June 30, 2009: Call For Playtesters: GURPS Horror

The stars are right for another manifestation of that Unspeakable Evil, GURPS Horror! Penned by illuminatus Kenneth Hite, this grimoire reveals the arcane secrets of running a successful horror campaign. Extensive advice to players and GMs is key, but this is bolstered by a plethora of bone-snapping crunch that demands careful experimentation: monstrous abilities, statistics for a legion of dreadful Things, tools for fools who would hunt these Horrors, and enhanced rules for fear, madness, and Horrid Tumors.

When we last cast the bones, we learned that the stars would move into alignment on July 10 and remain that way until August 11. If you are a horror-steeped Adept of GURPS and available during that period, then we could use your help in the ritual circle. The only hard requirement is sufficient sacrifices to Plutus: Playtesters must be registered e23 customers who have spent more than $50 at e23 in the past 12 months.

Experience is always an asset in such grim matters, though! At minimum, the Whispering Voices expect you to be conversant with the GURPS Basic Set. Facility with theses on eldritch powers -- especially GURPS Powers and GURPS Thaumatology -- is another thing that They regard favorably. Familiarity with even older writings, particularly past incarnations of GURPS Horror, is also valuable. Finally, as there are so many creatures here, those who have previously demonstrated a gift for deciphering The Numbers That Describe The Beast (i.e., checking stats) will move to the top of the queue.

Prospective playtesters should e-mail jwilson@io.com with [GH] in the subject. Include your preferred e-mail address for the hermetic playtest mailing list, correct spelling of your name as it may appear in print (True Name optional), your e23 login name, and a few words on why we would want to be down a dark cellar with you: qualifications, experience, etc. relevant to horror gaming. Also tell us your favorite work of horror -- be it comic, film, novel, RPG, television show, or video game -- since 1999, as well as your favorite of all time. Information about preferred submission formatting is in the forum post for this playtest call.

-- Steven Marsh