Maléfices
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Maléfices (French: "Evil Acts" or "Hexes") is a French role-playing game created by Michel Gaudo and Guillaume Rohmer. It was published by game company Jeux Descartes from 1985 to 1994 and was the first original French-language horror role-playing game. Although it had well-crafted adventures, it lost market share to Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu, which expanded on the fanbase that Maléfices itself had created. This is ironic because Call of Cthulhu was printed earlier under license by Jeux Descartes as l'Appel de Cthulhu, starting with their translation of Chaosium's Second Edition of the rules in 1984.
The core rules have been published in three editions: the 1st in 1985 and 2nd (Revised Edition) in 1988 by Jeux Descartes. The expanded 3rd Edition (288 pages long – triple the size of the earlier volumes) was printed in 2004 by Editions du Club Pythagore. They began work on new material, publishing the adventures Danse Macabre ("The Grim Dance") and La Cornemuse du Vieux Jeremiah ("Old Jeremiah's Bagpipes"), and sold PDFs of the old material. The 3rd Edition was later reprinted in 2007 by Asmodée Éditions.
In 2016 Arkhane Asylum Publishing received the rights to Maléfices from Michel Gaudo. In October 2018 they were crowdfunded through to begin work on a new version of the game (comprising a new core book, game screen, and Tarot Deck), with new supporting material to come. They would also reissue compatible versions of the old supplements and adventures. The first reissues are to be Une Étrange Maison de Poupée ("A Strange Doll's House") and Le Drame de la Rue des Récollets ("A Drama on the Street of the Recollects"). A gaming magazine, L’Étoile du Matin ("The Morning Star"), would also be created that would exclusively print articles and material supporting Maléfices. As of yet the company has not accomplished any of these goals.
Setting[]
Maléfices – le jeu de rôle qui sent le soufre... ("the role-playing game with the scent of sulphur")
The game is set during the early part of the French Third Republic (1870–1940). It is a time where the reason, science and industry of the cities is confronting the superstitions, legends, and witchcraft of the countryside. The players' characters are ordinary people, who belong to le Club Pythagore ("The Pythagorean Club"), an association of gentlemen (and ladies) dedicated to fighting the darkness, with the help of Faith, Science, or even Magic.
The players must expect mystery and the supernatural rather than the gore and overt fantastical elements of other horror games. However, whether the threat is a haunted house or a mad scientist, the cloven footprints of the Devil are found not far off. Much like Call of Cthulhu, Malefices was about investigators trying to stop evil forces from destroying mankind but just delaying the inevitable for a while. The start of the First World War in 1914 apparently heralds the beginning of the end.
Mechanics[]
The game uses a pair of ten-sided dice and a deck of tarot cards to resolve actions. A d10 roll would use the results of one ten-sided die. A d100 roll uses one ten-sided die of one color as the "tens" column and one ten-sided die as the "ones" column to generate percentages.
A color-coded table divided by percents or ranges of numbers generated by the dice indicates the results (much like TSR's Marvel Super Heroes RPG). The Seuil de Réussite (Success Threshold) indicates the roll the player has to make. This is divided into "Pass" (Réussite) or "Fail" (Echec). Results are subdivided from best to worst into "A", "B", "C", "D" and "E", like a report card (with "E" being equivalent to "F" for "failure").
Under "Pass", "A" is a perfect result (Parfait) that is an automatic success. The others are a spectrum of success with "B" being "Very Good" (Très Bonne), "C" being "Good" (Bonne) and "D" being "Average" (Moyenne). Under "Fail", "A" is a recoverable failure (Rattrapable), "B" is "A Little Serious" (Peu Grave), "C" is "Serious" (Grave), and "D" is "Very Serious" (Très Grave). "E" is a Critical Failure (Critique), but its degree is judged by subtracting the result of the botched roll from the value of the maximum level of success.
