An RPG of paranormal investigation

For 2-6 players over 2-4 hours

 AGENT GUIDEBOOK TO
PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION

TOP SECRET
Names and logos for The Mythic Gazetteer and External
Containment Bureau are trademarks owned by Mythic
Gazetteer, LLC. All rights reserved.

This work is based on Blades in the Dark (found at http://

www.bladesinthedark.com/), product of One Seven Design,
developed and authored by John Harper, and licensed for our
use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior express permission of the
publisher.

That said, if you’re doing it for personal use, go right ahead.

For those working at a copy shop, this means the person at
your counter can make copies of this thing. This is “express
permission.” Carry on.

4
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
DEVELOPERS
• Writing: Eric Brunsell, Michael Elliott
• Editing: Lexi Antoku
• Layout + Publishing: Eli Kurtz
• Art Direction + Graphic Design: Justin Ford

CONTRIBUTORS
• Cover + Interior Art: Julianne Griepp
• Script Change RPG Toolbox: Beau Jágr Sheldon
• ePub Conversion: Michael Bleimeyer
• Vector Graphics: The Noun Project
• Playtesters: ema acosta, Ray Chou, Al Lukehart, Kelsey
[REDACTED], Laurie O’Connell

PRODUCTION NOTES
This book was produced using Affinity Publisher, and makes
use of the following typefaces:
• Headings: League Spartan
• Body Text: Basier Circle
• Special: DJ Gross

INSPIRATIONS
• Blades in the Dark (tabletop RPG, 2017)
• Brindlewood Bay (tabletop RPG, 2020)
• Control (video game, 2019)
• CrashCart (tabletop RPG, 2020)
• Cthulhu Deep Green (tabletop RPG, 2019)
• Fringe (television series, 2008-2013)
• The Magnus Archives (podcast, 2016-2021)
• Men in Black (film, 1997)
• SCP Foundation (collaborative web project, 2008)
• X-Files (television series, 1993-2002)

5
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Intake Briefing.......................................................................................7
The Game .............................................................................................. 8
Rules of Engagement .......................................................................10
Bureau Directives ............................................................................... 11
Action Rolls ..........................................................................................12
Fortune Rolls........................................................................................13
Consequences.....................................................................................14
Resonance and Redaction ..............................................................16
Clocks.....................................................................................................18
Creating Characters......................................................................... 20
Backgrounds ....................................................................................... 22
Departments....................................................................................... 24
Paranormal Powers .......................................................................... 28
Missions ............................................................................................... 34
Theory Rolls ........................................................................................36
Mission Debrief.................................................................................. 37
Downtime ...........................................................................................40
Starting the Game ............................................................................ 43
Creating Missions .............................................................................46

6
INTAKE BRIEFING

IT’S YOUR NAME,

Congratulations on your employment,

and welcome to the External
Containment Bureau.
Yours is a special privilege: to study paranormal
manifestations, contain them properly, and thereby ensure a
harmonious accord both within our world, and in relationship
to other worlds that sometimes intersect with ours. Your
relocation to Bureau headquarters in REDACTED is scheduled
upon your review of the attached brief of Bureau activities and
procedures, as well as the attached intake materials.
Be advised: personnel must comply with strict policies
regarding technology and decorum while on Bureau
premises. The concentration of paranormal energies at the
Bureau creates a sensitive environment where the wrong
object or action carries reality-bending consequences. See
page 234 for more information about specific Bureau
procedures.

Welcome to the Bureau,

SOMEONE OR THING
FAR BEYOND
External Containment Bureau

7
THE GAME
ECB is a tabletop roleplaying game about dealing
with paranormal phenomena and office bureaucracy.
You play characters who study and interact with
paranormal events and entities, develop world-
altering psychic powers, and deal with paperwork,
politics, and drama when you return to the office.
One player is the Game Master (GM). Instead of
playing a single agent, the GM plays as the various
Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and describes scenic
details of the game (the hum of the coffee machine,
the color of the carpet, the smell of ozone, etc.). The
GM also narrates the consequences of actions and
the complications of the world and the Bureau. They
give clues for players to solve and problems for them
to overcome.

8
 Materials

In addition to this rulebook, consider gathering the

following materials to get the most out of External
Containment Bureau:

2-6 Players Four 6-sided dice (d6)

Writing Materials Printable Aids

The other players embody Player Characters (PCs), agents

of the Bureau tasked with identifying, containing, and
obscuring, paranormal phenomena. All players portray their
character in the story, describing how they attempt to fulfill,
bend, or ignore the rules of the Bureau in the course of their
duties. They use their agents’ backgrounds, departments,
and contacts to add details to the game and work with the
GM to create interesting complications befitting a story of
paranormal intrigue and bureaucracy.

9
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
A session of ECB is usually a slow burn. Intensity builds
throughout the investigation and culminates in an action-
packed confrontation and cover up. These sessions can be
divided into four phases.
1. The Briefing: A senior ECB employee describes what the
Bureau knows about the incident that the agents will be
investigating. After the agents have asked any necessary
pre-mission questions, the GM presents the mission
clock, representing the mission’s growing danger and
complexity while they are in the field.
2. Identify: The agents investigate the incident by
questioning witnesses, conducting research, and
searching for evidence. When the agents feel they have
enough clues, they come together to compare notes, and
determine a working theory that describes the nature of
the paranormal incident. The Identify phase ends with a
Theory Roll to determine the accuracy of their working
theory, as well as how difficult it will be to contain and
obfuscate the phenomenon.
3. Contain & Obfuscate: The agents’ plan to contain and
obscure the paranormal projection is put into action.
4. Debrief & Downtime: After the mission, the agents
defend their actions during a debriefing with a senior ECB
employee. The debrief will determine the amount of
paperwork that the agents need to complete,
commendations awarded, and demerits filed. Agents then
have time to recover, train, and work on personal projects
until they are assigned to a new mission.

INVESTIGATION QUESTIONS
Identify. What is the nature of the incident or phenomenon?
Contain. How can the phenomenon be contained for future
research or to avoid future incidents?
Obfuscate. How can the paranormal phenomenon be
obscured from the general public?

10
BUREAU DIRECTIVES
The Directors of the External Containment Bureau hold
agents to the highest standards. Your conduct is carefully
monitored. Commendations and promotions are contingent
upon good performance.
Identify. The purpose of the Bureau is
to study and identify paranormal
entities. The Bureau is a scientific
organization first and foremost. Agents
should endeavor to properly identify
each phenomenon they encounter for
further study, record-keeping, and
developing and enacting ideal
containment procedures.

Contain. Agents are expected to

secure, contain, and obscure the
paranormal in its local environment. In
rare, critical situations, the Bureau
facility in REDACTED PLACE can serve
as a safe and secure containment
apparatus for dangerous paranormal
entities. Destruction of these
phenomena is sometimes necessary
but is strongly discouraged.

