by Scott McClenaghan (2010)

This supplemental rules summary is intended to augment the base Dark Conspiracy book (1st edition). Rules in later editions (Empathic Sourcebook, 2nd edition) may be used where they do not conflict either the 1st edition or these rules.

Download as a PDF (40 pages, 1.05 Meg)


The main changes within these supplemental rules are:

  • Reduce the ability to “min/max” a character during character creation.
  • Balance initiative and ability checks.
  • Revert to original Easy/Average/Difficult tests.
  • Add combat options and simplify where possible.
  • Simplify automatic gunfire and make it a little more effective to go full-auto.
  • Add rules for poisons, radiation, and other omitted topics from all editions.
  • We still strive to maintain, as much as possible, the original “look and feel” of the 1st edition rules. Often, original 1st edition material has been summarized here in the corresponding sections for ease of reference.

From Scott’s post on The Dark Times Fanzine Facebook page

This is an early work I did for DC version 1 (and version 2 where it does not conflict version 1).

The goal was to improve character generation balance, to balance initiative (we felt high initiative characters dominated too much in the rules as written), to streamline automatic fire and combat overall where possible, to add consistent combat modifiers (other than 1/2 and doubling), to add rules for poison and radiation, and to add a table for noticing concealed weapons (using observation).

For consistency and look/feel, most verbiage is lifted from the original 1st edition text and then modified for our house rules. Some of these rules are written without modification, just for rules completeness.

These were written in 2006 and updated in 2010. Use or ignore as desired.

Download as a PDF (40 pages, 1.05 Meg)