The results are modified by drawing tarot cards, much like the Poker deck used in Classic Deadlands. One interesting mechanic is that the La Chance ("Luck") card grants the character a Critical Success on any roll they want and the La Mort ("Death") card allows the MJ (Meneur de Jeu, or "Game Master") to give a Critical Failure on a character's important roll whenever they choose. An interesting effect is that players who have the "Death" card hovering over them might engage in risky behavior that requires the drawing of more cards in the hope of drawing a "Luck" card, much like a gambler in the hole might do.
Fluide rolls (see Fluide in the Attributes section) are handled as the opposite of Skill or Action rolls (kind of like The Devil was making the roll rather than the player). To every magical effect, a number is associated, called Seuil de Pratique de l'Acte (SPA, "Threshold for Practice of the Act"). This gives the difficulty of the effect and the chance for side-effects and botches. An "E" means there are no consequences and "D", "C", "B" and "A" are botches. A botched roll has dire consequences, with "D" being minor and "A" being serious or even deadly for the character.
Attributes[]
Personnages Joueurs ("Player Characters") have seven attributes: 4 Bodily attributes, 2 Spiritual Attributes, and 1 Magical Attribute.
Each attribute score has a minimum level of 1 and a maximum of 20. Player Characters' Spiritual and Magical attributes have set minimum levels to set them apart from most Non-Player Characters and to give them a better chance of success.
The player first picks a profession and has to roll on a d100 chart for the Age and Constitution of the character, which affect the bodily attributes. (Female characters have period-based limitations on the professions they may choose.)
The four bodily attributes are Capacités Physiques ("Physical Abilities", or Strength), Habileté ("Ability" or Dexterity), Culture Générale ("General Knowledge" or Education), and Perception ("Alertness"). Capacités Physiques is based on Age, Constitution, and Profession, while the latter three (Habileté, Culture Générale, and Perception) are just based on Age and Profession.
The two opposing spiritual attributes are Ouverture d'Esprit ("Open-Mindedness", or Reason) and Spiritualité ("Spirituality", or Faith). They are point-based and are created by dividing 20 points between them (much like the contrasting attributes in the Pendragon RPG). Characters start with a minimum level of 6 in either attribute. These attributes have a lot of in-game effects, but in general Ouverture d'Esprit gives a bonus to resist fear and Spiritualité gives a bonus to resist occult manipulation.
Fluide ("Flow" or "Supernatural Powers"), the seventh attribute (with a minimum level of 5), is secretly rolled by the Meneur de Jeu for the character. It determines how well they can manipulate the supernatural realm. It grants a bonus to one of the three magical attributes (all of which normally have a base level of "0"). Seuil de Pratique de la Magie Blanche (SPMB, "Threshold for Practicing White Magic") and Seuil de Pratique de la Magie Noire (SPMN, "Threshold for Practicing Black Magic") are the attributes for the use of magic. Seuil de Pratique de la Magie Autre (SPMA, "Threshold for Practicing Other Magic") is the attribute for using Psychic powers or sensing the supernatural realm. Only the Mener de Jeu knows what the bonus is and to which form of magic it applies. This keeps magic and psychic powers a dangerous mystery to the players.
Then a spread of five Tarot cards are drawn, like a hand of Poker. Four are shown to the player and one is kept secret by the Meneur de Jeu (the Dealer). They are interpreted to affect the character, granting bonuses and penalties to Fluide and the types of magic. For example L'Archange ("the Archangel") and Le Vicaire ("the Priest") give bonuses to Spiritualité and SPMB, Le Diable ("The Devil") and Le Sorcier ("The Sorcerer") give bonuses to Ouverture d'Esprit and SPMN, and Le Grand Livre ("The Great Grimoire") gives you bonuses to Fluide, Ouverture d'Esprit and Spiritualité. The hidden card and its influence is kept secret from the player.
Rules Sets[]
First Edition / Revised (Second Edition)[]
The first and second edition rules came in a box set with the rulebook, adventure booklet, 4-panel game master screen, 2 ten-sided dice, 20 cardboard tarot cards, and 21 two-sided cardboard character figures with plastic standee bases.
