Sigil & Shadow: A Roleplaying Game of Urban Fantasy and Occult Horror

By R.E. Davis and Luis Sanz

Set in a mirror of our own world, Sigil & Shadow is a roleplaying game of urban fantasy and occult horror in which players take on the roles of illuminated heroes and shadowed monsters to face the rising tide of supernatural forces. Ancient nightmares lurk behind the closed doors of board rooms, entities from beyond time prowl the city streets, forgotten rituals are reborn as viral memes. Do you take a stand against the encroaching shadows? Or do you seek their power for yourself?

Powered by the highly accessible d00Lite system, Sigil & Shadow focuses squarely on the story rather than the mechanics – who the characters are and what they do, not how they do it. Easy to adopt to any mythos, campaigns can be built around a wide range of plots, with players taking the role of anything from paranormal investigators and monster hunters to members of occult cabals or secret societies. The setting offered sees a modern world buffeted by the tides of supernatural power, where beings of myth wake from their slumber while modern cults sacrifice to pop-culture gods and ancient cabals pursue their age-old schemes into the digital age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Jul 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781472844804

R.E. Davis

R.E. Davis hails from a college town in Texas, where he grew up exposed to a weird mix of old-fashioned living and big-city dreaming. Always one for the weird, he spent much of his youth playing fantasy games, listening to scary music, and reading dystopian fiction and occult literature. His adulthood hasn't changed that. He has worn many labels: office IT guy, gas station clerk, costume shop manager, game store owner, communications major, and now father and husband. He is also the "resident grumpus" of the ChaosGrenade game blog.

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PART ONE:

THE PRACTICE

Character Creation

Playing the Game

CHARACTER CREATION

This chapter will walk you through creating a Player Character (PC) in Sigil & Shadow. Grab some pencils, a character sheet (from the back of this book or from ospreypublishing.com/gaming_resources_roleplaying) and some counters to represent Bones. All PCs start with a pool of five Bones, and throughout character creation are presented with various options to spend them on. You can never spend more than four Bones during character creation, and those you do are permanently lost from your Bone Pile.

OVERVIEW

1.Create a Concept

a. Choose a Casting – either an Illuminated calling (Seeker, Hunter, Protector or Keeper) or a Shadowed court (Devoted, Host, Ravenous or Afflicted).

b. Determine a Background – This is who your character was prior to their involvement with the supernatural. Backgrounds will provide perks and determine your starting Lifestyle. Either randomly roll for it on the Backgrounds table or spend a Bone to choose one on your own.

c. Check for an Oddity – An Oddity is a strange aspect or feature from your old life that drew you to the supernatural. Roll on the Oddity table to see if you acquire one or spend a Bone to choose one on your own.

2.Determine Ability Scores

a. All Ability Scores (STR, DEX, LOG and WIL) start at a base score 40%.

b. Players then have 10 Advancements (+5% each) to distribute across the four ability scores. No score can start higher than 70 at this point. For quick character generation, players may use an array of 60, 55, 50 and 45 as they see fit across the four Abilities.

c. Make note of any Damage Bonuses for STR or DEX scores.

3.Skills

a. Skill Training: You begin Trained (+0%) in two Skills. Your Background may provide a free trained skill, and you may spend a Bone to acquire training in another. You cannot additional Bones to acquire more training than that.

b. Skill Levels: Raise two of your trained skills to Level 1 (+10%).

4.Special Features

a. Perks: Choose 1 Perk from your Background. You may spend a Bone to acquire a second.

b. Powers: Characters trained in Mysticism should choose their Gifts ; Shadowed characters will want to select their Manifestations .

5.Character Details

a. Descriptors: Write down two sentences or phrases (one positive, one negative) to define additional qualities, quirks, or talents of your character.

