QS 01

Satanas
Hellborn
descended

© 2024 Studio Hex. All Right’s Reserved.

 Intro X
Future of Hell
So, you may be asking yourselves, “the fuck is this, I was Many of them own corporations, lead cults, influence mil-
expecting a big ass book full of lore?”. Don’t worry, that is lions, or are simply respected (and feared) due to their age
coming, eventually. Our main problem in making Hellborn and malefic potential.
Descended, and Hellborn is general, is that we lacked direc-
tion. At every corner, we were unsure of what we wanted to What are you?
do, and in the end, we made a game without clear direction You are what’s known as a Freeagent, an infernal merce-
that had twenty different ideas mish-mashed into one. nary who, alongside other agents, works for more powerful
After our brief hiatus, we took some time to consider what demons, doing their bidding and dirty work in exchange for
we wanted to do with Hellborn and how we’d like to do it. wealth and favors.
This document is our first step into creating the final (well,
probably final) version of Hellborn. Themes
This “Quickstart” is essentially Hellborn lite, a barebones The world of Hellborn is a vast and expansive one, span-
version containing very surface-level lore and limited rules, ning millennia and involving dozens of figures from both
that we plan to use to test new mechanics and concepts the Heavens above and the Hells below. However, Hellborn
before we take them and put them to proper print with the as a game focuses primarily on the latter part of the afterlife,
Core Tome (aka the Core Rulebook). the darker and infernal one.
In summary, this is a simple, pick-up-and-play version of The Modern Hell is, at its core, a dark version of our
Hellborn that is primarily used to test out the new shit we world, the Mortal Realm, where all of mankind’s worst
came up with. No, this does not represent the quality of the aspects and modern society’s greatest flaws come to life and
final product, nor will the writing be of the same size. This are worsened tenfold. It’s a world where evil and chaos are
is supposed to be short and sweet, and probably very shitty. rampant, where crime and death are at every corner. Yet,
So, without further ado, welcome to the Hellborn Descended people survive and fight, and dream of greener pastures.
Quickstart. They dream of glories and goals that, in their mortal days,
they could never have achieved. Death was only the begin-
What is this? ning for them. This is their second chance.
Hellborn is a role-playing game, set in a version of Hell Hellborn is a game of sin and second chances, where play-
not too different from our broken world, and where players ers must strive to survive and navigate the complex webs of
take the role of infernal mercenaries: demons, sinners, and infernal intrigue and politics. They will often come face to
fallen angels that have taken up arms in pursuit of glory, face with powerful figures, strike deals, and backstab their
wealth, and power, or perhaps an honorable death. way to the top, or die trying. It’s a violent, and sometimes
miserable life, but remember, it’s better to reign in Hell than
Where are you? to serve in Heaven.
As the name suggests, Hellborn takes place in the land
of the sinful dead, Hell, where all killers, criminals, liars, The Seven Rings
deceivers, and heretics go after their mortal coils eventually Hell is split into seven continent-sized islands, called
expire. rings, each ring being associated with a different sin.
However, Hellborn’s Hell is quite different. Instead of seas
The Ring of Envy, a tropical archipelago that’s host to the
of boiling water and basalt fortresses where rotten souls are
fish-like demons of Leviathan, the Levinites, the flesh-shap-
tortured forever, there are concrete and glass buildings and
ing grotesques, the Arkyles, and the secret collecting fiends,
vast networks of asphalt roads. It’s a hellscape much like
the Orakli. Its capital, known as Leviathan’s Hollow, or sim-
our own in more than just appearance. Centuries of mortal
ply, the Hollow, is a haven for piracy and crime.
influence have changed the underworld and shaped it into a
Envy - Jealousy or resentment towards others’ success or
dark reflection of the world of the living.
possessions.
What is going on? Τhe Ring of Gluttony, a hazardous land that’s in a con-
The Modern Hell, as its denizens call it, is a breeding stant death of decay and rebirth. On the coasts of the ring
ground for treachery and contempt. The strong wage lies the city of Ekron, the once shining jewel of Gluttony,
2 silent wars against each other, fighting for informa- now a city tainted by corporate war and intrigue. The
tion, power, and status. demons of Gluttony, the Carrion and the Empusa, are two
 sides of the same coin, one representing decay and The Ring of Pride, the former Ring of Despair, and home
X rot, and the other life and rebirth. of the Fallen Angels, as well as their sanctuary, New Dawn,
Gluttony - Overindulgence or overconsumption of also known as Nuova Aurora. The Pride Ring might be one
food or drink. of Hell’s most beautiful and orderly places, but one where
infernal law cannot easily be broken.
The Ring of Greed, an arid, empty landscape that was
Pride - Excessive belief in one’s abilities or qualities; it is often
and still is the infernal center of commerce, with the city
considered the root of all other sins.
of Illaros and its dark underbelly, the Hanged Man’s End,
being the home of many corporations and their workforce,
The Ring of Wrath, a gigantic wasteland filled with moun-
as well as the ones whose lives they’ve ruined. The demons
tains, canyons, and volcanoes. Due to the hostile landscape,
of Greed, the Imps, are notorious for their incredible wealth
the people of the Wrath Ring live in deep, underground
and diplomatic skills, but also their unusually short stature
bunkers called Hebrons, with the main one being Hebron
for demons.
Alpha. The Balerkin are the only natives of the Wrath Ring,
Greed - Excessive desire for material wealth or possessions.
and were born from the blood of Satan and of a huge
fire-breathing wyrm, Baler.
The Ring of Lust, also known as the Free Ring of Lust, is
Wrath - Intense and uncontrolled anger or hatred.
essentially a megacity covered top to bottom in neon and
smog, where beauty and sex reign supreme—the city of Sod-
omorrah. The native species of the Lust Ring, the Concubi,
are masters of emotional manipulation and love, especially
all its twisted aspects.
Lust - Excessive desire for sexual gratification.
The Ring of Sloth, a frozen hellscape where nothing
outside the walls of Moroz can live in. The city itself needs
to be constantly heated by towering heaters, the Prometheus
Towers for its citizens to not freeze to death. Only one
species traces its origins back to the Sloth Ring, the Drakith,
whose psychic powers have transformed and developed into
an entirely new power: technomancy.
Sloth - Laziness, avoidance of work or duty.

3
 Tohri X
There is one language that the Tohri speak most fluently The Malefica of the Tohri is Vinculum. Vinculum
above all others: Lies. Little white lies. Lies sweet and tender. allows whoever possesses it to control the mind of any
Lies too outrageous to be false. They are master manip- other denizen. It's a powerful tool for many social engineers
ulators and diplomats who have managed to survive by and professional manipulators, allowing them to bend even
coercing, deceiving, and intimidating other denizens to do the strongest of wills. From making others spasm uncon-
their bidding. They have mastered the art of conning people trollably and using their body like a marionette, to possess-
of their money, respect, honor, power, love, and even their ing and even forcing them to end their lives with a verbal
lives. While not as physically imposing as other demons, command.
their strength lies in their cunning and silver tongue.
The appearance of the Tohri is similar to
They, alongside the Balerkin, were some of the first de- the Balerkin in some regard, with red skin
mon species to ever walk Hell's lands. Unlike many of the and large horns. Their facial features,
demons that roam the Dark Realms, the Tohri manifested alongside their characteristic size and
into Hell as a result of the first acts of the avarice of the posture, are what make them stand out
Mortals. Through the greed of both kings and criminals, from the crowd. They possess very angu-
the Tohri began to spread like wildfire, earning the title of lar and pointy features, with long noses,
the “Wave of Razors”, swiftly taking over large pointy ears, and a pair of miniature
the Greed Ring. Under the rule of the horns sprouting from their jaw, at most
treacherous Mammon and hard- reaching 4 centimeters in length. Nat-
ened by the industrial and ar- urally, their short stature is a source of
chitectural mind of Mulciber, a ridicule by many of the taller species in
powerful demon famous for his Hell. “Mini-Balerkin”, "Kneeless", and
advanced architectural knowledge "Leg Biters" are some of the many insults
and covetousness, they became that Tohri hear every day. Thus, many
the greatest deceivers, thieves, Tohri conceal their appearance by
and diplomats reality has ever covering their skin with heavy
seen. With the arrival of clothes and concealing their
Yeshua and the conse- faces with masks, or mak-
quences of the Afterlife ing themselves appear
War, their Cardinal Arch- different through physical
demon was driven mad alterations using Carnes,
by the decimation of his tattoos, and scarification.
allies, and the Tohri en-
tered a cultural dark age. Tohri Names. Abreth, Akatohr, Asrap,
Nobody cared to work Irutohr, Linatohr, Maverel, Miravern,
with them or believe any- Misrep, Nivlen, Sev, Sharan, Zagatohr.
thing they said; they were
always met with suspicion
wherever they went. With the
relatively recent explosion of
the sinner population and Hell’s
technological revolution bringing
rise to many infernal corpora-
tions, they experi-
enced a new golden
age. Their Malefica
and natural affinity for
manipulation allowed
them to climb corporate
ranks faster than anyone else
in Hell and keep dozens, if not
4 hundreds, of work slaves on a
tight mental leash.
X Empusa
Rot and decay are major aspects of the sin of Glut- Their Malefica, Vita, allows them to control the forces
tony. Food and living matter rots, while objects and of life and death as well as decay and restoration. They can
materials decay. This decay calls to swarms of flies which command their own and other's body to become stronger,
quickly feed and breed. These “flies” are quite literal in faster, and more vigorous, and control objects and creatures
Hell and are known as the Empusa. They are known as the organic and inorganic, forcing them to crumble down and
Swarms of Beelzebub, as they bring decay and rot, but also putrefy in the blink of an eye, or rejuvenate and appear
change and progress wherever they go. They are Beelzebub’s brand new.
agents of chaos, stagnation, and change incarnate.
The Empusa resemble humanoid bugs, sharing the
They say that Beelzebub him- features and characteristics of wasps, flies,
self made the Empusa from the and beetles. They stand at around
flies that lived inside his body. two and a half meters, with
They took the form of a human the average height being 235
with the features of a fly. Beelze- centimeters. They are quite
bub bestowed on them the gift of light, being about 50 kilograms
being able to decay or rejuvenate in weight. They possess a pair of
things they touch. They wander large, fly-like wings that retract
the land acting as Beelzebub’s and protrude whenever they
eyes and hands, and in some desire. They possess both an
cases as his mouth and his exoskeleton and endoskele-
blade. Many Empusa uphold ton, making them much more
this title to this day, being durable, but much easier to
Knights Errant of Beelzebub. cripple. A good hit can pierce
After the Treaty of Pande- their exoskeleton and shatter
monium, many of them their endoskeleton. Empusa also
left the Gluttony Ring, have ant-like heads, with smaller
choosing to live a no- eyes and a pair of antennae that
madic life and forming help them hear normally inaudible
groups that they called frequencies and also communicate
“Hives”. with other Empusa. Their exoskeleton has a
brownish-green color, which they usually paint,
As freeagents, the Empusa adding intricate designs and bright colors to
are surprisingly effective enforcers stand out from other Empusa.
and assassins, using their powers of
rejuvenation to empower themselves Empusa Names. (Traditional) Albe'nan, Ash'nen,
during battle and their natural talents Mora'lak, Varan, Dee'van, Dee'rem, Kar'han,
to their advantage. Around the end of Let'Ker. (Modern) Acrida, Entomo, Kunupi,
the Decimation, the Empusa were split Mamun, Melysa, Myga, Myrmigi, Scahari,
into two "kinds". Traditionalist Empu- Sphika, Skuliki.
sas that remained faithful to Beelzebub
and kept being his loyal
eyes, arms, and mouth
in the modern world,
and Modern Empusa that
have abandoned their old
way of life to live a freer,
and usually better life. These two
kinds partake in various ideo-
logical battles, and rarely find
common ground in arguments
and heated conversations, the
latter usually resulting in vio-
lence and bloodshed.
5
 Concubi X
Most creatures in this world go through life without con- pink, and violet, with tall, slender horns with subtle
cerning themselves with more than just survival. Humans curvature. Each Concubus also releases unique per-
are different, evolving past simple survival instincts and fume-like pheromones, with the scent changing based on
choosing to live their lives as they see fit. Most humans live their personality and sensibilities. High-ranking Concubi
their lives based on the whims of their own emotions, and often adorn their horns with jewelry or intricate patterns of
the Concubi are a dark reflection of the strongest emotions painted sigils. The Concubi are also among the most pious
of humanity. Of all of the emotions expressed by humanity, of demons, taking immense care and pride in the carnal rit-
Lust is among the most powerful, and it’s easily the most uals they perform; usually as a method of worship to Lilith,
corrupting. Lust represents more than just sexual desires; revered as a Goddess by the Concubi.
every intimate feeling, every excess, every moan, and every
hushed whisper. More than anything else, Humanity is Concubi Names. (Feminine) Alexia, Brizzette, Mirivenne,
consumed by Lust. Narevee, Rallevine, Salea, Sharax, Taleeya, Tiverea.
(Masculine) Andreus, Alabast, Darvan, Ghollin, Jhaffan,
The origins of the Concubi trace back to the first Sinner Oxie, Rifenval, Varun, Vaxio. Human, floral, and regal
to walk the hellish landscape: their progenitor and mother names are also very common amongst Concubi.
Lilith. With the aid of Asmodeus, one of Lucifer’s close allies
during the Afterlife War and now the Archdemon of Lust,
she laid the foundations of the Lilim, who were once meant
to be a perversion of the children of Adam and Eve. Desire,
Jealousy, Pain, and Pleasure are the emotions which the
Lilim derived their power from. The first Lilim longed for
purpose but were compelled by an unceasing desire to
breed. Over time, they realized that they had a purpose
beyond reproduction; that they could feed on the strong
emotions of others. Their primary source of sustenance is
the emotions of those around them, with human emotions
being a particularly filling meal. Throughout history, they
have used this to their advantage, wrapping entire harems of
unlucky men and women around their fingers and drain-
ing them of their most powerful emotions, satiating their
near-endless hunger. Now calling themselves the Concubi,
these creatures of the night still pursue the corruption of the
children of Adam, a corruption once born from a deeply
rooted jealousy.

Being beings of raw emotion, the Concubi utilize the

Adfectus Malefica. Adfectus allows a Concubus to reach out
and touch the minds of others, influencing and changing
them however the Concubus sees fit. Starting as a subtle,
beguiling influence on the feelings of others, Adfectus can
blossom into utter domination of the psyche. Concubi can
create feelings like love, dread, pleasure, or complete and ut-
ter despair in the minds of other creatures, and with enough
practice, do so entirely unnoticed.

The Concubi are physically weaker than most other de-

mons, usually preferring to take the diplomatic route rather
than relying on brute strength and prowess. The Concubi
are of average human stature, though can change their
appearance however they see fit. Most of them appear as
whatever they believe is most attractive to themselves,
but they may change according to the preferences of
6 others. The Concubi usually come in shades of red,
X Balerkin
It should come as no surprise that Hell is compli- agent work, the chance at a better life, a wrong that needs to
cated. As the passage of time left its mark on both the be corrected. Most of them do not return to the Wrath Ring,
Mortal and Spirit Realms, evolution followed suit. Strong- either renouncing their ways or meeting their demise far
holds were demolished to make room for military bases, from home. This keeps them at odds with the other species
witches and emperors became scientists and presidents, and of Demons, who perceive the Kin as secluded brutes. Such a
folk heroes of the past became the celebrities of the present, prejudice is only fueled by the Wrath demons being natural-
yet as the world fell and rose time and time again, wrath ly prone to violence and hatred, most of the time channeled
persisted. Wrath is god, Satan is its avatar, and the Balerkin through inflicting damage and harm to anyone unlucky to
are her champions. stand in their way.