The Tarot deck (referred to as le Grand Jeu de la Connaissance – "the Great Game of Knowledge") was designed by LeCordelier and illustrated by Gilles Lautussier. In the First Edition, the Tarot cards were in black and white and were unfinished pre-punched white cardboard with a plain back. The deck in the Revised Edition was in color, the cards were laminated, and had a pattern on the back.
The Rulebook was 56 pages. It contained a 2-page foreword titled La Mare au Diable ("The Devil's Pond"), 25 pages of rules, 25 pages of historical and cultural information, a 2-page bibliography, a Table of Contents page, and an afterword page titled "The Bear". The rules covered character creation, the system mechanics, the combat rules, magic rules, and the creation and use of Non-Player Characters, animals and supernatural creatures. The historical material was divided into three parts. "France between 1870 and 1914" was an 11-page historical essay covering the Belle Époque period. "Chronicle" was a 4-page timeline of French history. "Witchcraft, Beliefs and Superstition in Nineteenth-century France" was a 10-page essay discussing occult practices of the time.
The 48-page Adventure Booklet contained a four-page article of cultural and sociological data about France at the turn of the century. It also contained the two beginning scenarios La Malédiction de Fontevrault (The Curse at Fontevrault) and Une Etrange Maison de Poupées (A Strange Dolls' House).
Third Edition[]
The third edition was a 288-page hardcover book.
A great deal of it (136 pages total) is historical and sociological information. Lever de Rideau ("Raising The Curtain") is a 23-page article describing previous historical eras in French history: the First Empire [1804–1815], the Bourbon Restoration [1814–1830], the July Monarchy [1830–1848], the Second Republic [1848–1852], and the Second Empire [1852–1870]. It also discusses the great influences of the Year of Revolution [1848], the Franco-Prussian war [1870–1871] and the Commune of Paris [1871]. "The Third Republic" [1870–1940] is a 23-page section on the conflicting social and political concepts of the Belle Époque period [1870–1914], from the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War to the dawn of World War I. "Chronicle" is a 34-page timeline of French history from 1870 to 1914. "Life in 1900" is a 20-page section that details the lifestyle, fashions, leisure activities, and habits of the period for both the city and the countryside. The "Belle Époque Guide" is a 20-page section detailing printed news media, modes of travel (train, carriage and early motor cars), and communication methods (the postal service, telegraph and telephone) of the Belle Époque period. "Crime and Punishment" is a 20-page section on the police services, investigative and forensic techniques of the period, the Law, procedures of trial and judgement, and typical sentences and punishments. There is also a 16-page section on the scientific, spiritual, and occult theories and beliefs of the period like evolution, Spiritualism, and anti-clericalism.
Fourth Edition (2018)[]
The new Arkhane Asylum edition uses a d20 (twenty-sided die) instead of a d10 / d100 system. It still uses a 22-card tarot deck, but it uses new artwork that is deceptively brighter and cleaner than the earlier version.
Scenarios[]
Beginning Aventures[]
La Malédiction de Fontevrault ("The Curse at Fontevrault") [1985] First Edition Rules (21 pages)[]
In July 1900, the characters are invited by the Countess Sophie of Arbrissel to her home on an isolated country estate in Brittany. There, strange events will take place. News of a dangerous escaped prisoner...a stormy night...a Spiritualism seance...what does all this have to do with the nearby prison of Fontevrault? The characters will see their nerves tested and must use their wits to understand the Curse of Fontevrault.
Une Etrange Maison de Poupées ("A Strange Dolls' House") [1985] by Michel Gaudo. First Edition Rules (21 pages)[]
In September 1902, the characters are invited to attend a session of the Pythagorean Club by its president, Monsieur Caton. This very discreet club is interested in all activities of human thought and is recruiting members of an open, inquisitive and objective mind. A strange package arrives at the club: a doll's house, which is full of mysteries. Attached to it is a letter reading: "Businessman, to be away a few days seeks person of confidence that can keep his children. Contact Mr Léon Berthomé, Rue Pergolèse, 16th District, Paris." Will the characters respond to the attached announcement?
