Occult Horror
Occult Horror isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it for those seeking shallow caricatures of the occult. This book aims to embody the unsettling truths that make occultism enduring and unnerving. Grounded in historical traditions and eschewing religious overtones, it pulls inspiration from the real and the imagined, creating a toolkit designed to capture the spirit of occultism without drowning in tired tropes or clichés.
I wrote this because most other attempts to bring historical occult themes into roleplaying either miss the mark or feel hollow. They scratch the surface, leaning too heavily on the obvious, the theatrical, and the grotesque. I wanted something that respects the material, something that leans into the eerie and the strange without pandering. Occult Horror reflects that ethos, creating a setting that feels tangible and alive, with enough ambiguity to let you shape its truths to fit your story.
At its core, this is a character-driven experience where the decisions you make define the narrative. Every choice carries weight. Every revelation comes at a price. The game challenges you to confront not just the terrors lurking in shadowed corridors or forgotten tomes but the fears that reside within yourself. This is horror where agency matters, where the collaboration between you and your group breathes life into the story, making every session unpredictable and haunting.
What makes this sourcebook different is the focus on imagination and collaboration. It’s not about rigid rules or pre-determined plots. It’s about offering tools that empower you to explore occultism’s darker corners, whether it’s through forbidden rituals, cryptic supporting characters, or unsettling truths that feel just a little too close to reality. The book invites you to shape your own horrors, drawing from the uncanny and the unknowable rather than leaning on well-trodden gimmicks.
The tone here is serious and steeped in dread. It’s the slow burn of unraveling a mystery that was never meant to be solved. It’s the creeping suspicion that what you’ve uncovered is just the beginning. The setting is steeped in the unsettling vibe of occultism, where hidden knowledge and forbidden practices shape the narrative, and where the line between belief and madness blurs with every decision.
If you’ve ever been captivated by the subtle horror of works that let your imagination do the heavy lifting, this is for you. If you want a sourcebook that doesn’t just give you a map but hands you the tools to build your own labyrinth, this is where you begin. Occult Horror isn’t about jump scares or cheap thrills. It’s about storytelling that lingers, that takes root and grows into something far more sinister than you expected. Are you ready to confront the shadows?
This book, inspired by Occult Fantasy (also published by Lightspress), builds on the same core structure and foundational exploration of Occult history. However, it isn’t merely a reiteration of the original work. Instead, it offers a thoughtfully reimagined approach, specifically tailored to the horror genre in roleplaying, providing fresh insights and unique content distinct from traditional heroic fantasy.
Navigating This Book
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll find in these pages, designed to immerse you in the unsettling essence of the occult within horror roleplaying:
Occult Horror: We begin by defining the occult as it applies to these stories, stripping away misconceptions and stereotypes to reveal its true relevance in horror roleplaying settings. This section explores how the occult isn’t just a backdrop for creepy aesthetics but a deeply rooted concept tied to fear, mystery, and the human need to understand the unknowable.
Occult Traditions: This section investigates the rituals and traditions that have persisted through the centuries, focusing on their adaptation to horror. From age-old ceremonies to whispered taboos, you’ll find ways to incorporate these elements into your setting, transforming mundane practices into terrifying encounters.
Occult Practices: Every culture has moments of celebration that are laced with deeper meanings. Here, we’ll explore how holidays and practices can take a dark turn, bringing an eerie resonance to your narratives. Learn how to transform seemingly benign traditions into sinister rituals or cursed observances that shape the tone of your stories.
Hidden Knowledge: The allure of the occult lies in its secrets. This section examines how the pursuit of forbidden knowledge can drive a character’s story, shape their motivations, and twist the narrative into something hauntingly personal. Use these tools to create mysteries that pull your players deeper into the darkness.
The Spirit of the Occult: The occult isn’t just about symbols and rituals. It’s a philosophy, an attitude, a way of viewing the world through a shadowed lens. This section focuses on capturing that spirit and holding onto it through the horror, ensuring your setting never loses its uncanny atmosphere or emotional depth.
