Spectral-Sleuths

Spectral Sleuths: A Supernatural investigation game using the Distortion Dice system

In Spectral Sleuths, the players take on the role of investigators. Mostly ordinary humans who, for some reason or another, are driven to look into the strange and unexplainable, and often find themselves in over their heads because of it. Investigators will follow up on rumors and unexplainable stories to look for the truth. Hopefully finding it, and proof of the supernatural, if it doesn’t kill them first.

While investigators may have some abilities out of the norm, such as the ability to sense magic, commune with spirits, or ward a room, they are still mortal, and their powers would be very limited.

Inspirations include Supernatural, X-files, Old Gods of Appalachia, SCP, Liminal Horror, Monster of the Week, The Magnus Archives, Phasmophobia, Living for the Dead, and The Dead Files

The reason for investigation could be a number of things, such as

4 stats

Weight could be used to climb fences, force open doors that are stuck, or run away from something

Wiles can be used to interview witnesses, distract someone, and negotiate with intelligent beings

Wisdom could be used to pick up on patterns, use technical equipment, or do research into local history or mythology

Weird can be used to resist forces of the supernatural, perform rituals, and to keep calm when the unexplainable happens. it can also be used to commune with the spirit world, or detect energies in a room if your character has those abilities

Choose or Roll on one of the tables below, there are 3 different stat distributions depending on how specialized you want your character to be. Roll once and take the die ratings from that column. For a fully random character roll a d6 to choose which table

1 or 4 2 or 5 3 or 6
Well Rounded Focused Specialized
Well Rounded 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Weight d4 d6 d6 d6 d6 d4 d4 d6 d6 d8 d8 d8
Wiles d6 d4 d6 d6 d4 d6 d8 d8 d8 d4 d6 d6
Wisdom d6 d6 d4 d8 d8 d8 d6 d4 d6 d6 d4 d6
Weird d8 d8 d8 d8 d4 d6 d6 d6 d4 d6 d6 d4
Focused 1 2 3 4 5 6
Weight d4 d4 d8 d4 d8 d8
Wiles d4 d8 d4 d8 d4 d8
Wisdom d8 d4 d4 d8 d8 d4
Wierd d8 d8 d8 d4 d4 d4
Specialized 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Weight d4 d4 d6 d4 d4 d6 d4 d4 d6 d10 d10 d10
Wiles d4 d6 d4 d4 d6 d4 d10 d10 d10 d6 d4 d4
Wisdom d6 d4 d4 d10 d10 d10 d4 d6 d4 d4 d6 d4
Wierd d10 d10 d10 d6 d4 d4 d6 d4 d4 d4 d4 d6

Aspects

Important parts of being an investigator (answer 3):

Set all of your aspects to d6. Or set one to d4, one to d6, and one to d8

Things that hold you back (answer 2):

Set both of your negative aspects to d6

Assets

Pick one signature asset that starts at a d8. This asset is always the same, and should be significant to your character.

A signature asset should be something like

you also carry 3 mundane items rated at a d6. these items can be defined during play and can change every investigation

Some mundane items you might bring

Harm

Harm can only be reduced through a specific action, or through rest. Each day, you can rest for a few minutes and reduce one harm track by one. Each rest after that must be an hour or more. Resting overnight can reduce each harm track by one. The time between investigations generally counts as resting overnight unless otherwise specified. For long time lapses between investigations, all harm can be reduced back to a d4.

Doing first aid, helping calm someone down, using cleansing or warding magic can all count as actions that reduce harm as long as they make sense for the harm being reduced.

If Harm is raised above a d12, that character is incapacitated and takes on or raises a negative aspect. An incapacitated character is retired if they are not removed from that situation. An incapacitated character cannot act on their own. If a negative aspect would be raised above a d12 that character is automatically retired and cannot be saved.

Tension Die

this is a die that represents the constant tension and risk involved in an investigation. There are two version of the Tension Die, a rising Tension Die, and a Static Tension Die. The static Tension Die is constant and represents the constant supernatural threat of an investigation. Like all other dice, it can be anywhere from a d4 to a d12. Unlike other dice, it cannot be stepped down.

The rising Tension die starts at a d4 or d6 and represents a potentially growing threat. As the players investigate, background forces are also going to work towards their goals, and when those goals are achieved, the tension die grows. If those goals are thwarted, the tension die shrinks. If it raises above a d12, the ultimate goal of the antagonists is reached, the players, and possible the entire world, lose. If it’s lowered below a d4, the antagonists are defeated, and their threat is gone.

Investigations

Sleuths take on investigations based on rumors they’ve heard or because someone has requested them. Their goal is generally to get to the bottom of what is going on, and potentially find a solution.

Investigations should start with something small that could be hard to explain. Things like unexplainable lights or noises, strange animal behavior, feelings of unease, lost time, things suspiciously going missing. As the sleuths investigate, things will become increasingly complex and dangerous. Investigations will involve looking into the history of an area, questioning witnesses, and using equipment to detect, record, and put a stop to unusual events.

Surviving and going up against supernatural forces often involve finding your way out of traps, withstanding otherworldly forces, and even using brute force.

Inspiration and Advancement

At the beginning of each session, each character starts with 1 Inspiration. Any roll with a negative or mixed consequence gives you an inspiration. Using a negative aspect in a roll also gives you an inspiration. Inspiration is gained once the roll is resolved, so that inspiration cannot be spent in the roll where it is granted.

Before a roll is made Inspiration can be spent to increase any single die in your pool, or to include a die that is not applicable to your roll.

After a roll is made, Inspiration can be spent to change what type of harm you take. Inspiration can also keep a character from being retired if they are incapacitated but are unable to be helped by the other investigators in time. If rolling to create a temporary asset, inspiration can be spent to increase the asset from a d6 to a d8.

Unspent Inspiration turns into Advancement at the end of a session. Advancement can be spent to improve a stat, improve an aspect, lower a negative aspect, or gain a new aspect.

Stat increase cost

15 20 25 30
d4 -> d6 d6 -> d8 d8 -> d10 d10 -> d12

Aspect increase cost

10 15 20 25
new D6 aspect d6 -> d8 d8 -> d10 d10 -> d12

Negative Aspect decrease cost

Decreasing a negative aspect always costs 10 advancement. A negative aspect has a minimum of d4. A negative aspect can never be removed.

Sections to Add

Negative Aspects tables to roll on when you’re taken out. One for each stat

Sample creatures, anomalies, and other strange phenomena