Though advancing with the ages in brutal warfare, the The Balerkin design is a testament to their creators and
Balerkin are as relentless and malicious as the day they first their pyromantic capabilities. As such, the common Boon of
drew breath. The tale of the Balerkin is the tale of Hell, from the species is Ignis, the Boon of Fire. What started as a tool
exasperated angels to horrifying monsters. The first Balerkin for the Kin to better master the talent of smithing became
arose from the soils of Ira when the newly anointed Arch- a reliable and versatile weapon. Balerkin anatomy, more
demoness Satan struck down Baler, the Horror that ruled volcanic than organic, allows them to channel their inner
these lands. Its cursed blood that met the ground boiled and heat, smoldering and spiteful, and manifest it as they see
bubbled, and from the soil emerged the Kin. In their infan- fit, either to tend to the flames of the forge or to burn down
cy, their forms were crude and unrefined. Satan took notice a group of enemies to a crisp. Comparisons to smithing
of their potential, even as metallic incandescent slugs, and tools are all too common to the Kin, for the Kin that has
gave them shape in a process not unlike earthly black- full control of their boon is a master of their form: they are
smithing. It is said that from that moment, the clueless Kin ever-burning flame.
became talented craftsmen, following the example of their
Speaking of their anatomy, the Balerkin are a curious type
Forgemaster. Hearty warriors and skilled artisans alike,
of demon, even among the more exotic species of demons.
the Kin made themselves known and feared even beyond
Due to their origins, the Kin are equal parts metal, min-
Wrath. This led to daring Demons challenging the might of
eral and flesh. Their body is covered with volcanic rocks,
the Irate, yet returning to their brethren with resounding
making them much more durable. Due to this, the Kin
failure. Time and time again, Satan and her apprentices
resort to using metals and gear associated with the forge as
were victorious, marking their names in Hell legend.
defining features: rebar as strands of hair, clothing made
The Balerkin knew defeat one time only, when Lucifer
of dune horror leather, protective goggles to conceal the
and his Fallen Angels imprisoned Satan, making an exam-
burning pits that make up their eyes. Though not as ethereal
ple of her to the other rulers of Hell. Bringing great shame
as the Concubi or as disturbing as the Empusa, one could
and anger to Ira, the Balerkin vowed never to show weak-
argue the Kin’s crude and brutal forms are as terrible as they
ness again and push beyond their boundaries. No more
come, as most of them stand at 2 meters tall on average and
humiliation, only hatred in their minds and vengeance in
have a bulky constitution.
their souls. This grudge, left to fester for millennia, made
the Balerkin isolate themselves from the rest of Hell, either Balerkin Names. Agrent, Attrin, Batha, Bikan, Baukan, Dra-
chasing a nomadic life and pursuing violence at every step, cont, Garnus, Keragan, Laant, Magnath, Manhan, Nithion,
or closing themselves in their Hebrons to work in peace and Ourhan, Sanatan, Stanat, Stugra, Wyrha.
live normal lives, or as normals as it can be for their kind.

Regarding social aspects, the Balerkin are an odd bunch.

They are traditionally some of the more known demons Author’s note.
in both Hell and Earth, as the iconic red humanoids with This section might be shortened in the future to make
horns, tails and pitchforks. In Hell however, they are quite room for proper art for the Balerkin.
an uncommon sight in the Rings that are not Wrath.
Though nomadic, Kin operations are mostly reserved to
mainland operations, ranging from petty squabbles to wars
between Hebrons. This does not mean that the Balerkin do
not leave their Ring, only that they do it under specific cir-
cumstances. In Irate circles, this is known as the Warpath: a
Kin or a group of them leave their Hebrons behind in pur-
suit of a goal to be accomplished in the other Rings. Free-
7
 Sinners X
Sinners are perhaps the most diverse, yet troubled species scratch? After all, your previous life does not matter
in Hell. Once human, the sinners came to be shortly after in the grand scheme.
the creation of mankind. In the early days, they were prey
for bestial demons. Sinners were sport, food, and enter- Sinners always look human with a few key differences,
tainment. They could not survive or compete with Hell’s these being simple-shaped horns. The rest depend on their
demonic legions who were all too ready to eat them, turn Sin, such as the color of one’s skin, hair, eyes, tails, etc.
them into slaves, or torture them for all of their miserable Other than their infernal features, Sinners are also reborn
afterlives. However, as demons and humans became more with various scars and deformities related to their past lives.
intelligent with the passage of time, and with Lucifer’s unifi- Some are born with holes in their bodies, burn marks across
cation of Hell, a symbiosis was reached. their backs, or even missing limbs. However, regardless of
the nature of their death, these injuries are merely superfi-
Hundreds of fledgling Sinners arrive in Hell every day, cial, and many can be remedied with rudimentary prosthet-
though not many survive past the first year. Some kill ics or malefic regeneration. Those who perished from old
themselves, hating their new form and treacherous new age retain their elderly looks but lack the frailty that their
home. Many are afraid, dreading the horrors that they may body once possessed.
encounter in their new life. Others, however, think of this
as an opportunity. They grasp this feeling of wanderlust, Sinner Names. Sinners follow the same naming conventions
not wasting this second chance at a freer life to do whatever that normal humans do. Most keep the name they had
they want to do and be whatever they want to be, no longer while they were alive. However, a decent amount of Sinners
restrained by the morals of human society or the limitations choose to abandon their old name, and adopt a new one.
of civilization. Few are fortunate enough to have believed
in and sought out Hell earlier in their life, which often
piques the interest of powerful demons looking for aspiring
apprentices and promising proteges. Some even make deals
before they die, giving up anything in exchange for a more
comfortable and safer life once they come to Hell.

As to what they do with this second chance, it’s not a

straightforward answer. Many face a fork in their path.
Their options are twofold: to live a simple, boring life again
or to live on the edge, rubbing shoulders with death and
chasing danger, risk, fame, and fortune. Being a Freeagent,
doing corporate work, law-keeping, beast hunting, and
bounty hunting are some examples of such risky life paths.
It’s not uncommon for Sinners to pursue a way of afterlife
that does not pose a threat to their afterlives, such as ritual-
istic work, doctoring, alchemy, shopkeeping, barkeeping, or
owning hotels and other centers of entertainment, though
every occupation has its risks. The possibility of an armed
assailant trying to blow your brains off just cause is the same
if you work as a Lawkeeper or as an owner of a small pub.

Then comes the matter of faith and identity. All Sinners

were, at some point in their lives, followers of Yahweh and
Yeshua. It matters not if they have long since then re-
nounced their faith in God, if they sinned while they were
faithful to him, they will end up in Hell. Sinners often expe-
rience a crisis of faith once they arrive in Hell if they were
followers of the divine in their prior lives. Some abandon
their old faith and choose to follow the seven Archdemons
as religious figures, and others abandon the concept
of religion entirely. Identity on another hand is sim-
8 ple: Why not pick up a new identity and start from
 The Powers that Be Agents and Cabals
X Multiple diabolical groups run the Modern Hell, In the modern age, where waging wars and committing
each influencing its politics and people in different senseless murders, while not outlawed or taboo, can be
ways, and having different amounts of power. equal parts difficult and time-consuming, many powerful
Royals. While nobility and aristocracy are not as powerful individuals with schemes on their minds and money in
as they once were, in Hell, they are still the governing force their hands hire Freeagents, or Agents, as they are more
of Hell, with the Stygian Court ruling every corner of Hell commonly known. They are essentially mercenaries, un-
(minus the Lust Ring), and other noble organizations, such dertaking jobs for auspicious clients, should they find the
as the Lawkeepers and the Ars Goetia, influencing other reward worthwhile.
parts of Hell. Agents more often than not work in groups, alongside
Cults. Faith in Yahweh and the divine not only is forbid- other agents, so that they can undertake more difficult jobs
den, but it’s also extremely rare. However, in Hell, brand and ensure that they come out alive, most of the time. Such
new faiths have been born, most of them revolving around groups are known as Cabals
the Cardinal Archdemons. Some even worship the long- Each Cabal operates differently and has different motives,
dead Archdemon of Despair, Abaddon. Some minor faiths goals, or agendas. Some might only work for a particular
also exist, with slight deviations or alterations in the way corporation since they provide them with prestigious hous-
they operate or proclaim their faith to the Cardinals. A lot ing and a steady supply of equipment, while others might
of these cults are run by influential and powerful individu- lack such loyalty, and instead work for whoever offers them
als, with deep ties to the Cardinals. the most money.
Corporations. A more recent figure of authority, corpo-
rations began to appear around the early beginning of the
mortal industrial revolution, and have taken Hell by the
reins, being some of the most powerful entities in the Mod-
ern Hell, as they can dictate the way of life for millions of
denizens, and also usually have a strong military presence.
This, conversely, makes their owners equally as powerful,
as they can use their wealth and assets to do pretty much
anything they want.
Outlaws. While an “official” authority figure, many power-
ful criminals and vagabonds, using terror and force, manage
to assert their dominance over the weak and impoverished.
The term “criminal” is very loose in Hell, but it is mostly
used to describe someone who frequently does things that
would get them arrested in the mortal realm.

9
 Chapter I I
Vessels of Darkness
As the name suggests, this chapter focuses on character Species Bonus Trait Malefica
creation. However, do not be deceived. You are not simply
Sinner +1 to Any - Any
making another no-name pawn for a game, you are making
a person that you assume the identity of. Your character, Balerkin +1 to Flesh Fireblood Species
and the characters of your friends who you’ll be playing the Tohri +1 to Mind Appraisal Species
game with are all living, breathing people who inhabit the Concubi +1 to Heart Mirror Species
hellish world of Hellborn. Empusa +1 to Skin Exoskeleton Species
Creating a Character Fireblood - You have resistance against fire damage. More-
Every player character, or PC for short, is composed of over, due to their origins, Balerkin are tougher than most
five distinct things: their Species, their Tarot, their Path, demons, having a +4 Max Trauma.
their Malefica, and their Equipment. Appraisal - Imps are great at determining the price of
A character’s Species determines what kind of demon, something, or the wealth of someone. By studying a person
fallen, or other infernal being they are, each species coming or object for a few seconds, they can determine its worth in
with a bonus to an attribute, a trait unique to that species, Limbos, or how rich that person is.
and giving them access to a Malefica. Mirror - Concubi can sense the emotional resonances
A character’s Tarot shapes their personality. Each char- of nearby people by attuning to that emotion. When you
acter possesses two tarot cards, one representing their attune to an emotion, you can sense people who feel that
positive aspects (Upright), and one their negative aspects emotion, but your appearance slightly alters, reflection the
(Reversed). motion that you are currently attuned to, such as having wa-
A character’s Path grants them access to a few select perks tery eyes while being attuned to sadness, or a pulsing vein
that gives them special actions and abilities, which makes in the side of your head if you are attuned to anger.
them stand out from the rest of their cabal members and Exoskeleton - Empusa have tough, bug-like exoskeletons,
defines their role in the cabal. making them tougher while not jeopardizing their mobility.
A character’s Malefica is their source of infernal power, You have advantage to your Defense. Moreover, you can
granting them access to mystical abilities that they can use fly using a pair of paraneopteran wings. The speed of your
in a variety of situations. flight is equal to your movement.
A character’s Equipment is, of course, all the gear, weap-
ons, ammunition, and armor they are equipped with.
Role
To make a character, you must follow these steps: Following the character’s species, the next step is deter-
Step I - Choose the character’s species. mining the character’s role. Their role determines what they
Step II - Determine the character’s attributes and their de- are best capable of doing, and what their position in the
rived characteristics. Cabal is. One character’s role might make them best suited
Step III - Determine the character’s Tarot. for close-quarters combat, while the other might be better
Step IV - Choose the character’s Path ands their perks. at being the brains of the operation. Similarly to the species,
Step V - Choose the character’s Malefica ands their powers. only some of the Roles will be available to players in the
Step VI - Gain equipment based on your Path. Quickstart version. Those being:
Step VII - Flesh out the character’s personality and backsto- Role What is it good at?
ry by figuring out the character’s past, and, of course, give
Blade Melee combat with weapons big and small.
them a name.
Gunner Ranged combat with all kinds of firearms.
Species Malefic Sorcery and the effectively using Maleficas.
The first step to creating a character for Hellborn is figur- Mastermind Tactics, planning, and outsmarting others.
ing out their species. In this quickstart version of Hellborn, Wretch Thievery, streetsmarts, and sabotage.
only five of the 13 total, those being Sinners, Balerkin, Imps,
Concubi, and Empusa. Each species gives the char- When you select a role, you must then pick two 1st Level
acter a bonus to one stat, a unique ability related to Perks and one 2nd Level Perk from your selected Role’s list
10 their species, and access to a Malefica. of perks, detailed later in this chapter.
 Tarot Characteristics
I Moving on, after choosing the character’s role, Every character in Hellborn has five attributes, often re-
it’s time to pick their Tarot Card. Each character’s ferred to as stats, which determine how good an aspect of a
card represents many of their aspects, from the way character is, such as their intelligence, their hardiness, their
they behave to their past history. Each player must pick supernatural capability, etc.
two cards, one being their Upright card and the other their Flesh - the character’s strength, physical prowess, and
Reversed card, the former representing the character’s endurance. Favored by: Brutes, warriors, one-punch killers.
positive qualities and the latter their negative. The Upright Skin - the character’s agility, reflexes, and manual dexteri-
card grants them a bonus to a stat and a beneficial ability, ty. Favored by: Acrobats, street scum, freelance artillerists.
and the Reversed card a penalty to a stat, and a detrimental Heart - the character’s charisma, empathy, and ability to
effect that constantly plagues you. Only 10 of the original 22 communicate. Favored by: Con-artists, seductors, salesmen.
Major Arcana are part of the Quickstart. Mind - the character’s intelligence, wits, and ability to
Card Bonus/Penalty Trait perceive. Favored by: Corporate managers, sages, hackers.
Soul - the character’s spirit, infernal aura, and malefic
The Fool +1 to Any Journey
potential. Favored by: Infernal aristocracy, cultists, witches.
Reversed -1 to Any Recklessness Each of these attributes is rated from 1 to 6 but can go up
The Magician +1 to Soul Willpower to 12 for non-player characters, depending on their experi-
Reversed -1 to Heart Hubris ence, size, and myriad other factors.
The High Priestess +1 to Mind Intuition Score Description
Reversed -1 to Heart Secrecy 1 Incapable, bordering disability.
The Lovers +1 to Heart Union 2 Weak, struggles to do mundane things.
Reversed -1 to Mind Disconnect 3 Average, not good, but not bad either.
Strength +1 to Flesh Confidence 4 Above Average, a cut above most denizens.
Reversed -1 to Mind Struggle 5 Great, one of the best in Hell.
Justice +1 to Skin Fairness 6 Amazing, the peak of what denizens can achieve.
Reversed -1 to Heart Unforgiving In character creation, every player has two choices in how
Hermit +1 to Mind Wisdom they want to determine their character’s atributes: the Fast
Reversed -1 to Flesh Isolation Method and the Detailed Method.
Death +1 to Soul Change
The Fast Method
Reversed -1 to Skin Stagnation
Rather than calculating and allocating points across
The Devil +1 to Heart Desire all of the stats, you can simply choose one of five differ-
Reversed -1 to Flesh Addiction ent point arrays for their character. Simply pick one of
The World +1 to Any Lessons the rows below to determine each stat’s score.
Reversed -1 to Any Echoes Flesh Skin Heart Mind Soul
Maleficas 5 4 2 2 3
Each denizen of Hell has access to a mystical energy 4 5 2 2 2
called Darkness, which flows through their body and soul 2 3 5 4 2
and can be used to manifest various magical effects, the Ma- 2 2 3 5 4
leficas. Each species has innate knowledge over one of the
2 2 4 3 5
many Maleficas and knows some Powers from it. During
character creation, each player must pick two 1st Level Ma- The Detailed Method
lefica Powers and one 2nd Level Power from their species’ Contrary to the Fast Method, the Detailed method allows
Malefica. The available Maleficas are… you to carefully allocate your character’s scores for their
Malefica Domain stats. You get 10 points to allocate between all attributes,
Ignis Fire, Burning, Destruction each starting at 1, and going up to a 6. Note that only one
attribute can be at 6 during character creation. Afterwards,
Vita Life, Healing, Rejuvenation
other stats can go up to 6 using experience, rituals, and
Adfectus Emotions, Manipulation, Awe other power ups.
Vinculum Control, Domination, Deceit 11
 Derived Characteristics
The derived characteristics of a character are I
things such as their Trauma, Darkness, and so forth.
They are things that play a greater role during game-
play, more commonly combat.
Max Trauma = 30 + Flesh
Max Darkness = 6 + Soul
Base Defense = 7 + Skin/2 (Rounded Down) or Flesh/2
(Rounded Down)
Malefic DR = 10 + Soul
Movement = 5 + Skin/2 (Rounded Down)

Gear
When you create your character in Hellborn, you gain
one of five different packages of equipment, granting you
different gear and items that you can use. The package you
gain depends on your chosen path.
Blade’s Package
Choose from either a Longsword or a Battleaxe.
Choose between a Shortsword, a Tactical Baton,
or a Tactical Axe.
Choose between a piece of Light Armor, or
Heavy Armor.
Gain three daggers, two bandages, and another weapon
of your choice.
Gunner’s Package
Choose from either a Rifle or Shotgun of your choice.
Choose from either a Pistol, Submachine Gun, or a Rifle of
your choice.
Choose between a piece of Light Armor and a piece of
Medium Armor.
Gain an IDC Light Pistol, a pair of binoculars, two frag
grenades, plus 30 Light and Heavy Ammo.
Mastermind’s Package
Choose between an IDC Silenced Pistol or a dagger.
Choose two from the following: a pair of radio earpieces, a
mask, handcuffs, and a tincture of Sin Spice.
Gain a piece of Light Armor, two burner phones, a fake
soulmark, plus 20 Light Ammo.
Malefic’s Package
Choose between a Quarterstaff, or a Sickle.
Choose two from the following: a flashlight, a piece
of Light Armor, and three Vitality Vials.
Learn two rituals, gain the ingredients required
for one of them, and three Darkness Vials.
Wretch’s Package
Choose between a Tactical Baton, a Tactical
Axe, or a Dagger.
Choose between a Pistol, a Submachine Gun,
or another melee weapon.
Choose two from the following: a lockpicking
set, a piece of Light Armor, tinkering tools, a
grappling hook.
12 Gain 20 Light Ammo or 20 Heavy Ammo.
I