La Jeune Fille et la Mort ("Death and the Maiden") [2005] Third Edition Rules (9 pages)[]
The characters attend the theater when an accident occurs. The characters must figure out what is happening to prevent a tragedy.
L'enfant de Colére ("The Child of Wrath") [2005] Third Edition Rules (44 pages)[]
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the Children of Wrath, even as others.
The characters are members of "The Friends of Rimbaud", a literary society devoted to the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud [1854–1891]. The adventure involves the characters meeting while attending the 10th anniversary commemorative mass for the late poet, with backdrop in the towns of Charleville and Mézières in the Ardennes. They will have to unravel why one of their friends was the target of an assassination attempt. On the way they will contend with a desecrated grave, a variety of crooks and thieves, and a murderous psychopath.
Modules[]
The modules had a few interesting quirks. Every module had a La Mare au Diable ("The Devil's Pond") section, providing a preface from the editor. This was followed by the Recreation section, a rebus puzzle that would be answered in the next module. The covers had lurid and disturbing artwork, like pulp novels and magazines of the period. Each module had numerous props and handouts that the players could search for clues, along with articles and short stories for flavor. They also had panels of illustrations that would allow the game master to describe the written scenes more vividly.
No.1 Le drame de la rue des Récollets ("A Tragedy in the Street of the Recollects") [Jeux Descartes 1985 (1st edition)] by Michel Gaudo. (24 pages)[]
The investigators go to Versailles at the invitation of Madame Hyacinthe Passelat, the local bookseller. Can we dream of a city quieter than Versailles, so close to the capital and yet so full of provincial sweetness? But should we trust appearances? Is her house truly haunted or is she prone to imaginary fears? However, it seems that in the night at the house in the Rue des Récollets, the walls cry! But how can anyone believe such a thing?
The module is in two halves. The first half is a sheaf of handouts that consists of a loose booklet of 16 black and white illustrations to hand out to the players, a two-page short story with illustrations called Le Vampire Déconcerté ("the Disconcerted Vampire", about the life of an anthropomorphized mosquito), a four-page collection of anecdotes about Versailles, and a local newspaper headline. The second half is the 24-page module, which has an adventure in two parts (one for the players and one for the Game Master). The players' part details what the characters discover and perceive. The Game Master's part contains the timeline detailing what is actually happening and how and when events are unfolding, along with stats for the Non-Player Characters. It ends with a Spiritualist seance; the result depends upon the characters' actions.
No.2 L'énigmatique carnet du Capitaine Pop Plinn ("The Puzzling Notebook of Captain Pop Plinn") [Jeux Descartes 1985 (1st edition)] by Hervé Fontanières[]
Who can say what happened to Professor Labessonnier, director of the lunatic asylum at Rennes, gone nearly five months ago? Is he gone, like everyone suggests, in search of Captain Pop Plinn, one of his own patients, who escaped from the hospital a year earlier? Camille Labessonnier, the daughter of the alienist, despaired by months of fruitless searches, gathers a group of reliable friends for a last-ditch attempt. To guide them, they will have available to them the strange captain's log book, found twice on the same beach in Finistère. Is the key to the mystery hidden in the obscure prose of a madman? Can they expect to trace the two men? But what power lies at the end of this pilgrimage through the beauties and mysteries of the Breton countryside?
Features an article about the Broceliande forest in Brittany and its connections to Arthurian legend, selected black & white plates by Aubrey Beardsley from his illustrated version of Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, and a brief biography of the artist.