Obfuscate. Interaction between

paranormal phenomena and our world
may present a threat to one or both
parties. The Bureau endeavors to keep
safe the existence of certain entities by
concealing their existence, and by
necessity the existence of the Bureau
itself. Agents should always obscure
the true nature of paranormal
phenomena, the Bureau, and its
intentions.
11
ACTION ROLLS
Whenever an agent does something risky or uncertain, follow
these steps to make an action roll. This is the most common
roll made in the game.
1. The player states their goal. The GM clarifies the goal
when necessary. Agents also state whether or not they
are searching for a clue.
2. The GM states the agent’s position based on their gut
feeling, the agent’s conduct, and proximity to danger,
paranormal or otherwise. There are three positions:
○ Play it Safe. You act cautiously, according to Bureau
directives (identify, obfuscate, contain).
○ Risky. You take a chance. You get close to a
phenomenon or bend the rules of the Bureau or reality.
This is the default position in the game.
○ Danger Close. You directly interact with weird energy
or objects. You’re breaking Bureau directives or are in
serious trouble.
3. The player takes up dice as follows:
○ Take +1d if you follow all relevant Bureau directives.
○ Take +1d if your background applies to this action.
○ Take +1d if you have relevant gear or requisitions.
○ Take +1d if you are using paranormal abilities.
4. The player rolls the dice and we judge the results based
on the single highest result:
○ 1-3: Failure. Your agent fails to do what they wanted
and the GM describes one or more consequences. If it
is more interesting, the agent may get what they want,
but face a major consequence.
○ 4/5: Mixed success. The player describes what their
agent does to succeed at their goal, and the GM
describes a consequence.
○ 6: Success. Your agent succeeds at their goal.
○ Multiple 6’s: A critical success. Your agent succeeds
and gets an additional benefit. The players can
suggest a bonus, but the GM has final say. This could
be an additional clue, an advantageous turn of events,
or a lucky twist of fate.
12
FORTUNE ROLLS
A fortune roll is used when the GM doesn’t want to simply
decide the outcome of a situation that the PCs are not directly
involved in, or when there is an uncertain outcome but no other
roll applies.
To make a fortune roll start with 1d for sheer luck and then
create a dice pool (from one to four) based on the
advantages and disadvantages in the situation. Advantages
may include the skills of the agents based on their
department or background, gear, etc.
When you make a fortune roll, keep the single highest die
result:
• CRIT: Exceptional result /
Great, extreme effect.
• 6: Good result / Standard,
full effect.
• 4/5: Mixed result / Limited,
partial effect.
• 1-3: Bad result / Poor, little
effect.
ACTION AND FORTUNE
ROLL EXAMPLES
Bureau Agents have captured
a member of a cult. How much does the cultist
know about the upcoming ritual? The GM isn’t sure, so
decides to make a fortune roll, starting with 1d for sheer
luck and +1d because the person is a member of the cult.
A flying arcade machine is loose in the Bureau. Agent
Sruthi attempts to use her telekinesis to throw it against
a wall to damage it. This is risky, so it calls for an action
roll. The GM says Sruthi is Danger Close. Her player takes
+1d for her paranormal power (and marks 1 resonance),
and another +1d for having relevant gear or requisitions: a
psionic amplifier she requisitioned previously.

13
CONSEQUENCES
Consequences occur when a player rolls less than a 6 on an
action roll. If the action roll was a 4 or 5, the consequence
should not negate the success.
Consequences are not punishments. They drive the fiction
forward by introducing interesting twists and problems the
agents will have to deal with now or later.

COMPLICATION
Complications are new challenges or obstacles. These can
be tracked using a clock or just described as ongoing
troubles that the agents will have to contend with. A
complication may result in a worsened position for the
team’s next action.
You convince the cop that you are an amateur paranormal
investigator, but it turns out he loves paranormal stuff, and
he’ll follow you around enthusiastically asking questions.
Another employee of the Bureau notices your indiscretion.
The silver bullets kill the werewolf, but not before it lets out
a blood-curdling howl, alerting the nearby townsfolk. Start
a 4-segment danger clock “Concerned Citizens”; you have
some cleanup to do.
The severity of the complication should match the agent’s
position when they made the action roll. Play it Safe implies
mild complications, Risky might be noteworthy or troublesome
developments, and Danger Close implies dire complications
and the possibility of death.
If an agent is trying to complete a ritual to bind a ghost to
an oil lamp, a mild complication might be losing a piece of
standard-issue gear. A Risky complication would be a wound
or scar. Danger Close could be direct witnesses, or even the
death of an agent, if the players are comfortable with it.
If a complication advances an existing clock, fill segments on
a clock based on the agent’s position.

14
LOOSE END
A loose end is something the agents did not address or
notice during the mission. This could be a witness,
paranormal evidence, Bureau gear left behind, etc. The GM
should note each loose end as they occur. Bring them up
again during the mission debrief, possibly as clues for the
Conspiracy Board downtime activity. The Bureau maintains
close watch on all agents in the field to ensure secrecy.

LOST OPPORTUNITY
The agents do not have the opportunity to take a different
approach to resolve the issue. This consequence is only
appropriate for a failed action roll.
Not only is the witness not convinced by your cover story,
but they clam up and refuse to answer any questions.

REDUCED EFFECT
Sometimes instead of attaining your stated goal for the
action, you get only part way there.
He is willing to let you in but he’ll need to see ID first. The
ritual is almost complete, it just needs one more sacrifice.
An additional action roll will be needed to complete the task.
The GM should use this consequence judiciously as it can
frustrate players.

MISSION CLOCK
The GM fills segments on the mission clock based on the
character’s position. When the GM selects this consequence
it becomes harder for the agents to identify, obfuscate, or
contain the situation. Each mission has different complications
that trigger when a certain number of segments are filled in
the mission clock.

15
RESONANCE AND REDACTION
Resonance represents your agent’s paranormal abilities and
exposure to paranormal phenomena. You gain resonance
whenever you use paranormal powers or when you redact
consequences. When you mark six resonance on your agent’s
character sheet, you clear your resonance track, mark one
power level, and gain a new paranormal power. As you gain
power levels, you gain more abilities, and begin to lose touch
with humanity.
Power levels describe your increasing level of ability and a
growing existential crisis. When you would mark your 4th
power level, your character is no longer an agent of the
Bureau. Their abilities and knowledge may fast track them
for transfer to a Bureau position that doesn’t involve
fieldwork; they may become so powerful that they must be
contained within the Bureau; or they may undergo something
more esoteric, like transcending mundane existence.
Whatever happens, your character’s life as an agent is over.