The Fool The Magician

“There’s always a new path if you’re brave “With the right tools and a little willpower, even the
enough to take the first step.” impossible becomes possible.”
Characters associated with The Fool are free spirits, Characters associated with The Magician are skilled and
embracing their new life in Hell with curiosity and an open confident, with a powerful ability to create change in their
heart, most of them being recently reborn Sinners or young environment. Their resourcefulness allows them to succeed
Demons. Their innocence and inexperience allows them where others may fail, driven by vision and purpose. Yet, in
to face the world without fear, making them resilient and the pursuit of greatness and to achieve their dreams, their
adaptable. However, their naivety can lead them into reck- confidence can easily become to arrogance, and may often
less situations, often being oblivious to the risks they take. result in them becoming manipulative or overly prideful.
Upright - Journey Reversed - Recklessness Upright - Willpower Reversed - Hubris
+1 to Any -1 to Any +1 to Soul -1 to Heart
The Fool’s Journey is one The Fool, as their name sug- Magician knows that his The Magician’s talents are
paved with many challeng- gests, is as foolish as it gets. way of thinking leads to immense, but so is their
es, which they will have to Once per mission when- success, even when every- tendency to overreach.
overcome. Once per mis- ever you are faced with an one and everything suggests Once per mission, when
sion, you may shed all sense obstacle that may require otherwise. Twice per mis- performing an action that
of reason and self-preser- finesse or being careful, the sion, you may reroll a failed relies heavily on skill, talent,
vation and attempt to do GM may suggest a more Test if there is an alternative or knowledge (such as con-
something extremely diffi- straightforward way of method to succeed at the ducting rituals, crafting, or
cult or risky, such as trying dealing with the problem thing they are trying to do manipulating people), the
to jump on an incoming at hand, which will surely that you have yet to try. GM may declare a moment
train, or try to throw a have consequences. Such a of hubris. This will cause
bomb before it explodes, course of action shouldn’t your attempt to fail dramat-
and succeed, without any be suicidal but should be ically, creating unintended
consequences or even a obviously dangerous. You consequences that compli-
scratch on your skin. may ignore this suggestion, cate the situation further.
but doing so grants you
disadvantage on future rolls
related to the same issue.
13
 I

The High Priestess The Lovers

“The truth lies in silence, “The heart knows paths
waiting for those who dare to listen.” the mind can never understand.”
Characters associated with The High Priestess are intui- Characters associated with The Lovers are passionate and
tive and mysterious, possessing great wisdom and intuition. driven by connection, often guided by strong values and
Their insights allow them to comprehend hidden truths and deep bonds. Their loyalty and devotion make them valuable
guide others, making them natural advisors or mentors. allies and friends, as they prioritize those they care about.
However, they may also be very secretive and distrusting, Though, they are prone to internal conflict, torn between
making it difficult for others to trust or connect with them heart and mind, and may struggle with their own sense of
fully. self or become overly dependent on others’ approval.
Upright - Intuition Reversed - Secrecy Upright - Union Reversed - Disconnect
+1 to Mind -1 to Heart +1 to Heart -1 to Mind
The High Priestess can tap The High Priestess hoards The Lovers are intimately The Lover’s loyalties can
into her subhuman self to secrets as if they were literal connected with the world become liabilities, making
acquire information about treasures, treasures only and the people in it and are them vulnerable to con-
the situation at hand, once you should know about. great at forging new bonds flicting emotions. Once
per mission. The GM must Twice per mission, when from nothing. Once per per mission, when in a
give you a solution to your you learn a secret or a piece mission, you can call upon high-stakes situation with
current problem. However, of info other’s don’t know a friend, a lover, or another people you care about, the
the solution must be either about, the GM may declare individual who can aid you GM may prompt you to act
cryptic or otherwise hard this secret to be valuable to temporarily. How this con- on behalf of one person’s
to decipher (it can come in you. Whenever you share nection came to be is not interests over another, even
the form of a riddle, a verse this secret, you gain disad- relevant, what is relevant ish if this divides the group or
from a poem, etc). vantage on all rolls for the undermines the objective.
remainder of the scene.

14
I

Strength The Hermit

“True power is gentle but unwavering—unbreakable in its “Knowledge is a lantern, best carried alone through the
quiet resolve.” darkness.”
Characters associated with Strength are strong of both Characters associated with The Hermit are intelligent and
heart, mind, and body, approaching challenges with con- introspective, seeking enlightenment through solitude. They
fidence and fearlessness. They are resilient, always pushing carry a unique wisdom from their time alone, often becom-
forward and fighting for what they want and believe in. ing guiding lights for others. However, their preference for
However, they can sometimes suppress their own needs solitude can lead to detachment or a reluctance to accept
for the sake of others or struggle to assert themselves when help, making them distant and disconnected from the peo-
necessary. In their pursuit to be strong and composed, they ple and the world around them.
may ignore their own limits, leading to burnout or frustra- Upright - Wisdom Reversed - Isolation
tion when they feel unappreciated.
+1 to Mind -1 to Flesh
Upright - Confidence Reversed - Burden The Hermit is a living The Hermit is a lone wolf at
+1 to Flesh -1 to Mind library, containing bound- heart, preferring to work by
Brimming with pow- In moments of great danger less information, which themselves and do things
er physical and mental, or challenge, Strength’s they can call upon in times on their own, and tends to
Strength can overcome resolve may push them to of great need. Once per hate crowds. During scenes
most obstacles in their way, stubbornly bear the bur- mission, you may learn one with many people present,
Once per mission, before den alone, even at personal piece of information, such the Hermit has disadvan-
you or an ally makes a roll, risk. You gain advantage on as the origin of a powerful tage on all Mind and Heart
you may add advantage to Group Tests when attempt- artifact, or the identity of Tests they make, unless they
the roll. This advantage is ing them alone. However, a mysterious individual. can isolate themselves or
doubled if the roll is used to if you accept the help of If the character could not stay out of sight.
overcome a great threat or allies, you may not add your realistically know that piece
challenge, such as killing a attribute score on the next of information, they may
giant beast, or freeing your- roll you make, nor on the instead get a hint related to
self from your restraints. Group Test. the information they seek.

15
 I

Justice Death
“Balance is not found in the blade “Every end brings the promise of something new—embrace
but in the hands that wield it.” the change.”
Characters associated with Justice are principled and fair, Characters associated with Death are marked by transfor-
seeking truth and balance in all things. They act as impar- mation, and have endured much hardship during their lives,
tial judges, aiming to right wrongs and live by a strict code. often gaining strength through adversity. However, they are
However, their commitment to fairness can make them rig- haunted by loss or regret, and their desire to leave the past
id, critical, or unforgiving, leading to struggles with empathy behind can lead them to avoid emotional growth or unre-
and leniency. solved pain.
Upright - Fairness Reversed - Unforgiving Upright - Change Reversed - Stagnation
+1 to Skin -1 to Heart +1 to Soul -1 to Skin
Justice’s sense of fairness Justice’s dedication to Death is willing to embrace Death’s past clings to them,
and clarity sharpens in fairness can cause them to change and new beginnings. resurfacing in moments of
difficult situations, allowing be critical, and sometimes Once per mission, when vulnerability. Once per mis-
them to see through lies harsh. Once per mission, you suffer a significant sion, when facing an intense
and discern the truth. Once when someone (including defeat (critically failing on reminder of your past (such
per mission, you can detect yourself) falls short of your a Test, becoming mortal, or as a familiar place, person,
when someone you are expectations or a moral suffering a great loss), you or traumatic memory), the
talking to lies, or accurate- standard, the GM may com- may “transform”, adapt- GM may compel you to
ly judge their intentions. pel you to pass judgment ing to your situation and hesitate or relive the past
Additionally, during social harshly, potentially creating becoming stronger, such as in some way, imposing
conflicts or when weighing a rift in relationships, or reducing incoming damage disadvantage for the rest of
difficult choices, you may causing problems for both or gaining advantage on the scene. If you choose to
receive a subtle hint from you and your cabal. You your next roll, depending ignore this compulsion, you
the GM, helping you make may resist this compulsion, on what triggered your instead become dazed for a
a just decision. but doing so will cause you transformation. few minutes for the remain-
to gain disadvantage on der of the scene, as memo-
all Tests for the rest of the ries cloud your focus.
scene.
16
I

The Devil The World

“Freedom is an illusion, and the chains that bind you are of “I’ve walked every path and carry each one within me.”
your own making.” Characters associated with The World embody fulfillment
Characters associated with The Devil are drawn to indul- and achievement, having reached the peak of their poten-
gence, power, and temptation, often exploring desires and tial. They are usually older and wiser, and thus capable of
impulses others avoid. They have a unique outlook in life, giving great lessons to the younger and less inexperienced.
and possess the freedom to live without fear of judgment. Yet, with this experience and age come scars and marks that
However, their darker inclinations can lead to obsession, frequently rear their ugly heads.
addiction, or a completely broken moral compass, leaving
Upright - Lessons Reversed - Echoes
them entangled in self-imposed chains. Their passion for
freedom and the extermes can push them to manipulate +1 to Any -1 to Any
others, or give in to excess. The World is more than The World’s sense of fulfill-
glad to share their insights ment sometimes blurs the
Upright - Desire Reversed - Addiction
and experience to someone present with echoes of the
+1 to Heart -1 to Mind in need. Once per ses- past. Once per mission, the
The Devil’s understanding The Devil’s connection sion, you can bestow your GM may invoke an “Echo”
of the darker aspects of to temptation can lead to knowledge to one of your where you see things from
life grants unique insights unhealthy obsessions or allies during an important the past. While in this state,
and strengths. Once per dependencies. Once per part in their journey, giving you must succeed on a
mission, you can tap into mission, when faced with a them advantage on the DR 14 Mind Test to avoid
your desires to grant you significant temptation (such next roll, and also granting acting on the past memory
the power to coerce another as a powerful artifact, luxu- them an additional point of (mistaking an ally for an
being to do what they most ry, or addictive substance), experience at the end of the enemy or responding with
desire, or make them do the GM may compel you to session. outdated information). If
what you most desire. give in to the urge. If you you fail, you act as if still in
resist, you gain disadvantage the memory; if you succeed,
on every roll until the end you can refocus, but disad-
of the scene. vantage on the next roll you
make.
17
 Blade
“My blade is stronger than your bullets.” I
There’s no denying that guns are efficient, but
they’re also delicate, expensive and take all the fun out
of fighting. Rather than relying on modern contrivances,
Blades favour the skilful use of melee weapons. Through
rigorous training both on and off the battlefield Blades
develop their own powerful, elegant style of combat and are
eager to test their skills against any who would challenge
them.

Level I
Adrenaline Rush
“Let’s get the blood pumping!”
Twice per mission, you can boost your physical capabilities,
becoming faster, stronger, and more alert. Until the start of
your next turn, you have advantage to both Flesh and Skin
rolls and have an additional Reaction.

Lunge
“Need to get closer!”
Twice per mission, when you make a melee attack, you
may increase its range by a number of meters equal to half
your movement. You can choose to move that distance
towards the target or remain stationary.

Swift Throw
“Think fast, idiot!”
You can throw thrown weapons and small objects using a
Swift Action, rather than an Action.

Weapon Mastery
“I can kill yo
You are an expert at using a specific type of weapon. You
gain +1 to all attacks you make with that weapon type and
an additional effect when you attack with that type of weap-
on.
Edged. Swords, daggers, axes. Whenever you critically
hit with an edged weapon, you can use the momentum
of your strike to hit an adjacent target, dealing half of the
attack’s damage to them.
Pointed. Spears, pikes, lances. While wielding a pointed
weapon, as long as you didn’t move the previous turn, you
have advantage to your Defense
Blunt. Clubs, maces, hammers. Whenever you critically
hit with a blunt weapon, they must make a DR10 Flesh Test
or fall prone.

Level II
Dual Wielder*
“Twice the firepower, twice as dangerous.”
18 Whenever you fight with two weapons, you can attack with
the other weapon as a Swift Action. Moreover, attacks with
 your off-hand weapon suffer no penalties. Gunner
I Cleave “Swords are for posers. Guns are for killers.”
“Time to hack off some limbs!” “Why put yourself in harm’s way when you can just use a
Whenever you attack with a non-light weapon and gun?” is a question that many ask. While certainly, weapons
kill a creature, any excess damage can be redirected onto an such as fists, bludgeons, and blades are good when going
adjacent creature, as long as the attack roll’s result would be into close-quarters combat, no one can deny the absolute
enough to hit them. efficiency of a gun. You are one to embrace this efficiency
and have the skills needed to be an effective gun-wielder.
Parry Most Gunners dedicate themselves to a specific category of
“Think you could hit me that easily, huh?” firearms, such as pistols and rifles, but some are good with
When you block while wielding a weapon, increase the all firearms regardless of size or calibre.
amount of damage you block by 2d6. If the weapon is heavy,
the bonus increases by 3d6. If the weapon (or weapons in Level I
the case of dual wielding) is light, the bonus decreases to a
3d6. Aim
“Patience is a virtue.”
Feel No Pain As a Full Action, you may aim using one of your ranged or
“This? Barely a scratch!” thrown weapons, granting the next attack you make with
You don’t fear death. Whenever your Mortality increases, the weapon advantage. This bonus does not apply to off-
roll a d6. On a 6, it does not increase. Moreover, you may hand weapons.
remain conscious while mortal.
Quickdraw
Level III “Fastest shot this side of Hell.”
At the start of combat, you may draw one of your weapons,
Dirty Blow* and make a non-automatic attack as a Reaction.
“Fuck ‘em up!”
Whenever you see an opportunity during combat, you seize Run and Gun
it. Twice per mission, when you attack a creature with one “Shoot me if you can, sucker!”
of the following ailments (blinded, burning, deafened, muted, Whenever you make a ranged attack with a non-heavy
shaken, winded, prone), the attack counts as a critical hit. weapon, you can move up to half your movement in any
direction, unless you are prone.
Reckless Assault
“I don’t have time for this.” Marksman
Twice per mission, until the end of your next turn, all melee “It only takes one bullet…”
or unarmed attacks you make are made with advantage. Whenever you attack with a two-handed ranged weapon, as
However, enemies have advantage when attacking you. long as you didn’t move the previous turn, your attack gains
advantage.
Riposte^
Prerequisite: Parry
Level II
“How rude! Have at thee!” Dual Wielder*
As a reaction, whenever you are hit with a melee or un- “Twice the firepower, twice as dangerous.”
armed attack while wielding a melee weapon, you may Whenever you fight with two weapons, you can attack with
strike back at your attacker. the other weapon as a Swift Action. Moreover, attacks with
your off-hand weapon suffer no penalties.
Bloodlust
“Until it is done…” Death’s Draw
Whenever you reduce another creature to less than half of “I am taking you all to the Void with me!”
its max Trauma, you may make an additional attack for free. Whenever your Mortality increases, you may make a ranged
This can only be done once per turn. attack with any weapon as a reaction.

19
Gun Tricks
“I am taking you all to the Void with me!” I
Your expertise with firearms has granted you the ability to
do powerful and amazing tricks whenever you fire, giving
your attacks special properties and effects. You must declare
which trick you are using before you make the shot, and can
use each trick once per mission.
Punchy Shot. The attack’s force manages to push the
target back 1d4+1 meters in the opposite direction.
Disarming Shot. Τhe target of the attack must
succeed on a DR 10 Skin Test or drop their current
weapon on an adjacent square.
Scatter Shot. The attack’s projectile breaks and it’s
fragments scatter, hitting everyone in a 3-meter cone,
but missing everyone else.
Brutal Shot. The attack manages to hit one of the
target’s vitals, causing them to start bleeding.
Suppressive Fire
“I’m afraid you aren’t going anywhere.”
As a Full Action, you may turn your next
ranged attack into suppressive fire. The attack
will do no damage (excluding damage from
critical hit effects), but for every 4 points of
damage it would normally deal, the target will gain
disadvantage to all their Tests until the beginning of
your next turn.