Capturing the Mood: Horror thrives on mood, and this section helps you bring the uncanny and the unsettling to every moment of your story. From the quiet dread of a forgotten room to the sheer terror of the unknown closing in, you’ll find tools to evoke the feel and emotion of the occult in every session.
Characters: Crafting characters imbued with the themes of the occult adds depth to your setting. Whether they’re practitioners, skeptics, or those unwittingly drawn into the shadows, this section helps you inject them with the kind of nuance that makes them unforgettable. Learn how to create complex, believable characters that embody the occult’s eerie essence.
Worldbuilding: The occult can seep into every corner of your setting, from the architecture to the culture to the very way people interact with their world. This section guides you in integrating those elements seamlessly, adding layers of mystery and dread to your stories.
Adventures: Whether you’re creating one-shot stories or building an overarching campaign, this section offers guidance on threading the occult through every narrative. Add twists, turns, and unsettling discoveries that ensure your adventures stay true to the themes of mystery and horror.
Reference: Finally, we provide a comprehensive collection of stock characters, creatures, and equipment to make your sessions more immersive. You’ll also find practical notes on converting this material into the system of your choice, making it easy to adapt everything in these pages to your preferred mechanics.
105 pages. PDF and epub files included.
Occult Horror isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it for those seeking shallow caricatures of the occult. This book aims to embody the unsettling truths that make occultism enduring and unnerving. Grounded in historical traditions and eschewing religious overtones, it pulls inspiration from the real and the imagined, creating a toolkit designed to capture the spirit of occultism without drowning in tired tropes or clichés.
I wrote this because most other attempts to bring historical occult themes into roleplaying either miss the mark or feel hollow. They scratch the surface, leaning too heavily on the obvious, the theatrical, and the grotesque. I wanted something that respects the material, something that leans into the eerie and the strange without pandering. Occult Horror reflects that ethos, creating a setting that feels tangible and alive, with enough ambiguity to let you shape its truths to fit your story.
At its core, this is a character-driven experience where the decisions you make define the narrative. Every choice carries weight. Every revelation comes at a price. The game challenges you to confront not just the terrors lurking in shadowed corridors or forgotten tomes but the fears that reside within yourself. This is horror where agency matters, where the collaboration between you and your group breathes life into the story, making every session unpredictable and haunting.
What makes this sourcebook different is the focus on imagination and collaboration. It’s not about rigid rules or pre-determined plots. It’s about offering tools that empower you to explore occultism’s darker corners, whether it’s through forbidden rituals, cryptic supporting characters, or unsettling truths that feel just a little too close to reality. The book invites you to shape your own horrors, drawing from the uncanny and the unknowable rather than leaning on well-trodden gimmicks.
The tone here is serious and steeped in dread. It’s the slow burn of unraveling a mystery that was never meant to be solved. It’s the creeping suspicion that what you’ve uncovered is just the beginning. The setting is steeped in the unsettling vibe of occultism, where hidden knowledge and forbidden practices shape the narrative, and where the line between belief and madness blurs with every decision.
If you’ve ever been captivated by the subtle horror of works that let your imagination do the heavy lifting, this is for you. If you want a sourcebook that doesn’t just give you a map but hands you the tools to build your own labyrinth, this is where you begin. Occult Horror isn’t about jump scares or cheap thrills. It’s about storytelling that lingers, that takes root and grows into something far more sinister than you expected. Are you ready to confront the shadows?
This book, inspired by Occult Fantasy (also published by Lightspress), builds on the same core structure and foundational exploration of Occult history. However, it isn’t merely a reiteration of the original work. Instead, it offers a thoughtfully reimagined approach, specifically tailored to the horror genre in roleplaying, providing fresh insights and unique content distinct from traditional heroic fantasy.