REDACTION
Redaction is a tool the players can use to impact the fiction.
When the GM describes a consequence that a player does
not want to happen, they may redact that consequence and
tell the GM what happens instead. You can redact any
number of consequences, no matter how dire, but a failure
cannot be made into a success.
What this entails is up to the player. Maybe they use
paranormal abilities to see an alternate reality. Perhaps they
retcon an action or make an incredible display of prowess.
When you redact something, roll dice equal to your
character’s current resonance, and then mark additional
resonance based on the highest die result:
• 1-3: Mark 3 resonance
• 4/5: Mark 2 resonance
• 6: Mark 1 resonance
• CRIT: Mark 0 resonance
16
CLOCKS
Clocks are used to track ongoing effort against an obstacle
or the approach of impending trouble. Use clocks when you
need to track something over time—otherwise resolve it with
a single roll.
A clock is a circle divided into a number of segments based
on the complexity of the problem:

4 SEGMENTS 6 SEGMENTS 8 SEGMENTS

Disastrous Difficult Obstacle Complex Obstacle
Obstacle
Approaching Long-Term
Immediate Danger Complication
Danger

Clock segments fill based on the character’s position:

• Play it Safe: 1 segment
• Risky: 2 segments
• Danger Close: 3 segments

If in the course of your investigation you should find that

even 8 segments is too few to model the nature of a problem,
simply link multiple smaller clocks together.
Consider how each clock in this series might present a new
phase of the problem.

18
PROGRESS CLOCKS
These clocks track progress against an obstacle, like hacking
into a complex network, unraveling an international conspiracy,
or fighting a ghost. Mark 1-3 segments on a clock when agents
take action against these obstacles. When the clock is filled,
the agents overcome the obstacle.

DANGER CLOCKS
The GM can use a clock to represent a danger like a
spreading fire or the alert level of the local police. When a
complication occurs, the GM ticks 1-3 segments on the
clock. When the clock is full, the danger comes to fruition—
the police show up, loose ends are created, etc.

LONG-TERM PROJECT CLOCKS

Some character goals will take several sessions of play to
achieve, and can be tracked with clocks. Transferring
departments or certifying a paranormal power requires one
clock. Creating a new paranormal power or Bureau
department could be multiple clocks, representing all the
phases of development and final completion.

REDACTED CLOCKS
A WORLD GOVERNED BY GEARS AND clockwork IS NOT A
WORLD GOVERNED BY NATURE. CAN SUCH A WORLD BE
REAL, OR MERELY imagination?

MISSION CLOCKS
This represents the growing danger and complications of the
mission and is used by the GM to pace a session and
increase tension.
Mission clocks fill, one to three segments at a time, as a
consequence of the agents’ actions (or inaction). As the
clock fills, the agents find themselves in an increasingly
desperate situation. A full mission clock represents the worst
possible situation.
19
CREATING CHARACTERS
Each PC creates an agent by following the steps below.

1. RECORD YOUR NAME AND ID

Give your agent a name and write it down on your character
sheet. Then use a black marker to redact the name and give
your character an ID. Joining the Bureau means leaving your
old identity behind. The ID can be a codename, serial
number, or whatever your agent is called by other agents.

2. RECORD YOUR BACKGROUND

Choose a background for your agent. This is the occupation
or area of expertise they had before they were recruited by
the Bureau—and it is likely the reason the Bureau hired
them. The player details the agent’s background by using two
prompts; a field (e.g. criminal, engineering, public relations)
and a specialty (either academic, interpersonal, or technical).
For example, if you pick the criminal category an academic
specialty could be a lawyer, an interpersonal specialty could
be a con artist, and a technical specialty could be a hacker.
Then create one non-standard gear related to the background
(e.g. additional cover identity, building blueprints, explosives,
hacking tools, surveillance equipment, martial arts, tracking
device, political contacts, lots of cash, multiple languages).
When creating your background, try to be as specific as
possible. This will help you build your dice pools later. It’s
okay not to have all of the details in mind already and to build
your history up from the broad strokes of your background
as you go, but you should try to be at least as explicit as the
examples below.

3. CHOOSE A BUREAU DEPARTMENT

Every agent is assigned to one of the six departments of the
Bureau. Agents may change departments during the game.
Each department grants special abilities and gear.

20
THE RECORDS DEPARTMENT KEEPS DETAILED NOTES
ON ANY ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENTS. SOME OF THESE
HAVE BEEN Officially INSTITUTED THROUGHOUT BUREAU
HISTORY. SOME HAVE no CLEAR ORIGIN. SOME other
departments ARE INTRUSIVE, DECEPTIVE ENTITIES THAT
SHOULD NOT exist ON THIS PLANE.

4. RECORD YOUR BASIC GEAR

Agents may bring all manner of everyday items outside of
their standard-issue gear, provided by the Bureau or paid for
personally. These may include necessities like flashlights,
rations, zip ties, and first aid kits; items included in the
standard-issue equipment of departments they are not
assigned to, like sidearms, Geiger counters, and dowsing
rods; or more personal items like snacks, novels, playing
cards, and personal phones.

5. RECORD YOUR CONTACTS

Each agent starts the game with 3 relationships with NPCs
working in the Bureau. One should be a positive relationship:
a friend, a lover, a family member, or a friendly rival who
pushes you to excel, for instance. The second should be a
negative relationship. They might be a professional rival, an
office prankster, or a spurned partner. They should be an
antagonist who is more than a nuisance but less than an
outright enemy.
One agent knows a contact from outside the Bureau. This
contact does not know about the existence of the Bureau or
the true nature of paranormal phenomenon, but is a useful
source of information or resources, and can be leveraged by
the GM as an interesting complication.
The third contact is your department head, who will deal out
your missions, reprimands, debriefs, etc. If multiple
characters are part of the same department, work with the
other players to define this character. This contact will
change as you change departments.