Level III
Dirty Blow*
“Fuck ‘em up!”
Whenever you see an opportunity during combat, you seize
it. Twice per mission, when you attack a creature with one
of the following ailments (blinded, burning, deafened, muted,
shaken, winded, prone), the attack counts as a critical hit.

Mid Air Shot

“Coins, birds, planes, you name it.”
When something is thrown at you or an ally you can see, as
a reaction, you may shoot the object out of the air. Make an
Attack Test whose DR is equal to the thrower’s Attack Test
result. If you succeed, you manage to shoot the object, caus-
ing it to either drop on the ground, or explode in the case of
explosives. You can do this once per mission.

Gun Control^
“Let burning lead flow like rain!”
Whenever you make an automatic shot, you may ignore the
recoil disadvantage on your Attack Test. However, you may
not increase your attack’s damage by any means.

20
 Ricochet
I “Six versus one...”
You know how to aim
your shots just right in
order to hit multiple tar-
gets. You may use this perk after
you’ve made a successful attack. When you
do so, flip a coin. If it lands on heads, the attack
ricochets and hits another creature within 5 meters
of the initial target, dealing half as much damage as the
original attack. The shot can ricochet a number of times in
a row equal to your Skin score. You can use this perk twice
per mission.

Malefic
“Don’t deceive yourself. I am not a mere witch, I am a master
of darkness, a thaumaturge, a wielder of vile power.”
Some use guns and blades to fight, while others use their
own body as a weapon. You, however, are special. You’ve
chosen to train yourself to use the gifts of the primordial
darkness better than anyone else. Malefics, as they are most
commonly known, are experts at drawing upon the strength
of their Boons and adapting these powers to overcome any
obstacle. Their infernal potential and unique skills strength-
en their dark essence, making their supernatural abilities
much more powerful.

Level I
Black Focus
“Without a focus, you are nothing buy a mere trickster.”
You have trained yourself to utilize a tool made to enhance
and empower one’s essence known as a focus. When you
acquire this perk, choose one of the following items to be-
come your focus: Amulet, Staff, Talisman, Grimoire, Wand.
Your focus cannot be destroyed by any means, but it can be
lost or stolen. While you hold or wear your focus, you gain
advantage on Malefica Maintenance Tests, Malefica Attack
Tests, and damage rolls of all your powers.

Famulus
“What’s a witch without her mystical pet?”
You have a demonic familiar that acts as an extension of
your infernal potential. Choose one of the following crea-
tures to become your familiar: Defiler Bird, Devil Siren,
Harrowing Owl, Hellhound, Impisk, Moroz Rat, Uriel Felid.
In combat, the familiar acts on the same initiative as you.
It can also use the Malefica Powers you know as long as it
is within 12 meters of you, but uses your Darkness to use
them. If the familiar dies, it will be resurrected at the end of
the mission.

21
Latent Potential Malefic’s Curse
“I feel it, the Darkness, flowing through me.” “You dare resist my witchcraft? What a fool you are!” I
The Darkness that runs through your veins is more potent Whenever a creature succeeds on one of your
than average. Your Max Darkness is doubled, as well as the power’s or ritual’s Malefica Resist Tests, you may curse
amount you restore when you rest. them with a debilitating spell, granting them a disadvantage
on all Malefica Resist Tests they make. At the start of their
Malform Malefica turn, they make a DR 14 Soul Test to try to remove the
“Her magic was different, unnatural, unique…” curse. Otherwise, the curse lasts for 24 hours.
When you use a Malefica Power that deals damage, you may
alter its properties, changing the type of damage it deals to Mysic Might
one of the following: cold, electric, fire. “My body is my focus.”
You have attuned your body and soul to work together.
Level II Whenever you make a Malefica Attack Test, you can use
your Flesh score instead of your Soul score. Additionally,
Blood Sacrifice rather than using your Soul score for your Malefica Resist
“A sanguine sacrifice in exchange for great power.” Tests, you can instead use your Flesh. Lastly, whenever you
When you use a Malefica Power, rather than paying its use a power that inflicts damage or heals other creatures,
Darkness cost, you may sacrifice some of your blood as a you can sacrifice 1d6 Trauma to increase the result of the
substitute, taking a number of d6’s worth of Trauma equal healing or damage roll by a number equal to twice of the
to the power’s cost. d6’s result.
All for One Superior Focus^
“Your powers are mine, all mine!” Prerequisite: Black Focus
Your expertise with the Malefic Arts have granted you the “Tools for order, or mayhem?”
ability to utilise the powers of the ones that are close to you. Your focus becomes even more powerful. Depending on
Twice per mission, you may use a Malefic Power that one of what type of focus you have, you gain a different bonus.
your allies knows. Amulet. The amulet allows you to use powers hands-
free, without needing to use any special gestures or free
Ritualist hands. Additionally, it allows you to use powers that rely on
“I dabble in a bit of occultism from time to time.” you being able to see, speak, or hear while being blinded,
When you acquire this perk, you learn two low rituals and muted, or deafened respectively.
one high ritual. Moreover, you have advantage on all Ritual Grimoire. The grimoire enhances your potential when
Tests. using rituals and maintaining powers. You gain advantage
to both Ritual Tests and Malefica Maintenace Tests.
Bonded Souls Staff. The staff can be used as a weapon, utilising the
“Our coven shall prosper!” statisics of a quarterstaff, and no longer counts as an impro-
You may mark a willing creature with your sigil. The vised weapon. Moreover, your Malefic DR increases by 2
marked creature can use your Darkness, and you can use while wielding the staff.
theirs. Moreover, while within 3 meters of each other, your Talisman. The talisman protects you from supernatural
Malefica Attack Tests gain advantage. Only one creature harm. Malefic Attack Tests made against you have disadvan-
may bear your mark at any point in time and can switch tage.
who bears your mark every 24 hours. Wand. The wand increases the range of every power you
use by 6 meters unless it has a range of self, sight, talking, or
Level III touch.

Advanced Malformation^
Prerequisite: Malform Malefica
“I am the paragon of the Malefical Arts!”
On top of being able to switch a power’s damage type, you
also gain the ability to make the damage of your powers
non-lethal. Additionally, you can alter a power’s damage
type to toxic and physical damage, on top of the ones
listed in Malform Malefica.
22
 Mastermind Leader’s Command
I “I won’t settle for anything less than perfect.” “Just follow my lead, I know what I am doing.”
There are some foolish enough to think that they Twice per mission, you can issue an order to your cabal,
don’t need a plan to succeed. You, however, don’t such as “Attack this guy!” or “Floor it!”. If they follow your
subscribe to that school of thought. You are always one step order on their turn, and it requires them to make a Test,
ahead, having every minute detail and possibility taken into they roll with advantage. You cannot use this perk while you
account. You have eyes and ears everywhere. Some would are unconscious or otherwise mentally impaired.
call you overly cautious, but you call yourself a Mastermind.
The Mastermind path focuses on tactics, deception, and Level II
other leader-like feats.
Tactician
“You are a herd without a shepherd. I can fix that.
Level I You have learned and developed a variety of tactics which
Backup Plan you use to your and your allies’ advantage. At the start of ev-
ery mission, pick two tactics to be active until the mission’s
“Alright team, time for plan B”
conclusion. You can switch an active tactic once during the
When things go south, you always know how to bounce
mission.
back. After you or an ally fails a Test, you can grant them
Combat Awareness. At the start of every combat en-
advantage on the next Test they make. You can use this perk
counter, the entire cabal gains a bonus on their Initiative
once per mission.
rolls equal to your Mind score.
Dauntless Retain Momentum. Once per combat encounter, when-
“You? You are just some street dreg, you don’t scare me.” ever an ally fails on an Attack Test, you can force them to
You are a tough nut to crack. Whenever you gain the shaken reroll, potentially turning a miss into a hit. However, they
ailment, you may immediately remove it. You can use this must use the new result, regardless of if it’s better or not.
perk twice per mission. Tactical Positioning. At the start of every combat en-
counter, before initiative is rolled, you and all your allies can
Insight use the move action to position yourselves.
“The master always knows more than the apprentice.” Firing Line. Once per combat encounter, you
You know what to look for, and when to look for it. When may command your cabal to fire at the same tar-
you use this perk, the GM must secretly inform you of one get. Until the start of your next turn, ranged
detail about the current situation, such as what people attacks made against the chosen target and all
are doing in the background, or potential escape routes. creatures adjacent to them gain advantage to
Alternatively, if there are no relevant details that the both their Attack Test and their damage roll.
GM can provide, you gain ad- Back to Back. Once per combat en-
vantage for the rest of the counter, you may inspire your cabal to fight
scene instead. You may together. Until the start of your next turn,
use this perk twice per while adjacent to an ally, you gain advan-
mission. tage to your melee Attack Tests.
Twenty Four Eyes I Know a Guy
“Nothing ever escapes my eyes and ears.” “I’ll call up a friend of mine. He is a pro.” I
Your reflexes and senses are sharper than most. You may You can attempt to callup on a contact you have to
never be at the bottom of the initiative tracker. If you’d ever try to lend you a hand or get something from them.
get the lowest initiative, you’d instead be second to last. Give your contact a name, a profession, and a quick sum-
mary of how they can help. When you do this, make a Heart
Forced Focus Test to see how good your relationship with that individual
“I need to stop, concentrate, and focus.” is.
Once per mission, you may use a Full Action to concentrate,
Result Description
granting yourself advantage for the remainder of the scene.
However, you lose the advantage if you gain shaken or oth- 1-8 Might not be willing to help.
erwise become mentally impaired. 9-15 Might be willing to help, for a price or a favor.
16 Willing to help, with little hesitation.
Planned for This
”Don’t mistake my carelessness for foolishness.”
Your genius has prepared you for any situation, good or
bad. Once per mission, you can succeed on any non-com-
bat/malefic Test, regardless of difficulty. However, you must
explain to the GM how you’ve prepared for the situation at
hand. For example, if you want to open a bank vault, you
can use this perk and say that you got the key from a friend
who works at the bank.

Level III
Postcognition
”Hmm... I think I know what happened.”
By studying the aftermath of an event, such as a crime
scene or a battlefield, you can mentally reconstruct what
happened. When you do so, make a DR 14 Mind Test. On
a success, you learn precisely what happened, including
how many people were part of the event. If you criti-
cally succeed, you can also learn the reason everything
happened, or how everything started.

Counter Threat
”This isn’t a negotiation, this is a fucking extortion!”
Whenever you are threatened by someone, you may clap
back with an even bigger threat. The target must succeed
on a DR 8 + your Heart score Heart Test. If they fail, they
become shaken. On a success, however, you become shaken
instead.

Speak No Evil
”My lips are sealed.”
It’s nigh impossible for others to pry info out of you. When
you are being tortured or interrogated, you gain advantage
on all rolls made to resist breaking down and revealing
information you don’t want to share.

24
 Wretch Hamstringing
I “My mind and wits are as sharp as the blade I use to “Now that you cannot run away, we can have some fun.”
gut and cut people.” Once per mission, as a Full Action, you may make a melee
Brute force and endurance are not the only things attack against a creature. If that attack hits, the target’s ham-
one needs to be a proper freeagent. A cunning mind, deft string is cut, halving their movement and causing them to
hands, agility, and cleverness are essential in this line of start bleeding. This effect lasts until they regain any amount
work. Wretches are the cabal’s sabotage experts, being able of Trauma.
to disable both mortals and machines. They might not be
the best or most dedicated of combatants, but they certainly
Sabotuer’s Trick
excel in other fields, particularly those of larceny, street- “Sorry not sorry!”
smarts, and destruction, making them a valuable asset to Messing with your foes is second nature to you. Twice per
any team. mission, when you hit a creature, you can use this perk to
mess with them in one of the following ways:
Level I Make them fall prone.
Make them blinded, deafened, or muted for 1d4 turns.
Sneak Attack Cause them to drop an object they are carrying, but not
“Strike from the shadows, they must never see you.” a weapon.
Whenever you make a non-Malefic Attack against a crea- All of these effects last until the beginning of your next turn.
ture that is unaware of your presence, you gain advantage
on the Attack Test and the damage roll equal to your Skin
Level III
score. Disarm
Streetwise “What yours is mine!”
“The city is my home!” As a Full Action, you and another creature can get into a
You can never get lost while in a city. Moreover, you gain wrestling match, having to compete on an opposed Skin
advantage on all rolls made to learn information about the Test. If you succeed, you manage to take their weapon from
city, the people, and its current problems. them or throw it away. If they succeed, they keep their
weapon.
Speed Demon
“Run run run ‘till you can no more!” Dirty Blow*
You have a +2 bonus to your movement. Moreover, non-su- “Fuck ‘em up!”
pernatural effects that slow you down don’t work on you, Whenever you see an opportunity during combat, you seize
and supernatural ones are half as effective. it. Twice per mission, when you attack a creature with one
of the following ailments (blinded, burning, deafened, muted,
Pilferer shaken, winded, prone), the attack counts as a critical hit.
“Sweep and swipe.”
During combat, you can grab objects and items without Parkour Expert
using a Swift Action. Additionally, you gain advantage to “Just don’t look down...”
rolls involving manual dexterity, such as picking locks or You have advantage on all rolls made to keep your balance
pockets. or avoid falling. Additionally, all fall damage you take is
halved.
Level II
Rogue Luck
Ambusher “Nope, not my time just yet.”
“It’s kill or be killed, asshole!” You seem to possess near-endless luck. Twice per mission,
For the first round of each combat encounter, as long as you before you know if you’ve failed or not on any Test, you
haven’t been ambushed, all your attacks inflict an additional may choose to roll again and use either of the two results.
1d6 physical damage. Alternatively, you may bring misfortune (or sometimes for-
tune) to others, forcing them to reroll their rolls, and having
Dodge Roll to use the new result, regardless of whether it is better or
“Oh shit, I gotta go-” worse.
When in doubt, dodge roll. You gain advantage on Dodge
Tests. Additionally, whenever you successfully dodge an at-
tack of any kind, you may move a number of meters in any
direction equal to half your movement. 25
 Maleficas I
The Maleficas are the gifts of the Primordial Darkness Range determines how far it can affect its target.
bestowed upon demonkind, each Malefica granting its user Some powers can only be used while touching an ob-
supernatural control over something. That something can ject or creature, while others can affect an entire area from
be as broad as control over fire and darkness, and as specific afar. While most powers list their range in meters, some
as control over memories and illusions. Each Malefica has have other ranges, such as touch, self, sight, etc.
a variety of abilities that can accomplish many things, such A Range of Touch means you need to touch your target in
as inciting strong feelings of rage inside a person’s mind order for the power’s effects to activate. If the target is un-
or channeling towering geysers of fire. These are known as willing, you must succeed on an Opposed Skin Test to touch
Malefic Powers, or simply powers. Most powers were devel- them. Meanwhile, self powers only affect you. Powers with
oped during Hell’s Golden Age, which began with Lucifer’s talking and sight don’t have a specified range, and affect
enthronement and ended with the end of the Afterlife War those who you can see/talk to respectively.
and the beginning of the Decimation. Many have been lost Target specifies what the ability can affect, as well as listing
to time, others passed down from generation to generation, traits the target must meet, if any.
and a few recorded in archaic tomes of chthonic power and Effect is, well the power’s effect, which can range from
dataslates made of chrome, zeroes, and ones. Each demon minor inoffensive effects, to catastrophic blasts of infernal
is born with innate knowledge over one Malefica, but can magic that can level entire battlefields.
learn how to use other Maleficas and their respective pow- Duration determines how long its effects last. Some abil-
ers through rigorous training and studying. ities’ effects are instant, while others can last for minutes,
hours, or even days. Some powers, rather than a duration,
Using and Resisting Powers have Maintain, which determines how often you’ll have to
Malefic Powers consume Darkness when used. In order make a maintain it.
to use the abilities granted by your Maleficas, you must
spend a number of Darkness equal to the ability’s level. Maintaining Powers
Some powers, particularly those with harmful or potentially As mentioned earlier, some powers require maintenance
adverse effects, give their target a chance to avoid harm by in order for their effects to remain active. When you are
making a special Test called a Malefic Resist Test which is required to maintain a power, you need to succeed on a
used to determine whether or not they avoid being affected Malefic Maintenance Test, where you add your Soul score
or hit by an ability. Different abilities have different effects, to the roll, and whose DR is equal to 12 + the Power’s Level.
and different effects can be avoided by differ- You can only have a number of powers active at any given
ent means. Each Malefic Resist Test moment equal to half your Soul score, rounded up, and can
lists the attribute which you use for stop maintaining a power at any moment,
the roll in it’s name. E.g Malefic Flesh even if it’s not your turn.
Test, Malefic Soul Test, etc. The DR of
a Malefic Resist Test is equal to the
Malefic DR of the user.

