Basic Horror RPG

Basic Horror is a simple, one-page roleplaying game that focuses on minimizing the rolls at the table without leaving the players and GM without rules to govern play. Character creation is fast and can be sped up even more by choosing/rolling for a profession with a premade stat-line from either the "Pulp" or "Modern" professions add-on.

List of Inspirations:

• The works of H.P. Lovecraft, Junji Ito, and Zach Cregger
• The Backrooms (the movie and the concept)
• NoSleep (Reddit forum)
• TalesFromTheCreeps (Reddit forum)
• Creepypastas (in general)
  
• CreepCast (podcast)
  
• The SCP Foundation
• TheVolgun (Youtuber)
• Delta Green by Arc Dream Publishing
• Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium
• The Dungeon Dive (Youtuber, specifically his Arkham Horror series)
• Liminal Horror by Goblin Archives
• The Glass Cannon Network: Get in the Trunk (actual-play podcast)
• Seth Skorkowsky (Youtuber)

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This game is compatible with Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green, and Liminal Horror products with minimal editing on your part. Be warned, Basic Horror can be quite deadly, so if you're used to Pulp Cthulhu, Achtung! Cthulhu, or similar games where action is more prevalent, I'd recommend this small change:

The first iteration of any type of injury is ignored by the Investigator. They get lucky. Mark that type of injury. Should they suffer that type of injury again, they suffer it normally. If they suffer it a third time, they instead go down to the next injury (from 5 to 6).

Even with these connections, do not feel that this game is limited to cosmic horror. I specifically made it to not only play out a simplified version of my favorite scenarios from those other games, but also to create and play Creepypasta, SCP, and horror-movies-I-liked-based cases. Go wild with it, and let me know what you made so I can help promote it as well.

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Inside the trifold rules PDF you will find:

• A short, simple character sheet attached to the rules
• Investigators creation
• Actions and saves
• Credit, overdrawing, and medical debt
• Professional training and lines of credit
• Clarity, panic, and bonds
• Memetic distortions
• Fast and deadly combat
• Chases mechanics
• Downtime actions
• Ten lingering disorders

Inside the professions PDF you will find:

• 30 modern professions
• 30 pulp-era (20s-30s) professions
• Advice for running themed parties of Investigators
• Rules for calling the police in the modern day
• Rules for calling the police in the pulp era
• Rules for requesting something special from your employer
• 7 circles to run in for the modern era
• 7 circles to run in for the pulp era

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Attached to this is a free case for your players to tackle: Best Left Buried. It begins with a package sent by a dead relative with a bottle of moonshine with the names of four Oklahoma moonshiners from the 1950s on the bottle. It ends with body horror and nearly a century of plotting revenge coming to fruition.

Consider this a tutorial adventure for all the GMs and players, getting them used to mechanics and the types of adventures they will encounter while playing Basic Horror. It was designed and laid out with ease-of-use in mind and was my first time making a "realistic looking" product like this. I think it came out pretty well.

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Basic Horror was written and laid out by Reese Surles
Thumbnail Art is Inunaki Tunnel by Trent Anthony Francis

Basic Horror © 2026 by Reese Surles is licensed under CC BY 4.0