6.Final Steps

a. Starting Equipment: Decide on 5 pieces of gear your character would keep on them during an adventure. Your Background establishes your Lifestyle rating to gauge what holdings are available to your character. It’s recommended that one of your choices should be an Equipment Pack , an abstracted bundle of tools and common items used for a particular profession or activity.

b. Determine Health Points (HP), Initiative (INIT), Damage Resistance (DR), and how many Bones remain in your Bone Pile . New characters begin at Rank 1 .

CASTINGS

Castings in Sigil & Shadow are character archetypes; both a statement of how a character is aligned (Illuminated or Shadowed), as well as the role they play in the narrative of the game world.

Castings are not rigid classes or professions like you might find in other games – instead, they represent what motivates the character and how they fit into the modern paranormal world of Sigil & Shadow. Not all Hunters, for example, are meat-head combat junkies – you’ll find an equal number of socialites and bookworms who are just as eager to track paranormal creepers as their battle-hardened compatriots.

Each Casting is listed with a Drive – a motivation that pushes the character to keep working towards their goals. In game terms, Drives define the type of actions the character performs in order to regain spent Bones. The Illuminated are driven by their callings – Seekers thirst to unravel the secrets of the occult, whereas Keepers want to keep those secrets buried. Hunters are called to bring down paranormal threats, Protectors look after their families, friends, and community.

The Shadowed, meanwhile, are driven by the monstrous natures that fuel their newfound powers. Otherworldly beings influence the Devoted, offering them power in exchange for servitude. Likewise, the Hosts are possessed by supernatural entities in a strange symbiotic (sometimes parasitic) relationship, allowing themselves to be vessels in exchange for their dark powers. The Ravenous give in to malign addictions and sinister urges, while the Afflicted revel in their monstrosity.

The Illuminated

Illumination takes more than belief. Many people believe in the supernatural and the occult. Some have encountered ghosts or unexplained phenomena, and simply choose to accept it and resume functioning in the safety of ignorance.

But then there are those who have the lights turned on, and they can’t switch them off again. For every Illuminated, there was a key moment where their lives were turned upside down – a clear, definite point of revelation where they were presented with irrefutable proof that everything wasn’t how it seemed. Magic exists, monsters are real, symbols have power, and outside beings manipulate our society.

Each Illuminated character answers one of four callings, defining what drives and motivates them to confront or engage the occult. When creating an Illuminated character, the player should ask how the calling fits into their life: they still have to work, take care of their families, and pay the bills. Most Illuminated struggle to balance the day to day of their careers and households, with their dangerous new night lives.

THE BOON OF ILLUMINATION

For as much trouble and hardship those who answer the calling of Illumination suffer, they at least seem to have a knack for getting out of trouble when it counts. Some call it luck, or say that fortune favours the bold, or even attribute it to some kind of divine intervention. Whatever it is about them, it’s part of what makes them stand out from the rest.

While any player character can spend a Bone to re-roll failures, those cast as Illuminated are able to use their Bones in other creative ways. In short: Illuminated players can spend their Bones as a bargaining chip to pull off ridiculous stunts, help their allies, or even add or change an element of the narrative. The following are some recommended ways to spend those Bones, but players should be encouraged to get creative:

• Force the Guide to re-roll and take the result that benefits the player.

• Allow an ally to re-roll a failure.

• Automatically succeed a resistance check without even needing to roll it.

• Automatically deal maximum damage on a successful attack.

• Guarantee that for one round, any action you take (or is taken against you) can’t kill you. You may be hurt, there may be consequences, but you’ll live long enough to see the results.

• If the Guide is comfortable with it in their games , they can allow the Illuminated to spend a Bone to contribute or alter a small detail to the game world.

THE SEEKER

After having their world turned upside down, Seekers become obsessed with wanting to know about anything and everything that’s out there. For many this is a scholarly pursuit – a thirst for knowledge and arcana of the hidden world, especially its history and cosmology. For others it’s a calling for exploration – a desire to experience first-hand the strange and otherworldly. It can be a quest for affirmation, to know there’s more than the bleak world put in front of us. Or it can be about the thrill, with an almost sportsmanlike attitude, a desire to push oneself to the edges of the possible.