Powers
Each Malefic Power is unique and
serves a different purpose.
Powers are composed of
a few key components:
Time, Range, Target, Ef-
fect, and Duration.
Time measures how
much time it takes to use
the ability. Malefic Powers
can take varying amounts
of time to use, from a
Swift Action, to several
minutes, or
even entire
26 evenings.
 Adfectus must make a Malefic Heart Test. On a failure, they get a
I “If a Concubus says, ‘I’ve had a few dozen lovers in sudden, powerful feeling of sadness. Not too strong, but
my years, but only you managed to truly fall in love enough to deter them from acting on any other feeling. For
with me’, avoid them at all costs. Most likely, they plan example, if they were ready to lash out in anger before, they
to turn you into a sex slave or steal your soul, literally. might back down to silently sulk. Anyone affected by this
- Line from the book “Red Flags”. Technique gains disadvantage to every non- Attack Test
Adfectus, the Boon of the Concubi, is a potent and insid- they make.
ious power that grants its wielders the ability to manipulate Maintain At the start of every turn
and read the emotions of others. While not a form of pure
mind control, Adfectus exerts a powerful influence over the
Level II
mental state of those who fall under its spell, allowing its us- Duress
ers to bend the wills of others to their own desires. Through Time Swift Action
Adfectus, the Concubi can alter the mood of a room, sway Range 6 meters
the opinions of their enemies, or even empower their allies Target One Creature
in battle by channeling their wrath. Its a versatile tool made With a malicious glance, you invoke an incapacitating
for the most lustrous of tongues. feeling of dread within a creature’s heart. The target must
make a Malefic Heart Test. On a failure, they are over-
Level I whelmed by a strong sense of fear and looming dread while
in the presence of the user. The target becomes shaken,
Anger
and gains disadvantage on every roll that is
Time Swift Action not made with the explicit purpose of
Range Talking running away or hiding from you. This
Target One Creature technique does not work on blinded
You snap fingers with a quick creatures, or creatures that are clear-
motion that ignites a fire in some- ly superior, such as gigantic beasts
one’s soul, causing your target to or older demons.
feel a sudden, irresistible feeling of Maintain At the start of every turn
pure wrath. The target must make a
Malefic Heart Test. On a failure, their Ecstasy
feelings are overshadowed by a stronger Time Swift Action
feeling of sheer, unbridled anger. Targets Range Touch
affected by this power gain disadvantage on Target One Creature
Tests that require speech or logic. However, any By touching another creature, you incite a strong,
Test that relies on their brute force is made with overwhelming feeling of joy that causes the affected
advantage, including Attack Tests made with heavy creature to enter a trance. The target must make a
or improvised weapons. Malefic Heart Test. On a failure, the target will have
Maintain At the start of every turn their vision blurred and any sound dampened, as they are
overwhelmed by a feeling of positivity and joy that makes
Passion
them unaware of their surroundings. They become blinded,
Time Swift Action deafened, muted, and immobile until the end of the power’s
Range Talking duration or until they suffer damage of any kind.
Target One Creature that isn’t deafened Duration 1 minute
You clap your hands and give someone a burst of creativity
and inspiration. The target of this ability gains advantage Psychometry
on all non-attack Tests they make for the power’s duration. Time Swift Action
They gain double advantage if what they are attempting will Range Touch
help them further an aspiration. Target One Object
Maintain At the start of every turn Channeling your inner insight, you can attempt to read the
Sadness emotional resonances left upon an item by a person who
Time Swift Action has recently touched it. Make a Heart Roll. Depending on
Range Talking the result of the Test, you’ll learn various things about the
Target One Creature item and its previous user. You can only use this
power once per object.
You whisper a short yet painful sentence, inciting a feeling 27
of sadness and drowsiness within a creature. The target
 Result What do you learn? a critical failure, intelligent creatures are pacified
1-5 You learn nothing.
for an entire hour, and animalistic creatures con- I
sider the user their master from now on. However,
6-9 You feel the emotion felt by the last person particularly savage animals might only temporarily
who touched the object. consider the user their master, or simply ignore them. The
10-13 You learn when the object was last used or effects of the power wear off if the target is harmed.
touched. Maintain At the start of every turn
14-17 You hear the last words uttered by the last
person to touch the object.
18 You discover the identity of the last person
that touched the object.
Duration Instant

Level III
Berserk
Time Full Action
Range 3-meter radius, centered on you
Target Area
By uttering a wrathful phrase, you can force a group of
creatures into a state of homicidal rage. Everyone caught in
the technique’s range must succeed on a Malefic Heart Test.
On a failure, the affected creatures will go berserk, attempt-
ing to kill the nearest creature, no matter if it is an ally or Author’s note.
non-combatant, by any means necessary, and automatically The Quickstart document is still a WIP, with many illustra-
failing on every Insight or Spirit roll they make. This tech- tions, texts, and changes to the content pending.
nique does not work on deafened creatures.
Maintain At the start of every turn

Breakdown
Time Full Action
Range 6 meters
Target One Creature
With but a mere staredown, you can force a creature into
a state of psychic pain and emotional suffering. The target
must make a Malefic Heart Test. On a failure, for the dura-
tion of the power, they will be completely incapacitated by
a strong, heart-wrenching feeling of sorrow and pain inside
their soul. The target will fall prone and become shaken
from severe sadness and terror. Moreover, when successful-
ly maintained, the power will inflict 2d6 mental damage to
those affected.
Maintain At the start of every turn

Pacify
Time Full Action
Range 3-meter radius, centered on you
Target Area
By singing a soft lullaby, you can pacify a weak-willed crea-
ture into submission and cooperation through supernatural
means. Creatures caught in the technique’s range must make
a Malefic Heart Test. On a failure, they become pacified
for the duration of the technique, unable to attack
28 or act hostile. Meanwhile, animalistic creatures
become docile and act as if they were tamed. On
 Ignis Level II
I “See this skyscraper, Kinva? That’s where he lives, he
who took our home from us. One day, we are gonna Burning Breath
burn this fucking monument to Greed to the ground, Time Full Action
and we are gonna watch Illaros burn.” Range 3-meter cone
- Unknown. Target Area
Your lungs fill with torrid, scorching fire, which you can ex-
Ignis is the Boon of the Balerkin. Ignis allows it’s masters
hale and burn everything in your wake. Any creature caught
to control and create fire. Fire is a very flexible tool that can
in the power’s range must make a Malefic Skin Test. On a
also be a destructive weapon in the right hands. It can form
failure, they suffer 2d6 fire damage and become burning,
defensive walls of heat, explosive blasts that scorch through
and suffer half as much damage on a success. This power
flesh and bone, scorching beams that sear the skin of others,
inflicts an additional d6 worth of fire damage if you are
or even coating one’s body in fire for both defense and
burning when you use it.
offense. Ignis is a weapon that must be used wisely and with
Duration Instant
caution, lest it will burn down both the user and everything
they love. Blazing Claw
Time Swift Action
Level I
Range Self
Burning Corpus Target Yourself
Time Reaction - Being hit Your fist becomes engulfed in flames, transforming into a
Range 2-meter radius, centered on you fiery claw that can sear through any obstacle. While this
Target Area power is active, all of your unarmed attacks will inflict
You harness the power of fire to defend yourself, an additional 2d6 fire damage, on top of their
setting yourself on fire and searing those base damage. Critically hitting while this pow-
who attack you. When struck by a melee or er is active inflicts burning.
unarmed attack, you can unleash a retaliato- Maintain At the start of every turn
ry blast of fire, dealing 2d6 fire damage to all Hellfire Arsenal
creatures within the technique’s range Those
Time Action
caught in the flames must succeed Malefic
Range Touch
Flesh Test or begin burning.
Target One object
Duration Instant
You engulf one of your weapons in flames,
Pyromancy enhancing it and making it much more dead-
Time Swift Action ly. While this power is active, all melee and
Range Touch ranged attacks you make inflict an additional
Target - 1d6 fire damage. Additionaly, critical hits made
You can control and conjure small flames with your with affected weapons while the power is active inflict
fingers, which you can use for non-offensive purposes. burning. Moreover, whoever tries to disarm you takes 1d6
You can use this power to achieve a variety of things, from fire damage, regardless of whether they succeed or not.
snuffing or lighting up every candle in the vicinity to turn- Duration Instant
ing your thumb into a mini lighter to set things on fire. The
Level III
only caveat is that you cannot use the power to do meaning-
ful harm directly, but can use it to cause pain or intimidate Flare Flash
others. Time Action
Duration Instant Range 6-meter radius, centered on you
Firebolt Target Area
You flare up so intensely and quickly that everything close
Time Action
to you is instantly set on fire, and creatures that are looking
Range 9 meters
at you are blinded from the light. Every flammable object
Target One creature
within the power’s range is set on fire, and every creature
You unleash a searing bolt of flame, conjured from the
caught in the same range must succeed on Malefic Flesh
depths of your wrathful soul. Make a Malefic Attack Test
Test or begin burning.
against your desired target. If you hit, the target suffers 2d6
Duration Instant
fire damage. On a critical, the target begins burning.
Duration Instant
29
Fireball
Time Action I
Range 3-meter radius centered on a point within 12 meters.
Target Area
You gather the infernal energy within you, condensing it
into a sphere of pure fire that explodes upon impact, leaving
nothing but a smoldering crater, and then hurling it. Those
caught in the explosion must succeed on a Malefic Skin Test,
or suffer 5d6 fire damage and start burning
Duration Instant

Phlogiston
Time Action
Range 3-meter radius centered on a point within 12 meters.
Target Area
As you gesture and chant a wrathful incantation, the ground
begins to rumble and shake, and a surge of molten magma
bursts forth from the earth. Those caught in the power’s
range can attempt to dodge the flames by making a Ma-
lefic Skin Test. Regardless of whether they attempt the test
or not, they are faced with the full might of the inferno,
suffering 5d6 fire damage, and half as much on a success.
Moreover, creatures who attempted the test and failed are
launched 6 meters in the air, hitting the ground at the start
of their next turn.
Duration Instant

Author’s note.
The Quickstart document is still a WIP, with many illustra-
tions, texts, and changes to the content pending.

30
 Vinculum command on a failure, and resisting the mental compulsion
I “I remember the first time I sat on my fine leather as a success. Creatures affected by Mesmerise always fail the
chair, overseeing a legion of workers working for me Test.
and making me earn limboes by doing almost jack shit, Duration Instant
and I would have never accomplished that without a little
supernatural coercion.” Level II
- Executed Vice President of Apotheosis Pharmaceuticals.
Command
Vinculum is the Boon of Control. A perfect tool for the Time Swift Action
cunning and cutthroat imps, Vinculum’s users are able to Range 6 meters
manipulate the thoughts, emotions, and actions of those Target One Creature
they target, making them do their bidding without ques- You slither into the mind of your target, influencing them
tion or forcing them to act in unnatural and erratic ways. and shaping their thoughts. This power allows you to issue
It possesses a variety of uses, from simple mind control to a command that, while not directly harmful, carries the
full-blown possession of another creature’s body. While not potential for harm or adverse consequences. The target of
as destructive as Ignis or Vita, it’s strength lies in the sheer this power must succeed on a Malefic Mind Test to resist the
control it allows it’s users to exert over other beings. supernatural compulsion to follow the command. However,
if the target is harmed or completes the suggested action,
Level I the compulsion ends prematurely. If the target was affected
Mesmerise by Mesmerise before this power was used on them, they are
unaware that they were issued a supernatural com-
Time Swift Action
mand. Otherwise, once they complete their order,
Range Sight
they are fully aware they were enchanted.
Target One Creature
Duration Up to five minutes.
You lock eyes with another creature, their
own eyes widening as they become en- Compelled Gab
tranced by your hypnotic power. To resist
Time Swift Action
the effect, the target must muster their
Range 6 meters
mental fortitude and succeed on a Malefic
Target One Creature
Mind Test. If they fail, they become dazed and
You focus your mind on your target, as
unable to use reactions for the power’s dura-
their words spill forth in a rush, tumbling
tion. Another creature can snap them out of
out in a jumbled stream of nonsense and
their trance by either harming them or using a
gibberish. The target of this power becomes
Full Action to make them snap out of it.
trapped in a verbal trance, unable to cease talking.
Maintain At the start of every turn
Their words hold no meaning or importance but may
Flinch reveal personal or embarrassing secrets without spilling
Time Swift Action crucial information. The target can break free from the
Range 6 meters compulsion by passing a Malefic Mind Test at the start of
Target One Creature their turn. It’s important to note that this ability does not
With a simple gesture, you compel a creature’s body to make work on speech-incapable creatures or animals.
a sudden move. The target of this power must succeed on a Maintain At the start of every turn
Malefic Flesh Test. On a failure, one of their limbs or part of
a limb, such as a finger, jitters and spasms, tightening up, or
Fall
Time Full Action
loosening. You can choose which limb is affected and how it
Range 3-meter radius centered on you
reacts.
Target Area
Duration Instant
With a powerful word, you command all foes in your vicin-
Word ity to kneel. Every creature caught in the technique’s range
Time Swift Action must succeed on a Malefic Mind Test or be compelled to fall
Range Talking on their knees, becoming prone. If they critically fail, they
Target - become planted to the ground, being unable to get up for a
Utilising a small fragment of your malefic power, you issue number of turns equal to half your Soul score, rounded
a simple, one-word supernatural command to a creature, up.
Duration Instant
such as “Give”, “Kiss”, “Go”, “Open”, and whatnot. The affect- 31
ed creature must make a Malefic Mind Test, following your
 Level III
I
Mass Mesmerise
Time Full Action
Range 3-meter radius centered on you
Target Area
You close your eyes and project your spirit outward, damp-
ening the minds of others and making them slip into a deep
trance. When this power is used, every creature in the pow-
er’s range must succeed on a Malefic Mind Test or become
affected by Mesmerize’s effects, becoming dazed and unable
to use reactions for as long as the power is maintained.
Maintain At the start of every turn
Author’s note. Marionette
The Quickstart document is still a WIP, with many illustra- Time Full Action
tions, texts, and changes to the content pending. Range 3-meter radius centered on you
Target Area
You take control over a creature’s body, but not its mind,
tugging at ethereal strings only you can see and control
their movement from afar. The target must succeed on a
Malefic Flesh Test, losing control of their body on a failure.
Author’s note #2 While you are in control of their body, you can control their
We’ll most likely add something here, thus the empty space actions during their turn, being able to attack, move, and
use powers that both of you know. Whenever you make
the target do something that requires them to make a Test,
they gain the opportunity to potentially break free of your
control before they do the thing you want them to do by
allowing them to repeat the Malefic Test.
Maintain At the start of every turn

Null and Void

Time Full Action
Range Touch
Target A pact parchment
You exert your control over people and their wills to such
a level, that you can cause deals and trades to power null
and void. When you use this technique on a pact parch-
ment that entails the details of a deal between two or more
creatures, you can void the contract, making its terms no
longer applicable. In the case of soul deals, this can be used
to return a soul to its rightful owner.
Duration Instant

32
 Vita Level II
I “Time to see how experienced you are with Vita,
young Eaz-Ava. Take this apple, turn from a brown DisruptLife
and rotten biomass, into a fresh and tasty morsel.” Time Action
- Recorded training from an Ekron SIN Facility. Range 6 meters
Target Another Creature
The Boon of Life and the Boon of the Empusa, Vita allows With a pull-like motion, you reach and disrupt a creature’s
it’s users to control the life forces of other beings. With it, life force. By manipulating it’s vitality, you inflict them with
you can play with life as if it was a toy. You can rejuvenate profound agony. Make a Malefic Attack Test dealing 3d6
the wounded, and harm the living, as well as empower physical damage on a hit. If the damage was enough to put
yourself and others by granting them a boost to their own them below half of their Max Trauma, they also become
life force. winded until the beginning of their next turn.
Level I Duration Instant

