding could be anywhere. Is your party in the middle of playing Abomination Vaults? It could be right next to Otari, or it could even be put into Otari itself. It could just as easily be near Sandpoint or (heaven forbid something else happen to the poor town) be in Sandpoint too. Or maybe you just happen to be passing through en-route to your next location. The locations are kept vague– fleshed out enough to give the horror some flavor, but not so specific that you can’t mold it to your own needs.
And something I’m very proud of is that the adventures are not necessarily only playable at the level they’re designed for. If a level 10 party was going to play, normally they’d only be able to do the 10th-level adventure, The Lavender Hill Haunting. But maybe a haunted house isn’t your group’s speed. Well, I went out of my way (and this took a lot of effort and creativity) to exclude using the Elite or Weak templates as much as possible. That means every party has not one, not two, but three adventures you can plug-in to any campaign! Maybe your 10th-level party would prefer Siren’s Kiss and its seaside missing person’s case, or Hope’s Folly Prison, where you delve into a prison where the wardens have turned into violent monsters. The world is your oyster!
Horror? In MY Pathfinder 2nd Edition?
One of the most crucial parts of this adventure was making monsters that are truly, utterly frightening. Technically, any monster can be scary! It all comes down to how the GM portrays the moment. Even something as mundane as, say, a goblin. That can be terrifying if you quietly lean in, describing its blood red eyes and sharp grin as it stands over the baby’s crib, silhouetted in the dark. But having monsters with some pretty creepy abilities and designs go a long, long way. A good few of these monsters are what I like to call puzzle-monsters too; you can’t just hit it with a sword til it dies. There are ways to defeat them, yes, but if you keep swinging at the monster, it won’t get you anywhere. That’s a great way to make horror effective in a heroic fantasy game like PF2. Yeah, the monster might not kill you, you’re a strong and cool adventurer! But what about your NPC friend the GM made you fall in love with? Will they survive this?
One of my favourite horror games is The Magnus Archives TTRPG. This was a huge inspiration for me on this book, and you’ll see it in little ways if you’re at all familiar with the world of the Magnus Institute. Many of the monsters within are inspired by one of the 14 fears in the podcast; Bump In The Night is very Dark-coded, and Fear The Allbirth Slayer! is obviously inspired by the Slaughter. But the game also has great rules to make horror TTRPG feel as tense as horror in a movie. One of those rules– which you can use in your playthrough of the games, if you want to really get scary, is Horror Mode. We’ll be including a tested and balanced adaption of Horror Mode custom-made for PF2 in next year’s Adventures+ book for Team+. But just to get you started, here’s a rundown so you can use it in your playthrough of Folio of Fear’s adventures… if you DARE! These rules work very well in The Magnus Archives RPG, and port over well to PF2… but they do make the game considerably harder and scarier, so be ready to run if you have to.
Horror Mode
Horror Mode is an optional ruleset that heightens the tension and horror in a game of Pathfinder, to make every dice roll one that could spell terror for your party… and doom for your players, as failures cascade in terrible new twists in combat!
At any point while the party is exploring somewhere frightening, the GM can declare that Horror Mode is active. When Horror Mode is active, all Nat 2s will be downgraded as Nat 1s. Immediately, the tension in the air thickens; now is not the time for failure. Something evil is close, and the party suddenly becomes more aware that failure could be terrifying. To make things worse… future rolls of a Nat 1 or a Nat 2 heightens Horror Mode by one stage. Rolling a Nat 2 or Nat 1 rises Horror Mode to Horror Mode 2… and now Nat 3s also count as Nat 1s. And then, if you roll a Nat 3, 2 or 1… Horror Mode 3 happens, and now Nat 4s become Nat 1s. Even if you use a Hero Point, Horror Mode continues to rise, and the longer the party remains in this horrific situation, the more dangerous and frightening it will become!
Rather than the usual effects of a critical failure, however, the GM can make an Intrusion, adding a new twist without necessarily failing the roll. For example, while exploring a haunted mansion in Horror Mode, rolling a 2 while trying to Pick a Lock might have the nearby monster notice your presence, and reveal itself early. Meanwhile, maybe rolling a 4 in combat during Horror Mode 3 might make the lights go out, leaving everyone in total darkness. This means that no matter how well the party is doing, no matter how heroic they are… there’s always the chance that they’ll accidentally heighten Horror Mode, making the situation uniquely terrifying once again!
Once the party escapes a situation like this, Horror Mode ends, and everyone is safe… for now!
A Love Letter to Horror
I take Halloween very seriously. Every October, I watch as many horror movies as I can, I go for walks late at night and I binge horror podcasts. Folio of Fear was made as a love letter to the genre as a whole… and as such, there are many, many little nods to inspirational horror works inside. As such, every adventure has a single character or location that’s a little nod to an existing piece of horror. Try to find it yourself… or, when you finish an adventure, come back here and decode these ciphers. They use a basic 7-shift Caesar Cipher, and they’ll reveal the fun nod I snuck in to each adventure, if you can’t find it yourself! Enjoy, and be sure to pick up Folio of Fear on Pathfinder Infinite today!