21
 Backgrounds

CRIMINAL
Classification ECB-1015-X
Before you became an agent you flaunted the laws of the
land. Appropriate, then, that you would be recruited by the
Bureau.
• Academic: Art Forger, Lawyer, Private Eye
• Interpersonal: Con Artist, Mob Enforcer, Politician
• Technical: Assassin, Hacker, Pick-Pocket

TRADES
Classification ECB-1016-X
Before you became an agent you brought order to reality.
How might you apply your craft to the [REDACTED]
dimension?
• Academic: Architect, Cybersecurity Specialist,
Instructor
• Interpersonal: Photographer, Musician, Sociologist
• Technical: Carpenter, Electrician, Programmer

INVESTIGATION
Classification ECB-1811-X
You specialized in solving mysteries, and uncovering and
processing knowledge. It all led you here.
• Academic: Archivist, Historian, Librarian
• Interpersonal: Detective, Journalist, Negotiator
• Technical: Archaeologist, Hacker, Forensic Scientist

22
 Backgrounds

OCCULT
Classification ECB-0002-X
Becoming an agent of the Bureau was not your introduction
to mysteries beyond our understanding. Occult personnel
please also complete form [REDACTED.
• Academic: Conspiracy Theorist, Mathematician, Skeptic
• Interpersonal: Medium, Pastor, Street Magician
• Technical: Disgraced Scientist, Ritualist, Witch

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Classification ECB-1035-X
Controlling for the human element is fundamental to the
Bureau's mission. Those with the ability to predict and guide
the behavior of others will do well here.
• Academic: Art Director, Museum Curator, Behavioral
Scientist
• Interpersonal: Journalist, Spin Doctor, Social Worker
• Technical: Game Designer, Sales Person, Service Rep

SCIENCE
Classification ECB-1017-X
You are a highly educated specialist trained in the study of
the material world. Has knowledge of the paranormal fueled
your curiosity?
• Academic: Occultist, Physicist, Historian
• Interpersonal: Archaeologist, Psychologist, Technical
Writer
• Technical: Chemist, Data Scientist, Surgeon

23
 Departments

ADMINISTRATION
The lawyers, managers, and enforcers of this
department are tasked with the difficult job of
keeping the Bureau afloat. In broad strokes, they determine,
interpret, and make judgment calls about Bureau policy.
Special Ability: Standard-Issue Gear:
You can justify almost • Three Piece Suit
anything as being "by the • Radio
book" under Bureau policy. • Cover Identity
Depending on how brazen of • Deep Pockets
a claim you make, the GM • Direct Line to Central
will assign you 1-3 paperwork.

FIELD OPERATIONS
Field Operations, the only department authorized
for general carry and use of armaments in the
Bureau, covers operational intelligence, threat assessment,
and emergency response.
Special Ability: Standard-Issue Gear
You work with a small team • Two-Piece Suit
of NPCs. Once per mission, • Radio
call on them to receive • Cover Identity
backup. Their quality and • Armory Access
timeliness is determined by • Simple Binding Ritual
the GM. Backup may provide
a bonus for being properly
equipped or impact the
position of an action roll.

24
 Departments

HUMAN RELATIONS
This department is involved in hiring, witness
interrogation, agent evaluation, grief
counseling, and other tasks related to the human element.

Special Ability: Standard-Issue Gear

You may offer employment • Business Casual
with the Bureau as leverage • Radio
in a bargain. This may grant • Cover Identity
a bonus for being properly • Small Comforts
equipped. • Translation Protocols

RECORDS
These fastidious agents manage the Bureau’s
enormous underground libraries, records vaults,
and the internal and external habitats for various
phenomena.
Special Ability: Standard-Issue Gear
Once per mission you may • Business Formal
draw a wild connection • Radio
between the current • Cover Identity
mission and a similar • Containment Checklist
phenomenon in the • Redacted Records
Bureau's records. It always
holds a kernel of truth.

25
 Departments

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

These experts from various practical and
theoretical fields develop innovative technological
solutions and investigate novel phenomena.

Special Ability: Standard-Issue Gear:

Once per mission you can • Lab Coat
produce an experimental • Radio
device perfectly suited for • Cover Identity
the task at hand. This may • Recording Equipment
provide a bonus for being • Testing Kit
properly equipped.

SANITATION
Never underestimate the importance of these
agents. Operational cleanup, maintenance, and
evidence removal, are core to the Bureau’s directives.

Special Ability: Standard-Issue Gear:

When you are properly • Practical Jumpsuit
equipped, you gain +1d to • Radio
Redact the effects of • Cover Identity
radiation, toxins, paranormal • Cleanup Kit
energies, or other contact • Skeleton Key
hazards associated with the
mission.

26
27
PARANORMAL POWERS
All agents begin the game with a latent ability to reach out
and manipulate paranormal energies and dimensions. This
could include seeing other alternate realities, moving small
objects with their minds, clouding a civilian’s perception, etc.
These untested and raw abilities can be used during an
action roll (at the cost of 1 resonance) or to redact
consequences.
Each time an agent fills their resonance
track, their ability to manipulate the
paranormal becomes more robust. Select
a paranormal power from the list below.
These new powers are considered
uncertified until the Bureau has assessed
and approved your abilities. Using
uncertified powers during a mission or
within the Bureau may create
consequences or affect an action roll. Powers are certified by
completing a long-term project.
Mark at least 1 resonance when you use a
paranormal power. If a power does not
explicitly ask for an action roll, it does not
need one in and of itself. You simply mark
the resonance and get the benefit.
However, using a power does not negate
the need for an action roll in a dangerous
or stressful situation. Any action roll taken
while using any paranormal power has
+1d, as stated in the
action roll rules.

Optional Rule: If it fits with the tone of

the game, all agents may start the
game with 1 paranormal power.

28
APPARITION
Mark 1 resonance to become partially insubstantial for a few
moments. Mark 1 additional resonance for each feature: it
lasts for minutes rather than moments—you become
completely insubstantial—you become invisible to other
paranormal entities.
When you use this power to become partially
insubstantial, state which part of you is affected (your arm
for reaching through a vault, your hand to unlock a door,
etc).

CONJURATION
Make an action roll to summon something small to you from
a short distance away. Mark 1 resonance for each additional
feature: you summon it from a significant distance—you can
summon something large and/or cumbersome.
This power can summon anything reasonable over a short
distance (animals, people, tools, weapons, paranormal
objects). The action roll may determine how the thing you
summon behaves and whether or not it functions or
cooperates with you.

DOWSING
When you touch something that belongs to someone, or is a
piece of a larger whole, mark 1 resonance to know their
general location and condition.
You can use this power to locate the owner of an object
(keys, a photograph, hair, the belongings of the deceased),
or the larger whole something is part of (a page torn from
a book, a missing piece of a set of objects, ammunition for
a particular weapon).

29
GEOMANCY
Mark 1 resonance to change the terrain near you to become
easy to traverse for a few moments. Mark 1 resonance for
each additional feature: it lasts a few minutes rather than
moments—you change the terrain far away from you—the
terrain is difficult for others to traverse.
Geomancy can calm a roaring river, create friction on ice,
or create easy handholds on a sheer cliff face.

LEVITATION
Mark 1 resonance to become light enough to float through
the air. Make an action roll and mark 1 resonance to do the
same to a different target.
This power makes anything light enough to drift through
the air, as if unaffected by gravity. The result of the action
roll can determine any drawbacks or side-effects.

PARTHENOGENESIS
Make an action roll and mark 1 resonance to create a copy of
yourself, with their own thoughts and feelings. Whenever you
make a redaction, mark progress on any long-term project.
The result of the action roll can determine any disparities
or drawbacks in the copy. Copies who share your goals will
occasionally work on long-term projects on your behalf.
Make a fortune roll each time you make a redaction to
determine progress on these long-term projects.