Navigating This Book
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll find in these pages, designed to immerse you in the unsettling essence of the occult within horror roleplaying:
Occult Horror: We begin by defining the occult as it applies to these stories, stripping away misconceptions and stereotypes to reveal its true relevance in horror roleplaying settings. This section explores how the occult isn’t just a backdrop for creepy aesthetics but a deeply rooted concept tied to fear, mystery, and the human need to understand the unknowable.
Occult Traditions: This section investigates the rituals and traditions that have persisted through the centuries, focusing on their adaptation to horror. From age-old ceremonies to whispered taboos, you’ll find ways to incorporate these elements into your setting, transforming mundane practices into terrifying encounters.
Occult Practices: Every culture has moments of celebration that are laced with deeper meanings. Here, we’ll explore how holidays and practices can take a dark turn, bringing an eerie resonance to your narratives. Learn how to transform seemingly benign traditions into sinister rituals or cursed observances that shape the tone of your stories.
Hidden Knowledge: The allure of the occult lies in its secrets. This section examines how the pursuit of forbidden knowledge can drive a character’s story, shape their motivations, and twist the narrative into something hauntingly personal. Use these tools to create mysteries that pull your players deeper into the darkness.
The Spirit of the Occult: The occult isn’t just about symbols and rituals. It’s a philosophy, an attitude, a way of viewing the world through a shadowed lens. This section focuses on capturing that spirit and holding onto it through the horror, ensuring your setting never loses its uncanny atmosphere or emotional depth.
Capturing the Mood: Horror thrives on mood, and this section helps you bring the uncanny and the unsettling to every moment of your story. From the quiet dread of a forgotten room to the sheer terror of the unknown closing in, you’ll find tools to evoke the feel and emotion of the occult in every session.
Characters: Crafting characters imbued with the themes of the occult adds depth to your setting. Whether they’re practitioners, skeptics, or those unwittingly drawn into the shadows, this section helps you inject them with the kind of nuance that makes them unforgettable. Learn how to create complex, believable characters that embody the occult’s eerie essence.
Worldbuilding: The occult can seep into every corner of your setting, from the architecture to the culture to the very way people interact with their world. This section guides you in integrating those elements seamlessly, adding layers of mystery and dread to your stories.
Adventures: Whether you’re creating one-shot stories or building an overarching campaign, this section offers guidance on threading the occult through every narrative. Add twists, turns, and unsettling discoveries that ensure your adventures stay true to the themes of mystery and horror.
Reference: Finally, we provide a comprehensive collection of stock characters, creatures, and equipment to make your sessions more immersive. You’ll also find practical notes on converting this material into the system of your choice, making it easy to adapt everything in these pages to your preferred mechanics.
105 pages. PDF and epub files included.
Occult Horror isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it for those seeking shallow caricatures of the occult. This book aims to embody the unsettling truths that make occultism enduring and unnerving. Grounded in historical traditions and eschewing religious overtones, it pulls inspiration from the real and the imagined, creating a toolkit designed to capture the spirit of occultism without drowning in tired tropes or clichés.
I wrote this because most other attempts to bring historical occult themes into roleplaying either miss the mark or feel hollow. They scratch the surface, leaning too heavily on the obvious, the theatrical, and the grotesque. I wanted something that respects the material, something that leans into the eerie and the strange without pandering. Occult Horror reflects that ethos, creating a setting that feels tangible and alive, with enough ambiguity to let you shape its truths to fit your story.
At its core, this is a character-driven experience where the decisions you make define the narrative. Every choice carries weight. Every revelation comes at a price. The game challenges you to confront not just the terrors lurking in shadowed corridors or forgotten tomes but the fears that reside within yourself. This is horror where agency matters, where the collaboration between you and your group breathes life into the story, making every session unpredictable and haunting.
What makes this sourcebook different is the focus on imagination and collaboration. It’s not about rigid rules or pre-determined plots. It’s about offering tools that empower you to explore occultism’s darker corners, whether it’s through forbidden rituals, cryptic supporting characters, or unsettling truths that feel just a little too close to reality. The book invites you to shape your own horrors, drawing from the uncanny and the unknowable rather than leaning on well-trodden gimmicks.