- Bump In The Night Aol Nvvkulzavul mhtpsf pz uhtlk hmaly aol spaasl cpsshnl vm Nvvkulzavul, Kvcly– aol ovtlavdu vm T.Y. Qhtlz, vul vm aol tvza pumsbluaphs novza zavyf dypalyz lcly. Zwljpmpjhssf, opz zavyf “Vo, Dopzasl, huk P’ss Jvtl av Fvb, Tf Shk” dhz h ipn puzwpyhapvu vu aol whylpkvs. Pm fvb’yl uva mhtpsphy, svvr pa bw huk fvb’ss zll doha P tlhu!
- Carnival of Carnage Aol Jopvkv mhtpsf pz uhtlk hmaly aol Jopvkv iyvaolyz– aol jylhavyz vm Rpssly Rsvdug myvt Vbaly Zwhjl!
- Night of the Glassy Eyes Mpuzpy Yfusluk’z uhtl pz h ylmlylujl av aol jpaf vm Yopulshukly, Dpzjvuzpu… ovtl vm aol Ovkhn, aol ahepklytf ovhe aoha puzwpylk aopz zavyf.
- Crawling In Darkness Aol Hzoypknlz hyl uhtlk hmaly Hzoypknl Whyr, Olyamvykzopyl, Zjvashuk. Aopz pz dolyl aol vbakvvy zjlulz vm Aol Klzjlua dlyl mpstlk.
- The Itching Plague Aol Thypuv mhtpsf ahrl aolpy uhtl myvt Thypuv Jylzjlua pu Kbispu, Pylshuk. Aopz pz dolyl aol hbaovy vm Kyhjbsh, Iyht Zavrly, dhz ivyu.
- Dead Cold Ivaapu Ofyvcbu dhz uhtlk hmaly Yvi Ivaapu, hu pujylkpisf ahslualk zwljphs thrl-bw lmmljaz jylhavy. Fvb thf ruvd opz dvyr myvt h zptpshysf jopssf ovyyvy zavyf: Qvou Jhywlualy’z 1982 Aol Aopun!
- The Tomb of Tangernmas Aopz tvcpl ohz adv ylmlylujlz. Mpyzasf, Isvuzrh’z uhtl pz pu ylmlylujl av Hnuplzgrh Iłvńzrh, hu bujylkpalk hjaylzz dov wvyayhflk vul vm aol Dllwpun Hunlsz pu Kvjavy Dov’z Ispur. Zljvuksf, tbjo vm Ahunlyuthz’ zavyf pz puzwpylk if aol Pypzo slnluk vm Jyvt Jybhjo, dolyl Rpun Apunlyuthz slhk opz wlvwsl av ybpu hz aolf zahyalk dvyzopwwpun hu lskypajo nvk aoha klthuklk aol isvvk huk iyhpuz vm paz dvyzopwwlyz.
- Fear The Allbirth Slayer! Qvyhs Zhukpu’z uhtl pz h ylmlylujl av Dpss Zhukpu, aol hjavy dov wshflk h fvbun Tpjohls Tflyz pu aol vypnpuhs Ohssvdllu tvcpl.
- Siren’s Kiss Zpylu’z Rpzz ohz h jvbwsl vm ylmlylujlz av aol ovyyvy nhtl Zlh Zhsa, pu dopjo fvb wshf h dovsl jbsa av hu lskly nvk hzzhbsapun h zlhzpkl avdu. Za. Ayhlavu pz vul vm aol wshfhisl hwvzaslz pu aol nhtl, aol mvbukly vm aol jbsa vm Khnvu. Vyzlu Thyapuvczrf’z uhtl pz h ylmlylujl av Qvzlm Thyapuvczrf vm FJQF nhtlz, aol zabkpv ilopuk Zlh Zhsa.
- The Lavender Hill Haunting Aol Shclukly Opss Ohbuapun ohz adv ylmlylujlz, vul tvyl zayvun aohu aol vaoly. Mpyzasf, aol uhtl Dpunyhcl pz h ylmlylujl av Tprl Mshuhnhu’z Aol Ohbuapun vm Isf Thuvy, hu hkhwapvu vm Oluyf Qhtlz’ Aol Abyu vm aol Zjyld (dopjo dhz hszv hkhwalk puav Qhjr Jshfavu’z Aol Puuvjluaz pu 1961). Av tl, aopz zavyf pz aol bsapthal ohbualk ovbzl zavyf, huk dhz h obnl pumsblujl vu aol pklh vm h Obunyf Ibpskpun. Zhunh Olsavw’z uhtl pz hszv h ylmlylujl av Opssavw Yvhk, h ovbzl myvt Aol Thnubz Hyjopclz aoha dhz mbukhtluahs av aol pklh vm hu buklhk ovbzl aoha ohalz fvb.
- Hope’s Folly Prison Jvfsl Q. Tlypkphu’z mpyza uhtl pz vm jvbyzl h ylmlylujl av Slshuk Jvfsl, aol ovyypmpj wvspjl vmmpjly myvt Aol Vbashza Ayphsz.