Heartache Entropic Touch

Time Swift Action Time Swift Action
Range 6 meters Range Touch
Target One Creature Target Another Creature or Object
You tug at the immaterial heartstrings of another With a touch, you sap the life force of another creature,
creature, causing a powerful and palpable sensation of absorbing its vitality. If the target is something organic
pain that weakens the target temporarily. The target and small, such as a fruit or a piece of meat, it instant-
must succeed on a Malefic Flesh Test. On a failure, they ly rots, and you regain 1d6 Trauma. If the target is a
suffer 1d6 physical damage, and also gain winded until creature, you regain Xd6 Trauma and they suffer Xd6
they are healed by any amount. toxic damage, where X is equal to half the target’s
Duration Instant Flesh score. If you manage to kill a
creature using this technique, you
Second Wind gain +1 Max Trauma.
Time Swift Action Duration Instant
Range 6 meters, or self
Target Another Creature, or Your- Pain Echoes
self Time Reaction - Hitting Something
With a deep breath, you channel your energy into a Range 3-meter radius centered on you
wounded creature, partly rejuvenating it. You channel Target Area
a soothing and revitalising energy inwards or out- Your next attack resonates with a piercing howl,
wards, healing yourself or another creature respective- echoing through the bodies of every creature close to
ly. In both cases, the target receives 1d6 + your Soul you. As a reaction to making a successful attack, you
score Trauma. You can use this technique as a reaction to unleash a wave of dreadful psychic energy, affecting all
another creature within range suffering any amount of dam- creatures within the power’s range, excluding yourself and
age, including yourself. your allies. Each affected creature, except for the initial tar-
Duration Instant get of your attack, suffers a small amount of damage, taking
in 1d6 mental damage for every 6 points of damage your
Vital Scry main attack dealt.
Time Swift Action Duration Instant
Range 6 meters
Target Another Creature Level III
The world around you fades away as you concentrate on the
creatures, studying them intently and learning things about Lifeline
their current condition. With this power, you acquire a vari- Time Reaction - Ally Downed
ety of useful insights, such as whether the target is afflicted Range 6 meters
by any long-term affliction or the nature of any wounds they Target One Creature
might possess, such as whether or not it was caused by a Witnessing an ally hit the floor, becoming unconscious
weapon or not, or what weapon caused it. Furthermore, you or mortal, you react and grant them a sliver of health,
also learn the precise number of Trauma they have remain- enough to get them back and get away safely. The
target receives 3d6 + your Soul score Trauma,
ing, as well as their Max Trauma.
immediately springing back to life. Moreover, until
33
Duration Instant
the start of their next turn, they gain advantage to their
Defense. I
Duration Instant

Mortal Boost
Time Full Action
Range 6 meters
Target One creature
You tap into a person’s life force and make it flare up,
boosting their physical capabilities beyond what any normal
being can accomplish. When you use this power, the target
is affected by one of the following effects of their choice:
Physique. The target’s muscles strengthen and they be-
come larger and more imposing. For the power’s duration,
the target gains advantage on all Flesh rolls. Additionally,
their Defense increases by 1.
Speed. The target’s senses sharpen, and their speed and
agility are both heightened. For the power’s duration, the
target gains advantage on all Skin rolls. Additionally, their
movement is increased by 2.
Vitality. The target is filled with energy as their heart beats
faster, and their body becomes more resilient. For the pow-
er’s duration, at the start of every turn, the target regains
2d6 + your Soul score Trauma.
Maintain At the start of every turn
Author’s note.
Purgation The Quickstart document is still a WIP, with many illustra-
Time Full Action tions, texts, and changes to the content pending.
Range Touch
Target One Creature or Object
Your hands glow with a warm, radiant light as you reach
out and touch the world around you. Whether it’s a broken
blade of grass, a rusted metal pipe, or a wounded ally, your
touch infuses it with new life and vitality. Rotten or spoiled
food and liquids you become fresh and pure, while rusted
or damaged items appear brand new. You can also mend
minor damages, such as cracks in armor or tears in clothing.
Living creatures you touch lose all negative ailments, being
cured of most toxins and diseases, as well as becoming 1d8
years younger, to a minimum of 18 years old.
Duration Instant

34
I

35
 Chapter II II
Rules of the Trade
In the Freeagent life, success is not guaranteed. Not succeeds at what they are trying to do.
everything you do will succeed, and even if it does, there’s
no guarantee it will end well. Luck is a key factor in most Opposed Tests
things you do, but your skills and natural aptitude in certain Sometimes, one’s character’s action might directly oppose
fields certainly help nudge the odds in your favor. Even if another character or creature, passively or actively. This can
you fail despite your best efforts, remember that even prac- commonly occur when both characters attempt to do the
ticed experts miss their marks from time to time. same thing, or when a character tries to prevent another
character from doing something. In such situa-
Dice and Tests tions, both characters roll, adding their rele-
Hellborn utilizes three six-sided dice, vant scores to their rolls. The participant
commonly referred to as 3d6, to de- with the highest result wins. In case of
termine whether an action fails or a tie, the participant with the highest
not. Whenever a player attempts to attribute score wins. If the scores of
do something risky and/or that can both participants are the same, roll
have negative consequences, they again until there’s a victor.
have to roll three six-sided dice, add
the appropriate attribute score, and Dis/Advantage
then any other relevant bonuses to While under circumstances and con-
the result of the roll. The roll’s total ditions, the GM can grant advantage or
result must be equal to or higher than the disadvantage on a player’s roll. Advantage
Difficulty Rating, or DR, of the Test for the represents one or multiple favorable factors
player to succeed on the Test. that can increase your chances of succeed-
ing. Meanwhile, disadvantage represents the exact
Group Tests opposite. For every source of advantage you have, you roll
When multiple characters work together to accomplish a single d6, and add the highest result to your roll. On the
something, such as lifting a car or trying to free someone flipside, for every source of disadvantage, you roll a single
stuck underneath a pile of debris, one player must roll and d6 and reduce your roll by the highest result. Advantage and
add their character’s relevant scores and every participating disadvantage cancel each other out, in a 1:1 ratio. For every
character’s scores to their roll. If the result of the roll is equal source of advantage, you lose a source of disadvantage, and
to or higher than the Difficulty Rating (which is usually vice versa.
exponentially higher for this type of Test), then the group
Difficulty Ratings
Difficulty DR Flesh Skin Heart Mind Soul
Trivial 6 Opening a stuck Hiding in absolute Flirting with a Doing basic math Sensing a nearby
door darkness Concubus resonant soul
Easy 10 Cracking a bone Performing a basic Getting street info Finding your way in Consuming a
in two magic trick from a destitute a big city lesser soul
Normal 14 Breaking a fire- Doing parkour in Persuading a Noticing a hidden Resisting a psy-
arm in two an urban jungle bouncer at a club person in a room chic attack
Hard 16 Enduring physical Shooting a specific Negotiating with Remembering ob- Consuming a
torture and abuse person in a crowd an angry Balerkin scure infernal lore superior soul
Very Hard 18 Lifting a tank by Leaping from a Pacifying an entire Learn a new lan- Going past the
yourself tall building and gang after insulting guage in one night Threshold with
surviving them a gate
Imposible 20+ Surviving an Sneaking into Trying to intimi- Playing chess with Accessing the
attack from a holy Heaven as a demon date Satan, or an- Beelzebub and Void and re-
weapon or a sinner other Archdemon winning maining sane
 Criticals In most cases, combat is initiated when two hostile or
II Sometimes you succeed or fail, exceedingly well otherwise alert groups encounter each other. However, in
or badly. These great successes and catastrophic some situations, combat might begin out of nowhere, as one
failures can occur due to unfortunate circumstances, side ambushes the other. In such a situation, the ambusher’s
sheer luck, or the odds simply being stacked in your favor. actions and attacks are resolved first, before the Initiative
On any Test, whenever the roll’s result comes as either Tests are rolled.
three sixes or three ones, they become a Satanic Success and
a Fiendish Failure respectively, often called a critical suc- Your Turn
cess/failure. In combat, when it’s your turn (or a non-player charac-
When you roll up a Satanic Success, you automatically ter’s turn, if you are the Gamemaster), you can accomplish a
succeed, regardless of whether your result met or exceeded variety of things, from attacking to using your malefic pow-
the Test’s DR. On top of succeeding in what you were trying ers. Most things you can do in combat take up an Action,
to achieve, various other beneficial things could occur. what kind of action they use however varies greatly. There
Conversely, when you roll a Fiendish Failure on a Test, are three types of actions:
you automatically fail. Critical failures also lead to further Actions, which most ordinary actions use. Most attacks,
complications for you and your circle. perks, and malefic powers require you to use an action.
In combat, when you roll up a Satanic Success on a Swift Actions, are taken up by quicker and simpler ac-
non-Malefic Attack Test, you must draw a Tarot card to tions, that don’t require as much thinking or precision.
determine what additional effects your attack has Full Actions, which take up an entire round, excluding
movement, and usually involve things that are equal parts
Combat difficult and equal parts time consuming.
As a freeagent, you are expected to be capable of fighting. On your turn, you have one Action, one Swift Action, and
The Modern Hell is a violent place, where people never one Reaction. You may also move freely once. You can use
ask questions, only shoot, stab, and sunder. Combat is a your Action to do one of the following things:
major part of Hellborn. More often than not, going aggro
Attack. You may attack with one of your weapons. With
and charging in guns blazing is the best way to do things.
some weapons, you can use a Full Action to do special at-
And in situations where stealth and precision are required,
tacks and inflict additional damage or ailments. Attacks and
one way or another, you’ll have to fight and kill someone or
all rolls involved are explained later in the Attacks section.
something.
Interact. You can interact with your surroundings, such as
opening a door, interacting with an open terminal, breaking
Initiative
a bottle, picking up a shield, etc. Dropping something does
When a fight is about to break out, every character that
not require you to use a Swift Action, but picking up some-
participates in the fight must make an Initiative Test, which
thing does. Interacting with objects in your vicinity can take
is a simple 3d6 + Mind roll.
both Full and Swift Actions, depending
Once every participant has rolled their Initiative Tests,
on the difficulty and length of the Task.
they are ranked in descending order with the creature that
This also includes using gear such as
rolled the highest going first, then the creature with the sec-
a scanner, a grappling hook,
ond highest roll going next, etc. In case a tie occurs between
or drinking a potion.
two or multiple creature’s initiatives, the creature with the
highest Mind score goes first.
In case multiple creatures roll a tie and have the same
score, each of these creatures should roll a d6. The individ-
ual who rolls higher moves first, and if the results between
tied creatures are the same, keep rolling till they are not.

37
 Move. You can move a number of meters equal to your Attacks
movement without using an Action. When you move, you Whenever it’s your turn, you may attack with a II
can double your movement by using an Action, or triple it weapon you currently have in your inventory or
by using a Full Action. are wielding. The type weapon you use for an attack
Malefic Powers. You can use a Malefic Power that requires determines the type of attack, and conversely, the attribute
the use of an Action. Different powers require different you use on the respective Attack Test.
kinds of actions, but a handful use normal Actions.
Melee Attacks are attacks where you use a melee weapon
Stabilise a Creature. As an Action, you can attempt to sta-
such as a sword, an axe, a hammer, or another handheld
bilize a mortal creature by making an Mind Test.
close-quarters weapon. Most Melee Attacks utilize Skin.
Melee weapons with the heavy or oversized properties use
Reactions Flesh for their attack test.
The action doesn’t end when your turn ends. After your
turn is over, you have one Reaction. A reaction represents Ranged Attacks are attacks where you use a weapon that
an action that you take in response to something happen- inflicts harm from afar. This includes things such as guns,
ing, such as being hit by an attack, targeted by a single-tar- projectile-based weapons such as slingshots or crossbows,
get power, etc. Thanks to basic combat training or sheer and even thrown weapons like knives and darts, as well as
survival instincts all player characters gain the ability to grenades. All Ranged Attacks, regardless of weapon size or
perform the following reactions: caliber, use Skin for their Attack Test.
Block. As a response to being hit by a melee or unarmed Unarmed Attacks are attacks where you use your body
attack, you can attempt to block the blow, mitigating some as a tool for mayhem. No weapons, just your flesh and
or all of the damage taken. Roll a number of d6s equal to muscle. Unarmed Attacks use Skin for their Test. Addi-
half your Flesh score (rounded up), and reduce any incom- tionally, you add your Flesh to all unarmed damage rolls.
ing physical damage by the result of the roll. You must be Improvised Attacks are made whenever you are using
fully conscious and aware of both your surroundings and mundane objects such as chair legs, glass bottles, metal
the attack itself to block an incoming attack. pipes, and anything else that can fit in your hands. Since
Dodge. As a response to being targeted by an attack of any you are not using a proper weapon, Improvised Attacks al-
type, including physical malefic attacks, you can try to move ways require a Full Action, and Improved Attack tests utilise
away and avoid being hit in the first place. Make an Skin either Agility or Corpus, depending on the size and weight
Test whose DR is equal to the Attack Test of your assailant. of the object used.
If you succeed, you move one meter in any direction and Malefic Attacks are required when using offensive
avoid all damage. You must be able to move and not powers where accuracy and precision is required. Not all
be surrounded to use this reac- offensive malefic powers require an Malefic Attack Test
tion. though. When you do need to roll one, however, you do
so using your Soul.
 To attack, you need to choose a target within Tarot Criticals
II your weapon’s (or power’s) range. Most melee weap-
Card Effect
ons, with some notable exceptions, including your
fists, your kicks, and most improvised weapons, have The Fool Target becomes dazed for 1 round.
a 1-meter range, and can only hit adjacent creatures. The Magician Non-physical damage the target
Ranged weapons have two ranges: a close range and a long suffers is doubled for 1 round.
range. Whenever you attack a creature that is within the The High Priestess The target cannot use powers for 1
ranged weapon’s long range, you cannot add your Agility round.
Score to the roll’s result, reducing your shot’s chance of The Empress Regain Trauma equal to half the
hitting significantly. damage dealt.
For an attack to hit its target, the Attack Test’s result must
be equal to or higher than the target’s Defense. Defense The Emperor The target is knocked back 2 meters.
reflects a character’s ability to not be hit and to tank blows The Hierophant Learn the target’s next move.
from various sources. Whenever an attack hits, its target The Lovers Αn ally gain +2 on their next attack.
suffers damage. How much and what type of damage is The Chariot You can move again for free.
dealt by an attack depends on the weapon or boon used.
Strength Deal double physical damage, and
Whenever you satanically succeed on an Attack Test, the
ignore physical resistance.
attack automatically hits, and cannot be dodged or blocked.
Moreover, the target suffers one random effect, which is The Hermit The target is blinded for 1 round.
determined by drawing a tarot card. Wheel of Fortune You may reroll your next damage
roll and use either result.
Damage Justice Deal extra damage equal to all their
There are a myriad of ways to harm others. Cuts and attribute scores combined.
bruises, burns from acid and flames, psychosomatic pain
The Hanged Man The target becomes immobile for 1
resonances that torture one’s mind, poisonous gasses from
round.
traps and acrid plants and fungi, and so much more.
Physical damage is the most common damage type and Death The target cannot use their Action
encompasses most forms of bodily harm. Bruises, cuts, next turn.
cracks, gunshots, stabs, slashes, and many more wounds Temperance Heal adjacent allies by an amount
count as physical damage. equal to half the damage dealt.
Fire damage is dealt by exposure to high temperatures, be The Devil The target becomes winded for 1
it extremely heated up metal, hot and arid air, or an open round.
flame. Balls, blasts, and bolts of fire, as well as flamethrow- The Tower The target falls prone.
ers, are some of the most common sources of fire damage.
The Star Gain a +2 on all attacks until the
However, other things such as searing metals and burning
end of your next turn.
rooms also inflict fire damage.
Toxic damage comes from highly poisonous materials, The Moon Target gains disadvantage on all
be it both natural venoms and poisons found in nature or attacks until the end of their next
harmful chemicals that are a byproduct of countless indus- turn.
trial buildings found in Hell. The Sun Allies gain advantage on their next
Cold damage comes from exposure to very low tempera- attack.
tures, such as being exposed to freezing air, very reactive Judgment The target may not heal for the next
chemicals, or certain powers. 2 rounds.
Electric damage comes from high-voltage sources, which The World You may take another Action im-
are plentiful in the highly advanced technological environ- mediately.
ments of Hell. Metal, water, and certain materials are capa-
ble of conducting the electric damage, increasing its range
dramatically. Likewise, a humid environment or exposure to
liquids can cause electricity-based weapons to short-circuit
if its not insulated properly
Mental damage is inflicted by psychological and psycho-
somatic attacks that are meant to harm a creature’s psy-
chological well-being and stability. Mental damage, unless
specified otherwise, is nonlethal, but can knock people 39
unconscious.
 Ailments Winded. While winded, you feel all air and energy
Ailments are positive and negative effects of various dura- leave your body, leaving you tired. You gain disad- II
tions that are placed on characters and creatures. These can vantage on all Flesh and Skin Tests.
range from minor temporary inconveniences to debilitating
effects that can last weeks. Death
Ironically, in the world of the damned, death is all too
Bleeding. While bleeding, you suffer 1d6 physical damage, common, especially while working as an agent. Whenever
which cannot be reduced by any means, at the start of your you reach 0 Trauma, you gain the mortal ailment, which
every turn until you receive any amount of healing. cannot be removed while you are at 0 Trauma, only ignored
Blinded. While blinded, you cannot see anything. You can temporarily through perks and other powers.
still attempt to do things that would normally require prop- While mortal, your Mortality goes up by 1 each turn,
er vision, such as shooting a pistol or swinging an axe, but unless you are stabilized or healed. Mortality measures how
with disadvantage, and failing counts as as Fiendish Failure. dangerously close to dying you are, and how much your
Additionally, all sight-based effects don’t work on you. body can keep going. Whenever your Mortality goes to 5,
Burning. While burning, you receive a 1d6 points of fire you are dead for good. To stabilise someone, you must make
damage at the start of your turn until you or another crea- a DR 14 Mind Test, and succeed. When you stabilize anoth-
ture uses a Full Action to put you out, or until you douse er creature, they return to 1 Trauma, and clear 2 Mortality.
yourself in water. If you roll a Satanic Success, they return to 1 + 1d6 Trauma,
Dazed. While dazed your mind is a mess and you cannot and clear all of their Mortality. If you roll a Fiendish Failure,
concentrate. You gain disadvantage on all Mind and Heart however, the target’s Mortality increases by 1.
Tests.
Deafened. While deafened, you cannot hear
anything. Any action that relies on hearing
automatically fails. Additionally, sound-based
abilities and effects do not work on you.
Exposed. While exposed, you suffer double
physical damage from all non-supernatural
sources.
Mortal. While Mortal, at the start of
every turn, your Mortality increases by
1. When it reaches 5, your body suc-
cumbs to its wounds, your soul exits its
vessel, and you die for good.
Muted. While muted, you are incapable
of speaking. On the positive side, all effects
and abilities that force you to speak don’t
work on you.
Prone. While prone, you can only move at
half your movement and cannot fly or dodge.
Moreover, attacks against you made by adja-
cent foes are rolled with advantage. You must
use all of your free movement to get up from
prone.
Immobile. While immobile, as the name
suggests, you cannot move, and others
have advantage on Attack Tests against
you.
Shaken. While shaken, you are weak to
mental damage, unless you have resistance, where
in that case you take mental damage normally.
Stunned. While stunned, you cannot do anything oth-
er than stumbling around and speaking in incoherent
tongues, and thus cannot use any actions during
40 your turn (unless they would remove the ailment),
and your movement is halved.
 Resistance and Weakness unconscious, or otherwise incapable of using your flight.
II Due to a natural adaptation, supernatural gift, or Moreover, whenever you suffer any amount of fall damage,
a mechanical augmentations, some creatures are you also become prone.
better at resisting specific kinds of harm than others.
And sometimes, the opposite is true, where a creature can Ammo
be weak to a specific kind of damage. Whenever a creature In the heat of combat, managing your ammunition
is weak to a damage type, damage of that type is doubled becomes crucial, as it forces you to make every shot count
against it. The opposite occurs when a creature is resistant and forces you to make tactical decisions. Every weapon
to a specific damage type. When a creature is immune to has a specific ammunition capacity. For example, a pistol
a damage type, it can never take any damage of that type may hold 12 rounds, while a shotgun carries 6 shells. When
unless through very specific and unusal means. a weapon runs out of ammo, you need to reload it to keep
using it. Reloading a weapon usually takes a Swift Action,
Off Hand Attacks but some weapons are harder to reload than others.
Also commonly referred to as “dual wielding”, off-hand You can use physical counters, tokens, or simply write
are attacks where you use your non-primary hand to attack, down the count on your character sheet. It is also important
usually after attacking with your main arm. Some choose to to note that each weapon uses different types of ammuni-
fight this way because, one, it looks cool, and two, it offers tion. Shotguns, for example, use heavy ammunition. Mean-
them the ability to fight both up close and from a distance, while, pistols and some types of rifles use light ammunition.
with a melee weapon in one hand and a ranged one in the The aforementioned types of ammunition also come in
other. different subtypes, such as armor-piercing and incendiary
However, fighting like that takes a lot of skill that many ammunition, each with its own unique effects.
don’t naturally possess. Unless you have the Dual Wielder
perk, all off-hand attacks you make do not add their appro- Firing Modes
priate attribute score to the result of the Attack Test, and Some weapons are capable of firing multiple bullets at
you may not modify the Off-Hand Attack’s result by any once. These kinds of weapons all have the Automatic X
means, making it an inefficient way to fight, but if one of property, where X is the maximum number of bullets they
your arms is restrained or otherwise unusable, you really can fire when using a Full Action. Each bullet fired counts
have no other choice. Note that, if you are dual-wielding as one source of disadvantage for the wielder’s Attack Test.
weapons with the defensive property, you only gain it’s If the barrage of bullets hits, the damage of the attack will
benefits once. be multiplied by the number of bullets fired.
However, there is another firing mode that works similarly
Cover to autofire, and that is Burst X. When you use a Full Action
In fights, cover can provide an invaluable layer of safety. to shoot with a weapon that has the Burst X property, the
Objects such as trees, walls, sizeable piles of trash, stacks weapon fires a number of bullets equal to X, and multi-
of barrels, and other obstacles provide cover. The bonuses plies the damage dealt by the same amount on a hit. Unlike
from cover are only applied when the attack originates from weapons with the Auto X property, which allows the user to
the other side of the cover. There are two types of cover: control how many bullets they fire, burst weapons sacrifice
Partial Cover only obscures part of a character’s body. Its overall control in exchange for a consistent rate of fire and
shape and size can vary, but it never fully disrupts the line of damage output, making them reliable and unreliable at the
sight from any angle (unless a creature behind partial cover same time.
is prone). If a creature is prone while behind partial cover, it
instead becomes fully covered. Attacks made against crea-
tures protected by partial cover gain disadvantage.
Full Cover completely disrupts the line of sight from one
or even multiple angles. A creature behind Full Cover can
still attack other creatures within range, but other creatures
cannot attack it.