PHOTOKINESIS
Mark 1 resonance to manipulate a light source to change its
brightness, create distracting patterns, or project simple
visual illusions.
Using this power while facing danger, manipulating a large
amount of light sources, or light created from paranormal
sources may require an action roll.

30
PRECOGNITION
Mark 1 resonance to receive a vision about something that is
about to happen in the next few moments. Mark 1 additional
resonance to stretch this vision to the next few minutes.
Using this power allows you to see what is likely about to
happen in the next few seconds or the next few minutes.
The GM will state what is about to happen. These events
may not necessarily come to pass depending on your
actions.

PROWESS
When you make an action roll, you may mark 1 additional
resonance to perform a superhuman physical feat.
A superhuman physical feat could be jumping from
skyscraper to skyscraper, stopping a moving car, or
ripping open a reinforced door.

PYROKINESIS
Mark 1 resonance to create or control small flames, Make an
action roll and mark 1 resonance to create or manipulate an
inferno.
Controlling small flames lets you light or snuff candles,
light cigarettes, or move a flame across a surface. An
action roll is required to ignite or control a fire larger than
a bonfire (lighting or extinguishing a house fire,
manipulating a forest fire, etc).

RETROCOGNITION
When you search for clues, mark 1 resonance to see echoes
of past events in the area.
This power may let you acquire clues from recent events
or even ancient history, depending on the result of the
action roll.

31
SHAPESHIFT
Make an action roll and mark 1 resonance to transform into
an animal or monster.
This power lets you transform into any animal or
paranormal monster you have witnessed (cougar, raccoon,
cryptid, werewolf, etc). The result of the action roll can
determine any drawbacks or side-effects of the
transformation process.

TELEKINESIS
Mark 1 resonance to move something small using your mind.
Make an action roll and mark 1 resonance when moving
something large and cumbersome, or with lethal force.
Small objects include things you could hold in one hand
like a lighter, file-folder, or a magic 8 ball. When you make
an action roll you move larger, heavier objects like
32
 refrigerators, a safe, or a car, or move an object with
enough force to injure or kill something.

TELEPATHY
Mark 1 resonance to communicate telepathically with one
person you can see. Make an action roll and mark 1
resonance when you attempt to communicate this way with
multiple targets or someone you cannot see.
When communicating telepathically you and the target
can exchange thoughts as if you were speaking next to
each other. This power does not let you read thoughts. The
result of the action roll can determine any side-effects or
miscommunications that result from this power.

TELEPORTATION
Mark 1 resonance to teleport yourself to a place you can see.
Make an action roll and mark 1 resonance to teleport
someone or something else.
This power allows you to instantly transport yourself to
any point you have line of sight to, no matter the distance.
With an action roll, you can do the same to someone or
something else. Anything you can comfortably carry
comes with you when you teleport.

TRANSCENDENCE
When you select this power you immediately redact all of
time and space to conform to your own will for a few
moments. Afterward you transcend mundane existence or
otherwise vanish as if you had selected your 4th power level.
This will kill or transform your character so that they no
longer exist, or become an NPC within the background of
the Bureau. This power lets you address a paranormal
threat or entity, or even take on the entire ECB. This is the
end of your character as we know them, so make it
memorable.

33
MISSIONS
The Bureau sends agents to identify, contain, and obfuscate
paranormal phenomena that threaten people’s safety, and
entities that are in danger of discovery, exploitation, or harm
from people. Missions can take place in remote hotels,
bustling cities, or even inside the Bureau itself. Missions may
involve cooperation with other similar organizations, or
working alongside indigenous people and public offices. The
Bureau is not a global police force. Each mission has five key
elements:

THE BRIEFING
The briefing includes a code name, a concrete goal, and a
summary of what is known about the situation. This could be
rumors, myths and legends, or recent reports collated by the
Bureau. The GM can frame this as a scene, or assume it was
given to the agents beforehand. The GM can inject flavor
based on who is giving the briefing, similarities with past
missions, or using the agents’ details to explain why they
were chosen.

THE MISSION CLOCK

This clock shows how close the situation is to being out of
control. Mission clocks can be 4, 6, or 8 segments. The
smaller the clock, the more quickly threats escalate and the
less breathing room the agents have.
• A 4-segment clock is a hair’s breadth from disaster: a
pack of werewolves being hunted in a city, a massive tear
in space-time, or a rampaging murderous vehicle.
• A typical mission is a 6-segment clock: a cult kidnapping
people in a city, a rare cryptid at risk of discovery, or a
paranormal item lost by agents in a roadside motel.
• An 8-segment clock is a mission with generous time
constraints: an AI hiding in a network, a demon hiding in
train tunnels beneath a city, a mirror dimension hidden in
a local mall.

34
Fill segments on the mission clock when pressure mounts
due to consequences or the passage of time. Players can
redact the filling of a segment, as with any other
consequence.
A filled clock does not mean the agents “lose” or can’t
complete the mission. Instead, the agents face
circumstances that risk tumbling out of control. It is the edge
of an absolute worst-case scenario. Even if the agents
succeed, the Bureau will probably need to perform extensive
cleanup.

CLUES
Clues in ECB generally fall into three categories: clues that
help agents identify the nature of the phenomenon; clues to
provide insight into how to contain the phenomenon; and
clues for obfuscating the phenomenon. These clues may
include evidence, witnesses, theories, myths, and rumors.

COMPLICATIONS AT THE SCENE

These describe problems and situations that the agents can
see and react to. They help drive the action forward at the
beginning of the mission and prevent ponderous over-
planning by the players. Each mission has 6 example
complications that the GM can inject into the mission.

NPCS
Each mission should have interesting people for the
characters to interact with. To help move the investigation
forward, these NPCs should be entangled with the
phenomena and could include witnesses, victims, conspiracy
theorists, amateur paranormal investigators, or even Bureau
contacts or other agents.
Each mission should have 3-6 named NPCs that are
described with a role (their job or place in the community/
area), pronouns, and a few traits that describe how they
behave or what they look like.

35
THEORY ROLLS
Agents explore locations, interview witnesses, research
history, and find evidence of the phenomenon until they are
able to develop a working theory. At this point players make
a theory roll to determine how well their theory matches the
facts.
Roll one die for each clue that the players use to answer the
questions below. Players may use multiple clues to answer
each question to get more dice.
• What is the phenomenon?
• How can you contain the phenomenon?
• How will you obfuscate the situation?