No.3 Délivrez-nous du mal ("Deliver Us from Evil...") [Jeux Descartes 1986] by Hervé Fontanières[]
In the month of June, there is peace at the monastery of St. Bernard of Bel-Ange. Life goes on away from the fury of men in the quiet, unchanging rhythm of prayer and meditation. They are four monks for whom fulfillment is found within the walls of this Cistercian abbey, where they spent most of their existence and where they hope to complete it. One of their old comrades, Brother Julian, just left them. But they chased the sadness from their hearts because they are convinced that after death begins a new life. And then suddenly, everything seems to be falling into chaos. Should the cook doubt his art, the steward of his honesty, the gardener of his dedication, the librarian's ability to resist the lure of bad books? What is this storm of madness which suddenly starts to blow on the monastery? Is it a man or a demon who, in the shadow of the cloister, has vowed to plunge this house of prayer into confusion?
The player characters are monks at St. Bernard's who are drawn to investigate a series of mysteries. Features articles on the Catholic Church during the 3rd Republic, typical life in a monastery, and the Rule of Silence, and a short timeline detailing the anti-clerical struggle in France from 1902 to 1905.
No.4 Les brasiers ne s'éteignent jamais ("The Fires Never Burn Out") [Jeux Descartes 1986] by Michel Gaudo (48 pages)[]
No, the fires never go out. In 17th century Loudun, Father Urbain Grandier, the pastor at the parish of St.Pierre-du-Marche, perished in flames at the stake. Thus ended the most famous case of witchcraft that has ever been heard. More than 300 years later, Loudon is about to feel the priest's vengeance. Will the innocent people perish? Demons lurk around the peaceful town; will they need to be paid in souls for the fires to be extinguished at last?
The player characters, previously unknown to each other, are summoned to Loudun to receive an inheritance. A series of strange events force them to work together to solve the mystery. Includes an essay on the Grandier trial, an A3 size map of Loudun, and a couple of play aids.
No.5 Le dompteur de volcans ("The Tamer of Volcanoes") [Jeux Descartes 1986] by Michel Gaudo[]
A wave of madness is blowing through the Pythagorean Club. Judge for yourself: a fakir came to give a lecture – a young girl does not hesitate to tell us – on the secrets of his body. Then the rush of events: disappearances, killings, and prosecutions shake the club members. The press is unleashed, the capital is in turmoil – even the provinces are not immune. Amid this whirlwind of events, can you remain calm enough to oppose the terrible threat of The Tamer of Volcanoes?
The first part of the adventure is a slow-paced investigation into an assault on a club member and the disappearance and murder of a strange woman. The second part is a race against time involving a train trip into the countryside of Auvergne, the abduction of a woman from a circus, and a confrontation with a mad scientist. Includes a study of the Birman Fakirs, the short story Oil of Dog by Ambrose Bierce, a two-dimensional cardboard cutout of an antique statue, a color poster for the eccentric Cirque de Roumanoff, and a dozen handouts and props.
No.6 Enchères sous pavillon noir ("Bidding on a Black Banner") [Jeux Descartes 1987] by Pascal Gaudo[]
The investigators buy a chest containing an old pirate flag at auction and get involved in a Caribbean deep-sea treasure hunt. They aren't the only ones, however. There is a shadowy and formidable rival group that is following their trail that is as "greedy" as they are. Also includes information about Voodoo and the lives of pirates.
No.7 La musique adoucit les meurtres ("Music Makes Murders Much Sweeter") [Jeux Descartes 1987] by Michel Gaudo[]
Human laws even pursue me with their revenge, but my conscience does not reproach me."
Wherein the members of the Pythagorean Club will get to know the little brother of Fantômas, which like his predecessor is: "...always someone (sometimes two people), but never himself". In this sequel to Une Etrange Maison de Poupées, the players must contend with a clever enemy out to exact his dark revenge upon them.
No.8 Le montreur d'ombres ("The Caster of Shadows") [Jeux Descartes 1987] by Hervé Fontanières (56 pages)[]
On the gentle shores of Lake Annecy, a great event is in the making. The charming resort of Haute-Savoie is home to the first congress of a newly founded academy of the sciences and humanities. Among the greatest scholars from around the world, the characters will be striving with the most illustrious. So much so that they can (why not?) lay claim to the presidency of the association. But while everyone gets drunk with pride in this race for honors, the characters are quickly and inexplicably struck by serious mental disorders that will only worsen. Will they end their life in an asylum, suffering from early senility just when Glory held out her arms? Unless the reality is much worse ... In these circumstances, is it really time to take their testimony seriously? Does an aquatic monster really haunt the lake bottom?