Drive: Discovery

Seekers recover a Bone any time their character makes a new paranormal discovery hitherto unknown to them. Whether they unearth lost lore, stumble across an ancient relic, find a better understanding of the monsters they’re investigating or encounter a new paranormal entity, the Seeker is motivated to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.

THE HUNTER

Hunters are not driven by knowledge, but a calling to keep the occult in check. The hunt isn’t just about slaying monsters but policing and undermining any supernatural threats that prey on humanity. Many who answer the call lead double lives, trying to balance their home lives and careers with their devotion to the hunt. Others have embraced, willingly or not, a life of misanthropy, isolating themselves from loved ones and society.

Drive: Victory

Hunters recover a Bone any time they successfully undermine a paranormal entity by means of tracking, subterfuge, outwitting or outright overcoming them. Examples include stalking a cryptid back to its lair, subversively preventing a vampire from feeding on a victim in a club, luring a spirit into a trap or successfully shadowing a suspected occultist to witness a ritual unnoticed.

THE PROTECTOR

Protectors differ themselves from Hunters by being more concerned with the welfare of innocent lives than exacting justice on those corrupted by the supernatural. Where Hunters may take the fight to the monsters, Protectors focus on defending the home front. Many Protectors volunteer for community watch programmes or seek out careers in law enforcement or security. They’re willing to stick their necks out for the common good and aren’t afraid to put themselves between the darkness and the innocent.

Drive: Safeguard

Protectors recover a Bone during any scene where they work to protect others from paranormal threats. This can be in the form of preparations anticipating a threat, or reactively putting themselves in harm’s way in order to guard another.

THE KEEPER

Keepers are gravely aware of the fragile nature of existence – that reality is a balance that depends on many secrets being kept secret. Imprisoned gods that mankind should never remember, dimensions and parallels that should never be seen (lest they gaze back into us). Keepers operate on the principle of making sure those unfortunate truths never see the light of day. Many keepers will tell you that the less mankind knows of the dark forces that lurk at the fringes of our reality, the better off we are.

Drive: Conspiracy

Keepers recover a Bone anytime they successfully prevent occult or esoteric secrets from being discovered. Actions such as misinforming bystanders about what they had witnessed, covering up evidence from public knowledge, or even destroying any proof or loose ends qualifies (the more discreet, the better.)

The Shadowed

In contrast with the Illuminated are those who chose to not only face darkness, but to embrace it. The Shadowed (or Shades, interchangeably) are paranormal characters who have been transformed by the malevolence bleeding into our world. These are the monstrous characters of myth, legend, and pop culture – vampires, werewolves, warlocks, zombies and more. Each one is categorised by one of four shadows, defining what drives their dark nature.

Every story of how one becomes a Shade is different – perhaps they sought out the promises of the occult, lured by offers of dark power and inhuman manifestations. Or they rose from their graves, driven by a longing to finish business left unsettled. Then there are the creeps who never really fit in but found a passage into darkness – a dangerous new life, weird yet filled with opportunities they never had before.

MANIFESTATIONS AND BURDENS

For giving into the change, the Shadowed are endowed with Manifestations, amazing paranormal powers fuelled by their drives. However, accepting the change also imposes one or more Burdens upon them – a price for turning their back on the light. For more details on creating Shadowed characters, including rundowns of available Manifestations and Burdens, please consult The Shadowed chapter under Part Two: Esoterica.

THE AFFLICTED

The inheritor of a cursed bloodline. The revenant brought back by vengeance. The mutated test subject of mad science. Afflicted are the tragic and misbegotten misfits of the Shades. Most would never ask for this damnation, but there are some who called out to the shadows when the chips were down. Whatever horrific power took root within each Afflicted came with a price – their existence forever a blasphemy. Even the most compassionate and kind-hearted among them find themselves frequently feared, ridiculed, and driven away by the people around them – a strange paranormal curse they have no control over. Though it often leads to a frustrating, lonely existence, the Afflicted seem to thrive in this exiled state. As the old saying goes – that which doesn’t kill you can only make you weirder.