Falling
Sometimes, the most deadly thing is not a bleeding gun
wound or a highly infectious disease, but the force of gravity
itself. For every three meters you fall, you suffer 1d6 physical
damage, which cannot be reduced by armor or by block-
ing. If you fall less than 12 meters and can fly or float, you 41
can negate all the damage taken unless you are restrained,
 Mission Completed Research
Whenever you finish a mission, you go into the down- Information is key. Even the smallest bit of in- II
time phase, where you have time to focus on yourself and formation can go a long way. When you research a
prepare for your next mission. Sometimes a downtime subject, such as a building’s floor plans, dig into the
phase can occur during a mission if you have enough time past of a mysterious individual, etc, you must make a Mind
to spare. During the downtime phase, you have a varying Test. The DR of the test depends on how difficult it is to
number of actions to achieve the following things: acquire information about the specific subject. Succeeding
Action Effect on the test grants you a single clue. Clues are small parts
of a bigger truth. For example, if you are researching about
Acquire Using your connections, wealth, and influence,
“The whereabouts of Asmodeus” on the Net, potential clues
you attempt to get your hands on an asset, or
could be articles about the Velvet Club’s involvement in a
multitude of assets.
recent gang war, or a forum board talking about how the
Recover You take it easy, allowing your wounds to heal Velvet Club has been more prevalent in certain neighbor-
and the Darkness within you to regenerate. hoods in Sodomorrah.
Research You delve deep into the Net, the Fetter, or even DR Research Difficulty
in ancient tomes to find information about a
10 Only need to check a webpage or two
variety of subjects.
14 Requires time and scrutiny
Training You exercise, meditate, or otherwise hone your
body and soul, slowly improving and naturally 18 Need to access the Fetter
accumulating power.
Training
Work You work a part-time job to earn some Lim- You train, enhancing your body and spirit through slow
boes on the side. and steady progress. Make a Training Test. To make a
Training Test, you must use the lowest attribute between
Acquire Flesh, Skin, or Soul. The DR of the Test varies depending on
Not all equipment can be found and bought over the
how hard you train, which also determines the progress you
counter. Some require lots of research and connections to
make. But remember, work smarter, not harder.
get a hold of, such as exotic weapons, mystical fetishes, or
If you succeed on your Training Test, you receive a num-
rare ritual ingredients. To acquire an asset, you must first
ber of points depending on how hard you trained. For every
determine how rare and hard to find it is. Then, you must
5 points you accumulate over multiple training sessions,
make an Insight or Spirit Test, the DR of which depending
you receive one point of Experience.
on a few factors.
DR Training Difficulty Points
DR Asset Rarity
10 Take it Easy 1
10 Special Explosives, Drugs, Cars
14 Exert Yourself 2
14 Fetish, Enchanted Weapons
18 Push Your Limits 3
18 Off-The-Market Weapons, Souls, Military Vehicles
Note that you cannot train using the same attribute twice
Mod Factor in a row. For example, if you train using Flesh, and you train
-2 Done research about the asset again, you have to use either Skin or Soul.
-2 Had help from a contact Work
+2 You are looking for multiples of the same asset If you decide to work during your Downtime Phase, you
+2 Asset is illegal or otherwise forbidden to have or can choose one of three types of labor, which determines
sell the Attribute you have to use on the Work Test: physical
(Flesh), mental (Mind), or social (Heart).
+4 Asset is considered legendary or is otherwise an-
After that, make make a Test using the respective attribute
cient
of your chosen work type, whose DR is determined by the
If you succeed, you manage to locate the asset. However,
difficulty of the gig. If you succeed, you receive normal pay.
to get your hands on it, you might need to spend some extra
If you fail, you only receive half as much payment for your
limboes, do a favor, or require a gig of their own, especially
services.
for rare or one-of-a-kind assets.
DR Work Difficulty Pay
Recover 10 Simple 15+2d6 L
You can relax, let your wounds heal, and your spirit reju-
14 Mediocre 30+5d6 L
venate. When you recover, you regain 2d6 + 2 Trauma, and
1d6 + 1 Darkness. 18 Difficult 60+10d6 L
 Character Advancement
II During the course of a campaign of Hellborn, the
player characters will go through a variety of ordeals
and situations, both painful and pleasant. Through
these experiences, they will evolve, both me-
chanically and narratively. Their scars and trials
will shape them and turn them bitter, colder and
drive them deeper into the spiral of inhumanity,
or turn them into honorable individuals willing
to improve and keep up their morals despite the
mounting stress and immorality that surrounds them
and beckons them to give in to the temptations of Hell.
Mechanically speaking, characters will earn a resource
called “experience points”, or XP at the end of every session.
The Gamemaster rewards players with different amounts of
experience based on what they have accomplished during
that session,l. The crew will also gain experience for com-
pleting goals that further advance the interests of the group
and the story. Players can then use these experience points
to improve their characters by increasing their stats and
gaining new perks and supernatural powers that will help
them in their escapades and adventures.
The entire crew earns experience for...
Finding creative solutions to problems the Game- 2 XP
master presents them with.
Winning in a fight, regardless of whether it is a 2 XP
physical one or a social one.
Succesfully completing a gig. 3 XP
Winning in a fight against a much stronger enemy 5 XP
or a character important to the story.
Finishing an Arc. 8 XP

Invidividual players earn experience for...

Participating in the session. 1 XP
Roleplaying a character's quirk or vice in a scene 2 XP Malefica Cost Table
where it would be detrimental to the crew.
Level Species Malefica Non-Species Malefica
Succeeding at something risky or outright insane. 3 XP
I 4 XP 5 XP
Displaying acts of heroism and ability to persevere 4 XP
II 8 XP 10 XP
during perilous moments in a session.
III 12 XP 15 XP
The costs for each purchase are listed down below. Addi-
tionally, higher-level Perks/Boon Techniques require the Attribute Cost Table
prerequisite of possessing a Perk/Technique of the previous Next Score Attribute Increase
level. For example, you cannot purchase a Level 3 Perk if 1 Always starts at 1.
you don't have a Level 2 one.
2 6 XP
Perk Cost Table 3 8 XP
Level Main Role Other Role 4 10 XP
I 5 XP 10 XP 5 12 XP
II 8 XP 12 XP 6 16 XP
III 10 XP 14 XP
43
 Chapter III II
Tools of the Trade
In the freeagent world, one’s gear and equipment are just useful items as well as to do things that would otherwise be
as necessary as their skills and expertise. Guns, armor, difficult to do.
clothing, tools, and other sorts of items are always useful Weapons, things such as rifles, pistols, shotguns, swords,
and sometimes necessary to use in some kinds of jobs. axes, crossbows, and many other kinds of stuff that can stab,
Each character begins with some equipment, usually the slash, bruise, and kill. Weapons, alongside armor and gear,
bare minimum, and perhaps a few other useful items such are the lifeblood of freeagents.
as upgrades for their weapons or secondary gear. Armors, upgrades that you can add to your clothing, and
Gear, items and curios that can be useful during a job, fortified protective equipment that can improve your chanc-
such as a pair of binoculars, ropes, crowbars, hammers, es of negating damage and avoiding grievous harm.
as well as tools of various kinds that one can use to craft

Name Use Cost

Lockpicking Set A set of various needles and prods that are used when lockpicking. Gain advantage 150L
when you use them to break into places or things.
Tinker’s Tools Screwdrivers, pliers, hammers, and other tools that engineers and juryriggers can use to 150L
tune up, fix, and break stuff. Gain advantage on appropriate rolls.
Grappling Hook A gun that shoots a monofilament rope-attached hook that allows its wielder to scale 200L
up walls and jump long distances with ease. It takes a Swift Action to fire. The Grap-
pling Hook can reach up to 20 meters. While latched to a point, the wielder can use a
Full Action to move 10 meters towards the latching point.
Fake Soulmark Soulmarks are Hell’s version of an ID. Each Soulmark is bound to a different individ- 500L
ual and contains all the information about them, constantly changing depending on
what happens in the individual’s life. Fake Soulmarks function similarly, but are instead
linked to a different, usually dead individual, making the equal parts rare and useful.
Handcuffs A simple and effective way to restrain a creature. Whenever you put the handcuffs on a 50L
creature, they become restrained. Note that you can only put the handcuffs on a willing
or otherwise incapacitated creature. If your Flesh score is six or higher, you can attempt
to break out of the handcuffs by succeeding on a DR 14 Flesh Test.
Burner Phones A burner phone is a simple and cheap phone capable of only making and receiving calls 40L
from others. A burner phone can make and receive three calls before its hardware is
fried and becomes useless.
Masks Simple, effective tools that allow you to conceal your identity. While not perfect, they 15L
are still leagues better than being fully exposed.
Sin Spice Sin Spice amplifies its users’ charisma and ambitions, granting them advantage to all 150L
Heart rolls for the next minute. Moreover, they cannot be shaken for the same amount
of time. Can be addictive.
Radio Earpieces A small earbud-like device that allows creatures tuned to the same frequency to com- 50L
municate with each other from afar. Has an effective range of 10 kilometers.
Bandages Linen wraps can help wounds heal and prevent bleeding. When used, they heal 1d6+2 25L
Harm and remove bleeding.
Vitality Vial Alchemical concoction that heals people. Recover 2d6 Trauma when consumed. 50L
Darkness Vial Distilled Darkness. Recover 1d6 Darkness when consumed. 50L
Portable Terminal Similar to a phone in use, but much more powerful, the portable terminal is perfect for 250L
all your hacking needs. You gain advantage on rolls made to hack into other devices
and tamper with external electronics. However, it is more vulnerable than a standard
terminal, and this weakness can be used against you and your cabalmates.
 Melee Weapons Heavy. You can use the weapon effectively only if you
II Each weapon possesses a plethora of properties have a Flesh score of 4 or higher. Using a heavy weapon with
that grant it new traits and features, and makes it a lower Flesh score forces you to make every attack with
different from other weapons in a variety of ways. disadvantage.
Ambidextrous. You can use a weapon with the ambi- Lacerating. As a Full Action, your next attack will inflict
dextrous property with one or two hands. Using two hands also inflict bleeding.
increases the damage by one dice. 1d6 become 2d6, and 2d6 Light. You can dual-wield this particular weapon thanks
becomes 3d6, etc. to how lightweight it is.
Cleaving. As a Full Action, your next attack will also hit Non-lethal. When a creature is reduced to 0 Trauma by
any creatures standing on the sides of the original target. a weapon with the non-lethal property, it instead becomes
Concealable. You can hide the weapon with ease, being unconscious.
able to smuggle it through security and hide it in plain sight One-Handed. Using this weapon requires you to use one
without great effort. of your hands to wield it.
Defensive. While wielding this weapon, you have a +2 to Two-Handed. Using this weapon requires you to use
your Block Tests. both your hands to wield it.