- Desiccated Aopz vul pz aypjrf! Aol Lsrpuz Tlyjohua Slhnbl pz uhtlk hmaly aol jpaf vm Lsrpuz, Dlza Cpynpuph. Lsrpuz pz olhkxbhyalyz vm aol Tvuvunholsh Uhapvuhs Mvylza, dopjo pz dolyl Aol Hkcluabyl Gvul: Htulzaf dhz zla. Vul vm aol mpyza tvuzalyz pu Htulzaf, aol Dhaly Lsltluahs, dhz h ipn puzwpyhapvu mvy aopz tvuzaly, huk zapss h zayhunlsf jopsspun lujvbualy pu tf tltvyf.
- Lost In The Woods Aol Dvvkshukz Zayhunly pz puzwpylk pu lxbhs whyaz if Zsluklythu, aol Ishpy Dpajo huk aol Ilhza myvt Vcly aol Nhyklu Dhss. Rubkzlu, aol uhtl vm aol mvylza, pz h ylmlylujl av Lypj Rubkzlu– hrh Cpjavy Zbynl, jylhavy vm aol vypnpuhs Zsluklythu jyllwfwhzah.
- Slime Trail of Horrors Kllw jba! Aol uhtl Tpsnhal pz h ylmlylujl av Pycpul Tpssnhal, aol thu dov jhtl bw dpao aol pklh mvy Aol Isvi (1958). Aol avdu vm Hyibyvbno pz hszv pu ylmlylj av Hyivycpssl, aol avdu aol 1988 ylthrl pz zla pu.
- The Witch-Wedding Aovtpszvu pz aol mpyza uhtl vm aol wyvahnvupza vm Yvilya Lnnly’z Aol Dpajo (2015), dopjo pz tf mhcvbypal klwpjapvu vm dpajojyhma pu ovyyvy lcly.
- Skin Deep Aol uhtl Zpssh pz hjabhssf h tvyl spnoaolhyalk ylmlylujl. Pa’z aol zbyuhtl vm Mlspe Zpssh, aol mpyza hjavy av wshf Jvbzpu Paa myvt Aol Hkkhtz Mhtpsf.
- The Believer’s Foxhole Zsvfhu Pzshuk vdlz paz uhtl av aol mhuahzapj Zhthuaoh Zsvfhu, aol hjaylzz vm Ilc Rlhul, aol aybl cpsshpu vm Mshuhnhu’z Tpkupnoa Thzz (2021). Zptwsf vul vm aol ilza wpljlz vm ovyyvy av lcly lepza– pm fvb ohcl uva dhajolk pa, fvb TBZA kv zv! Aol uhtl pz h ylmlylujl av aol woyhzl “aolyl hyl uv haolpzaz pu mveovslz”, dopjo tlhuz dolu h wlyzvu pz ha aolpy tvza klzwlyhal huk pyyhapvuhs, aolf dpss jspun vuav huf ilsplm. Zsvfhu Pzshuk’z zsvd kvdumhss ohz slhk av h sva vm wlvwsl ullkpun av ohcl mhpao pu zvtlaopun, thrpun aolt wyptl ahynlaz mvy aol klpmpj ptwvzaly.
- A-Hunting We Shall Go Tlyjbyvy Ishjrdvvk pz aol hbaovy ylzwvuzpisl mvy aol tvklyu pualywylahapvu vm aol ovyyvy tvuzaly jhsslk aol Dpukdhsrly. Hu hwwyvwyphapvu vm hu Hsnvuxbphu tfao, aol Dpukdhsrly pz zapss h wvwbshy ovyyvy tvuzaly, aovbno P ohcl svun hynblk pa zovbsk il kpcvyjlk myvt paz tfaovsvnpjhs yvvaz– hmaly hss, pa pz pu lmmlja h uld ahrl vu aol pklh vm h dlyldvsm, yhaoly aohu hufaopun ylzltispun aol vypnpuhs zwpypa.
- The Cure For Sleeping Adv ylmlylujlz pu aopz hkcluabyl avv! Mpyzasf, Whuz Ahzg pz h ylmlylujl av Whuahzg, aol jylhavy vm aol 2023 ovyyvy nhtl Dvysk vm Ovyyvy. Vul vm aol tfzalyplz pu Dvysk vm Ovyyvy dhz aol Jbypvbz Jhzl vm h Jvuahnpvbz Jvth, dopjo dhz h ipn puzwpyhapvu mvy aopz hkcluabyl, pujsbkpun aol tvuzaly’z klzpnu. Vm jvbyzl, zvtl wylaaf ipn adpzaz dlyl wba vuav pa, huk pa ivyyvdz myvt Zayhunly Aopun’z Bwzpkl Kvdu avv. Aol vaoly ylmlylujl pz Vyhunl Zvbqvyu, h ylmlylujl av Vyhunl Zvkh– aol huvuftvbz hbaovy mvy aol jyllwfwhzah, aol Ybzzphu Zsllw Lewlyptlua.
- The Living Star Wlyohwz aol tvza vu-aol-uvzl ylmlylujl, iba Olszavy Yhtpul pz h ylmlylujl av Olsszahy Yltpuh, h 2004 Ovyyvy Thunh if Qbuqp Pav.