The tone here is serious and steeped in dread. It’s the slow burn of unraveling a mystery that was never meant to be solved. It’s the creeping suspicion that what you’ve uncovered is just the beginning. The setting is steeped in the unsettling vibe of occultism, where hidden knowledge and forbidden practices shape the narrative, and where the line between belief and madness blurs with every decision.
If you’ve ever been captivated by the subtle horror of works that let your imagination do the heavy lifting, this is for you. If you want a sourcebook that doesn’t just give you a map but hands you the tools to build your own labyrinth, this is where you begin. Occult Horror isn’t about jump scares or cheap thrills. It’s about storytelling that lingers, that takes root and grows into something far more sinister than you expected. Are you ready to confront the shadows?
This book, inspired by Occult Fantasy (also published by Lightspress), builds on the same core structure and foundational exploration of Occult history. However, it isn’t merely a reiteration of the original work. Instead, it offers a thoughtfully reimagined approach, specifically tailored to the horror genre in roleplaying, providing fresh insights and unique content distinct from traditional heroic fantasy.
Navigating This Book
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll find in these pages, designed to immerse you in the unsettling essence of the occult within horror roleplaying:
Occult Horror: We begin by defining the occult as it applies to these stories, stripping away misconceptions and stereotypes to reveal its true relevance in horror roleplaying settings. This section explores how the occult isn’t just a backdrop for creepy aesthetics but a deeply rooted concept tied to fear, mystery, and the human need to understand the unknowable.
Occult Traditions: This section investigates the rituals and traditions that have persisted through the centuries, focusing on their adaptation to horror. From age-old ceremonies to whispered taboos, you’ll find ways to incorporate these elements into your setting, transforming mundane practices into terrifying encounters.
Occult Practices: Every culture has moments of celebration that are laced with deeper meanings. Here, we’ll explore how holidays and practices can take a dark turn, bringing an eerie resonance to your narratives. Learn how to transform seemingly benign traditions into sinister rituals or cursed observances that shape the tone of your stories.
Hidden Knowledge: The allure of the occult lies in its secrets. This section examines how the pursuit of forbidden knowledge can drive a character’s story, shape their motivations, and twist the narrative into something hauntingly personal. Use these tools to create mysteries that pull your players deeper into the darkness.
The Spirit of the Occult: The occult isn’t just about symbols and rituals. It’s a philosophy, an attitude, a way of viewing the world through a shadowed lens. This section focuses on capturing that spirit and holding onto it through the horror, ensuring your setting never loses its uncanny atmosphere or emotional depth.
Capturing the Mood: Horror thrives on mood, and this section helps you bring the uncanny and the unsettling to every moment of your story. From the quiet dread of a forgotten room to the sheer terror of the unknown closing in, you’ll find tools to evoke the feel and emotion of the occult in every session.
Characters: Crafting characters imbued with the themes of the occult adds depth to your setting. Whether they’re practitioners, skeptics, or those unwittingly drawn into the shadows, this section helps you inject them with the kind of nuance that makes them unforgettable. Learn how to create complex, believable characters that embody the occult’s eerie essence.
Worldbuilding: The occult can seep into every corner of your setting, from the architecture to the culture to the very way people interact with their world. This section guides you in integrating those elements seamlessly, adding layers of mystery and dread to your stories.
Adventures: Whether you’re creating one-shot stories or building an overarching campaign, this section offers guidance on threading the occult through every narrative. Add twists, turns, and unsettling discoveries that ensure your adventures stay true to the themes of mystery and horror.
Reference: Finally, we provide a comprehensive collection of stock characters, creatures, and equipment to make your sessions more immersive. You’ll also find practical notes on converting this material into the system of your choice, making it easy to adapt everything in these pages to your preferred mechanics.
105 pages. PDF and epub files included.