This roll marks the end of the investigation and the beginning
of direct action to contain and obfuscate the situation. Use
the highest die to determine the accuracy of their theory and
the position when we cut to the action.
• 1-3: The agents’ theory is full of holes. The players work
together to determine why their answers were wrong, and
what the truth really is. When we cut to the action, the
agents start at Danger Close and something may have
already gone wrong.
• 4/5: The agents’ have a decent theory but have drawn
some incorrect or incomplete conclusions. The players
work together to determine which questions were wrong,
and what the truth really is. When we cut to the action,
the agents’ position should be Risky.
• 6: The agents’ theory is correct. The agents are able to
act on the exact answers they deduced. When we cut to
the action, the agents can Play it Safe.
• CRIT: The agents were correct. Also the phenomenon is
either less dangerous than expected, or the agents have
found something specific that greatly mitigates the
threat. When we cut to the action, the agents’ position is
Play it Safe.

36
MISSION DEBRIEF
After each mission, a senior Bureau
employee (a department head,
administrator, interrogator, etc. played
by the GM) reviews the events of the
mission by asking the team a series of
questions. A GM debrief sheet is
included to keep track of the PC’s
answers after each mission. Each player
should mark 1 paperwork for each "No"
answer, unless one team member
accepts sole responsibility for that
question. If they do, then only they mark
1 paperwork. If the answer is uncertain,
treat it as No.

37
LOOSE ENDS
The employee (GM) should question the team about each
loose end that was noted during the mission. If one team
member accepts sole responsibility for a loose end, they
mark 1 paperwork. Otherwise all agents mark 1 paperwork for
each loose end.

COMMENDATIONS
The team should nominate one agent to receive a special
commendation as a result of exemplary service. If the player
accepts the agent’s commendation, they should mark it on
their character sheet. During downtime, agents may clear
one commendation to complete one long-term project (even
projects started that downtime phase).

Debrief Questions

1. Did you identify, contain, and obfuscate the

phenomenon?
2. Did you avoid civilian witnesses and secure all
related evidence?
3. Did you cover up the identity of the phenomenon?
4. Did you cover up the existence and purpose of the
Bureau?
5. Did you avoid civilian casualties and collateral
damage?
6. Did you obey all sanctions and prohibitions placed
on you by the Bureau?
7. Did all Bureau members return from the mission
alive?

38
PAPERWORK AND REPRIMANDS
After the debrief but before downtime activities are selected,
determine what disciplinary actions are enforced. Disciplinary
actions are based on the agents’ paperwork:
• 1-3 Paperwork: No effect.
• 4/5 Paperwork: You must have a meeting with your
department head to review your performance.
• 6 Paperwork: Clear your paperwork track and mark 1
reprimand.

After completing paperwork, each player rolls dice equal to

their agent’s number of reprimands. The highest result
determines any punishments or disciplinary actions directed
at the agent. If you have no reprimands marked, do not roll.
• 1-3: Menial duties. Your department head assigns you a
strange, boring, or undesirable task. The GM and player
can work together to create an appropriate assignment.
When you complete this task, clear 1 reprimand.
• 4/5: Disciplinary action. Your powers or department
special abilities are prohibited until the end of the next
mission. Use of powers or department resources by the
agent is unsanctioned and may incur additional
paperwork or inhibit your ability to perform actions as a
trained Bureau agent. Clear 1 reprimand.
• 6: Reassignment. Select a new department, record your
new department head, and replace your gear and special
ability with your new department’s gear and ability. Then
clear 1 reprimand.
• CRIT: Containment breach. Your negligence has led to a
loose paranormal phenomenon within the Bureau. Deal
with it now, or it gets out of hand.

When an agent receives their 3rd reprimand their Bureau

credentials are temporarily suspended. Nothing they do in an
official capacity is sanctioned by the Bureau. When an agent
would mark a 4th reprimand they are fired from the Bureau.

39
DOWNTIME
Agents can do two downtime activities between missions to
work on personal projects, workplace training, or attend to
the other needs of their jobs. Agents may select any
activities listed below and may repeat them freely.

CONSPIRACY BOARD
Agents of the Bureau are encouraged to investigate
seemingly unconnected happenings. Players can use this
downtime activity to expand the lore of ECB, create new
mission opportunities, and tie loose ends together into new
stories.
Say what your character suspects about the world and make
a theory roll. Pieces of the conspiracy can be previous
missions, clues, NPCs, loose ends, etc. You get +1d for each
of these clues.
What PUZZLES BUREAU RESEARCHERS MOST WHEN
CONSIDERING deep mysteries and OTHER PHENOMENA IS
THE PRESENCE OF strange connections ACROSS MANY
BUREAU INVESTIGATIONS. ONE MUST ASK: WHAT will you
DO TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH? AND ONE MUST CONSIDER:
WILL YOU BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND WHAT YOU discover?
The result of the roll determines the nature of the mystery
you uncover:
• 1-3: Unsound. You were wrong or misled. Do you stop your
investigation or take this as proof of a far more
convoluted riddle?
• 4/5: Incomplete. There’s something missing that prevents
you from putting the whole picture together. Additional
downtime activities may let you uncover the truth.
• 6: Solved. You were right about everything, for good or ill.
What happens now?
• Crit: Dire threat. You uncover a significant secret, reveal
the true nature of something, or solve an enigma far
greater than you imagined. What is at stake?

40
FILE PAPERWORK
You spend time filing paperwork. Say how, make a fortune
roll, and reduce paperwork equal to the highest die result.
Maybe COMMON AGENTS CALL IT drudgery but THE
BUREAU IS NOT INTERESTED IN COMMON AGENTS. FOR
THE BUREAU, it’s MOST IMPORTANT TO DO honest work.

REQUISITION ASSET
Request specialized or paranormal
items from the Bureau. Describe what
you are looking for and the
department that provides it. The
nature of the asset is not determined
until it is put to use. Assets must be
returned after use.
Make a fortune roll to determine the
asset’s quality. You may take +1
paperwork after the roll to increase
the result level by 1. Say what you
do to receive a more reliable asset.
Asset Quality:
• 1-3: Flawed (Just using it or getting it to function poses
problems)
• 4/5: Quirky (It's questionably sourced, unnecessarily
complex, temperamental, intelligent, or volatile. It may
have limited uses)
• 6: Adequate (No special issues)
• Crit: Exceptional (It’s extraordinary)

This asset may count as +1d when using it during a fortune

roll, or allow you to be properly equipped when making an
action roll. The asset’s quality may affect your position when
used in an action roll.

41
LONG-TERM PROJECT
An agent can undertake a long-term project to complete a
task. Tell the GM what you want to do and they will tell you
how many segments the clock should have. Complicated
projects may need to be completed in stages using multiple
clocks. Make a fortune roll and mark progress as follows:
• 1-3: One segment
• 4/5: Two segments
• 6: Three segments
• Crit: Five segments

Examples of long-term projects:

Personal Goals like working on an invention, patching up a
bad relationship, or removing reprimands.
Workplace Training like certifying a paranormal power.
Training uses a six-segment clock. Actions taken during
training may be dangerous, but they are sanctioned by the
Bureau.
Transfer Requests allow you to move to a new department.
This requires a six segment clock. When completed,
replace your standard-issue gear and department special
ability with that of your new department. Reduce your
paperwork to zero.