Name Damage Cost

Dagger 1d6 Physical 50L
One-Handed, Light, Concealable, Thrown (6/12m)
Sickle 1d6 Physical 50L
One-Handed, Light, Concealable, Cleaving
Quarterstaff 1d6 Physical 50L
Ambidextrous, Defensive, Non-Lethal
Shortsword 2d6 Physical 100L
One-Handed, Light, Lacerating
Longsword 3d6 Physical 150L
Ambidextrous, Cleaving, Lacerating Author’s note.
Tactical Baton 1d6 Physical 50L The Quickstart document is still a WIP, with many illustra-
tions, texts, and changes to the content pending.
One-Handed, Light, Concealable, Non-Lethal, Forceful
Tactical Axe 1d6 Physical 50L
One-Handed, Light, Cleaving
Battleaxe 3d6 Physical 150L
Two-Handed, Heavy, Cleaving
Rapier 2d6 Physical 100L
One Handed, Light, Defensive
Claws +1d6 Physical 50L
Unarmed, Lacerating
Gauntlets +1d6 Physical 50L
Unarmed, Defensive
Spear 2d6 Physical 100L
Two Handed, Defensive, Thrown (10/20m), 2m Range
Chakram 1d6 Physical 100L
One Handed, Light, Lacerating, Thrown (6/12m)
Whip 1d6 Physical 100L
One Handed, Lacerating, 3m Range
Katana 1d6 Physical 100L
Ambidextrous, Light, Cleaving
45
 Ranged Weapons is standing very close or has hearing-amplifying
Automatic/Burst (X). Whenever you attack with this powers. II
weapon, you make a number of attacks and use a number of Sniper. When attacking a creature within the
bullets equal to X. These attacks can be directed towards the weapon’s close range, you gain disadvantage to the
same or a different target. Attack Test. However, when attacking a creature within the
Brutal. Whenever you critically hit with this weapon, weapon’s far range, you suffer no penalty.
draw two tarot cards, and use either result. Sluggish Reload. You need to spend a Full Action to reload
Explosion (Xm). Whenever a weapon with this property this weapon.
hits its target, it deals the same amount of damage to every
other creature within an X-meter radius. If an attack with
Weapons
Ammunition is the vital companion of every gunslinger,
this weapon misses, roll a d8 to determine the direction
serving as the conduit between their weapon and their
it goes, with 1 being up, 3 being right, 5 being back, and 7
targets. Moreover, there are modifications that can be added
being left. Then, roll another d8 to determine how many
on normal ammunition (Light & Heavy), granting them
meters in the determined direction the projectile misses.
unique properties. Only one of these modifications can be
Fragile. If you critically miss when attacking with this
added on a quintet ammunition, and increase the cost of
weapon, the weapon breaks.
buying that type of ammuniton by a certain precentage.
Incendiary. Whenever you critically hit with this weapon,
the target is set on fire and becomes burning. Name Cost per 5
Kickback. Whenever you fire this weapon more, you roll Light Ammunition 25L
with disadvantage. Heavy Ammunition 50L
Quick Reload. You can reload this weapon as a Reaction at
the start or the end of your turn. Name Effect Cost Inc.
Shotgun (Xm). Whenever you attack with a weapon with Incendiary Inflicts burning on hit. +50%
this property, you must make an attack for every creature Hollow Point Inflicts bleeding on hit. +50%
caught in a cone of size equal to X. If you want to attack
Tesla Point Attack inflicts an additional +75%
a creature outside the Shotgun (Xm) range, you can only
1d6 electric damage on hit.
target one creature, and the damage is halved.
Silent. Whenever you attack with this weapon, it does Rubber Weapon’s damage becomes +20%
not make noise nor reveal your location, unless a creature non-lethal.
Pistols
Name Range Ammo Damage Cost
IDC Light Pistol 8/16m 9 Light 1d6 Physical 100
One-Handed, Light, Concealable
IDC Heavy Pistol 8/16m 6 Heavy 1d6 Physical 150L
One-Handed, Kickback
IDC Concealed Pistol 6/10m 6 Light 1d6 Physical 100
One-Handed, Concealable, Fragile
Skarlet Blaster 6/10m 4 Heavy 2d6 Physical 150L
One-Handed, Kickback, Brutal

Submachine Guns
Name Range Ammo Damage Cost
IDC Light SMG 8/16m 21 Light 1d6 Physical 150L
One-Handed, Light, Burst 3
IDC Heavy SMG 8/16m 21 Heavy 2d6 Physical 250L
Two-Handed, Burst 3
Serpentine Crotalis 10/20m 30 Light 1d6 Physical 250L
One-Handed, Fragile, Burst 5
Skarlet Razor 8/16m 40 Light 2d6 Physical 200L
Two-Handed, Burst 4, Kickback
 Shotguns
Name Range Ammo Damage Cost
IDC Pump Shotgun 3/8m 8 Heavy 3d6 Physical 150L
Two-Handed, Shotgun (3m)
IDC Double Barrel 3/8m 2 Heavy 4d6 Physical 200L
Two-Handed, Kickback, Shotgun (3m)
Skarlet Heavy Slugger 3/8m 3 Heavy 5d6 Physical 250L
Two-Handed, Sluggish Reload, Kickback, Shotgun (3m)
Skarlet Nomad 3/12m 6 Heavy 2d6 Physical 150L
Two-Handed, Quick Reload, Shotgun (3m)

Rifles
Name Range Ammo Damage Cost
IDC Autogun 10/20m 24 Light 1d6 Physical 200L
Two-Handed, Automatic 4
IDC Bolt Action 12/24m 8 Light 3d6 Physical 150L
Two-Handed, Accurate
IDC Sniper 8/32m 5 Light 3d6 Physical 150L
Two-Handed, Accurate, Sniper
Serpentine Basilisk 12/48m 4 Heavy 4d6 Physical 250L
Two-Handed, Sniper, Sluggish Reload, Armor Piercing, Kickback

Heavy Weapons
Name Range Ammo Damage Cost
Skarlet Overlord 10/20m 9 Light 3d6 Physical 500L
Two-Handed, Heavy, Kickback, Brutal, Automatic 4
Skarlet Tyrant 10/20m 6 Heavy 2d6 Physical 600L
Two-Handed, Heavy, Kickback, Automatic 5
Skarlet Flamebelcher 3m cone 6 Light 1d6 Physical 250L
Two-Handed, Armor Piercing, Heavy, Incendiary
Grenades
Name Range Damage Cost
Frag Grenade 10/20m 5d6 Physical 100L
Explosion (3m), Thrown (10/20m), Armor Piercing
Stun Grenade 10/20m - 100L
Explosion (3m), Thrown (10/20m), affected creatures must succeed on a DR 12 Flesh Test or be stunned for one turn.
Name Bonus Res. Red. Cost
Armors Light Armor +1 - - 50L
You want to stay alive during and after a fight? Then you
will need armor. Armors come in four tiers, each granting a Tough Clothing, Reinforced Jacket.
different bonus to a character’s Defense score: light, me- Medium Armor +2 -2 - 150L
dium, heavy, and ultraheavy. An armor’s Resistance score Bulletproof Vest, Flak-lined Clothing, Lawkeeper Armor
determines how much physical damage taken is reduced. Heavy Armor +3 -4 -2 300L
Meanwhile, the armor’s Reduction determines how much
Flak Jacket, Archaic Plate Armor, Knight Errant Armor
the wearer’s movement is reduced by while wearing the
armor. Superheavy Armor +4 +8 -3 800L
Bomb Suit, Power Armor, Modernized Plate Armor
 Rituals Performing a Ritual
Aside from powers, there’s another type of dark sorcery, When you have gathered everything you need, II
one practiced by more skill and experienced malefics: ritu- you can start performing a ritual. However, per-
alism. forming a ritual is not an easy task, and requires both
Ritualism, as the name suggests, involves creating, pre- time and effort, as well as succeeding on multiple Soul rolls,
paring, and performing rituals. Whereas powers are usually called Ritual Tests.
short-lasting or sometimes instantaneous effects, rituals Each ritual has three things, a Difficulty, a Threshold,
are much longer lasting, with some even being perpetual, and a Limit. The Difficulty determines the DR of the Ritual
provided the malefic who performs them is equal parts Test, which you will need to succeed on multiple times
skilled and prepared. if you want to properly perform the ritual. The
To perform a ritual, a malefic requires Threshold is the amount of times you need
three things, the ritual’s scroll, it’s ingredi- to succeed collectively for the ritual to be
ents, as well as a host. Every ritual and successfully perform. Lastly, the ritu-
it’s instructions are most of ten record al’s Limit is the number of times you
in a scroll or other parchment. In the can fail, before the ritual fails. Unless
modern days, however, a lot more specified otherwise, there’s nothing
well known rituals and their instruc- preventing you from repeating the
tions can be found in cryptic forums ritual. However, some rituals might
deep inside the infernal net. These re- cause significant harm to it’s caster if
cords keep track of all the rituals, rites, performed unsuccessfully, and might
and phrases required for the ritual’s even consume the ingredients it re-
effects to activate. quires.
However, to perform a ritual, you also You can perform a ritual at any time, but
usually need specific ingredients. These can be it is genereally preferred to perform a ritual in
anything, from the bones of a sinner, the blood of safe places, where you cannot be disturbed by out-
thirty sanguine people, or even a mechanical vessel. How side forces, such as interlopers or a stray bullet. If you are
these ingredients are used varies depending on the ritual. harmed or otherwise disturbed while performing a ritual,
One ritual might require you to spread ashes in a circle, your next Ritual Test has disadvantage.
while another one might need you to consume the ashes.
The last important component of a ritual is a host. Al- Learning Rituals
though it’s not necessary, having people to aid you in the Το learn a ritual, you must first purchase it. In ye old days,
process, both in the form of chanting and providing their you could buy a ritual scroll from an occultist, but nowa-
essence to aid the ritual’s result, and in the form of being days, many ritual lisences can be purchased online from
moral (or sometimes mortal) support. Having a host when digital stores. When you buy a ritual, you learn how to use
performing a ritual increases the ritual’s limit, allowing you it, and need not buy it again. Other members in your cabal
to mess up more times than usual. For every host member though will need to buy the ritual in order to learn how to
while performing a ritual, the ritual’s limit increases by 1. use it for themselves.
List of Rituals
Name Ingredients Diff. Thr. Lim. Cost
Ritual of Perpetuality One liter of darkness, a pact parchment. 16 3 1 450L
Make certain powers last forever, extending their duration indefinitely.
Ritual of Imprisonment Paint, the blood of the victim, pact parchment. 15 3 2 600L
Imprison an individual within a room, building, or a smaller circle.
Ritual of Rejuvenation A circle of blood, ground-up bone. 12 2 2 300L
Completely heal an individual’s injuries.
Ritual of Bones Any number of intact bones. 15 ? 3 450L
Break an individual’s bones, weakening and harming them in the process.
Ritual of Exanimation An object, athanator insence, knife made from infernite. 18 1 1 800L
Remove an individual’s soul from their body and bind it to an object, or consume it in the process
Ritual of Protection A symbol, a drop of the performer’s blood 12 1 2 450L
Create a warding circle that doesn’t allow anything to come in or come out of it, as long as the performer is motionless.
 Ritual of Perpetuality extreme bodily harm, allowing you to break the bones of
II Some powers are instant, while some can be main- other creatures instantly and without much hassle.
tained indefinitely. However, maintaining a power Difficulty 15
is no easy task, but with the help of this ritual, you Threshold ?
can cause any power that requires maintenance to remain Limit 3
indefinitely maintained, without you needing to focus on it, Ingredients Any number of bones.
or put a weight on your soul. When you succesfully perform this ritual, you break
Difficulty 16 another creature’s bones. The bones destroyed correspond
Threshold 3 to the bones you used in this ritual. For example, if in this
Limit 1 ritual, you used a tibia, a jawbone, and a rib, the target’s
Ingredients One liter of Darkness, a pact parchment. tibia, jawbone, and rib, would break. This ritual’s threshold
When you successfully perform this ritual, one power that and limit varies depending on the number of bones used,
you or an ally is currently maintaining becomes indefinitely with each bone increasing the threshold and decreasing the
maintained, and is bound to the pact parchment. Should limit of the ritual by 1.
the parchment be destroyed, the power will no longer be
maintained. Ritual of Exanimation
Souls are the lifeblood of every creature in Hell. Without
Ritual of Imprisonment a soul, you are not alive, simple as. Consuming a soul grants
Containing someone through physical means isn’t easy in you power, extends your lifespan, and makes you more
Hell. It is not unheard of for demons and sinners to break powerful overall. This ritual allows you to claim a creature’s
through their restraints with their bare hands, or use their soul, and use it as you please.
malefic powers to break free. With this ritual, however, one Difficulty 18
can contain even the toughest of denizens. Threshold 1
Difficulty 15 Limit 1
Threshold 3 Ingredients An object, athanator insence, knife made from
Limit 2 infernite.
Ingredients Paint, the blood of the target, pact parchment. By killing a creature with the infernite knife, it’s soul
When you successfully perform this ritual, the individual escapes it’s vessel, and is claimable for a few seconds. When
whose blood you used to perform the ritual is confined to you succesfully perform this ritual, you claim the creature’s
the space you surrounded with paint, which can be as large soul for yourself, and choose to either bind it to an object,
as an entire building, or as small as a meter-wide circle. The usually a limbo, to use it in the future for something else,
victim cannot exit this area by any means. Other creatures, or consume it on the spot, becoming more powerful and
however, can enter and exit without problem. To free a having a much longer lifespan. Failing to perform this ritual
prisoner bound by this ritual, one must destroy the pact will cause you and your host to take 2d6 mental damage.
parchment that was used in the ritual.
Ritual of Protection
Ritual of Rejuvenation True protection ain’t easy to come by, especially in Hell,
Naturally recovering from injuries of any sort can be a where nowhere is safe. You can walk down a busy street in
long and tedious process. With the help of this ritual, one Illaros and have a good chance of being stabbed, shot, blast-
can expedite the healing process tenfold, allowing them to ed by a malefic power, or get run over by a speeding car.
heal up This ritual is your key to true safety, blocking all incoming
Difficulty 12 harm that comes your way.
Threshold 2 Difficulty 16
Limit 2 Threshold 1
Ingredients A circle of blood, ground-up bone. Limit 2
Upon successfully performing this ritual, you or another Ingredients A symbol, a drop of the performer’s blood.
individual within a circle painted with blood and covered By lifting the symbol in the air, and by spilling some of
with bone dust will instantly regain 10d6 Trauma. Regard- your blood, you may create a protective field, causing every-
less of whether or not you succesfully perform this ritual, one within 3 meters of you to be immune to outside harm,
both the blood and the groun-up bone dust will be con- but make it impossible for them to harm anything outside
sumed by the ritual and destroyed. of the radius. This field remains active for as long as the
symbol is up in the air and you don’t move any further.
Ritual of Bones
Vengeance is a dish best served painfully, with this partic-
ularly vile ritual being a great tool for torture and to cause
 Outro X
Worse yet to Come
Thank you for reading through the (still in progress) Created by Eduard “MachDominus” Schuler, and Alkis
Quickstart for Hellborn Descended. Hellborn as a whole “Fern” Deli-Stavrieaneas.
has had quite the chaotic development cycle. Lack of bud- Additional support by Victoria Lilly, Maciej Białostocki,
get, lack of skill, lack of direction, and a myriad of other and the wonderful people of the 1sickpuppy team.
issues that come with being an amateur dev. Yet, we are
slowly yet surely pushing through, managing to actualise
our vision and create a version of Hellborn that we and
many others are satisfied with. We know we won’t create a
perfect product, but we at least want to create something
that we can call complete.
Our current plan is to first finish the Quickstart, before
we move forward with making the expansions for the game,
which will include additional rules, lore, equipment, and
player options previously featured in the main book.
These expansion books being...
Love and War, a Guide to Lust and Wrath
Finders Keepers, a Guide to Greed and Gluttony
Tip of the Iceberg, a Guide to Sloth and Envy
Brighter Side of Hell, a Guide to Pride and Despair
We’d love to release these all at once, as it’s overall a better
deal for the fans and the consumers, but unfortunately, we
simply can’t support that as a studio. Though, once we do
release all of them, we plan to combine them into one, dark
tome of infernal knowledge.

To Do
- Corrections across the board (typos, structure, etc)
- Playtest the hell out of (pun intended)
- Create a character sheet for the game

Things to Add
- Α species from each ring (Levinites, Fallen Angels,
Drakith)
- More paths (Slayer, Sentinel, Face) maleficas (Speculo,
Iunction, Divinus), and powers/perks for both
- Rules about souls
- A lexicon with all in-game and in-lore terms
- Some additional lore

Links and Articles

Studio Hex Discord Server - Here
Studio Hex Bluesky Page - Here
Studio Hex Youtube Channel - Here

Old Reviews/Articles
Review of Hellborn 1e by Awkward GM Corbin - Here
DTRPG Reviews for Hellborn 1e - Here
50 Hellborn 1e Review by KnavesandDaves - Here