Drive: Scorn

Afflicted suffer from a paranormal bane that unconsciously alarms, disgusts, or provokes resentment from everyday people (as well as some animals, like pets and livestock). While hindering, something about this effect also fuels the monstrous abilities of the character. At any time, the Guide may give the Afflicted player a Bone and declare that they are scorned for the remainder of the scene. Bystanders will resent, avoid, or even be hostile to them for no real reason. Social interactions are Disadvantaged, and even attempts to do good deeds may be met with contempt from others. Illuminated characters (as well as other Shadowed) may sense the repulsion from this affliction, but do not succumb to its effect.

THE DEVOTED

Witches, warlocks, priests, and cultists – Devoted are those who were gifted their power directly from a supernatural entity called a Patron. The Patron is a powerful, conscious manifestation of an idea, belief or concept. Some appear as the avatars of gods, psychopomps (angels, devils, devas and the like), totemic spirits, or even renowned figures of folklore and history. Some are even devoted to visages portraying pop-culture icons, both living and dead. To be devoted is to serve the will of the visage, either through worship, submission, oath, or pact.

Drive: Servitude

Devoted may recover a Bone any time they devote a scene to service on behalf of their patron. This may come in the form of offerings, prayer, study, proselytizing or meditation. Additionally, the Devoted may petition their Patron for a geas, a task appointed by the Patron, which once fulfilled or enacted during a scene will allow them to regain a Bone.

THE HOST

Hosts live day to day as dual-minded characters – but at all times, the Inhabitant is present. The Inhabitant could be one of many forms – a dead soul, a demonic being, an alien mind, an imaginary friend, or even a higher self. What all Hosts and Inhabitants have in common is that they are two souls sharing a single body. The Inhabitant hears and sees everything the Host does; its voice can always be heard in the Host’s mind. Often the two personalities clash; you can say the Host and the Inhabitant constantly struggle to take the wheel. Don’t mistake it for a completely parasitic relationship, however! Much like the Devoted’s Patron, the Inhabitant gives its Host incredible supernatural abilities. They may have different minds and different methods, but usually the two share a similar goal. Sometimes it’s good to have a little Hyde to your Jekyll.

Drive: Dominion

Hosts can recover a Bone by allowing the Inhabitant to take over their body. The player remains in control of the character but is expected to role-play as the Inhabitant instead of the Host. This lasts for at least a scene, with the Host regaining control on a successful WIL resistance check which may be made at the start of any following scene. If you roll a Double Failure, the Inhabitant remains in control until they rest for at least a few hours. Additionally, the Guide may use the Inhabitant in the narrative to cause conflict and distract the Host, but in doing so must give the player a Bone.

When creating a Host, the player should list two pairs of conflicting personality aspects – one side representing the Host, the other representing the Inhabitant. Some examples:

• Timid / Assertive

• Altruistic / Selfish

• Spontaneous / Methodical

• Thoughtful / Crass

• Candid / Covert

• Kind / Cruel

• Pragmatic / Idealistic

• Honourable / Deceitful

• Brave / Cowardly

Example: Annie is creating a Host, and decides she wants to struggle with opposing morals (like Jekyll and Hyde). She writes on her sheet: The Host is Kind and Thoughtful; The Inhabitant is Cruel and Crass.

Lucas, meanwhile, is developing a Host that is more about internal polarity in their personality than good vs bad. After some musing, they write down: The Host is Methodical and Timid; The Inhabitant is Assertive and Spontaneous.

THE RAVENOUS

One vampire craves blood, another feeds off the sadness of others. A zombie and a lycanthrope hunger for flesh. The psychonaut next door does his best magic while high as a kite. Ravenous are those whose powers are fuelled by a bizarre metaphysical compulsion that is beyond simple hunger