RECOVER
You take time off or engage in self care. This can take place
at the Bureau or outside of work. Say what your agent does
to relax or feel more human and clear your agent’s resonance
track.

42
STARTING THE GAME
When you start your game of ECB, all players work together
to decide what they want out of the game. Minimally, you
must all describe the level of technology available to the
Bureau and its agents, the overall genre and themes of the
game, and any topics you wish to highlight or avoid.

TECHNOLOGY LEVEL
An important part of deciding what your version of ECB looks
like is the level of technology available to the agents and the
External Containment Bureau in general.
Is it a low-tech organization, like in the video game Control,
that doesn’t use smart devices, or anything that was made
after a certain point in history? Do these limitations come
from your game being set in the past or an alternate history?
Is it a modern tech organization that primarily uses gear and
devices we would recognize? Like in the television show
Fringe, agents may occasionally encounter strange tech or
science during missions or as redacted Bureau assets.
Is it a high-tech organization, like in the MIB films, that has
access to fantastical gadgets? These gadgets could be the
result of paranormal entities, other dimensions, or even
time-travel.

GENRE
The genre of the game determines the feel and tone of your
missions and life at the Bureau.
Will it be a slow-burn procedural like The X-Files, using
seemingly unconnected missions to build a conspiracy over
several sessions? Games in this genre spend time on the
internal politics of the ECB or between the Bureau and other
agencies and paranormal organizations. All players should be
on the same page for their expectations about what they can
or can’t learn from the Conspiracy Board downtime activity
and the theory roll.

43
Will it be an office drama, focusing on the politics and
relationships of the agents and their contacts? These games
focus on free play and downtime activities. They follow the
long-term changes in a complex web of PCs, their contacts,
and other ECB agents. Scenes that might be summarized in
other genres (“I phone my friend in records to ask if he’ll dig
through the files on talking dolls and see if this one is
something we might have seen before”) are more likely to be
played out in full detail.
Will it be a pulpy high-action game like MIB or Control, where
agents routinely put their lives in danger to save the world
from paranormal powers and malicious entities? These
games focus more time on missions and facing frequent dire
consequences. What consequences are offered and which of
those are (and aren’t) redacted is important for setting the
tone of these games.

ORGANIZATIONAL NORMS
Games of ECB can tell many different stories. Use a taste
menu consisting of two columns labeled Yes and No to
record what sorts of themes and content players want in the
game and what should be excluded.
Players take turns highlighting themes they want to focus on
(office politics, conspiracies, aliens, etc.) or wish to exclude,
as well as specific content they want to focus on or exclude
(gore, sexism, kidnapping, etc.) Continue taking turns until
players have nothing else to add. Review the taste menu
before each session and add or remove items as needed.
IT MUST BE SAID. They WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT
THERE are THINGS CALLED NORMS IN THIS CHAOTIC
REALITY BUT what you MUST KNOW IS THAT THIS MAKES
NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. REALITIES ARE WHAT WE make
of them. ANY NORMALITY DISCOVERED WITHIN IS SIMPLY
AND PURELY OUR MEAT BRAINS’ ATTEMPT TO BRING
ORDER TO A SYSTEM BEREFT OF IT.

44
SCRIPT CHANGE
To make sure the game adheres to your taste menu, and
explore the content of your game, ECB uses part of the
Script Change RPG Toolbox by Beau Jágr Sheldon. Say these
moves out loud, write them on index cards, or work out signs
or symbols players can use to signal them during the game:

• Pause: Call a pause if you need a break from an intense

scene, to take a break from the game, or if you're seeking
clarity or a discussion about the game or content.
• Instant Replay: Call right after a scene to share
enthusiasm about what happened, or to clarify details of
the narrative.
• Rewind: Back up to a specific point and do the scene over
again avoiding whatever led to the rewind.
• Frame-by-Frame: Use this before scenes with content
you want to play through with care. During the scene,
players should call occasional pauses to check in, and
take the scene slow.
• Fast Forward: Fade to black and advance time as needed
to avoid content or elements of play, or just to move
forward in time.
• Resume: Return to normal play at any time, as the player
who called the original script change in effect.

45
CREATING MISSIONS
ECB missions should always include the following:
• Mission briefing of no more than a few sentences about
mysterious circumstances, strange situations, or threat,
and what the Bureau wants the team to do about it. Also
include a mission code name.
• Mission clock with consequences when the clock is
around ½ and ¾ full and a dire circumstance when the
clock is filled
• 6 complications at the scene that the agents can respond
to as the mission begins
• At least 9 clues. Three minimum for each of identify,
contain, and obfuscate.
• 3-6 NPCs. These can be affected by the phenomenon,
can serve as complications, or help the team identify,
obfuscate, or contain the phenomenon.

When creating a mission it is important to have a flexible

idea of what the mission is about. If you want to make a
mission about a werewolf in a small town, it’s important to
have a mission clock and clues about a werewolf, large
wolves, or rumors of someone dressed in a wolf costume that
the agents can uncover. Don’t include irrelevant details as
red-herrings or false clues; the players will have enough
complications to worry about. Be vague in the mission
briefing. If you tell the agents that it’s a werewolf, they’re
going to look for one, and be puzzled if their theory roll fails.
Describe the broad symptoms of the phenomenon (tracks,
howls, disappearances) and let the players figure out the
cause.
Be flexible about the possibilities of the theory roll. The
agents may put the clues together in ways you didn’t expect
and be validated by the roll, or put the clues together how
you imagined and be completely incorrect—or
overestimated the danger. It is important to let these twists
happen. There could be multiple werewolves, or someone
possessed by the ghost of a werewolf, or just a really big and

46
rare species of mundane wolf. All these answers are valid, so
try to put together a mission that allows for multiple
solutions to the core mystery.
The Bureau usually sends agents out on missions in
situations involving at least one of these three
circumstances:
1. There is a paranormal phenomenon (vortex, monster,
item with unstable telekinetic properties) that threatens
people’s safety.
2. There is a paranormal entity (cryptid, alien, vampire)
whose safety is compromised by people, organizations, or
just the nature of our reality.
3. There is a containment breach, intrusion, or subterfuge
within the Bureau.