No.9 Folies viennoises (A pun meaning either "Viennese Cabaret" or "Viennese Madness") [Jeux Descartes 1988] by Daniel Bilous & Nicole Bilous[]
- "Mein herr, the Waltz is a rhythm of three parts: two parts weak and a third movement that is nearly painfully accentuated. It is the exact rhythm of a heart attack. In the thrall of an intense fear, no matter how fast the chambers of the heart accelerate, the rhythm slowly becomes regular. Have you not noticed those times in the past in Vienna when the fast-paced Polka has nearly dethroned the slow-moving Waltz?"
- "So am I hearing you say, Herr Doktor, that her terror is supposed to be a normal state?"
- "Perhaps it is for the best, Herr Kommissar, perhaps it is for the best..."
A mystery that takes place in Vienna in 1907, in which a local girl goes mad from fright. The players meet Dr. Sigmund Freud, who is a consulting doctor in the case. Includes information on Vienna and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Anarchism in Europe, and the Vienna Secession and Bauhaus movements.
No.10 Cœur cruel ("Cruel Heart") [Jeux Descartes 1988] by Hervé Fontanières[]
When reading a single letter takes you hundreds of kilometers away from home. Where a mysterious hand goes after the remnants of the past. Where the possessed babble incomprehensible messages. Where, after nearly 700 years, the shadow of the Baron still hangs over Bearn. Where, again and always, love and death find themselves united by blood ties. When life itself becomes unbearable. Where destinies are based, for better or for worse? Where finally no, you do not laugh when you do not see yourself in the mirror...
No.11 Le voile de Kali: ("The Veil of Kali") [Jeux Descartes 1994] by Michel Gaudo & Pascal Gaudo (112 pages)[]
The story that the characters will be involved has an international dimension. Involuntarily, they will find themselves immersed in a conflict that is between the French intelligence services and their German rivals, in this case represented by a secret society: The Holy Vehm. French and Germans will try to capture the terrible secret of the Veil of Kali. Very soon they will find that it is extremely dangerous to handle dark forces ... especially when you do not control them! Perhaps had they been wiser not to attempt to lift a corner of the veil... But now it's too late to turn their backs to dark powers that once lay dormant for centuries but were woken from their torpor. There remains only one solution ... to conquer or die!
The characters find themselves traveling from Egypt to Ceylon to Istanbul and then back to Paris on the Orient Express in a campaign in eight parts.
No.12 Danse macabre ("The Grim Dance") [Editions du Club Pythagore 2004] by Daniel Dugourd (76 pages)[]
The adventure starts with a formal dinner, followed by a seance. On the way home, the characters witness a robbery and murder at the Musée de Cluny. The investigators must investigate the crime (and discover what Camille Saint-Saëns' composition Danse Macabre has to do with it all...). Contains historical information on the role and influence of the Catholic Church during the Third Republic and the conflicts between religious and anti-clerical groups in France between 1870 and 1900. Also includes 32 pages of handouts, including a cardboard sheet with the drawing of a triptych, the text of the poem "Danse Macabre" by Henri Cazalis, and a Club Pythagore membership card and letter of acceptance.
No.13 La cornemuse du vieux Jeremiah ("Old Jeremiah's Bagpipes") [Editions du Club Pythagore 2005] by Daniel Dugourd[]
One of the characters has recently inherited an estate and a title from his recently deceased rich uncle...along with a family curse and a haunted castle. While staying at his estate in the Highlands of Scotland, he and his guests hear the mysterious sound of bagpipes playing on the moor. Who is playing the bagpipes? Who is trying to kill the host, the last member of the St.Simon family? And what secrets does the history of this noble lineage have to reveal? Contains a map of Great Britain, a London newspaper (in French, of course), historical information about Scotland from ancient to modern times (1880s), and 37 pages of handouts.