If townsfolk have made an amenable arrangement with the

local cryptid, or a paranormal phenomenon has zero or a
positive effect on the environment, the Bureau is likely to just
let it be or maintain low impact obfuscation techniques that
require occasional maintenance. The Bureau is analogous to
an emergency service like firefighters, healthcare workers, or
wildlife conservationists.
Mission clocks should have brief and obvious consequences
that are triggered at specific points, usually when ½ and ¾
of the segments are filled. Provide agents with difficult
situations and hard choices that will stretch the agents’
ability to maintain the Bureau’s directives. Make them squirm
when they answer the mission debrief questions! These
could be loose ends, lost opportunities, complications, or
other flavor to indicate the dwindling timeline and escalating
threats. sample
Three SYNCHRONICITIES AFTER EXTENSIVE ASTRAL
MINING PROVIDED A sample OF REDACTED MATERIAL,
missions are NOW FULLY included in the NO BUDGET
NEEDED LINE ITEMS. MORE DETAIL IS AVAILABLE ON THE
following pages.

47
RENOVICTION
Mission Code Name

BRIEF
We have acquired information that
Atco Logging Ltd. have purchased a
few hundred acres of forest outside
Vancouver BC, Canada. The Records
Department indicates this area is
home to a rare cryptid. Locate the
cryptid, obfuscate its existence, and
either contain the logging company or
relocate the cryptid.

COMPLICATIONS AT THE SCENE

1. The cryptid is ill.
2. The cryptid has offspring who are missing.
3. Several similar cryptids have recently migrated into the
area.
4. One of the Atco employees is missing and other
employees are searching the area.
5. A group of environmental activists are in the area.
6. A Bureau employee has been isolated in the area for the
last few decades.

MISSION CLOCK
4 ticks: Atco employees start
moving into the cryptid’s
territory.
6 ticks: Atco management
discovers evidence of the
cryptid’s existence.
8 ticks: Corporate execs order
Atco employees to detain the
cryptid and the agents.

48
CLUES
• Identify: Large footprints • coarse brown fur • discarded
food wrappers • scrounged garbage • local myths of a
“Sasquatch”
• Contain: Large swathes of protected forest outside the
logging area • Strong environmentalist presence in the
area • evidence of corporate malfeasance • a local
millionaire owns a large bunker in the area
• Obfuscate: Atco managers are easily bribed • local
disproven myths of a “Sasquatch” • local psychedelic
mushrooms

NPCs
Agent Keter (he/him) Abigail Aston (she/her)
A Bureau employee Local cryptid hunter
• Paranoid • Minor Celebrity
• Survivalist • Lots of Gear
• Huge Beard • Knowledge of the area

Winston Karlyle (he/him) Bryce Villason (they/them)

Area manager Local gas station clerk
• Greedy • Teen
• Curious • Bored
• Fine Suits • Lanky

Edie Langford (they/them) Gavin (she/her)

Atco foreman Local drug dealer
• Muscular • Plaid Jacket
• Swears • Smart
• Safety Conscious • Deals to Edie and Bryce

49
OPEN OFFICE COMPLICATIONS
Mission Code Name

BRIEF
A new Department has recently
appeared inside the Bureau. There is
no record of its existence here. It may
be an incursion from another reality, a
forgotten section of the Bureau, or
something more sinister. We need you
to identify the Department, contain it,
and if necessary, obfuscate it from the
rest of the Bureau.

COMPLICATIONS AT THE SCENE

1. Alan the intern has wandered inside.
2. There is a secure perimeter around the new Department.
3. The new Department is causing time to work differently.
4. Someone or something has escaped the new
Department.
5. A dead body is found right outside the new Department.
6. The new Department has compromised the containment
of a violent paranormal object.

MISSION CLOCK
2 ticks: Rumors of the new
Department start to circulate
(loose end).
3 ticks: Someone from the
new Department is found in a
secure space.
4 ticks: The presence of the
new Department destabilizes
the Bureau (physically,
bureaucratically, or
existentially).

50
CLUES
• Identify: Advanced/ancient technology • evasive and
deceitful agents • strange corporate logos • people in the
new Department and Bureau are related • memory loss
technology
• Contain: Renovations in the Bureau • time travel •
containment cells in the Bureau • treaty with the new
Department • memory loss technology
• Obfuscate: Records of similar incursions • plots to
infiltrate the Bureau • time travel experiments • powerful
phenomenon contained within the Bureau • bureaucratic
jargon • paperwork • memory loss technology

NPCs
Alan (he/him) Charles Kane (he/him)
The intern A spy
• Short • Disguised
• Anxious • Deceitful
• Clip-on Tie • Hunched

Valdemar (he/him) 55 (he/they)

A custodian A paranormal entity
• Old • Teleports
• Overalls • Helpful & Kind
• Overworked • Blue

Hex Ferguson (she/her) Agent Rain (she/they)

A chronologist A Bureau agent
• Lab Coat • Weapons & Gear
• Pocket Watches • Shaved Head
• Loquacious • Direct

51
A STRANGE TRIP
Mission Code Name

BRIEF
Suspicious accidents have been
reported in and around the Golden
Oaks Retirement Complex. Some
residents have reported hearing
strange sounds and are becoming
anxious. Determine if the accidents are
paranormal, contain if necessary, and
provide residents and staff with a
plausible explanation.

COMPLICATIONS AT THE SCENE

1. A resident is hysterical after a minor accident.
2. The lights have all shut off.
3. The agents are disoriented and wind up facing an interior
stairwell.
4. A belligerent resident confronts the Agents.
5. The police are at the Retirement Complex.
6. An accident befalls a member of staff as the agents
arrive.

MISSION CLOCK

3 ticks: The agents face small

accidents (tripping,
clumsiness, etc.).
5 ticks: An accident seriously
hurts a resident.
6 ticks: An accident kills one
or more residents.

52
CLUES
• Identify: Reports of a baby crying • banging sounds •
residents have fallen down the same staircase • a strange
porcelain doll • dim and broken lights • ghost stories •
malfunctioning electronics • several accidents in and
around the Complex
• Contain: Resident’s collection of porcelain dolls • a
garbage can that’s always empty • gossip about
relationships and romance • malfunctioning electronics •
ghost myths and records
• Obfuscate: The Complex is in disrepair • hallways are
dimly lit • terminal illnesses • wills and beneficiaries •
residents and their families arguing • ghost stories •
prescription and illegal drugs

NPCs
Myra Morgan (she/her) Joshua Twin (they/them)
A resident Maintenance staff
• Alluring • Thin
• Widower • Superstitious
• Greedy • Disheveled

Oskar Green (he/him) Clarice Holmes (they/them)

A resident A busybody
• Paranoid • Condescending
• Distraught • Gossip Queen
• Silver Fox • Pudgy

Adam Green (he/him) Ellie Day (she/her)

Oskar’s son Resident nurse
• Flippant • Impeccably Dressed
• Casual • Flirtatious
• Expensive Accessories • Young

53
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