Les Chasses du Comte Lassary ("The Hunts of Count Lassary") [1991] by Michel Gaudo.[]
When a tiger wishes to kill him, he calls it ferocity..."
The characters have been summoned to the reading of the will of the late Count Lassary, a celebrated hunter. The will appears fake but declares that the testators are all here to search for the real will to give the Count's estate to the true heir.
l'Oeil du Diademe ("The Eye of the Tiara") Michel Gaudo [Editions du Club Pythagore Unpublished][]
A scenario that was never put into production. It was advertised in the adventure Danse Macabre (2004) that it was originally going to be No. 13 in the series. Asmodee Editions also announced in 2007 that it was coming out soon, but it remains unfinished.
Its title refers to an optical illusion (Trompe l'Oeil) in the background of a self-portrait by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1665). The viewer's eyes are drawn to a colorful painting in the background over the painter's shoulder rather than to the drab-colored painter himself in the foreground. The painting is of a woman in classic garb who is wearing a tiara with a small red gem in its peak. Conspiracy theorists have said that Poussin's paintings contain secret codes or clues. Perhaps the players have to uncover a plot or conspiracy using the clues provided by Poussin's paintings?
Supplements[]
A la Lisière de la Nuit ("At the Edge of Night") [Jeux Descartes 1986 (1st edition rules)] by Hervé Fontanières, Michel Gaudo & Guillaume Rohmer (104 pages)[]
A Sorcery supplement that brings together magic rules and historic examples of spells. Black magic is used for personal purposes and can be done by making a pact with the Devil, while white magic aims for spiritual elevation. These sortilèges de malefices (hex spells) are not instantaneous and spectacular like balls of fire or curses. No, they are subtle, like protective charms and potions of Love and Luck.
This supplement covers magic and folk superstitions rather than Spiritualism and psychic powers.
Le Bestiaire ("The Bestiary") [Jeux Descartes 1988 (2nd edition rules)] by Michel Gaudo & Pascal Gaudo[]
The sourcebook is a series of extracts from a variety of sources about animals and monsters, rather than full of statistics or concrete depictions. It is more of an atmospheric guide to help stimulate the Game Master's imagination (and keep investigators from guessing what's really going on). It also contains a brief recounting of the magic rules from A la Lisière de la Nuit.
Enfer et Lieux Maudits ("Hell and Cursed Places") [Unpublished][]
A sourcebook full of sources describing Hell and The Devil and listing famous cursed locations across France was proposed. However, the series was cancelled by Jeux Descartes in the early 1990s before it could be finished and published.
CatéSchisme (A pun implying "Doctrine of Factionalization") [Asmodee Editions 2007 (3rd edition rules)] by Olivier Babarit, Daniel Dugourd, Michel Gaudo, & Jean-Philippe Palanchini[]
This supplement is composed of a new four-panel Game Master screen, a new color 22-card Tarot Card set, and a 32-page information booklet about Spiritualism.
The booklet is divided in 3 parts. Superstitions et Diableries ("Superstitions and Deviltry") is a sermon given by a horrified Catholic priest that denounces Spiritualism. Les Forces Invisibles ("The Invisible Forces") is by a scientist who attended Spiritualist seances and is trying to explain what he saw scientifically. Sciences Secrètes des initiés ("The Initiates' Secret Knowledge") is a lecture by an occultist named Dr. Theobald to a society called the Voiles d'Isis ("The Veils of Isis") on how occultism is superior to Science and Spiritualism.
Sidebars contain rules for carrying out Spiritualist rituals and using Spiritualist paraphernalia like Spirit Mirrors and Ouija Boards to aid in investigations.
Le Club Pythagore ("the Pythagorean Club") [Arkhane Asylum Publishing 2019? (4th edition rules)][]
A proposed supplement for the Arkhane Asylum Publishing edition. It will concern the club and its prominent members.
See also[]
- French role-playing games
- Horror role-playing games
- Role-playing games introduced in 1985